Ankara, a new Turkish and Mediterranean restaurant, will open May 14 with limited lunch and dinner service at 1320 19th St. NW. It will officially open with full service on May 20 in the space formerly occupied by Levante, which closed abruptly in January.

Ankara Turkish restaurant will replace Levante in Dupont. (Photo: Popville)

The restaurant, owned by the Aslanturk family, will celebrate the rich diversity of Turkish food and culture through a blend of classic and contemporary menu items.

Chef Jorge Chicas, who has held top positions in Jose Andres’ kitchens in Los Angeles and Washington including Zaytinya, designed the menu, which includes soups, cold and hot meze dishes, salads, pide (flat breads), grilled kebabs and desserts. Dinner entrees include seared branzino with caperberries, olives, pearl onions, tomatoes and lemon vinaigrette; braised lamb Shank with gremolata, roasted eggplant puree with a natural jus; ali nazik, a traditional dish from the Gaziantep region that features smoked eggplant and sautéed lamb cubes; and the signature Ankara Tava, a rice pilaf served with a beef, tomato, pepper and onion sautée. Dinner prices range from $6-$16 for soups, starters, salads and pide; from $16-$29 for entrees; and from $7-$9 for desserts.

The lunch menu will feature a selection of sandwiches including a lamb burger with feta, cumin and baby arugula on a brioche bun; and kofte served on pide with sumac onions, grilled tomatoes and peppers in addition to doner kebab and others. Lunch starters are priced from $6-$16, salads from $7-$8, pides from $10-$12, grilled kebabs and sandwiches from $10.50-$13.

Sunday brunch, priced at $35 per person, will be a celebration of the famous Turkish breakfast, van kahvaltisi, a selection of small plates of savory and sweet items including bal (honey), peynir (cheeses), zeytin (olives), recel (fresh fruit jams), tomatoes, peppers and more. Diners will also select three additional items from a range of egg, salad and pide dishes. Brunch will end with a sweet treat compliments of the restaurant.

Lunch will be served from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, dinner from 5 p.m.-midnight, Sunday brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and happy hour from 5-7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Daikaya observes World Children’s Day

On Sunday, May 3, Daikaya located at 705 6th St. NW will celebrate World Children’s Day by serving complimentary soft serve for children under the age of 12 to coincide with Japan’s national holiday, which falls on May 5.

A family walks beside colourful carp streamers flying above a riverside park in Sagamihara, Kanagawa prefecture, Japan, in celebration of Children’s Day. (Photo: AFP)

Children’s Day is recognized in many places around the world to honor children. In Japan, Children’s Day is celebrated on May 5, a national holiday since 1948 to celebrate the happiness of all children and to express gratitude toward mothers. There is a tradition from the Eights century to celebrate children’s day March 3 for girls and May 5 for boys. On March 3, also known as the Doll Festival, Japanese people decorate their households with traditional Heian Period doll sets and plum blossomd, and drink Amazake. On May 5 they fly carp streamers outside, display Samurai dolls and eat chimaki.

The special one-day offer is for children dining with their families at Daikaya in both the ramen shop and upstairs izakaya. Kids will be treated to a free cup serving of soft serve topped with house-made strawberry sauce and lil mochi.

Central celebrates Cinco de Mayo

Central by Michel Richard, 1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with special dinner selections from 5-10 p.m. on Tuesday.

Central Michel Richard will celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a special menu. (Photo: Cocobella Ballerina)

Available as a tasting menu or a la carte, the special dishes include shrimp and guacamole ($14), fish tacos ($14), pollo mole ($28) and for dessert, tres leche ($9). The entire menu may be ordered as a prix fixe meal for $55 and will be served in addition to Central’s regular dinner menu.

There will also be special cocktails including a jalepeno and watermelon margarita, spring white sangria and traditional tequila and mescal cocktails.

B Too to celebrate second anniversary with prix-fixe dinner

B Too, 1324 14th St. NW, will celebrate its second anniversary by teaming up with Jean-Marc Brocard for a prix-fixe dinner at 7 p.m. on May 7.

B Too celebrates its second anniversary with a prix-fixe wine dinner. (Photo: Borderstan)

The meal begins with bites of salmon crudo with kelp and dashi; foie gras pearls with orange and red beet; and oysters with jalapeno and cilantro paired with Canapes “Saint-Bris” Sauvignon Blanc 2013. Dinner includes shrimp with a parfait of lemongrass, lime, sour cream and pickled shallot paired with Chablis Domaine St. Clair 2012; rabbit saddle with roasted scallop and smoked mousseline paired with Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2012; branzion with mushroom-parmesan cannelloni and celery sauce paired with Chablis 1er Cru Cote de Lechet 2012; and braised veal with ramps, crimini mushroom, fregola and ricotta paird with Chablis Grand Cru Bougros 2010. The meal ends with a cheese plate featuring five styles of cheese and garnitures and mignardises served with Chablis 1er Cru Vau de Vey 2012.

The meal is $85 per person.

City Tap House hosts Deschutes Flight Night

City Tap House, 901 9th St. NW, will host a Deschutes Flight Night from 5-10 p.m. on Friday, May 8. Guests will be able to enjoy flights of craft beer and hand crafted ales by Deschutes Brewery from Portland, Ore.

City Tap House will hosta Deschutes Flight Night on Friday. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Flights are $15 and pairings are $25. The flight includes Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Fresh Squeezed IPA and Twilight Summer Ale. Pairing offerings include roasted pork shoulder corncake with mole sauce and crispy shallots paired with Mirror Pond Pale Ale; Benton’s ham and cambozola slider on brioche with mornay sauce and fig and jalapeno jam paired with Black Butte Porter; a Texas crabcake on a fried green tomato with citrus remoulade paired with Fresh Squeezed IPA; and shrimp ceviche with avocado and plantain tostones paired with Twilight Summer Ale.

Noelia hires new chef, changes cuisine

Noelia Italian Kitchen, 1319 F St. NW, will transition to Noelia, a contemporary American restaurant with a brand new menu with T.J. Fisher as executive chef.

Noelia Italian Kitchen, which opened last June, will dump its Italian menu and become an American restaurant.
(Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

A native of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Fisher began cooking professionally at 14, which eventually led him to Le Cordon Bleu in Pittsburgh. After graduation, he worked at The Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner then proceeded to open four restaurants including The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay and The Gaylord National, as well as a gastropub in Dallas. He then returned to Tysons Corner where he worked with RSVP catering company before serving as executive chef at Osprey’s Landing and most recently Dominion Valley Country Club.

Fisher’s new menu will reflect contemporary American cuisine priced from $9-24 at lunch and $6-$30 at dinner. Offerings will include a variety of small plates, salads, entrees, sides and desserts.

Small plates include roasted bone marrow with sweet garlic, peppery radish and fried shallot; a vegetarian “charcuterie” board featuring assorted pickled and grilled vegetables and herbed ricotta, and duck confit sliders on buttermilk biscuits with crisp Granny Smith apple-daikon slaw, pistachio and farmers market jam. Entrees include malt braised short rib with beet infused potatoes with truffle and thyme, rainbow carrots and malted cola lacquer; grilled hamachi with fingerling potatoes, charred spring onion and lemon oil; farro risotto with fennel, charred corn, dinosaur kale, dried cranberry and parmesan; and chicken in waffles made with crispy buttermilk brined chicken with Belgium waffles and picante Vermont maple butter. Homemade desserts include fresh doughnuts with European cookie glaze; corn and blackberry cheese cake with cinnamon graham crust and a variety of ice creams and sorbets.

Starting this weekend, Grillfish, 1200 New Hampshire Ave. NW, is launching all-day weekend happy hours on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. In addition to drink and food specials, oysters are “a buck a shuck” $1 during happy hour both on weekends and weekdays from 4-7 p.m.

Oysters are “a buck a shuck” at Grillfish’s all-day weekend happy hour from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. as well as 4-7 p.m. weekdays. (Photo: Becca/Bitches Who Brunch)

In addition to all-day weekend happy hours, Grillfish is offering a weekend brunch package for two featuring one dozen oysters, two brunch entrees, a bottle of champagne with two juice mixtures and a dessert to share for $49 on weekends from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

This weekend only, the brunch special is $39 — $10 off.

B Too to host Belgian Chic dinner

Chef Bart Vandaele is bringing “Belgian Chic” to D.C. in a one-night-only special replication of a recent James Beard Foundation dinner that he hosted in New York City.

B Too will recreate a recent James Beard Foundation dinner on Apr. 1. (Photo: Borderstan)

At 7 p.m. on Apr. 1, B Too, 1324 14th St. NW, will offer creative takes on cuisine of Vandaele’s homeland paired with wines to complement.

The dinner starts with bites of crab leg meunière with Brussels sprout stoemp, foie gras cylinders with goat butter brioche and kelp-marinated Norwegian salmon with blackberry–yogurt push pops paired with Champagne Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut NV.

Dinner includes North Sea mussel parfait with green celery, sea beans and speculoos spice crumble paired with Newton unfiltered chardonnay 2012; hay-smoked lobster with coffee-braised carrots, Ardbeg whiskey perfume and Black Garlic paird with Newton unfiltered chardonnay 2000; whole-roasted sterling white halibut with leeks, Saison beer-braised salsify and watercress sauce paired with Newton unfiltered cabernet 2012; and beef tenderloin with oxtail, puffed potatoes, smoked mayonnaise, grilled onions, pickled mushrooms and Trappist Rochefort 10 ale sauce paired with Newton The Puzzle 2012. Dessert is Meyer lemon pie waffle with cilantro crystals and yuzu crème brûlée paired with sauvignon blanc te Koko Cloudy Bay 2011.

The cost for dinner with wine pairings is $119 per person.

Zengo debuts Test Kitchen: Indonesia to Argentina series

Zengo, 781 7th St. NW, 20001, will unveil its next Test Kitchen series this April. Every few months, owner and chef Richard Sandoval and his culinary team research and develop new recipes featuring the cuisine and spirits of one Latin and one Asian country. The result is a specialty menu featuring small plates and cocktails that feature the bold flavors and techniques from each region. Test Kitchen menu items are marked with the “TK” symbol on the menu at Zengo, noting that they are exclusive and available for a limited time only.

The Argentinian parrillada mixed grill for two with hanger steak, sweet chorizo, blood sausage, grilled chicken breast and black truffle chimichurri on Zengo’s TK menu. (Photo: Zengo)

Available only during dinner after 5 p.m. from Apr. 1-June 30, chef de cuisine Jason Streiff is preparing Test Kitchen: Indonesia to Argentina with dishes inspired by the cultures of Indonesia and Argentina.

Test Kitchen: Indonesia to Argentina will feature four plates including stuffed crispy tofu with chorizo, shrimp, carrot, bean sprout and a sweet soy dipping sauce; Indonesian style chile crab cakes with lump blue crab, cucumber salad, lemon, tomato and chile crab sauce; beef tongue escabeche with pickled bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, hard boiled egg and cilantro, as well as the Argentinian parrillada mixed grill with hanger steak, sweet chorizo, blood sausage, grilled chicken breast and black truffle chimichurri that serves two. For desserts, guests can enjoy a lychee mousse with mango, vanilla cake and raspberry sauce. The featured menu items range in price from $9 to $49.

Two special TK cocktails priced at $13 each complement the dishes: the Smoked Ginger – Jengibre Ahumado with rye whiskey, ginger and honey syrup, apricot brandy, lemon juice and ginger beer, and the Tucuman with gin, apricot brandy, sweet vermouth and blood orange bitters.

Slate Wine Bar + Bistro lists special events for April

Slate Wine Bar + Bistro, 2404 Wisconsin Ave. NW, has announced a list of special events for April.

Mad Men‘s series finale. (Photo: Gilt City)” width=”602″ height=”345″ class=”size-full wp-image-27850″ /> Slate Wine Bar + Bistro will offer a Don Draper Daiquir in honor of Mad Men‘s series finale. (Photo: Gilt City)

On Apr. 1, April Fools’ Day, all house specialty cocktails are $7 all day. For those who insist, bottles of wine are buy one, get one free.

In honor of the premiere of the last season of Mad Men, Slate presents a very classic Don Draper Daiquiri from Apr. 6-12. The classic cocktail made popular by the also enigmatic Ernest Hemingway will be featured for $9.

On Tax Day, Apr. 15, those suffering the slings and arrows of tax payment and never ending tax forms — there happens to be a strategically placed Post Office just a few doors down — get some sweet relief after mailing their return.The restaurant is offering a complementary dessert with a purchase of an entrée, and maybe most important, bottles of wine are buy one, get one free.

Hank’s Oyster Bar in Old Town launches lunch service on Apr. 6

Lunch service at Hank’s Oyster Bar at 1026 King St. in Old Town Alexandria will begin serving lunch on Apr. 6. Hank’s second location has only been serving dinner since it opened in 2007. Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Hank’s Oyster Bar’s Old Town location will begin serving lunch on Apr. 6. (Photo: Ghosts of D.C.)

In addition to menu favorites like the shrimp po boy, lobster bisque, Ipswich clams and lobster roll, owner and chef Jamie Leeds has created some lunch-only options. Among them are sandwiches such as the smoked salmon reuben with cole slaw, pepper jack, and cayenne remoulade; the grilled steak sandwich with chimicurri and horseradish mayo on a ciabatta bun; and salad options like the seafood cobb with chilled shrimp, calamari, roasted beets, cucumber, bacon, chopped egg and tomato withr house-made ranch dressing. The main menu will stay constant with categorized items in ice bar, small plates, large plates and sides while rotating items will appear in the form of daily specials and sandwich specials.

On Saturday, the D.C. Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation took over the National Building Museum for the third year in a row for its Brewer’s Ball. With 1,350 people in attendance, the event raised more than $300,000.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Brewer’s Ball was at the National Building Museum on Saturday. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn)

This was the 10th anniversary of the Brewer’s Ball – last year was also billed at the 10th. Maybe those keeping count had too many beers? – which raises money to find a cure of the respiratory disease that affects 70,000 people worldwide.

Guests visit the beer and food stations at the Brewer’s Ball. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

The sold out event drew 37 national and local breweries including Blue Ox from Ashburn, Bluejacket from D.C. and Evolution Craft Brewing Co. out of Salisbury, Md. In addition to beer, the $135 ticket included unlimited ciders from Bold Rock Hard Cider and Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Cider from Boston Beer Co., wines from Oyster Bay Wines and Total Wine & More, cocktails and mocktails from The Cocktail Guru and, if you were one of the sponsors who forked over $5,000-$25,000, champagne. My favorite was the Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Cider.

The Brewer’s Ball included beer (clockwise from top left), house-made chicken sausage on a pretzel roll from Roofers Union, beef tartare on buckwheat brioche toast from Gypsy Soul and pecan panna cotta with appel-beer jelly from Belga Cafe and B Too.
(Photos: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

To go along with all those suds, 25 local restaurants dished out their best grub. Among the restaurants were DC-3 on Eight Street SE serving half smokes; Dirty South Deli, which has a food truck and a café in the National Museum of Women in the Arts, serving grits topped with ham, green onion, black pepper, honey and popcorn; and Dogfish Head Alehouse, with locations in Gaithersburg, Falls Church and Fairfax serving a tasty veggie macaroni and cheese, and jumbalaya. Also, Adams Morgan’s Roofers Union served house-made chicken sausage on a pretzel roll with wild mushrooms and taleggio cheese; Bethesda’s Mussel Bar & Grille with their spicy Thai curry mussels; Mosaic District’s Rogue 24 served buckwheat brioche toast with beef tartare, quail egg, Fresno peppers and parmesan reggiano.

My favorites of the evening were Ris’ gruyere grilled cheese and French onion soup, and Ruth’s Chris Steak House’s steak skewers with honey-soy marinated tenderloin skewers and crabcake sliders. The biggest disappointments were Hank’s Oyster bar, which had run out of oysters by 8:45 p.m. despite shucking 1,500 oysters. In fact, several of the restaurants like Granville Moore’s, Hill Country Barbecue and Charlie Palmer’s Steak House were unprepared for the crowd’s and ran out of food way before the 11:45 p.m. closing time, though not as early as Hank’s.

Restaurants served bites such as pork belly with Korean BBQ sauce, scallions and pickled radish from Mad Fox Brewing (clockwise from top left), BBQ beef brisket sliders from Meridian Pint, half smoke from DC-3 and mussels from Mussel Bar & Grille. (Photos: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

Fast-talking Pete Elliott from Four Sales Auction hosted auctioned off items, which featured luxurious vacations like a five-day, four-night stay in a Palm Springs house for 10, five nights in Idaho’s South Fork Lodge, or a 3-day trip for four to Hollywood with tickets to American Idol to watch the show in Ryan Seacrest’s personal seats. Silent auction items included tickets to The Daily Show with Jon Steward and Ellen.

Before and after the auction, the D.C. cover band The VIPs brought dancers out with rock classics and Top-40 favorites to work off all those calories they put on drinking beer and eating all the goodies.

With Thanksgiving a little more than a week away, it is time to start planning your holiday menu. If thoughts of getting up at 4 a.m. to clean and stuff a turkey, peel potatoes, candy some yams and bake some pumpkin pies, several area restaurants are offering to keep you out of the kitchen and enjoying the parade and football games. Some will do the cooking for you, so you can let your guests think you have been up slaving over a hot stove half the night, while others will be open to feed you and your family. Either way, you better make your reservations now before it is too late.

Let area chefs cook your Thanksgiving dinner this year. (Photo: Free Internet Pictures)

Pre-Thanksgiving dinner

Et Voila!
5120 MacArthur Blvd. NW

In anticipation of the gluttonous feast of turkey and pie that awaits on Thanksgiving, the classic Belgian French bistro located at 5120 MacArthur Blvd. NW will host its second annual “Stretch Your Belly” party. Guests can stuff their faces with unlimited Blue Bay mussels with cream, endive, sweet potatoes and dry vermouth paired with Belgian fries and Affligem Blonde Ale, or Carbonade a la Flamande, a traditional Belgian sweet-sour beef and onion stew paired with Belgian fries and gouden carolus for $29.95 per person. The special is available from 5-10 p.m. on Nov. 26.

Thanksgiving Day to go

B Too
1324 14th St. NW

B Too is taking offering guests a whole feast to go. The B @ Home Thanksgiving feast offers two sizes of stuffed roasted turkey: a 15-17 pound turkey that feeds eight for $179 or a stuffed turkey breast that feeds four for $80. Both come with macaroni and cheese, bourbon sweet potato puree with marshmallows; chef’s grand mama gravy; Grand Marnier cranberry sauce; and Brussels sprouts and chestnuts. Additional sides can be added for $12.95 for a four person serving including creamy coconut butternut squash soup, chestnut soup with chorizo, potato gratin, grilled root vegetables, green beans and bacon, baked apple cranberry sauce, braised endive, pears in red wine, and B Too style stuffing. Pumpkin Pie with waffle and pumpkin cream and pecan maple pie are available for $24 each. Orders can be placed by calling 202-627-2800 by Nov. 24. Orders will be available for pick up at B Too on Thanksgiving Day between 10 a.m. and noon.

Blue Duck Tavern
24th and M Streets NW

Blue Duck Tavern is offering a three-star feast to-go for $350. Orders must be placed by 5 p.m. on Nov. 21. The take-it-home Thanksgiving dinner includes a 10-12 pound free-range roasted turkey from the Earth N Eats family farm in Waynesboro, Pa. It also includes two freshly baked breads and four traditional sides from the restaurant’s menu. Two seasonal pies are also included. Dinners must be picked up at the restaurants pastry pantry between 1-5 p.m. on Nov. 27 or 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Thanksgiving day. Orders can be placed at https://www.giftrocker.com/BlueDuckTavernThanksgiving. Be sure to specify the date and time of pick-up.

Thanksgiving Day

701 Restaurant
701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

A classic Thanksgiving feast with a three-course, prix fixe holiday menu priced at $48 per person will be available from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Executive chef Benjamin Lambert will be preparing a variety of starters such as potato lemongrass soup with mussels, cilantro and chili threads; crab beignets with frisée and almond romesco; and duck-chestnut meatballs with Brussels sprouts, green farro and quince ketchup. For the main course guests can order grilled pork loin with apple puree, Brussels sprouts, n’duja, cipollini onions and cider glaze; roasted turkey with sweet potato puree, stuffing, cranberry compote and gravy; Norwegian salmon with mustard spaetzle, rapini, pecans and pomegranate molasses; and orecchiette with wild mushrooms, Swiss chard, Oloroso sherry, brown butter and pecorino. Dessert will include sticky bun parfait; chocolate ingot; pumpkin butterscotch mousse; or honey almond dacquoise. 701’s live jazz duo of piano and bass will perform during Thanksgiving service.

America Eats Tavern
1700 Tysons Blvd., McLean, inside the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner

Chef José Andrés will offer his interpretation of classic American food with a modern twist, emphasizing local farmers and purveyors. The traditional menu will celebrate holiday classics alongside the native ingredients of Virginia from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. The a la carte menu includes roasted Virginia turkey from Whiffletree Farm of Warrenton, Va., and turkey fritters with mashed potatoes, crispy Brussels sprouts, sweet potato fritters, turkey gravy and cranberry sauce for $28; Virginia oyster stuffing for $12; green bean casserole with house-made mushroom soup for $9; sweet potatoes with house-made marshmallow for $9; and bourbon corn pudding for $9. Pumpkin and Dutch apple pies will also be available.

Ardeo+Bardeo
3111 Connecticut Ave. NW

Executive chef Matt Kuhn’s menu highlights include sweet potato and apple soup with toasted hazelnuts, spiced crème fraîche and bacon-apple jam; smoked turkey rillette with cranberry-fig compote and rustic bread; bouchot mussels with house pancetta, truffle, sage and black garlic broth; Roman-style gnocchi with honey mushrooms, sage-walnut pesto, roasted sweet potatoes and truffle pecorino; roasted turkey breast with grain mustard-potato puree, leg confit farro-oyster mushroom “stuffing” and sage jus; pan-roasted diver scallops with truffled celery root puree, tatsoi and cauliflower-country ham meunière; and grilled coulotte steak with beluga lentil ragu, black trumpet mushrooms, crispy parsnips and foie butter. The dessert menu feature buttermilk doughnuts with bourbon-apple butter and maple mascarpone; pumpkin arborio rice pudding with fall fruit compote and candied walnut; chocolate-peanut torte with banana caramel and vanilla Chantilly cream; and meyer lemon cake with citrus olive oil and dark chocolate ice cream. The Thanksgiving menu will be served on Nov. 27th from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and is priced at $45 per person.

BLT Steak
1625 I St. NW

BLT Steak is offering a special holiday menu from 3 p.m.-close on Thanksgiving featuring contemporary takes on traditional favorites. Served family-style, the Thanksgiving Day menu will be available as a prix-fixe tasting menu for $68 per adult and $40 per child including starter, entrée, sides and dessert options. Starters include celery root soup with Honey Crisp apples, chestnuts and sage; kabocha squash risotto with saffron, pumpkin seeds and pecorino; and gem salad with parsnips, squash and cider vinaigrette. Entrees include roasted turkey with chestnut-sausage stuffing, cranberry-grenadine sauce and rosemary gravy; dry aged roasted prime rib with confit garlic jus and caramelized onion bread pudding; and striped bass with Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi and cranberry. Sides include chestnut-sausage stuffing; Brussels sprouts with cippolini, bacon and honey; creamed spinach; mashed potatoes; and sweet potato gratin. Desserts include cranberry spiced bread pudding with walnuts and cranberry coulis; pumpkin tart with maple ice cream; and velvet chocolate rocky road with vanilla anglaise and hazelnuts.

And everyone knows that leftovers are one of the best things about Thanksgiving. So all day on Friday, Nov. 28, the restaurant will serve Thanksgiving leftover popovers filled with dark and white turkey meat, cranberry chutney, potato puree and rosemary gravy. The popovers will be available for $10 at the bar or to-go during lunch and dinner service.

Blue Duck Tavern
24th and M Streets NW

New chef Ryan LaRoche at the restaurant at the Park Hyatt Washington will serve dishes that reflect the all-American spirit with tempting desserts created by pastry chef Naomi Gallego. On Thanksgiving day, Blue Duck Tavern will offer its a la carte breakfast menu from 6:30-10:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Then, brunch into dinner service will be available from 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. A three-course holiday meal with a selection of starters will be placed throughout the open-air kitchen for guests to help themselves to their first course. Starters will include seasonal salads, breads, meats and cheese to be followed by a choice of plated entrées and side dishes showcasing produce from regional farms. Seasonal desserts, on display in the pastry pantry, will complete the Thanksgiving feast. The holiday menu is $100 for adults and $45 for children between six and 12. Children under 6 are free.

The Bombay Club
815 Connecticut Ave. NW

In addition to the full a la carte menu, executive chef Nilesh Singhvi is preparing Thanksgiving specials including methi turkey tikka marinated with yogurt, garlic, fenugreek and grilled in a tandoor oven and served with cranberry chutney, Brussels sprout foogath and butternut squash bharta for $19.50 a person. For dessert, there will be a pumpkin brûlée with a cranberry cookie for $8. The Thanksgiving menu is offered from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and from 5:30-10:30 p.m.

Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca
1100 New York Ave. NW

Executive chef Nicholas Stefanelli will offer an authentic Italian twist on Thanksgiving. The prix fixe menu is priced at $48 per person and will be served from noon- 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Starters include roasted cauliflower salad with pine nuts, golden raisins and anchovy cream; a 45 minute egg with mushroom purée and a wild mushroom salad; smoked citrus cured swordfish belly with lemon, mâche and trout roe; and beef tripe braised in tomato, parmigiano and black pepper. Entrées include heritage turkey cooked two ways, roasted breast and braised leg, with potato mousseline, bread stuffing and cranberry sauce; plancha seared diver scallops with salsify purée and a brown butter vanilla sauce; and roasted pork loin served with polenta, Brussels sprouts and mustard sauce. Dessert options include persimmon pudding with caramelized persimmon and walnut gelato; quince crostata with jasmine ice cream and huckleberry sauce; and roasted pumpkin flan with coffee crème and hazelnut butter cookie.

An American family enjoys Thanksgiving dinner in Norman Rockwell’s Freedom from Want painting. (Photo: The Norman Rockwell Museum)

Central Michel Richard
1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW

From 2-8 p.m., Central will feature a $45, three-course prix fixe Thanksgiving Dinner for adults and $25 for children under 12. Appetizer options include choices of salads such as warm spinach salad, goat cheese Caesar salad or beet-Asian pear salad with feta and oranges, and soups including classic French onion or chestnut veloute with duck confit. Traditional Thanksgiving turkey with mushroom stuffing, cranberry sauce and potato gratin, tops the entree list. For the non-traditionalists, there are additional entrée selections such as seared miso salmon with celery root, turnips and brocolini; steak frites with peppercorn sauce/ meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans; and vegetarian pearl pasta risotto. Dessert choices are pumpkin tart, apple tatin, or Michel’s famous chocolate bar.

City Tap House
901 Ninth St. NW

Culinary director Brian Cooke will prepare an “Orphan Thanksgiving” with specials from noon-midnight. Dishes include chantenay carrot soup with horseradish, short rib, crispy shallots and chive oil; kale and spiced sweet potato salad with Asian pear, blue cheese, candied pecan and a maple-pecan vinaigrette; Hudson Valley foie gras with spiced French toast, meyer lemon jam and peanut crumble; Spring Field Farm turkey with roasted baby sweet potato, black kale, cranberry relish and giblet sauce; Cervena venison with curry apples, Brussels sprout leaves, sunchokes and pomegranate gastrique, as well as Carolina Gold Rice risotto with roasted butternut squash, black kale, truffle and grana padano. Prices range from $11 to $42 each. For dessert, the restaurant is offering classic pumpkin pie with Chantilly cream and candied pecans; apple cake with bourbon vanilla ice cream and a caramel sauce; and dark chocolate pot de crème with caramelized banana, macadamia nuts and espresso ice cream. Desserts are priced from $8 to $10 each. The bar will be pouring several seasonal draft beers exclusively on Thanksgiving day including Imperial Doughnut Break by Evil Twin Brewing; Kentucky Breakfast Stout by Founders Brewing Co.; Barrel-Aged Project Brew (2014) by Brouwerji Hof Ten Dormaal; Abita Bourbon Street Baltic Porter by Abita Brewing Co.; The Beast Grand Cru and 5 Monks by Avery Brewing Co.; Dino S’mores by Off Color Brewing; Flying Dog The Fear Imperial Pumpkin Ale Nitro and Flying Dog The Fear 2013 by Flying Dog Brewery. Prices range from $6 to $14 by draft.

Legal Sea Foods
704 Seventh St. NW
Tyson’s Galleria in McLean, Va.
Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va.

Legal Sea Foods will offer its full menu for traditionalists as well as stuffed turkey breast with sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, butternut squash and cranberry sauce. The turkey dinner is priced at $21.95 for adults and $7.95 for children 12 and under. The Chinatown restaurant is serving from noon-9 p.m., Tysons from noon-8 p.m. and the airport location from noon-4 p.m.

Nage Bistro
I600 Rhode Island Ave. NW

Executive chef Dwayne Motley is serving a Thanksgiving buffet showcasing his Southern favorites. Menu highlights include cajun deep fried turkey; brown sugar glazed ham; cornbread and andouille stuffing; macaroni and cheese; buttermilk mashed potatoes; green beans with almonds; braised collard greens; cranberry sauce; Parker House rolls, and turkey gravy. To complete the meal, dessert options include apple cobbler; sweet potato pie and pecan pie. The Thanksgiving menu will be served 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. on Thanksgiving day and is priced at $38 per person for adults and $19 for children under 13. Guests who dine at Nage Bistro at the Thanksgiving buffet will be able to fill a 7.75 inch x 5.5 inch x 2.4 inch take-home box to enjoy leftovers the next day for $12

Guests can also order whole pies to serve in their own homes. Choices include a 9-inch sweet potato pie for $25 or a 9-inch pecan pie for $29. Orders must be placed by Nov. 24, and there is a maximum of eight pies per order. Pies can be picked up Nov. 25 or 26 from 2-4 p.m. To place an order, call 202-448-8005 and be sure to specify the date and time of pick-up.

Nopa Kitchen + Bar
800 F St. NW

In addition to the a la carte menu, executive chef Greg McCarty is offering specials such as kabocha squash salad with Bayonne ham, Asian pear and pumpkin seed vinaigrette, and roasted turkey with chestnut and herb stuffing and porcini mushroom jus.To complete the meal, seasonal desserts prepared by pastry chef Jemil Gadea include pumpkin crème with buttermilk mousse, spice cake and gingersnaps; apple tart tatin with apple cider reduction and black vanilla ice cream; chocolate pecan tart with coffee porter ice cream and toffee; and mascarpone Bavarian cream with cranberry sorbet, toasted orange meringue and pistachios. Dinner will be served from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Nov. 27.

The Oval Room
800 Connecticut Ave. NW

Executive chef Tony Conte is preparing a three-course holiday menu from noon-8:30 p.m. priced at $50 per person. The menu will feature burrata with persimmons, crunchy serrano and vincotto, as well as crudo of Nantucket Bay scallops with cranberry, crispy rice and Asian pear. Main courses include free range turkey with chestnut stuffing, cranberry sauce and sweet potato puree; butter-poached Maine lobster with matsutake vinaigrette and toasted pearl pasta, as well as all natural beef filet with salsify and fall spiced red wine butter. To complete the meal, dessert options include chocolate espresso cake with malt chocolate ice cream; cheesecake with brown butter apples; and pumpkin crème brûlée.

Rasika Penn Quarter
633 D St. NW

Guests can enjoy a turkey salli, turkey cooked with apricots and straw potatoes. The special turkey dish is priced at $16. The complete a la carte menu is also available on Thanksgiving Day. Rasika Penn Quarter will be open for lunch from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5-10 p.m.

Rasika West End
1190 New Hampshire Ave. NW

In addition to the a la carte menu, the restaurant will serve dum ka turkey, turkey hot pot flavored with saffron and cashew nuts. The special turkey dish is priced at $16 Rasika West End will be open for lunch from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5-10 p.m.

Station 4
1101 Fourth St. SW

Executive chef Orlando Amaro will be offering a special four-course, prix fixe menu priced at $38 from 2-11 p.m. this Thanksgiving. The menu starts with an amuse of crab fritters with pimiento cheese followed by a choice of starters such as spiced butternut squash soup with pecans and micro cilantro; turkey meatballs with Stilton cheese polenta and roasted grapes, or crab and pumpkin tartar with Maryland crab meat, dilled pumpkin and maple vinaigrette. Main courses include roasted turkey with rustic stuffing, green beans, roasted sweet potato puree and cranberry sauce; Atlantic salmon with apple-cranberry relish, farro risotto and Brussels sprouts; butternut squash ravioli with caramelized apples, sage butter, goat cheese and walnuts; or pomegranate glazed pork tenderloin with couscous and roasted root vegetables. For dessert, guests can enjoy traditional Thanksgiving favorites such as pumpkin pie with a ginger cookie and cinnamon gelato or pecan pie with vanilla gelato and chocolate sauce.

Ulah Bistro
1214 U St. NW

In addition to the regular a la carte menu this Thanksgiving, executive chef Mehdi Lahlou will be serving a $35 prix-fixe option including pumpkin bisque garnished with blue crab meat; roasted butternut squash salad with endive, pecans, radish, blue cheese and apple cider vinaigrette; and roasted turkey or baked whole branzino accompanied by house-made cranberry sauce, traditional stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans and gravy. For the perfect ending, guests can select from bourbon butterscotch pudding or pecan pie. Dinner will be served from 5-11 p.m.

Zaika
2800 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington

From 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., guests can enjoy an Indian buffet with an assortment of Thanksgiving-inspired dishes priced at $14.99 per person. Then, from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. the restaurant will offer a three-course, prix fixe holiday menu priced at $35 per person, or $50 with wine pairings. Children under 12 are priced at $17.50. The prix fixe menu begins with a variety of starters such as Indian style mashed potatoes and aloo chaat papri with cranberry sauce and traditional tamarind chutney. For entrées, guests can select from tandoori turkey marinated in a yogurt sauce; oregano salmon filet marinated in a house sauce; turkey biryani, basmati rice mixed with spices and turkey; harabara malai kofta, cheese, potatoes and spinach dumplings cooked in a creamy tomato-flavored gravy; rara gosht Punjabi, roasted minced lamb cooked in a traditional Punjabi styled curry; and basil chicken kabob with a yogurt dipping sauce. Dessert is a gajar ka halwa, homemade carrot pudding topped with nuts and served hot.

Shake Shack will open its first Virginia restaurant and fifth location in the DMV at 11 a.m. Monday in The Plaza at Tysons Corner Center.

Shake Shack will open Monday at the Plaza at Tysons Corner Center. (Photo: Burger Days)

Like its D.C. predecessors on F Street, in Dupont Circle, in Union Station and at Nationals Park, the Tysons Corner Shake Shack’s menu has all the classics, from 100 percent all-natural Angus beef burgers and griddled-crisp flat-top dogs to its Brooklyn Brewery ShackMeister Ale. The Shack will also have a location-specific frozen custard concrete: Tysons Treat made with vanilla custard, banana, chocolate sprinkles and chocolate graham crackers from local bakery Pollystyle. Five percent of the sales of the Tysons Treat will be donated to Potomac Conservancy, which fights to ensure the Potomac River boasts clean drinking water, healthy lands and connected communities. The D.C. locations’ Busy Bee concrete made with vanilla custard, strawberry purée and a Baked & Wired Bee Sting bar with sliced almonds and honey and the Washington Monu-Mint with chocolate custard, minted marshmallow sauce and chocolate truffle cookie dough will also be available at Tysons Corner.

Shake Shack Tysons Corner is a stand-alone restaurant built on an elevated plaza with lush green spaces and gardens, situated adjacent to Tysons Corner Center. It is within walking distance of Metro’s new Tysons Silver Line station.

The restaurant features walls clad in regional reclaimed barn board and is constructed with recycled and sustainable materials and features energy-efficient kitchen equipment and lighting. Chairs and booths are made from lumber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, and tabletops are made from reclaimed bowling alley lanes by Brooklyn-based CounterEvolution. It also has free wi-fi.

Restaurants offer gourmet grilled cheese specials during August

Throughout August, restaurateur Med Lahlou is offering gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches paired with cold summer soups at three of his neighborhood restaurants: Station 4, Lupo Verde and Ulah Bistro.

Ulah Bistro on U Street. (Photo: Zagat)

Station 4, 1101 4th St. SW is serving a taleggio and broccoli rabe grilled cheese made with peach jam served on brioche paired with a cool watermelon gazpacho during brunch, lunch, and dinner service for $12.99.

Ulah Bistro, 1214 U St. NW, is serving a grilled cheese made with grilled Texas bread, caramelized onions, onion marmalade, grilled goat cheese, melted butter and four-hour braised short-ribs that have been cooked with red wine, carrots, celery, onions, rosemary, thyme and black pepper in a salt and beef base. It will be available during lunch and dinner and serviced with chilled cucumber and yogurt soup made with Greek yogurt and topped with paprika oil, parsley, cumin, basil oil and micro greens. The soup and grilled cheese pairing is priced at $14.

Lupo Verde, 1401 T St. NW, is serving focaccia al parmigiano with culatello di zibello D.O.P, rucola pesto, grilled eggplant with scamorza cheese, gorgonzola cream, melted teleggio cheese with a side of butter roasted potatoes, and salsa rosa, a creamy Italian sauce served with celery soup and bresaola strings with blueberry vinaigrette. The combination is priced at $15 during dinner.

National Rum Day returns to D.C.

National Rum Day is Aug. 16 and was established for the education, development and promotion of rum within the spirits industry. Rum Day D.C. highlights rum’s great history and brings awareness to its diversity.

Rum Day events will be held Aug 14-16. (Photo: Rum Day D.C.)

Festivities kick off Thursday at The Graham hotel’s panoramic rooftop in Georgetown with a rooftop rum and smoke soirée from 6-9 p.m. Enjoy the best flights of premium aged rum from Barbados, St. Lucia, Cuba, Dominican Republic and more, and tasty hors d’oeuvres including beef sliders, curry chicken, veggie samosas and mini crab cakes. All guests will receive a complimentary cigar courtesy of Georgetown Tobacco. Tickets are $45.

On Friday, the Rum Runner Party Bus will embark on a bar crawl through some of D.C.’s trendiest stops from 5:30-10:30 p.m. The evening includes gift card raffles, prizes, swag and more. Each of the four stops – the Flats at Atlas Event Space, Farmers Fishers Bakers, Lincoln and Smith Public Trust will serve hors d’oeuvres and premium rum drinks and rum punch will be served on the bus. The bus leaves from Farmers Fishers Bakers! Tickets are $45.

Finally, the fourth annual Rum-B-Que will close out the celebration from 1-5 p.m. on Aug. 16 at Jack Rose Dining Saloon’s rooftop terrace. Chef Russell Jones will be serving up barbecue from the wood-fired grill including pulled pork sliders, skewers, grilled chicken and more. Party highlights include education and rum tasting areas, six signature punch stations featuring premium rums and rum-inspired desserts to satisfy any sweet tooth. Tickets are $65.

Individual tickets along with an all-access pass for all three events ($125) are available here.

B Too launches chef’s counter

Chef Bart Vandaele has launched a weekly chef’s counter tasting menu at B Too, 1324 14th St. NW. At 7 p.m. every Wednesday, eight guests can grab front row seats to experience Vandaele and his team in action as they prepare a curated six-course menu.

B Too restaurant on 14th Street NW is offer a six-course Chef’s Counter meal each Wednesday at 7 p.m. (Photo: Popville)

The chef’s counter will feature a new tasting menu each week for $45 with an optional beverage pairing. Guests can also book the chef’s counter for a private tasting any day of the week for a minimum of eight people with two weeks advance notice.

“The chef’s counter at B Too is a playground for me, and unlike anything I have ever done before,” Vandaele said in a press release. “This tasting menu is an opportunity to have fun while also showing people that there is more to Belgian cuisine, and my style of cooking, than mussels and waffles.”

The tasting menu features items such as red beet sorbet with smoked oyster vodka, parmesan cheese crackers with Hoegaarden jello and a waffle square followed by kelp marinated scallops with American sturgeon caviar, green apple & green pea mouse, crème fraiche with bronze fennel and Nasturtium flowers; Josper Hay-smoked lobster tail with Ardbeg whiskey perfume, lemon, coffee roasted heirloom carrots and black garlic crème; grilled rack of lamb with rosemary, purple artichoke, watercress, open ravioli, smoked mayonnaise and pickled Girolles mushroom; warm tomato and goat cheese tart with purple basil syrup, green tomato, basil crystals and extra virgin olive oil; and sweet avocado soufflé with kiwi, elderflower, Belgian bitter chocolate and coconips.

Zaika adds lunchbox delivery in Clarendon

Zaika, a modern Indian restaurant located at 2800 Clarendon Blvd., Alexandria, is offering a new “Tiffin” lunchbox menu, which must be ordered for six or more people. Delivery is available for $3 for addresses within a five-mile radius of the restaurant.

Zaika is now offering tiffin lunchbox delivery. (Photo: Zaika)

Each tiffin lunch order is individually packaged and diners can specify the level of spice of their savory or curry tiffin meal. Savory tiffin lunchboxes are $10.99 each and curry tiffin lunches are $12.99. Soda or water can be added for $1.50 or a glass of mango lassi for $3.

Savory tiffins include a choice of chicken, lamb, salmon or soya bean accompanied with jeera basmati rice, chana masala (a chickpea dish), raita (a yogurt relish with fresh herbs) and a kachumber salad of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, broccoli and chickpeas with a lemon herb dressing. Choices include the tandoori tiffin with chicken tikka and mint chutney, the hara tiffin with a boti lamb kabob and tamarind chutney, the sagar tiffin with salmon and tamarind chutney, the murgh tiffin with chicken, fenegreek leaves and mint chutney, the vegetarian vanaspati tiffin with soya bean and mint chutney, and the biryani tiffin with the choice of chicken or vegetables.

Curry tiffins are served with jeera basmati rice, chana masala, kachumber salad, raita and naan. Choices include the murgh makhani tiffin with chicken in creamy tomato curry, the macchi tiffin with fish fillets in cashew curry, the rogan josh tiffin with lamb in creamy tomato curry, and the palak paneer tiffin with cottage cheese in spinach curry.