We Love Food: DC Eats for September

Photo courtesy of
‘Autumn of my Life’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

Summer may be over, but good food goes on. You can eat your sad feelings about colder weather and fewer hours of daylight coming at some of these events happening this month in the city.
Photo courtesy of
‘ChurchKey: Opening Night’
courtesy of ‘pjcoleman’

You say jazz and beer and immediately my ears perk up. ChurchKey is hosting a Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz Benefit September 10th from 2 til 6 PM along with the North Coast Brewing Company. You’ll get to sip rare brews, nine of which are from North Coast, while listening to a live jazz trio. Word on the street is beer aficionados will get to sample Grand Cru on draft, a 67 percent ale brewed with agave nectar and aged in oak barrels. Admission is free, but proceeds from the event will go to the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz which provides promising musicians with college level jazz training and public school-based jazz education programs.

Photo courtesy of

‘Anacostia Fish Market #39 (Raw Bar)’
courtesy of ‘andertho’

Black Restaurant Group is hosting their second annual “Pig Out for Diabetes.” The barbecue competition out at Black Market Bistro will have a silent auction, art show and events for kids and the proceeds will go towards building a new kitchen at the Washington Nationals Diabetes Care Complex for kids with diabetes. From 12 til 5 PM on September 10th, you can chow down on burgers, BBQ pork and more. You can buytickets for $40 in advance and $50 at the door, and $20 for children under 12.
Update: Black Restaurant Group cancelled the “Pig Out for Diabetes;” however, their fundraiser at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace is still on. The proceeds from that will go towards building a new kitchen at the Washington National Diabetes Care Complex for children with diabetes. You can head to Pearl Dive Oyster Palace in the evening for their pre-opening party from 6 PM til 1:30 AM.Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 at the door.

For my fellow oyster addicts, Legal Seafood is hosting an Oyster Festival starting September 19 through October 16. The locations in the Washington area (downtown, Bethesda, Crystal City and Tysons Corner) will serve raw oysters on the half shell for $2.50 per oyster, $13.95 for a half dozen and $26.95 for a dozen. Plus, they’ll also be featuring a variety of dishes ranging from oyster stew to oyster po’ boys.

Photo courtesy of
‘A Little Something to Touch the Heart………..’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

The new Dupont Circle location of Ping Pong Dim Sum is hosting a grand opening party on September 15 from 7 til 11 PM. For $35 per person, you’ll get to take advantage of an open bar and hors d’oeuvres, while you check out the new space and listen to battling DJs.

The Brainfood Grill-Off fundraiser is back for a fifth year on September 15 from 6:30 til 9:30 PM. Local chefs, including Kyle Bailey of Birch & Barley and Teddy Folkman of Granville Moore’s, will compete in an Iron Chef-style cookoff. Tickets are $75 each for dinner and drinks and the proceeds will help Brainfood launch their Community MVPs program which aims at teaching youths to encourage their peers to cook and eat healthy food.

Should you need a break from all that eating, you can go listen to Diana Kennedy and José Andrés speak about Mexican food and its influence on American dining as part of the National Archives America Eats exhibit. Tickets are free to the event on September 15th at 7 PM and will be distributed first-come, first-serve at 6 PM at the William G. McGowan Theater. Kennedy will also be available to sign her cookbook, Oaxaca al Gusto, after the event.

Round out your month with a beef-focused cooking class at BLT Steak with executive chef Victor Albisu. If you’re adventurous enough for the “Snout to Tail” class, you’ll learn about traditional cuts of beef as well as how to prepare beef heart, sweetbreads and kidneys. The class is on September 24th from 12:30 til 3 PM and is $100 per person for the cooking demonstration and a four-course lunch. To reserve a spot in the class, call Erica Frank at 202-689-8989.

Marissa was born and bred in New Jersey, but moved to DC for undergrad at GWU (Go Colonials, go!), fell in love with the District and learned that there was life and civilization beyond New York City. She loves eating at white-tablecloth-three-forks-at-your-place-setting restaurants, but she’ll also be the first to suggest we scarf down some chili dogs at 2 am. Simply put, she loves all things food. You can also read about why she loves DC. Follow her on Twitter and email her at mbialecki (at) welovedc.com.

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