The annual geek and nerd fest, Awesome Con returns to the convention center this weekend and so will the superheroes, comic characters and scifi characters. If cosplay isn’t for you, the Sweetlife Festival brings more than two dozen musical acts to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia.

This weekend, Yellow Line trains will operate regular weekend service between Huntington & Fort Totten. Green Line trains will operate at regular weekend intervals between College Park and Branch Avenue stations; the Greenbelt station will be closed with buses replacing trains between College Park and Greenbelt. Orange, Silver and Blue line trains will operate every 26 minutes and Red Line trains will operate every 20 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont and every 10-12 minutes between Friendship Heights and NoMa Gallaudet from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

A boy meets a Power Ranger at last year’s Awesome Con. (Photo: Awesome Con)

Awsome Con

Awesome Con, the comic and pop culture convention, is the place where D.C.’s geek flag flies highest and nerd pride reaches its pinnacle. Celebrities include Alex Kingston and Arthur Darvill from Dr. Who; Kristen Bauer, Merrin Dungey and Victoria Smurfit from Once Upon a Time; Sean Astin and John Rhys-Davies from the Lord of the Rings; Seth Rollins and Diva Natalya from WWE; the Power Rangers; the original voices of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Star Trek’s William Shatner and George Takei and http://www.awesome-con.com/washington-dc/guests-washington-dc/ more. There’s also a K Zone for kids and costume contests. More than 100 exhibitors will be selling comics, toys, video games, collectibles and all sorts of memorabilia.

May 29 from noon-8 p.m., May 30 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and May 31 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW. Tickets range from are $31.73 for Friday or Sunday admission to $79.32 for a three-day pass online or at the door. Kids under 10 are free.

Northern Grade

Shoppers browse at last year’s American Grade. (Photo: American Grade)

Northern Grade, the roving pop-up marketplace featuring American manufactured brands, will land in D.C. for the first time. The two-day, open-to-the-public retail experience is free and takes place inside of Union Market’s Dock 5. The Northern Grade D.C. lineup includes 26 retailers from across the US including local brands Gordy’s Pickle Jar, Appointed, Boldfoot Socks, Gitli Goods, Mallory Shelter, Jewelry, Kicheko Goods, Caryn Cramer, Mutiny DC and Federal.

May 29 from 3-8 p.m., May 30 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and May 31 from 11 a.m.-5p.m. at Dock 5 at Union Market, 1309 Fifth St. NW. Admission is FREE!

Picnic in the Park

Picnickers enjoy lunch in Farragut Park. (Photo: Golden Triangle BID)

Each Friday throughout the summer, Picnic in the Park is the perfect way to enjoy lunch, fun lawn games and other activities. Thousands of people join together at Farragut Park to relax and eat lunch at the bistro tables and chairs. They also enjoy lawn games, trivia prizes and table tennis (free-play and competition). Buy lunch from the food trucks or bring your own.

May 29 and every Friday throughout the summer from noon-2 p.m.at Farragut Park, Connecticut Avenue and K Street NW. Admission is FREE!

Jazz in the Garden

Concertgoers enjoy Jazz in the Garden among works of art in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.
(Photo: National Gallery of Art)

There’s nothing better than free outdoor music on a warm summer night. Pack a picnic and enjoy the music at Jazz in the Garden. A different jazz artist will be featured each Friday during the summer. You can bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages, but beer, wine, sangria and mixed drinks must be purchased from the Pavilion Café. A special menu of appetizers, entrees and salads is also available at the café, while an outdoor grill will serve barbecue pork sandwiches, beef and chicken kabobs and chicken sausages. A gelato cart will also be available. Jazz vocalist Juanita Williams performs this week followed by jazz drummer and keyboardist Robert Jospe and Butch Taylor next week.

Every Friday through Aug. 28 from 5-8:30 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Admission is FREE!

New Belgium’s Tour de Fat

A bicyclist rides a bike with sneakers for wheels at last year’s Tour de Fat. (Photo: New Belgium Brewing Co.)

Tour de Fat, New Belgium Brewing Co.’s annual traveling festival, is part bike race, part concert and part carnival. This year’s festival will feature a number of New Belgium’s brews including the rare Pear Ginger Beer, a parade and music from roots group Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds and soul singer extraordinaire Charles Bradley. There will also be yo-yo performances and vaudeville acts. Proceeds benefit the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, Black Women Bike DC, Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling, Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts and Phoenix Bikes. Last year, more than $57,000 was raised.

May 30 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Yards Park, 355 Water St. SE. Admission is FREE! Beer is $5.
 
 

Sweetlife Festival

Visitor’s to last year’s Sweetlife Festival enjoy the music. (Photo: Sweetgreen)

Kendrick Lamar headlines this year’s Sweetlife Festival from 9:45-11 p.m. on Saturday. The two-day festival features more than 22 hours of music from more than 25 artists. Other Saturday performers include Billy idol from 8:20-9:20 p.m., with Calvin Harris from 9:45-11 p.m. Sunday and Charlie XCX from 4-4:50 p.m. that same day. There will also be food, lots of food. In addition to salads, there will be a chef’s corner will Spke Gjerde from Woodberry Kitchen, Erik Bruner-Yang from Totki Underground and Maketto, and Nick Wiseman from DGS. There will also be concessions from Luke’s Lobster, Shack Shack, Eat Pops, Chaia Tacos, Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza, Dolcezza, Vigilante Coffee, Gordy’s Pickle Jar and food trucks such as Takorean, Big Cheese, Pho Wheels, Crepe Love, Astro Doughnuts and Woodland’s Vegan Bistro. There’s also beer from Flying Dog Brewery, Heavy Seas Brewery, DC Brau, Stack Wines and others as well as non-alcoholic drinks from Honest Tea, Stumptown Coffee and Jrink.

May 30 and 31 starting at noon at Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Md. Tickets range from $175-$350 for a two-day pass and $97.50-$225 for a one-day pass.

D.C. Bacon and Beer Festival

The D.C. Bacon and Beer Festival comes to Penn Social on Sunday. (Photo: Where to Eat)

Fun + bacon + beer while raising money for Food & Friends at the second annual http://www.wheretoeat.in/2015-dc-bacon-and-beer-festival/ D.C. Bacon and Beer Festival. The event features creative bacon-inspired bites and tasty beers from area restaurants and breweries. Vote for “Beast in Show” for both restaurant and brewery categories. Restaurants include Art & Soul, Barrel, Belga Café, Brookland’s Finest, Cuba Libre, Dino’s Grotto, GBD, HighlineRXR, Kangaroo Boxing Club, Macon Bistro, Mad Fox, Nage, Penn Social, Smoth & Barrel, Tico and Wagshal’s. Breweries include Adroit Theory, Devil’s Backbone, Dogfish Head, Full Tilt, Mad Fox, Port City, Sam Adams and Starr Hill.

May 31 from 2:30-5 p.m. at Penn Social, 801 E St. NW. Admission is $45 http://www.etix.com/ticket/p/8516047/2015-dc-bacon-and-beer-festival-boston-eat-boston online or at the door.

Dolcezza will officially open its newest location on Sunday, Apr. 17, at 904 Palmer Alley NW in CityCenterDC. It is located across Ninth Street from Cuba Libre.

Dolcezza will celebrate the grand opening of its CityCenterDC location Sunday with free mini cones.
(Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

As part of its grand opening, visitors will receive a free mini-cone of gelato on Sunday from 2-5 p.m.

The newest and largest location will debut a new way to enjoy coffee by harnessing high-pressure nitrogen to create a smooth, creamy iced coffee. Dolcezza’s nitro coffee infuses nitrogen using a special patented-membrane at the point-of-sale using cold-brewed Stumptown single origin beans. Priced at $5.50 per cup, Dolcezza’s nitrogen coffee program will offer fans their favorite cup of coffee with added flavor, elevated caffeine and a smoother taste.

The CityCenterDC location will also be the first in the DMV to sell and stock Stumptown cold brew coffee and milk.

The 1,200-square-foot space has a 10-foot-long communal table that can accommodate 10 guests, as well as a standing bar for 10 that runs along Ninth Street.

The store will be open from 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight on Friday, 8 a.m.-midnight on Saturday and 8 a.m.-10 p.m. on Sunday.

Belga Café to serve Chimay beer dinner

Belga Café is teaming up with Chimay Brewery for its monthly beer dinner on Tuesday, Apr. 21, at 6:30 p.m.

Chef Bart Vandaele’s Chimay beer and cheese inspired menu begins with a Chimay Cinq Cent draft. The starter is salad of Chimay “A La Premiere” cheese with green, white and young celery served with Chimay Doree draft and young asparagus tips, spring peas, morels, garlic shoots and pickled spring onions in spring snow of aged Chimay served with Chimay Premiere. The main course is The Big Chimay Cheeseburger with Zee cheese fries served with Chimay Grand Reserve. Dessert is chocolate cheesecake made with Affinee bleu cheese, Belgian chocolate and aged port served with Chimay Belgian coffee.

The price is $59 per person.

Nage Bistro debuts 6 new spring cocktails

Nage Bistro, 1600 Rhode Island Ave. NW, will unveil six new spring cocktails on Wednesday, Apr. 22. Each is made with a different variety of fresh fruit juice and seasonal ingredients, and all are named for precious and semi-precious stones.

The Stormy Garnet is one of Nage Bistro’s new spring cocktails. (Photo: Nage Bistro)

The new handcrafted cocktails include the Stormy Garnet made with house-infused strawberry, basil and black peppercorn vodka, ginger beer and cranberry juice served on the rocks; the Cucumber Zirconia with gin, lime juice, cucumber, cilantro, agave nectar and chilies; the Sapphire with Spray vodka, blueberry reduction, muddled blueberries, sugar and vanilla bean, garnished with a blueberry and cheddar skewer; the Smokey Topaz, a barrel aged Manhattan aged 30 days in-house and garnished with house smoked cherries; the Jasper Moon with bourbon, St. Germain, lemon juice, simple syrup and mint topped with sparkling wine; and the Ruby Slipper, a fresh watermelon juice martini.

The new spring cocktails are priced at $10-$12 each. Nage is also serving a white peach sangria for spring and summer, which will be priced at $8 a glass and $18 a pitcher.

Daikaya re-introduces 2 cold ramen dishes for summer

Daikaya, 705 6th St. NW, has brought back two cold ramen dishes for summer. The cold dishes are available only at the 90-seat upstairs izakaya and priced at $14.

Daikaya’s Hiyashi cold ramen dish has returned to the menu for summer. (Photo: Daikaya)

The first dish is the Hiyashi ramen (Hiyashi Chuka), which is commonly served in ramen shops across Japan through season. The Hiyashi ramen is made with boiled and chilled to order noodles, citrus soy vinaigrette, cucumber, simmered bamboo, leeks, blanched bean sprouts tossed in sesame oil and sesame, wood ear mushrooms, shredded cabbage, roasted pork slices, corn, cherry tomatoes, ramen egg, nori and carrots.

The zesty Hiyashi spicy sesame ramen is made with boiled and chilled to order noodles, spicy sesame vinaigrette, simmered bamboo, leeks, blanched bean sprouts tossed in sesame oil and sesame, wood ear mushrooms, shredded cabbage, roasted pork slices, corn, cherry tomato, ramen egg, nori and carrots.

Granite City brewpub opens May 6 at National Harbor

Granite City Food and Brewery will open its 34th restaurant at 200 American Way in National Harbor on May 6. The company also owns Cadillac Ranch in National Harbor.

Granite City Food and Brewery will open in National Harbor on May 6. (Photo: Granite City)

The 10,881 square foot restaurant will seat approximately 260 in the dining room, 27 at the bar and 64 in the private dining room. It will also feature an outdoor patio with seating for 20-30 people. The space features an open kitchen and an on-site brewery with dark wood and granite accents. The restaurant will also feature family restrooms, purse hooks and USB and electrical outlets underneath the bar.

The National Harbor location has a newly expanded menu along with Granite City favorites, said executive chef Andy Rosenberg. Signature dishes include ponzu salmon, braised bison short ribs, a pulled pork waffle sandwich, burgers, flatbreads, salads, steaks and more, as well as a seasonal menu sourced from local food producers.

The brew-pub’s handcrafted beers are also available in growlers. The patented brewing process, known as Fermentus Interruptus, makes replicating the same great taste simple and efficient throughout all Granite City Food & Brewery restaurants. Signature brews include The Duke pale ale; The Bennie, a German altbier; The Northern, an American golden ale; The Broad Axe, an oatmeal stout, and Batch 1000 double IPA. Seasonal brews are also created onsite throughout the year and include the Blueberrian, a blueberry lager, in May; Gold Fever, a Belgian strong ale in June; Lazy Lake, a kolsch in July; the Alabaster, a Belgian wit, in August; the Oktoberfest, a marzen, in September; the Bley Eyed Brunette, a bourbon brown ale, in October; the Zug Zwang, a vanilla porter, in Novermber; and Freezer Burn, a winter warmer, in December.

Diners who visit the National Harbor location on opening day will receive a free Brew Rewards membership, which allows patrons to collect points on all food and tap beer purchases. Brew Rewards points can be redeemed for discounts.

Granite City will be open 8-11 a.m. daily for breakfast. The full menu will be served from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday.

Neyla Mediterranean Bistro moving to Reston Town Center

Neyla Mediterranean Bistro, which had been located in Georgetown for more than 15 years, will open in early May at 11898 Market St. in Reston Town Center.

Neyla is moving to Reston Town Center with an eastern Mediterranean menu including hummus. (Photo: Len de Pas/Neyla)

The new location will be bigger, bringing a chic bar and lounge, and modern bistro menu to the area. It will serve lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The new 160-seat eastern Mediterranean restaurant will feature a large assortment of small plates for tasting and sharing with cocktails and regional wines as well as many of its traditional iconic favorites.

Chef Eric von Gehren has been tapped as the executive chef. Von Gehren originally came to Neyla’s owner, Capital Restaurant Concepts, in 1987 and helped open many of its restaurants including Paolo’s Ristorante and Georgia Brown’s. He left CRC in 1992 to become the vice president and corporate chef of Levy Restaurants in Chicago, opening and overseeing many restaurants including the now Michelin starred Spiaggia. He then moved to the Eastern Mediterranean to help CRC founder Bechara Nammour open more than 10 restaurants in Lebanon. Most recently von Gehren served as the chef at the Fat Canary in Williamsburg, Va.

Souheil Moussadik, Neyla’s general manager in Georgetown, will manage the new restaurant in Reston. Souheil is a founder of Penn Quarter’s Co Co. Sala and most recently director of operations for Oya.

The menu will include traditional Mediterranean dishes such as chicken shawarma and veal kebabs cooked over a charcoal grill. Small plates will include roasted eggplant, Circassian chicken and Armenian sausage, as well as traditional dips such as baba ghanoush, hummus and lebne served with house-made pita cooked in a wood-fired brick oven. The oven will also produce such favorites as caprese flatbreads and a Turkish pita flatbread with spicy soujouk sausage, kasseri cheese and olive oil. Other dishes will include grilled halloumi cheese spaghetti, braised lamb shank and fried calamari. Dishes for the entire table include salt-crusted branzino; slow roasted lamb shoulder and a Lebanese couscous.

Starters and small plates on the opening menu are priced from $5-$9, and dishes for the table are priced from $38-$42.

D.C. architect and designer Olivia Demetriou of Haptsak and Demetriou is designing the interior, which will combine a crisp look with a bit of weathered character. Its bar will be a mixture of dark blue tapestry wall coverings and whitewash strie millwork. Decorative screens and beaded curtains will hang throughout the restaurant. In nice weather, the dining room will open to a large outdoor patio, which will feature dark wicker furniture.

Neyla will be open from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Brunch will be served Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Pennsylvania 6 to open in late May

Pennsylvania 6, a 265-seat contemporary American restaurant from the owners of City Tap House in Penn Quarter and Harrington’s Pub & Kitchen and Public House at National Harbor, is slated to open in late May across from Franklin Square at 1350 I St. NW where Tuscana West had been. Pennsylvania 6 currently has restaurants in Philadelphia and New York City.

Pennsylvania 6 from the owners of City Tap House will open in the former Tuscana West space next month serving regional American fare. (Photo: Pennsylvania 6)

Pennsylvania 6 from Philadelphia-based Public House Investments will serve lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.

The regional American menu will include dishes such as foie gras mousse apple cider gelee with pickled shallots, pommery mustard; Hawaiian spear fish with avocado, ginger, hearts of palm, citrus and ceviche sauce; wild Burgundy snails with Logan Turnpike grits, charred scallions, Benton’s ham and parmesan cream; roasted bone marrow with garlic herb crust served with red onion jam; lobster roll with celery, green onion and mayonnaise served on a buttered roll with duck fat fries; lamb tenderloin roulade with Yukon gold potato puree, arugula pesto, zucchini and lamb sauce; and monkfish osso buco with maitake mushrooms, carrots, baby Tokyo turnips and truffle jus. Steaks and chops will also be available along with fresh local oysters, top neck clams, shrimp and crab cocktail, lobster and crudo available at the six-seat raw bar.

The bar program will include classic mixology incorporating fresh, local, seasonal ingredients found in the house-made syrups and mixers. Each drink will come with its own history and origin. One of the featured cocktails is the Grapes of Wrath, made from a combination of bourbon, muddled grapefruit, brandied grapes, house grapefruit liquor and aromatic bitters. Cocktails will be priced from $12 to $16 each. There will also be 14 craft beers available on draft and over 100 international wines.

Designer Maggie O’Neill of SwatchRoom is redoing the interior to create a “modern day supper club and bistro.” It will feature a 70-foot bar with Carrera marble and oak panels. Communal tables will surround the bar along with booths made for two and an elevated 22-seat lounge with working fireplace. Black and white striped fabric will hang from the ceiling along with custom milk glass chandeliers. The oak-paneled dining room will feature black lacquered millwork, patinaed mirrors and art to complement the dramatic deep red floor and rich upholstery.

Pennsylvania 6 will be open from 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-midnight on Friday, 11 a.m.-midnight Saturday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. Weekend brunch will begin at a later date and will be served from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Just like 14th Street NW was the hot new destination for trendy restaurants the last few years, it looks like the city’s Shaw neighborhood could be the next restaurant hot spot based on recent announcements.

Several new restaurants will open in the Shaw neighborhood over the next year. (Photo: Reishman Real Estate)

The Shay, a 268-unit apartment building on Florida Avenue between 8th and 9th Streets NW from the JBG Co., will be the new home of Freehand, a restaurant from chef Tim Ma, the owner of Arlington’s Water & Wall and Vienna’s Maple Ave, as well as the second location of Compass Coffee, the D.C.-based coffee roaster and café that opened on 7th Street NW last fall across from the City Market at O development in Shaw. Warby Parker, the maker of trendy eyewear, will join the two restaurants and other retailers at The Shay.

Two blocks away, JBG’s Atlantic Plumbing development will be the home to a new concept from Neighborhood Restauant Group, which also owns Birch & Barley and Bluejacket among other eateries. NRG’s restaurant will likely be Hazel from former Tallula chef Rob Rubba, although that lease hasn’t been signed yet. The owners of Chinatown’s ramen and izakaya restaurant Daikaya, will also open a yet-to-be-named restaurant that will be “a ramen dining room with more variety,” according to a press release from JBG. Atlantic Plumbing is a two-building, 375-apartment development at 8th and V Streets NW.

Atlantic Plumbing is also anchored by a new, six-screen cinema from Landmark theatres, a new version of the indie film-focused theater concept that is just one-fifth the size of a typical Landmark cinema. Other tenants include Declaration Pizza, a new pizzeria from the owners of Lincoln and Teddy & the Bully Bar; Tasty Burger, a Boston-based burger joint; and Bazaar Spices, an independently owned herbs and spice shop that has a stall in Union Market.

The Colonel, a residential development with 70 luxury units at 1250 Ninth St. NW, will include Espita Mezcalería, a Mexican restaurant and mezcal bar from master mezcalier Josh Phillips featuring the lesser-known Mexican spirits and cuisine from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. It will be Phillips’ first venture. Also coming to the building will be http://www.buttercreamdc.com/ Buttercream Bakeshop from pastry chef Tiffany MacIsaac, as well as All Purpose, a pizza-focused restaurant from Red Hen owners Michael Friedman, Michael O’Malley and Sebastian Zutant in partnership with Boundary Stone owners Gareth Croke and Colin McDonough.

“As excited as I am to be opening my first mezcaleria, I’m even more excited that it will be a part of Shaw,” said Phillips in a press release. “The first time I saw the space at The Colonel, I knew it was a perfect fit for Espita. I think that this stretch of 9th Street and Blagden Alley will quickly become a top dining destination in DC.”

Belga Café and Van Honsebrouck Brewery pair up for beer dinner

Belga Café is teaming up with Van Honsebrouck Brewery for its weekly Tuesday Beer Dinner at 6:30 p.m. on Mar. 24.

Van Honsebrouck Brewery (Photo: Wikimedia)

The weekly event pairs chef Bart Vandaele’s dishes with a selected Belgium brewery to showcase the marriage of Belgium food and beer. The five-course meal is $59 per person.

The meal begins with an amuse-bouche paired with a draft B Too Ale followed by a cherry tomato salad with feta cheese, shallots, garden sorrel and arugula dressing paird with Kasteel Rouge. The next course is smoked duck breast with raspberries, frisee salad and yogurt vinaigrette paired with Kasteel Cuvee du Chateau followed by poached lobster with carmelized salsify, watercress puree and blood orange hollandaise paird with Kasteel Triple and draft Kasteel Blond. Dessert is Belgian profiteroles with bacon bourbon ice cream, Belgain chocolate sauce and whipped cream paide with Kasteel Donker.

Happy 67th birthday, Michel Richard

Central Michel Richard, 1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, will celebrate Richard’s birthday from 5 p.m.-close on Mar. 24 with a meu of his favorites. The menu starts with a signature recipe, crab cake on a bed of leek tartare ($20); followed by prime rib au jus with horseradish, baked potato and green beans ($35). The meal will end with sparkling Celebration Cake for two ($15).

Central celebrate Michel Richard’s 67th birthday on Tuesday. (Photo: New York Times)

The three-courses are available either a la carte or as a $65 prix fixe menu. To toast, an optional wine pairing featuring the chef’s favorite, private label Cote du Rhone “Cuvee Michel Richard” will be offered for $35.

“I was inspired the first time I entered a professional kitchen when I was 8 years old”, says Richard. “I may get old, but I never want my food to get old.”

Also, from Mar. 23-29, Central’s sommelier, Andy Powell, will share some of his favorite bottles at special prices in partnership with the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s Spring Wine Fling.

First, diners can take 15 percent off bottles of French varietals of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Central’s list of French Burgundies. Or, Powell will select a surprise bottle of red or white wine to pair with your dinner for $40 or $80.

Jack Rose celebrates 2,015 whiskey bottle unveiling

Jack Rose Dining Saloon, 2007 18th St. NW, has spent the last several months increasing their inventory, reaching the 2,000-bottle mark this winter. To celebrate its whiskey collection, it will commemorate the 2,015th bottle with a “2015 in 2015” celebration from 6-9 p.m. on Mar. 25 featuring the unveiling of an exclusively-bottled Jack Rose/Willett bourbon, complimentary whiskey toast and chance to meet Willett’s master distiller Drew Kulsveen along with bourbon historian and author Michael Veach and Flying Dog Brewery’s CEO Jim Caruso.

Jack Rose’s extensive whiskey collection includes several Willett bourbon. (Photo: Jack Rose Dining Saloon/Facebook)

Co-owner Bill Thomas has grown Jack Rose’s whiskies from 1,200 bottles when it opened more than three years ago to more than 2,000 bottles now. New additions include some of the rarest, hard-to-find bottles such as the 1964 Black Bowmore first edition, A.H. Hirsch Blue Wax, Ardbeg Provenance 1974, Old Rip Van Winkle Family Selection 23-year Decanter and some unique prohibition-era releases.

Jack Rose will unveil its 2,015th bottle, an exclusive, one-of-a-kind cask strength Willett bourbon, which will only be available at the bar. The self-named 11-year-old 125.2 proof bottling was hand-selected by Thomas for the celebration. Jack Rose has had a longstanding relationship with the distillery, boasting one of the largest selections of Willett in the region, and Kulsveen will come from Bardstown, Ky. to celebrate the special occasion and meet guests.

Patrons will receive a free taste of the special 2,015th whiskey during a whiskey toast. There will also be food and drink specials throughout the night, including $7 whiskeys, discounted Flying Dog brews and half-priced bar snacks, as well as complimentary hors d’oeuvres from 6-7:30 p.m.

The commemorative barrel will be given to Flying Dog Berwery, which will brew a special Jack Rose-exclusive beer. The Frederick brewery will age one of their craft brews in the used bourbon barrel, which will then be released with a future launch party at the bar.

Also, Veach will sign copies of his book Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage. The first 20 people to purchase his book will receive a special tasting of Veach’s favorite whiskeys.

BLT Steak holds Dad’s Hat Rye dinner

BLT Steak, 1625 I St. NW, is partnering with Pennsylvania’s Dad’s Hat Rye distillery for a special whiskey pairing dinner at 7 p.m. on Mar. 26.

Dad’s Hat Dad’s Hat Rye finished in vermouth barrels, Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania White Rye and Dad’s Hat rye finished in port barrels. (Photo: Dad’s Hat)

Unveiling the restaurant’s new, exclusive BLT Steak-branded Dad’s Hat single-barrel, the dinner will also pair several of Dad’s Hat’s aged ryes with dishes prepared by executive chef Will Artley using wood from the oak barrel and spent grain and barley malt, bringing the whiskey-laden meal full-circle for a “whole barrel” dining experience. Diners will have the opportunity to be one of the first to taste BLT Steak’s recently-acquired and branded single-barrel, hand-picked by the restaurant’s staff while visiting the distillery last year, aged for almost seven months.

Guests will be greeted with a cocktail made with Dad’s Hat White Rye followed by a seated four-course dinner, prepared using ingredients from whiskey production, and paired with one of Dad’s Hat’s signature bottlings.

The menu includes a first course of Magret duck trio with foie gras paté, prosciutto and confit paired with Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania White Rye followed by seared Dayboat sea scallops with vanilla scented celeriac, pickled pear and spiced almond crumble paired with BLT’s exclusive Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania rye whiskey single barrel. The main course is a 60-day dry aged ribeye served with drunk blue cheese butter and paired with Dad’s Hat Rye finished in vermouth barrels. Dessert will be lavender crème brulee and citrus short cookies paired with Dad’s Hat rye finished in port barrels.

Tickets cost $100.

Chefs duel out colon-friendly cuisines at Eat4Life

On Mar. 31, seven area chefs will cook off for colon cancer awareness during the Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation’s third annual Eat4Life chef challenge from 6-9 p.m. at Longview Gallery, 1234 9th St. NW.

Chef Scott Drewno from The Source will defend his 2013 and 2014 titles. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

The chefs are given a list of approved colon-friendly ingredients to prepare cancer-friendly dishes, providing guests healthy meal options while helping raise funds and awareness for the foundation. Each chef will have a station where he or she can discuss preparation of the item being served and why they choose to cook their particular colon-friendly dish. Guests vote on the winning dish.

For the past two years, Scott Drewno, executive chef at The Source by Wolfgang Puck has won. He will return this year to take on Enrique Ayala, executive chef at Scion Dupont and Scion Silver Spring; Matt Baker, executive chef at City Perch Kitchen and Bar; Carlos Gonzales, chef du cuisine at Taco Bamba; Erick Jiron, executive chef at Crios Modern Mexican; Patrick Robinson, executive chef at Table; and Tyler Scholfield, executive chef at NaiNai’s Noodle and Dumpling Bar.

Nycci Nellis, host of the Foodie and the Beast radio program will be the evening’s emcee. Inspirational speaker Teri Griege, a stage IV colon cancer survivor, ironman tri-athlete and founder of the Power of Hope Foundation, who has been recognized as a leading expert on resilience, will also speak.

Tickets are $30 for food only, $50 for food and two cocktails or $75 for food and all-you-can drink with 10 raffle tickets through Mar. 23. Prices increase to $50, $75 and $100, respectively, from Mar. 24-31.

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.

This October, Chef Bart Vandaele’s first restaurant, Belga Café at 514 8th St. SE celebrates its 10th anniversary with several special events.

Belga Cafe on 8th Street SE is celebrating its 10th anniversary. (Photo: More Songs About Buildings and Food)

“This is a celebration not only for me and Belga Café, but for the neighborhood as well,” Vandaele said in a press release. “Over the last 10 years, I have watched Belga Café grow along with Barracks Row. It is amazing to be able to say I was there in the beginning, as many people wouldn’t even think of opening a restaurant here 10 years ago. Now it’s a beautiful, family friendly neighborhood, and I am proud of the role the restaurant has played in the transformation of the area.”

When Vandaele opened Belga Café in 2004, it was not only the first Belgian restaurant in the District, but also one of the first restaurants on 8th Street in Barracks Row.

“I like to say Belga Café is a Belgian bistro with attitude, and I love being able to infuse this attitude into the neighborhood,” Vandaele said. “It is the embodiment of everything that I love about my home country and it has been a joy to bring Belgian cuisine, beer, art and culture, with my special twists, to D.C. for people to enjoy.”

Saturday, Oct. 11: See and taste cooking demo

From 1-3 p.m. at The Fridge, 516 1/2 8th Street SE, attendees are invited to pull up a chair and watch Vandaele in action at this special demo. He will prepare a three-course tasting with beer parings in front of guests while walking them though each step of the process. Reservations are required. Cost is $45 per person.

Tuesday, Oct. 14: Thank you from Belga Café and Chef Vandaele

From 6-9 p.m. at Belga Café, Vandaele hosts a special reception for guests and the neighborhood featuring Champagne and Belgian bites. The event is free, but reservations are required.

Wednesday, Oct. 15 -Friday, Oct. 31: Anniversary menu

Guests can enjoy special menu highlighting some of Vandaele’s favorite dishes from the last 10 years at Belga Café available during dinner service.

Saturday, Oct. 18: Belga’s beer market

From 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at The Fridge, this one day-only market offers guests a unique opportunity to taste their way through Belgium at this showcase of beers and paired bites. Tokens will be available for purchase at the door and used at the event for food and drinks.

Thursday, Oct. 23: 10 for 10 tasting menu

Vandaele guides guests on an exclusive 10-course journey through Belgium’s culinary landscape. The evening begins with a special reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by a seated dinner at 7 p.m. Limited seating available and reservations are required. The cost is $125 per person with wine pairings.

Tuesday, Oct. 28: Anniversary beer dinner

Starting at 6:30 p.m., Belga Café will serve a seven-course beer dinner featuring rare Belgian Trappists including Westvleteren Trappist beer, which is not available anywhere else in the country. Limited seating available and reservations are required. Cost is $79 per person.

For more information or to make a reservation to any of the 10-year anniversary celebration events, please call Belga Café at 202-544-0100.

Commissary donates to PFLAG on National Coming Out Day

Today is National Coming Out Day, and Commissary at 1443 P St. NW has partnered with Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) to support the LGBT community.

On National Coming Out Day, Commissary will donate the proceeds from the sale of its Red, White & You sangria to PFLAG. (Photo: Matt Makai)

On Oct. 11, 100 percent of sales of the “Red, White & You” sangria cocktail ($8) made with grapefruit, vodka and white wine sold will go to support PFLAG help to advance equality and full societal affirmation of LGBT people.

In addition, all the EatWell DC restaurants including The Heights, The Pig, Logan Tavern and Grillfish in addition to Commissary will serve Columbus Day brunch on Monday.

GRK Fresh Greek launches late night hours

GRK Fresh Greek at 1140 19th St. NW is now open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. The fast casual Greek restaurant, which opened in July, will cater to the late night Dupont Circle crowd. Also, starting Oct. 10, GRK’s beer will be half price from midnight-2 a.m.

GRK Fresh Greek will stay open until 3 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)

The menu includes gyros, with seasoned meat seasoned marinated in yogurt and slow roasted on a rotisserie grill. Diners can choose from lamb and beef combination, chicken, pork, Portobello mushrooms and fresh vegetables served on a classic pita baked in a wood stove oven or served on a plate. Top it with GRK’s three distinct yogurt-based tzatzikis: zesty classic, fire-roasted habanero pepper Kaftero or garlic and basil infused Prassino. The restaurant will also serve its salt, pepper and garlic seasoned fries.

GRK will also offer a selection of entree salads, fresh and frozen Greek yogurt with sweet and savory toppings, crispy Aegan slaw and a tzatziki sampler. The savory Simi yogurt specialty includes olives, tomato, pepper, cucumber, basil, pita chips and extra virgin olive oil, while the Corfu comes topped with basil, apples, figs, lentils, sea salt and extra virgin olive oil.

Cava Grill opens in Chinatown Tuesday with free food

Cava Grill’s newest location at 707 H St. NW in the former Capital Q BBQ in Chinatown will open Oct. 14. To celebrate, the restaurant will be giving away free rice bowls, salads and pits from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. with a donation to community non-profit partners MicroGreens and City Blossoms.

Cava Grill will open in the former Capital Q BBQ in Chinatown on Tuesday. (Photo: PoPvile)

The restaurant’s sixth location will feature new menu items and enhanced design features. The menu will feature pitas made from scratch by D.C. baker Optimal Grains and baked in a stone-fired oven in the store. The pita is preservative free and made from organic flour. The location will also have local been and wine on tap, a open kitchen layout, rotating seasonal menus with soups, juices and teas made in-house daily. The new items will be rolled out to other location throughout the fall.

In addition to Chinatown, Cava Grill will open a store in late October Gaithersburg, Montgomery Mall in Bethesda in November, and Fairfax, Reagan National Airport and Ashburn next spring and summer.

The restaurant will be open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Tuesday then begin regular hours of 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Wednesday.

Mama Rouge opens Tuesday in Georgetown Waterfront

Chef Aulie Bunyarataphan and her husband, Mel Oursinsiri will open their newest restaurant, Mama Rouge at 3000 K St. NW at the Washington Harbour on the Georgetown Waterfront on Tuesday. It is in the space that formerly housed their Bangkok Joe’s restaurant. The pair also own T.H.A.I. and Tom Yum District in Northern Virginia.

Ice Thai teas at Mama Rouge. (Photo: Mama Rouge)

Mama Rouge will serve Southeast Asian and French cuisine in a contemporary French bistro setting, It will begin regular lunch, dinner and brunch service beginning Oct. 14.

As they approached the 12-year mark of Bangkok Joe’s, Bunyarataphan and Oursinsiri felt that their guests and area diners were ready for something new. Renewing their lease in the same location, they hired Vucurevich Simons Advisory Group for concept, branding, menu and operations development to create their vision for a more contemporary, unique restaurant. It is named for Bunyarataphan’s grandmother, the original ‘Mama Rouge,’ and the inspiration for many of the recipes that appear on the Southeast Asian sections of the menu.

The entire space, kitchen, bar, and menu are new, and Bunyarataphan will oversee the kitchen and direct the culinary team to execute day-to-day service. The menus at Mama Rouge are divided into sections and categories, with traditional styles of Southeast Asian dishes, listed next to classically French plates. The food is not about fusion or melding of the different cuisines; they’re presented to encourage mixing and matching the separate flavor profiles of individual dishes and across menu sections for a different type of dining experience.

“We wanted to create a restaurant and menus that evoke connections to Southeast Asian and French cuisines, but in a very approachable and different way,” said Bunyarataphan in a press release. “My Thai grandmother had a wonderful recipe collection that she shared with me when I was young, and I’ve adapted many of those recipes and cooking techniques for the American palate with the items we’ve chosen for the menu, and included some of my personal favorites from classic French menus.”

“We want Mama Rouge to be seen as a neighborhood restaurant, just as Bangkok Joe’s was, as a place that draws guests back for more,” added Oursinsiri. After a recent four week trip to Southeast Asia in preparation for the restaurant opening, the pair honed their vision for Mama Rouge and how it would fit into the DMV’s dining scene.

The menu includes popular Southeast Asian food categories, such as pho, noodles, BBQ and banh mi, and is balanced by the richer flavors found in French cuisine. French wines and a variety of European-inspired cocktails complement menu selections, while weekend brunch is from the French perspective, offering crepes, omelets, breads and pastries. Diners are encouraged to mix and match dishes from the different categories. The menu includes appetizers of pommes frites and Myanmar shrimp dumplings, entrees of steak au poivre, lemongrass pork or a spicy curry, and desserts such as Parisian style pastries paired with a Thai tea or Thai coffee made to order.

Washington, D.C.-based Collective Architecture in collaboration with VSAG designed the interior décor, which includes a bold color scheme of Asian influence with a mix of textures, patterns and more elegant features one might find in French bistros like stylized tables and chairs, the authentic zinc topped bar and tin ceiling tiles. Millwork detail, tufted booths and banquettes combine with chandelier lighting for an intimate setting. The dining room seats 100 with 14 seats at the bar and seasonal patio dining for about 30.

Mama Rouge is open Sunday through Wednesday from 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m.-midnight and Saturday from 11 a.m.-midnight. Brunch will be served from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

DMV restaurants offer pumpkin dishes and drinks

Pumpkins aren’t just for carving, they’re also a mainstay on any fall menu. Restaurants throughout the DMV are serving the favorite fall gourd in a variety of creative ways.

Many restaurants have added pumpkin dishes and drinks to their fall menus. (Photo: Twitter)

BLT Steak, 1625 I St. NW, offers a creative take on fall’s favorite dessert, pumpkin pie, fusing it with cheesecake. BLT Steak’s pumpkin spice cheesecake is topped with maple anglaise, candied pecans and served alongside homemade cream cheese ice cream for $10.

The Fainting Goat, 1330 U St. NW, is featuring pumpkin in its roasted pumpkin mussels with lemongrass and chilies, a Thai-style dish. Executive chef Nathan Beauchamp, who took over the kitchen in June, roasts Amish pumpkins with traditional Southeast Asian ingredients like galangal and lemongrass. He makes a curry-type broth with chilies, shrimp paste, fish sauce, garlic, turmeric and shallots, and adds fresh PEI mussels, garnishing the dish with lime zest, scallions and Thai basil. The mussels ($14) are served with a side of grilled bread to soak up the delicious, warming broth.

Jack Rose Dining Salon, 2007 18th St. NW, has created a Halloween cocktail named after the “pumpkin king” himself: the Jack Skellington. The cocktail is straight out of The Nightmare Before Christmas‘ “Halloween Town” combining Pumpkin King Cordial made from fresh-roasted pie pumpkins, gin and spices, with Absolut Elyx, fresh lemon, apple bitters, simple syrup and Jerry Thomas Decanter bitters. The Jack Skellington is $13.

Vinoteca, 1940 11th St. NW, is serving a cocktail inspired by the pumpkin spice latte. Bar manager Horus Alvarez infuses Atlantico Reserve rum with in-house roasted pumpkins, combining the infused rum with coffee, milk and fall spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, topped with fresh cream. The pumpkin spice latte cocktail is $12.