Monday, January 24
Restaurant Week is officially over, but we have a list of the places that are extending the deal.
The Source is celebrating Chinese New Year today through February 4 with a themed menu to welcome in the Year of the Rabbit. The tasting menu ($95 per person; $130 with wine pairings) includes dishes such as slow-braised-rabbit spring rolls, whole steamed bass and clams with black beans, and sausage with crispy garlic. Call 202-637-6100 for reservations.
Tuesday, January 25
To honor 18th-century Scottish poet Robert Burns’s 252nd birthday, Againn is hosting a bash that includes bagpipe music as well as a three-course menu with cock-a-leekie soup (with chicken and leeks), haggis, and Scotch pairings. The dinner, which starts at 6:30, is $45 per person. For reservations, call 202-639-9830. For more information, click here.
Sample a variety of local beers from Afton, Virginia’s Blue Mountain Brewing Company, at Rustico in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood from 6 to 9. Eight drafts—including two (Blue Mountain Evan ALTmighty and Long Winter’s Nap) will be making their Washington premiere—along with two surprise cask ales. The brewery’s founders—Matt Nucci and Taylor and Mandi Smack—will be on hand to answer questions. Call 703-224-5051 for more information.
Wednesday, January 26
At the Roof Terrace Restaurant’s Wine & Cultural Celebration series, you can sip Champagne at the Kennedy Center without dressing up or spending big bucks. During a come-and-go tasting from 6 to 8, guests can sample seven varietals, including Domaine Chandon blanc de noire and rosé, as well as vintage bottles of Dom Pérignon and Veuve Clicquot. The dress code is come-as-you-are. A selection of small plates and cheeses will be offered to go with the Champagne, and the National Symphony Orchestra is providing music. Call 202-416-8555 for reservations ($40 per person) and information.
Thursday, January 27
Drink to your health—literally—at Planet Wine Shop’s tasting and discussion on the many health benefits of wine. An instructor will talk about the biochemistry of wine and put such elements as antioxidants and sulfites into layperson’s terms. The class ($15 per person) runs from 7 to 8; call 703-549-3444 to reserve a space.
Friday, January 28
It’s white-truffle season, and Equinox chef Todd Gray is preparing a three-course dinner at Market Salamander in Middleburg. Dishes include agnolotti with fresh ricotta, Jerusalem artichokes, and white-truffle butter; slow-cooked veal loin and crispy sweetbreads with white truffles; and a truffle-poached pear with balsamic ice cream. Dinner guests receive a 10-percent store discount. To make reservations ($78 per person) for the event, which begins at 7, call 540-687-8011.
Saturday, January 29
Northside Social pastry chef Rob Valencia is helping you prepare for Valentine’s Day with a class on chocolate desserts and homemade gifts. The demonstrations cover sweets for novice cooks (chocolate fondue), midlevel chefs (chocolate “gooey” cake), and experts (chocolate soufflé) as well as bonbons and chocolate-wine bars. The class, which starts at 1, is $40. Call 703-465-0145 to reserve a space.
Sunday, January 30
Eola is teaming up with Ansonia Wines for a four-course Burgundy and the Beast dinner from 5 to 7:30, with a focus on wild game meats. Chef Dan Singhofen is serving such items as deviled hare, bison jerky, a selection of game birds (partridge roulade and confit Pekin duck, for example), and a whole roasted wild boar with herbed potatoes and wilted greens. The dinner, $85 per person, includes wine pairings. For the full menu, click here. Call 202-466-4441 for reservations.
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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.
