From early Oktoberfest celebrations to Alexandria’s esteemed Summer Restaurant Week, there’s an abundance of food-and-drink activities to whet your appetite. Here are some of the month’s best bets:
Port City Oktoberfest Release Party, Aug. 3
Prost! Oktoberfest is back, well ahead of the German holiday, at Port City Brewing. The brewery’s Marzen-style beer is the star of the show at Friday’s festivities, which will offer up steins full of the frosty beverage. Want to take some home? Crowlers, growlers and six-packs are at your service. Puerto Rican-themed Borinquen Lunch Box will pull the truck around for hungry guests; Taylor Carson will provide music in the beer garden. 3950 Wheeler Ave., 3-10 p.m.
Alimentation: A Mediterranean Feast, Aug. 5
In an evening co-hosted by local event planner Nomos, Chef Teresa Scrimenti leads a pop-up Mediterranean dinner inside Forge Industrial Works. The three-course meal features hummus and salad to start, followed by an entrée of beef kofta, eggplant and tabbouleh (a vegetarian option is also available). Honey-cardamom ice cream with – what else? – a baklava crumble finishes out the proceedings. Forge Industrial Works, 128 S. Royal St. 6-8 p.m. $85.
Alexandria Restaurant Week, Aug. 17-26
The city toasts its best and brightest restaurants during a weeklong celebration of all things food and drink. With $35 three-course and dinner-for-two specials from the likes of Bastille, Vermilion, RT’s and Evening Star Café, there’s a wealth of options for diners of all palates. Reserve a table at any of the dozens of participating eateries citywide and feast your eyes and your taste buds on all that’s to come.
Shooter McGee’s Crab Feast, Aug. 25
Shooter McGee’s is back with its 2018 rendition of its annual crab feast. All-you-can eat crabs – plus hush puppies and corn on the cob – will be served up all afternoon at the West End eatery. Wash it down with some $3 drafts from Caboose Brewery and bask in the waning days of summer. 5239 Duke St., 2 p.m. $45 in advance; $55 at the door; $16.99 for children 12 and under.
Hope Nelson owns and operates the Kitchen Recessionista blog, located at www.kitchenrecessionista.com. Email her any time at hope@kitchenrecessionista.com.