Happy birthday, Belga: Chef Bart Vandaele‘s Capitol Hill restaurant turns ten, and celebrates on Tuesday with an anniversary seven-course beer dinner ($79 per person). If you can’t make the party, a special birthday menu is offered through October 31.
Italian wine dinner: Meet the winemaker from the oldest winery in Calabria, Italy at Al Dente on Wednesday at 7. Vincenzo Ippolito shares his wines alongside a five-course dinner from Roberto Donna, including items such as bucatini with wild-boar ragù and octopus salami. Reservations are $75.
Game dinner: Chef Fabio Trabocchi prepares a six-course wild-game feast with wine pairings from RdV Vineyards at Fiola on Thursday, beginning at 6:30. Want to make your wild grouse or pine-smoked venison more luxurious? Add optional white truffles. Reservations start at $250.
Local wine dinner: Chef José Andrés marks Virginia Wine Month with a special dinner at America Eats Tavern on Thursday featuring vino from Barboursville. The five-course dinner includes dishes like pan-roasted duck with oyster stuffing and braised short ribs, all paired with different wines. Reservations are from 6 to 9 and cost $80 per person.
Absinthe-minded: DGS Delicatessen‘s monthly cocktail series goes down on Thursday from 8 to late at the bar. The focus this time: absinthe, as well as “our grandparent’s long nights in Lower East Side taverns, winter getaways to Florida and jazzy escapades to the Catskills.” Specialty drinks are $10.
Congressional baking: Chef/historian Amanda Moniz leads a cooking class at the Hill Center on Saturday from 11 to 1:30 based on recipes from 19th-century congressional boarding houses. Dishes include beef-steak pie and shortcakes, plus a healthy dose of history about a time when congressmen boarded together (in frequent harmony) on Capitol Hill. Tickets are $40.
Mexican pop-up: Chef Mike Isabella brings a taste of his upcoming Pepita to G with a pop-up Thursday through Saturday (and then again on later dates). Guests can try a selection of ceviches, tacos, and more in a $40 tasting menu, plus plenty of margaritas and Mexican brews. Reservations are available by phone.
Halloween: All Hallows’ Eve is Friday, and we have all of your favorite autumnal activities in our Halloween Guide. Spend the weekend pumpkin-picking, find the best spooky parties, pick a food-themed costume, and more. Check back for a lineup of Halloween restaurant specials soon.
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.
