4 New Ideas for Entertaining in Washington

In the winter of 2017, the Watergate Hotel unveiled its "igloos": 12-foot heated, private domes that are stationed on its Whisky Bar patio. Each igloo seats two to eight people, with prices starting at $200 per igloo. The luxury hotel in Georgetown also offers several food and beverage packages to go along with the igloos, including a three-course dessert tasting menu starting at $42 per person. Other packages include a $55-per-person classic afternoon tea, a $75-per-person bourbon pairing, and a $150-per-person whiskey pairing.

For corporate meetings, the Darcy near Dupont Circle has partnered with local business Element [Shrub] to offer a seltzer bar. During a meeting break, guests can head to the bar to create their own flavored seltzer using a shrub (a.k.a., drinking or cocktail vinegars) of their choosing. Shrub flavors include chai pear, cranberry hibiscus, blood orange saffron, and more.

DC Rental recently introduced a colorful new place setting with its 11-inch Valencia base plate, priced at $4 each. The Valencia base plate pairs well with the company’s matte gold flatware ($1.50 each) and its cobalt blue Lido water glass ($2 each). The rental company’s new linens in shades of hot pink, yellow, and turquoise are available in tablecloth rounds of 126 inches for $40 each. DC Rental is centrally located, with a showroom in Arlington, Virginia.

Washington chef and restaurateur Mike Isabella partnered with hospitality-tech platform Plum Relish to debut an office catering program called Bentos by Mike Isabella in October. Isabella's menu items include entrees for diners who are vegan, Paleo, or gluten-free, with options such as falafel with tabbouleh and hummus, Mediterranean beets and roasted acorn squash, and chicken breast with ratatouille. Family-style platters are priced at $16.82 per person, or individual bento boxes at $13.60 per person with a 15-person minimum. For smaller orders, the bento price increases to $14.95; for orders of more than 75 lunches, the bento price is reduced to $12.95.