The DC Restaurant Buzz is back, baby! Was it gone? Well… no. But it had been about two weeks since our last edition. Were you able to survive without it? Well, how about we don’t let that happen again. Onwards to the events, the deals, the specials, the awards, and everything else we’re showcasing today…
Arcuri’s New “Cello” Cocktails
Arcuri is offering a new Cello program. We’re not talking string instruments here though, folks, we’re talking Limoncello, the Italian liqueur made by infusing alcohol with lemon peels and sugar.
Each week, Arcuri will showcase a new Limoncello with different ratios of ingredients and flavors, experimenting with the creative process of making the beverage. The team will utilize different fruits, spices, and sugars, producing a variety of seasonal flavors, highlighted by crisp citrus, followed by sweetness and finally a strong bite in every finish.
The new weekly Limoncello will make its appearance each Wednesday, and the program runs through the end of January, with each available at $5. First up was Cran-a-Cello, and new this week is Where’s the ‘Quat, made with kumquats, followed by Elf Breath with lemon and peppermint the following week, Clementine after that, and more to come, including Nog, V Cello, Blood Orange, Pomegranate, Choco’Cello, and Bergamot Cello.
Healthy Living DC Nourishing Our Communities Fundraiser & Celebration
On Monday, December 8th, Healthy Living is hosting the Nourishing Our Communities fundraiser and celebration from 6:30 to 9:30 pm at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery. It’s a fundraiser to support healthy cooking outreach and nutritional educational programs to underserved communities in D.C. and Maryland.
Food will be provided by Republic, The Source by Wolfgang Puck, and Room 11, and beverages are provided by Idle Cellars, Diamond District Wines and Honest Tea. The event will also feature two DJs.
General admission tickets cost $85, and you can buy them online here.
StarChefs.com Rising Stars Gala
The 2014 Washington D.C. Rising Stars Award winners from StarChefs.com will be honored on Tuesday, December 16th, at the Rising Stars Gala. The event will be hosted at Union Market, with the awards ceremony at 6:30pm, followed by a tasting gala from 7 to 9:30pm. The tasting gala will include 28 different restaurants showcasing food along with cocktail and beverage pairings.
General admission tickets cost $95, and VIP tickets cost $125, including a private VIP reception with champagne & caviar at 5:45pm.
A portion of the event’s proceeds go to the DC Central Kitchen.
Ian Boden of The Shack, Kyle Bailey of The Arsenal at Bluejacket, Graeme Ritchie of Volt, Mike Isabella and Derek Brown are just a few of the notable winners. Find the full list of award winners here.
RAMMY Nomination Season Kicks Off
Chefs love their awards, eh? It’s the return of RAMMY awards season from Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, with open nominations lasting from December 1st through January 5th. You can make a nomination online here.
Finalists across 21 different categories will be announced at an event in March. After that, the 33rd Annual event will return to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and take place on Sunday, June 7th 2015.
Fiola Adds to its Award-Winning Wine List
Not done with awards? How about some award-winning wines?
The award-winning wine list at Fiola (a two-time Grand Award of Excellence recipient from Wine Spectator and listed among America’s Top 100 Wine Restaurants from Wine Enthusiast) has been added to and now includes representation from all five houses of First Growth Status.
The 2000 vintage in Bordeaux is regarded as one of the most remarkable due to ideal growing conditions, and Fiola’s list now includes several selections from this vintage, as well as multiple years of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1st Growth and Lafite-Rothschild 1st Growth, and several other exciting new Grand Cru additions from Burgundy.
Sommelier Wine Tasting Night at Slate
Let’s stick with wine, shall we? On Thursday, December 18th from 5 to 8 pm, Slate is hosting its monthly wine tasting, this time featuring winemaker David Pagan Castaño.
At $25 per person for the tasting, you’ll try 5 premium local wines, all right at your table, having plenty of time for personal interaction and questions.
Wine Dinner at Vinifera with Pahlmeyer Wines
More wine! Vinifera in Reston is hosting a wine dinner on Friday, December 12th, showcasing a multi-course dinner paired with Pahlmeyer Wines from Napa Valley. It’s Vinifera’s last wine dinner of the year, and they’re going big with five courses of food and the acclaimed Pahlmeyer lineup.
The dinner starts at 7pm. Tickets cost $150 per person, and more information is available at viniferabistro.com.
Holi-Versary Celebrations at Republic
Republic kept you occupied pre-Thanksgiving with their Friendsgiving celebration, and now it’s time for Holi-Versary, a week-long celebration honoring their one year anniversary as well as the holiday season.
The events actually kick off tonight, with Pint Night, a new weekly happy hour from 9:30pm to close featuring $5 pints.
On Friday, there’s music from Brooklyn’s Kalen & The Sky Thieves, along with a $50 prix-fixe chef’s choice rock dinner starting at 8pm. Hang with the band and enjoy the mulit-course meal, before they start playing at 10pm.
On Saturday, the official one year anniversary, there’s a late night birthday cake from 10pm to midnight,and music from the Motel Beds. Since it’s a motel-anniversary kind of theme, enjoy some unique specialty cocktails, including Sex Near the Beach, Birthday Sex, and the Sex, Sex, Sex, a surprise that will be revealed the night of the 6th.
Finally, wrap up the weekend with a live jazz brunch on Sunday. Enjoy two for one mimosa specials for $7.
STK’s Tacky Sweater Brunch Party
Everyone loves their ugly holiday sweaters these days, and STK is getting in on the fun too. They’re hosting their First Annual Tacky Holiday Sweater Brunch Party on Sunday, December 14th, with $18 bottomless mimosas and bloody Mary’s, and a la carte brunch entrees.
There will also be a live DJ all day, and the best tacky holiday sweater wins a free brunch for two. The event lasts from 11:30am all the way to 6pm.
