Food

10 Fun Food Events Around DC This Weekend

Emporiyum or dim sum?

Momofuku serves char siu pork rack at their whiskey pairing dinner with Smooth Ambler. Photo by Brendan Newell.

Join Wildfire for their Barboursville Vineyards Wine Dinner this Friday, November 10 starting at 6:30 PM. Diners can enjoy dishes like heirloom tomato and goat cheese tartlets, pappardelle bolognese, pan-fried monkfish medallions, and pumpkin bread pudding. All courses will be paired with various wines from the Charlottesville vineyard, including a Cuvée 1814 Brut Rosé, Vermentino Reserve ‘15, and Nebbiolo Reserve ‘14.

The Emporiyum returns this weekend with over 100 local and national artisans, chefs, restaurants, and vendors. The weekend kicks off with Union Market’s fifth birthday party on Friday from 6 to 8 PM, where party-goers can enjoy cocktail stations, birthday cake, and live music. The Emporiyum goes down on Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 4PM. Dorjee Momo, Cotton & Reed, and Swizzler are just a few of the many vendors to look for. Online tickets range from $15 for late admission to $40 for VIP, which includes early entry, passed snacks and cocktails, and a gift bag.  

The 6th Annual Cider Week Virginia starts at Richmond Cider on November 11. Photo courtesy of Virginia Cider.

Veterans Day is observed this Friday, and several restaurants are offering deals and discounts for veterans, active service members, and their families. Head to Osteria Morini for a complimentary glass of vino, or enjoy baguettes at Le Diplomate’s “pop-up” stand on Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Other restaurants offering specials include City Tap Penn Quarter, City Tap Dupont, Pennsylvania 6, District Distilling Co., Bub and Pop’s, and BLT Steak.

Succotash Penn Quarter hosts a dim sum brunch on Sunday from noon to 2 PM. Chef Edward Lee joins forces with James Beard Award nominee and Seattle-based chf Rachel Yang to bring diners a menu of dumplings, rice bowls, and kimchi. Yang will also sign copies of her debut cookbook, My Rice Bowl. Tickets are $40 and include food, a welcome cocktail, tax, and tip.

Sip on cider during Virginia’s 6th Annual Cider Week, which starts Friday and runs through  November 19. The celebration kicks off with a Richmond Cider Celebration on Saturday, November 11 where guests can enjoy tasting workshops and food pairings. For the remainder of the week, cideries, bars, and restaurants across the commonwealth will offer tastings, workshops, festivals, and more events. 

Bullfrog Bagels at DC’s 2015 Emporiyum. Photo courtesy of Rey Lopez.

And heading into the week…

Join Momofuku on Monday, November 13 for a whiskey pairing dinner with Smooth Ambler, a distillery located in West Virginia. Menu items include spicy chicken karaage paired with a cask rum daiquiri, char siu pork rack paired with rye Lion’s Tail, and sticky toffee pudding paired with aged rye. The dinner will run from 6:30 to 9:30 PM and costs $125 per person.

Brabo and Catoctin Creek are hosting a fall pairing dinner on Monday from 6:30 to 9 PM. Guests can sample libations from Catoctin Creek Distillery and try dishes like a Belgian tart with roasted pear, venison lollipops with dried apricots, and apple terrine with cocoa-smoked pork belly. Tickets are $75 per person and include food and drink.

Get a sneak peek of the forthcoming Morris American Bar, set to open in Shaw later this year. The standalone cocktail concept from David Strauss will make an appearance at DC Cocktail Week in the form of a pop-up. Guests can sip cocktails like an East New York Flip, made with bourbon, honey, egg yolk, and nutmeg, and Ivy City Swizzle with vodka, lime, mint, and peychaud’s (all priced at $12). Cheese and charcuterie boards will also be available for purchase. The pop-up will run from Monday, November 13 to 16 from 6 to 11 PM at the Ivy Room. Reservations are required.

Check out David Strauss in action at Morris American Bar’s pop up at DC Cocktail Week. Photo courtesy of Morris American Bar.

Learn about spies and rebellion while sipping on whiskey at the International Spy Museum’s Spies and Spirits of the Revolution. Held on Tuesday, November 14 from 6 to 8 PM, guests can enjoy libations from award winning Pittsburgh-distillery Wigle Whiskey. Tickets are $20 to 25.

Bastille in Old Town, Alexandria hosts a French cider dinner on Wednesday, November 15 at 6:30 PM. Chefs Christophe and Michelle Poteaux offer a $55 five-course prix fixe menu with pairings, including dishes like an amuse bouche of oyster with apple mignonette, buckwheat crepes with a shellfish, and braised pork cheeks with sweet potato gnocchi.

Editorial Fellow

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.