Combine your love for cocktails and the classroom this Thursday with the Willard InterContinental’s History Happy Hour. The event will be held at the Round Robin Bar from 6 to 8 PM, and guests will learn how to create three cocktails from Jim Hewes, the Willard’s veteran bartender. The menu will feature drinks honoring Charles Dickens, Walt Whitman, Abraham Lincoln, and Lillian Russell, among others. Tickets are $40 per person and include three drinks, as well as light appetizers.
Drink wine with Momofuku CCDC on Thursday during a four-course meal paired with a selection of pours from Virginia’s Barboursville Vineyards. The seasonal menu consists of dishes like roasted beet salad with sunflower hozon and duck prosciutto, and rotisserie duck donabe (duck leg confit rice, moo shu pancakes, and ginger scallion sauce). The event costs $100 per person (including tip and gratuity), and reservations can be made via email.
Calling all caffeine addicts: the first-ever Coffee Fest is coming to town, Thursday through Sunday, hosted by Dolcezza and Coffee District. The city-wide extravaganza will span the whole weekend with six different events, including the US Coffee Champs Brewers Preliminaries. (It’s the only one taking place on the East Coast!) Catch the latter from 11 AM to 5 PM on Friday at Dolcezza Factory, where attendees can watch 19 entrants brew the best cup of coffee they have to offer. Into stronger drinks? Cotton & Reed distillery hosts Despaccino, a party for Stumptown’s Hair Bender espresso mixed with coffee rum.
Oysters lovers should head to the Salt Line on Saturday for Oyster Wars. Participating chefs include Mike Friedman of Red Hen and All-Purpose, visiting chef Jeremy Sewall of Island Creek Oyster Bar (locations in Boston and Burlington), and Matt Rudofker of Momofuku. Along with oysters, guests can dig into desserts from Tiffany MacIsaac of Buttercream Bakeshop, listen to live music, and take in the river views. The event, co-hosted by The Other Half Brewing Company, will run from 3 to 11 PM, with a tasting section from 4 to 7 PM. Tickets are priced at $45, and include all-you-can-eat oysters, and access to tastings. A portion of ticket proceeds will go towards the protection and sustainability groups of Anacostia Riverkeeper and the Oyster Recovery Partnership.
Join Washingtonian at the Taste of Georgetown near Washington Harbour on Sunday for an afternoon of food and fun (11 AM to 4 PM). Over 30 local restaurants dish up 60-plus savory and sweet bites, including Chaia, District Doughnut, Maxime Bistro, and the Sovereign. Festival-goers can also partake in various beer and wine tastings. There will also be a kids tent, which will have games and activities, and feel free to bring your furry friends–we allow pets! Admission is free, with food and drink tickets available to purchase.
Celebrate all things homegrown at the 8th Annual DC State Fair on Sunday in Southwest DC’s Waterfront Station. Enjoy performances from local musicians, applaud the crowning of contest winners for Best Homebrew and Best Kid’s Cupcake, and watch DC’s pets strut their stuff in the Pet Parade. There will also be over 55 food and crafts vendors, including food trucks like DC Slices, NeatMeatDC, and Dangerously Delicious Pies. The entirely volunteer-run event is free to attend and will be held from 11 AM to 8 PM.
Pig out at Osteria Morini, which hosts their 4th annual waterfront pig roast this Sunday from 1 to 4 PM. The party includes whole roast pigs, pasta and sides, cocktails, and live music. The event also features cookie decorating for kids and a good ol’ fashioned pie toss. Pies can be purchased at the event and thrown at participating local celebs, such as Erin Como of Fox 5, food writer Tim Carman from the Washington Post, and Cedric Maupillier of Convivial. Proceeds from the pie toss will benefit Brainfood, a DC-based charity that aims to empower and employ DC teens and young adults. Tickets are $65 for adults, and free for kids under 5.
And moving into the week….
If pricey wine dinners seem like too much, try Joselito’s Hemingway Hour on Monday from 6 to 7:30 PM. The happy hour-style event ($15 per person) showcases wines from Victor Fuentes of Finca Rio Negro in Spain, and includes tapas like gazpacho “shots” and beef brochette with chimichurri. Purchase all-inclusive tickets online.
The big ticket event of the week is a star chef-studded fundraiser for No Kid Hungry at Range on Tuesday. Join host chef Bryan Voltaggio and guests Erik Bruner-Yang of Maketto, Ruben Garcia of Minibar, and Spike Gjerde of Baltimore’s Woodberry Kitchen for dinner. All proceeds benefit the charity, which aims to end childhood hunger. The ticketed event will start at 6 PM and is priced at $350 per person.
On Tuesday night, Centrolina chef Amy Brandwein teams up with cookbook author Fabrizia Lanza for an evening celebrating Sicilian cuisine and wines. The four-course dinner includes dishes like ricotta and mint ravioli, stewed lamb with mint, saffron, and potatoes, and almond cake with lemon granita. The meal will be accompanied by wine pairings from Lanza’s family winery, Tasco D’Almerita. Tickets are $85 per person, and reservations can be made by calling Centrolina.
Nehal joined Washingtonian as an editorial fellow in fall 2017. She enjoys all things food, arts, culture, and health and is always looking out for new trends. This past May she graduated from Johns Hopkins with a degree in creative writing and a minor in photography. She lives in Foggy Bottom.
