U Street’s Vinoteca Extends Rosé Specials Through September, Plus More Intel

Rosé is here to stay at Vinoteca

Having already gone all-in on pink drinks last month with its Rosé All May promotion, neighborhood wine bar Vinoteca is now upping the ante by retaining the featured wines, cocktails, ciders, sangrias, and booze-spiked ice cream floats into the fall. Everything is now scheduled to remain in place at the florally enhanced outdoor patio until the end of September. In addition, the bar has picked up the Rosita Vermouth cocktail from sibling establishment, Royal.

Bourbon Steak adopts Hawaiian theme for the summer

Georgetowners unable to get to the islands (or Shaw) in the near future can get a taste of paradise at Bourbon Steak’s lounge this month. The Michael Mina-owned restaurant is featuring an island-themed menu cribbed from Mina’s latest project in Honolulu, The Street. Featured additions include a burger topped with Maui onion and sandwiched between a sweet potato bun ($19), zesty sausage dressed with pineapple mustard ($15), as well as Baja tuna and snapper-laced poke ($19). There’s also tropical drinks involved, including a Big Kahuna punch bowl ($46; designed for up to four guests) loaded with house blended rum, Absolut Elyx, Licor 43, and fresh fruit, all topped with pineapple foam, and served in a copper pineapple.

Do some good: drink Negronis

The return of Negroni Week (why wait?), happening June 5 through June 11, has prompted many local restaurants to mix up modern interpretations of the iconic cocktail. It also means that a handful of local charities stand to reap the benefits of the annual promotion thanks to charitable contributions that flow through from each sale.

Potential winners this time around include: food security-minded No Kid Hungry (the designated recipient named by participating restaurants Casolare, Bourbon Steak, Quarter + Glory, Denson Liquor Bar, Kapnos, and Charlie Palmer Steak); breast and ovarian cancer crusaders SHARE Cancer Support (Dirty Habit, Urbana, Wicked Bloom Social Club, and Radiator): anti-homeless organization Miriam’s Kitchen (Service Bar DC, Buffalo & Bergen, Little Coco’s, Roofer’s Union, Dram & Grain, both locations of Beau Thai, Blue 44 Restaurant & Bar, Hank’s Cocktail Bar, Hank’s Oyster Bar, Momofuku DC, Rosario, BKK Thai Cookshop, La Puerta Verde, Ghibellina, Sotto, Graffiato, One Eight Distilling, Alta Strada, and Dino’s Grotto); pro-military Fisher House Foundation (Church & State and Wisdom); preservation-oriented Slow Food International (Founding Farmers in D.C. and Farmers & Distillers); education-focused Inspire Artistic Minds (Ocean Prime); anti-hunger City Harvest (Osteria Morini in D.C.); and health advocacy group Autism Speaks (Acqua al 2).