The Taste of Arlington festival returns to Ballston on Sunday. (Photo by Taste of Arlington)
The coming weekend features a traditional crawfish boil, a showcase of Arlington food and drink, and two outposts of a Halal dining favorite. Read on for those picks and more.
This week’s food events
Experience the best of Arlington food and drink
It’s the season for food festivals, and Taste of Arlington is one of the largest around. It’ll be held Sunday, May 21 from noon until 6 p.m. on Wilson Blvd between N. Randolph St. to N. Monroe St. Admission is $10 in advance and $15 on the day of ($10 if ordered through the BallstonConnect App). Drink tickets will be $5 each, and vendors will be selling bites for between $1 and $5 a piece. You can purchase a four-drink ticket booklet for $15. Vendors this year include Choolah Indian barbecue, Cheestique, SER, Barley Mac, Pepita Cantina, and many more.
A bayou-style boil in D.C.
New Orleans native chef David Gaus is throwing a crawfish feast at Bayou Bakery‘s Arlington location (1515 N. Courthouse Rd.) on Saturday, May 20 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The $35 meal includes crawfish, corn on the cob, potatoes, coleslaw, cornbread and mini mufaletta sandwiches. Seconds will also be available, while it lasts. Shrimp with corn and potatoes will be sold a la carte by the pound. In keeping with the Louisiana theme, Abita beer will be on special with $15 pitchers and $5 drafts.
Long Island wine, Asian cooking
In an unique pairing, wines from Bridgehampton, New York’s Channing Daughters will meet the Taiwanese cooking of Maketto (1351 H St. NE) in a six-course meal this Monday, May 22. The dinner costs $115, including tax and gratuity, and there is a 5:30 p.m. and an 8:30 p.m. seating. Expect dishes like grilled royal trumpet mushrooms, a raw beef salad, fried whole fish, and soy sauce chicken. Tickets can be purchased online.
Beat the weekday blues with a DC Brau dinner
The politically-inclined Declaration (804 V St. NW) is teaming up with DC Brau on Tuesday, May 23rd for a four-course beer pairing dinner. The restaurant is known for pizza, but this meal ditches the pie for more seasonal and refined plates like mojo duck breast, poached halibut with wild spring garlic coulie, and buttermilk and carrots with beer toasted grains. Featured beers include El Jefe Speaks, On the Wings of Armageddon, Brau Pils, and a limited release maple barrel-aged citizen. Tickets for the $40 meal can be bought online.
Time for jazz in the garden
One of D.C.’s marquee summer events, Jazz in the Sculpture Garden (Constitution Ave. NW and 7th St. NW) makes its 2017 debut this evening. The free concert runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and is a perfect location for a post-work happy hour or picnic, especially with a pitcher of Sangria from the nearby Pavillion Cafe or a sausage or sandwich from the outdoor grill. This week’s act is Matuto, who are billed as Brazilian bluegrass.
Openings:
Beer lovers have a new destination with the just-opened Delirium Cafe (101 S. King St.) in Leesburg, Virginia. It’s a bit of a drive from D.C. proper, but it’s the first location of the Belgian cafe to open in the U.S. and is stocked with plenty of Delirium beers as well as local drafts and a European-inspired menu of sandwiches, mussels, and waffles.
The New York-based fast-casual Halal Guys chain arrived in D.C. last week with locations in Dupont Circle (1331 Connecticut Ave. NW) and in the Atlas District (814 H St. NE). Come for chicken, beef gyro, and falafel served in pita wraps or as a filling rice plate.
Capo Italian Deli plans to open in Shaw (715 Florida Ave. NW) in the next few weeks. Wednesday, May 24th. Stop by the opening from 11 a.m. to 1 .pm. for a half-priced sub Expect hot and cold subs in varieties like eggplant or chicken Parmigiana, pastrami turkey breast, Italian combo, tuna salad, and more. There will also be full entrees and pastas along with several vegetarian selections.
Plan ahead:
Summer weekends can book up quickly, so mark your calendars now for the return of the Snallygaster mega beer festival on September 23. It’ll feature more than 350 beers and ciders from all over the U.S. and the world. It all gets sprawled out in a Navy Yard lot across from Nationals Park at First and N St. SE. Snallygaster is organized by Neighborhood Restaurant Group and its beer team behind Churchkey, Birch & Barley, Bluejacket, The Sovereign, and more. Advanced passes are now on sale for $35 (entrance and 30 food and beer tickets) and $60 for VIP (additional early entry).
This post has been updated.
