For one glorious month, everyone suddenly becomes a soccer expert.The FIFA World Cup kicks off June 11 and runs through July 19, and whether you're screaming for Team USA, following your family's home country, or simply looking for an excuse to gather with friends, the DMV is ready.Restaurants are creating country-inspired menus. Spain has seemingly claimed half the city. And if your idea of watching soccer includes Michelin-starred dining or a giant jumbotron, we've got that too.Below are some of the World Cup happenings we're keeping an eye on. This is by no means all of them—new watch parties, specials, and activations are popping up daily—but it's a very good place to start.TOURNAMENT-LONG WATCH PARTIES & SPECIALSWorld Cup Bar DC at Hook HallHook Hall transforms into a dedicated World Cup pop-up with every match shown on a 20-foot screen plus additional TVs throughout the venue. Admission includes country-themed wings, fries, and a cocktail inspired by the teams playing.The Wharf Summer of Soccer Watch ZonePearl Street becomes a free outdoor soccer destination with daily match screenings on a 14-foot jumbotron. Team USA watch parties, games, giveaways, and restaurant specials are planned throughout the tournament.Union Market DistrictCatch matches throughout the neighborhood at Hi-Lawn, La Cosecha, Stellina Pizzeria, F1 Arcade, Last Call, and more. Expect large-screen viewing parties, food and drink specials, and soccer-themed programming throughout the tournament.Hi-LawnThe rooftop lawn transforms into a soccer pitch-inspired viewing destination with oversized LED screens, daily match broadcasts, trivia, DJs, bingo, and live music. Free to attend with limited reservations available.La CosechaLarge-screen match broadcasts, Latin American-inspired specials, and tournament programming celebrating the cultures and flavors of participating nations.Atlas Brew WorksAll three taprooms are pouring $6 pints of Bullpen Pilsner and Silent Neighbor throughout the tournament while showing matches at locations in Navy Yard, the Bridge District, and Alexandria.Boundary StoneThe Bloomingdale favorite will show the full World Cup schedule with $6 local drafts available during matches.Colada ShopEvery location is showing matches before 9 PM and serving a Copa Snack Tray loaded with empanadas, sliders, and plantain chips plus $25 spritzer pitchers.Bluejacket$10 liters of beer, host-country Old Fashioneds, and discounted beer-and-shot combos run throughout the tournament.Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza & Street BurgerEvery match will be screened alongside $1 wings, $4 pints, and weekday social hour specials in Penn Quarter.Immigrant FoodWorld Cup games stream at the Ballston and White House locations. Look for the $13 World Cup Combo featuring Greek Wings and a beer.Astro Beer HallDowntown DC and Shirlington locations are offering $5 wings and $5 loaded nachos with beverage purchase during match days.Astro DoughnutsCelebrate Team USA with limited-edition World Cup doughnut boxes available throughout the tournament.Taco BambaHappy-hour pricing and $20 Modelo buckets are available during live matches, along with special World Cup platters and combos.PubKeyPenn Quarter's soccer-friendly tavern will show major matches on its massive screen with food specials and beer buckets. RSVP recommended.ProstWorld Cup specials include $5 off liter drafts, $6 Nutrls, and $10 Pretzel Knotchos during matches.MadhatterSpecials include $5 draft beers, $6 Nutrls, beer buckets, pitchers, and towers throughout the tournament.Mélange FoodsChef Elias Taddesse's Shaw spot is offering sliders, tacos, tenders, wings, beer buckets, and drink specials during matches.StableCheer on Switzerland with live broadcasts of Swiss matches and a limited Swiss-inspired food and beverage menu.Fairmont Washington, DC GeorgetownThe hotel once again becomes Soccer Central with large-screen viewing, international stadium-inspired dishes, and country-themed cocktails.TEAM MEXICOApapacho Taqueria & MareaEvery Mexico goal earns guests a complimentary shot of Amaras mezcal or a Monopolio lager. Happy hour runs from kickoff through the final whistle.dLeña & ROJAA special cocktail menu celebrates Mexico's three host cities with drinks inspired by Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Mexico City.TEAM SPAINCasa TeresaThe official Embassy of Spain watch party destination. Specials include Estrella Galicia, sangria, cava, and a complimentary glass of cava after every Spanish victory.JaleoSpain's matches take center stage with a dedicated game-day menu featuring bocatas, mini burgers, Spanish hot dogs, empanadas, flautas, and sangria.Torito Bar at Bully Spanish SteakhouseThe big draw here? Complimentary paella served at halftime during every Spain match.LATIN FAN ZONECasta's at BodegaSpanish-language broadcasts, country-specific cocktails, score prediction contests, giveaways, and late-night Latin dance parties after the final whistle.elcielo WashingtonFor those who prefer tasting menus to tailgates, Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos is offering curated World Cup dining experiences centered around marquee Latin American matches.FOR THE HOME TEAMUpstate FTWChef Scott Drewno is celebrating the three host countries with dishes inspired by stadium favorites from Canada, Mexico, and the United States, including Birria Tacos and Disco Fries.Nobu DCWatch matches at the bar while sipping the limited-time Ichigo Junmai cocktail made with sake, yuzu, elderflower, and strawberries.UchiNot a watch party, but a smart move if you're hosting one. Sushi box sales during the tournament will benefit Good Sports for All.MORE PLACES TO WATCHAnd this is just the opening kickoff. Soccer is on the big screen and gathering places throughout the DMV are showing matches all tournament long. More places to catch the action:As You Are Buena Vida GastroloungeFranklin Hall Hard Rock CafeIvy & Coney Jake’s TavernJohnny’s All American Cafe and BarMission Navy Yard Nellie’s Sports Bar - Nick's Riverside GrillOver Under Sports Book Rooftop LoungePenn SocialPublic Bar Live RusticoSports & Social TallboyTAP Sports BarThe Game Sports Pub The Point Tom’s Watch Bar The Ugly MugUnion PubWalter’s Sports BarWhitlowsYard HouseFINAL WHISTLEWe are here for the fútbol (and the food). For the next month, DC is speaking soccer. See you at kickoff.

Carla Hall, is at the top of her game. But getting there was no picnic. In this theatrical one-woman show, Carla Hall invites you to “strap in” for a wild, hilarious, and emotional ride as she reveals how she learned to embrace her own authenticity, “work her quirk” and finally step into her power. From her Tennessee roots as an awkward theater camp kid, to Howard University, to a stint on the runways of Paris, to her irreverent takes on the confusing expectations of Black excellence, crushing sexism, and the many attempts to erase her uniqueness, Carla has had to battle every step of the way to find her true voice – and wait till you hear it. In this insightful and inspiring World Premiere, Carla reveals the secret ingredients to her greatest creation: herself. This intimate exchange will leave audiences laughing, thinking, feeling and… maybe even discovering a little of their own power in simply being themselves.Carla Hall: Please Underestimate Me runs June 3 – July 12 in the Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab at Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Rd, Olney, MD. Tickets are $47-$101 and available online or by calling the box office at 301.924.3400. Discounts are available for groups, seniors, teachers, active military, first responders, and students. Visit olneytheatre.org/discounts for details.Bridging the food and theatre worlds, Honorary Producers for the production include Chef Eric Adjepong of Food Network’s “Wildcard Kitchen,” author, restaurateur, and TV personality Chef Spike Mendelsohn, food and wine publisher Nycci Nellis, Emmy-nominated journalist and producer Erin Como, and Nina Oduro, Co-founder of Black Women in Food. 

Nycci Nellis shared rainy weekend recommendations around the DMV as Memorial Day plans shifted indoors due to the weather. Nycci encouraged viewers to double check outdoor event updates before heading out and highlighted a variety of indoor activities including museum exhibits, theater productions, brunch destinations, and special dining experiences. From the National Museum of Women in the Arts and the Spy Museum to shows at Signature Theatre and Shakespeare Theatre Company, Nycci also shared restaurant pairings and insider dining tips for making the most of a rainy holiday weekend in DC.

Chefs Tiffani Ortiz and Andy Doubrava met at the French Culinary Institute in New York before reconnecting years later on a Malibu farm — living in a teepee, surrounded by wild parrots, discovering a shared obsession with agriculture, sustainability, and zero-waste cooking.But in this episode of Industry Night, the conversation goes far beyond the restaurant.We talk about how their nomadic culinary project Slow Burn — a traveling zero-waste pop-up that carried them through 42 states — shaped every dish now on the menu at The Catbird Seat. How two chefs with no tasting-menu experience took over one of Nashville's most iconic restaurants and earned a Michelin star doing it their way.We also dive into: life on the road vs. rooted restaurant life, fermentation and preservation as philosophy not just technique, building a kitchen culture around empathy and high standards, how to run a restaurant with your life partner without losing your mind, and why great fine dining should never feel stuffy.This is a conversation about restaurants, yes — but also about curiosity, resilience, and what happens when you build a career entirely on your own terms.Listen to the episode here, and watch it all, here.