A Two-in-One-Package: With the launch of Zola Wine & Kitchen, Penn Quarter gains a trendy new place to buy wine, and the executive chef of the related Zola restaurant around the corner gets a place to test recipes and teach cooking classes.

Dan Mesches, president of Star Restaurant Group, says the latest addition to his company is a way to "take some of the mystery out" of the wine buying experience. Wines suitable for, say, Asian meals or Christmas celebrations are displayed beneath one of four monitors depicting those themes. The 1,700-square-foot wine shop, dressed with white oak floors and a handful of stools, lounging cubes and a couch, is as cozy as they come. Think Starbucks, but sleeker and with more buzz: About 400 different labels, representing a world of finds, fill the racks.

The second part of the equation, the test kitchen, is visible from two large "spy holes" that punctuate one wall of wine. Mesches says the room, which can hold 30 people for a sit-down occasion or 50 for cocktails, will also be used for guest chef events and private parties.

"Zola's younger sister," as Mesches calls it, should come in handy when he and chef Bryan Moscatello prepare to open the company's next business, a yet-to-be-named Italian restaurant, in mid-February.

-- Tom Sietsema

While December is generally a pretty quiet month for art openings, this month offers a few promising possibilities, not the least of which is a new addition to an old friend. After six years and $621 million, the Capitol Visitor Center opens tomorrow, providing visitors with a cozy place to hang out while they wait for tours of the Capitol. But the building is much more than a waiting room. Among the grandiose spiral staircases and fountains are artifacts, a model of the Capitol's interior and sculptures of notable Americans (including everyone from Helen Keller to King Kamehameha).

Every week, the Going Out Gurus suggest ways to enjoy Washington's cultural scene without spending any money. Have an idea for us? Send it to events@washingtonpost.com.

"The Mourning Forest," which took the Grand Prix at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in 2007, screens at the Freer Gallery of Art on Friday. (Celluloid Dreams)

Monday
Clipse at Commonwealth
The gritty Virginia Beach rap duo comes to town to debut its new Play Cloths clothing line give a brief live performance.

Tuesday
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Opening
The U.S. Capitol opens its $621 million Visitors Center, a three-story underground complex with movie theaters and an exhibition hall.

Wednesday
Robert Wallace and Keith Melton: 'Spycraft'
Ever want to know what kind of gadgets and super-secret technologies U.S. spies really use? Find out at this lunch-hour lecture by Robert Wallace and Keith Melton, co-authors of "Spycraft."

Thursday
National Christmas Tree Lighting at the White House
At 5 p.m., President Bush flicks a switch to illuminate the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse.

Friday
'The Mourning Forest' at the Freer Gallery's Meyer Auditorium
Naomi Kawase's film, the winner of the Grand Prix at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, tells the story of an elderly widower and his young caregiver on a day trip in the Japanese countryside.

Saturday
Holiday Boat Parade of Lights in Old Town Alexandria
Alexandria's harbor lights up when more than 50 brightly lit sailing and powered leisure boats cruise the Potomac at the City's historic waterfront.

Sunday
Wolf Trap Sing-A-Long
This holiday tradition marks its 40th anniversary with the Marine Band and a 400-voice choir leading the Washington area in song.

Monday
'Images from NASA: Photos by Bill Ingalls' at the Washington School of Photography
Bill Ingalls, an official photographer for NASA, shows off his images, including the Kennedy Space Center, the inside of a DC-8 and a flight through a hurricane, as part of FotoWeek DC.

-- Fritz

As you might expect, the theater scene this month is dominated by Nutcrackers, Christmas Carols and other holiday shows. Those that prefer their theater minus the dancing rats and Scrooges are in luck though, as a number of nondenominational plays are also coming our way.

"Legally Blonde's" cast of quirky characters descends on D.C. this month. (Joan Marcus)

For starters, a few old favorites: National Theatre will bring the Jets and the Sharks back to D.C. with a production of "West Side Story" starting Dec. 15. The musical, which actually made its world premiere in Washington in 1957, heads to Broadway after its run here.

Starting tomorrow, Warner Theatre gives the stage over to Dorothy, Toto and the rest of the gang on their way to the Emerald City with "The Wizard of Oz." Signature Theatre's run of Victor Hugo's tragic tale, "Les Miserables," also begins tomorrow.

An extra-long weekend starts with DJs, cover bands and charity at night-before-Thanksgiving parties, then moves on to flashback '80s go-go, an event dedicated to hits of the '90s, the premiere of the D.C.'s first dueling piano bar and a chance to see some local bands you have have been neglecting.

Listen to jams from Boyz II Men, ABC, BBD and the rest of the East Coast Family at the Black Cat on Friday night. (File Photo)