What's Happening In Washington, DC: March 28, 2016

The famed cherry blossoms are at their peak and gilding the Tidal Basin, Easter was cold, and the yearning for spring continues with plenty of new eateries opening and other kinds of potent potables on offer across the District. You can sample food truck fare, Champagne, tequila and mezcal, and Napa Valley wines, so you should be in a jocular mood, even if the weather will not cooperate.

Cava Grill to Open in Dupont Circle

If you live in Dupont Circle, and have been waiting for Cava Grill to open a new location, your wishes have come true. On Friday, April 1, Cava Grill will open its 15th location at 1222 Connecticut Avenue NW, on the south side of the circle. To celebrate, the restaurant is hosting a Community Day and offering free grain bowls, salads, and pitas, on Friday for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. In return, customers are encouraged to donate to Cava's local non-profit partner, City Blossoms, which champions healthy eating through garden-based learning in the DC community. The Dupont restaurant is proud to partner with other local food producers Whisked!, Gordy's Pickle Jar, and Running Byrd Tea, and will also feature online ordering with a dedicated space for pickups so customers can dash in and out quickly.

Crosby Roamann Wine Dinner at Café Dupont

Lovers of Napa Valley wines don't often get to meet the winemakers, even at gourmet dinners, but next Tuesday, April 5, Washingtonians can meet Juliana McBride, one of the founders of famed Napa Valley winery Crosby Roamann. She will be at Café Dupont that night for a four-course dinner featuring her wines. The dinner starts at 7 p.m., is $70 per person (plus tax & gratuity), and you can make reservations online through OpenTable.

DMV Food Truck Association Hosts OK@Okie: An Indoor Food Truck Event

On Saturday, April 2, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the DMV Food Truck Association is hosting the nation's first indoor food truck market at the Hecht Warehouse District, in the Ivy City neighborhood of Washington. The event is free and open to the public. Ok@Okie is designed to showcase the local food truck scene. You can sample their fare and enjoy a craft beer garden, outdoor sporting activities, live music, and a craft market.

Oyamel Cocina Mexicana Hosts Ninth Annual Tequila & Mezcal Festival

Fans of award-winning chef José Andrés' Mexican restaurant, Oyamel Cocina Mexicana, now have another reason to visit: the annual Tequila & Mezcal Festival that runs from March 21 to April 3. During the festival, you can attend free tastings in the butterfly bar and reserve a spot at exclusive pairing dinners that will help you learn about these elusive but elegant spirits. The free tastings are hosted Monday, March 28 when you can sample Vago Mezcal and Siembra Spirits from 4 to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, March 29 is 123 Organic Tequila from 4 to 6 p.m.; and Wednesday, March 30, Tequila Ocho is the star from 4 to 6 p.m. During the festival, you can also attend special spirit and pairing dinners and meet celebrated distillers and brand ambassadors while drinking and dining like royalty. Each dinner includes five courses along with complementary spirit pairings for $75 per person (exclusive of tax and gratuity). Just be sure to reserve a spot by email because these reservations are popular.

Ruth's Chris Hosts Veuve Clicquot Champagne Dinners

Ruth Fertel, the Louisiana businessperson who founded Ruth's Chris Steakhouses, was a woman who enjoyed a good celebration and a good glass of bubbly. In her honor, several restaurants in D.C. and Virginia are hosting the very popular five-course Veuve Clicquot dinner over two nights, Wednesday, March 30 and Thursday, March 31 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. For $120 per person, you can sip Veuve Clicquot's Vintage 2004, Yellow Label, and Rosé paired with lobster and corn chowder, petite filet mignon with Roquefort butter, and for dessert a lemon curd tart. Come learn about this incredible Champagne and celebrate the way Ruth would have preferred.

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