Free cheese happy hour at Brasserie Beck
1101 K St., NW
Need we say more? Drop by the bar between 5 and 6 pm, or late-night between 9 and 10 pm, and enjoy a complimentary Swiss specialty: melty racelette cheese, scraped over potatoes and gherkin pickles. The dish is best paired with crisp white wines, several of which go for $4 during happy hour.
Former Toki chef’s ramen debuts at Whole Foods
2201 I St., NW
Maketto chef Erik Bruner-Yang, formerly of Toki Underground, launched his new ramen shop-within-a-shop this week: Paper Horse, located inside the Whole Foods Foggy Bottom. The stall in the prepared foods section makes two bowls to-order. One is a meaty chicken-pork broth, topped with roasted pork and egg, and the other a vegan concoction packed with veggies.
Eat lunch on the patio at Alta Strada
475 K St., NW
Restaurateur Michael Schlow’s new Italian in City Vista debuts two new features: weekday lunch and a 29-seat outdoor patio. Combine the two and linger in warm(ish?) weather over dishes like a spring pizza with asparagus, ramps, and a runny egg. Happy hour is also offered al fresco.
More hot chicken—this time at Burger Tap & Shake
2200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 4445 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Nashville hot chicken fever spreads to BTS, which dishes up its own version for May. Order the “Grand Ole Opry”—a crispy hot chicken patty topped with bread-and-butter pickle slaw. Wash it down with the shake of the month, lemon-pistachio.
Pasta lunch deal at Osteria Morini
301 Water St., SE
This sounds like a fun lunch to us: a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine or beer, all for just $15 (or less than a bowl from certain salad chains). Go ahead and indulge.
Drinks $5 and under at Bangkok Joe’s
3000 K St., NW
The Georgetown Waterfront’s Thai restaurant is back after temporarily closing, and they’re launching a new happy hour to celebrate: $5 drinks that include draft beers, red and white wines, and a house punch. The deal is offered Monday through Friday, 5 to 7.
Free steak dinners for graduates at Ruth’s Chris
Multiple area locations
The steakhouse chain offers a deal for graduates and their families through July 1: provide a graduation certificate, and receive a free three-course meal. The fine print: four additional entrees must be purchased. Call for more details/restrictions.
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.
