WASHINGTON — Fireworks, barbecue, beer and pie: They’re the components of a great Fourth of July celebration, and Nycci Nellis, of The List Are You On It, shared some of her recommendations with WTOP on Monday.
Sweet stuff
Nellis recommends the deep-dish blueberry icebox pie at DC’s Buttercream Bakeshop, featuring Blueberries, lime juice, vanilla whipped cream and a buttery graham cracker crust. It’s available whole or by the slice, but you should call 202-735-0102 to check availability and store hours.
The new Milk Bar in Logan Circle is a great place to hang out, drink coffee and try the baked goods, Nellis said. Exclusive offerings from their Milk Bar Lab test kitchen will be available from July 4-10, featuring apple pie cake, Thai tea cookies, blueberry pie cookies, savory chicken puffs and berry crack pie.
And at the Bayou Bakery, Chef David Guas is again offering his red, white and blue cake, with red velvet cake, cream cheese and blueberry jam filling, as well as star-shaped cookies offered in the flag colors.
Ready-made picnics
Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken will put together to-go baskets with fried chicken coleslaw, cheddar biscuits and patriotic-themed doughnuts. Astro’s USA doughnuts are included in the package, along with peach cobbler and crème brûlée doughnuts. Each package feeds four people and costs $55, and all the to-go bundles are only available on the Fourth. You need to order by Tuesday at 3 p.m., and you can pick your order up at the D.C. or Falls Church shops.
Cork also does picnic baskets, and has got the perfect spreads for your Independence Day celebrations. Sandwich picnics are priced at $30; fried chicken picnics and fried chicken buckets are $40. And they’re big believers in the pairing of Champagne and fried chicken, so they can make plenty of recommendations. Orders must be placed 24 hours in advance at orders@corkdc.com.
And Penn Commons offers a picnic for two including buttermilk fried chicken, dill new potato salad, sweet corn chow-chow and summer peach hand pies for $17.76. You need to order by 4 p.m. on July 2 by calling 202-905-2999, and pick it up on the Fourth of July.
Varied venues
There are plenty of places to see the July Fourth fireworks without crowding onto the Mall. Nellis recommends getting a kayak from the Key Bridge Boathouse to one of the best backdrops in the country and a great view of the fireworks. Tickets are $89 for a single kayak and $178 for a double kayak.
Declaration Nats Park, just blocks away from — well, Nats Park — will offer a Fourth of July Bottomless BBQ & Beer, which includes an all you can eat BBQ favorites and endless Pabst Blue Ribbon. (There’s a two-hour limit.)
The Jack Rose Dining Saloon is once again partnering with the Flying Dog Brewery for rooftop viewing party called the AmeriCAN DrinkDependence Day, with specials on Flying Dog cans and drafts, as well as small bites, until the fireworks end. The open-air rooftop terrace has a great view of the National Mall fireworks, from its front Balcony Room and back Tiki Bar, both which will open on the Fourth at 3 p.m.
For a closer-in, and more upscale, experience, Nellis recommends the POV party at the W hotel, in D.C., with cocktails, music and small bites, all overlooking the National Mall. Tickets are $249 and the event runs from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.
