Nov
1
Tue
Espita Mezcaleria’s Day of the Dead @ Espita Mezcaleria
Nov 1 @ 5:00 PM – Nov 2 @ 1:00 AM

Josh Phillips and his team at Espita Mezcaleria, the Southern Mexican-inspired restaurant located in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC, invite guests to take part in one of Mexico’s great traditions, The Day of the Dead.  On Tuesday, November 1st, Espita Mezcaleria will offer an honorary cocktail, Los Siete Misterios mezcal tasting and specialty dishes, available exclusively during dinner service.  Face painting and custom temporary tattoos featuring designs from Espita artists will also be available for guests.  Standout dishes available for this exclusive night of celebration include Morcilla Tlayuda, house-made Morcilla blood sausage, served on a crisp oversized tortilla with queso Oaxaca; Cochinita Cookies, pig-shaped cookies with piloncillo and cinnamon, as well as Mole Negro, lamb belly with hoja santa, piloncillo, Mexican oregano, chili ash with heirloom corn tortillas.  The Day of the Dead menu items will range in price from $5 to $25 each.

 

For the perfect pairing, guests will have the opportunity to sample several varieties of Los Siete Misterios mezcal, along with an innovative cocktail called Flor de Muerto, or Death’s Flower.  Priced at $13, the libation is made from a combination of mezcal, Cruzan Black Strap Rum, pineapple ash, lime juice and coconut syrup, garnished with an edible flower.  “I wanted to find a way to combine life and death into one drink,” says Beverage Director/Partner Megan Barnes.  “The edible flower represents life and the pineapple ash makes the drink completely black, representing death.  This concoction is fairly balanced, leaning on the sweeter side as Day of the Dead is meant to be a day of celebration paying tribute to loved ones who have passed on.”

 

WHEN:           Tuesday, November 1st, exclusively during dinner service, from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

 

WHERE:         Espita Mezcaleria is located at 1250 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20001.  The restaurant is located two blocks from the Mt Vernon Square, 7th St-Convention Center Metro Station accessible on the Green and Yellow Lines.  For reservations or additional information, please visit http://espitadc.com.

 

WHY:             Of pre-Hispanic and pre-Christian origin, the Day of The Dead is one of the most important holidays in Mexican culture.  In rural Mexico, people visit the cemetery where their loved ones are buried, bringing marigold flowers and candles to decorate gravesites. Toys for dead children and bottles of tequila to adults are also incorporated.  Families sit on picnic blankets next to gravesites and eat the favorite food of their loved ones. Some families build altars in their homes, dedicating them to the dead.  Altars are set up October 31st through November 2nd and are covered with offerings to the dead including flowers, fruits, vegetables, candles, incense, statues of saints, and photos of the deceased.

 

Nov
2
Wed
March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction @ Ritz Carlton West End
Nov 2 @ 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM

An evening of culinary excellence
Signature Chefs Auction – Washington, D.C.

DATE: Wednesday, November 2, 2016  |  Time: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. Hotel
ADDRESS: 1150 22nd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037
For more information please contact Kate Leib (571)-257-2309

EVENT DETAILS

You are invited to the March of Dimes 20th Annual Signature Chefs Gala of Washington, D.C. Signature Chefs is one of D.C.’s premier social events highlighting the city’s culinary masters brought together for an elegant evening of wine, cocktails and dining. You or your company can join approximately 400 affluent society members and business professionals as they support our mission while enjoying over 40 of the area’s celebrated chefs, mixologists, bartenders and vintners. What could be sweeter? The evening will also include auctions with unique dining, entertainment, travel and leisure packages.

Other Washington notables include the 2016 Honorary Chef Victor Albisu, chef/owner of Del Campo and Taco Bamba, and ABC7/WJLA-TV anchor Leon Harris as the emcee.

Nov
4
Fri
Art, Beer, and Food at Art on Tap @ The Art League Gallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center
Nov 4 @ 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Art, Beer, and Food at Art on Tap 

When: Friday, November 4, 7:00–10:00 pm

Where: The Art League Gallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center

Tickets$35 each. $45 after October 21 (must be 21+)

Enjoy local craft beers, original artwork, and amazing food at The Art League’s annual Art on Tap!

Craft beers from local breweries have been artfully paired with a work of art from an Art League instructor. Local restaurants have chosen a brew/artwork coupling to serve as their muse to create the perfect complementary appetizer. Enjoy the brew, bite, and artwork trifectas onFriday, November 4 from 7:00 to 10:00 pm at The Art League’s third annual Art on Tap event.

Sample the creative combinations while drinking from a take-home Art on Tap beer tasting glass, and then vote for your favorite at the end of the event! There will also be video art screened during the event.

Click here to purchase tickets.

Nov
13
Sun
Celebrate Every Breath Gala: A Grand Chefs Event @ J.W. Marriott
Nov 13 @ 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

The Metro D.C. Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation will host its second annual Celebrate Every Breath Gala: A Grand Chefs Event Presented by CIM Group at the JW Marriott Washington, D.C. on November 13.  The elegant evening will be one of culinary creativity, interactive dining, fine wines and collaboration among the most talented chefs in D.C. — all for an incredible cause: to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 people nationwide.

The Celebrate Every Breath Gala will be a unique dining experience of tasting rooms filled with the area’s best bites and tableside cuisine prepared by some of the area’s best chefs. The food is sure to be spectacular given the line-up of incredible chefs donating their expertise to the cause. In addition to the evening’s Host Chef, Bart Vandaeleof Belga Café and B Too, the gala will feature Michael Abt of Le Diplomate, Craig Harnden of The British Embassy, Daniel Wilcox Stevens of Mokomandy, Edward Reavis of All Set Restaurant & Bar, Christopher Edwards of Salamander Resort & Spa, Driss Zahidi of Evo Bistro, Ris Lacoste of Ris, Roberto Donna of Al Dente and Alba Osteria, Ilhan Erkek of Ottoman Taverna, Roger Wiles of L’Hommage Bistro and Jonathan Krinn of Clarity.
More information to come.

The sensory adventure will begin at 6 p.m. with an opening reception showcasing hors d’oeuvres from local restaurants, libations, and more. Next, guests will enjoy a delectable three-course meal paired with fine wines. A limited number of top sponsor tables will each be hosted by a personal chef who will prepare his or her cuisine tableside. Meanwhile, Culinary Spotlight Tables will feature menus designed by a collaboration of the volunteer chefs.  The evening will conclude with a dessert reception, where pastry chefs and bakeries such as Amphora Bakery will satisfy every sweet tooth with heavenly desserts, coffee and liqueur.

Throughout the evening, guests can participate in the grand silent auction, featuring exclusive experiences such as trips to Arizona, Hawaii, and California courtesy of Marriott International, among other incredible items. A live auction will feature a weeklong stay in Santorini, Greece, a South Beach Wine and Food Festival package, an exclusive private dinner party hosted by Chef Bart Vandaele, and more.

Kathleen Matthews, former chief communications and public affairs officer for Marriott International and anchor at WJLA-TV, will join as Master of Ceremonies. During the program, the prestigious Hitchcock Humanitarian Award will be presented to Robert J. Beall, Ph.D., former president and CEO of the CF Foundation, for his years of fearless leadership and tireless dedication to the cause and the profound impact he has made on the lives of people with CF.

 

To purchase individual tickets please visit https://celebrateeverybreath.eventscff.org/

Nov
30
Wed
Washington Business Hall of Fame @ National Building Museum
Nov 30 @ 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM

The Washington Business Hall of Fame recognizes the professional and philanthropic accomplishments of outstanding business leaders in our region who have made significant contributions to the quality of life in Greater Washington. The annual black-tie gala and awards ceremony brings together 1,200 business and civic leaders and raises over $1 million annually to support Junior Achievement of Greater Washington’s innovative financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship programs for K-12 students.

More than 100 remarkable laureates have been inducted into the Washington Business Hall of Fame since its founding in 1988 by Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, The Greater Washington Board of Trade, and The Washingtonian. Honorees must be either in the capstone years of their career or retired from the company most closely associated with their business accomplishments. A call for nominations from the general public is made several months in advance of the event. Final selections are made by a nomination committee composed of members from the three founding organizations.

For profiles of this year’s laureates as well as ticket and sponsorship information, please visit www.washingtonbusinesshalloffame.org.

WHEN:                Wednesday, November 30, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

 

WHERE:              National Building Museum

                           440 F Street, NW

Washington, DC 20001

 

WHO:                  Ed Grenier, President and CEO, Junior Achievement of Greater Washington

 

James Schenck, President and CEO, PenFed Credit Union, and

Chair, 2016 Washington Business Hall of Fame

 

2016 Laureates:

 

Diane Hoskins, Co-CEO, Gensler

  1. M. (Tony) Nicely, Chairman and CEO, GEICO

Kenneth A. Samet, President and CEO, MedStar Health

Gary H. Tabach, Managing Partner, Greater Washington, Deloitte & Touche LLP

 

Presenting Sponsor:

Capital One

Dec
1
Thu
Brewlights @ Smithsonian National Zoo
Dec 1 @ 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM

WHAT:                  Tickets are on sale now for Friends of the National Zoo’s (FONZ) 2nd annual BrewLights on Dec. 1 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Guests will enjoy beer tastings from over a dozen breweries while sampling savory foods from top District restaurants while enjoying the 500,000 environmentally-friendly LED lights of ZooLights, powered by Pepco.

 

WHEN:                  Dec. 1, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

 

WHERE:                Smithsonian’s National Zoo

3001 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20010

 

BrewLights is back for its second year at ZooLights, powered by Pepco. Hosted by Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), BrewLights is a ticketed microbrew and craft beer event within ZooLights, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s holiday lights festival.

 

BrewLights guests will enjoy beer tastings from more than a dozen breweries, savory samples from local D.C. restaurants, and exclusive after-hours access to animal houses and exhibits including: Elephant Community Center, Elephant Outpost, Great Meadow, and Great Cats Circle. Additionally, guests will have access to all ZooLights attractions—rides on the National Zoo Choo-Choo, snowless tubing, and the Speedwell Foundation Conservation Carousel.

 

Tickets for BrewLights are $45 for FONZ members and $55 for non-members. For tickets and details about the event, please visit: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/events/brewlights-zoolights.

 

Please note that space is limited and the event typically sells out.

 

This is event is for adults 21 years of age and older. Children, infants, strollers, and infant carriers are not permitted into the private event areas. BrewLights at the Zoo will be held rain or shine.

 

Dec
2
Fri
1st Annual Columbia Heights Night @ All Souls Unitarian Church, Pierce Hall
Dec 2 @ 7:00 PM – 11:59 PM

The Columbia Heights Initiative will host its first annual Columbia Heights Night on Friday, December 2nd 2016 from 7pm to Midnight. The inaugural event will celebrate the neighborhood’s diverse businesses and residents, as well as raise money for initiatives that greater enhance and promote commerce within Columbia Heights.

Highlights throughout Columbia Heights Night include ‘A Taste of Columbia Heights’, which will feature a bevy of popular cuisines from some of the corridor’s most beloved restaurants and food vendors. Seasonal cocktails will flow and the dancing will commence with live entertainment and music featuring The Harry Bells. A silent auction loaded with tailored gifts, spa treatments, dining destinations, and more will also be held during the evening. The annual Columbia Heights Tree Lighting Extravaganza will be held the following day, Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 at 6:30pm in the Columbia Heights Civic Plaza.

Tickets for the evening are $75 and are 100% tax deductible.  A ticket gains access to the event, four (4) drink tickets, an amazing dinner buffet served up by some of Columbia Heights’ best restaurants, silent auction access, and a swag bag full of goodies.

Ticket link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/columbia-heights-night-tickets-28345969558

The Columbia Heights/Mount Pleasant Main Street will join eleven other DC Main Streets programs that have been accredited through DC Main Streets and the National Main Street Center, Inc. As a DC Main Street designee, Columbia Heights Initiative will implement programs and services to support the growth and development of neighborhood businesses and the revitalization of the commercial corridors of Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant.

 

When: December 2, 2016

7pm-Midnight

 

Where: All Souls Unitarian Church, Pierce Hall

1500 Harvard Street NW

Washington, DC 20009

 

What: Official Main Streets Award Announcement, a “Taste of Columbia Heights,” Silent Auction, Live Entertainment.

 

Who:  One Eight Distilling, El Buho Mezcal. Acre 121, Lou’s City Bar, Maple, &Pizza, El Tio, El Chucho. Kangaroo Boxing Club, The Heights, Chick Fil-A, Chipotle, The Coup, The Harry Bells, Columbia Heights Initiative

 

Columbia Heights Night
Dec 2 @ 7:00 PM – 11:59 PM

The Columbia Heights Initiative will host its first annual Columbia Heights Night on Friday, December 2nd 2016 from 7pm to Midnight. The inaugural event will celebrate the neighborhood’s diverse businesses and residents, as well as raise money for initiatives that greater enhance and promote commerce within Columbia Heights. Expect a festive evening of food, dancing, live music and entertainment for one of DC’s oldest and most popular neighborhoods.

Columbia Heights Night follows the decade-long success of The Columbia Heights Initiative’s signature event: Columbia Heights Day. Columbia Heights Day draws tens of thousands of DMV residents to the community, while shining a light on local businesses and services. Much like Columbia Heights Day, Columbia Heights Night invites the entire region to explore the best of the neighborhood in one venue, on one evening.

We’re here to celebrate our incredible partners, residents, businesses, board members, and the many volunteers who help make it all possible. We’ll be raising a glass to some of this past year’s achievements, which include implementing community clean-ups, monthly networking events, and growing the overall support and voice of our local businesses.” Says Brianne Dornbush, Executive Director of the Columbia Heights Initiative.  “With the success of Columbia Heights Day, our goal is to use Columbia Heights Night as an opportunity to once again brings our neighborhood together to join us as we cast a vision for the future of our organization and the neighborhood of Columbia Heights.”

Highlights throughout Columbia Heights Night include ‘A Taste of Columbia Heights’, which will feature a bevy of popular cuisines from some of the corridor’s most beloved restaurants and food vendors. Cocktails will flow and the dancing will commence with live entertainment and music featuring The Harry Bells. A silent auction loaded with tailored gifts, spa treatments, dining destinations, and more will also be held during the evening. The annual Columbia Heights Tree Lighting Extravaganza will be held the following day, Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 at 6:30pm in the Columbia Heights Civic Plaza.

Tickets for the evening are $75 and are 100% tax deductible.  A ticket gains access to the event, four (4) drink tickets, an amazing dinner buffet served up by some of Columbia Heights’ best restaurants, silent auction access, and a swag bag full of goodies.

Guests can register and purchase tickets for Columbia Heights Night via  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/columbia-heights-night-tickets-28345969558

Dec
3
Sat
MetroCooking DC @ Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Dec 3 @ 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

MetroCooking DC (www.MetroCookingDC.com; @MetroCookingDC), the region’s largest two-day culinary showcase, returns to Washington DC on December 3rd and 4th, 2016 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center debuting an exciting local and national celebrity studded line-up of Chefs, Cookbook Authors, and more.

Show-goers will have the opportunity to celebrate the holiday season and shop from aisles of specialty food products – many featuring some of the DC areas top gourmet purveyors – including a wide variety of holiday gift options, while experiencing live demos from James Beard honored celebrity chefs, partake in interactive and informative workshops, and enjoy book signings from some of the most celebrated culinary authors in our country; all included in a general admission ticket priced at $21.50 for Adults and $10 for Children Ages 4-12. The 11th edition of the event is organized by E.J. Krause & Associates.

The James Beard Foundation Cooking Stage welcomes an all-star lineup this year, including demos from culinary legends including Jacques Pepin, Tom Colicchio, Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes” Duff Goldman of Baltimore’s Charm City Cakes, and celebrated RAMW RAMMY award-winners and local DC area-based chefs including Erik Bruner-Yang of Maketto, Scott Drewno of The Source, Caitlin Dysart of 2941 Restaurant, and Chef Peter Chang – along with other regional James Beard honored winners and nominees. And on Saturday, chefs from renowned culinary school L’Academie de Cuisine will lead hands on cooking classes.

Additionally there will be several interactive activities, which are events within the event. The Beer, Wine & Spirits Garden, open both days, will serve as the ultimate spot for sipping craft beer, specialty wines, and spirits.  Following the success of the launch of last year’s hugely popular BBQ Bash, it will return on Saturday, December 3 with Chef David Guas, author of Grill Nation and star of the Travel Channel’sAmerican Grilled, as the host of this special event. Attendees will be able to sample an assortment of meats from the area’s top barbecue restaurants and pitmasters, while also discovering the latest grilling tips and trends. On Sunday, December 4, more than 50 restaurants will serve up signature sweet and savory bites at the 4th annual Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s Grand Tasting Pavilion.

Throughout the two day event there will be non-stop activities including ongoing tastings, demos, and home entertaining and cooking workshops. Known to be a great shopping show, this year 200specialty food exhibitors will showcase products – many for sale, making the event the perfect place to shop for holiday gifts for gourmands. The popular Natural Products and Healthy Living Pavilion will feature organic and natural products.

General admission tickets are priced at $21.50, which includes admission to the James Beard Stage; cooking classes, Beer, Wine & Spirits Garden, BBQ Bash and RAMW Grand Tasting Pavilion are special ticketed events and sold separately. VIP ticket packages are available, which will afford an exclusive meet and greet with Tom Colicchio, Jacques Pepin and/or Duff Goldman, plus access to additional ticketed special events.

 

11th ANNUAL METROCOOKING DC SHOW

Saturday, December 3rd – Sunday, December 4th, 2016

Walter E. Washington Convention Center – Washington, DC

Hours: 10 am – 5:30 p.m. Dec 3; 10 am – 5 pm Dec 4

Ticket Prices: General Admission – $21.50 in advance; Children 4-12 – $10 in advance

Children under 4 free with paid adult

www.MetroCookingDC.com

@MetroCookingDC

 

Frost Fest @ Pentagon Row
Dec 3 @ 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

On Saturday, December 3 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., Federal Realty Investment Trust will celebrate the season with Pentagon Row’s Frost Fest. The holiday celebration will feature an on-ice firework display with a special Santa Claus appearance, live entertainment, popular music by DJ Saucee, food samples, a $1,000 shopping spree giveaway and more. Pentagon Row’s 6,840 square foot ice rink boasts an outdoor dual-sided stone fireplace, perfect for skate breaks and warming up.

The ice rink is officially open for the holiday season and will continue its holiday tradition of its nightly snowfall beginning Thanksgiving Day at 6:30 p.m. and again at8:30 p.m. Frost Fest event details are as follows:

                              

Date:                  Saturday, December 3, 2016 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Event Details:    The holiday celebration will feature an on-ice firework display, live entertainment, music by the popular DJ Saucee, food samples and more. The grand finale fireworks show will take place on the ice at 7:30 p.m. Pentagon Row will also give away a $1,000 shopping spree during the event.

 

Location:            Pentagon Row | Army Navy Drive and South Joyce Street, Arlington, VA, 22201

Cost:                Event is free and open to the public.

 

Ice Skating:     MondayThursday | noon to 10 p.m.

Fridays and nights before school holidays | noon to 11 p.m.

Saturdays | 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sundays | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Open on all holidays | 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

$8 (12 and under); $9 (13 and older); $4 Skate Rentals