What's Happening In Washington, DC: September 7, 2015

It's here! Labor Day has arrived and D.C. is getting cool by lounging by the pool, enjoying the sticky sweetness of French toast, and raising a glass to Turkish food. If you haven't visited our local Turkish restaurants, Turkish Restaurant Week is the perfect time to explore and save money. Raise a glass and toast the town. As they say in Istanbul, "Serefe!"

Ankara Restaurant Celebrates Turkish Heritage Month and Turkish Restaurant Week
Ankara, the District's latest Turkish restaurant, has jumped into Turkish Restaurant and Heritage Month with a knife and fork. On the lunch menu, look for ezme, which is simmered tomatoes, onions, peppers, and the lamb burgers. On the dinner menu, try kaşarlı mantar, which is mushrooms cooked with Turkish butter topped with kasar cheese, and classic köfte, which are grilled beef and lamb meatballs. Later in the month, Ankara is offering half-price Turkish wines from September 21 through 27. Prices range from $15 to $24 per bottle and you can sample special dishes not found on the regular menu.

Turkish Restaurant Week
September is Turkish Heritage Month in D.C. and we encourage you to explore the delightful people, food, and traditions of this fascinating country. For seven years, the American-Turkish Association of Washington, D.C. has sponsored Turkish Restaurant Week and this year's restaurant lineup includes eight restaurants in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Turkish cuisine is an ancient regional cuisine with hundreds of dishes that offer delicious variety and sophisticated flavors, so take advantage of the dates, which run from Saturday, September 12 to Sunday, September 20, to be an adventurous eater. Sample three-course, prix-fixe lunches for $18 and four-course prix-fixe dinners for $30, and stay tuned for more information about the upcoming Turkish Festival on Sunday, September 27. Get social with #TurkishHeritageMonth and @DCTurkRestoWeek. 

Summer Whitford is the D.C. City Guide Editor at The Daily Meal and the DC Wine Examiner. You can follow her on Twitter @FoodandWineDiva.