What We’re Eating: TheListAreYouOnIt’s Weekly Roundup of Things to Eat

Winter has arrived, and the flavors are shifting with the season. You know our team at TheListAreYouOnIt.com dives deep into the DC culinary scene to uncover the most comforting, seasonal delights. The latest winter menus from many of your favorite local spots—and perhaps a few hidden gems—are here to warm you up. Hearty stews to indulgent holiday-inspired treats, we’re ready to embrace the cozy tastes of winter. Are you?

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: 

Taste of Pride 2025: The Capital Pride Alliance (CPA) and WorldPride, in collaboration with DC’s Business Improvement Districts, are excited to announce the Taste of Pride 2025 kickoff celebration, an evening filled with culinary delights honoring LGBTQ+ owned and allied restaurants in the DMV region. You will have the opportunity to indulge in a wide variety of flavors, with tasting stations featuring curated foods and signature cocktails that showcase the best of culinary artistry from some of the program’s participating restaurants. The event kicks off on January 30th at Hook Hall. 

Ready for Some Serious Shell-Ebration : Oyster lovers, how about an entire year of free oysters? Yes, an entire year. King Street Oyster Bar has announced this incredible giveaway where the winner will receive 52 vouchers, each good for one dozen Happy Hour Oysters, redeemable over 52 consecutive weeks starting March 3, 2025. Each voucher will be valid for one week during this period. Seriously, your oyster dreams come true. Simply Sign up here by February 23, 2025, at 11:59 PM for your chance to win. The lucky winner will be announced on February 24, 2025. Sign up today and get ready to indulge in a year of briny bliss. Good luck, and may the best oyster enthusiast win. For more info, visit Oyster Giveaway.

Quack! Mallard x Louis Vialard = Bordeaux Dinner: Enjoy a Southern-inspired dining experience with your choice of dishes like the bold Nashville Hot Chicken with foie gras-duck jus, the rich and creamy Shrimp & Grits, or the indulgent Cornmeal Pancakes topped with brown butter apples and bourbon maple syrup. End your meal on a sweet note with decadent desserts like the "Coffee & Cigarettes" malted chocolate mousse or the classic Apple Pie Crème Brûlée. mallarddc.com

Pitch Perfect: Do you have a story you want to get published? Learn how to craft a winning pitch that will get editors excited, and your story sold. Whether you hope to sell a personal essay or a reported story, veteran freelance writer Nevin Martell, whose work has appeared in dozens of high-profile publications, will teach you the techniques, tips, and tricks you need to know to do it successfully. Discover the best places to pitch stories and how to track down the right person to contact. Learn the art of writing an irresistible hook and a compelling query. Find out how to negotiate your fee and what to ask for in a contract to ensure you’re retaining the necessary rights, so you can use your story to create future works, such as a memoir or book-length project. You will receive two rounds of feedback on a pitch for a single story. February 18, 25, and March 4, 2025. Register here. 

NEW & NOTEWORTHY: 

Tiki Tiki (Brunch Alert): Cordelia Fishbar by Clyde’s Restaurant Group, located in DC’s vibrant Union Market District, is now open for brunch! Enjoy brunch plates like the Dutch Baby with sage apples and West Virginia maple syrup, Grilled French Toast with roasted banana, Fried Giant Prawns, Waffles, and Mushroom Cassoulet. Classic brunch cocktails are available alongside bottomless Tiki Drinks. cordeliadc.com

Six at Centrolina: Experience 6x James Beard nominee Chef Amy Brandwein's new 6-course dinner tasting menu with optional wine pairing in Centrolina's private Chef's Salon. Chef Amy's menu celebrates her mantra “simple is exquisite," showcasing the seasonal bounty of the Mid-Atlantic region and the versatility, grace, and overall delicacy of Italian cuisine. Each dish weaves Italian and global cuisine, creating an interesting dialogue of food and wine inspired by specific ingredients, concepts, and experiences. The tasting menu changes weekly and is available on Thursday and Friday. Limited seating available. Dinner is $175/person with an optional wine pairing for $125/person. 974 Palmer Alley, centrolinadc.com

Abbondanza (Brunch Alert):  Stellina has started a weekend brunch offering, available on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. The brunch menu features a selection of classic brunch dishes with an Italian twist, such as Cacio e Pepe topped with a fried egg, Pasta alla Carbonara with homemade tonnarelli, eggs, guanciale, pecorino romano, toasted black pepper, and Pizza Bismark with tomato sauce, mushrooms, mozzarella, prosciutto Cotto, sunny side up egg, pecorino. stellinapizzeria.com

Year of the Snake Alert: Tiger Fork: Hong Kong-inspired Tiger Fork in Blagden Alley is celebrating Lunar New Year (2025 is the year of the Snake) from January 31 through February 12. Tiger Fork will serve a special a la carte menu of symbolic Cantonese dishes for both dine-in and takeout, each representing a specific virtue to bring good luck for the coming year. Also on the celebratory agenda: a Late Night Tiger vs Snake DJ Party on 2/7, Baijiu-paired dinner on 2/12 and traditional Lion Dance performances on 2/1 to bring prosperity and good fortune in 2025. 922 N Street NW; .tigerforkdc.com

Year of the Snake Alert: Chang Chang: Chef Peter Chang is featuring a slew of a la cart specials available at both Chang Chang and NiHao (Arlington) to usher in the year of the snake, including Peter's childhood recipe of Homemade Sliced Sausages, Steamed Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, Lion's Head Meatballs, Whole Branzino (served spicy & pan-seared or sweet & sour style), Deluxe Seafood Mushroom Fried Rice with Peter's Mushroom XO Sauce, Shanghai-Style Rice Cake with Fish Slices, and Black Sesame Rice Dumplings for dessert.

Year of the Snake Alert: Ni Hao: Chef Peter Chang will also host a banquet-style Lunar New Year feast at his newest concept, NiHao, on Tuesday, February 11, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $88 per person and include 12 festive dishes, including a medley of small mild & spicy bites (mala homemade sausage, five-spice chicken, pickled shiitake mushrooms, sesame oil yuba, and more), Homestyle Chicken Tofu Flower Soup, Spicy Salt and Pepper Crispy Spareribs, and much more—including Peter's award-winning Peking Duck and Mama Chang's Black Sesame Rice Dumplings. nihaoarlington.com

Caffe Morini x Capitol Jill Baking LTO:  Caffe Morini x Jill Nguyễn have collaborated for a limited-time offer this weekend. chef Matt Adler and the esteemed team behind Caffe Morini has teamed up with pastry chef Jill Nguyễn—behind DC’s beloved microbakery, Capitol Jill Baking—to launch a limited-edition cornetto, available this weekend only, on January 25 and 26. ill and the Caffe Morini team are excited to present the special cornetto filled Milo cream (chocolate malt breakfast drink beloved around the world) with a Milo crumble, inspired by Jill’s upbringing in Hanoi, Vietnam. cucinamorini.com

Yay All Day: Elena James, which opened its doors in Chevy Chase Lake in late November for dinner, has officially launched its All Day Cafe.  Offering breakfast and lunch options, Tuesday - Sunday, the extensive menu offers everything from housemade seasonal pastries, egg sandwiches, omelettes, pancakes as well lighter breakfast fare like fresh fruit, yogurt and granola. 8551 Connecticut Avenue; elenajamescc.com

Rage Can Be Spicy:  Female Rage, a DC-based hot sauze that channels women’s righteous anger into bold, locally sourced flavors and impactful action.Founded by Emily Roe in 2020, Female Rage was born from a desire to turn political frustration into change. Each bottle not only delivers fiery, nuanced flavor but also supports the DC Abortion Fund, helping women reclaim autonomy and equity.  Emily’s three signature flavors—Brown Sugar Peach, Honey Garlic Carrot, and Crimson Apple—blend sweetness with a creeping heat, making Female Rage a must-have for conscious food lovers. femaleragehotsauce.com

Bubble Brunch x DJ (Brunch Alert) : Transform your Sundays into a celebration of flavor and fun at Jackies. Try savory classics —all paired with bubbles bar, bottomless mimosas, or handcrafted cocktails. jackiedc.com

Say ‘I Do’ to Steak Frites: More than 200,000 people will pop the “will you marry me” question this Valentine’s Day. Those that do it at one of the nine Medium Rare restaurants -- including their three DMV area locations: Cleveland Park (3500 Connecticut Ave NW); Arlington (3601 Fairfax Dr); and Bethesda (4904 Fairmont Ave) -- will win a free Steak Frites dinner on their wedding anniversary date every year for the rest of their married lives. The iconic Medium Rare Steak Frites dinner includes a culotte steak served with Medium Rare’s famous secret sauce, French fries, a side salad, and rustic bread all for the price of $34.95, and there are complimentary second servings of the steak and fries. 4904 Fairmont Ave; mediumrarerestaurant.com

LA Wildfire Relief Special: Slice & Pie: For the month of January, the NY-style pizza shop, Slice & Pie,  is donating a percentage of sales to Slice Out Hunger and has also added a button on their checkout screen, giving patrons an opportunity to add an additional donation. Slice Out Hunger is delivering pizzas to evacuation centers across the Los Angeles area. 2221 14th St NW; sliceandpie.com

LA Wildfire Relief Special: All Purpose: Chef Mike Friedman has teamed up with Slice Out Hunger, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, to deliver pizzas to displaced victims of the L.A. wildfires. Friedman's special Santa Cruz pie features whipped ricotta, mozzarella, fontina, artichokes, roasted garlic, arugula, Calabrian chilis, and herb vinaigrette. The L.A.-inspired special is $23 and available through February 5; 15% of the special's sales will go directly to the Slice Out Hunger L.A. Wildfire relief efforts. 1250 9th st; allpurposedc.com

NOT NEW, BUT NOTEWORTHY: 

Chef Update: Charlie Loomis at Ellington Park Bistro:  The St. Gregory Hotel in Dupont Circle Washington D.C. announced Charlie Loomis to take over as Executive Chef at the much-loved Ellington Park Bistro. Loomis brings an extensive background in the culinary world, from education to hospitality, most recently serving as the Director of Food & Beverage at the Washington Dulles Marriott, where he oversaw a best-in-class program. Prior to that position, he was tasked with reinvigorating the Barasti Beach Club at the Westin/Le Meridien in Dubai, successfully re-launching the venue after the COVID-19 pandemic. stgregoryhotelwdc.com

Swingin’ Sunday (Brunch Alert): Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen has a new jazz brunch. Derek Brock brings his New Orleans-inspired guitar magic, while multi-instrumentalist James Key switches effortlessly between Django-style guitar and upright bass. Pair their sophisticated sounds with some new cocktails that are a nod to the 60s era and signature Southern brunch dishes.6641 old Dominion Road

Paella, Please:  El Taller del Xiquet announced several new dishes are coming to the menu. Additions to the focused list of appetizers include Lledó’s take on Salpicón, a succulent medley of chopped razor clams, bay scallops, calamari, and mussels, complemented by pickled vegetables, escabeche and an oyster cream emulsion. Polp is a presentation of octopus and charred eggplant atop squid ink puree, fire-roasted potatoes and olive gel. 2404 Wisconsin ave; eltallerdelxiquet.com

Ten Years of Summer House: Summer House in North Bethesda is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this month at Pike & Rose. The restaurant is serving specials through Sunday, January 26 including an English Muffin Burger, Surfer Style Ahi Tuna Tacos, Shaved Vegetable Salad, Palm Fizz cocktail and more throwback menu items from the restaurant's first 10 years. 11825 Grand Park Ave; summerhouserestaurants.com

Breakfast Bingo: The National Landing BID, launched their first Breakfast Bingo campaign designed to promote local businesses while making mornings a little more fun for those returning to the office. Participants can join by picking up a card from any of the nine participating restaurants, downloading the Open Rewards app, and collecting stamps with purchases made before 11 a.m. To win, participants must get three stamps in a row and email a photo of their completed card to [email protected]. Participating restaurants include Brij Coffee House, Bubbie's Plant Burgers, Colada Shop, and more. nationallanding.org

Top Chef is Back: Downtown Frederick has a new hotel for the first time in 50 years. Visitation Hotel Frederick officially opens its doors on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. Along with it comes Bryan and Michael Voltaggio's Wye Oak Tavern, the "Top Chef" brothers first joint restaurant in their hometown of Frederick. The Voltaggios will run Wye Oak Tavern (modern-day tavern and steakhouse), Acorn Provisions (grab-and-go cafe) and all event catering. 211 E Church Street; visitationhotel.com  

Dim Sum Want Some (Brunch Alert): Chef Peter Chang is bringing his popular all-you-can-eat dim sum brunch deal to the District. Priced at $38 per person, you can mix and match traditional dim sum (including Shanghai Pork Soup Dumplings, Cantonese Beef with Rice Noodles, Barbecue Pork Buns, Shrimp & Chive Pancakes, and more) alongside vegetarian dishes & sweet options that include Red Bean & Pumpkin Fritters and Charcoal Lava Custard Buns. 1200 19th St NW; changchangdc.com

Champagne with Dinner: Ilili DC is now offering a Chicken and Champagne dinner, perfect for enjoying on a date night. Enjoy Black Truffled Sumac Whole Chicken paired with Ruinart Blanc de Blanc champagne. Pricing for the pairing is $305. 100 District Square; ililirestaurants.com