Things to Do

Things to Do in DC This Week (March 27-29): Cigar and Drink Pairings, a Book About Wine, and a Garage-Rock Band

Garage-rock revivalists the Allah-Las perform Monday night at the 9:30 Club. Photo by Laura-Lynn Petrick.

MONDAY, MARCH 27

CIGARS In the same way a sommelier guides diners to a wine choice, Certified Tobacconist Mason Foster wants to make Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons Hotel a destination for cigar service. In conjunction with the restaurant’s season opening of its patio service, Foster launches a weeklong “Sip & Smoke” menu that pairs cigars with beverages, selecting premium cigars with complementary drinks. During the launch week of this special menu, which runs through Friday, March 31, guests who order cigars during the “after dinner” hours will receive a complimentary one-ounce pour of Angel’s Envy Bourbon. Prices vary, 8-10 PM.

MUSIC Los Angeles garage-rock revivalists the Allah-Las formed in 2008 when three of the group’s four members were working together at the legendary Amoeba Music. In three albums together—Calico Review came out last year—the quartet has solidified its songwriting skills as well as its reverb-drenched fuzzy sound. The group plays at the 9:30 Club on Monday night on a lengthy tour that ends with performances at Coachella next month. $20, 7 PM.

TUESDAY, MARCH 28

BOOKS Tech reporter Bianca Bosker investigated the discerning palate of sommeliers for her book Cork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live. Her time in elite tasting groups and fancy restaurants illuminates how tasting better can help us live better. She will read from her book (and will change the way you drink wine forever) at Kramer’s. Free, 6:30 PM.

DISCUSSION The US Holocaust Memorial Museum is hosting a discussion entitled “Never Forget: the Power Behind Institutions of Memory”. Featuring Sara J. Bloomfield (Director of the US Holocaust Memorial Museum) and Alice M. Greenwald (President & CEO of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum), the talk will touch on the creation, location, and design of these two living memorials. Free (with registration), 7 PM.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29

FILM The final film of Polish director Andrzej Wajda, AFTERIMAGE, will be screened at the Avalon. The 2016 biopic is about avant-garde artist Wladyslaw Strzeminski, who battled Stalinist orthodoxy to advance his progressive ideas about art. $12.25, 8 PM.

MUSIC Banjo player Noam Pikelny plays with mandolinist Chris Thile in the bluegrass band Punch Brothers but also has his own solo career. His solo albums have received several Grammy nominations (Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail in 2013 and Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe in 2015); his newest album, Universal Favorite, came out earlier this month. He’ll play from his many solo releases at the Barns of Wolf Trap. $22 to $25, 8 PM.

BOOKS Senior Director of Food Policy for the Humane Society Kristie Middleton will discuss her new book MeatLess: Transform the Way You Eat and Live–One Meal at a Time at Busboys & Poets on 14th Street. Middleton will share tips, recipes, and stories about how to have a healthier lifestyle and leave a lighter environmental footprint without going completely vegan. Free, 6:30 PM.

KIDS As past of the DC Francophonie Cultural Festival, the French Embassy is hosting musician, singer, and choreographer Brice Kapel for three one-hour performances on Wednesday and Thursday of his interactive concert Coloricocola, based on tales of African folklore. Free, with registration; 10 AM & 12 PM (Wednesday); 10 AM (Thursday).