The Forager
Iulian Fortu
language Website
The Noma-trained chef/forager crafts exquisite four-course dinners featuring hyper-seasonal wild rarities such as truffles, morel mushrooms, and ramps. He’ll pair the feast with cocktails, wine, or artful nonalcoholic creations. Prices start at $350 for dinner for two; email av@arcadiaventure.com.
The Cocktail Gurus
Toastworthy
language Website
Meet Toaster and Toasty, a pair of gleaming vintage Airstream trailers turned mobile bars, where mixology maestros whip up scratch-made cocktails for alfresco soirees, which can be complemented by grazing tables, lawn games, and cozy fire pits with s’mores kits. Rates start at $2,500; email cheers@toast-worthy.com.
The Caviar Queen
Caviar Concierge
language Website
Claire King helms chic carts laden with a glistening array of fish eggs—from smoked trout roe to golden osetra—and offers accoutrements ranging from classic blini to tater tots and truffled chips. Rates start at $1,000; email info@caviarconciergedc.com.
The Yakitori Master
ToriSumi Yakitori
language Website
Chef Blake King apprenticed in Japan to learn the fine art of yakitori (grilled chicken skewers). His 16-course, live-fire extravaganzas showcase an entire chicken, part by part, as well as seasonal vegetables, with an optional sake pairing. Prices start at $900 for a six-person dinner; email info@torisumiyakitori.com.
The Oyster Ninja
S.S. Shucking
language Website
Gardner Douglas can shuck up to 300 bivalves an hour—from firm, briny Olde Salts to sweet and creamy Kumamotos. Supplement your raw-bar spread with stone-crab claws, shrimp cocktail, and caviar. Prices start at $800 for 100 oysters; email oysterninjapc@gmail.com.
This article appears in the April 2024 issue of Washingtonian.
Nevin Martell is a parenting, food, and travel writer whose work has appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, Saveur, Men’s Journal, Fortune, Travel + Leisure, Runner’s World, and many other publications. He is author of eight books, including It’s So Good: 100 Real Food Recipes for Kids, Red Truck Bakery Cookbook: Gold-Standard Recipes from America’s Favorite Rural Bakery, and the small-press smash Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip. When he isn’t working, he loves spending time with his wife and their six-year-old son, who already runs faster than he does.
