Upcoming Events

4/10: The NoMa Business Improvement District and Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington have teamed up to showcase the area’s rising culinary stars and top pastry chefs in the rapidly growing NoMa neighborhood. The event is free and open to the public, but guests must pre-register by April 3 at www.nomabid.org/annualmeeting. Visit www.nomabid.org for more about the NoMa BID and www.therammys.orgfor more information on the 32nd Annual RAMMY Awards Gala.

Friday 4/11/14 Take cover from the predicted April showers on Friday at the Warner Theatre. Live Nation presents comedian Lewis Black in his stand up show The Rant is Due. The show starts at 8:00 PM and tickets are still available at WarnerTheatreDC.com.  

GCDC, Washington's first grilled cheese-centric restaurant and cheese bar, isofficially opening its doors on Friday, April 11, located one block from the White House on the city's famed Pennsylvania Avenue. The next day (Saturday, April12), GCDC will celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day with $5 grilled cheese sandwiches and half-priced draft beers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

On Saturday, April 12th, Partners Aaron Gordon, Robert Underwood, and brothers Ari and Micah Wilder will softly open Red Light, Cocktails & Dessert Bar at 1401 R Street, NW. A limited dessert menu will run for two weeks, from April 12th through April 26th. Guests can stop by nightly, from 4 PM to close, to indulge in the restaurants show-stopping desserts and innovative cocktails. 

The Capital Area Food Bank's Annual Blue Jeans Ball returns for an 11th year.  Slide a full wallet in the pockets of your best jeans: this event includes both a live and silent auction! As you decide which items to bid on, sample dishes from 30+ restaurants including Restaurant Nora, Cava Mezze, Oyamel, Hank's Oyster Bar, and Black's Bar & Kitchen. The event will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel (2660 Woodley Rd NW) from 6-10 pm. Tickets are $200, and can be purchased at the door (online registration is now closed). For more information, visit http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/blue-jeans-ball/

How about a side of American Roots Music normally found in TX with your barbeque? Hill Country Barbeque and Market in DC stays true to its roots by featuring Hill Country Live – bringing the spirit of Austin and the music of Texas beyond its borders to us here in DC! On Monday, April 14, Hill Country is featuring The Memphis Dawls & Dead Soldiers. There’s no cover for the show which begins at 8:30pm. For more information, please visithttp://music.hillcountrywdc.com/

Chef Mike Isabella is on air again. The Top Chef All-Stars Runner-Up will compete in Esquire Network's Knife Fight season two premiere on Tuesday, April 15, 9pm EST. Knife Fight, a rowdy, underground chef competition, pits two chefs against each other in a cook-off at show host Ilan Hall's Los Angeles restaurant The Gorbals.

Please join Toki on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 for the second annual Bel'le Dinner in loving memory of Thang Le. Chef Aaron Silverman of Rose's Luxury and chef Erik Bruner-Yang of Toki Underground will prepare an 8-course dinner at $100 per person. A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit Mission Excellence DC. Space is limited and reservations are required. Please email info@tokiunderground.com for reservations.

Photos by Emily Clack and Kristen Finn