Veggie Tales at BLT Steak, Drunk in Love at Cotton & Reed

February 9, 2017

UNION MARKET—Cotton & Reed unofficially rebranded Valentine’s Day as Punch Crunk Love. On Feb. 14 starting at 7 p.m., try different rum punches made by Lukas Smith and Michael Barton (both are also manning the Eighteenth Street Lounge’s new cocktail bar, Addendum, debuting tonight). At the event also preview Cotton & Reed’s experimental Pineapple and Cane Sugar Rum, which will be dubbed Piña Cana. [EaterWire]

DOWNTOWN—BLT Steak DC’s chef de cuisine Jorge Chicas will embrace plant-based eating with the introduction of a new Vegetarian Blackboard menu Feb. 13. Vegetable fans can pick an appetizer, entree, and side course. [EaterWire]

GEORGETOWN—The Fairmont just completed a huge $27 million renovation, and to celebrate, a fun promo for free dinner and drinks for two is under way. To enter, post a picture on social media of a cocktail or bar bites in the hotel’s modernized lobby by Feb. 28 with the hashtag #FairmontLoungeDC. [EaterWire]

Tierney Plumb

February 7, 2017

DUPONT CIRCLE—Toronto-based The Chickery, which nests its U.S. flagship at 1300 Connecticut Ave. NW, is rolling out new menu items this year. First up is the Rotisserie Fried Chicken, which the chain says originally hatched as an after-hours staff favorite. And four new dipping sauces are now in the mix: Garlic Aioli, Chickery Hot, Honey Mustard, and Thai Chili.

GEORGETOWN—The underground speakeasy at The Graham Georgetown has crafted an authentic bathtub gin for a new spin on the classic Gin & Tonic. Hand-made gin, unfiltered tonic, lemon grass, citrus, and quinquina bark are swirled together inside a mini porcelain bathtub. The presentation is finished with fresh mint and a silver straw.

LOGAN CIRCLE—Ice Cream Jubilee is teaming up with new neighbor, Colada Shop, mixing and match ingredients to create two special Valentine’s Day treats: Tres Leches dark rum ice cream ($3.50) and Colada Love Affogato ($5.25), Look for the specialty treats from Feb. 9 to Feb. 19.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS—Surfside is featuring braised beef tongue tacos (accompanied by salsa verde, avocado and cilantro; $11.95) in Dupont and Glover Park throughout the month of February.

UNION MARKET—Laoban Dumplings Saturday plans to unveil it’s latest creation, the Donald Trumpling, during a pop-up appearance at Cotton & Reed. “It's orange, full of bologna, and served with Russian dressing,” Laoban founder Patrick Coyne says of the politically inspired nosh, which is scheduled to debut at 1 p.m.