Wunder Garten is ready for Spring with beer, food, and games. (Photo by Sam Kittner)
Next week in food features another German-style beer festival, a new D.C.-made liqueur, pimento cheese sandwiches, and more. In addition to the events below, beer lovers won’t want to miss the slate of events planned around the 2017 Craft Brewers Conference.
This week’s food events:
Anxo Cidery gets grumpy
Anxo (300 Florida Ave. NW) will welcome Ryan Burke, head cidermaker for New York’s Angry Orchard, for a special tasting on Sunday, April 9 from 4 p.m to 5 p.m. Angry Orchard is well known for its mass-market products, but fewer are familiar with the brand’s rare and experimental bottles. Tickets are $25 an include tastes of six ciders, each making its D.C. debut. Most of them will also be available by the glass and bottle after the event.
A different look for Del Campo
The Argentinian-inspired Del Campo (777 I St. NW) is marking its fourth anniversary with an updated menu and design. The restaurant has done away with white tablecloths and added new graphic elements to the walls. New food options like lamb and pork mixed grills are meant to rotate frequently and be more shareable and accessible than the large cuts of steak that dominated the original menu (don’t worry, meat eaters, there’s still plenty of that to be had). Other new dishes include a whole-grilled lobster, crispy yucca with Pecorino, and a ” Chinatown Chirashi”—a large portion of citrus-cooked tuna, scallop, caviar, deviled quail eggs, and a smoked shoyu brown butter.
Another D.C. made rum debuts
Cotton & Reed distillery (1330 5th St. NE) rolls out its new allspice dram this Sunday, April 9. The release party will run from 4 p.m. to midnight and will be the first chance to buy bottles of the new spirit and try it in one of the bar’s specialty cocktails. Allspice Dram belongs to a small category of liqueurs that traditionally are used to add baking spice flavors to autumnal cocktails. Lukas B. Smith, the distillery’s herbalist and cocktail specialist, designed the allspice dram with more versatility in mind. “It’s not quite as sweet as other allspice drams,” says Smith. Dried limes and as many as eleven botanicals make it work equally well as a tiki bitter, a refreshing base for a lime-juice and soda Rickey, or as a spicy addition to an Old Fashioned. The release party will also feature allspice dram slushies, free tours and tastings, and pizza by Timber Pizza Company. —Nathan Wilkinson
A German celebration of Spring
NoMa’s Wunder Garten (1101 First St. NW) is preparing to welcome spring this coming week with the German celebration of Frühlingsfest. Swing by the beer garden Thursday, April 13 at 4 p.m. through Saturday, April 15 for live music, authentic German food, Stein holding competitions, and games.
National empanada day at Colada Shop
Anyone with a craving for empanadas can get them for $1 (limit three per person) at Colada Shop (1405 T St. NW) this Saturday, April 8. Flavors include picadillo-beef, chicken, spinach and cheese, and roasted cauliflower. The deal is also available at the Sterling, Virginia location (21430 Epicerie Plaza).
Spend Sunday with The Masters
Golf fans can gather this Sunday, April 9 at Ventnor Sports Cafe (2411 18th St. NW) in Adams Morgan to watch the final round of the annual Masters tournament with appropriate food and drink specials. The (tasteful) event starts at 2 p.m. with azalea cocktails (lime juice, pineapple juice, gin, and grenadine), pimento cheese sandwiches, and peach ice cream sandwiches. There will also be deals and giveaways from Michelob Ultra. And don’t forget: golf claps, only.
Openings:
The company behind local spots like The Bullpen, Surfside, and Jetties has opened a location its popular Nantucket restaurant Millie’s (4866 Massachusetts Ave. NW) in Spring Valley. Expect nautical, beachy vibes and a full menu of tacos, salads, po’boys, and more. It’s another slice of New England in D.C.
In sandwich news, there’s another location of Taylor Gourmet on the books, this one in Silver Spring (8535 Fenton St.). Highlights of the current spring menu include the Messi hoagie, with citrus-braised pork, green onion chimichurri, fresh mozzarella, fresno chili, baby spinach, and pickled red onion.
Plan ahead:
The Dupont Circle location of Hank’s Oyster Bar (1624 Q St. NW) is gearing up for its yearly oyster festival on April 22. Tickets are already on sale and the $90 fee buys all-you-can-eat raw, fried, and barbecued oysters along with popcorn shrimp, Old Bay fries, and premium draft beers.
