Upcoming Events: Sips and Suppers, Union Market and More!

Sips and Suppers Fundraiser This Weekend: Sips and Suppers, a two-day celebration of food and community hosted by Jose Andres, Joan Nathan, and Alice Waters, will raise money for DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table. Now in its fifth year, the event has grown to include almost 100 acclaimed chefs, mixologists, and food artisans from across the country and around the world. Sips will be held at the Newseum on Saturday, January 26 from 7-9 p.m. and will include food, wine and cocktail tastings, live jazz music, and live cooking demos. Tickets are $95 per person and can be purchased at http://2013sips.eventbrite.com. Visit http://www.sipsandsuppers.org/sips/artisans-mixologists/ for the full list of Sips participants. Suppers will be held on Sunday evening, January 27 in 26 private homes across D.C. Local and internationally renowned chefs will come together to prepare multi-course meals for small groups in each home. Tickets are $550 per person and can be purchased at http://2013suppers.eventbrite.com. Visit www.sipsandsuppers.org/suppers/chefs/ for a full list of Suppers chefs. All proceeds from both events benefit DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s Table.

Vintage Crystal: 1K Beer Walks – January 26 and 27, 1pm – 5pm: The Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID), in partnership with Vornado/Charles E. Smith and WashingtonWineAcademy.org, are hosting an afternoon of sipping and sampling dozens of beer varieties while exploring all that Crystal City has to offer. Walkers will make their way through a fun, indoor course at the Crystal City Shops. Heats will start every half hour in the Crystal City Shops @ 2200 (2200 Crystal Drive) and will finish on the 12th floor of 251 18th Street. Tickets are $38.50 and include 20 Tasting Tickets and T-Shirt. Purchase tickets at  WashingtonWineAcademy.org.

Gear Up for the Big Game at Union Market:  Start your preparations for the SuperBowl at Union Market on Sunday, January 27 from 11-3pm.  All day long Union Market will be hosting a variety of events for guests to learn easy, Do-It-Yourself recipes for Game Day.   Nycci Nellis, from Foodie and the Beast will kick off the event by broadcasting her radio show live from Union Market and interviewing vendors about the best items to cook, drink, prepare and style for a Super Bowl party.  After the broadcast, shoppers can enjoy a lesson from Salt and Sundry’s Amanda McClements on how to style your Super Bowl Sunday buffet table, How-To’s for burgers and hot dogs from Harvey’s Market, “Take and Bake” appetizers and cooking demonstrations from Rappahannock Oyster Bar, Mixology tips from Buffalo and Bergen’s Gina Chersevani on Game Day beer cocktails and a showcase of beer & cheese pairings and a cheese dip from Righteous Cheese.  In addition to the above events, Union Market shoppers can look for flash giveaways and sweepstakes surrounding the DIY Game Day event by following us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UnionMarketDC, Twitter: www.twitter.com/UnionMarketDC  #DIYUM and online at www.UnionMarketDC.com.   Join us at Union Market to get your Game Day ready!

Do you wax poetic over a good cut of steak? Are your BBQ's fretted with discussion about dry rub vs. vinegar based or marinade? No need to sojourn south, DC's 4th Annual Meat Week is January 27-February 3 and will be held at eight select establishments throughout the DC area.  For the event schedule and more information, please visit www.meatweek.com/chapters/washingtondc.  Meat Week is a loosely organized event, participants can attend as many or as few as they prefer. All are welcome and attendees generally order and pay for their food individually.   

Winter Wine Classes at Vinoteca from 7-9 p.m.  January 29: "You can walk, I'll take a CAB!"  Nothing is better in the winter than a nice, rich glass of Cabernet, and this class will take guests on a tasting journey of Cabernets from around the world.  All wine classes are $40 per person plus tax and include a tasting of 5-6 wines, food pairings and a $5 gift card to the restaurant.

Sugar and Champagne:  Come celebrate all things sugary and sweet on January 31^st at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. For the 12^thconsecutive year, Chef Todd Gray and Ellen Kassoff Gray of Equinox Restaurant and Muse at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Salamander Resort are our gracious hosts, and will be honoring our local crusaders against animal cruelty. All proceeds will directly benefit the animals and programs of the Washington Humane Society.

Have a great pie recipe you want to share with the DC area? Check out the 3rd Makes-Me-Wanna SHOUT! Baking Challenge™  which is baking and making memories while building community around food. The 2013 Makes-Me-Wanna SHOUT! Pie Baking Challenge is open to passionate amateur bakers ages 18 years and up residing in the Washington DC metropolitan area.  First prize is $500, the winning pie on the Eatonville Restaurant (www.eatonvillerestaurant.com) dessert menu, a $250 Gift Card for purchases on the King Arthur Flour online catalogue, and 3 hours of business strategy consulting services from Operation: Eatery to get a baking business started on the right foot. The entry form is available online at www.shoutbakingchallenge.com and must be received by February 4, 2013.  For a paper form, mail a self-addressed stamped envelope to Pie Baking Challenge, c/o Michon Boston Group, P.O. Box 21204, Washington, DC 20009 (Mailed entries must be postmarked February 4, 2013 and received by February 6, 2013) Up to 12 entries will be selected for the semi-finals tasting and judging March 23, 2013 at Martha’s Table.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit Martha’s Table (www.marthastable.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping at-risk children, youth, families and individuals in the DC community improve their lives by providing educational programs, food, clothing and enrichment opportunities.

Winter Wine Classes at Vinoteca from 7-9 p.m.  February 12: "Sweets for your Sweets"  Just in time for Valentine's Day, Vinoteca will share a selection of bubbles and dessert wines perfect for celebrating the day of love with that 'special someone.'

Winter Wine Classes at Vinoteca from 7-9 p.m.  February 19: 'The Grape Everyone Loves to Hate"  Not all Chardonnays are 'oaky', and Vinoteca is setting out to showcase different styles of the varietal that will turn any Chardonnay-hater into its biggest advocate.

Winter Wine Classes at Vinoteca from 7-9 p.m.  February 26: Argentine and Chilean Wine Dinner  Vinoteca is partnering with Vino del Sol Imports and Tom Clare, local South American wine expert, for an Argentine + Chilean Wine Dinner. Executive Chef Lonnie Zoeller will prepare a delicious four-course meal of South American fare with expert wine pairings from wineries such as Altocedro and Zolo.

  

CHEF TAKEOVERS AND NEW TASTING MENUS AT GRAFFIATO: Chef Mike Isabella is opening his kitchens at Graffiato for both his team and guest chefs to showcase their menus. Graffiato will offer a series of new menus and events on Sundays and Mondays, including a unique 12-course tasting menu from sous chef, Adam Brick; seasonal wine dinners with chef de cuisine, Marjorie Meek-Bradley; and monthly Industry Takeover nights with guest chefs and mixologists. Brick’s Gem Tasting Menu will be offered for $85 at the six-seat ham bar on Graffiato’s second floor at 8 p.m. every Sunday and Monday. The menu includes food “gems” made of often scare ingredients like lamb neck, pig snout and tuna marrow. Reservations are taken one month in advance by e-mailing requests to events@graffiatodc.com. The five-course Seasonal Wine Dinners will take place one Monday per season. The next wine dinner is set for Monday, March 11, 2013, and will be co-hosted by Italian winemaker, Cesare Benvenuto, from Pio Cesare. Industry Takeover Nights will occur on the first Monday of every month from 10 p.m. - 1 p.m.