Food

The Week in Food Events: Oyamel’s Day of the Dead Festival, Champagne Day at Proof, and More Oktoberfest

Plus a high-profile cookbook talk with the “Ottolenghi” authors.

Celebrate global Champagne day with discount bubbly at Proof. Photograph via Shutterstock.

Let’s talk cookbooks: Chef/authors
Yotam Ottolenghi and
Sami Tamimi of London’s Ottolenghi discuss their recently released work at
Sixth & I on
Monday at 7. Their previous books include
Plenty and
Jerusalem. Tickets start at $20, or $40 for admission and a copy of
Ottolenghi: The Cookbook.

Day of the Dead:
Oyamel launches its annual Day of the Dead festival on
Monday, running through November 2. You’ll find a range of special drinks, plus dishes such as stuffed
crab shells topped with sea urchin butter and
atole rico.

Taste of Dupont: Snack your way around Dupont Circle on
Monday, when participating restaurants offer “special creations” (off-menu snacks and drinks) for
Taste of Dupont ticket holders. Passes ($5 each) are available
online and at the Dupont Circle Resource Center.

Happy birthday, Belga:
Belga Cafe celebrates its ninth anniversary with a weeklong lineup of events. Festivities include a beer glass giveaway on
Monday, all-day happy hour drinks on
Wednesday, and a six-course pairing dinner
Thursday.

Wine dinner:
BlackSalt partners with Oregon’s Argyle Winery for a five-course dinner on
Tuesday at 7. The menu is paired with a number of varietals, and costs $135 per person. Call the restaurant
or e-mail blacksalt@comcast.net for reservations.

Boozy book launch:
Fred Minnick, author of
Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey, signs copies of the new book at
Jack Rose on
Wednesday from 6 to 8. Tickets ($30) include a signed copy of the book and whiskey tasting
flight chosen by Jack Rose owner Bill Thomas.

Taste of Scandinavia: Two Swedish Michelin-starred chefs are guest-cooking at the
Grill Room on
Thursday and
Friday:
Hans Boren of 28+ and Kock & Vin’s
Johan Bjorkman. The toques team up with a fellow Swede, chef
Jakob Esko, for a three-course lunch ($35) and dinner ($75), with optional wine pairings for
both. Reserve by calling the restaurant.

Champagne day: Now that’s a culinary holiday we can get behind.
Proof celebrates on
Friday by offering guests a 30 percent discount on all bubbly, including by-the-glass options
on a special menu.

Freaky food: The Truckeroo food truck festival gets in the Halloween spirit on
Friday with
Truckerboo. Expect a similar lineup of food trucks
(27 this time!), beers, games, and music from 11 to 11 by Nationals Park, plus costumes
and more holiday-themed fun.

Al fresco Oktoberfest: Get a taste of Munich in
Bethesda Lane on
Saturday during
Redwood’s
Oktoberfest celebration from 1 to 7. Look for
beers from Starr Hill and DC Brau, Germanic eats such as brats and pretzels, a “kid
zone” for families, and sales at neighboring stores. Admission ($39) includes 12 tasting
tickets for drinks and food (worth $24), a commemorative mug, and donation to the
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Oyster fest:
Tony & Joe’s hosts a waterside oyster festival on the
Georgetown Waterfront this
Saturday from 2 to 6. The bivalves are served raw, grilled, and fried, and are accompanied
by various beer and wine pairings. Tickets are $75; Marine Corps Marathon runners
get a special discount.

Sweet fundraiser: The annual
Pie Fest returns on
Sunday, combining a baking competition and a fundraiser for the Jayna Troxel Murray Foundation.
Bring a home-baked pie to
Bourbon (Adams Morgan location)
for a chance to win prizes, or just grab a ticket ($25) for an afternoon of sampling
from 1 to 5. Passes must be purchased in advance.

Food Editor

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.