Columbia Room Launches Chef Series

Derek Brown wants to prove that cocktails can hold their own in the culinary world. To do that, he's invited some of the city's top chefs to cook at his serene omakase-style cocktail den, the Columbia Room, for a series of cocktail-food pairing evenings.

Guest chefs Nicholas Stefanelli of Bibiana, Brendan Cox of DC Coast, Joe Palma of Westend Bistro, RJ Cooper (formerly of Vidalia), and Columbia Room's Javier Duran will each take a turn on different Thursday nights. The chefs will create two dishes that Brown will pair with cocktails. Then chefs become bartenders to craft a cocktail to pair with a dish Brown will create.

The cost is $74 per person, including tax and gratuity. For the chef schedule and reservations, visit Columbia Room's site.