Chef mega-party: Graffiato’s monthly Industry Takeover Nights usually provide a pretty raucous time—remember the firework incident?—but this Monday’s one-year anniversary of the event should prove extra-fun. Top Chef alums Jennifer Carroll and Angelo Sosa moonlight in the kitchen alongside local toques such as Scott Drewno, while certified sake master Tiffany Dawn Soto pours refreshments. Hours are also expanded until 2 AM, with the $10 cash-only cover benefiting Meals on Wheels.
Bombay Club anniversary: Now that the holiday season is officially over, you can start celebrating another milestone: Bombay Club’s 25th anniversary. You’ll find specials at Ashok Bajaj’s first restaurant throughout the month, including a $25 prix-fixe lunch with a complimentary petit four, and a gratis glass of bubbly at dinner with your entrée.
Tamale festival: Richard Sandoval’s Tysons Corner eatery La Sandia celebrates the Mexican dish during a festival Monday through January 31. Look for traditional tamales, special tamale entrées like fried chicken tinga with salsa verde and pickled veggies, and a dessert version.
Free vodka: Why not? Record low temps are predicted for Tuesday, so Mari Vanna plans to warm up guests with complimentary shots of infused Vortex vodka in flavors such as pineapple and cucumber-dill (one per person). Cheers!
Toki in Baltimore: Toki Underground’s Erik Bruner-Yang joins forces with Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen fame for a “Tokifact” pop-up at Gjerde’s Artifact Coffee Thursday through Saturday. (A second pop-up is planned for January 16 through 18.) Expect bowls of locally sourced ramen ingredients and spelt noodles, which will be served from 6:30 until the soup runs out.
Local beer dinner: DC Brau teams up with Arlington’s Big Buns burger joint for a five-course dinner on Thursday at 8. Patties such as a brisket/rib-eye blend with thick-cut bacon are each paired with a different brew, including classics and seasonals, for $35 per person.
Pacific Northwest beer dinner: Art and Soul continues its Saturday Suppers series with a beer-and-venison dinner inspired by the Pacific Northwest. Channel Puget Sound and feast on Columbia River salmon, raw oysters, red-wine-braised venison, sourdough doughnuts, and more. Tickets ($70) are available online.
Southern fun: The Washington Winter Show takes place this week at American University’s Katzen Arts Center. Tickets are available for a Friday lunch lecture by brothers Matt and Ted Lee, authors of The Lees Bros. Charleston Kitchen, as well as Saturday’s jazz night with Rocklands Barbeque and a Jefferson’s Bourbon tasting. Prices and times vary.
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.
