Pig out this Thursday at Proof‘s “Pork & Pinot” pig roast class and wine tasting. First, guests will meet at Proof at 5:15 PM and take a field trip to the nearby FRESHFARM Market with chef Austin Fausett, where he will select fresh produce. Back at Proof, Fausett will lead a cooking class, demonstrating how to roast a whole pig and prepare seasonal sides using the farmer’s market veggies. The night ends with a tasting paired with pinot noir from Patricia Green Cellars in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Tickets cost $60 per person for the cooking class and tasting, and $48 for just the tasting.
New beer alert: Taha Ismail, the beverage director for Mike Isabella Concepts, worked with Dave Coleman and Brandon Miller from 3 Stars Brewing Co. to create a new saison-style beer: a hoppy, highly-carbonated pale ale with flavors of ancient grains and coriander. It will be available on draft and in cans starting this Thursday at all Mike Isabella restaurants in DC (Graffiato, G, Kapnos, and Arroz). Look out for it later this month at Mike Isabella’s Virginia and Maryland spots.
Watch dance and fashion shows, listen to local musicians and poets, and sample food from over 15 restaurants this Saturday at the H Street Festival—which spans 11 blocks and 14 staging areas in the Northeast DC neighborhood. Food specials include a new spicy half smoke from Ben’s Chili Bowl, $6 beers and $8 brat dogs from Biergarten Haus, sparkling sangria from Dio Wine Bar, and a selection of tacos, tamales, and margaritas from the new Fresca Tequileria. The event goes from noon to 7 PM (and runs from Fourth to 14th Streets on H Street NE). Fest planners expect 150,000 attendees this year, so show up early to get in on the grub.
Taste food and drink samples from Logan Circle restaurants and support women’s shelter N Street Village this Saturday at the fifth annual Celebrate Logan event, hosted by TTR Sotheby’s International. The $38 general admission ticket ($45 day-of) gets you access to samples at all participating eateries—including Lincoln, Compass Rose, Ghibellina, and more. For additional tastings at Le Diplomate and Chicken + Whiskey, go for the $50 VIP ticket ($60 day-of). Event check-in begins at 2 PM, and tastings start at 3 PM. All proceeds go directly to N Street Village, which provides housing, advocacy, and other services to 2,000 homeless and low-income women each year.
Italian market and cafe Via Umbria is turning three, and owners Bill and Suzy Menard are celebrating with specials all day on Saturday, and a five-course anniversary dinner that night. Throughout the day, Via Umbria guests will receive a free glass of Prosecco, samples of new menu items, and discounts on ceramics, olive oils, and wines. The wine-paired anniversary dinner, which begins at 7 PM, features an autumn vegetable salad, Umbrian sausage with porcini cream sauce, and pan roasted capon. It’s limited to 24 guests, and tickets cost $100 per person.
We might be only halfway through September, but Oktoberfest is just around the corner. This Saturday is DC’s official Oktoberfest kickoff in Chinatown: the $50 ticket to the event includes a 12-ounce pour of an Oktoberfest beer (think Flying Dog Dogtoberfest, Goose Island Festbier) at all participating venues, including 10 Tavern, Iron Horse, Rocket Bar, Fuel Pizza, Jack Pot, and Fado. Additional beers and special liquor pairings are $4 each. Check-in at 10 Tavern from noon to 3 PM; the event runs until midnight.
Last year, Beuchert’s Saloon brought together local chefs and mixologists for “Forks Up Guns Down,” which raised over $6,500 dollars to benefit The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. This Sunday, the restaurant is running a similar event, but in support of the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition, a nonprofit that provides pro bono legal aid to those seeking asylum in the U.S. The ticket to “Forks Up Walls Down” costs $70 for general admission at 7 PM (or $100 for VIP access at 6 PM), and includes food and drinks from participating restaurants and bars like Thip Khao, Honeysuckle, and Room 11. All proceeds from ticket sales and on-site donation jars will go directly to the CAIR coalition.
And heading into the week…
Build your own garden and have a drink, too, at Kapnos Taverna‘s terrarium night this Monday, September 18th at 6 PM. The Greek restaurant from Mike Isabella is inviting Lillian Cox from Sill Life DC to teach a hands-on terrarium class, during which guests will make their own indoor succulent-and-moss gardens to take home. The $50 ticket includes all garden supplies, plus a welcome cocktail and small bites. Additional food will be available for purchase from the regular á la carte and happy hour menus.
The big ticket event this week is the annual Chefs for Equality gala, hosted by the Human Rights Campaign at Dock5 at Union Market on Tuesday at 7 PM. The event benefits the fight for LGBTQ equality, and features 50+ savory and sweet tasting stations and 20+ cocktail stations, all manned by local chefs, bakers, and mixologists including Ben Pflaumer from Osteria Morini, Daniel Hoefler from Blue Duck Tavern, and Taha Ismail from Arroz. New this year: the “5/10/15 Speed Diner” curated by chef Erik Bruner-Yang, where ten chefs will prepare a mini five-course tasting menu to be enjoyed in 15 minutes (seatings begin at 6 PM). Tickets to Chefs for Equality (including admission to the after party) cost $200 per person, and entry to the “5/10/15 Speed Diner” costs an additional $50 per person.
Former editorial fellow Erica Sloan is now an editorial assistant at Martha Stewart Weddings and Martha Stewart Living.
