Arts & Entertainment
Big on the Pig
New EatWellDC venture lets nothing go to waste
EatWellDC owners (from left) Andrew Howells, Billy McCormick and Josh Hahn at the Pig, their new venture. (Blade photo by Michael Key)
Logan Tavern, Commissary, The Heights and Grillfish are all well-known neighborhood restaurants in Washington operated by restaurant management company EatWellDC, a conglomerate run by three gay business partners, David Winer, Winer’s nephew Josh Hahn and Antonio Oquendo. Last month they opened their fifth restaurant in the District, The Pig (1320 14th Street NW).
On opening weekend I visited this pork-centric restaurant, which focuses on snout-to-tail dishes from locally sourced ingredients and ethically raised animals. I met Hahn at the restaurant a few weeks after my first visit and discussed the new eatery, the first few weeks of business and the concept behind The Pig.
The idea of whole animal cooking was a trend emerging in the United States a few years ago, Hahn says, and he and his partners agreed if they were going to open another restaurant in the Logan area it would need to be different. The Pig is still a neighborhood restaurant that is socially conscious but it’s not an American Tavern, “meat-and-potatoes”-type venue. Instead the restaurant specializes in small plates.
“The coursing and rhythm of the meal is different and it is a more service-oriented type of establishment,” Hahn says. The 72-seat space is purposefully smaller then EatWellDC’s other restaurant in order to facilitate the different pace and make sure meals aren’t rushed out of the kitchen.
You notice the more intimate space as soon as you walk in. Visitors are greeted by a venue that’s decorated with rustic reclaimed products. Old barn wood lines the walls along with the iconic EatWellDC chalkboards. An expansive butcher block-topped bar resides in the back of the restaurant. It feels like a comfortable country cabin. The only time you may feel uncomfortable is if you excuse yourself to the washrooms to discover the decoupage-covered walls with pig miscellany, including a pig upside down in a meat grinder.
At The Pig, they’re trying to use as many cuts of the animal as the menu will allow and if the full cut is not featured as a center of the plate item, then Chef Garret Fleming tries to incorporate it in some way.
“Some of the items may read a bit strange, but they aren’t really scary,” Hahn says. Although, quite a few at my table found the chocolate ice-cream with pig blood frightening, and we all steered clear of the porchetta which mentions brains in the description. Other than these two items, all other dishes are approachable. There are even some vegetarian and vegan options available as well.
Hahn’s favorite items are the braised cheek with Spanish sofrito and stone grits and the boar spoon bread with truffles and mushrooms. One of my favorite items was also the braised cheek, which was moist and tender as well as the Little Pig platter, a savory selection of cured meats, house pickles and grilled breads. Slightly disappointing however, were the bland meatballs of pork, lamb and stewed tomato sauce, the mushroom beurre blanc where the mushrooms were undercooked on two occasions, and the burger which was not finished by all five of us who were sitting at the table.
To be fair these were the non-pork centric dishes we ordered. I hope to soon return for the wild boar ragu that sounds deliciously promising, but has been unavailable each time I’ve visited. We were even daring enough to try the Sundae Bloody Sundae which features pasteurized pig blood-infused chocolate ice cream, and were pleasantly surprised by the richness of the chocolate and overall appeal of the dessert.
The Pig is a conceptual restaurant that willingly pushes patrons out of their comfort zone but still delivers a good dining experience. The pork-centric menu has some plates that shine and others that leave the diner wanting more. It’s an experience that is worth having at least once, and when the restaurant hits its stride it has the potential to be excellent. The Pig is open for dinner at 5 p.m. and will soon be opening for brunch as well.
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center is marking a milestone year in its new home with a vibrant birthday celebration, inviting the community, allies, and media to join the festivities on Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m.
Since opening its doors in Shaw, The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center has become a hub of support, advocacy, and celebration for LGBTQ+ residents across the District.
The birthday bash promises a day of programming including Yoga (Center Wellness), Micro Bouquet Making (Center Social), Zine Making (Center Arts), and so much more. Guests can also enjoy tours of the Center’s expanded facilities, showcasing spaces for programs, services, and community events.
Since relocating, the Center has expanded its programs, providing critical services. The birthday bash underscores the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center’s commitment to creating an inclusive space where everyone regardless of identity, age, or background can find community and empowerment.
For more details, contact Paul Marengo at 202-705-2890.
Friday, April 24
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Lesbian Visibility Week will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. There will be a special screening of “Ahead of the Curve.” Enjoy an evening of film, conversation, and community, with cocktails and beverages available throughout the night For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Saturday, April 25
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Sunday, April 26
Nellie’s Sports Bar will host “Nellie’s DC Drag Brunch” at 12 p.m. Join Sapphire Blue, Deja Diamond and their team of drag performers for the most fun you’ll have all weekend. Tickets start at $58.51 and are available on Eventbrite.
LGBTQ+ Community Coffee and Conversation will be at 12 p.m. at As You Are. This event is for people looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ community. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, April 27
“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]).
Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary, whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.
Tuesday, April 28
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Candlelight Vigil” at 6:30 p.m. This is a vigil centered on reflection, support, and collective care. Attendees are encouraged to gather at 6:30 p.m., with the program beginning promptly at 7 p.m. and concluding by 8 p.m. The event will take place on the closed-off Wiltberger Street, providing a dedicated and intimate space for remembrance. Electronic candle lights will be available to participants. For those seeking additional support or who have questions ahead of the event, please contact [email protected].
Wednesday, April 29
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.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Movement for Healing” at 3 p.m. This trauma- and yoga therapy–informed class is designed to help guests gently reconnect with their body and their breath. Through mindful movement, somatic awareness, and grounding practices, guests will explore how to release tension, increase mobility, and cultivate a deeper sense of safety and ease within. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Thursday, April 30
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. 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.
a&e features
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
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