International Wine & Food Festival 2008

I won't be in town, but if you are, check out this year's (new! improved! hopefully less crowded) International Wine & Food Festival at the Ronald Reagan Building:

Monday, February 25

* Café Trope-Chef Howsoon Cham
o Four Vines Winery
* OYA-Sommelier Andrew Stover
o Amity Vineyards

Tuesday, February 26

* Bangkok Joe's-Chef Aulie Bunyarataphan
o Moet Hennessy USA, Rodney Strong Vineyards and others
* PS 7s-Chef Peter Smith

Wednesday, February 27

* Butterfield 9-Chef Michael Harr

Thursday, February 28

* Equinox- Chef Todd Gray
o Adelsheim Vineyard
* Rustico Restaurant-Chef Frank Morales and Beer Director Greg Engert
o Blue Moon Brewery and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

For tickets, call 1-800-343-1174 or visit www.dcwinefestival.com

Half-Price Wine at Top of the Hill

Just a quick note regarding half-price wine night at Top of the Hill which occurs every Saturday. All bottles on the wine list are half price. It isn't all that easy to find great deals on the weekend nights, and this one really is great. The space is just upstairs from the Pour House near Eastern Market metro on Pennsylvania Avenue. We tried several of the varieties of wines of offering, but our hands down favorite was the Kendall Jackson Riesling. The nose was sweeter than the actual flavor, and the texture was smooth and very appealing. The wine was a great example of a nice, dry Riesling which is good on its own as well as a range of foods. We sampled some of the bar snacks and had fun with the wine, music, pool table and great company as well.

Top of the Hill

319 Pennsylvania Avenue in SE DC

http://www.pourhouse-dc.com/

Happy Hour at Tabaq on U Street

Tabaq on U Street is probably most known for its rooftop, Mediterranean food, great drinks and fun events on weekend evenings. They don't usually do happy hour, but last night the French Wine Society hosted L'Apero at Tabaq. The event is essentially an evening of great specials on various types of French wines. The event featured Domaine L'Enclos, Cotes du Rhone 2004; St. Antoine Syrah 2005; Gournier Sauvignon Blanc 2005; and Gournier Rose 2006. The Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah were both very nice, but the Rose was my favorite. It had a nice, sweet nose and aftertaste, yet was still quite dry and refreshing. We also dabbled in the food offerings and had the thick and creamy Hummus; Lamb Shank, which was tender almost like a good pot roast and served with eggplant puree; Calamari, which is sauteed and not fried and comes with fennel, olives and parsley and was absolutely delicious; and Beef Medallion, or grilled beef medallions served with eggplant and mushrooms and lots of delicious jus. I'd recommend Tabaq for a tasty meal on the rooftop on a weeknight, or for weekend brunch with a view.

Tabaq

1336 U Street in NW DC

http://www.tabaqdc.com/

DC International Wine and Food Festival

Just a quick note regarding the DC International Wine and Food Festival, which took place at the Ronald Reagan Building downtown this past weekend. Certainly imbibing and spending time in a fun venue with friends is a great way to spend a weekend day or two, but I think the organizers can do better next year. Saturday's showcase was sold out, and I think everyone who bought at ticket showed up as it was quite crowded and a bit warm temperature-wise. The wine selection was great, with over 280 wineries in attendance, and a nice representation as far as Old World and New World goes. Not surprisingly, my favorites were the wineries from the Pacific Northwest (Sonoma not Napa in California), and also pretty much any spot that offered sliced cheese since, even though "Food" is in the name of the event, there essentially wasn't much to be found. All in all I think it is definitely an event worth spending time at and patronizing, but I think there are a few steps that easily could be taken to vastly improve the experience of attendees.