Arts & Entertainment
Sentinels celebrate wins
Other local queer sports groups in full swing
The D.C. Sentinels are on a winning streak with two major titles under their belt this year. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Majoros)
There are lots of great things happening with the D.C. sports groups in the coming month.
Congratulations to the D.C. Sentinels basketball team who have been on a tear this year winning two national tournaments. In January, the team won the A division of the Sin City Shootout in Las Vegas. Two weeks ago the Sentinels won the A division of the Coady Roundball Classic in Chicago. They will be celebrating with a happy hour party today from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Black Fox Lounge. You can check out the Sentinels at www.teamdcbasketball.org.
The D.C. Strokes Rowing Club is offering Learn To Row sessions for men and women in the month of May. All skill levels are welcome and you will be introduced to the basics of technique, equipment and language in a small class of 10-12 people. From April 30 to May 22, sessions will be offered on Saturdays in the mornings and afternoons. From May 2-25, sessions will be offered on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. From May 3-26, sessions are available from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. More information is available at www.dcstrokes.org.
Last year, about 3,500 members of the LGBT community attended Team D.C.’s Night OUT at the Nationals. Join them again this year on June 21 as the Nats take on the Seattle Mariners. Tickets start at $16 and are available at Nellie’s Sports Bar. In the coming weeks they will be available online at www.teamdc.org.
The D.C. Front Runners Spring Fling is scheduled for May 13-15 which includes socializing, walk/runs in Rock Creek Park and the Capitol Hill Classic 10K on Sunday. More info is available about Spring Fling and their weekly run/walks at www.dcfrontrunners.org.
The first practice for the Jolly Boozers Ultimate Frisbee Team was a few weeks ago and you can still get in on the action. Men and women of all skill levels are welcome and cleats are recommended. Contact Ben at [email protected] to learn more.
After a brief break, D.C. Cheer is getting back in the game with their cheer squad. They are looking for coaches and places to practice. If you are interested or can offer an opportunity, contact Greg at [email protected].
The Lambda Links Golf Club has kicked off its season. The first tournament is a Scramble to be held at Glenn Dale on April 30. Weekly outings will continue until the next tournament which will be held on June 11. Stay current with the Links at www.lambdalinks.org.
The Rainbow Spinnakers Sailing Club has begun its weekly sails. You can ride along as a passenger or train to become a skipper. Get on its mailing list and receive weekly e-mails about openings on the sailboats. You can find them at www.rainbowspinnakers.org
Interested in scuba diving? Join members of the Lambda Divers Scuba Club on May 15 (and every third Sunday of the month) at Nellie’s Sports Bar between 5-7 p.m. for happy hour. Information on future diving trips will be on hand. More about them is available at www.lambdadivers.org.
The Adventuring Outdoors Group is sponsoring the Arboretum Azaleas Hike on Saturday. Last November, the National Arboretum announced that it was destroying most of its world-famous azalea collection due to budget constraints.
Ultimately, The Friends of the Arboretum secured a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor to “save the azaleas.” The group will take an easy 5-mile hike around the Arboretum, a 446 acre hidden gem in the middle of Northeast D.C. Established 65 years ago, the azaleas now blanket the hillside of Mount Hamilton, the third highest natural point in D.C.
The group will also visit a selection of other seasonal displays as well as some of the meadows, the forested areas and the famous original National Capitol Columns. Look for the trip leader’s orange cap at 9 a.m. at the top of the Q Street escalator at Dupont Circle Metro. They will carpool from there and return by 1:30 p.m. Bring water, lunch, sunscreen and $5 for trip fees. Drivers are needed. Contact Damon at [email protected]et for more information.
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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