Plan ahead: ‘Tis the week before Christmas, so here’s a friendly reminder to make those holiday plans. Browse our roundup of Christmas Eve dinners, festive brunches, foodie gift guides, cocktail recipes, and more.
Happy anniversary: If you’re looking for a Monday splurge, then Bourbon Steak’s five-year anniversary party is the place to go. Chef-owner Michael Mina is joined by a team of past and present toques from the restaurant, all serving a six-course meal with optional wine pairings after an opening cocktail reception at 7. Reservations are $165, or $250 with pairings.
Foie la la: California may have banned the luxurious liver, but you can get your fill along H Street with the Foie La La fest, starting Monday. Restaurants like Granville Moore’s, Boundary Road, and the Atlas Room all serve foie gras-based dishes through the end of the month, so you can try them all and vote for your favorite.
Party like Ron Burgundy: Jack Rose commemorates the upcoming release of Anchorman 2 with a Ron Burgundy-esque Scotch party on the rooftop terrace Monday. Come for Scotch cocktails, flights, and barrel-aged beers, plus a screening of the original movie and costume contest (incentive: $2 off themed cocktails all night for the winner).
Drink for good: Sip beer and help feed those in need at ChurchKey on Monday, which hosts a holiday ale tap takeover and canned food drive. Bring an edible item for So Others Might Eat (or make a cash donation) between 4 and 9, and get a free four-ounce pour from the 50 varieties of holiday drafts.
Jingle ales: Christmas comes a bit early at Belga Cafe during a holiday beer dinner on Tuesday at 6:30. The five-course menu is paired with a variety of seasonal brews, and is $69 per person.
Festivus for the rest of us: Expect plenty of alternative holiday spirit at Rustico Alexandria on Wednesday, which hosts its seventh annual Festivus celebration at 6. Go dance around the Festivus pole, air some grievances, and taste 15 varieties of holiday brews. You may even snag free brewery glassware.
Class/preview: Want to learn about whiskey and check out a buzz-worthy bar all at once? Sign up for the Southern Whiskey 101 class on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, held at Derek Brown’s soon-to-open bar, Southern Efficiency. The space doesn’t officially open until Saturday, but you can get a sneak peek while learning about the South’s greatest spirit and sipping a mix of well-known and less-common liquors. Classes are held at 6 and 8 each night, and costs $45 per person.
Holiday market: Browse holiday foodstuffs and chef Frederik de Pue’s new Penn Quarter restaurant-market-wine bar all at once during a pop-up holiday market at Menu on Thursday from 3 to 7. Guests will sip free hot chocolate and snack on Chapel Hill Farm veal meatballs, wander between stalls manned by local producers like DC Cured, and find an array of foodstuffs from the upcoming concept like sticky buns, soup, and Belgian waffles.
Fish feast: Chef Mike Isabella offers his take on the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes dinner, Thursday through Sunday at G. The five-course menu includes an ocean’s worth of offerings, from roasted oysters to crab pasta and pan-roasted branzino. Reservations are $65, with an additional beverage pairing for $35.
Yesss: Bar Pilar channels Home Alone during a Sunday dinner party from 6 to 9. You’ll pig out like Kevin on an all-you-can-eat dinner buffet (house-made pizza bagels, deep-fried PB&J), drink eggnog, and hopefully avoid blowtorching burglars. Tickets are $25, and include a free drink ticket.
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.
