D.C.-area nightlife, events and dining

Former Town House talent and Food & Wine darling John Shields tells me he’s been spending several days in Washington each week during the past few months as he shops for a location for his next restaurant. 

“It’s pretty serious at this point,” says Shields, who flirted with the District after he and his wife, Karen Urie Shields, bid adieu to Town House in tiny Chilhowie, Va., last winter before settling in Philadelphia, where she has family. “I’m gathering architects, lawyers, accountants.”  

Honored as a Best New Chef by Food & Wine two years ago, Shields says his next venture will be “on my own,” albeit with some investment support from a restaurateur he declined to name.

The project won’t be a repeat of the daring Town House. As he’s matured as a chef, Shields explains, “I’m pulling more things off the plate. But (his next restaurant) won’t be too minimal.”

Most recently, the chef says he “fell in love with” a non-restaurant location in Georgetown whose landlord ended up backing out of a near-deal.

So Philadelphia is off the table? “We gave Philly a chance.”

A few weeks late for those No-Shave November parties, the Corcoran is putting a rare, whiskerless portrait of Abraham Lincoln on display.

George Peter Alexander Healy, Abraham Lincoln, 1860. Oil on canvas. (George Peter Alexander Healy - Courtesy of the Corcoran)

The painting by George Peter Alexander Healy comes with an interesting anecdote, via Corcoran press release:

Rappahannock Oyster Bar hosts happy hour every Friday at Union Market. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)Whether you’re looking for a gift for that special cocktail lover, have questions about holiday entertaining or just want to wind down the week with a well-made drink, you should head out to Union Market this afternoon.

Mixologist Dan Searing, the author of “The Punch Bowl,” will be mixing up a seasonal gin punch with cranberry liqueur at Buffalo and Bergen from 4 to 7 p.m. He’ll sign copies of his book, discuss making punches for large parties and, most importantly, hand out free cups of fresh punch.

(You can head to the nearby Salt and Sundry shop to pick up bitters, tonics and other ingredients used in Searing’s recipes, as well as punch glasses and cocktail guides.)

Union Market is hosting holiday happy hours on Fridays leading up to Christmas, with drink specials at Buffalo and Bergen and the Rappahannock Oyster Bar and photo opportunities with the Grinch.

(Takeshi Nishikawa, a sous chef at Volt, will become the chef at New Heights in the new year.) The new year will find a chef change in the kitchen at New Heights , where Ron Tanaka is being replaced by Takeshi Nishikawa, a sous chef at Volt in Frederick, Md.

Tanaka is leaving the contemorary American restaurant in Woodley Park to work on an establishment of his own, expected to open in spring 2013, says Kavita Singh, who co-owns New Heights with her husband Umbi.

A native of Suzuka, Japan, the 26-year-old Nishikawa is no stranger to the Washington dining scene. Previously, he worked as a saucier and meat cook at Restaurant Eve in Alexandria and as garde manger, responsible for cold dishes, at the late Maestro in Tysons Corner. New Heights will be his first shot as top toque.

Nishikawa was one of about 50 applicants for the opening, and one of a dozen who prepared a tasting menu for the owners. “We were looking for a fresh approach to cooking,” says Kavita Singh. What impressed her most about Nishikawa’s plates was his focus on something other than just the centerpiece. “Every single element was so thoughtful,” recalls the restaurateur.

Among the hire’s successes: pan-roasted scallops presented with an airy parsnip soup and brussels sprouts brightened with lemon confit, a main course destined for the new chef’s debut menu.

Nishikawa starts Jan. 12. He plans to stay at Volt to the very end of 2012. A trouper, he’s helping out with New Year’s Eve there.

You could have this view hundreds of times a year if you win the 9:30 Club’s annual Rockin’ Raffle. (Mark Finkenstaedt for The Post)We’re almost halfway through December, which means we’re almost halfway through the 9:30 Club’s annual Rockin’ Raffle charity drive. We love this annual giveaway because it helps some of the best organizations around Washington, including D.C. Central Kitchen, Bread for the City and the Capital Area Food Bank, but also because it offers a grand prize that can’t be topped: Two tickets to every concert at the 9:30 Club in 2013.

Through December 31, bring canned goods, gently used clothing and accessories, wearable coats and housewares, linens or toys, to the club. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a ticket for that night’s show — you’ll still be allowed to participate in the raffle. Each item you bring is worth one raffle ticket, and you can collect up to 10 raffle tickets per night. (Donations will be accepted from noon to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and again from the time doors open until the time the headline act hits the stage.) You can come back as many times as you like.

Then you just hang on to your stubs: The club’s staff will draw a winning ticket at the Drive By Truckers show on New Year’s Eve and post the winning ticket number on www.930.com. That person is on the guest list every night of 2013. The club will hold drawings for other prizes, such as concert tickets and CDs, and contact those winners by phone.