Move over, Brat Summer. The fall dining scene in D.C. is Hot to Go. From a powerful, historically inspired Afro-Caribbean restaurant in a luxe hotel to a funky music record-inspired bar, below is a non-comprehensive list of restaurants and bars that have opened or are planning to open over the next several months.

Dōgon

Famed chef Kwame Onwauche makes his celebrated return to Washington, D.C. with the opening of Dōgon near the Southwest Waterfront. In 2017, Onwauche, just in his mid-20s, ran Shaw Bijou; and then later Kith and Kin on the Wharf. Now, Dōgon is an ambitious project inside the equally ambitious Salamander Hotel, linking the storied history of freed Black man Benjamin Banneker who surveyed the Nation’s Capital, with Onwauche’s Afro-Cuban background and connection to the West African Dōgon people. Art and symbolism imbue the royal-purple space serving dishes like an “H Street Chicken” with jollof rice. Dōgon will be Onwuachi’s second restaurant opening in a year, following the acclaimed Tatiana in New York. Dōgon officially opened on Sept. 9, to honor the date in history when D.C. was formally named in 1791.

Press Club

In Dupont Circle, the genre-bending Press Club bar is for the musically inclined. The bar takes inspiration from the A&B sides of a record, offering two complementary experiences: The “Track List” menu — an eight to 12 cocktail menu that rotates biannually featuring the team’s favorite spirits and techniques; and the steeper and more experiential “Play List” menu — a bi-monthly rotating four cocktail flights highlighting more seasonal ingredients, presented tableside with the supplemental bites. The space comes courtesy of celebrated D.C. bar vet Will Patton and NYC-based Devin Kennedy.

a.kitchen+bar

James Beard Foundation Award-winning restaurateur Ellen Yin’s High Street Hospitality Group brings its Philadelphia restaurant to Foggy Bottom this fall. Grounded in Chesapeake fare, the menu is based on Americana-seasonal small plates, alongside a focus on natural and organic wine.

Minetta Tavern

Union Market welcomes yet another big-name splash in the form of Minetta Tavern. New York-based Keith McNally, who already runs nearby Pastis with Stephen Starr (no stranger to D.C. himself), is behind the program. This D.C. version will have a similar menu to the Manhattan staple, known for its extensive classic cocktail list and Parisian steakhouse inspiration.

Rosedale

Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj of Knightsbridge Restaurant Group will open Rosedale in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Northwest, named for an estate in Cleveland Park. This classic Americana spot will have a rotating seasonal menu and daily specials from the kitchen’s rotisserie oven.

Bar Betsie

The three gay owners (Ralph Brabham, Drew Porterfield, and JP Sabatier) of Logan Circle cocktail favorite Jane Jane, known for its throwback vibe and sassy needlepoints, will open Bar Betsie in Union Market this winter. Named in honor of Sabatier’s mother, it will have a more relaxed atmosphere than Jane Jane, with more beer and wine options, as well as a larger menu of finger-food snacks.  

Trini Vybez

In Columbia Heights, Natalia Kalloo opens Caribbean restaurant Trini Vybez. Kalloo originally began selling spices native to Trinidad and Tobago in local markets and online, and then grew the business into a food truck serving Trinidadian street food. The new brick and mortar concept will offer more expansive cuisine native to Trinidad and Tobago on the upper floor, and provide for a more modern concept, Soca Cafe and Wine Bar, on its lower level. It will focus on delicacies like oxtail sliders with Trinidad’s traditional hops bread, plus pepper roti for those who like to enjoy a bit of spice.

Modan

Modan, meaning ‘modern’ in Japanese, is a sleek 7,000-square-foot restaurant with a bar, sushi counter, private Omakase counter, and outdoor patio in McLean. Executive Chef Micheole “Chico” Dator (coming straight from his role as Executive Sushi Chef at Nobu DC) distinguishes this concept with its proprietary in-house dry aging for beef and fish, alongside broader Southeast Asian elements.

Also coming this fall is Chefs for Equality, one of the largest and most significant food benefit events of the season. Chefs for Equality advances the fight for LGBTQ+ equality through the work of the HRC Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. On Oct. 21, it brings together 150 of the region’s top chefs, pastry chefs, and mixologists for an evening of food, cocktails, and music. The event features 40+ tasting stations and 20 cocktail stations headed by renowned chefs and mixologists from the Greater D.C. area, as well as 13 personal chef tables. Live and silent auctions are also held.

Just because the temperatures are cooling down doesn’t mean your social life has to — D.C. is rife with fun events and below is a list of a few you should absolutely check out.

Club XCX will be on Friday, Sept. 13 at 10 p.m. at the Howard Theatre. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased on Howard Theatre’s website. 

“Head Above the Water” – Art, Awareness & Music Festival will be on Friday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. at National Landing Water Park. Guests can dive into a vibrant celebration at Head Above the Water, an enchanting interactive art and music festival honoring National Preparedness Month. The event is hosted by Artbae LLC and sponsored by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council, and The Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and aims to raise awareness about water conservation, flood risk mitigation, and environmental justice. Admission is free and more details are available on Eventbrite. 

SMYAL will host its 40th Anniversary Fall Brunch on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Marriott Marquis. This event includes a cocktail reception featuring a silent auction, a three-course brunch, and a chance to hear from some of our community’s most inspiring leaders. Each year, the Fall Brunch brings together LGBTQ and allied community members, friends, and families in support of the inspirational youth SMYAL works with each day. Tickets are available on SMYAL’s website. 

Art on the Rocks will be on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. at Hotel Heron. This event challenges local mixologists and chefs to each create the most artistic cocktail and appetizer pairing, inspired by art. Tickets start at $70 and can be purchased on Eventbrite. 

Art in the Garden will be on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m at 3rd St. NE. At this event, guests can immerse themselves in a vibrant world of creativity and beauty where art and nature collide in the most magical way. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. 

DC Art All Night will begin on Friday Sept. 27 in eight wards. It will bring visual and performing arts, including painting, photography, sculpture, crafts, fashion, music, literary arts, dance, theater, film, and poetry, to indoor and outdoor public and private spaces, including local businesses and restaurants. This event is free and more details are available on the event website.

Law Roach: How to Build a Fashion Icon will be on Monday, Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. at the Howard Theatre. Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased on the Howard website. 

Gimme Gimme Disco: A Dance Party Inspired by ABBA will be on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 10 p.m. at 9:30 Club. Tickets are $35 are available on 9:30 Club’s website. 

Marc Rebillet – We Outside will be on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 10 p.m. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased on 9:30 Club’s website. 

Paris Hilton released her “Infinite Icon” album on Sept. 6. It’s just the second effort following a massive hiatus — her debut album “Paris” was released way back in 2006. Sia produces. This summer’s “I’m Free” was the first single. A tour is planned. Hilton promised a “heavily gay-leaning release.”

Miranda Lambert’s “Postcards from Texas” is slated to drop today. Lambert’s 10th studio album was preceded by the May release of single “Wranglers,” which stalled in the lower 30s on country radio. Lambert calls the album a musical ode to her home state. She co-produces with Jon Randall and either wrote or co-wrote 10 of the project’s 14 cuts. 

Katy Perry’s “143” is set for a Sept. 20 release. It will be her seventh studio album. Its title refers to what she says is her symbolic angel number. Perry is aiming for a dance party feel working with producers Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Stargate, Vaughn Oliver and Rocco Did It Again! The proceedings are not off to a strong start. First single “Woman’s World” stalled at No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100. Follow-up “Lifetimes” failed to crack the Hot 100 at all. 

Fleetwood Mac releases “Mirage Tour ’82” on Sept. 20. It includes six tracks previously unreleased including “Don’t Stop,” “Dreams,” “Never Going Back Again,” “Sara” and more. Available on double CD, triple vinyl and digitally.  

Volume four of Joni Mitchell’s “Archives” series dubbed “The Asylum Years: 1976-1980” releases Oct. 4. It’s being offered in six-CD or four-LP (highlights) configurations. It will feature unreleased studio sessions, alternate versions, live recordings, rarities and a 36-page book with new photos and an extensive conversation between Mitchell and filmmaker/uberfan Cameron Crowe. 

Sophie B. Hawkins releases her “Whaler Re-Emerging” album (a re-recording of her landmark 1994 album) on Oct. 15. Order through her site and the first 250 copies will be signed. Hawkins (who identifies as omnisexual) says it surpasses the original. 

Joe Jonas’s “Music for People Who Believe in Love” and Shawn Mendes’s “Shawn” are both set for Oct. 18 releases. Jonas’s album (his first solo effort since 2011’s “Fastlife”) will feature songwriting he says is of a more personal nature. Billboard called it “unvarnished” but with a shimmery pop sound aglow with garage rock and alt-pop influences. First single “Work It Out” was released over the summer and failed to chart. 

“Shawn” will be Mendes’s first album since 2020’s “Wonder,” the tour of which he cancelled citing mental health. Two singles — “Why Why Why” and “Isn’t That Enough” — have been released. The former stalled at no. 84 on the Hot 100. He has called the album his “most musically intimate and lyrically honest work to date.” 

Lana Del Rey’s “Lasso” is expected for a possible fall release, although some sources say it’s been bumped to early 2025. No date had been announced as of yet. She’s apparently going the Beyonce route and releasing a straight-up country album. 

Dolly Parton plans a Nov. 15 release for “Smoky Mountain DNA — Family, Faith & Fables.” Parton recruited family to help her on the 37 (!)-track collection, which will also encompass a four-part docuseries tracing Parton’s familial roots. One song (“A Rose Won’t Fix It”) is an outtake from the feverish writing sessions that led to her solid (but underrated) 1998 album “Hungry Again.” An extremely limited-edition triple vinyl release is also planned. 

Release dates shift and many more releases will be announced later. Pitchfork keeps a great running tab at pitchfork.com/news/new-album-releases. Also check your local record store for Black Friday special editions available on Friday, Nov. 29. Release info was scant as of this writing.  

(Joey DiGuglielmo was variously the Blade’s news and features editor from 2006-2020.)