Monday, November 29
Proof is hosting a special dinner with Michael Browne, the California-based winemaker of Kosta Browne and Jemrose wineries. Chef Haidar Karoum’s pairings (see the full menu here) include sautéed scallops in a clam velouté with sea urchin as well a cassoulet with two varietals of Kosta Browne Pinot Noir. To reserve a seat for the dinner ($130), which begins at 7, call 202-737-7663 or e-mail Karen Chan at karen@proofdc.com. Browne is also teaming with Wildfire tomorrow for a similar dinner ($110). Click here for more information.
Tuesday, November 30
The Spirit of the Festival event, an interactive cooking and cocktail competition, runs from 7 to 9 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. Five chef-and-mixologist teams—including Peter Smith and Gina Cherservani from PS 7’s and Thomas Wellings and Simo Ahmadi of Equinox—will pair a plate and dish for the judges. For more information and tickets ($55), call 410-752-8950 or click here. The competition is part of February’s Washington DC International Wine & Food Festival, a four-day event of wine and cocktail tastings, live demonstrations, and more.
Wednesday, December 1
Hannukah begins tonight with a number of celebration options (for more ideas, see our Holiday Guide). Dino is offering an olive-oil-centric tasting menu—a nod to the oil that kept the Macabees’ oil burning ($42 per person). The four-course menu includes such dishes as a smashed-potato pancake sautéed in olive oil with golden char caviar and rockfish poached in olive oil (for a full menu, click here). For reservations, click here. For those who’d like to eat at home, Cork Market & Tasting Room is preparing zucchini-and-leek latkes and house-made gravlax. Call 202-265-2674 to place an order. Both options are offered today through December 8.
Urbana is hosting Red Hot Night in the Nation’s Capital, a cocktail benefit for the Whitman-Walker Clinic, which provides HIV and AIDS care for gay, lesbian, and transgender individuals. Fashion expert and TV personality Paul Wharton is the emcee for the event. A silent auction features Kimpton Hotel getaways and a $500 gift certificate to Room & Board. Admission ($10) includes one drink ticket and complimentary Mediterranean-inspired hors d’oeuvres. The event, which follows a short 5:30 candlelight vigil in DC’s Dupont Circle, runs until 8:30.
Cookbook author and Chez Panisse co-chef David Tanis is signing copies of his latest work ($35), Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys, at 5 at Williams Sonoma in Mazza Gallerie. Tanis is also lead a cooking demonstration on squash ravioli. Call 202-237-1602 for more information..
Thursday, December 2
Four Loudoun County chefs are teaming up for a farm-to-table dinner at Patowmack Farm in Lovettsville. All proceeds from the silent auction and ticket sales ($175 person) go toward building an organic-gardening greenhouse at the Loudoun County Homeless and Transitional Housing Shelters. After a cocktail reception, each chef will present a seasonal course and collaborate on the dessert. For reservations, visit the Web site of Partnerships for Children, the organization that’s sponsoring the greenhouse.
In honor of World AIDS Day, Hotel Palomar in Arlington is hosting A Taste of Virginia’s Own, a sampling of Virginia wines that benefits the Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry. Local winemakers such as Pearmund Cellars, Tarara Winery, and Rappahannock Cellars are providing the sips that accompany passed hors d’oeuvres. Click here for tickets ($30 in advance, $35 at the door).
Friday, December 3
Chef Katie Delaney is leading a dessert cooking class at L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg. From 7 to 10 AM, students will learn how to bake baklava, sweet and savory biscotti, and two variations of granola. For more information and to reserve a seat ($75 per person), call 301-986-9490 or visit the school’s Web site.
Saturday, December 4
BLT Steak is holding its final autumnal-cooking class. Chef Victor Albisu leads guests in a Virginia harvest-themed session that highlights meat and produce from the Old Dominion state. Lessons focus on farmers-market finds and how to preserve produce for winter. The class ($100 per person) includes a four course-lunch with a cocktail and the restaurant’s signature popovers. Contact Erica Frank at 202-689-8999 or erica@bltrestaurants.com for reservations.
Sunday, December 5
The third annual Merriment in Georgetown, which runs from 2 to 6, includes such festive highlights as hot-chocolate tastings, free horse-drawn-carriage rides, cupcake decorating with Georgetown Cupcake, and special holiday sales. Click here for a full schedule of events.
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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.
