Sake safari: Bar Otsukare, a pop-up inside Crane and Turtle, offers a sake seminar and tasting led by Certified Sake Advisor Jesse Selvagn on Monday from 6:00 to 7:30. Learn the basics while sipping Japan’s national drink and snacking on treats from the kitchen. Purchase tickets ($75) online.
Rising stars dinner: Downtown DC’s pop-up restaurant space, Prequel, kicks off the first dinner in a series centered around up-and-coming chefs on Monday from 7 to 10. First up: house sous-chef Cody Penton, who prepares a five-course menu of dishes such as carbonara with beets and arugula, and scallops with summer vegetables and chorizo. Secure reservations for your meal ($50, including alcoholic beverage pairings) online.
Belgian Restaurant Week: The mussel and beer-filled holiday continues, culminating in Belgian Independence Day on Tuesday. B Too celebrates with half-price large-format beers on Monday and $16.95 mussels-frites specials on Tuesday; Black Squirrel joins in on Tuesday from 5 to 8 with beer and all-you-can-eat mussels; while Bethesda’s Mussel Bar & Grille serves a three-course lunch ($15) and dinner ($45) special with rare Belgian dishes through Sunday. Check in with your favorite Belgian spot for more specials—chances are they’re celebrating.
Hemingway’s birthday: Celebrate the birthday of one of America’s great writers at the Papa-themed Bar Pilar on Tuesday at 5. A special menu from chef Jesse Miller accompanies Hemingway-inspired rum cocktails, many offered at happy hour pricing. Food ($3 to $14) and drinks are priced individually.
Beer dinner: Granville Moore’s partners with Denizens Brewing Co. on Tuesday beginning at 6:30 for a five course beer dinner. The Silver Spring brewery pairs beers with dishes such as crispy oysters with foie gras mousse, cherry pepper mussels, and jerk pork tenderloin. The evening ($65) can be reserved by calling 202-399-2546.
Drink lab: The drink lab cocktail series returns to Salt & Sundry’s Union Market location on Thursday from 7:30 to 9, featuring Lyon Distilling Co. of St. Michael’s, Maryland. Learn more about tiki drinks and their recent revival, while sipping on concoctions made with Eastern Shore small-batch rums. Purchase tickets ($60) online.
Shuck and chug: Head to Black Jack on Saturday from 3 to 5 for Shuck and Chug, an afternoon of all-you-can-drink-and-eat beer and oysters. Barren Island Oyster Company and Lagunitas Brewing Company join forces with the restaurant’s team for the bivalve and brew bash. A limited quantity of tickets ($50) are available online.
Wine lunch: Macon Bistro & Larder hosts a four course wine lunch on Saturday from 2 to 4. The restaurant teams up with Circle Wine & Spirits for the unusual southern meal, with dishes such as country-fried goat. Email ajohnson@maconbistro.com for reservations.
Whiskey and biscuits: Untitled Whiskey No. 2—a Tennessee sour-mash whiskey finished in sherry casks—takes center stage in One Eight Distilling’s DC tasting room on Saturday from 1 to 4. This is the first batch for sale, with a limited supply. Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. prepares a lunch of biscuit sandwiches to pad the stomach. The event is free, but online RSVPs are encouraged.
Reality star chef brunch party: Chef Roble Ali of Bravo’s Roble & Co. hits DC on Sunday to host the EverydayPPL brunch and day party at RedRocks on H Street. The event runs from 11:30 am to 8 pm with two brunch seatings (11:30 and 2), a DJ-fueled party from 4 to 8, and plenty of bloodies and mimosas. Tickets are $45 for brunch, $20 for the after-party, and can be purchased online.
