November’s culinary highlight is the Thanksgiving feast.
Thanksgiving at the Blue Duck Tavern (1201 24th St. NW) can be in-house or take-home. The restaurant’s “brunch until dinner” service will be available from noon to 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 23. The three-course holiday meal will include a seafood platter, crabcakes, roast beef and turkey, and is priced at $125 for adults and $55 for children.
The take-home menu includes a 10- to 12-pound roasted turkey, freshly baked bread, four sides, and apple and pumpkin pies. The menu is designed for six to eight people and is priced at $425. Orders must be placed by 5 p.m. Nov. 15. Pickup will be available in the Pastry Pantry from 1-5 p.m. Nov. 22 and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 23. To place an order, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/all-american-thanksgiving-feast-to-go-tickets-36840958298.
Red’s Table (11150 South Lakes Drive, Reston) is offering a to-go menu that includes a 16- to 20-pound roasted turkey, buttermilk biscuits, cornbread stuffing, whipped potatoes, cranberry sauce, Brussels sprouts and pumpkin pie. Each dish is designed for eight people and can be ordered a la carte or combined. Orders must be placed by 8 p.m. Nov. 16, with pickup available from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 23. To place an order, call 571/375-7755.
On Nov. 11, Red’s Table will host a beer dinner featuring local craft brewery Adroit Theory Brewing Co. starting at 7:30 p.m. A five-course dinner with five paired Adroit brews is priced at $75 per person.
Several new restaurants have opened: Calle Cinco (465 K St. NW), a Spanish tapas pop-up next to Alta Strada restaurant, opened in mid-September. It serves traditional Spanish tapas such as garlic shrimp, dates with bacon and blue cheese, and crunchy paella-flavored rice with black aioli. A Spanish-influenced dessert menu includes churros dipped in hot fudge sauce.
Another September opening was Lil’ B Coffee & Eatery (1515 Rhode Island Ave. NW) in the Darcy Hotel. The restaurant is David Guas’ new enterprise, which, like his Bayou Bakery cafes, is based on his New Orleans roots. Featured are flash brewed iced coffee and elderberry mead from Charm City Meadworks. Breakfast items include Everything Croissant filled with whipped chive cream cheese.
Newcomer City Tap House Dupont (1250 Connecticut Ave. NW) serves American fare and draft beers from 40 tap lines.
A second, larger Bindaas is opening shortly at The Shops (2000 Pennsylvania Ave. NW). The name means independent, cool and carefree, and the restaurant, like the original on Connecticut Avenue Northwest, will showcase sophisticated versions of Indian street food.
Rare Steak and Seafood (1595 I St. NW), a classic steakhouse, opens Wednesday. The Midwestern restaurant focuses on meat and seafood and offers an extensive wine list.
Marcel’s by Robert Wiedmaier (2401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) is presenting a wine dinner at 7 p.m. Wednesday, featuring Stonestreet and Hartford wineries from California. Elyse Kudo, vice president of Jackson Family Wines, and Daniel Shanks, the White House wine director for 25 years, will be guest speakers. The menu includes a cauliflower mousse, lobster flan and venison loin, and is priced at $150 per person. There’s live music every Friday and Saturday night in Marcel’s lounge. The restaurant is expanding the music nights to Tuesday through Saturday this fall.
At Espita Mezcaleria (1250 Ninth St. NW), the Day of the Dead celebrations continue Wednesday and Thursday. From 5 p.m. to midnight Wednesday, the restaurant will play tunes from its favorite deceased artists. Guests will be able to enjoy face painting at the bar and various food and drink specials. Through Thursday, Espita Mezcaleria will offer a variety of specialty dishes and drinks.
Taqueria del Barrio’s (821 Upshur St. NW) front windows will display Day of the Dead altars and offerings in memory of loved ones Wednesday. Traditional and modern interpretations of Mexican dishes and drinks will be available in the restaurant.
The next author luncheon series at the Hay-Adams Hotel (800 16th St. NW) will take place from noon to 2 p.m. on Monday and will honor Walter Isaacson, who will discuss his latest biography, “Leonardo da Vinci.” Tickets for the three-course, prix-fixe menu with wine pairings, themed around the book, are priced at $90 per person. Mr. Isaacson will sign copies of the book, which will be available for purchase after the luncheon.
In conjunction with the fascinating exhibit of “Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting” at the National Gallery of Art, the Garden Cafe is offering “Vermeer-inspired” dishes, available during both weekday and weekend service. The Vermeer cheese sampler includes aged Gouda and goat cheese, and the Dutch appetizer platter includes smoked whitefish, pickled herring, and egg salad. A Dutch potato salad, Dutch apple pie and Dutch cocoa pudding round out the menu.
Nov. 13-19 is D.C. Cocktail Week. Creative cocktails and accompanying food will be featured at participating restaurants in the D.C. metropolitan area.
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