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Small Plates: Candy Cocktails For Big Kids

Nov. 5, 12 a.m.

Equinox (818 Connecticut Ave. NW) is getting creative with leftover Halloween candy. The downtown hot spot is repurposing the treats and turning them into sinfully sweet cocktails.

The Hot Plate: Tricks and Treats on Menus Around Town

Oct. 29, 12 a.m.

While the days of trick-or-treating may be in the past for most staffers, that doesn’t mean adults can’t get in on the Halloween fun.

The Hot Plate: It’s More Than Red Meat

Oct. 15, 12 a.m.

The last thing Washington needs is another steak house. With BLT Steak, Charlie Palmer Steak, Morton’s and a host of others, D.C. is a town filled with beef, which is why I was disappointed to hear that Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten would be making his D.C. debut with J&G Steakhouse.

Small Plates: Belgian Foodie Fete

Oct. 14, 12 a.m.

Belgian hot spot Belga Café (514 Eighth St. SE) is celebrating its five-year anniversary with a week’s worth of festivities that are set to start Oct. 21.

Small Plates: Going American

Sept. 23, 12 a.m.

Neighborhood Restaurant Group has named New York chef Kyle Bailey as executive chef of the forthcoming restaurant Birch & Barley, (1337 14th St. NW) as well as the bar ChurchKey, which will be located above the restaurant.

The Hot Plate: For Lazy Sundays

Sept. 23, 12 a.m.

Is there a better way to spend a Sunday than drinking Champagne and catching up with friends? Now that summer has come to a close, Washingtonians are back in the city and ready to indulge in the time-honored tradition of starting the week with booze and a buffet. Since D.C. has no shortage of tasty brunches, here are a few of Hot Plate’s favorite hot spots.

Small Plates: Some D.C. Eateries Extending Restaurant Week Specials

Aug. 27, 10:24 a.m.

August is the perfect time to dine on the cheap in D.C. Everything moves a little slower, there’s plenty of time for a long lunch, and Restaurant Week makes dining affordable. While this year’s summer Restaurant Week is slated to end Sunday, several area eateries have elected to extend their special menus into September.

Small Plates: New Bar Menu at Bourbon Steak

Aug. 21, 1:08 p.m.

Dining at the ultra-swanky Bourbon Steak (2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) just became a little bit easier on the wallet.

Hot Plate: Cava Brings Greek Tastes to the Hill

Aug. 17, 1:57 p.m.

Cava, the newest restaurant to come to Barracks Row, opened its doors this spring and has seen no shortage of hungry customers. The dark, sleek dining room quickly fills up during the dinner hour with hungry Hill rats.

Small Plates: Summer Deals Around Town

Aug. 11, 11:57 a.m.

Now that recess is here, staffers finally have time to get to the bar early enough to indulge in happy hour specials. The Penn Quarter Legal Sea Foods is taking advantage of the slow work schedule in August by rolling out a host of specials.

Small Plates: Restaurant Week Enlivens Late Summer

July 29, 12 a.m.

It’s that wonderful time of year again when Congress leaves town and some of the best restaurants in town drop their prices in celebration of Restaurant Week.

The Hot Plate: Blue Ridge Restaurant Is Not Heavenly

July 27, 12 a.m.

Nothing ruins a meal quite like bad service. In fact, it’s the easiest way for a restaurant to gain or lose good will. For example, the food at a new hot spot can be mediocre, but if the service is top-notch, it will likely bring the whole experience up a level or two.

Small Plates: Grill Cook-off Set For Nationals Park

July 16, 12 a.m.

The Nationals won’t be the only ones competing at their stadium Sunday. Local chef Teddy Folkman, owner of Granville Moore’s and a recent finalist on the Next Food Network Star, will be facing off against Phil Bucco, who oversees the food served at the ballpark, in an Iron Chef-style cook-off.

Small Plates: Local Chef Booted From Food Network

July 9, 12 a.m.

After losing his train of thought and stumbling over his words at the microphone during a presentation, Granville Moore’s executive chef, Teddy Folkman, was voted off “The Next Food Network Star.”

Hot Plate: From Grits to Fine Hits

June 25, 12 a.m.

Local chef Arnel Esposo mastered the art of cooking while dodging bullets. Now the executive chef at Palette (1177 15th St. NW), Esposo first learned to cook during his tenure in the Army.

Hot Plate: Good Eating at Eatonville

June 22, 12 a.m.

Eatonville, the latest offering from the guys who gave us Busboys and Poets, may not be an ideal place to take a date, but it’s the perfect place to taste some Southern cooking and catch up with friends. From cozy booths to rocking chairs to large high-topped tables, the restaurant invites guests to get comfortable and kick back.

Hot Plate: Shop Locally, Eat Wisely

June 18, 12 a.m.

Once a week, Poste Moderne Brasserie’s executive chef Robert Weland takes a group of diners to the Penn Quarter farmers market. He wants them to see where their meal is coming from

Small Plates: Blue Ridge Opens With 'Honest Food'

June 15, 12 a.m.

Restaurateurs Eli Hengst and Jared Rager opened their latest offering, Blue Ridge (2340 Wisconsin Ave. NW), last week with executive chef Barton Seaver at the helm. The Glover Park restaurant, designed by D.C.-based firm CORE, seats 185 and is housed in a 100-year-old row house.

Small Plates: Central Wins Power Spot Award

June 8, 12 a.m.

Central Michel Richard (1001 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) was named Power Spot of the Year at Sunday night’s RAMMY Awards dinner. The restaurant, located on Pennsylvania between the White House and the Capitol, beat out BLT Steak (1625 I St. NW), Charlie Palmer Steak (101 Constitution Ave. NW), the Source (555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) and Teatro Goldoni (1909 K St. NW).

Hot Plate: You’ll Never Go Hungry For Long

June 4, 12 a.m.

It is essential for any intern living in a group house with a crowded kitchen and minimal income to know where to find inexpensive food. Luckily, there is a smorgasbord of choices when it comes to eating on the cheap in D.C.

Small Plates: H Street Wine Bar Adds Cocktails

June 4, 12 a.m.

SOVA (1359 H St. NE) recently added a cocktail menu and small plates to the ever-expanding list of menu items. The H Street hot spot began as a coffee shop before adding wine to the menu in April 2008 and will now offer a cocktail list created with the help of master mixologist Derek Brown.

The Hot Plate: More Than Just ‘a Drinking Town With a Sailing Problem’

May 21, 12 a.m.

From the oldest Statehouse still in continuous use to the U.S. Naval Academy, the waterside town of Annapolis is acutely aware of its history.

The Hot Plate: Mini Plates With Big Ideas

May 18, 12 a.m.

At Minibar, chef José Andrés’ Penn Quarter hot spot, dinner is not just a meal — it’s a show.

The Hot Plate: Wasabi Central

May 14, 12 a.m.

The best part about SEI, one of the newest restaurants to open in Penn Quarter, isn’t the sushi, the small plates or any of the food. Instead the place where this Japanese restaurant shines the most is in its bar.

Small Plates: When a Café Has Loftier Goals

May 12, 12 a.m.

Poets are people too, posits the Phillips Collection in its latest exhibition, “this is not that CAFÉ.”