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Eater's Guide to Inauguration-Themed Specials

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The party might not be as all-encompassing in Washington for President Obama's upcoming inaugural ceremony as it was back in 2009, but plenty of restaurants are planning special presidential-themed menu items and parties during the long weekend from January 18 through January 21. Here now is a map with 17 places where you can mark the occasion, whether it's at a Hawaiian luau, or with a Chicago hot dog or Obama-tini.
—Adele Chapin

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Firefly

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Pair a Chicago-style hot dog with a Hawaiian Koloa rum specialty cocktail at Firefly, which will be open till 1 a.m. January 18 through January 20. The specialty cocktails are $13 and $7.50 during the special late night happy hour from 11 p.m. till 1 a.m. And Firefly will also serve brunch with $2 mimosas on Inauguration day.

Wildfire Restaurant

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Wildfire's $13.95 lunch specials during inauguration weekend will celebrate Obama's old hood — there's a Chicago-style italian beef and a spicy chopped chicken giardiniera salad. Oh yeah, they'll be celebrating America too with a special American deluxe burger with bacon, pickles, and thousand island homemade coleslaw, paired with french fries.

Hill Country Barbecue Market

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Hill Country will be open and serving their full bar menu till 4 a.m. for inauguration parties on both Sunday, January 20 and Monday, January 21. On inauguration day, the restaurant will serve breakfast starting at 8 a.m., with a special pop-up breakfast taco stand inside dishing out brisket and egg tacos and coffee from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The kitchen will serve its normal menu from 11:30 a.m. on, with Presidential drink specials throughout the day, like a $5 Commander-in-Chief champagne cocktail and $1 POTUS-pop Jell-O shots. The party keeps going into the evening, with free live band karaoke kicking off at 7 p.m.

Napoleon Bistro Lounge

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Apparently Obama's favorite drink is black forest berry iced tea, so Napoleon Bistro is unveiling a special inauguration cocktail, the Black Forest Bonapartini. It will be available for $10 from January 18 through January 21.

Equinox

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Chef Todd Gray is planning a special inaugural brunch menu featuring the favorite foods of President Obama and Martin Luther King Jr. The $35 three course brunch will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, January 20, and will include dishes like Georgia pecan pie, Barack's Angus beef burger, and maple-red wine pork sausage on cheddar grits.

Tap and Parlour

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Brightest Young Things is taking over U Street's Tap & Parlour/Bohemian Caverns/LIV venue from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. on inauguration day, offering a slew of entertainment options including performances by musicians, DJs, and comedians. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be for sale in Tap & Parlour, and tickets to the event cost $15 for early bird purchase, $20 online, and $25 for day of tickets.

Poste Moderne Brasserie

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Brooklyn Brewery Lager, Goose Island 312, Chocolate City Copper Ale: At Poste, find a special inaugural selection of beers from the places Obama has called home.

DC3 will serve an Egg-Nauguration Breakfast Dog for $4.99 over the long weekend, from January 18 through January 21. That's a housemade breakfast sausage served on French toast butter loaf with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, and maple syrup.

Bayou Bakery

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There's more than one inauguration hot dog in town: try Bayou Bakery's POTUS dog, featuring two Chicago-style beef hot dogs topped with onion, dill pickle spears, roasted sundried tomatoes, pickled sport peppers, relish, mustard, and celery salt.

Acadiana

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Acadiana and sister restaurants Ceiba, DC Coast, and District Commons are all serving the "Sparkling Second Term" specialty cocktail, made with Averell Damson plum gin, Leopold Brothers New York apple whiskey, housemaid lemon bitters and a splash of cave.

Marcel's

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As a nod to President Obama's Hawaiian roots, chef Robert Weidmaier will serve Hawaiian Onaga snapper with snap pea risotto and ginger sesame pea tendrils at Marcel's.

Brasserie Beck

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Order an Obama-tini — a mix of Ketel One, Hypnotiq passion fruit liqueur, and Blue Curaçao — at both Brasserie Beck and sister restaurant Mussel Bar & Grille in Bethesda.

Lincoln

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Try six U.S. presidents' favorite foods when you order the special inauguration $45 six-course tasting menu at Lincoln restaurant, which will be available January 18 through the 21. Your dinner through the administrations begins with JFK fish chowder and Lincoln oyster salad, followed by Obama olive oil-poached salmon, Clinton cornflake baked fried chicken, Roosevelt rabbit shepherd's pie, and with Ronald Reagan monkey bread pudding for dessert.

ChurchKey

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Churchkey is hosting a gala of its own, the Inaugural Brewers Ball, which will draw in brewers from outfits like Allagash Brewing Company, Schlafly Beer, Heavy Seas, and Flying Dog Brewery, among others. Ringing in at $150 a ticket, the event will be held on Monday, January 21 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., and in addition all that beer, guests will nosh on stationed and passed bites from Birch & Bailey chef Kyle Bailey and pastry chef Tiffany MacIsaac. Call (202) 567-2576 to purchase a ticket.

BLT Steak

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Specialty cocktails in honor of the president and the veep will be available on January 21 at Bourbon Steak: Obama's "Yes We Cantaloupe," featuring rum, maraschino, housemade cantaloupe puree, cayenne pepper and lime, and the "Joe Mac," a mix of Dancing Pines bourbon, Drambuie, Brooklyn Pilsner, lemon wedge and orange bitters.

Tortilla Coast

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If a Chicago dog is too expected, try Obama Chicago-style Guac at Tortilla Coast. It's exactly what it sounds like: avocado, relish, onions, and mustard.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon

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On inauguration day starting at 6 p.m., Jack Rose is throwing a Hawaiian luau on its heated roof deck to fete Obama, with a pig roast, SPAM sliders, tiki cocktails, beer from Hawaii's Kona Brewing Co., grass skirts, leis, and hula dancers.

Firefly

Pair a Chicago-style hot dog with a Hawaiian Koloa rum specialty cocktail at Firefly, which will be open till 1 a.m. January 18 through January 20. The specialty cocktails are $13 and $7.50 during the special late night happy hour from 11 p.m. till 1 a.m. And Firefly will also serve brunch with $2 mimosas on Inauguration day.

Wildfire Restaurant

Wildfire's $13.95 lunch specials during inauguration weekend will celebrate Obama's old hood — there's a Chicago-style italian beef and a spicy chopped chicken giardiniera salad. Oh yeah, they'll be celebrating America too with a special American deluxe burger with bacon, pickles, and thousand island homemade coleslaw, paired with french fries.

Hill Country Barbecue Market

Hill Country will be open and serving their full bar menu till 4 a.m. for inauguration parties on both Sunday, January 20 and Monday, January 21. On inauguration day, the restaurant will serve breakfast starting at 8 a.m., with a special pop-up breakfast taco stand inside dishing out brisket and egg tacos and coffee from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The kitchen will serve its normal menu from 11:30 a.m. on, with Presidential drink specials throughout the day, like a $5 Commander-in-Chief champagne cocktail and $1 POTUS-pop Jell-O shots. The party keeps going into the evening, with free live band karaoke kicking off at 7 p.m.

Napoleon Bistro Lounge

Apparently Obama's favorite drink is black forest berry iced tea, so Napoleon Bistro is unveiling a special inauguration cocktail, the Black Forest Bonapartini. It will be available for $10 from January 18 through January 21.

Equinox

Chef Todd Gray is planning a special inaugural brunch menu featuring the favorite foods of President Obama and Martin Luther King Jr. The $35 three course brunch will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, January 20, and will include dishes like Georgia pecan pie, Barack's Angus beef burger, and maple-red wine pork sausage on cheddar grits.

Tap and Parlour

Brightest Young Things is taking over U Street's Tap & Parlour/Bohemian Caverns/LIV venue from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. on inauguration day, offering a slew of entertainment options including performances by musicians, DJs, and comedians. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be for sale in Tap & Parlour, and tickets to the event cost $15 for early bird purchase, $20 online, and $25 for day of tickets.

Poste Moderne Brasserie

Brooklyn Brewery Lager, Goose Island 312, Chocolate City Copper Ale: At Poste, find a special inaugural selection of beers from the places Obama has called home.

DC-3

DC3 will serve an Egg-Nauguration Breakfast Dog for $4.99 over the long weekend, from January 18 through January 21. That's a housemade breakfast sausage served on French toast butter loaf with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, and maple syrup.

Bayou Bakery

There's more than one inauguration hot dog in town: try Bayou Bakery's POTUS dog, featuring two Chicago-style beef hot dogs topped with onion, dill pickle spears, roasted sundried tomatoes, pickled sport peppers, relish, mustard, and celery salt.

Acadiana

Acadiana and sister restaurants Ceiba, DC Coast, and District Commons are all serving the "Sparkling Second Term" specialty cocktail, made with Averell Damson plum gin, Leopold Brothers New York apple whiskey, housemaid lemon bitters and a splash of cave.

Marcel's

As a nod to President Obama's Hawaiian roots, chef Robert Weidmaier will serve Hawaiian Onaga snapper with snap pea risotto and ginger sesame pea tendrils at Marcel's.

Brasserie Beck

Order an Obama-tini — a mix of Ketel One, Hypnotiq passion fruit liqueur, and Blue Curaçao — at both Brasserie Beck and sister restaurant Mussel Bar & Grille in Bethesda.

Lincoln

Try six U.S. presidents' favorite foods when you order the special inauguration $45 six-course tasting menu at Lincoln restaurant, which will be available January 18 through the 21. Your dinner through the administrations begins with JFK fish chowder and Lincoln oyster salad, followed by Obama olive oil-poached salmon, Clinton cornflake baked fried chicken, Roosevelt rabbit shepherd's pie, and with Ronald Reagan monkey bread pudding for dessert.

ChurchKey

Churchkey is hosting a gala of its own, the Inaugural Brewers Ball, which will draw in brewers from outfits like Allagash Brewing Company, Schlafly Beer, Heavy Seas, and Flying Dog Brewery, among others. Ringing in at $150 a ticket, the event will be held on Monday, January 21 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., and in addition all that beer, guests will nosh on stationed and passed bites from Birch & Bailey chef Kyle Bailey and pastry chef Tiffany MacIsaac. Call (202) 567-2576 to purchase a ticket.

BLT Steak

Specialty cocktails in honor of the president and the veep will be available on January 21 at Bourbon Steak: Obama's "Yes We Cantaloupe," featuring rum, maraschino, housemade cantaloupe puree, cayenne pepper and lime, and the "Joe Mac," a mix of Dancing Pines bourbon, Drambuie, Brooklyn Pilsner, lemon wedge and orange bitters.

Related Maps

Tortilla Coast

If a Chicago dog is too expected, try Obama Chicago-style Guac at Tortilla Coast. It's exactly what it sounds like: avocado, relish, onions, and mustard.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon

On inauguration day starting at 6 p.m., Jack Rose is throwing a Hawaiian luau on its heated roof deck to fete Obama, with a pig roast, SPAM sliders, tiki cocktails, beer from Hawaii's Kona Brewing Co., grass skirts, leis, and hula dancers.

Related Maps