Eat Like an Olympian: Yes, there are some healthy promotions going down for the games—egg-white omelet at the Madison, anyone?—but mainly you’ll find yourself sipping martinis at the Ritz, snacking on Welsh rarebit at Johnny’s Half Shell, and enjoying other indulgences that have nothing to do with athletics. Check out our full list of specials here.
Alexandria Beer Dinner: Port City and Virtue Feed & Grain are pairing up to host a four-course beer dinner on Tuesday at 7 in Cathal Armstrong’s casual pub. Meet the brewmasters and come hungry for dishes like arctic char rillettes and beef rib eye with creamed leeks. Call 571-970-3669 or e-mail for reservations ($65 per person).
Actual Reality TV: Get that extra dose of reality on Wednesday at Art and Soul, where you can watch Top Chef Masters with TCM celeb contestant Art Smith. In addition to the regular Wednesday crab boil, there’s an extended happy hour at the ArtBar with $4 brews and $7 wines and cocktails, plus complimentary bar snacks.
Pop-Up Toque: Miss chef Amy Brandwein’s cooking after the Casa Nonna shutter? You’ll find her at Cork Market and Tasting Room on Thursday at 7 preparing a five-course, market-driven Italian dinner paired with Italian wines. The dinner is $50, or $90 with wine pairings, and spaces can be reserved by phone (202-265-2675) or by e-mail.
Hula at Hank’s: Hank’s Oyster Bar in Dupont teams up with the Hula Girl Truck for a Saturday luau from 11 AM to 3 PM, complete with tiki drinks, all-you-can-eat suckling pig, macaroni salad, shrimp skewers, and more. Purchase tickets ($75) online, or follow us on Twitter to find out how you can snag two for free.
Vegan Dinners: We already lost some of you with those two words, but for the rest, Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats is starting a series of Wednesday night suppers made with organic ingredients from local farmers markets, plus desserts from Doron Petersan’s new cookbook. This week kicks off with a taco night featuring dishes such as mushroom ceviche, “chorizo” poblano, and chocolate in cinnamon phyllo pockets.
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.
