On Saturday afternoon, I stopped by the new Corduroy location, across the street from the D.C Convention Center at 1122 9th St. NW to take some pictures and Tom Powers happened to be there. I had a quick chat with him to see how the construction was progressing, and from the pictures below, there is still a little work to do. Assuming all goes well, they should be reopening Thursday or Friday of this week (God willing). Only the first floor will be opening right away.

The other thing you'll notice from the pictures is that the new space is a lot warmer and inviting than the old, dark space at the Four Points Hotel. The first floor will have a glass enclosed wine room, enough seating for 50 people, and an open view of the kitchen. Soon after the downstairs opens this week, the upstairs will open with a bar and another dining room. There is still some work to be done, but it is also well lit with additional space for seating.

When I asked Tom if he's been relaxing the last month or so while the construction has been taking place, his response was, "Definitely not. This has been one of the busiest times of my life."

Here's hoping the new location was worth all the effort. I'm sure Tom and his crew will make the best of it.

The American beer and food renaissance is here, folks! Gone are the days when the "Big Three" (Coors, Miller, and Bud) held complete sway over the domestic beer market, when the most exotic American beer at your local grocery store was Red Dog, and when the most interesting pairing was Tequiza on taco night. Where once the American macro-brew Pilsener — fizzy and flavorless, with a large dosage of cheap corn and rice — was the only game in town, the US is now the home of some 1,400 craft breweries replicating and experimenting with the full rainbow of beer styles. In celebration of this burgeoning industry and 'American Craft Beer Week' (May 12-18), The Brewers Association is proud to present Savor- An American Craft Beer & Food Experience on May 16th and 17th.

In an event unprecedented in this or any area, Savor will bring together 48 of the nations finest craft brewers at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium to present some of their favorite food and beer pairings. Each brewery will feature two of its beers alongside a sweet or savory app courtesy of Federal City Caterers, with pairings ranging from Allagash White with Carrot Ginger Curry Soup to Great Divide's Oak Aged Yeti with Fudge Stout Brownies. For those that have ever doubted beer's food enhancing potential, this event will surely yield a new outlook given the full width and depth of beer styles on display.

On top of the treats in the main hall, Savor will feature two one-hour seminars per session, hosted by luminaries of the craft beer world. Ever wonder how Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery feels about cheese? Think you can learn a thing or two about beer and food from Sam Adams founder Jim Koch? Here is your opportunity to find out.

The event will span two days over three, three-and-one-half hour sessions, with each session limited to just 700 people. Tickets are $85, all inclusive, and must be purchased in advance.

48 brewers, 96 beers, dozens of beer-world celebs —And we've got two free tickets.

We at DCFoodies.com have been fortunate enough to receive a pair of tickets to Savor and want to pass them on to you. Whether you're a new visitor or old friend, email the correct answer to the following brewing question to jason@dcfoodies.com with the subject Savor Contest and you will be entered into our drawing for two tickets to the session of your choosing. Entering is free, though do please take a moment to peruse our advertisers' links.

Ready?

Question: What is the official name of the uniquely American, warm-fermented style of lager of which Anchor Steam is the best known example?

Answers are due by midnight on Tuesday, April 8th. For more details on the Savor event, including a full list of participating breweries, foods, and beers, visit www.beertown.org.

Every year, Share Our Strength organizes a food benefit like no other in the DC area. This year, on the 24th of March, they bring together some of the best culinary talent in the DC area to serve up incredible food, wine, and other delicacies, with the common goal of ending childhood hunger. The main attractions are the restaurant booths, where chefs serve up small bites of dishes, some from restaurants menus, some unique creations that the chefs create especially for the event. Local wine distributors also have booths where they give people tastings of the wines they sell. The list of restaurants and participants is quite impressive and includes:

1789 Restaurant * Belga Café * Berliner Distributors * Best Buns Bread Company * Bistro Bis * BLT Steak * Bobby Van's * Butterfield 9 * Cafe Saint-Ex * Capital Grille * Carlyle * Caucus Room * Central Michel Richard * Charlie Palmer Steak * Circle Bistro * Dino * Farrah Olivia by Morou * Finn & Porter * Firefly * Hank's Oyster Bar * Hook * ICI Urban Bistro * IndeBleu * International Trade Center at the Reagan Building * Kinkead's * La Tasca * Lebanese Taverna * Les Halles * Locanda * L'oustalet * The Majestic * Mark and Orlando's * Mendocino * New Heights * Neyla * Noras * Notti Bianche * Oceanaire Seafood Room * OLiVES * Oya * Perry's Restaurant * Poste * Proof * PS 7's Restaurant * PX * Restaurant 3 * Restaurant Eve * Ristorante Tosca * Rustico * Sam & Harry's Steakhouse * Ten Penh * The Capital Grille * The Caucus Room * The Source * Vermilion * Vidalia * Zengo

Amy and I attended this event last year and we had a wonderful time and we definitely plan to return this year as well. All ad revenue from January and February on DCFoodies.com was donated to this wonderful cause. I hope to see you all there!

Purchase Tickets
Event Details

Taste of the Nation
Washington, DC
Monday,  March 24th
Washington Hilton
1919 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20009

This is just a reminder for everyone that tomorrow (Thursday March 6) is the annual Dining Out for Life event to benefit Food For Friends, a local charity that supports men and women in the DC area with HIV/AIDS by providing home-delivered meals, groceries, and nutritional counceling. The event spans many, many restaurants throughout the city and some restaurants donate 100% of their proceeds for the day to the Food and Friends charity!

Check out the list of participating restaurants here.

Don't forget that Taste of Georgetown is happening the weekend after Taste of Bethesda. In past years, both Taste of Bethesda and Taste of Georgetown happened on the same day which made it difficult to get to both of them. But this year, Taste of Georgetown is happening on Saturday October 13th from 11 AM to 4 PM.

For the full list of restaurants that are participating, check out the Taste of Georgetown web site. For me, I'll be checking out the following 1789, Fahrenheit, Hook, and Old Glory.

On October 6th, my favorite local street food festival, Taste of Bethesda, returns with a long list of participating restaurants. For those of you unfamiliar with Taste of Bethesda, it's a very large street food festival where the town of Bethesda blocks off about 5 square blocks of the downtown area and the local restaurants put up booths and serve you food. It's not free food of course. You buy tickets, and then you trade those tickets for tastes of food. Each taste will range from 1 to 4 tickets. I've found in the past, that 20 tickets is a good way to start for Amy and I, then we take a rest and get about 20 more! Here's my recommendation for what you should check out.

Passage to India
They usually take the true nature of street food to heart, offering some Pav Baji for the crowds. I hope they do so again this year.

Divino Lounge
Their sausages are to die for. Tapas are perfect for this type of event.

Olazzo
They usually have their homemade meatballs and chicken cardinale, a penne dish with a beautiful vodka sauce, sun dried tomatoes, and chicken over penne .

Ri-Ra Irish Pub
Ri-Ra always has fantastic street food. I remember past years they've had beef and Guinness stew or shepherd's pie.

Plus there are many other restaurants participating. Here is the full list of restaurants participating in Taste of Bethesdah. For more info, go to the official Taste of Bethesda site.

Austin Grill
Bangkok Garden Restaurant
Ben & Jerry’s
BlackFinn
Brasserie Monte Carlo
Bundles of Cookies
Caddies on Cordell
California Tortilla
Chesapeake Chicken & Rockin' Ribs
Chicken Out Rotisserie
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Delhi Dhaba
Divino Lounge & Restaurant
Flanagan’s Harp & Fiddle
Gifford’s Ice Cream & Candy Co.
Guapo’s Restaurant
Haagen-Dazs
Haandi Fine Indian Cuisine
Hard Times Café
Honest Tea
Houston's Restaurant
Jaleo
Just Cakes
Mamma Lucia of Bethesdsa
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant
Mia's Pizzas
Morton’s
Nark Kara Thai Restaurant
Olazzo
Papa John's Pizza
Passage to India
Penang Malaysian Cuisine
Persimmon
Quartermaine Coffee Roasters
Ri-Ra Irish Pub
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Saphire Café
Smoothie King
Spring Mill Bread Co.
Tara Thai Restaurant
Tommy Joe’s
Trader Joe's
Union Jack’s

For those of you looking for something a little different than going to happy hour on your Thursday night, check out the To Market/To Market dinner that Robert Weland at Poste Brasserie is doing every Thursday night. Starting at 6 PM, You meet at Post Brasserie in Penn Quarter and Robert takes you shopping at the Penn Quarter farmers Market for fresh ingredients which he then prepares for you for dinner in a special dining area near his own garden. On top of that, the meal is served with a selection of biodynamic wines selected to go with the dishes that Robert creates. The meal costs $60 per person. For reservations, call or email Dani Williams-Jones at 202 783 6060 x162 or  Dani.Williams-Jones@postebrasserie.com.

Here's some more info on Robert Weland and Post Brasserie:
Washington Post
Washingtonian
Georgetowner

Here's an interesting event happening on August 11th that I thought you'd be interested in.

Todd and Ellen Gray of Equinox Restaurant are hosting an all day culinary retreat to Bodkin Point, MD. Guests will be chauffeured to Bodkin Point via luxury motor coach, where they will be taken on a tour of the Severna Park farmers market while Todd Gray explains how to conceive of and create a meal based on the freshest ingredients on hand. After that, everyone will have an opportunity to swim and enjoy the surrounding retreat until it's time for the hands-on cooking lesson where everyone will work with Todd to create a three course meal that was conceived of that morning at the farmers market. He will walk you through appropriate wine pairings for each for the afternoon’s courses before sitting down to enjoy a late-afternoon lunch.

The trip costs $190 per person, or $350 for two. For more information on the trip go here or contact Ellen Gray at ellen@equinox.com.

click for the most recent Bethesda Restaurant Week info

Bethesda Restaurant Week for Summer 2007 is going on this week, July 23rd through the 29th. The complete list of participating restaurants can be found here, or you can see them on a map here. Unlike DC Restaurant Week, restaurants participating in Bethesda Restaurant Week don't have a fixed price so check what the deal actually is. As I've said in past Restaurant Weeks, this is a good time to try David Craig, but on a more personal note, I might take this opportunity to finally go to Persimmon, Divino Lounge, or Famosa.

As with most Restaurant Week deals, stick with restaurants where the special is actually a good deal. For instance, if say a restaurant is listed on Washingtonian's Cheap Eats, then Restaurant Week probably isn't the best time to visit that place. Or, if the restaurant always has a 3 course dinner for $25, then you can get that anytime, so why waste a trip during Restaurant Week?

Update:

The following restaurants have extended their Restaurant Week offering another week until August 5th.

Brasserie Monte Carlo
Café Europa
Geppetto Restaurant
La Miche
New Orleans Bistro
Oakville Grille & Wine Bar
Persimmon Restaurant
PGA Tour Grill
Yin Yankee

I wanted to point out an interesting event that was coming up in July to everyone. The Smithsonian Resident Associates have put an event together at GWU's Lisner Auditorium with Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, and Marisa Tomei where the three stars of the television and culinary worlds will come together to talk about why the culinary arts have become popular in today's society...as if we didn't all know. Hello?! Food is AWESOME!

For more information, check out the Resident Associates web site. Tickets are $35 for non-members and $25 for members.

Update: Go HERE for the list of all menus that the different restaurants are offering for Restaurant Week.

Just announced. The summer DC Restaurant Week for 2007 will be August 6th through 12th. More to come...

Look at who's on the list this year!

All I can say is, "It's about F-ing time!"

Congrats to Chef Johnny Monis and the whole Komi crew.

Only 5 days left to purchase tickets for the Taste of the Nation event on April 9th. If you don't buy tickets here's what you'll be missing in the "Tiki Lounge". What's in the "Tiki Lounge" you may ask? Well I'll tell you.

1. Grass skirts (come on, you know you want one...)
2. Innovative sushi from the lively Penn Quarter hot spot Oya.
3. Cocktail creations of award winning bar savant Todd Thrasher from Restaurant Eve and PX.
4. Brian Zippin from Central, my new favorite place to eat in downtown DC. Have you had the Manhattan there? Amazing!

Since I'm going to be there as well, its not in my best interest to tell you about this, although, I'm doing so out of the kindness of my heart, because I really think all of you should go. Tickets for the general admission including the Tiki Lounge are $110. If that's a little over your budget, then general admission is $75. It's for a good cause, and if you're like me, you'll spend that much on a night out at a restaurant easily, so why not have that money go for a good cause?!

Hope to see you there. Buy tickets here while you still can!

Don't forget that this Thursday March 8th is the Food and Friends' Dining Out for Life event where 150 area restaurants donate percentages of their earnings for the evening to Food and Friends. Some restaurants are even donating 100% of their earnings the evening. To see the full list of restaurants that are participating, go to the event web site.

Food & Friends is an organization that prepares, packages and delivers meals and groceries to more than 1,200 people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses throughout Washington, DC, 7 counties of Maryland and 7 counties and 6 independent cities in Virginia. Since 1988, Food & Friends has provided food and companionship to our clients, their loved ones and caregivers. To learn more about Food and Friends, check out their web site.

I've received many emails on this topic lately, so rather than bothering to return all of those emails, I thought I'd just post something on the subject and save myself a little time...

2941
A Christmas Eve buffet will be available from noon to 8PM. Menu is on the 2941 web site here. 2941 is not open on New Year's Eve.

Equinox
Check out Equinox's Christmas Eve menu featuring many incredible options like Cream of Chestnut Soup, Maple Glazed Muscovy Duck with Leg Confit, Mustard Crusted Rack of Lamb, and Eggnog Ice Cream. It won't be cheap, but it'll sure be good. Full menu on the Equinox web site here. On New Year's Eve, a six-course tasting menu will be offered for...well, the web site doesn't say. 

Dino
Bringing a traditional meal normally served in Italy on Christmas Eve to DC. From the Dino web site, "The Feast of the 7 Fish is is an all seafood meal that usually includes fried fish, seafood soup, ravioli and a whole fish." A limited version of their regular menu will be available as well. See the full "Feast of the Seven Fish" menu here which will be available the 22nd through the 24th. On New Year's Eve, Dino will be offering a five-course menu for $85 a person. I'd spend time describing the menu, but you can easily read how fun it sounds here.

Fahrenheit at the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown
Open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day offering a four-course dinner both days. Call (202) 912-4100 for reservations. They're also open New Year's Eve and Day, but no menu is available on their site.

Evening Star Cafe
Evening Star Cafe, one of my favorite restaurants in Virginia, is open New Year's Eve and will be offering a five-course tasting menu for $85. Their menu for the evening is on their web site here.

I was looking over my site and I realized that D.C Food Events list was EMPTY, so I spent most of the morning updating it.

I found this today on DonRockwell.com. There's a sparkling wine dinner at Komi, December 19th with Champagne and sparkling wine pairing by Komi's new Sommelier, Adam Curling. If you've been to Komi before, you know the is sure to be a fun event and will be well worth the money. If you haven't been yet, then this will probably be a great time to try Komi for the first time.

Call (202) 332-9200 for reservations.
$150 per person. (Ask about gratuity, I don't know.)

P.S. I'd make a reservation soon because there's already 1 less table available.

On Monday November 6th, the Washington Chef Club About Nothing supports one of their own, Jim Swenson, Executive Chef  of The National Press Club by throwing a fundraiser dinner. Jim’s four year old son Phillip has been diagnosed with autism and these Washington Area Chefs who care so much are helping Jim raise funds for ongoing Educational Needs.

Participating Chefs:
Jeff Buben -- Vidalia, Bistro Bis
Roberto Donna - Bebo Trattoria, Galileo
Katsuya Fukushima - Café Atlantico
Todd Gray - Equinox, Market Salamander
Ris Lacoste
Enzo Livia - Spezie, Il Pizzico
Kaz Okochi - Kaz Sushi Bistro
Brian McBride - Blue Duck Tavern at the Park Hyatt
Francesco Ricchi - Cesco
Jim Swenson - National Press Club
Jason Tepper - La Miche
Bryan Voltaggio - Charlie Palmer Steak
Robert Wiedmaier - Marcel's
Bart Vandaele - Belga Café
Santi Zabaleta - La Taberna del Alabardero

The dinner costs $175 per person (proceeds from this event will go to the Phillip Nathaniel Swenson Foundation to provide educational therapy for Phillip Swenson) and will be held at the National Press Club at 429 14th St. NW. For reservations call 202-213-9913
or Email swensonfoundation@verizon.net.

Those of you close to Crystal City should check out Bebo Trattoria which opened this week. I think that those of you like me who disliked Galileo for it's expensive wine list and entrees, but loved the Osteria for just the opposite, will like Bebo Trattoria even more. Bebo Trattoria is located at 2250-B Crystal Drive, Crystal City, VA.

Don't forget that Taste of Georgetown is Oct 14th, 2006 this year from 11 AM to 4 PM. Taste of Georgetown is a smaller event than Taste of Bethesda, but it's fun non-the-less.

Each tasting is $5 or you can purchase 5 at a time for $20. The festivity proceeds raised will benefit the homeless outreach efforts providing psychiatrist care, shelter and meals through The Georgetown Ministry Center (www.georgetownministrycenter.org).

Full details available here.

Participating Restaurants
Clyde’s of Georgetown
1789
Mie N Yu
Citronelle
Tony and Joe's Seafood Place
CABANAS
Nick's Riverside Grille
Red Ginger
Old Glory BBQ
Café Bonaparte
Chez Mama-San
Peacock Café
Billy Martin’s Tavern
Café La Ruche
Bangkok Joe's
Sea Catch Restaurant and Raw Bar
The Ritz Carlton’s Fahrenheit Restaurant
Smith Point
Chadwick's
Mendocino Grille and Wine Bar
Leopold's Kafe + Konditorei
Starbucks
Agraria
Morton’s Steakhouse
Seasons at the Four Seasons
Paolo’s Ristorante
Neyla
J.Pauls

So there have been a number of rumors circulating about the foodie world about Galileo and Oyamel and who was moving where or closing, yada yada yada. On Friday I finally got confirmation from the restaurants themselves in the form of a press release, and I thought I'd share the real facts with all of you, mostly because I have to type it out myself to fully understand it.

First, Galileo has closed it's doors for renovations that will take up to one year. Second, Roberto Donna has opened a new restaurant called Bebo Trattoria in Crystal City (not to be confused with Babbo), the same location that Oyamel was in. Conventiently, Jose Andres was planning to move Oyamel to Penn Quarter at the same time and plans are in place to reopen Oyamel in its new location in early 2007.

For the Roberto Donna press release:

Bebo Trattoria, named after Donna's boyhood nickname, will house a custom made wood burning oven in which Donna plans to make pizzas and the popular Panini sandwiches from his Galileo Grill. The menu will also feature a variety of antipasti ranging from $4-9 and entrees priced from $10-19. An extensive selection of small plates and wines by the glass will be offered in the 30 seat bar area; prices will range from $1.95 to $5.25 per small plate and wines by the glass will start at $5. Bebo Trattoria will be open for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, with a family style brunch served on Sundays. A dining room with seating for up to 60 guests will also be available for private bookings.

It's that time of the year again. A time when I go on a diet to prepare for the my favorite street food festival in the DC area. A time when hundreds flock to the streets of Bethesda to sample treats from the local restaurants like crispy samosas, soft papusas, and your typical peanut sauce encrusted chicken satays. A time when campaign volunteers accost you on the street asking you to take one of their campaign stickers. A time when extremely tall, scary clowns roam the crowds searching for little children to feed on (joking).

It's time for Taste of Bethesda. Oct 7 from 11 AM to 4 PM, downtown Bethesda's streets will be blocked off, music will be played in the streets, and food will be eaten. Full details will be posted here.

Click for information on the latest D.C. Restaurant Week

OK. The list of restaurants participating in Restaurant Week is up again and the usual restaurants are participating. 1789, which is usually one of the more popular choices for Restaurant Week, is NOT participating, although with a new chef and a regular pre-theater menu, I'm not surprised they bowed out.

I haven't received many responses to my inquiries yet, but when I do, I'll start posting what the restaurants are offering. If you can't wait to make your reservations, then I'd suggest that you go with one of these suggestions.

Corduroy
Corduroy is one of my favorite restaurants in the city due to their superior service, food, and wine. They always offer their full menu during Restaurant Week with a few upcharges, and with most entrees between $20 and $30, Restaurant Week makes Corduroy a very good deal.

Vidalia
Vidalia offers most of their regular menu for Restaurant Week. Their food is exceptional, and their wine list even better.

Ristorante Tosca
Tosca is probably one of the better and more expensive Italian restaurants in the city which makes it a great deal during Restaurant Week.

Kinkeads
Kinkeads doesn't normally offer dinner service as part of their Restaurant Week offering. Since this is likely not to occur again, I'd take advantage of this while you can.

Also, here are some rules/tips for Restaurant Week for you newbies out there.

1. Make sure when you make the reservation, that you tell the person on the phone that you are going to order the Restaurant Week menu.
2. Go somewhere new. Take advantage of this offer and try a restaurant that you wouldn't normally go to.
3. Think about how much you are actually saving by dining during Restaurant Week. Places that offer small plate or tapas probably wont give you the best bang for your buck.
4. Keep in mind that this is one of the busiest times of the year for restaurants and they make their money on volume, so please be sure to be courtious and call to cancel your reservation if you can't make it.
5. Have fun!

This also could be a good time to go to one of those restaurants that ISN'T participating in Restaurant Week. Everyone is crowding into restaurants that ARE participating, which makes it easier to get a reservation at places like Komi or Palena. Just a thought.

Here is the information on menus for Restaurant Week that I have:

100 King
Offering their Restaurant Week Menu throughout August for dinner starting on August 7th

Starters (choice of):
Gazpacho
Hommos
Greek Salad
Zucchini Cakes
Moroccan Merguez Sausage
Fried Calamari

Entrees (choice of):
Sauteed Hybrid Bass with Garlic Broccolini, Fingerling Potatoes and Basil Sauce
or
Roasted Chicken Breast with Olive Oil Garlic Mashed Potatoes
or
Mixed Grill Kabob served with Basmati Rice and Yoghurt Mint Dip

Dessert (choice of):
Peach Tatin
or
Tiramisu

14K
Restaurant Week menu available here.

701 Restaurant
Restaurant Week menu available here.

Acadiana
Lunch And Dinner Menu
Appetizer (choice of):
Heirloom Tomato Goat Cheese Tart with a Creole Viniagrette and Arugula Salad
or
any of our delicious homemade soups-Smoked Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo, Sweet Corn and Crab soup or Turtle Soup
or
Trio of Deviled Eggs
or
Mixed Greens with a Creole Molasses Viniagrette
Entrees:
CHOICE OF ANY!!!

Desserts (choice of):
Cafe au Lait Creme Brulee, Lemon Panna Cotta with Vanilla stewed Blueberries, or Bittersweet Chocolate Bread Pudding with Brandy Stewed Cherries

Beacon Bar and Grill
Select from any Appetizer, Entree and Dessert on the menu. Full menu available here.

Bistro Bis
Offering it's entire menu for Restaurant Week. A "sample" menu is available here.

Bombay Club
Offering a special full menu for Restaurant Week. Their menu is available on their web site. Click "Events" and then "Restaurant Week".

Butterfield 9
Offering a pre-Restaurant week menu Aug. 7th through 13th. Click here for the menu.
Also extenting Restaurant Week Until the 27th. Lunch Menu and Dinner Menu available online.

Ceiba
Usually offers a wide selection of normal appetizers, entrees and desserts. Their menu isn't available online but double check the offering when you make a reservation.

Circle Bistro
Usually offers their full menu during Restaurant Week. Double check their offering when you make your reservation.

Corduroy
Corduroy always offers their full menu for Restaurant Week. Check their web site for the most recent menu.

Dino
Offering Restaurant Week option thru Thursday August 24.
Full menu available
First course: any small plate up to $12
Second course: any item up to $22
Dessert: Any dessert
Special 3 wine flight to go with restaurant for $10.
See the Dino Web Site for the most recent menu.

Equinox
Offering a special tasting menu for dinner during Restaurant Week. Click here to see the menu.

Finn and Porter
Full menu available for Restaurant Week diners. See their menus here.

Georgia Browns
Their full menu is now available on their web site.

Indeblue
Will be extending their Restaurant Week offering an additional week to the 27th. Their dinner menu  and lunch menu can be found here and here.

Mie N Yu
Offering the Restaurant Week menu through August 27th. Lunch and dinner, and brunch menus available on their web site.

New Heights Restaurant
Their full Restaurant Week dinner menu is available on their web site.

Neyla
Neyla's Restaurant Week menu can be found on their web site.

Oya Restaurant
Offering their Restaurant Week Menu from August 1 to September 9th.

Paolo's Ristorante
Full Restaurant Week menu is on their web site.

Perry's Restaurant
Perry's has an extensive dinner offering for Restaurant Week. You can find their complete menu here.

Restaurant Kolumbia
Offering a max of three choices for each course on their lunch and dinner menus, although the dishes sound pretty good. Full menus can be found here.

Taberna del Alabardero
Their lunch menu is here, and their dinner menu for Restaurant Week is here, but their web site doesn't work with Firefox.

Vegetate
Their Restaurant Week menu will be available here soon.

Vidalia
Sample Restaurant Week menu available here.

Viridian
Offering their full regular menu for Restaurant Week for lunch and dinner. Their menus can be found here. Update: Viridian is extending Restaurant Week through next week as well. Just an FYI.

I don't know if anyone's noticed, but I'm no longer doing weekly food and wine events posts. Instead,  I've been working on a DC Food And Wine Event Calendar using Google Calendar. I've set it up on a new page on my site here. You can "subscribe" to the calendar and have all of the events added to your own (if you have a Google calendar yourself). I'll be updating the calendar as I find out about events, pretty much monthly. If you want your event added, please email jason@dcfoodies.com, and I'll make sure it's included.

There are still tickets left for the D.C. International Wine and Food Festival on June 24th and 25th at the Omni Shoreham hotel in Washington, DC. at the event, there will be over 1200 wines to taste and from 280 wineries -- that's a lot of wine to try in two days. Here's a list of the wines and wineries that will be there. I don't see how anyone could possibly get around to all the wineries for tastings, but anything is possible if you have enough determination. They should give away prizes to those that try all the wineries.

On top of the wine, there will be plenty of food demonstration as well. Many local "celebrity" chefs will be performing demonstrations on the two stages at the exhibit area. These chefs include:

• Roberto Donna – Galileo
• Morou Ouattara – Fokitchens
• Vikram Garg – IndeBleu
• Katsuya Fukushima – Café Atlantico
• Bryan Voltaggio – Charlie Palmer Steak
• Noriaki Yasutake – Perrys Restaurant
• Michael Chiarello – Food Network’s Easy Entertaining/Chiarello Family Vineyards/NapaStyle

I'm actually quite interested in seeing Michael Chiarello in person since he's one of my more favorite Food Network chefs. It's not necesarily his recipes that I like, but the techniques you learn on how to prep food in advance and make cooking the day of the meal much easier. All I have to say is that Sunday at the Storch residence is prep day.

Guided tastings and seminar will also be available for an extra cost (from $25 to $40), led by notable wine experts such as:

• Gloria Maroti Frazee, Director of Education at Wine Spectator
• Mark Oldman, author of the best-selling Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine (Penguin) and wine columnist for Every Day with Rachael Ray
• Michael Westrick of Sterling Vineyards
• Ben Giliberti of The Washington Post
• Michael Franz, Editor of WineReviewOnline.com

A complete list of classes and seminars is available here. I'm particularly interested in Gloria's seminar on wine pairings, since that's something that I'm especially bad at. Choosing a good wine to go with your meal can be a challenging skill to master.

Before this year, I was never able to go, because this event is close to my birthday and I'm always away, but this year I'm planning to go. it also helps that this year, someone sent me some free tickets to go. But, just because I like all of my loyal readers so much (especially those that read the whole post), and also because I have a couple extra tickets, I'm going to give a two of them away to you. All you have to do is leave a comment with your favorite restaurant in the DC Metro area on this post by Wed at 9 AM. (Of course, make sure you use your real email address so I can get in touch with you if you win.) And if you want to put a little detail in as to why you like the restaurant, that will be nice too, but it won't have any bearing on who wins the tickets. I'll do a random drawing through the extremely scientific method of drawing names out of a hat, and announce the winner later in the evening on Wednesday.

For those of you who don't win, you should buy your tickets here. Prior to June 16 (Friday) single day tickets are $61 and two day tickets are $82. After that, the prices go up to $71 and $92 respectively.

On June 19th at 8 PM, Bobby Flay and Rachael Ray will be speaking at an event hosted by the American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership.The event, at The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, is part of the Nation's Capital Distinguished Speakers Series and will involve a night of discussion about Rachael and Bobby's rise to in the ranks of celebrity chefdom and their views on food and our society. The program will be followed by a question and answer session with the audience.

I was thinking the other night about what I might ask both Bobby and Rachel. Some potential questions for Bobby Flay:

Can you introduce me to David Cassidy? (sorry, I couldn't help myself)

Charcoal, propane, or smoke?

So, exactly how many Food Network shows are you on now?

Are you sick of people asking you about the time you stood on the cutting board on Iron Chef?

Potential questions for Rachael Ray:

What does it feel like to own the Food Network?

On how many episodes of $40 a day have you been stranded because you ran out of money?

Do you ever want to punch Sandra Lee? If so please describe your perfect table-scape.

But all joking aside, this sounds like it will be a fun and educational event. It's not everyday that we get to pick the brains of successful chefs like Bobby Flay and Rachael Ray. As food television veterans, they can provide us insight on where they think the future of the food entertainment industry, the role food plays in our culture, families and social relationships, and perhaps some secrets on making that perfect risotto. 

To purchase tickets got to www.asaecenter.org, or call 202-326-9530.

Food and wine events for the Friday June 2nd through Thursday June 8th.

Fri June 2nd
The Wine Specialist
Coopers Beer Tasting
2115 M St. NW
5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
FREE!
(details)

Sat June 3rd
The Wine Specialist
French Wine Tasting
2115 M St. NW Washington, DC 20037
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
FREE!
(details)

Vintage Virginia Wine Festival
Bull Run Park (7700 Bull Run Dr., Centreville)
11 AM to 6 PM. $20, $12 for designated driver and children’s passes
(details)

Sun June 4th
Vintage Virginia Wine Festival
Bull Run Park (7700 Bull Run Dr., Centreville)
11 AM to 6 PM. $20, $12 for designated driver and children’s passes
(details)

Mon June 5th
Vermilion Restaurant
Summer in Sonoma Wine Dinner
1120 King Street, Alexandria
6:30 Passed Hors d'Oeuvres; 7:00 Seated Dinner
$85 Per Person (includes tax & gratuity)
(details)

Washington Wine Academy
A Study of Styles: Great White Wines of the World
Ritz Carlton - Pentagon City
7 to 9 PM
$65 - Special $50
(details)

Learning at Laboratorio del Galileo
A Five Course Dinner from Naples
Galileo Restaurant
6:30 PM
$110
(details)

Thurs June 8th
French Wine Society
French Wine Thursdays: Domaine Weinbach, Alsace
Le Paradou
6 to 7:30 PM
$100
(details)

Learning at Laboratorio del Galileo
Summer Soups
Galileo Restaurant
10 AM
$100
(details)

To have your event listed here, please email jason@dcfoodies.com.

Food and wine events for the week of May 19th through May 25th

Sun May 21
Taste of Arlington
Ballston
12 PM to 5 PM
(details)

Taste of Wheaton
Grandview Avenue and Reedie Drive in Wheaton
11 AM to 5 PM
Tastes for $1 each
(details)

The 36th Annual Toast to Alexandria
Collingwood on the Potomac, Alexandria, VA
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
(details)

Mon May 22
Evening Star Cafe
Winemaker Dinner
7:15 PM
$85 per person(includes tax & gratuity)
(details)

Jaleo Downtown
Mushroom Wine Dinner
480 Seventh St, NW, Washington, DC
7:30 PM
$75
Call 202-628-7949 for details and reservations

Tue May 23
Jaleo Bethesda
Mushroom Wine Dinner
7271 Woodmont Ave, Bethesda, MD
7:30 PM
$75
Call 301-913-0003 for details and reservations

Wed May 24
Butterfield 9 Restaurant
Prestige Cuvée Champagne Dinner
6:30 PM
150.00 per person inclusive
(details)

Learning at Laboratorio del Galileo
Grilling Class
Galileo Restaurant
6:30 PM
$110
(details)

Raise a Toast at Poste
A special evening to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Poste Moderne Brasserie
6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
$35
(details)

TasteDC.com
4-Course Rosenthal Wine Merchant's Portfolio Wine Dinner
IndeBleu Restaurant
7 PM to 9:30 PM
$125
(details)

Thurs May 25
Galileo Restaurant
Iron Chef Dinner - Chef Donna and his Iron Chef team will prepare the winning squid dishes from their recent Iron Chef victory.
1110 21st St. NW, Washington, DC
$125 all inclusive - optional wine pairing for an additional $75
call 202-293-7191 for reservations

French Wine Society
Taittinger Champagne Tasting
The St Regis Hotel
The Saint Regis Hotel, 923 16th NW, Washington DC
$65
6 PM
(details)

TasteDC.com
5-Course French Wine Dinner with James Beard Invitee Michele Garbee of Aquarelle Restaurant
Aquarelle Restaurant at the Watergate Hotel
8:00PM to 10:30PM
$115
(details)

Jaleo Crystal City
Mushroom Wine Dinner
2250-A Crystal Dr, Crystal City, VA
7:30 PM
$75
Call 703-413-8181 for details and reservations

To have your event listed in the weekly events post, email jason@dcfoodies.com.

Once again, it took someone emailing me to remind me about Taste of Wheaton this year.

MUST MARK CALENDAR.

Taste of Wheaton will be May 21st, from 11 AM to 5 PM. As usual, restaurants will be offering tastes of their food for $1 each. There are also musical events and other entertainment for the kids (usually involving clowns that scare the crap out of Amy), but honestly, who cares about that? These festivals are about the food!

Anyway, I attended this event last year with Amy and I had a lot of fun. This year we have Noah and it should be even more fun. Food festivals rock!

Click here for Taste of Wheaton details.

Events for the week of Friday May 12th through Thursday May 18th

Better late than never. :) This week, Monday and Tuesday are packed full of events. Good luck deciding!

Sun May 14
PeaceXPeace.org
Palates for Peace: Food inspired by award winning cookbook author Joan Nathan’s book, prepared with love by Busboys and Poets, served family style
Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th Street NW (14th and V)
$75 for the meal, $115 for the meal and a signed copy of Joan’s new book
3:30 – 6:30 pm
(details)

Mon May 15
The American Institute of Food and Wine
"I Love Crab Cakes" competition
Phillips Flagship restaurant, 900 Water Street, SW, Washington, DC
$60 for AIWF members and $75 for non-members, inclusive of all fees
6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
(details)

White Ribbon Alliance
Safe Motherhood Benefit Dinner
San Marco Restaurant
6:30 PM
$100 inclusive of tax and gratuity
(details)

Tom's Eat Club
3-Course Wine Dinner with Tom Fitzmorris, food critic of New Orleans Magazine
Acadiana Restaurant
7:30 PM
$85
Contact simoneink@aol.com or call 703-534-8100 for details and reservations.

Tue May 16
Washington Wine Academy
Passport to the World: The Wines of Burgundy & Rhone Valley
Ritz Carlton - Pentagon City
7:00 - 9:00 PM
$65
(details)

Joseph Phelps 6-Course Wine Dinner
Restaurant Kolumbia
6:30 PM
$130 inclusive of tax and gratuity
call 202-331-5551 for details and reservations

ProsInTheCity.com
Wine Tasting: A Journey Through Rhone with Wines from Paul Jaboulet Aine   
Mie N Yu Restaurant
7:30 PM - 10:00 PM
$50
(details)

Smithsonian Resident Associates
Top Embassy Chefs at the Residence of the Ambassador of Sweden
Swedish Ambassador Residence
6:30 to 8:30 p.m
Gen. Admission $85, RAP Members $65
(details)

Thu May 18
Freshfarm Market, Eighth Street NW
Chef Terri Cutrino, mushroom expert Llorenc Petras Mushroom Demonstration
5 PM
FREE!
(details)

French Wine Society
French Wine Thursdays: Frapin Cognacs
Indebleu Restaurant
6 to 7:30 PM
$45
(details)

To have your event listed here, email Jason@dcfoodies.com.

Food and wine events for the week of Friday May 5th through Thursday May 11th.

Sat May 6th
Silver Spring FRESHFARM Market
Chef Janis McLean (redDog Cafe) will be preparing a recipe using local, seasonal ingredients
Ellsworth Drive between Fenton and Cedar Streets
11:00am
FREE!
(details)

H Street FRESHFARM Market
Chef Stephane Lezla (Montmarte) will be preparing a recipe using local, seasonal ingredients
600 block of H St. NE (parking lot between 609 and 625 H Street NE)
11:00am
FREE!
(details)

TasteDC.com
Introduction to Tapas Cooking Class at Las Tapas
Las Tapas Restaurant
Alexandria, VA
$55
12 PM to 2:30 PM
(details)

Sun May 7
ChowDC.org
The New American Cooking: Innovators and Innovations in the Last Forty Years
Bethesda/Chevy Chase Regional Services Center
Meeting Room A
2:30 PM to 4:30 PM
FREE!
(details)

ProsInTheCity.com
COOKING CLASS: MEAT AND MISCELLANY 
Alexandria, VA
3PM to 6PM
$50
(details)

Mon May 8
Vermillion Restaurant
Spring Fling Wine Dinner
1120 King Street, Alexandria, VA
6:30 PM
$85
(details)

Tues May 9th
Cafe Saint Ex
5-Course Isabel Vineyards Wine Dinner featuring local foods
7 PM
$55 (inclusive of tax and gratuity)
Call (202) 265-7839 for details and reservations

Wed May 10th
Café Atlantico
5-Course Ken Forrester Vineyards Wine Dinner
805 8th Street,NW
7 PM
$95 (all inclusive)
Call 202-393-0812 for details and reservations

ProsInTheCity.com
Cooking Class: Cooking for One
Alexandria, VA
7 PM to 10 PM
$50
(details)

TasteDC.com
1st Annual Greek Wine and Food Festival at Tabaq Bistro
Tabaq Bistro
1336 U St., NW
6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
$68
(details)

Thur May 11th
French Wine Society
French Wine Thursdays: Burgundy at Citronelle
Michele Richard citronelle
6 PM to 7:30 PM
$100
(details)

TasteDC.com
For Chocolate Lovers Only: Artisan Confections
TasteDC.com Headquarters
3018 Arizona Ave., NW
7:00 PM to 9:30 PM
$65
(details)

To have your event listed here, send the details to jason@dcfoodies.com.