Speed-tenders: Start the week off on a boozy note at the Howard Theatre, which hosts an all-female speed-bartending competition on Monday to benefit breast cancer research. Competitors include the Gibson‘s Andrea Tateosian, Karen Hernandez of Kapnos, and many more. Tickets are $20 and include drinks and local eats.
Farm to feast: Love to eat local? The FreshFarm Markets Farmland Feast is your big-ticket event for the week, happening Monday at the Ritz-Carlton Washington DC. Guests can buy tickets for a cocktail and oyster reception ($150) or go for the whole shebang with a sit-down dinner afterward from some of the city’s top chefs, sommeliers, and bartenders ($300). Ticket prices benefit the FreshFarm Markets and their charitable programs.
Celebrity chef battle: The annual Capital Food Fight returns to the Ronald Reagan Building on Tuesday at 6, bringing a slew of celebrity chefs including Anthony Bourdain, Carla Hall, Daniel Boulud, and more. Local toques battle it out on the main stage in a Top Chef-style competition, while more than 75 restaurants serve food and drinks to guests. Tickets are $250, with proceeds benefiting DC Central Kitchen.
More pop-ups: For anyone who missed two of the big pop-ups last week, there’re more coming. On Tuesday, Mike Isabella will serve a limited menu of tacos, guac, and Mexican beer from the Pepita preview at G from 11 to 7. Then on Friday, Tiffany MacIsaac brings back her Buttercream Bakeshop sweets to Cork Market starting at 11.
Chef talk: Catch celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson at Sixth & I on Wednesday at 7 for a discussion of his new cookbook, Marcus Off Duty: The Recipes I Cook at Home. Tickets are $35 and include a copy of the book (or get two tickets for $45).
Wine and a movie: Head to E Street Cinema on Thursday for a special screening of the documentary American Wine Story at 6:30, followed by a Q&A and tasting reception with the wineries and owners featured in the flick. Tickets are $50 per person.
Distillery class: Learn to make seasonal gin cocktails where the spirits are made during a Thursday evening class at New Columbia Distillery, which produces Green Hat Gin. Co-owner Michael Lowe also leads a tour of the space and production process. Tickets are $15.
Wine happy hour: Get a taste of Argentina’s Bodega Catena Zapata winery at a discount during a Thursday happy hour at Del Campo from 4 to 7. Glasses go for $6 alongside free tastings of some higher-price bottles, and a raffle whose winner gets a rare wine.
Go Nordic: Hop on the Nordic food trend at B Too on Friday, where chef Bart Vandaele—a member of the Norwegian Seafood Council—prepares a three-course menu with dishes like grilled mackerel with pickled potatoes, cod with smoked leeks and shellfish sauce, and cinnamon waffles ($35.14 per person).
Oysters and apples: Friday marks the beginning of Virginia Cider Week, with a variety of tastings, events, and dinners. Most are in the Charlottesville/Richmond area, so plan a weekend road trip if you’re closer to Washington. November is also Virginia Oyster Month, so check out five bivalve festivals happening this weekend (also in road-trip distance from the District).
Happy Birthday, DGS: The Dupont delicatessen turns two on Saturday and celebrates by bringing together some of their favorite chefs and producers for a family-style meal. Look for challah from bread king Mark Furstenburg, deviled eggs topped with Bev Eggleston‘s chicken cracklings, braised beef shanks courtesy of chef Jeremiah Langhorne, and more. The meal is available from 5:30 to 10 for $40, with an optional $18 beverage pairing.
Holiday cooking, Louisiana-style: Get ready for the holidays at Acadiana on Saturday, which hosts a New Orleans-style cooking class from 1 to 3. The session is $85 per person.
Calling shopaholics: General admission tickets remain for the otherwise sold-out Emporiyum, a food-lover’s shopping extravaganza at Union Market on Saturday and Sunday. A national variety of chefs and vendors including Momofuku Milk Bar, Luke’s Lobster, Austin’s Paul Qui, Mike Isabella, and more sell dishes, drinks, and take-home items (which would make pretty great holiday gifts). General admission tickets ($20) are available online, as well as a workshop with Mast Brothers chocolates ($50). Bluejacket and Red Apron will also run a beer garden with grilled hot dogs that’s open to the public.
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.
