Milk Bar’s Now Serving Birthday Cake-Flavored Lattes in D.C.

Caffeine nation

The new hot drinks Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi told Eater about a few weeks ago — a roster that includes lattes that taste like cereal milk, crack pie, and birthday cake — are now flowing at its Citycenter and Wharf locations (and nationwide, too). During the “latte happy hours this week (2 p.m. to 4 p.m., through Friday, March 2), anyone who orders a latte will receive a free birthday cake truffle.

Developments

Restaurateur Jamie Leeds is introducing weekday lunch service at Hank’s Pasta Bar in Old Town Alexandria on Monday, March 5. In addition to a la carte offerings there will be two express lunch deals: the Veloce ($11 per person) pairs a house salad with half a sandwich, while the Presto ($13) summons salad and half-plate of pasta.

Food TV

Radiator chef Jonathan Dearden defeated two other competitors with a curry-spiked seafood paella to emerge as East Coast champ of The Chew’s “Best Chef on the Block” cook-off. The rice dish and special crab cake that originally earned him a spot on the show are projected to pop up on the Logan Circle restaurant’s menu throughout the year.

Pop-ups

Washingtonian reports that orchestrating the elaborate pop-up bars Drink Company has taken to rotating through its Shaw properties — next up: a new Cherry Blossom Pub — has become so demanding, the hospitality group has hired two, full-time “special projects” coordinators to make it all happen. Their current assignment: arranging hundreds of fake butterflies, nearly 100,000 fake blossoms, and making sure an animatronic Godzilla is ready to rumble on Thursday, March 1.