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New! Old Hickory Steakhouse
This National Harbor restaurant is offering a five-course dinner on its terrace. Dinner includes Champagne, shrimp cocktail, an appetizer, and beef tenderloin or Alaskan halibut, both served with Maine lobster tail. Dessert selections include a deconstructed cherry pie. Dinner from 7 to 10. Reservations highly recommended; call 301-965-4000.
New! Cupcakes Actually
This Fairfax sweets spot has a stars-and-stripes cupcake through the Fourth of July. It's made with vanilla-bean cake that's been dyed blue and topped with buttercream icing, red and blue sprinkles, and a red star. Other cupcake varieties will have patriotic decorations. Prices range from $3 to $4.50. The bakery is open on July 4 from noon to 6.
New! Cork Market & Tasting Room
This Logan Circle shop is offering free samples of white, rose, and red wines on July 2 from 6 to 8 and July 3 from 3 to 6.The market also has picnic baskets: sandwich options—baskets include two—range from chicken salad to grilled vegetables with goat cheese. All choices come with chips, fruit salad, and gourmet cookies. Chicken baskets include fried or grilled chicken plus side dishes. To place an order, call 202-265-2674 or e-mail info@corkdc.com.
New! Buzz Bakery
At this Alexandria coffeehouse/cafe, picnic baskets ($9.50) include two pieces of fried chicken, mustard-based potato salad, and cornbread. Pre-ordering is recommended but not required. Holiday-themed sweets include flag cookies ($2.25) and cupcakes ($2.75). Call 703-600-2899 to place an order.
New! J&G Steakhouse
This celebrity-chef outpost near the White House is hosting a barbecue on its patio, where $20 gets you a burger or Kobe-beef hot dog, plus chips and a beer. The patio is open from 3 to 11, so you can hit it pre- or post-fireworks. Reservations required; call 202-661-2440.
Founding Farmers
From June 30 to July 5, this farm-to-table hotspot is serving blueberry pie with whipped cream, sliced strawberries, and vanilla ice cream. If you're feeling extra patriotic, enjoy it in between sips of the Constitution, made of gin infused with chamomile tea and blueberries, mixed with ginger liqueur, lemon juice, and soda water. The restaurant's new summer menu includes a trio of hot dogs as well as a mixed-grill plate with sliders, ribs, a chili dog, potato chips, potato salad, and grilled corn.
Farmers & Fishers
The Georgetown waterfront sister of Founding Farmers is offering a blueberry galette—a puff pastry filled with blueberries and topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream—from June 30 to July 5.
Adour at the St. Regis
Want to bring a trendy treat to a July Fourth picnic? Check out Adour’s macarons, delicate sandwich cookies with a sweet filling. The chic restaurant is selling patriotically colored macarons—in raspberry and blueberry flavors—packed in white-and-gold to-go boxes. A set of 12 is $20; for every 50 cookies ordered, you get ten free. Orders—call 202-509-8000—must be placed 24 hours in advance (for more than 50, call 48 hours ahead) and can be picked up July 2 and 3.
Againn
If you’re sick of red, white, and blue, show up to the British gastropub Againn in your tennis whites to watch some Wimbledon action. On July 4, the restaurant is serving breakfast for the men’s singles finals, and options include fresh strawberries with vanilla-bean whipped cream, cranberry-cornmeal scones, and raspberry French toast with whipped cream. Prices range from $8 to $14, and specialty cocktails will also be available. Breakfast runs from 9 to 4. Those in tennis whites receive a free bag of freshly baked cookies. For more information or to make reservations, call 202-639-9830.
A.M. Wine Shoppe
This wine-and-gourmet-foods store from one of the Cashion's Eat Place owners is putting together picnic baskets for July 4. They include a main plus potato salad, fruit, cheese, and wine. Prices vary depending on the main course: $30 for two sandwiches, $35 for a half roast chicken, and $45 for a whole roast chicken. Order by calling 202-506-2248.
Asia Nine Bar & Lounge
On July 4, this Asian-fusion spot is preparing $20 to-go meals with one entrée and two sides. Mains include Thai barbecue chicken and Laos grilled steak, and side options are sticky rice, house salad, papaya salad, or bacon-cheese fries. At the restaurant, specials include the Independence Roll, made of lobster salad ($12), and the Firecracker Roll, spicy tuna with cherry and blueberry sauces ($12). July 4 cocktails are a Watermelontini ($10) and berry mojito ($10). For reservations or to preorder a to-go meal, call 202-629-4355.
Charlie Palmer Steak
To fuel up for a night of fireworks, drop by Charlie Palmer Steak for cotton candy, a chocolate fountain, hors d’oeuvres, and a carving station. Bonus: This Capitol Hill hangout is close to the Mall, so you dash over to find a good spot for fireworks. The celebration runs from 4 to 8:30. Entrance is $45 for adults, $18 for children. For reservations, call 202-547-8100. Walk-ins are also welcome.
City Square Café
This international bistro is offering a three-course, prix-fixe dinner, and patio diners will have a prime view of the Old Town Manassas fireworks. Entrée choices include barbecue baby-pork ribs, linguine bolognese, and Atlantic salmon. Dessert options include apple pie. Reservations are required; call 703-369-6022. Dinner is $45 per person.
Columbia Firehouse
This Old Town Alexandria restaurant is offering $3 all-local draft beers during happy hour. The regular brunch menu is available from 11 to 3.
Old Ebbitt Grill
This classic DC haunt, just a few blocks from the White House, is a popular stop for pre- and post-fireworks noshing. In addition to the restaurant’s regular menu, executive chef Robert McGowan has picnic-inspired fare on July 4. Options include a footlong hot dog with chili, onions, cheddar cheese, coleslaw, and fries ($9.75); smokehouse baby-back ribs with fries, coleslaw, and cornbread ($12.95 for a half rack, $19.95 for a full rack); and a sandwich with fried chicken and a spicy blue-cheese slaw served on a hoagie with a potato-salad side ($12.95). Call 202-347-4800 for reservations.
Pizzeria Paradiso
Pizza and beer? It doesn’t get more American than that. Both the Georgetown and Dupont locations of this upscale pizza joint are offering barbecue pizza from Friday, July 2, through Thursday, July 8. (8-inch pies $11.75, 12-inch $17.75). The restaurants are also tapping only American beer. Stoudt’s American Pale Ale is $4 throughout the week.
TenPenh
This southeast-Asian eatery is dishing out less-than-traditional tastes for the Fourth (a roasted pig with Filipino spices plus sides for $29) but its patio—where four-bottle buckets of San Miguel or Heineken beers are $12—on Pennsylvania Avenue offers an excellent view of patriotically clad passersby. The late-night happy hour, from 9:30 to 11:30, includes choices of eight specialty cocktails, draft beers, and a wine selection—all $5 in the bar and lounge.
