Imbibe magazine recently combed the country for the 101 best places to get a beer. In case you missed it, beeradvocate.com has posted the list, broken down into ten categories, including best Irish-style pubs, best bottle list, and best beer shops. We know Washington is full of places to down a draft or crack open an unusual brew, and we’re glad to see that Imbibe agrees. The list gave the thumbs-up to Birreria Paradiso, Rustico, the Brickskeller, Brasserie Beck, Granville Moore’s, and Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits.

The raw bar at PassionFish is packed with lobsters, oysters, Wellfleet clams, and stone- and Dungeness-crab claws. Photograph by Stacy Zarin-Goldberg.

PassionFish, the latest offering from Jeff Tunks’s Passion Food restaurant group and the newest addition to Reston Town Center, is surprisingly understated given its pedigree. No soaring mermaids à la DC Coast, no shiny pagodas or life-size Buddhas as at TenPenh. Instead, the seafood emporium’s touches are more subtle—fishtail knives and forks, chandeliers that call to mind oceanic bubbles, sweeping curves of iridescent tile.

The sprawling piscine menu will sound familiar if you’ve visited Passion Food’s other restaurants. The gumbo, which has an almost mole-like complexity, recalls Louisiana-inspired Acadiana, the Yucatán shrimp ceviche is straight out of the recipe book of the Nuevo Latino spot Ceiba, and the red curry with pineapple that shows off curls of butter-poached lobster is cribbed from TenPenh.

The most successful dishes are PassionFish’s alone. Fried oysters are dabbed with tarragon aïoli and set atop cool ribbons of apple. A Parmesan-crusted dip, inspired by clams casino, had us tearing through a baguette to get the last bits. And a simply roasted whole branzino with Meyer lemon becomes a standout with a slathering of herb-packed green sauce.

Monday, January 5
Slow Food DC presents an evening of braised comfort food at Zola (800 F St., NW). The event includes a tour of the kitchen, a talk by chef Bryan Moscatello about the history and lore of braising, and a meal highlighting the cooking technique. Guests will receive a complimentary glass of wine, a copy of one of Moscatello’s favorite recipes, and tips on braising at home. The event, which starts at 6:30, costs $45 for Slow Food members and $50 for nonmembers. For reservations, call 202-654-0999 or email cookasia@verizon.net.

Tuesday, January 6
Head to ACKC Cocoa Bar (1529 14th St., NW) for a two-hour chocolate-truffle-making class at 6:30. Call 202-387-2626 or click here for reservations; $35 per person.  

Top Chef/inauguration junkies rejoice! Season four contestant Spike Mendelsohn announced yesterday that he'll host an inaugural ball at his Capitol Hill hamburger joint Good Stuff Eatery on January 20. The theme, of course, is burgers.

For $99, you can party with the chef on while you nosh eight handcrafted mini burgers, mini hand-cut French fries, mini milkshakes, and salads. Beer and wine is included, and there will be vegetarian options available.

Before you run out to buy a gown or rent a tux for the occasion, note the dress code: blue jeans are "highly recommended." According to the invitation, Mendelsohn's looking to attract a "hip crowd," and he'll transform his restaurant into "a candlelit farmhouse chic atmosphere" where "people can jam to some awesome music."

Only 200 tickets are available, and they're expected to go fast. To purchase, call Micheline at 202-543-8222 or e-mail info@goodstuffeatery.com.

>> All Washingtonian.com inauguration coverage 

More>> Best Bites Blog | Food & Dining | Restaurant Finder

Whether you're shopping for a big pasta dinner or just restocking the pantry, Three Brothers Italian Market is hard to beat. The range of goods is impressive—one-pound tins of rosemary leaves and colorful jars of spicy pickled peppers share shelf space with sauce pots, pans, and pasta makers. 

In need of a sure thing for a dinner party? Looking for a wine that will excite you and not just impress you? Head to Paul’s of Chevy Chase (5205 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 202-537-1900) and scan the shelves for whatever’s in stock from Terry Theise.

Theise is the Silver Spring–based wine importer who won a 2008 James Beard Foundation Award, and his name on an Austrian or German white is as close to a guarantee as there is in the world of wine.

Augh! No more!

Best reason to indulge before the New Year’s resolution sets in: The $6.95 ten-ounce patty at Ray’s Hell-Burger. It might break the bun, but it won’t break the bank.

Biggest change of concept: Frozen yogurt As soon as the temperature dropped, both Mr. Yogato and Tangysweet started touting their decadent hot chocolate instead of their signature item, tangy fro-yo.

Biggest indication that Washington has arrived on the national dining radar: The influx of celebrity chefs, including Alain Ducasse, who has more Michelin stars than any other chef in the world.

Second sign that Washington’s dining scene is on the national radar: The TV crews arrived. Granville Moore’s Teddy Folkman made us proud when his bleu-cheese mussels bested Bobby Flay’s Southwestern variety in a Food Network Throwdown. Wiry, chain-smoking Anthony Bourdain toured DC for an episode of No Reservations, walking viewers through the Penn Quarter farmers market and paying a visit to the U Street landmark Ben’s Chili Bowl. Emeril Lagasse chose a Washington Whole Foods as the setting for his new Discovery Channel show, Planet Green, about ecofriendly eating and cooking. And Top Chef’s current season includes two Mid-Atlantic contestants: Carla Hall, who owns a DC-based catering company, and Jill Snyder, executive chef at Baltimore’s Red Maple.