The Fourth of July is always a time for festivities in Washington’s restaurants. Here are a few specials this year:
At Fogo de Chao (1101 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) children 12 and under dine for free Friday to Monday with purchase of an adult Churrasco lunch or dinner or an a la carte seafood entree! Reservations are required, and guests simply need to mention “Fogo4th” in order to take advantage of this offer.
Washington’s only Panamanian restaurant, Esencias Panamenas (3322 Georgia Ave. NW) will create a July 4 cocktail called “Panama Special.” It is the drink for Panama’s equivalent of our Independence Day, celebrated on Nov. 3. Red is the hibiscus flower with ginger, white is Panama’s white rum, and the blue is blue curacao. The restaurant is offering a culinary tour of the 10 provinces of Panama with specially prepared dishes through July 23. Specials change weekly, and will be available for lunch, dinner and brunch.
The Hay Adams Hotel (800 16th St. NW) is celebrating the Fourth in its elegant Lafayette Room with a three-course, prix-fixe menu featuring chilled soups, crab cakes and an extensive raw bar. In the Hay Adams Room, a buffet includes barbecued chicken and ribs. The hotel is serving a Stars & Stripes cocktail, a combination of pomegranate berry tea-infused vodka, curacao and lemonade, garnished with a red-and-blue sugared rim.
Espita Mezcaleria (1250 Ninth St. NW) will celebrate with a variety of barbecue-themed foods and drink specials on Monday from 11:30 a.m. until 1 a.m. The restaurant’s culinary team will be serving hot dogs, hamburguesa tortas, ribs, chicken, steak and tacos on the outdoor patio. The barbecued ribs menu also will be available inside the restaurant.
The Cafe du Parc at the Willard InterContinental Hotel (1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) will feature its annual block party-style barbecue on its outdoor terrace on the Fourth, accompanied by live music from noon to 8 p.m. Hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken and vegetarian wraps are on the menu. Carry-out lunches, starting at $15, include an entree from the grill, coleslaw, chips and a bottle or water.
From July 17 to 21, in honor of the 185th Belgian National Day celebrated on July 21, Brasserie Beck (1101 K St. NW) and Mussel Bar & Grille locations in Bethesda, Arlington and Baltimore will feature Belgian food and drink specials. The restaurants will be serving a marinated turkey doner kebab sandwich, a Belgian street specialty, for lunch. Each day of that week, guests who check in on Facebook during dinner will receive a $20 gift card to use on a future visit. There will be specials each day during Belgian week.
The Knightsbridge Restaurant Group Tomato Festival is back. From July 11 to Aug. 13 701 Restaurant, Bibiana Osteria, The Oval Room, Ardeo + Bardeo and NoPa Kitchen + Bar will offer three-course menus with tomato appetizers, main courses and even desserts. The tasting menus will be available at lunch and dinner. Bombay Club, Rasika and Rasika West End will offer a daily tomato special.
701 Restaurant (701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) also is featuring live jazz performances this summer. On Friday and Saturday evenings through July 9, between 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. guests can dine on a special three-course, prix-fixe menu, priced at $55 per person or $75 with wine pairings.
PassionFish (7187 Woodmont Ave., Bethesda, and 11960 Democracy Drive, Reston) is offering a summer three-course “Fast & Fit” weekday menu to keep patrons in shape for beach vacations. Priced at $18, the menu offers lean and luscious dishes, such as caramelized sea scallops on Mondays, mahi-mahi on Tuesdays, grilled swordfish on Wednesdays, Icelandic char fillet on Thursdays and blue shrimp on Fridays, all with appropriate accompaniments.
Slate Wine Bar + Bistro (2404 Wisconsin Ave. NW) is featuring a variety of cheeses and a selection of wine flights in its “Wine & Cheese Festival” this summer. The cheese menu includes Parmesan puffs, fried Brie with mixed berry compote, goat cheese with bacon-wrapped dates, an American artisan cheese plate and a European tour cheese plate. Wine flights include sparkling selections and “interesting” whites and reds.
Savino Recine has sold his restaurant Primi Piatti (2013 I St. NW) and is retiring at the end of July. The last two dinners featuring his magic show will take place on two Thursdays, July 14 and 21. The special Italian menu, which includes tuna tartare, braised artichoke bottoms and hanger steak, is priced at $95 per person. Arrival time for the magic show and dinner is 6:15-6:30 p.m. on both evenings. Arrivederci, Savino!
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