Arts & Entertainment
Best of Gay D.C. 2013: Community
Shopping, churches, hotels, art galleries and more — your favorites are here.
Best house of worship:
Foundry United Methodist Church
1500 16th St., N.W.
202-332-4010
Runner-up: Bet Mishpachah
Best home furnishings:
Miss Pixie’s Furnishings and Whatnot
1629 14th St., N.W.
202-232-8171
Runner-up: Room & Board
Best property management:
Coldwell Banker Mid-Atlantic
6031 University Blvd. Suite 140
Ellicott City, MD
Runner-up: Bozzuto Group
Best hotel:
The W
515 15th St., N.W.
202-661-2400
Runner-up: Carlyle Suites Hotel
Best art gallery:
Corcoran Gallery of Art
500 17th St., N.W.
202-639-1700
Runner-up: The Phillips Collection
Best non-profit:
Whitman-Walker Health
1701 14th St., N.W.
202-745-7000
Runner-up: SMYAL
Best salon/spa:
Logan 14 Salon Spa — Aveda Hair & Body
1314 14th St., N.W.
202-506-6868
Runner-up: Aura Spa/Bang Salon
Best men’s clothing:
Universal Gear
1529 14th St., N.W.
202-319-0136
Runner-up: H&M
Best women’s clothing:
Proud Threads
Runner-up: Buffalo Exchange
Best gym:
Vida Fitness
Multiple locations
Runner-up: Results
Best theater:
Kennedy Center
2700 F St., N.W.
202-416-8000
Runner-up: Studio Theatre
Best theater production:
“Rocky Horror” at Studio Theatre
Runner-up: “Book of Mormon” at Kennedy Center
Best LGBT sports team:
Stonewall Kickball’s 21st Amendments
Runner-up: D.C. Front Runners
Best LGBT-owned business:
Flowers on 14th
1718a 14th St., N.W.
Runner-up: Grassroots Gourmet
Best comedy club:
D.C. Improv Comedy Club
1140 Connecticut Ave., N.W.
202-296-7008
Runner-up: Washington Improv Theater
Best Rehoboth business:
Dos Locos
208 Rehoboth Ave.
Rehoboth Beach, Del.
302-227-3353
Runner-up: Blue Moon
Best LGBT social group:
Burgundy Crescent Volunteers
Runner-up: Nice Jewish Boys
a&e features
Eastern Shore chef named James Beard Finalist
Harley Peet creates inventive food in an inclusive space
In a small Eastern Shore town filled with boutiques, galleries, and the occasional cry of waterfowl from the Chesapeake, Chef Harley Peet is most at home. In his Viennese-inflected, Maryland-sourced fine-dining destination Bas Rouge, Peet draws from his Northern Michigan upbringing, Culinary Institute of America education, and identity as a gay man, for inspiration.
And recently, Peet was named a James Beard Finalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic – the first “Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic” finalist representing the Eastern Shore.
Peet, after graduation from the Culinary Institute of America, took a position as sous chef at Tilghman Island Inn, not far from Bas Rouge. Falling in love with the Eastern Shore, he continued his passion for racing sailboats, boating, gardening, and fishing, and living his somewhat pastoral life as he opened Bas Rouge in 2016 as head chef, a restaurant part of the Bluepoint Hospitality group, which runs more than a dozen concepts in and around Easton, Md.
Coming from a rural area and being gay, Peet knew he had his work cut out for him. He was always aware that the service and hospitality industry “can be down and dirty and rough.”
Now as a leader in the kitchen, he aims to “set a good example, and treat people how I want to be treated. I also want to make sure if you’re at our establishment, I’m the first to stand up and say something.”
The Bas Rouge cuisine, he says, is Contemporary European. “I’m inspired by old-world techniques of countries like Austria, Germany, and France, but I love putting a new spin on classic dishes and finding innovative ways to incorporate the bounty of local Chesapeake ingredients.”
His proudest dish: the humble-yet-elevated Wiener Schnitzel. “It is authentic to what one would expect to find in Vienna, down to the Lingonberries.” From his in-house bakery, Peet dries and grinds the housemade Kaiser-Semmel bread to use as the breadcrumbs.
Peet works to support the LGBTQ community inside and outside of the kitchen. “I love that our Bluepoint Hospitality team has created welcoming spaces where our patrons feel comfortable dining at each of our establishments. Our staff have a genuine respect for one another and work together free of judgment.”
Representing Bluepoint, Peet has participated in events like Chefs for Equality with the Human Rights Campaign, advocating for LGBTQ rights.
At Bas Rouge, Peet brings together his passion for inclusion steeped in a sustainability ethic. He sees environmental stewardship as a way of life. Peet and his husband have lived and worked on their own organic farm for several years. Through research in Europe, he learned about international marine sourcing. Witnessing the impacts of overfishing, Peet considers his own role in promoting eco-friendly practices at Bas Rouge. To that end, he ensures responsible sourcing commitments through his purveyors, relationships that have helped create significant change in how people dine in Easton.
“I have built great relationships in the community and there’s nothing better than one of our long-standing purveyors stopping in with a cooler of fresh fish from the Chesapeake Bay. This goes especially for catching and plating the invasive blue catfish species, which helps control the species’ threat to the local ecosystem.
Through his kitchen exploits, Peet expressed a unique connection to another gay icon in a rural fine-dining restaurant: Patrick O’Connell, of three Michelin starred Inn at Little Washington. In fact, Peet’s husband helped design some of O’Connell’s kitchen spaces. They’ve both been able to navigate treacherous restaurant-industry waters, and have come out triumphant and celebrated. Of O’Connell, Peet says that he “sees [his restaurants] as canvas, all artistry, he sees this as every night is a show.” But at the same time, his “judgment-free space makes him a role model.”
Being in Easton itself is not without challenges. Sourcing is a challenge, having to either fly or ship in ingredients, whereas urban restaurants have the benefit of trucking, he says. The small town “is romantic and charming,” but logistics are difficult – one of the reasons that Peet ensures his team is diverse, building in different viewpoints, and also “making things a hell of a lot more fun.”
Reflecting on challenges and finding (and creating) space on the Eastern Shore, Peet confirmed how important it was to surround himself with people who set a good example, and “if you don’t like the way something is going, fuck them and move on.”
Team DC, the umbrella organization for LGBTQ-friendly sports teams and leagues in the D.C. area, held its annual Night of Champions Awards Gala on Saturday, April 20 at the Hilton National Mall. The organization gave out scholarships to area LGBTQ student athletes as well as awards to the Different Drummers, Kelly Laczko of Duplex Diner, Stacy Smith of the Edmund Burke School, Bryan Frank of Triout, JC Adams of DCG Basketball and the DC Gay Flag Football League.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The 2024 National Cannabis Festival was held at the Fields at RFK Stadium on April 19-20.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Covering the @NatlCannaFest at RFK Stadium for @WashBlade . Stop by the LGBTQ+ booth and pick up a paper if you are here. pic.twitter.com/is7hnsaPns
— Michael Patrick Key (@MichaelKeyWB) April 20, 2024