Bring your dog and sample more than 40 local beers and ciders at Shipgarten’s (7581 Colshire Dr., McLean) Barks and Brews Puppy Love Festival, held on Saturday, February 18. Pups can compete in a treat-catching contest and eat from a special canine menu. Humans can try out pretzels, wings, and brats from local vendors. And a kids’ corner offers a moon bounce and face painting. The event, which starts at 1 PM, is free. Check out details here.
Learn about—and taste—Southern dishes with African roots at a class called “Tastes of Home: African American Culture and American Cuisine,” held at the Ben Lomond Historic Site (10321 Sudley Manor Dr., Manassas) on Saturday, February 18. Attendees will cook traditional African and Southern dishes while observing a Civil War era slave quarters. Tickets, $10, are available here.
On Sunday, February 19 Georgetown bar Donahue (1138 Wisconsin Ave., NW) hosts “L’Apres Veuve,” a masquerade kick-off to Mardi Gras. The event, which runs from 4 to 9 PM, is sponsored by Veuve Clicquot. Guests can sip Champagne and dance to tunes from a live DJ. To reserve a table ($300 minimum for a table of six), head here.
Want to learn to bake your own Mardi Gras king cake? RavenHook Bakehouse founder Chris Girardot will teach attendees to bake the buttery brioche confection Sunday, February 19 at Mess Hall (703 Edgewood St., NE). Each student will leave with two king cakes: one already decorated and ready to eat, and another to bake at home. The class, which starts at 4 PM, also includes a bowl of chicken-and-andouille gumbo and a Hurricane cocktail. Tickets, which start at $85, are available here.
Try your hand at making kimchi (while sipping Korean-inspired cocktails and grazing on snacks) at a class hosted by Roren Choi and Caleb Jang, formerly the chefs at the late Petworth Korean restaurant Magpie and the Tiger. PBC’s director of operations, Kat Dean, will also be hosting a cocktail-making lesson. The event, held at Please Bring Chips (1320 H St., NE), starts at 5:30 PM on Sunday, February 19. All supplies will be provided, and you’ll leave with a jar of kimchi. Tickets, $75, are available here.
On Tuesday, February 21, Dupont restaurant Anju (1805 18th St., NW) hosts a traditional Kamayan dinner—typically served on banana leaves and eaten communally without utensils—featuring both Filipino and Korean dishes. Chefs Tara Monsod (of Animae in San Diego) and Paolo Dungca (of Sari Filipino Kusina in Annandale and the forthcoming DC spot Hiraya) will collaborate on the menu with Anju beverage director Phil Anova. Tuna kinilaw, lechon kawali, and bibingka cheesecake are among the offerings. There are seatings at 5:30 PM and 8 PM. Tickets, $125, are available here.
