Upcoming Events: Gingerbread Houses Galore!

Capitol City Brewing Company is kicking off the holiday season and ushering in the winter months with the tapping of the original popular seasonal favorite Fuel beer. Fuel is Capitol City’s full-bodied imperial coffee stout – a complex dark malt blended with coffee. On December 13 the Downtown DC location will likewise re-introduce Fuel and host an equally festive tapping event from 6:00-9:00p.m.Food and drink specials will last throughout the evening including $2 Cap City’s “Core Four” beers (Capitol Kölsch, Pale Rider Ale, Amber Waves Ale and Prohibition Porter) at the Shirlington Village location. Capitol City Brewing

Does the holiday season bring out your desire to be Willy Wonka, creating sweet treats all day long?  Cork Market and Tasting Room is excited to announce their third annual Gingerbread House Decorating Party on Saturday, December 15th. Guests can reserve the gingerbread house kit for $35.00, which includes the gingerbread foundation and all the decorative trimmings. Special beverages and treats are also included in this fee!  There will be two sessions held at 12pm and 3pm.  Reservations are required and must be made by emailing events@corkdc.com by December 10th. Please specify which session you wish to attend.  For more information regarding this event or about Cork Market and Tasting Room, please visit corkdc.com.

Gingerbread Houses for a Good Cause:  RIS is hosting a gingerbread house workshop to benefit DC Central Kitchen on Saturday, December 15 at 12 noon.  Guests will have the chance to build their own gingerbread house, learn the tricks from the masters and enjoy holiday treats.   RIS will provide all the gingerbread house equipment while the pastry team will be serving seasonal ice creams, chocolate macaroons, gingerbread cake, and RIS’ house cocoa made with mint marshmallows.  Participation is guaranteed through a $20 per person donation.  All proceeds will benefit DC Central Kitchen.  Space for this special event is extremely limited. Contact Natalie Christenson at (202) 730-2500 or natalie@risDC.com to reserve space.

From now until Christmas, Shake Shack is singing the "Joy to the Shack!" and allowing Shack fans to put Shake Shack under AND on the tree. When a guest purchases a gift card of $25 or more at the Dupont Circle Shake Shack, they will receive a complimentary Shake Shack holiday ornament (while supplies last). These limited edition ornaments feature a very fun and festive winter-themed illustration of Shake Shack's original location in NYC's Madison Square Park.

Great Shopping and Free Rides in Georgetown: With more than 450 places to shop and dine in one square mile, Georgetown is DC's premier destination for holiday shopping and several neighborhood stores will offer discounts, specials and sweet treats this season. Shopping highlights in Georgetown include a new Pinkberry flavor, Gingerbread, a trunk show hosted by Jaryam, 12 Days of Shopping with 30% off a new item every day by Sassanova, and hungry shoppers can enjoy signature s'mores and Hot Toddys by the fire at the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown. As an extra bonus, Georgetown is making it fun and easy to get around the neighborhood this holiday season, with complimentary pedicab rides for all shoppers! Every Saturday through December 15 from 12-5pm, weary shoppers can rest their feet and cruise to their favorite neighborhood shops in style, making it that much easier to shop in Georgetown. 

Holiday Treats and “Pupcake Kits”:  Sticky Fingers Sweets and Eats, a vegan bakery and café, is offering special holiday treats such as gingerbread whoopee pies, eggnog cupcakes, peppermint brownies, and a "Jew-talian Plate" for Hanukkah that includes two latkes served with applesauce and non-dairy sour cream and two arancini.  The shop is also selling a special holiday "Pupcake Kits" with 20% of sales going to Pinups for Pitbulls. Each Pupcake Kit ($18) comes with four chocolate cupcakes, peanut butter frosting, dark chocolate and roasted peanuts, packed separately for at-home decorating. The kits are available online only until December 17.  Stop by the shop to grab one of these perfect edible gifts for teachers, colleagues and friends or order in advance by calling 202.299.9700.   

Oyamel Celebrates the End of the Modern World: José Andrés and his team at Oyamel Cocina Mexicana invite you to join in the celebration of the end of the Mayan Calendar with several tempting specials on December 21, 2012. The celebration will take place throughout the restaurant exclusively from 5pm - midnight. The menu will include $5-$6 tacos, an authentic “antojito”, and “Platos Fuertes” such as Sopa seca de fideo con hongas (otherwise known as Vermicelli pasta with ancho chiles, locally foraged mushrooms and shaved black truffles). Pricing is a la carte and dishes range in price from $25.00 - $39.00. Oyamel will also offer several apocalyptic cocktails, including the Los Danzantes Margarita. Certain wines will be priced at $12.21 for a half glass, and $21.12 for a 4oz glasses for the night. Get it?? Oyamel is located at 401 7^th St NW, 20004. For reservations or more information please call (202) 628-1005 or visit www.oyamel.com. 

Todd Gray’s Equinox will host its 13th annual Winter Solstice Celebration on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 Sip selections from acclaimed new Delaplane, Va. winery RdV Vineyards and groove to local roots-rockers The Walkaways. To enjoy with your wine Chef Gray will prepare Fatty Crab Beignets, Crispy Duck Spring Rolls, 24-Hour Brisket, Agnolotti of House-Made Ricotta, Pancetta-Wrapped Cervena Venison Medallions, and Smoked Apple Chestnut Soup, Apple Cider Beignets and Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars. The Equinox Winter Solstice Party is $100 per person, including tax and gratuity. Reservations are requested. 818 Connecticut Ave, N.W. (202) 331-8118 for reservations or visit Equinox on the web at www.equinoxrestaurant.com 

Holiday Cookie Decorating – On Sunday, December 23rd, beginning at 12PM, Union Market will offer holiday cookie decorating and hot cocoa for families and friends. Join Frenchie’s Bakery for this holiday tradition. 

Truffles Galore!  The chic Italian restaurant, Bibiana Osteria-Enoteca is hosting a unique treat - a Winter Black Truffle Dinner. On Saturday, December 29th. Executive Chef, Nicholas Stefanelli will present not one, but a three-course truffle-fabulous tasting menu. This evening of truffle delights will replace the traditional menu, beginning with truffle foccica and continuing with an antipasta and pasta of your choosing, with each course showcasing the featured winter black truffle. To complete the evening's tastings, guests may find difficulty selecting one of the three desserts created by Pastry Chef, Jemil Gadea. The event's premier winter black truffles have been sourced by Chef Stefanelli from Norcia, Italy where they are generally harvested in late autumn and winter. Though these little gems are worth their weight in gold, Bibiana's Winter Black Truffle Dinner has been affordably priced at $60 per person (tax and gratuity not included). As if this opportunity were not enough, for an additional $40, Bibiana's Wine Director, Michael King, has carefully selected Italian wine to enhance the experience. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-serve basis with capacity for 200 people. Dinner service is from 5:30 pm - 11:00 pm.  For reservations and information, please call (202) 216-9550 or visit www.BibianaDC.com.

Buy a Treat “So Others Might Eat”:  This holiday season, Ripple’s Sugar Magnolia is donating 50% of the proceeds from all pies, cheesecakes and Bûches de Noël to the DC charity So Others Might Eat.  Dessert offerings include bourbon caramel pecan pie, pumpkin spice pie, white chocolate peppermint cheesecake, ginger snap ice cream sandwiches, and double chocolate peppermint bark.  Treats can be picked up from the shop in Cleveland Park or placed in advance by emailing alison@rippledc.com.  For more information, visit http://rippledc.com/pages/calendar/718/pies-for-the-holidays.