It’s almost 2019. Here is everything you need to know to eat and drink your way through the last few weeks of 2018.
DECEMBER EVENTS
Mezcal Under the Mistletoe
This is the party I need to go go to this holiday season.  With mezcal cocktails, holiday eats, mezcal tastings, an ugly sweater contest with boozy prizes, under-the-mistletoe Polaroid photo ops, holiday gift bags, games, holiday movies and more, the Royal’s Mezcal Under the Mistletoe party sounds way better than my work holiday party. The event will take place on Wednesday, December 19 from 6:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.; tickets can be purchases here for $60.
Family Style Georgian Feasts at Supra
Supra is offering two nights of unlimited Georgian food + wine, complete with a Georgian toastmaster and plenty of khachapuri, on December 19 and January 10. Both dinners will start at 8:00 p.m. and tickets to the family-style feast are $125, including wine, gratuity and tax. Come hungry.
Holiday Tea at the Ritz-Carlton
Through December 30 from 2:30pm – 4:30pm, the Ritz will be hosting afternoon tea. Stuff your face with homemade scones, tea sandwiches, and pastries, and wash it all down with tea and/or classic champagne cocktails.
Celebrate the holidays like the Irish
There’s no better way to get into the holiday spirit than with half-price whiskey. The Dubliner Pub on Capitol Hill will be hosting their second annual Irish Whiskey Advent Calendar through December 23, which means guests can enjoy a different highlighted whiskey every day at half-price.
Jewish Christmas at Espita
In celebration of the upcoming holidays, Espita will host a Jewish Christmas on December 23 from 8pm – 11pm. The team will feature an array of specialty food and drink items with all proceeds going to Carecen, a local non-profit that helps to facilitate Latino immigrants’ transition to the US.
Ugly Sweater Brunch at City Tap House
City Tap Penn Quarter and City Tap Dupont with both host an ugly sweater brunch on Christmas Eve from 11am to 4pm. The wearer of the most hideous sweater will take home a $25 gift card (one winner at each location.) Even if you don’t win, you will be winning because the brunch features items like Santa pancakes, spiked cider, and boozy eggnog, in addition to $9 bottomless mimosas.
Feast of Seven Fishes at San Lorenzo
This Italian feast will take place at San Lorenzo on two nights, Sunday, December 23 and Monday, December 24, with a 4-course, prix-fixe meal for $65 per person.
All-Purpose Pizza now offering pizza classes
Do you love the pizza at All-Purpose? Want to make it at home? The chefs at All-Purpose will teach you how. Your class includes lunch, wine and a take-home pizza kit. Book anytime by emailing here, for groups of 20-60.
NATIONAL SANGRIA DAY
You may be spending a lot of time with your relatives very soon. You should just start drinking now. Here is where you can get a winter sangria. National Sangria Day is December 20.
Estadio is serving up a white sangria, with apple and rosemary.
Legal Sea Foods currently has a pear sangria on their menu, made with St. George spiced pear liqueur, Pierre Ferrand Ambre cognac, pear vodka, St. Germain, Moscato, lemon and soda.
Boqueria has a white wine, gin, campari, aperol, and winter grapefruit on the menu.
Agua 101 can offer you a red wine sangria, with brandy, port vodka, fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, sugar, Licor 43, cinnamon, and diced apples. This is the sangria that will keep you warm all winter long.
NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTIES
Everything you need to know is here.
NATIONAL CHAMPAGNE DAY
December 31st is national champagne day (naturally). That doesn’t mean you have to wait until new year’s eve to drink some bubbles. Here are a few places serving up fantastic champagne cocktails and desserts to get you ready for the ball dropping.
Sparkling wine comes in an Italian cocktail called the Settanta Cinque at Centrolina. Made with green hat gin, lavender honey, lemon, and sparkling rose, this drink goes down real easy.
Daikaya has a new beverage director, Monica Lee, and she just introduced The Ritzy, with aperol, elderflower, and sparkling sake, to their beverage menu.
For a Spanish champagne cocktail try Taberna del Alabardero’s black mojito, with rum, sugar, lime, sprite, mint, crème de cassis and cava. The restaurant is also currently offering a lemon and cava sorbet for dessert.
Jaleo is serving up fizzy cava sangria at all locations.
Georgetown Cupcakes may not have a champagne-infused cupcake, but they do have cupcakes adorned with champagne bottle embossed fondant.
The Sweet Lobby has a black and white bubbly macaroon.
The Service Bar is now serving a champagne cocktail with rujero singani, which is a Bolivian spirit, pomegranate, lime, egg white, and sparkling wine.
NEW MENUS, NEW VENUES
New fondue at Stable
D.C.’s only Swiss restaurant, Stable, is adding the Belper Knolle, a garlic and black pepper fondue that to their menu, as well as a fondue called The Pear, as it has Pear Williams stirred into the bubbling hot cheese for an added boozy boost. They had me at melted cheese.
El Techo reinvents itself
The theme is tropical. Read about it here.
D.C. has a pop-up garbage bar
The Delegate opens
We went to try D.C.’s newest hotel restaurant and here is what we thought.
Garrett Popcorn Shops opens in Reagan Airport
This old-school popcorn shop from Chicago is finally in D.C. I can’t wait to grab a bag of their caramel crisp popcorn, with roasted almonds, pecans and cashews before my next flight.
Punch Bowl Social opens in ArlingtonÂ
We went to check it out. It is huge.
A new hotel opens in D.C.Â
We got drunk at The Moxy and rode a mechanical horse. Learn more here.
A new ping pong place opens downtown Thursday
Hit some balls at Spin.
Knightsbridge Restaurant Group tackles Mediterranean fare in January 2019
Olivia is to replace Nopa Kitchen + Bar, and will serve Mediterranean fare like roasted carrot hummus, cheesey flatbreads, and more.
The Imperial to open in early 2019
This massive venue, from the owners of Jack Rose, will span three floors on the corner of 18th St. and Florida Ave. NW. There will be a dining room and bar on the main floor, a basement cocktail den which will house Dram & Grain, moving from its current space within Jack Rose, and a two-tiered open-air rooftop bar. Bring on the drinks!
A Gastro Caribbean restaurant is coming to D.C.Â
Cane, from Chef Peter Prime the Executive Chef at Spark at Engine Company 12 ,will be located at 403 H Street NE and offer a menu of traditional Caribbean fare. Breakfast, dinner and late-night menus will be offered to start, and lunch is expected to be added later in the year. Â Â Expect items like roti and a selection of curries.
D.C. has some amazing vegetarian dishesÂ
Here is where you can find them.
End the year on a sweet noteÂ
All of the best desserts in the city are listed here.
