Tiki bowl at Hogo (via Hogo’s Facebook page).

Drink of the Week: Punch by the bowl or pitcher

Where: Eat the Rich, GBD, Hogo, Soi 38

Beer by the pitcher is, strangely, hard to come by in this town. And while sangria and margaritas have long been easy to guzzle in large volumes, local bars are starting to give cocktails the pitcher and punch bowl treatment, as well. It’s a win-win for bartender and imbiber alike, with the ability to serve yourself and make fewer trips to the bar for refills. Sometimes pitchers are also a better value, though one could also argue that it’s also cute trick to convince people to order more booze. Still, punch cocktails are a fun way to drink socially and a perfect way to kick off a warm long weekend.

So where are you going to grab a bowl or pitcher of boozy punch this weekend? Eat the Rich (1839 7th Street NW) may be known for their oysters, but all of their expertly crafted cocktails are also designed to be purchased by the pitcher (you can also order them in a single serving). Try the Buck Hunter, a refreshing blend of bourbon, lemon, and ginger syrup with just a kiss of vanilla from the sarsaparilla bitters. Meanwhile, you can order a glass or jug of the aromatic housemade punches in flavors like hibiscus and honey dew peppercorn at GBD (1323 Connecticut Avenue NW) to accompany that fried chicken meal. And at Soi 38 (2101 L Street NW), the Thai red tea-infused Emperor’s Punch comes in a giant Chinese tea pot. But for the ultimate punch experience, you’ll need to get yourself to Hogo (1017 7th Street NW) for a giant, flaming tiki bowl of their rum punch.

Small Bites

Nothing says summer like a corn dog
You can’t get a corn dog at the D.C. State Fair, but you can get them at Shake Shack this weekend. Today through Monday, all D.C. locations will have the dipped dogs on special, served with a side of sweet corn relish. For those looking to really indulge in the holiday weekend, you can also order the pecan pie concrete which features an entire slice of pecan pie blended into vanilla frozen custard. We can feel our blood sugar spiking already.

Sinatra’s “Nectar of the Gods”
To celebrate the limited edition release of Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select Tennessee Whiskey, BLT Steak (1625 I Street NW) is hosting a dinner pairing on Saturday, May 31. The night will start with passed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, followed by a seated four course Italian-inspired menu created by Executive Chef Jeremy Shelton (paired with Jack Daniels of course). Space is limited for the $100 per ticket, 6:30 p.m. event. To RSVP, call 202-689-8989 or email isabel@bltsteak.com— Ashley Wetzel

Cafe within a bistro
Dupont’s La Tomate (1701 Connecticut Avenue NW) is launching La Tomate Caffe’ this weekend, a new concept within its existing space focused on lighter dine-in and to-go options. The Caffe’ will serve breakfast through late-night, with a variety of espressos, charcuterie, sweets, and pre-packaged sauces and soups. To celebrate the opening, La Tomate is running a series of specials all weekend (free coffee, $5 prosecco, etc.) in addition to a 10 percent discount for giving them some Twitter love @LaTomateDC. — Ashley Wetzel

Holidays and brunch go hand-in-hand
You don’t have to go to work Monday, so why not go to brunch? Numerous restaurants will be serving this mid-day meal on Memorial Day:

• Grillfish (1200 New Hampshire Avenue NW) has $1 oysters, a build your own Bloody Mary bar and new cocktails.
• Commissary (1443 P Street NW) is serving up all of their weekend Benedicts and is offering free coffee if you sign up for the new Blue Star Breakfast Club app (which also gives you every 11th breakfast free).
• You can also snag a midday meal at Urbana (212 P Street NW), Firefly (1310 New Hampshire Avenue NW), and Poste (555 8th Street NW), which will also be rolling out their Bloody Mary bar on Monday.
• If you’re feeling really hungry, El Centro, Masa 14 (1825 14th Street NW), Ambar (523 8th Street SE), Toro Toro (1300 I Street NW) and Zengo (781 7th Street NW) will all be serving bottomless brunch.
• Brunch at The Pig (1320 14th Street NW) runs right into happy hour, and the same goes for Logan Tavern and The Heights.

—Ashley Wetzel