The news around town this week focuses on the 4th of July celebrations along with some special restaurant offerings. Though we’ll be heading up to New York on Tuesday, we’ve received no shortage of events for the coming week. If you’re staying in the Washington, DC area for the holiday weekend, here are some ideas you might want to consider, or at least pass along to friends…

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Fireworks and Parades:

More than a couple people will be rushing to the National Mall and surrounding areas to watch the fireworks this year, so it’s recommended to arrive well before the 9:15 p.m. start. Earlier in the day, don’t miss the parade starting at 11:45 a.m. that runs along Constitution Ave from 7th St-17th St.

Restaurant News:

The long anticipated wait for Jose Garces’ Rural Society ends on July 3rd, with their scheduled opening just in time for the holiday weekend. Make your reservations early, as this James Beard winning chef will likely have a huge following right out of the gate. We’ll be stopping in when Al gets back in August, to both try out the food and say hello to our friend who is working there.

Capitol City Brewing Company has several specials for the 4th of July weekend, including a Red, White, and Blue wheat beer to get anyone chanting USA! In addition to some American-themed food specials there are several other drink specials to get you feeling patriotic.

  • Stars n Stripes – Hypnotiq and Absolut Citron with a splash of sprite and a splash of grenadine ($8)
  • Blue Independence – Cap City’s Margarita with a splash of Blue Curacao ($8)
  • American Hero – Skyy Wild Strawberry Vodka with lemonade ($8)
  • American Spirit – Malibu Rum with banana liquor topped off with pineapple juice and a splash of grenadine ($8)
  • Firecracker Flight – Three separate shots to represent the colors on the American Flag ($10)

If you’re in search of the perfect picnic basket, Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken might be the stop for you. This July 4th, Astro Doughnuts is offering 8 pieces of fried chicken, 3 USA doughnuts, 3 birthday cake doughnuts, and one pint of potato salad all for $36. Baskets can be picked up from 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. just in time to get into DC or other destination to watch the fireworks. Order the baskets beforehand, either through email info@astrodoughnuts.com or on their website at http://astrodoughnuts.com/.

Outside of apple pie, I’m not sure anything is more American than beer. From noon-5 p.m. on July 4th, the City Tap House is hosting a BeerBQ Brewery Battle to celebrate Independence Day. The culinary team of City Tap House will be going head to head with 3 Stars Brewing Company and Evolution Craft Brewing Company in a BeerBQ challenge. 10 drafts from each location will be available for $5 each, and and a winner of the competition will be announced at 5 p.m.

701 Restaurant will be hosting a cookout on the patio from 4 p.m.-9 p.m. to celebrate Independence Day on Friday. Main courses right off the grill range from $8-$15, while starters can be purchased from $4-$8 each.

District Commonsis serving up Red, White, and Blue mussels to celebrate the Independence Day weekend. Go Red with Red Thai Curry and Golden Pineapple; White with House Limoncello, Oven Cured Tomatoes and Lemon Thyme Cream; or Blue with Benton’s Bacon, Buttermilk Blue Cheese and Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale.

July is National Tequila Month, and there is no better place to try some tequilas than Richard Sandoval’s El Centro, D.F. All month the culinary team will be serving up special tequila infused dishes, including a tequila gelato that will be available at both locations. Other events will fill the month at El Centro, D.F. so keep an eye on their website for further details.

There are also several brunch and happy hour specials to take advantage of on the 4th. The Heightsis serving up $9 Red, White and Blue boozy floats all day, as well as being opening for brunch starting at 9 a.m. and happy hour from 3-7 p.m. Logan Tavern and Grillfish both have brunch from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., while Logan Tavern will also have happy hour from 4-7 p.m. Commissary will be serving up brunch, including the Benedicts normally only available on the weekend, from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., while The Pig is offering brunch from 10:30 a.m.- 3 p.m.

World Cup Continues!

Thanks to the way the World Cup scoring works the US was able to advance into the elimination round of the World Cup. The next task is beating Belgium at 4 p.m. on July 1st and then hopefully moving onto a match up Saturday. Check out our previous posts, for locations that you might want to check out for the matches.

Happy 4th of July Weekend, all!!