‘Cafe Atlantico’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’
Put on your elastic waistband pants, people. There’s plenty to eat and do in the city for the next few weeks. So click on through and you’ll find where you should be wining and dining this month.
‘Every Food Fits: Don’t Bother Us, We’re Crabby!’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’
In the summertime, put me in front of a table with brown paper, a wooden mallet and crabs covered in Old Bay and let me go to town. Since the end of July, Bar Pilar has been offering a Maryland blue crab dinner for two. For $60, you get 10 steamed crabs and two side dishes. My advice is to go for the corn on the cob or chef Justin Bittner’s potato salad. If you’re still hungry after you worked for your dinner cracking crabs, don’t pass up Bittner’s slow-roasted pork shoulder dish served on a hunk of heavenly toasted, crusty bread.
‘Bourbon Steak Hot Dog’
courtesy of ‘bigal_60714’
Speaking of pork, Bourbon Steak’s second annual “Pig Out” pig roast is coming up on August 14 from 12-3 PM. Chef Adam Sobel will be roasting a 300 pound pig and serving up homemade bratwursts, sausages, carnitas and more. For $35, you can “pig out” or upgrade to $50 if you want drinks to be included. The pork doesn’t stop with lunch, as their pastry chef Brenton Balika will be making ice creams and pies with “pork-filled garnishes.” The pig roast is sure to send all you little piggies wee-ing and wah-ing on the way home. You can call ahead for tickets at 202-944-2026.
While you’re at Bourbon Steak, don’t forget about their “Dog Days of Summer” special featuring a Red Apron Butchery hot dog and a DC brau American pale ale for $7. You can order the off-menu dogs and beer until the end of August.
Staying in the Georgetown area, I’m sure you already know that eating in that neighborhood can wear on your wallet. So instead of looking into the eyes of your significant other over a box of mac and cheese, let’s class it up a bit and take them to a nice (and more affordable) dinner. Until September 15 from Sunday through Thursday, 1789 is offering a three-course dinner for $40. Chef Dan Giusti’s beef carpaccio with quail eggs and fingerling potatoes is a great way to start of your meal, and if I were you, I’d round it off with pastry chef Mallory Staley’s rhubarb shortcake trifle. You can either ask your server for the summer deal or use the coupon from their website.
‘Squash Blossoms stuffed with Goat Cheese at Oyamel’
courtesy of ‘bonappetitfoodie’
And last, but not least, José Andrés’ Oyamel is hosting its 4th annual Squash Blossom Festival. Until August 14, the restaurant will be serving plenty of specials featuring the blossoms which chef Joe Raffa says come from a farmer whose varieties of the blossom are slightly different and more fragrant and flavorful. I’d recommend going with their sopa de calabaza oaxaquena, which is a light summer squash soup with corn, tomatoes, squash blossoms and mexican cream. Also try the flores de calabaza Veracruzana which are squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese in a Veracruz-style tomato and caper sauce. And you can wash it down with a Maria Bruja cocktail which blends zucchini and avocado juice with milagro blanco and mezcal (think healthy veggie shake/green bloody mary meets alcohol).
