For those times when you need a well-stocked store and really knowledgeable employees.

What to pack and where to go to dine al fresco.

If you’ve been buying your cheese from Giant or Safeway, you’re getting but a taste of the wild and wonderful world of fromage. Luckily, there are entire stores devoted to the art of turning milk into smelly wheels of deliciousness. Here are our picks for the stinkiest, cheesiest shops in the D.C. area.

Crispy duck egg with pork belly at Birch & Barley. Courtesy Neighborhood Restaurant Group Dish of the week: Crispy duck egg with pork belly Where: Birch & Barley If newly opened 14th Street haunt Birch & Barley were a reality show, its beers would be the attention-craving divas — stars that are unique and dramatic, even a little demanding, with their myriad optimal temperatures and specialty glassware. The food on Executive Chef Kyle Bailey’s…

Jack Rose cocktail image from Michael Dietsch Drink of the Week: Jack Rose It wasn’t that long ago that finding a Jack Rose in a bar was a real challenge. The drink mentioned in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” was the subject of a Washington Post article. The drink contains applejack, grenadine, and lemon or lime juice. At the time most bars didn’t stock the applejack necessary for the recipe, and many of…