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courtesy of ‘Hoffmann’

Finally, Friday! And thus another edition of all the news fit to eat in the District. We’ve got the new sweetgreen opening date, a new Vegas-inspired drink list, farm-to-table dinners, and deets on Zoofari. Click on through.

Just in, sweetgreen’s next location in Bethesda will be opening next Wednesday, April 29th. The new location will be at 4831 Bethesda Ave.

The Source by Wolfgang Puck announced a new GM – Adam Crocini. Crocini comes to DC by way of Las Vegas, and brings a little of the “Sin City” with him in the form of his new and tempting cocktail menu. I think it’s kind of random the GM is designing the cocktail menu, but that’s just me. At least when I worked in the restaurant biz, our GM just focused on shifts and customer relations and probably would have designed a drink list consisting of Bud products. I shudder to think.  But Puck apparently runs things differently. Anyways, Crocini’s plans for The Source’s cocktail menu full of specialty drinks that combine savory and sweet. Guests will find new potables such as the Blue Sage with stoli blueberry, sweet & sour and sage leaves, and the Asian Pear Drop with Absolut pears vodka, sake and pear purée as well as perfectly made classic cocktails like the Sidecar and Negroni.

I recently had the pleasure of being treated to lunch at  Potenza – I’ll put in the official verdict as: totally delish. I wound up walking out with a ginormous loaf of bread, which fed me, my roommate, and our house guest for about a week without drying out and getting gross. So I can say with enthusiasm that you should stop by Potenza’s bakery which offers a variety of freshly baked breads daily including baguettes, Zola rolls, olive loafs; semolina rolls, as well as focaccia and ciabatta sandwich loafs with prices ranging from $2 to $7. Designed to model an Italian street café, the new bakery is also the ideal place to grab a coffee and biscotti during the morning commute. Breakfast highlights include Nutella coffee cake bars; sweet grape focaccia, and cherry sticky buns along with an assortment of freshly baked muffins, breakfast sandwiches and pastries with prices starting at $2. In the department of Making Me Fat, you can purchase Italian dessert pastries including tiramisú, cannoli, bombolini, buttermilk panna cotta with oven roasted strawberries and lemon crisp, as well as chocolate-hazelnut semi freddo. Looking for an afternoon snack, McPherson? An assortment of seasonal gelato and sorbetto are also available by the scoop with prices ranging from $2 for one scoop and up to $6 for three scoops.

My new summer meal adoration? Cafe Atlantico Chef Terri Cutrino’s Farmers’ Market Dinners. Every week, Chef Cutrino shops for the finest produce at the Penn Quarter FRESHFARM market to craft a special three-course, prix fixe Farmers’ Market Dinner menu. Priced at $45 per person (not including beverage, tax or gratuity) the dinners are available Friday evenings through late fall.The first one kicks off next week – Thursday, April 30 at 7 pm. (Then they’ll shift back to the regular Friday night time slot.)

Another sign of summer on the horizon? Dino has opened their patio again. Little but lovable, it only seats 18, but you get a nice view of the Cleveland Park hustle and bustle. They are also bringing some of the spring menu favorites back, the one that makes me swoon is the Carciofi Fritti – purple artichokes from the Santa Monica Market, deep fried & served with black lava salt & lemon.

The National Zoo announced Thursday, May 14 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. the date of this year’s ZooFari. ZooFari brings together more than 100 of the DC Metro’s finest restaurants, 15 wineries, live entertainment, thousands of hungry guests celebrating and supporting animal conservation and local celeb Top Chef finalist Carla Hall (ya’ll know I love me some Carla!). This year’s theme, “An Elephant Affair”, celebrates the Zoo’s commitment to Asian elephants, will feature incredible culinary delights from such acclaimed restaurants as Central Michel Richard, Vidalia, 1789, BLT Steak, Poste, Hook,  The Source, Art and Soul, and Proof. Wineries serving fine vintages include Benziger, Clos du Bois, and Kendall Jackson. Reserve your seat or table on the National Zoo Web site.

I wrote about Old Glory in my rooftop bar piece yesterday, and recommended the mini muffins. But if you’re more manly than partaking in anything mini, and instead enjoy a stogie (did I really just write stogie? yes. yes, i did) you can attend Sip ‘N Smoke with Old Glory on the rooftop patio on Wednesday nights from 5-7. Sip on a Small Batch Bourbon Flight for $20 (includes Bakers, Bookers, Basil Hayden, & Knob Creek) and smoke your cigar with other cigar aficionados. Don’t carry around a ready supply of cigars? Georgetown Tobacco has cigars available for purchase on the patio for those without or looking for a new smoke.

Around WLDC food and drink news, in case you missed it, we have Spring Fever: Rooftop Bar Guide, We Love Drinks: Coffee Culture, Poste’s Earth Day celebration, Whisky at PS 7’s, and The Rise of The Mocktail.  Until next week, kiddies, enjoy the weather.

Katie

Katie moved to DC in 2007, and has since embarked upon a love affair with the city. She’s an education reform advocate and communications professional during the day; at night and on the weekends, she’s an owner here at We Love DC. Katie has high goals to eat herself through the entire city, with only her running shoes to save her from herself. For up-to-the-minute news and reviews (among other musings), follow her on Twitter!