Monday, May 16
Today is the start of American Craft Beer Week, and ChurchKey and DCBeer.com are teaming up for a party from 6 to 9. On tap are local pours such as DC Brau, Port City Brewing Company, Tuppers’ Hop Pocket Brewing Company, and Stillwater Artisanal. A raffle includes tickets to Savor, the sold-out craft-beer-and-food gala June 3 and 4. Other restaurants hosting events for the weeklong brew celebration—which runs through Sunday—include Ella’s Wood Fired Pizza and Gordon Biersch. Click here to find a schedule of events in your area.
Tuesday, May 17
Meet winemaker Salvatore Martusciella from Grotta de Sole Winery during a tasting at Cork Market & Tasting Room starting at 7 PM. The winery is known for using traditional methods from Italy’s Campania region. To see the seven bottles in the tasting, click here. There’s limited availability for the tasting ($25); e-mail Tastings@CorkDC.com by May 16 for a spot, or call 202-265-2674.
Wednesday, May 18
Aspiring pizzaiolos can head to Zola Wine & Kitchen for a class on cooking pizza, calzones, and stromboli. There’ll be a demonstration on regular and whole-wheat crusts, then participants can create their own pies for lunch (served with beer). Visit the Web site to make reservations ($75 per person), or call 202-639-9463.
Thursday, May 19
Head to the National Zoo for its annual fundraiser Zoofari, which includes samples from 100 Washington restaurants, such as 1789, Bar Pilar, Graffiato (opening soon), Estadio, and Central (for a full list, click here). There’ll also be a band, a pastry competition for the best zoo-themed cake, and a silent auction with such items as a tasting menu and wine pairing at Charlie Palmer Steak. The event will run from 6:30 to 9:30. For tickets ($150 for FONZ members, $200 for nonmembers), click here.
Friday, May 20
At Patowmack Farm in Lovettsville, chef Chris Edwards is preparing a five-course dinner with beers from Frederick’s Flying Dog Brewery. Pairings include Snake Dog IPA with a soft-cooked egg in an Ethiopian-style vegetable stew; Road Dog Porter with a bun-less Hedge Apple Farm beef patty topped with morel mushrooms, pea shoots, and buttermilk-ranch dressing; Double Dog Pale Ale with clay-pot chicken, cilantro, and turnip greens; and barrel-aged Imperial Porter with house-made stracciatella custard with fried malt. To make reservations for the dinner ($65), which starts at 5:30, call 540-822-9017.
Toast of the Town DC, hosted by Wine Enthusiast, is at the National Building Museum from 7 to 10. The event features more than 500 wines, spirits, and beers, as well as food from 35 restaurants. Wines come from such vineyards as Domaine Chandon, Planeta, and Cloudy Bay; participating restaurants include Bastille, Eatonville, and Jackie’s. Click here to buy tickets ($109 regular admission; $169 VIP); partial proceeds go to the National Building Museum’s educational program.
Saturday, May 21
Get ready for your Memorial Day cookout during a barbecue class with chef Victor Albisu at BLT Steak. He’ll demonstrate dishes such as Kobe-beef brisket, Berkshire-pork ribs, and pulled pork, along with grilled corn, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese. Afterward, guests will sit down to a four-course lunch. The course, which runs from 12:30 to 3, is $100. Call Erica Frank at 202-689-8989 for reservations.
Grey Market, a nonprofit organization that hosts events for unlicensed or uncertified food vendors, is hosting its second market from noon to 4 at DC’s Local 16. It’s free to enter, but you have to sign up in advance; click here. Goods include alcohol-infused cupcakes from Crunkcakes, gumbo from South Texas Gumbo Co., and seasonal pickles from the Pickle (see a full list of vendors here).
Sunday, May 22
The 24th annual Taste of Arlington unfolds along Wilson Boulevard from noon to 5 with 40 restaurants, including Bayou Bakery, Rustico, Willow, and EatBar. There’ll also be a moon bounce and music on an outdoor stage. Entrance is free; you’ll need tickets to purchase food, wine, and beer. You can buy tickets at the event, and there’s a special online deal to get $25 worth of tickets for $20.
SoundBites, a concert and tasting event to benefit DC Central Kitchen, is at the 9:30 Club starting at 5. More than 30 local restaurants and food trucks—such as Kushi, Sabor’a Street, Room 11, and DC Empanadas—join the bands Trouble Funk and Ra Ra Rasputin (click here for a list of vendors and bands) for entertainment. Tickets ($40), which include food but not alcoholic beverages, are available at Ticket Fly.
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Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
