Food

Weekend Food Events: Oyster Patio Party, Union Market Drive-In Movie

Plus a guide for Labor Day brunches

A weekend menu addition at Occidental Seafood and Grill courtesy of the restaurant.

Tomato fest: Jaleo kicks off September with their annual Tomatina Festival, a celebration of the summer’s finest fruit.  The special menu runs through SundaySeptember 11 at all three area locations, with dishes such as grilled lamb chops with organic tomatoes confit, and  heirloom tomatoes with Spanish anchovies.

Bullpen’s “BOSSBash”: The Bullpen at the Nationals Park’s fairgrounds will open Thursday at 3 pm for an evening of live musical performances, tasty food, and drink specials. The party will be going on before, during, and after the Bruce Springsteen concert with games like corn hole and $10 24-ounce select beers. Admission is free and you can go here for more information.

Grape harvest season and an anniversary: Occidental Seafood & Grill is celebrating their 110 year anniversary with a month of specials, beginning Thursday. The historic restaurant will also introduce a variety of wines this month to mark the start of the grape harvest. New additions to both menus include a Champagne cocktail with sparkling wine and cognac, and a throwback dish: chicken bercy with shallots and white wine.

Drive-in movie at Union Market: Kick off Labor Day weekend with a drive-inmovie at Union Market, which screens Grease from 6 to 10 pm on Friday. Tickets are $10 per vehicle, and viewers can head inside the market to purchase treats and beverages (alcohol and non). This is great for a date night or an evening outdoors with your pup. In addition to the regular vendors, look for food trucks like Stella’s Popkern and fried chicken biscuits from the Mason Dixie food truck.

Patio Party with oysters and brews: Macon Bistro & Larder  throws a BOB patio party on Saturday. This means endless bubbles, oysters, and brews from 12 to 4 pm on the outdoor patio and arcade. Admission is $30 and includes all-you-can-eat oysters from Rappahannock River Company, plus beer and wine from Handsome Beer Company and Vintage ’59 Importers. You can pay at the door, or call to RSVP.

Crab feast: Dig into Maryland crabs on Labor Day Monday at City Tap House, which hosts a crab feast from 11 am to 5 pm. The steamed blues are available for the full or half dozen ($25 and $45, respectively) alongside slaw, hushpuppies, Old Bay fries, and $5 Flying Dog drafts.

Monday mimosas: Just because you’re not at the beach for Labor Day doesn’t mean you can’t kick back. Restaurants around the DC area offer Monday holiday brunches, including all-you-can-eat-and-drink blowouts and half-off Champagne menus. Here’s our guide.

Briana A. Thomas is a local journalist, historian, and tour guide who specializes in the research of D.C. history and culture. She is the author of the Black history book, Black Broadway in Washington, D.C., a story that was first published in Washingtonian in 2016.