Month: September 2017

Mid-Atlantic Fall Food Events

The weather is getting cooler, there’s pumpkin spice everywhere and I had to break out my hoodie the other day. Fall is on its way, and the cooler weather is a great time to attend some foodie events. Here’s what’s going on in the Mid-Atlantic region this fall:

  •  42nd Annual Virginia Wine Festival – Oct. 14 & 15, Oronoco Bay Park, Alexandria, VA – Taste the best Virginia wines and ciders at this long-running wine festival complete with a Virginia Oyster Pavilion. General admission and VIP admission both include a tasting glass and unlimited tastings of Virginia wines and ciders. Some of Virginia’s best wineries are represented, such as Barboursville, Chateau Morrisette, CrossKeys Vineyard, Horton Vineyards, Jefferson Vineyards and Prince Michel.
  • 5th Annual Craft Spirits Celebration – Sept. 14, Houston Hall, New York, NY – “The best spirits tasting event of the year” takes place this weekend in the West Village. Offering dozens of distillers, food pairings, live music and more, this event promises a good time.
  • New Kitchens on the Block (NKOTB) 3 at Mess Hall – Oct. 8, Mess Hall, Washington, DC – Try signature dishes from 11 of the District’s best new restaurants. Cocktails featuring Catoctin Creek, Green Hat and One Eight Distilling will be offered, and VIP guests receive swag bags with plenty of super secret stuff inside!
  • Virginia Craft Beer and Wine Festival – Sept. 16, Portsmouth Pavilion, Portsmouth, VA – Craft beer from breweries such as Starr Hill, Devil’s Backbone, Center of the Universe and South Street Brewing meets cider from Bold Rock and wine from The Williamsburg Winery, Lake Anna Winery and more. This waterfront event features delicious food and unlimited tastings of beer, wine and cider.
  • Virginia Spirits Festival – Sept. 30, The Passenger Bar, Washington, DC – Explore the distilleries of Virginia at this showcase. On-site sampling and purchasing enables you to buy what you try. Discover a new favorite spirit or cocktail!
  • 2nd Annual Craft Spirits Showcase – Sept. 16, Roanoke City Market Building, Roanoke VA – Master Distillers explain their craft and introduce you to their Virginia-made spirits at this second-year event. A Battle of the Bartenders pits bar staff from across the Commonwealth against each other in the fight for the best cocktail. Unlimited tastings of Virginia craft spirits are included.
  • Cocktail Classes at Barmini by Jose Andres – Sept. 27, Oct. 10, Nov. 1 and Dec. 16, Barmini, Washington, DC – Learn techniques and recipes for unique cocktails at acclaimed Barmini. Tickets for this interactive experience are extremely limited, so purchase early! Some sessions are already sold out.
  • Taste of DC – Oct. 7 & 8, The Festival Grounds at RFK Stadium, Washington, DC – This food, beer and wine festival literally has it all.  65+ of the region’s best restaurants, a wine walk, Oktoberfest, 3 stages of live music and culinary entertainment, the 7th Annual Ben’s Chili Bowl World Chili Eating Championship, the DC Chili Cookoff and a Kid Zone make for an action-packed weekend of the best food and drinks in the region. Various VIP options let you tailor-make your experience.

If you’re a foodie, there’s plenty to do this fall on the East Coast. Enjoy!

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River Rock Mason Jar

On our trip to Madison, Virginia a few weeks ago, my kids loved playing in the gorgeous stream behind our cabin. The area where the stream was located was so peaceful and tranquil, and every few minutes a butterfly or two would drift along with the water. While the kids played, my mom and dad and I roamed up and down the banks looking for interesting pieces of wood (for my dad, the woodworker) and interesting rocks (for me, for craft projects). Many of the rocks in the stream bed were the prettiest blue color, and I gathered a bunch, along with some stray pieces of birch bark.

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On our visit to Feed Store Antiques in downtown Madison, I came across the perfect container for my river rocks:  an antique Mason jar with a zinc lid in a beautiful blue shade.

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I washed the rocks, washed out the Mason jar and lid and let everything dry well, then I carefully filled the jar with the river rocks, put the lid on and voila – a gorgeous window decoration with rustic charm that brings back memories of the peaceful stream we discovered on our trip!

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