What's Happening In Washington, DC: January 25, 2016
Well, Jonas, aka the Blizzard of 2016, really did some damage to party plans last week and continues to do the same thing this week too. However, a few events have been rescheduled and Restaurant Week is still on in D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia. We are all optimistic that, come snow or high water, things will go off as planned, but be sure to check back and see what has been cancelled, rescheduled, which eatery dropped off the list of restaurant week participants, and keep your eyes open for a few new things to do.
Alexandria Restaurant Week Dates Announced
Alexandria Winter Restaurant Week is coming and will run for 10 days and two weekends from Friday, January 29 to Sunday, February 7, 2016. This year, the special event includes more than 60 Alexandria restaurants that will offer a $35 three-course dinner OR a $35 dinner for two. In addition, more than two dozen restaurants are also offering lunch deals at $10, $15 or $20 per person in addition to the dinner specials. Look for restaurants in neighborhoods throughout the city, including Old Town, Del Ray and the West End.
Burtons Grill & Bar to Open This March in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia is slated to get a new upscale casual eatery this March thanks to the investment of founder, president, and CEO Kevin Harron. Located at Telegraph Road and Beulah Street in the Hilltop Village Center in Alexandria, Virginia, Burtons Grill & Bar will feature contemporary American cuisine in a sprawling 6,200-square-foot space designed by Neimitz Design Group. Tapped to head up food operations is executive chef Dylyn Coolidge, a native of Burlington, Vermont who began his career as a junior sous chef at Coyote Cafe and later was head chef at Commissary, a DC neighborhood café focused on seasonal, and local, all natural American comfort food. Chef Coolidge's menus include standouts like duck confit and fish tacos complemented by an eclectic wine list and wine-by-the-glass program.
CEO Kevin Harron stresses the restaurant's commitment to fresh ingredients and providing exceptional dining experiences for all their guests. For Harron, "Taking care of guests who have special needs or diets just feels right to us and we continue to develop our menus to provide an exceptional dining experience as well as delicious food for our guests suffering from allergies. We at Burtons Grill want those with allergies to feel safe dining out again." This dedication has made Burtons Grill & Bar a leader in allergy awareness and one of AllergyEats top allergy friendly restaurants offering vegetarian and gluten sensitive menus. In addition, its kids' menu, {B} Choosy, lets parents choose ingredients and cooking methods to ensure their children's meals are nutritious.
Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week 2016
This year, the winter version of the Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week runs from Monday, January 25 to Sunday, January 31, 2016 and the slogan on everyone's lips is, "DINE OUT. EAT UP. WIN BIG." This year, more than 250 restaurants are offering three-course lunches for $22 and three-course dinners for $35, but the diner rewards program also offers more chances to win great prizes that include:
- A Weekend Getaway in DC, VA or MD
- Restaurant Week Diner Reward Card – Dine out at participating Restaurant Week restaurants for a year
- Tickets to local food-related events
- Restaurant gift cards
Check the schedule and make your reservations before there aren't any seats left. Bon appétit!
Sips & Suppers 2016 Celebrity Chef Fundraiser to Support DC Central Kitchen and Martha's Table
This event was cancelled last weekend, but it is back on for this weekend, same time and place both days. Dash to the ticket site and look for tickets because as of Friday of last week tickets were close to sold out. Few food and charity events in D.C. garner as much star power as Sips & Suppers and this year's lineup of chefs is off the charts. This annual two-day weekend event is celebrating its eighth year in D.C. and will be hosted by acclaimed food stars and chefs Joan Nathan, José Andrés, and Alice Waters. The annual weekend event, which raises funds and awareness for DC Central Kitchen and Martha's Table, the two leading charities in the fight against hunger and poverty in the DC region, will take place on Saturday, January 30rd and Sunday, January 31h. Event attendees will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with 75 of the country's leading chefs, cookbook authors, artisans, and mixologists from not only the DC area, but also San Francisco, New Orleans, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, even from Italy and France. Here are the details:
SIPS
When: Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Newseum (555 Pennsylvania Ave, NW; Washington, DC)
Ticket price: $125 per person, general admission; $200 per person, VIP admission* (see details below)
For tickets, visit: https://2016sips.eventbrite.com
All proceeds benefit DC Central Kitchen and Martha's Table: $70 of the general admission ticket price is tax deductible; $115 of the VIP ticket price is tax deductible.
SUPPERS
When: Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: In over 30 homes throughout the DC metro area
Ticket price: $600 per person
All proceeds benefit DC Central Kitchen and Martha's Table: $500 of the ticket price is tax deductible.
For tickets, visit: https://suppers2016.eventbrite.com
Summer Whitford is the D.C. Editor and a food, drink and travel writer at The Daily Meal. In addition to lifestyle topics, Summer also writes about culture and the arts at Woman Around Town. You can follow her on Twitter @FoodandWineDiva and on Instagram at thefoodandwinediva.