Photo by Kim Love.
By DCist Contributor Travis Mitchell
Dish of the Week: S’mores
Where: Baked & Wired, Lost Society, Cosi, Ted’s Bulletin, Z Burger
Oktoberfest beers and candy corn might already be creeping onto store shelves, but don’t be fooled. It’s only mid-August and there’s still plenty of time to savor all summer has to offer. One way to enjoy the rest of the season wisely: go get a s’more.
The best s’mores are made over a campsite fire, but that’s easier said than done in D.C. Fortunately, there are a couple bakeries and restaurants in the area that offer their take on the simple treat.
Over in Georgetown, popular cafe Baked & Wired (1052 Thomas Jefferson Street NW) sells the OMG bar—a treat made with marshmallow, chocolate, caramel and a graham cracker bottom. Sandwich chain Cosi has tabletop fire pits (yes, actual fire) that let groups of two to four customers make their own hot s’mores. And diners over at Lost Society (2001 14th Street NW) can finish off a meal with a nutella s’more. With marshmallow topping and a graham cracker shell, it looks more like a tart than a s’more but the necessary flavors are all there.
If it’s just too damn hot, consider liquid options. Ted’s Bulletin (505 8th St SE and 1818 14th St NW) and Z Burger locations serve up s’mores milkshakes, and Good Stuff Eatery (303 Pennsylvania Ave SE) has a toasted marshmallow version.
Of if you have a backyard fire pit, Logan Ace Hardware and Glen’s Garden Market have kits on sale from The Capital Candy Jar to recreate their giant s’mores. You can also order a box of their specially flavored mallows (including strawberry, salted caramel, and vanilla bean) on the online store.
Small Bites
Lambrusco gets some love
From August 17 to 23, The Partisan and Red Apron (709 D St NW) will celebrate their 2nd annual Lambrusco Week, designed to reverse the bad reputation that has dogged the versatile Italian wine here in the U.S. All week, The Partisan will offer 10 bottles at special pricing, and flights and charcuterie pairings will range from $21 to $60.
A classy and affordable Sunday supper
If you thought the elegant Jefferson Hotel (1200 16th St NW) was out of your food budget, you may have to rethink this historic venue as the new go-to for Sunday night supper. From 5 p.m to 10 p.m. each Sunday in August, the hotel’s Quill Bar and Lounge offers a $35 dollar price fixed meal, including a glass of wine. The no-substitution menu (“deviations from this set menu are not available”) recently included rabbit rillette and red wine-braised short ribs, followed by a homemade banana split that was rich with chocolate ganache beneath the traditional tri-color ice creams in a deconstructed presentation. To learn what’s on the menu each week, check out the Sunday announcement about entrées posted on their Facebook page and Instagram account. —Johanna Mendelson Forman
Will work for free beer
Snallygaster, the annual beer festival named for a mythical dragon-esque animal that Wikipedia claims lives in the hills surrounding D.C. and Maryland, is looking for volunteers. Anyone interested can sign up using this online form, and volunteers will be compensated for their trouble with a t-shirt, mug, a $50 gift certificate to any establishment within the Neighborhood Restaurant Group umbrella, and presumably as much fancy beer as they can sneak into their mouths while nobody is looking. The festival takes place Saturday, September 12. —Jacob Dean