Time for Bocce at Vinoteca

Is it spring... or are we going straight into summer?  Either way it is that time of year again when we can challenge our friends to a friendly bocce match in Vinoteca's back patio.  You'll enjoy an expanded new Grill Menu of housemade hot dogs, burgers and other grilled snacks. 

Don't miss Chef Lonnie's Who Dat Doggy, a boudin pork dog with grilled red onions and remoulade, and the Barbie Dog, chicken dog with BBQ, cheddar and apple. These join the classic Plaza Dog topped with ketchup/mustard/relish, the Frankfurter topped with homemade sauerkraut and caraway mustard, and a  spiced-up veggie dog. All dogs are $7, and $6 at happy hour.

Burger lovers now have three juicy, grilled-to-order choices: the O.G. Bocce, a local beef burger topped with basil aioli, fresh mozzarella, grilled red onions, lettuce and tomato; the Holy Mother of Pork topped with fig & bacon jam, gruyere and frisee; and for veggie lovers, the Ciao Fungo, a portobella mushroom burger topped with roasted red pepper, feta and arugula. The O.G. Bocce and Holy Mother of Pork burgers are $9 ($8 at happy hour), and the Ciao Fungo is $7 ($6 at happy hour).

Get your drink on!  There's nothing better in the spring than a refreshing al fresco libation, and mixologist Horus Alvarez has created a new spring cocktail menu to enjoy on the Plaza. Vinoteca's take on a Caipirinha, the Pra Caramba! ($11) combines Velho Cachaça, grilled mango juice, fresh lime and sugar, garnished with a fresh mint sprig. Alvarez' Green Excitement ($11) is his own gin & tonic creation combining Green Hat gin, cucumber-mint-jalapeño water, orange bitters and tonic water and the Sidecar's Sidekick ($12)was inspired by the classic Prohibition cocktail, made with Paul Beau 6yr Cognac, Combier orange liqueur, Pür Pear Williams Liqueur, fresh lemon juice, sugar and orange zest.

Vinoteca also has a Red Sangria on the menu ($8 glass/$32 pitcher) made with Torres 10 Brandy, Taylor Port, fresh citrus, cinnamon and apple.

And the best part is the bocce court. Vinoteca's oyster-shell court setting on the Plaza is reminiscent of a European courtyard. Welcoming bocce pros and novices alike, the court is open Wednesday - Friday from 5 p.m. to close, and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to close (on Monday and Tuesday evenings the court is reserved for DC Bocce League play).

Vinoteca offers happy hour every day (Monday-Sunday) on the Plaza from 5 to 7 p.m. with $5 wines, $5 Peronis and discounted small plates. Brunch is also served on the Plaza and sidewalk patio on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, please visit www.vinotecadc.com or call 202.332.9463.