Fund Raiser for Farmers Market

Just around the corner DC's Columbia Heights neighborhood will have its own Farmers Market. It will begin on Saturday, June 5th, at 9am. Where you ask - in the plaza in front of Julia's Empanadas (Julia's - a place I like to call heaven) or specially, 14th Street and Park Road, NW, one block north of the Columbia Heights Metro station. The Columbia Heights Community Marketplace, the organizers of the Farmers Market, will host a Happy Hour fundraiser at the Wonderland Ballroom on Thursday, April 22nd from 5pm to 8pm! Mark it on your calendars now!! The Marketplace, is a non-profit operation working to get off the ground and start a Youth Market Program to educate and engage our young people to participate in all aspects of local, sustainable food and entertainment. Thanks for joining us to drink beers

Earth Day Happenings on April 22

We've been going to Poste Earth Day events for years and always have a great time. Good to know someone is working on off-setting my ever-widening carbon footprint.

· Poste’s Rob Weland will roast a 400 pound pig from Eco Friendly Foods as Poste officially reopens the courtyard for service. The new “Garden” menu will be unveiled, and guests can enjoy $4 food and drink specials from 5:30 to 8:00. Proceeds from entry fees and food and beverage will go to Washington Youth Garden and Beet Street Gardens

· Firefly will give guests a $1 credit for every wine cork brought in for lunch and dinner (up to 22 corks per check), and will recycle all corks collected. Chef Danny Bortnick will also serve a five-course menu featuring produce from local farms.

· Jackson 20 unveils its new “Eco Hour” happy hour with an extensive canned beer list. A “Late Night Blackout” Happy Hour will be available from 11:00, where the restaurant will kill the lights and serve happy hour specials by candle light. Both happy hours will officially launch on Earth Day and will be available throughout the spring and summer months.

· Chef Dennis Marron at the Grille at Morrison House will serve a 100-mile menu candlelight dinner.

· The Butcher’s Block will host a biodynamic wine tasting featuring local food. This event is free to the public.

Gone Bloomin'

A pretty straight-forward approach, in honor of our favorite bloom, courtesy of Three Olives vodka.





The Cherry Blossom
6 Fresh cherries
½ Lime
2 Teaspoons of sugar
3 oz. Three-O Cherry vodka
1 cup of crushed ice

Cut lime into 3 wedges. Put cherries, lime and sugar into a large glass.
Mash fruit and sugar together until juicy.
Add vodka and ice.
Cover and shake vigorously until combined and serve.

Rogue States--Gourmet Burgers at 5pm and 5am

Noticed what smells like a fantastic backyard barbecue in progress around about the south side of Dupont Circle? Last week we finally followed our noses to the newish Rogue States on Connecticut Ave, to discover a new contender in the gourmet burger scene that not only feeds you a premium, hormone-and-drug-free, vegetarian fed, fresh ground beef burger, cooked to order with premium toppings, but also does so until 5am every night of the week.

"Shake shack can suck it," commented my New Yorker friend, who lives stumbling-distance from the NYC burger mecca, and that was the last we heard from him until he had polished of what was to be the first of three, rare blue cheese and bacon Rogue States (secret spices, chipotles, and cilantro in the meat) he was to put down in the span of a five day visit.

Rogue States turns out serious, cooked-to-order, mesquite grilled burgers until long past last call--burgers that are well worth a prime-time dinner outing, and at a price ($7) that makes them an everyday indulgence. From premium bacon and cheeses to fresh baked bread, wild mushroom, and terrific fries in regular and sweet potato, we are addicted to Rogue States. And though there may be no milkshake machine, there are a wide selection of micro-brews an reasonably priced wines by the glass or bottle.

So follow the heavenly waft of burger-on-the grill to Rogue States, and we'll be along shortly--it's nearly midnight.


Rogue States
1300 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
www.aburgergrillingcompany.com

The Last Peepshow

Or at least posting of the season. I simply couldn't resist the National Geographic competition, or the Washington Post's diorama contest. Ris had some house-made Peeps for decoration, and they staved away hunger as we waited an hour for our entrees.

Peeps!

I once asked my sister, who went to culinary school, if Peeps were actually food. She said they were more so than gummi bears, and that's good enough for me.

I have reservations for Easter Brunch at Ris (long awaited), but I am toyinng with the idea of the Peepshi for Good Friday.

Check out Peeps Week at Serious Eats here.