Swizzler’s hot dogs will pop-up at Prequel starting this week, along with some new menu items. (Photo by Reema Desai)
Doughnuts and drag queens, with hearty sides of beer and brisket, are on the agenda this week as the District dives head first into fall.
This week’s food events
Free doughnuts at Sweetgreen
D.C.’s hometown salad hero Sweetgreen is officially turning ten on September 15, and it wants the whole city to join the celebration. Stop by the Capitol Hill (221 Pennsylvania Ave. SE), Bethesda (4831 Bethesda Ave.), and Crystal City (2200 Crystal Dr.) locations between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., and the Logan Circle (1471 P St. NW) and Ballston (4075 Wilson Blvd.) outposts between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. today for a free carrot cake doughnut with cream cheese glaze with your salad or bowl. The sweet treats are first come, first serve, so grab your greens early.
God save the (drag) queens
The queens are taking over Hank’s Pasta Bar (600 Montgomery St., Alexandria) this Saturday, September 16 for two hours of unabashed fabulousness. Reserve a table at the 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. seating and enjoy a $25 brunch of prosciutto eggs benedict or nutella stuffed french toast while Summer-Knight and her girls, Whitney GucciGoo, Gadfrie Arbuluu and special guest Nicole Paige Brooks (from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 2) put on a performance to remember. Reservations are required, so snag your spot now by calling 571-312-4117 or making a booking online here.
East meets West at The Source
Asian flavors and American barbecue will meld this Saturday, September 16 as the team of Sloppy Mama’s BBQ jumps in the kitchen at The Source by Wolfgang Puck (575 Pennsylvania Ave. NW). The collaborative dinner begins at 6 p.m. and will include dishes like smoked brisket and scallop nigiri, smoked pork ribs with tamarind-hoisin glaze, and bacon and peanut brittle. The special event is $80 per guest, inclusive of tax, gratuity, and beverages, and tickets can be found online here or purchased by calling (202)-637-6100.
More Harvey and Irma relief
The hurricanes may have passed, but the recovery has only just begun in Florida and Texas. For those still looking for a delicious way to support relief efforts, Ocean Prime (1341 G St. NW) is donating 100% of their profits on Monday, September 18 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Guests who donate $100 to recovery efforts will also receive a $25 gift card to Ocean Prime as a thank you for the generosity.
A Wine Dinner at Momofuku
On Thursday, September 21, Momofuku CCDC ( 1090 I St. NW) is teaming up with the Virginia-based Barboursville Vineyards for a four-course dinner with wine pairings. For $100, inclusive of tax and gratuity, guests can enjoy roasted beet salad with sunflower hozon and duck prosciutto, PEI mussels with chili, garlic, and lemon, rotisserie duck, and pot de crème. Barboursville winemaker Luca Paschina will guide each of the pairings. Reservations are required in advance and can be made by emailing dcevents@momofuku.com.
Openings:
Chef Edward Lee has arrived in D.C. in style with the opening this week of Succotash in Penn Quarter. It’s the second outpost of his Southern and Asian-influenced restaurant—the first opened last year in National Harbor, Maryland. Dinner service launched already, and brunch and lunch will follow. The restaurant sits inside the gorgeously renovated Equitable Bank building and promises plenty of comforting favorites, modern takes on classics, and lots of bourbon cocktails and indulgent desserts.
After closing down its original location for construction, Sweetgreen is at last returning to Georgetown at a two story storefront at 1044 Wisconsin Ave. NW, opening today. The menu will be the same as other locations throughout D.C.
The Swizzler food truck is going brick and mortar for a stint, in collaboration with the team at Prequel DC (919 19th St. NW). The new pop-up will debut Tuesday, September 19. The menu will be much more than over-the-top, twirly hot dogs. Expect dishes like burgers, fries, crispy Brussels Sprouts, and fried chicken sandwiches. You can even pair your hot dog with a Ceasar salad to make the meal a little more balanced. It’ll be open Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
D.C. is full of great restaurants, but don’t forget about Baltimore, either. James Beard Award winner Andrew Carmellini—the mastermind behind a whole host of wildly successful New York restaurants—opened Rye Street Tavern this past week at 225 East Cromwell Street in Baltimore. Adjacent to the Sagamore Spirit Distillery, the menu includes American-inspired fare like wood-fired seafood bakes, Bloody Mary blue crab salad, and Liberty Farm carrots with popped sorghum.
Plan ahead
So.Much.Beer.
Snallygaster, the beastly beer jamboree that delightfully descends upon D.C. each year, is back with a vengeance on Saturday, September 23. Over 100 breweries will be represented at the festival, which will run from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. at Yards Park across from Nationals Stadium. Tickets cost between $35 and $60, with all proceeds from the event supporting the work of Arcadia, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a more equitable food system in D.C. More information on the event can be found on Snallygaster’s website here.
