Arts & Entertainment

Going Rogue

Mind-boggling array of multi-course meals available at N Street spot

Published

14 years ago

September 20, 2012

Jonathan Howard

Rogue 24 offers a bounty of unexpected culinary delights. (Photo courtesy Rogue 24)

Every once in a while every diner should spoil himself with a special meal and Rogue 24 (922 N Street NW) proves a great option for the adventurous diner who is looking for an extravagant night full of delicious bites.

Rogue 24 lets the diner sit back and enjoy everything the restaurant has to offer. You don’t even need to make those pesky decisions about what to eat or drink. Simply make a reservation, decide how many courses you want and leave the rest up to the staff.

They offer a couple options for diners. My husband Greg and I opted for the eight courses on the “Evolution Menu” but there were also 16- and 24-course options available. Chef RJ Cooper did inform me that the eight course Evolution Menu is “evolving” into a 16-course seating this fall but that they will also be offering a four-course Prix Fix Menu. The changes are based on feedback Cooper says.

We were seated and the hostess said she hoped we would enjoy our dining experience; the emphasis was clearly on “experience.” And what an experience it was. Rogue 24 is not for an immature palate or a closed mind. Sometimes the flavors on your plate are subtle, and sometimes they are bold, but each and every plate that makes its way out of the “kitchen in the round” — that is the centerpiece of this raw and open space — is rich and well thought out. Even if you have the most adventurous palate you may not like every plate, but that’s part of the journey. When speaking with Cooper he offered some advice for patrons dining at Rogue — “ Keep an open mind.”

Rogue 24 is like Cooper says, “completely out of the box.” We dined on a variety of dishes starting with snapper with red pepper that warmed the back of your throat, followed by a cool cucumber gazpacho, and then a pungent course of parmesan cheese with artichokes.

The pacific moonfish was rich and delectable with olives and a touch of citrus; an interesting plate of peaches in a mole sauce with heart of palm followed. I was then introduced to escargot, not a plate that I was terribly fond of but the potato foam that it was served with was exquisite.

My favorite savory dish of the evening was the braised and fried ox tail that was both chewy and crispy; a creative play on textures. Part of the joy of these courses was you didn’t know what would be arriving next; each course was a complete surprise. I asked Cooper which of these many courses was his favorite but he couldn’t answer, “Because that would be like having a favorite child,” which shows how much passion he has for his food.

The desserts began arriving, starting with the passion fruit with coconut meringue and white chocolate. This was followed by the sweet decadence of the triple chocolate mousse. The plate had white, dark and milk chocolate mousse and crumbles on it, and I scraped my plate clean. The final dish was a plate of homemade candies, chocolates and mini cookies.

Every plate throughout the meal was paired with a cocktail or wine and each beverage revealed nuances in each dish. When service was over we weren’t quite prepared to end the night, so Greg ordered a port that he insisted tasted like “liquid trail mix complete with M&Ms” and I had quite possibly the most dynamic drink ever in the form of a scotch (neat of course) from India called Amrut.

As we sat and savored our drinks we quietly reviewed the meal. The service was impeccable, well choreographed and thoughtful, and the plates consisted of bites we will be talking about for years to come whether we loved them or not. Every employee in the restaurant gives 100 percent of their attention to the patrons whether in the kitchen or on the floor. While no two experiences at Rogue 24 will be the same especially since the menu is constantly changing, it is a worthwhile adventure at least once. So, my recommendation is to save up some cash (it is an expensive meal), shed your inhibitions about food and experience all that Rogue 24 has to offer.

Related Topics:Dining Out & About RJ Cooper Rogue 24

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FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM

Theater

Rorschach stages ‘Dragon Play’ in unlikely, raw space

Out sound designer Madeline ‘Mo’ Oslejsek notes ‘sound is my bag’

Published

12 hours ago

April 18, 2026

Patrick Folliard

Madeline 'Mo' Oslejsek (Photo courtesy of Oslejsek)

‘Dragon Play’
Through May 17
Rorschach Theatre
The Stacks @ Buzzard Point
101 V St., S.W.
$50 ($35 for students and seniors)
Rorschachtheatre.org

Celebrated for its site-specific, immersive productions, Rorschach Theatre puts on plays all over town. The unlikely spots have included greenhouses, church vestibules, closed retail spaces (including a vacant downtown big and tall men’s store) and historic locales like Rock Creek Cemetery’s Adams Memorial.

For its current offering “Dragon Play” (through May 17), a tale of love and longing, Rorschach is using a raw space in The Stacks at Buzzard Point, a new mixed-use neighborhood situated where the Anacostia and Potomac rivers meet.

Out sound designer Madeline ‘Mo’ Oslejsek considers all sites – whether traditional theatrical spaces or not – specific, particularly in terms of sound. She says, “Part of my practice is if you’re creating a soundscape for a theatrical production you’re also working with sound that already exists with the space.”

For instance, The Stacks space comes with its own unique qualities. It’s a large cement room that has a different reverberation, an echo.

“Some sounds (a car, dog bark) are planted or they might just happen. What starts as a live sound might be heard again as something recorded.”

Whip smart with a ready laugh, Oslejsek never set out to be a sound designer. She was going to direct. And now, the 2025 Helen Hayes Award nominee for Outstanding Sound Design (“Astro Boy and the God of Comics” at Flying V,) says, “Sound is my bag. Sometimes it seems that I’m the only one in the room thinking about it.”

As an undergrad studying theater at Ohio Wesleyan University, she was first exposed to sound design, but it didn’t make a big impression.

In grad school at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, she was interested in direction. But when students were offered a choice of three more specific tracks to choose from (performance, composition, and scenography, which includes sound design), Oslejsek was swayed.

“An introduction to scenography by the department head radically changed the course of my life,” she says.

What struck her most about sound was the subjectivity: “The core of my practice is that sound has no meaning until it’s experienced. All sound is noise. It’s just a pitch, active, or vocalization. It becomes real when you hear it and apply meaning to it. That’s very exciting to me.”

Today, Oslejsek and partner Caitlin Hooper, an actor and intimacy choreographer, are based in Baltimore but work primarily in D.C.

“It feels good to be in a place where art and queerness in art are celebrated. It’s not like that everywhere, and making that kind of work down the street from this White House where that’s not the vibe, is real resistance. That feels really meaningful.”

Also important to Oslejsek (who identifies alternately as queer and lesbian) is “queer as a practice,” a concept suggesting that a queer identity or practice does not seek to replace other identities but to encompass and bridge them.

“I’m queer because I like women, but the work is more about making room for what everyone in the room hears,” she says. “Never do I want to come into a space thinking I have all the answers. That’s no fun.”

As its title might suggest, Jenny Connell Davis’ play directed by Rorschach’s Randy Baker is filled with magic. “Dragon Play,” blurs the past and present; one world bleeds into the next; and, of course, there are dragons. At 80 minutes with no intermission, the play moves in and out of different timelines; increasingly things start to overlap.

And it’s also about the magic of relationships – all kinds. There’s a line where the dragon girl asks a Texas boy what he dreams about and he replies “you, always you.”

Oslejsek, 30, is touched by those words: “In my little gay heart, I cried. It makes me think of my partner. This play is about the idea of people who strike a match in your heart that never really goes away.”

In creating a layered soundscape, she brings her own brand of magic to the production. Her big goal was “not to play with how we think a dragon might sound, but rather with how does the world sound to a dragon.”

Sometimes sound design takes the lead, but in some productions, sound is purposely subtle or secondary, she says. Either way, sound can be monumental in shaping theater.

Calendar

Calendar: April 17-23

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

Friday, April 17

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.

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Social in the City” at 7 p.m. at Hotel Zena. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7:00p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome and there’ll be card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.

Saturday, April 18

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.

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.

Sunday, April 19

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Lunch” at 11 a.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano. 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.

Monday, April 20

“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, April 21

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.

Senior Self Defense Class with Avi Rome will be at 12:30 p.m. This inclusive and beginner-friendly class, led by Instructor Avi Rome, offers a light warm-up, stretching, and instruction in basic techniques, patterns, and striking padded targets. Each session is designed to be adaptable for all ability and mobility levels, creating a welcoming space for everyone to build strength, confidence, and community through martial arts. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.

Wednesday, April 22

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.

Asexual and Aromantic Group will meet at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a space where people who are questioning this aspect of their identity or those who identify as asexual and/or aromantic can come together, share stories and experiences, and discuss various topics. For more details, email [email protected].

Thursday, April 23

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 5:00 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, breath work 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.

Out & About

Team DC’s annual gala set for this weekend

LGBTQ sports organization to hold annual ‘Night of Champions’

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Team DC will host “Night of Champions Gala” on Saturday, April 18 at 6 p.m. at the Georgetown Marriott.

This will be an evening of celebration and inspiration as Team DC honors remarkable individuals and supports the next generation of LGBTQ student-athletes.

There will be opportunities to support Team DC through auctions. The Silent Auction items will offer an array of unique goods and experiences. Additionally, Team DC will feature an exclusive selection of live auction items for those looking to make a significant impact.

This year, Team DC will recognize six outstanding awardees who have made significant contributions to the LGBTQ community and sports: