Arts & Entertainment
Wall full of whiskey
Jack Rose Dining Saloon complements its bounteous liquor offerings with great food
Jack Rose (Blade photo by Michael Key)
A few weeks ago Taste of Pride had its monthly “featured special” event at Jack Rose Dining Saloon (2007 18th Street, N.W.). Since I’d never been there, I jumped at the opportunity to try it and with 10 percent of the sales from the evening going to Capital Pride, it was a great time to do so.
D.C. natives Bill Thomas, Stephen King and Michael Hartzer created Jack Rose Dining Saloon. The restaurant is made up of three distinctive spaces. The first floor contains an expansive marble-topped bar along the wall and an elegantly appointed dining room. The second floor has a private dining lounge and a casual open-air terrace that has a separate menu of items from a barbecue pit. We had reservations to eat in the first floor Dining Saloon.
Once seated, our waitress greeted us, presented us with the whiskey bible, then the drink and food menus. She asked if we had any questions. My friend and I gazed at each other, panic in our eyes, and asked if she could come back. The bible is the size of a wine list at an upscale restaurant. We were going to tackle it at some point during the night, but we decided to put it off for the moment. We quickly decided on mixed drinks. I chose the Jack Rose, which is Laird’s banded apple brandy, grenadine and lime. It was a refreshing and delicious way to start the meal. For an appetizer we chose the Braised Local Pork Belly with salted radish, herb puree and spiced broth. When it arrived, you could smell the herbs in the puree. As we ate it, we discovered that the pork melted in your mouth. There was just a touch of heat in the puree.
Once we had finished our appetizer we let our eyes wander around the full dining saloon. Pride volunteers and supporters filled the dining room with boisterous conversation and positive energy. Beyond the diners was a truly breathtaking room. We tried to imagine this space as a former boxing gym, but with three walls covered with the close to 1,400 selections from the whiskey bible, it seemed impossible. The bottles reached toward the ceiling and bartenders needed to use the equivalent of a library ladder to reach the top shelf. The room itself was outfitted with dark mahogany chairs, wooden tables and warm leather booths. As you admire the bottles, your eyes are drawn up to the beautiful pressed-tin ceiling. Overall, the dining saloon had a bright, warm and airy feel.
Our meals arrived and I dove right into my rack of lamb with jalapeno, rutabaga, okra and mint relish with a pomegranate and port reduction. My dining partner ripped into his pork chop special, wrapped in sausage and puff pastry. We exchanged a few bites of each other’s dishes and were pleased with what we tasted. The jalapeno and pomegranate combination that attracted me to the lamb complemented the juicy tender deep pink meat perfectly. The pork chop dinner was complex, but the flavors melded together quite well.
The time had arrived. As we finished our meals it was not only time for dessert but also to select one of the bottles from the surrounding walls. I had never had scotch before, which I sheepishly admitted this to the waitress. I was greeted with a broad smile and she readily suggested two options. We decided to try each of them; a 1-ounce pour was $6. The Balvenie Doublewood was light but full of flavor; the Auchentoshan triple wood was full bodied and the stronger flavor seemed more well rounded and purposeful. Both scotches stood alone as a great way to end the meal. However, we opted to pair them with dessert. The vanilla potted crème brulee was a cane sugar brulee with blackberry compote. The bread pudding was paired with Clementine sorbet. Both desserts were delicious.
Jack Rose Dining Saloon offers a variety of options for diners. You can opt for a drink, enjoy some snacks from the barbecue on the porch, or enjoy a full meal in the dining saloon. Jack Rose served up an excellent evening and provided us with a great new experience.
Out & About
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Daylong Pride celebration blends history, remembrance, art and community
Historic Congressional Cemetery will host the second annual “Gays & Graves: A Big Gay Festival” on Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m.
The event will feature pioneering activist Randy Wicker, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, and new public art installations and programs celebrating LGBTQ+ history. Gays & Graves is an official partner event of Capital Pride 2026.
This event is a daylong Pride celebration blending history, remembrance, art and community. Visitors can shop from LGBTQ+ and allied artists and makers, experience performances and interactive installations, and engage with programs exploring LGBTQ+ history and lived experience.
For more details, visit the cemetery’s website.
Baltimore Pride is underway, taking place from June 8-14.
The Pride Parade will be on Saturday, June 13 at 12 p.m. at Charles Street & North Avenue, followed by the Pride Block Party at 1 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. And then the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
There will be an array of additional events including: a fashion show, a “Suits and Sneakers” reception and a 5k race, among many other events.
For more details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website.
Friday, June 12
Bet Mishpachah will host “Pride Shabbat Happy Hour” at 6 p.m. at Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center. This is an in-person happy hour with an open wine and beer bar, great company, and joyful conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Women in their Twenties and Thirties will meet at 8 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for queer women in the Washington, D.C. area. For more details, visit Facebook.
Saturday, June 13
Out N Bad will host “SWEET WHINE: DC Pride Queer Caribbean Slow Whine Function” at 9 p.m. at Decades DC. This is a late-night escape into slow and steamy Dancehall & Kompa only. No splits. No headtops. No pressure. Tickets are $22.14 and are available on Eventbrite.
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host a screening of “10s Across the Borders,” a bold pan-Asian queer film that confronts homophobia, transphobia, and racism while celebrating Southeast Asia’s underground ballroom scene. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Sunday, June 14
Beth A Wolfe Yoga will host “Pride Baby Goat Yoga” at 1 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Arlington, Va. The goats will be decked out in their finest Pride apparel, and human participants are welcome to do the same. Proceeds from this event will go to the Trevor Project. Tickets cost $44.52 and are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, June 15
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Tuesday, June 16
“Self-Defense Class with Avi Rome” will be at 12:30 p.m. Rome is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and a full-time Martial Arts instructor with 25 years of teaching experience. He holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do and is the director of the studio’s Adaptive Tae Kwon Do program for students with special needs. He has also run numerous self-defense workshops for various groups and situations. For more details, visit the center’s website.
Center Bi+ Roundtable will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting.Visit Facebook or Meetup for more information.
Wednesday, June 17
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, June 18
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Baltimore Pride is here
Calendar: June 12-18
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