Arts & Entertainment
Luck of the draw
New Logan Circle gastropub finds retro inspiration
(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Ever since Artfully Chocolate Kingsbury Confections (ACKC) closed on 14th Street this year I’ve been peeking in the windows of the space to see what may be happening there. A couple of months ago a visible transformation began occurring and The Drafting Table (1529C 14th Street) was slowly revealed to the Logan Circle neighborhood.
Originally, The Drafting Table was supposed to be named Woody Creek, the name proposed by the winner of a Going Out Guide poll and agreed upon by owner Aaron Gordon. However, Gordon’s primary designer, Andrew Christenberry stumbled upon mid-20th century drafting tables while searching for furniture for the space and the theme was completely overhauled. Now the space is full of sleek warm wooden drafting tables and chairs and the theme trickles all the way down to the menus, which are printed on drafting paper. One of the most dramatic elements is the six foot handcrafted wooden architecture compass mounted to the wall that Gordon says was, “completely his [Christenberry’s] idea. He thought of it, he built it by hand and it complements the space perfectly.”
My introduction to the atmosphere and food of The Drafting Table was at its media event on Oct. 16. We were assigned tables with platters full of food featuring their pickled veggies with “Greek green goddess” dressing and their chacuterie plate.
We then had time to mingle with other food writers (in between taking photos of the food) and sample beers from their in-depth list. As we were seated, a very interesting dish was presented to us — the Kaya Toast, which many of my fellow writers had already been talking about. It has the makings of a signature dish for this neighborhood gastro pub with its thick and crusty toast, rich sweet coconut jam and creamy egg cooked sunny side up and served on a plate with soy broth that introduces saltiness to the mix. Make sure to mix it all together in order to experience the full range of flavors. This is definitely a “don’t-knock-it-‘til-you’ve-tried-it” dish.
Following the appetizers we were offered our choice of the draftsman burger, the herb roasted chicken or the falafel. All of us at the table made sure that the three dishes would be represented and we passed them around so we could try them. The plates put together by head chef, Ciji Wagner, were strong and well balanced. Then it was time for dessert and chocolate puddin’, grilled pound cake and homemade Snickers pie all made their way to the table. The chocolate puddin’ was the strongest of these three, but that may just be the comfort factor talking, since it reminded me of a Jell-O Puddin’ Pop.
I left the media dinner satisfied, but wondering what a non-media event would be like at The Drafting Table, so a few days later I returned for brunch with my husband. The brunch was much more laid back with tables full of people relaxing instead of rushing. The wait staff also moved at a more relaxed pace.
I was disappointed to see no unlimited mimosa on the brunch menu, but the rest of the menu seemed to offer typical brunch fare. The “sexy breakfast sandwich” caught my eye and Greg chose the French toast with apple compote, which he described as “good, just not great.” I was blown away by my breakfast sandwich, which turned out to me more messy than sexy, but tasty nonetheless. The sunny side up eggs were flavored by the herb aioli and warmed by a healthy portion of roasted red peppers, then some prosciutto was piled on top and I was in heaven.
As Gordon said, “People love something new in the neighborhood and they seem to be enjoying ‘The Drafting Table’ as their new neighborhood pub.” The Drafting Table is an excellent addition to Logan Circle offering an eclectic mix of pub food and beers. This is one of the first (of many) welcome additions soon coming to the 14th Street corridor for lunch, dinner, snacks and brunch.
Out & About
Writers’ association hosts Capital Love LitFest
Inaugural literary salon scheduled for Sunday
The Washington Writers’ Publishing House (WWPH), the nation’s longest continuously operating cooperative nonprofit literary press, will present the inaugural “Capital Love LitFest” on Sunday, June 28 at 10 a.m. at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Md.
Designed as a full-day literary salon and cultural gathering, the event will feature more than 25 writers, nine workshops, and panel discussions, readings, and conversations centered on love, relationships, identity, healing, creativity, and connection in divisive times. Admission is pay-what-you-can, beginning at free.
The LitFest celebrates the release of “Capital Love,” WWPH’s new anthology featuring 55 writers from across the DMV, including contributors from Baltimore, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. The pocket-sized collectible anthology explores love in its many forms through poetry and prose and serves as a literary response to today’s social and political climate.
For more details, visit Washington Writers’ website.
Television
‘Vampire Lestat’ heats up Pride month with queer action
Latest Anne Rice adaptation poised to be your next TV obsession
Whether you’re mourning the end of Euphoria, The Boys, or Hacks, you’re dying for another hit of Heated Rivalry or just need something new to watch, The Vampire Lestat has you covered. Whether it’s the cutting witty dialogue, supernatural action, or the maudlin adventures of problematic queer relationships, this is the show for you. This new season brings literal sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll as Lestat (Sam Reid), a multi-centennial vampire, decides to process his beef with his sexy ex Louis (Jacob Anderson) for giving the Interview With The Vampire by starting a rock band.
In 1976, Anne Rice wrote a book to process the death of her young daughter. It was the story of two vampire “roommates” and their centuries-long relationship drama. What followed was a series of 13 books and a whole world filled with vampires, witches, and more. This launched the 1994 film where Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, and Tom Cruise played “totally not gay” vampires who almost kissed a few times, despite having all of the hottest actors of the era, it was sanitized of all queer subplots. R&B diva Aaliyah’s last role was as Akasha, the eponymous Queen of the Damned (2002), the unoffical follow up to the first film covering Rice’s second and third book.
The AMC series version of Interview with the Vampire took all this source material and made it more gay, more current, and more PC. They shifted the story to the present day, having Louis live in a luxurious Dubai compound, and his interviewer, Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian), being a former addict hawking his masterclass, armed with a ton of evidence. The choice to race-swap Louis from a misanthropic emo plantation owner to a black brothel owner in New Orleans adds so much more nuance, history and richness to his character. Exploring the abusive nature of the relationship and casting the amazing Delainey Hayles as Claudia have all elevated the story to your next television obsession. The choice to turn the book into two seasons allowed the creators to take their time, play with storytelling and explore Louis as an unreliable narrator and tease at many of the storylines of later books. This was a smart choice considering these characters are all centuries old, and over the course of 13 books, all have complex backstories and inner worlds.
Sam Reid was always a standout and captured the egomania and charm of Lestat, the self-proclaimed Brat Prince. He gets to play an over-the-top bitch about everything we’ve seen and heard in Seasons 1 and 2, while even skewering the world of today, commenting on the state of fame, life, and politics.
Like in the book, he reclaims the narrative as he takes the helm of the story. Rather than write his own book, he’s nabbed the newly vamped-up Daniel Molloy as his documentarian. Also, without giving too much away, this series begins in an unnamed future. Armand (Assad Zaman) and Louis are still as hot as ever, and they’re at an auction for the complete works of the Vampire Lestat. It’s teased that some sort of world-altering event has transpired, and Lestat is missing in action. Could that be the events of The Queen of the Damned or even the sum of all of the books? Only time will tell.
The worldbuilding is really solid as we get to see the past, present and future of these characters. Prime example, Akasha, The Queen of the Damned, was name-checked in earlier seasons. Whether you’re a fan of the original source material or not, this series has something for everyone. It has action, including an epic vampire fight scene in the premiere. It has a complex world and mysteries that unfold over the course of each season. Plus, it has hotties of all genders with Reid, Anderson and Zaman holding it down from earlier seasons. Schitt’s Creek dreamboat Noah Reid joins the cast as Lestat’s band’s frontman.
The show has everything: sex, violence, drama, all with a queer and racially inclusive lens. It doesn’t pull punches in storytelling and examining history, all while maintaining a level of levity and fun. It unfolds with dramatic soap operatic reveals and confrontations while also grounding all of the fantasy in our world.
The series is poised to continue with the same characters from the first two seasons while shifting the focus to allow in a new cast of characters who will play out the events of multiple books and major arcs that are part of AMC’s new Anne Rice cinematic universe.
The series airs on AMC Plus, while the first two seasons are available on Netflix. A note to people streaming it may appear on Season 2, as the series name change might be confusing for those who haven’t seen the show.
a&e features
Television loses a legend, longtime ‘Will & Grace’ director James Burrows
Iconic hitmaker leaves behind a legacy of telling LGBTQ stories
You don’t have to be a pretentious film major to name 10 movie directors. But naming television directors is not that simple. They’re the unsung heroes of your favorite shows, and the late James Burrows was the television director. He passed on June 19, but his DNA runs through television history.
He directed over 1200 episodes of television and over 50 pilots. He co-created “Cheers” and directed many episodes of long-running series like “Friends,” “Taxi,” “Frasier,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “Two and a Half Men.” You also may remember him from playing a heightened version of himself on the Lisa Kudrow comedy “The Comeback.”
He has left an indelible mark on the LGBTQ community. As recently as last year, he directed the series run of “Mid-Century Modern” starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Linda Lavin. He was also a longtime director of “Will & Grace” and directed every episode of the series revival. He even directed the unaired “Absolutely Fabulous” pilot with Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Johnston, and Zosia Mamet.
Not to mention he’s worked with queer icons throughout history, including Betty White and Stockard Channing on their single-season series, and Jennifer Coolidge in “2 Broke Girls.”
He started his career on shows like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Rhoda,” “Laverne & Shirley,” and the first four seasons of “Taxi.”
He continued to work steadily and directed successful pilots that went to series for “Roc,” “3rd Rock From the Sun,” “Dharma & Greg,” and “Wings.” He directed multiple episodes of “Friends,” “Caroline in the City,” and “Frasier.”
This magic continued into the 2000s with him directing the pilots for “Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and multiple episodes of “Mike & Molly,” and the entire return series of “Will & Grace.”
What was the secret to his success? He’d enact the “fun clause” in his contract. In his words, “Life is too short to deal with obnoxious leads,” he shared. “So as long as the writing is good and the cast is fun, I’m going to enjoy the experience.”
He had the magic touch, having multiple pilots turned into long-running series. He was nominated for an Emmy 24 times in 26 years and worked consistently until a year before his death.
The secret was the way he brought the cast together. He describes, “it was my job to mold them into an ensemble, and they did round into a group of people who loved each other.”
This earned him 11 Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards, including being awarded the inaugural DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Television Direction.
In a 2003 interview by the Television Academy, he was asked how he wants to be remembered, and he said, “That every night forever you can tune in somewhere, and there’ll be a show I did.”
He’s survived by his wife, Debbie, four daughters, seven grandchildren, and the countless people whose careers he launched and the countless viewers he inspired with his television legacy.
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