Korean cheesesteak at Taylor Gourmet
Multiple area locations
Taylor teamed up with Mandu chef Danny Lee for a limited-time sandwich special: the KimchiSteak. Slices of bulgogi-style rib eye are piled atop a bun with butter-grilled kimchi, aged cheddar, sesame seeds, and scallions. The creation is offered at all locations for $9.99 through October.
Vegetarian tasting menus at 2941
2941 Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church
Chef Bertrand Chemel embraces Meatless Mondays, offering an eight-course vegetarian tasting on the first evening of every week. The seasonal menu will change, but look for dishes like a roasted porcini tartlet, burrata raviolo with black truffles, and pain perdu with honey crisp apples. The dinner is $70 per person, $135 with wine pairings, and is offered through December 28th.
More veggies at Cava Grill
Multiple area locations
Cava Grill is experiencing a time of growth—the local chain recently received $45 million to expand—and so is their menu. Chef Dimitri Moshovitis adds more vegetables and grains to the offerings, including black lentils, roasted fall veggies (Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, squash), and a cauliflower-quinoa tabbouleh. Replacing gazpacho on the soup board: a vegan Greek minestrone. Look for the new items at all locations.
Extended happy hour at Hank’s Oyster Bar
Locations in Dupont Circle, Capitol Hill, and Alexandria
There’s more happy hour action at all three locations of Hank’s, which has lengthened its deals from 3 to 7. Expect rotating drink specials and $1.25 select oysters.
Late-night dumplings at Chaplin’s
1501 Ninth St., NW
Looking for a quick late-night snack? This Shaw bar now offers their chicken-and-shrimp or pork shumai dumplings until last call, every night of the week. The dumplings come in sets of five for $8.
Al fresco wine and seafood at Café du Parc
1401 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Patio season isn’t over yet at the Willard InterContinental’s French restaurant, which offers special prices on Rioja wines and shellfish towers. Guests can sip glasses of the Spanish wine ($10 to $15) and bottles ($38 to $56) to pair with seafood assortments, such as the Potomac Tower with a half-dozen-each raw oysters and steamed prawns, and a half-pound of mussels ($58).
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.
