Boasting the city’s best restaurants, one-of-a-kind animal demonstrations and inspiring conservation stories, ZooFari: Bite Night, a benefit for wildlife sponsored by GEICO, returns to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on May 16 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Hosted by Friends of the National Zoo, this year’s event promises to be a glamorous night of dining, drinking, bidding and dancing—all to support the Zoo’s important mission to save species.
“We love hosting ZooFari every year,” said Lynn Mento, executive director of FONZ. “What makes it so special and popular is not just that the food and drink are amazing, but that you’re enjoying the restaurant tastings in this beautiful setting where you have the chance to see animals, and meet some of the world’s leading conservation scientists. It’s a unique combination of great food, great drink and helping to save the planet … that’s a pretty good night!”
Most animal houses will be open, and the VIP Lounge, hosted by Charles Schwab & Co., will be at Great Cats Circle, where there also will be exclusive animal demonstrations. The only DJ to spin beats and cook at the same time, DJ Chef, will entertain all attendees, as will electric violinist Ben Hoyt, Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Bar and a food sculptor.
In addition to providing a unique dining and entertainment experience, the event will celebrate conservation work around the globe. Smithsonian scientists will be on hand to share stories with guests about how they’re saving endangered animals. Special stations will showcase five wildlife projects supported by Conservation Nation, an initiative of Friends of the National Zoo.
A silent auction is open to the public before and during the event. The auction features conservation-themed prizes, including animal paintings, behind-the-scenes tours at the Zoo and even the opportunity to name a wild tapir.
General admission tickets include access to the general event area, as well as complimentary food tastings, beer, wine, soft drinks and water, plus live entertainment and animal experiences. Four extravagant VIP packages include access to an exclusive VIP Lounge with the finest food and cocktails, as well as special parking opportunities, express check-in and more.
On Monday, June 10th, 40 of the area’s best chefs and mixologists will serve up special tastings of their signature dishes at Food & Friends’ annual Chef’s Best Dinner & Auction. Hosted at the Marriott Marquis, Chef’s Best will benefit Food & Friends, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that provides life-sustaining meals to those living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses.
Thanks to the efforts of Chef Chair Kevin Tien of Himitsu, Hot Lola’s, and Emilie’s, guests will enjoy tastings prepared by some of the region’s most talented chefs and mixologists including: Eric Bruner-Yang, Maketto, Tony Chittum,Iron Gate, Sanjay Mandhaiya, Pappe, Jong Son, Tiger Fork, Amy Hosseinnian, Buffalo & Bergen,andMalkhaz Maisashvili of Supra,among other notables from the D.C. dining scene. In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to bid on an array of exciting silent and live auction items featuring fantastic trips, one-of-a-kind experiences and private dining opportunities.
This year, guests will also hear from Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA), a leading Congressional advocate on issues of food security, nutrition and health. He serves as the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Rules and is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Nutrition in the House Committee on Agriculture. In 2018, he co-founded the Food is Medicine Working Group as part of the House Hunger Caucus, which he also co-chairs.
Proceeds from Chef’s Bestwill ensure the delivery of nutritionally tailored meals and nutrition counseling to Food & Friends’ clients living with cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-challenging illnesses. This year, Food & Friends aims to provide 1 million meals to more than 3,000 seriously ill individuals in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland.
“I am honored to serve as Chef Chair of this year’s event,” said Kevin Tien. “To me, it doesn’t matter who you are, at the end of the day, food is something that connects everyone. I am touched by the impact that Food & Friends makes in the lives of its clients, delivering nutritious meals and a healthy dose of compassion during life’s most trying times. It gives me comfort to know that Food & Friends fills such a critical need at no cost to those who rely on the organization’s services.”
Tickets are $350 and sponsorships start at $1,000. Visit www.foodandfriends.org/ChefsBe
The War of the Rosés returns to Roofers Union and sister wine bar Jug & Table. Guests will enjoy selections of rosés from around the world handpicked by new Wine Director Chas Jefferson. Guests are invited to try them all, either by the glass or half-priced bottle, which will all be available at half price, and all are asked to select the fourth annual crowd favorite. This year, Jefferson has selected rosés from Austria, France, Spain and Italy. Bottles representing each country will be available on all three floors, including the rooftop, and the rosé that proves the most popular will earn a dedicated spot on the wine lists at both concepts this summer. Menu items like Jug & Table’s Rosé burrata with watermelon and mint will be available a la carte to pair with a bottle for a meal with friends, or nibble throughout the evening.
Austria – Loimer-Niederösterreich Zweigelt – $24/ bottle for the event
France – Château Platon Bordeaux Rosé Cabernet Franc – $20/bottle for the event
Spain – Armas de Guerrero- Bierzo Mencía – $18/bottle for the event
Italy – Fontaleoni Toscana Sangiovese – $22/bottle for the event
HORTON’S KIDS ARE STAR CHEFS IN
JUNIPER RESTAURANT
-Graduates of Fairmont’s Culinary Program Show-off Skills Benefitting Horton’s-
WASHINGTON – DC – May 15, 2019 – On Wednesday, June 19th, Juniper Restaurant, at Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown, will serve a very special pre-fixe dinner at 6:00 p.m. Five students from Horton’s Kids* spent time this winter with the hotel’s culinary team learning cooking skills. In celebration of their graduation, they are taking their talents to the next level, by assisting Executive Chef Jordi Gallardo and Sous Chef Mitch Eldridge with meal preparation for Juniper Restaurant’s Horton’s Kids Dinner. Juniper will donate 25% of the proceeds from the pre-fixe dinners directly to Horton’s Kids.
Pre-Fixe Dinner
Cast Iron Cornbread | honey jalapeño butter
Starters Choices
English Pea Soup | crab, fennel
Lola Rosa Greens | red onion, orange citrus, endive, sunflower seeds
Maryland Crab Cakes | espelette remoulade
Entrée Choices
Tagliatelle Pasta | shaved vegetables, torn herbs, pecorino
Scallops | shishito, tomatoes, saffron
Braised Veal Cheeks | spring vegetables, white wine reduction
Beef Tenderloin (6oz) | green beans, charred onion, blue cheese bordelaise
Dessert & Champagne
“Snickers” Parfait | salted toffee, chocolate cake, peanut brittle
available gluten or nut free *
A glass of Thiénot Brut
The Pre-fixe menu is $75 per person and will be prepared with the assistance of Horton’s Kids Star Chefs on June 19th at 6:00 p.m.. The special menu will also be available through June 26th with 25% of the proceeds going to Horton’s Kids. Diners will enjoy an amazing meal while helping Horton’s Kids. To make reservations, please call (202) 457-5020 or email wdc.restaurantreservationsdl@fairmont.com.
In July 2019, children from Horton’s Kids will participate in a new program at Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown learning about hotel operations.
Juniper Restaurant in Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown is located at 2401 M Street, N.W., is in the city’s West End and adjacent to historic Georgetown. Juniper is open for breakfast and lunch daily and for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday Brunch is served from 11:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Solstice Saturday Festival at the National Museum of the American Indian
Saturday, June 22; 3–9:30 p.m.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in DC celebrates the first Saturday of summer—Solstice Saturday— beginning with an afternoon of Andean music, dance, and family friendly activities celebrating the Great Inka Road. At 7 p.m., the celebration becomes the Solstice Illuminated Dance Party, taking place on the museum’s Welcome Plaza. There will be a DJ, refreshments, fun, and food, with all galleries open throughout the evening.
3–7 p.m.—Solstice Saturday: Celebrate the Sun!
With the exhibition The Great Inka Road as the theme, the museum celebrates Inti Raymi, the festival of the sun, with Andean music and dance. The festivity opens with traditional Bolivian dancing by Tradiciones Bolivianas, Pujllay Cliza, Fraternidad Tinkus Chochabamba, and Expresion Cultural Sikuris K’hantati Los Andes share traditional dances of Bolivia. RAYMI will be playing Andean music.
Make your own Andean fan based on the chakana, a symbol evoking the four cardinal directions, and add luminescent embellishments to show off later in the evening. Get inspired by the solar and lunar imagery throughout the museum and decorate your own canvas bag to take home.
Indigenous peoples of the Andes in South America believed that gold represented the sun. Visitors can create their own foil pendant featuring your choice of a llama, sun, or jaguar design at the imagiNATIONS Activity Center.
Meet Ande, the museum’s resident, life-size, plush toy Llama. Learn how to dress a fashionable llama for a stroll along the Inka road.
7–9:30 p.m.—Solstice Illuminated Dance Party
Grab a glow stick and dance to DJ Dola on the Welcome Plaza. Enjoy food and drinks—including anticuchos de carne, lomo saltado, chicken empanadas, chips and guacamole, arroz con leche and churros con chocolate—from local vendors Peruvian Brothers and the museum’s Mitsitam Café. Bears Shaved Ice will be serving shaved ice in a variety of flavors!
Be sure to visit the Museum’s membership table with your member card to receive a special gift (or join that evening). Cool off with a walk through the indoor galleries, which also will be open through the night.
When the sun goes down, bring your luminescent fan and join a “comparsa Iluminada”—an illuminated procession— and join Tradiciones Bolivianas, Raymi, Fraternidad Tinkus Chochabamba, Expresion Cultural Sikuris K’hantati Los Andes, and Pujllay Cliza in the procession from the festivities to an outdoor gathering on the Welcome Plaza.
Tuesday, July 2, 2019, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Celebrate the Second of July, the day the Continental Congress voted for American independence, with music of the founding era. David and Ginger Hildebrand of the Colonial Music Institute perform eighteenth-century songs—including ballads, marches and French-inspired songs—in costume with period instruments.
Free
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Join City Tap Penn Quarter on Thursday, July 4, for its annual BeerBQ Battle, a competition with local breweries serving up the best barbecue with drink specials, patio games and live music. Sample barbecue offerings from City Tap, 3 Stars Brewing (DC), RAR Brewing (Maryland), and Port City Brewing (Virginia) and vote for the winner, while enjoying a barbecue platter ($20) with favorites like potato salad and coleslaw. Featured beers ($5) from each brewery as well as adult capri suns ($10) will also be available.
WHEN: Thursday, July 4
11:30am to 4pm (City Tap Penn Quarter)
Guests are invited to an all you can eat and drink experience at City Tap Dupont’s All-American Cookout, complete with cornhole on the patio. For $40, enjoy endless hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, coleslaw, and ice pops, paired with house wines, Founders Solid Gold Lager, Dogfish Head SuperEIGHT, Southern Tier Swipe Right, and other beer offerings. Available a la carte options include bourbon slushies ($6), grapefruit crushes and orange crushes ($7), and watermelon limoncello cocktails ($8).
Indulge your inner Francophile with French amusements from the 1700s at this celebration of Bastille Day and Marjorie Merriweather Post’s 18th-century French decorative arts collection.
