To prepare for out-of-town visitors, a reader wrote into Todd Kliman’s chat today to ask which restaurants he thinks would “scream DC” for her guests. Kliman suggested visiting the types of places that are rare in other cities (i.e., Etete, Four Sisters, Ben’s Chili Bowl), and his personal choice was Central because “there’s nothing like it anywhere else.” What restaurant do you think best shows off our city?

Let us know in the comments!

Monday, January 25
Penn Quarter’s upscale British-style pub, Againn, is honoring Scotland’s most famous—and challenging—dish: haggis, or sheep’s stomach stuffed with other organs, with a fixed-price dinner. The $85 event starts at 7 with a bagpipe performance and also includes cock-a-leekie soup and sticky toffee pudding for dessert. For reservations and more, call 202-639-9830.

Tuesday, January 26
To celebrate the Logan Circle chocolate cafe ACKC’s new liquor license, there’ll be free chocolate and drink samples from the new wine list from 6:30 to 8:30.

• On Saturday, President Obama surprised First Lady Michelle with a birthday dinner at Nora, the restaurant that kickstarted DC’s organic movement. Michelle, who turned 46 Sunday, and Barack were joined by her mother, presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett, attorney general Eric Holder and wife Sharon Malone, as well as seven other guests. The White House press pool reported that the group stayed at the restaurant, which is a couple blocks west of DC’s Dupont Circle, for four hours and walked out to a crowd who sang “Happy Birthday.”

DC’s ever-popular Restaurant Week officially ended Sunday, but many places are extending their offers of $20.10 three-course lunches and $35.10 three-course dinners. And beyond that, other areas are getting in the game.

DC's Friendship Heights neighborhood is about to get a slice of New Haven, Connecticut. Pete's New Haven Style Apizza—home of some of the best pies in Washington—just signed a lease for a second location at 4940 Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest, at the corner of Fessenden Street. The 3,400-square-foot restaurant will seat 100 and have an outdoor terrace. And it'll bring a much-needed dining option for the not-too-exciting stretch near Tenley. 

Like the Columbia Heights original, the new Pete's will offer take-out and delivery. Owners Joel and Alicia Mehr hope to start turning out pizzas by April.
 

In his final semester at the University of Maryland, Katsuya Fukushima picked up a weeklong stint as a prep cook at Ridgewells Catering to make extra money. Even though the then 24-year-old didn’t know how to use a knife, he quickly realized that cooking was his passion: “It was like the heavens opened up and said ‘this is your calling.’ “ Fukushima went on to work in such kitchens as Vidalia, Cashion’s Eat Place, and Kaz Sushi Bistro before landing at Jaleo 12 years ago, where he met the chef/restaurateur José Andrés.

Since then, Fukushima has run the kitchen at Café Atlántico and helped Andrés open Zaytinya, Oyamel, the hyper-modern Minibar, and the Bazaar in Los Angeles. Now he’s executive chef for Andrés’s latest project: José Andrés Catering With Ridgewells.

Fukushima says he wants to change the way people think about catered food. “I’m really bringing fine dining and a restaurant mentality into it.” See for yourself in our video of Fukushima making a salt-baked red snapper, which is on his new menu. “It’s simple, and at the same time it’s dramatic.” Plus, you can make it ahead of the party.

Washington's winter Restaurant Week—when you can get a three-course lunch for $20.10 and dinner for $35.10—ended Sunday, and we want to hear about your experiences. Did you score at a restaurant that offered its entire menu and treated you like royalty? Did you encounter surly service and just a few choices per course? Was it a good deal? 

Give us your Restaurant Week reports in the comments.