Food

10 Fun Food Events Around DC This Weekend

We'll see you at the new rosé garden.

Sip rosé all day at the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown. Photograph courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton

In case you haven’t had enough pink wine this summer, the Yard at the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown just rolled out its “Rosé All Day” menu for the month of August. As the name says, the lineup includes a large selection of rosé wines and rosé cocktails, available around the clock. Highlights from the cocktail offerings include lavender frosé, and a peach rosé cooler. Each glass or cocktail is $10, and a bottle of rosé is $30.

House-made kielbasa from the BRABO South Africa dinner. Photo courtesy of BRABO.

This Thursday is South Africa night at BRABO tasting room in Alexandria from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. A special four-course dinner menu includes dishes like scallop and mahi-mahi ceviche, a summer vegetable curry with Maine lobster, and a house-made kielbasa with charred peppers and onions. Each dish is paired with two South African wines. The $75 ticket is all-inclusive. 

Taste pre-Prohibition beer and pay homage to the world’s oldest brewer, Christian Heurich, this Thursday at the Dupont Circle location of Pizzeria Paradiso from 6 to 10 PM. The event features a revival of Heurich’s Lager by DC Brau, made with flaked corn like the original, and a specialty meat lover’s pizza with spent-grain crust. History buffs will also enjoy a selection of artifacts on display, courtesy of the Heurich House Museum. Can’t make it to the event? You can find Heurich’s Lager in 12-oz cans and on draft at retailers and bars around DC starting this Friday.

Red and white watermelon sangria from City Tap Penn Quarter. Photo courtesy of City Tap.

Drink out of a watermelon this Saturday at City Tap Penn Quarter. The bar is celebrating National Watermelon Day with $7 red and white watermelon sangrias, both served in watermelon “kegs,” and a selection of watermelon-flavored beers. Plus, get into the competitive spirit with a watermelon-eating contest starting at 5 PM. The winner gets bragging rights and a free happy hour at City Tap’s upcoming sister restaurant in Dupont Circle.

International Mead Day might not be a widely-celebrated holiday, but you can still enjoy the fermented honey beverage in all forms: dry, sweet, still, and sparkling. This Saturday, Black Squirrel Dunn Loring is throwing its own Renaissance Fair in honor of the drink’s ancient European roots. Patrons can enjoy roasted turkey legs ($16), steak-on-a-stake ($18), knave sandwiches ($14), corn hole, face-painting, and of course, a selection of local meaderies offering up their version of the drink. Come dressed in Renaissance garb for 10 percent off your bill.

Oysters available at low prices for National Oyster Day. Photo by Sophie Mac.

Restaurants around the city are featuring raw bar specials on Saturday for National Oyster Day. Head to Ocean Prime for Pemaquid oysters ($19/half dozen); the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown for White Stone Oysters ($13/half dozen and $21/dozen); and the bar at Oceanaire for a selection of local oysters all available at $1 a pop. Several restaurants are also donating 10 cents per oyster sold on Saturday to the Oyster Recovery Partnership (a non-profit supporting the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay), which will use the funds to plant baby oysters on sanctuary reefs. View the full list of restaurants here.

The 9th Annual Rickey Month Competition is coming to an end this Sunday at Jack Rose Dining Saloon, with a final cocktail showdown from 1 to 4 PM. The eight bartenders who remain will make their versions of DC’s famous Rickey, and the judges will choose the best cocktail. The ticket, which costs $20 for members of the DC Craft Bartenders Guild, and $30 for non-members, includes bottomless Rickeys and light bites for the duration of the event.

Pork fanatics can hit the annual Cochon555 on Sunday at the Watergate Hotel from 5 to 7:30 PM. The swine-filled bash features five local chefs preparing their best dishes with a 200-pound heritage breed pig. Competitors include BJ Lieberman (Rose’s Luxury) and Ben Pflaumer (Osteria Morini), all of whom will battle it out for the title of DC’s “Prince or Princess of Pork” and a spot at the Grand Cochon in Chicago on October 1st. The event also boasts 40+ wines, cocktails, and craft brews. Tickets are all-inclusive for food and drink, and can be ordered as VIP ($200 with 4 PM entry) or regular admission ($125 with 5 PM entry).

And heading into the week…

Author of The Spice Companion, Lior Lev Sercaz. Photo by Thomas Schauer.

Spice things up this Wednesday, August 9th at 6:30 PM during Wildwood Kitchen’s Summer Spice Dinner. Spice guru Lior Lev Sercaz of New York City’s La Boîte and chef Brandon Shapiro design a special five-course menu inspired by the Mediterranean flavors of Sercaz’s latest book, The Spice Companion. Tickets cost $110 per person and include a signed copy of the book. Call 301-571-1700 for reservations.

The rooftop at Roofers Union. Photo courtesy of Roofers Union.

Baltimore’s Union Craft Brewing is turning five, and Roofers Union in Adams Morgan is celebrating with an anniversary party this Wednesday, August 9th from 6 PM until close. All Union Craft drafts, including two special anniversary ales and the brewery’s classic Old Pro Gose and Duckpin, will be priced at $7.

Editorial Fellow

Former editorial fellow Erica Sloan is now an editorial assistant at Martha Stewart Weddings and Martha Stewart Living.