Connect with us

Arts & Entertainment

Stuck in D.C.?

Those who can’t make it home for Thanksgiving have several local dining options

Published

on

turkey, Thanksgiving, dining, Washington Blade, gay news

D.C. has lots of dining options for those staying in town next week. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

Looking to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast without the hassle of spending hours in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up? Then, a number of D.C.’s finest and most popular restaurants will be the most welcome Thanksgiving day sight since the Pilgrims first spotted Plymouth Rock.

On Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 22) dozens of area restaurants will be serving up menus ranging from traditional to innovative holiday meals.

Here’s a list of what some will be offering:

Ardeo Bardeo Restaurant
3311 Connecticut Ave. NW
202-244-6750

Celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving meal or enjoy one of Chef Nate Garyantes’ dinner specials at Ardeo Bardeo from 5-11 p.m., which features everything from butternut squash soup to wild mushroom risotto to ricotta agnolotti. Turkey of course will be served but other dining choices include grilled swordfish, seven hour-braised Shenandoah lamb shoulder or grilled beef strip loin.

Art and Soul
415 New Jersey Ave., NW
202-393-7777

Executive Chef Wes Morton will pull out all the southern-inspired stops with his Thanksgiving buffet menu, featuring house-made maple ham, a roast of local heritage turkey and all the best holiday favorites. Seatings are available from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Adults are $55 per person and children ages 6 to 12 are $25. All customers will receive a “leftover” roast turkey sandwich complete with cranberry sauce and gravy to take home.

Beacon Bar and Grill
1615 Rhode Island Ave. NW
202-872-1126

Chef Steven Hunter will welcome all to Beacon Bar and Grill’s Thanksgiving Day dining celebration with traditional holiday fare and great seasonal alternatives. The three-course dinner is available from noon to 7 p.m. Adults $34.95, children $15.95.

Bistro Francais
3124 M St. NW
202-338-3830

This Georgetown French eatery will be offering a traditional three-course Thanksgiving meal, as well as an a la carte option from 11 a.m. to midnight. Lunch begins at $29.95 for adults, $19.95 for children, with dinner fetching $10 more.

Brasserie Beck
1101 K St. NW
202-408-1717

Chef Brian McBride will prepare Brasserie Beck’s first Thanksgiving Day feast with seatings from noon to 9 p.m. This contemporary Belgian brasserie will also offer special holiday desserts.

Café Berlin
322 Massachusetts Ave. NE
202-543-7656

This German-themed restaurant will be offering menu choices from its regular and special Thanksgiving Day menu from 1 to 8 p.m. The holiday meal begins with pumpkin soup and is followed by roasted turkey with all the trimmings and choice of dessert. Cost is $27 per person.

Darlington House
1610 20th St. NW
202-332-3722

Owners Fabio and Patricia Beggiato invite Thanksgiving revelers to head to their Italian eatery for a special holiday meal, that starts with a glass of prosecco. Traditional offerings will be available from 2 to 11 p.m. Adults cost $49, children $25.

Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant
555 S. 23rd St., Arlington, VA
703-685-0555

The restaurant will be offering its annual Thanksgiving all-you-can-eat buffet from noon to 7 p.m., featuring a traditional menu of turkey, stuffing, yams plus pumpkin pie and other dessert favorites. Cost is $19.99 per person.

Palm Restaurant
1225 19th St. NW
202-293-9091

Looking to give thanks in style? This Dupont Circle steakhouse is offering a three-course Thanksgiving prix fixe menu featuring slow-roasted hand carved turkey with all the trimmings. Dinner is served from 2 to 8 p.m. at $45 for adults and $19 for children under 12.

Rasika West End
1190 New Hampshire Ave. NW
202-466-2500

This contemporary Indian restaurant will be serving turkey in addition to its regular menu from noon to 11 p.m.

Roberts Restaurant at the Omni Shoreham
2500 Calvert St. NW
202-756-5300

Executive Chef Dan Murray and his culinary team will be offering a Thanksgiving brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring all the traditional favorites mixed in with his signature style. Brunch is $64 for adults, $27 per child.

Taberna del Alabardero
1776 I St. NW
202-429-2200

Celebrate the holiday at this Spanish restaurant with a prefixed menu and live entertainment. Enjoy a lavish Turkey meal and finish the night with a special dessert of cherry sponge cake, corn cream, blueberry mousse and pumpkin marmalade. Price is $64 a person. Dinner will be served beginning at 5 p.m.

Trio
1537 17th St. NW
202-232-6305 

From noon to midnight Trio will be offering a special four-course Thanksgiving meal for $17.95. On tap for the menu is cream of turkey soup, choice of salad, an entrée of roast turkey with giblet gravy, roast duckling aux oranges or baked sugar-cured ham with raisin sauce, plus all the fixings. Dessert will offer pumpkin pie, homemade bread pudding and rice pudding.

 

Advertisement
FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM
SIGN UP FOR E-BLAST

Calendar

Calendar: March 27-April 2

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

on

Friday, March 27

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+ Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Dupont Italian Kitchen. 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 p.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

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, March 28

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

Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black Lesbian. For more details, email [email protected]

Monday, March 30

“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]).

“Tea Time! A Local DC Drag Comedy Show” will be at 3 p.m. at Spark Social. This is a live drag comedy show where drag legends TrevHER & Tiara Missou Sidora host spill all the tea in the DMV. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite

Tuesday, March 31

Visibili-TEA Party will be at 6 p.m. at Restoration Station. Guests are encouraged to come sip, celebrate, and shine together. This event is a Trans Day of Visibility celebration and a special collaboration between Auntie’s Home and Damien Ministries. This is a boozy tea party with intention and the dress code reflects the vibe. More details are available on Eventbrite

Wednesday, March 1

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.

Thursday, April 2

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.  

Continue Reading

Out & About

Celebrate cherry blossoms the drag way

Unconventional Diner hosts bingo party

Published

on

The cherry blossoms are here. Celebrate at a unique event hosted by Unconventional Diner. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

Unconventional Diner will host “Cherry Blossom Drag Bingo Party” on Friday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m.

Guests will be treated to an unforgettable night of drag performances, bingo, food and drink and prizes. Highlights of the evening include themed cocktails, drag performances and bingo prizes.

Tickets can be secured via Resy.

Continue Reading

Sports

New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics

New regulation to be in effect at 2028 summer games in Los Angeles

Published

on

(Photo by Greg Martin; courtesy IOC)

The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced it will not allow transgender women from competing in female events at the Olympics.

“For all disciplines on the Sports Program of an IOC event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to biological females,” reads the new policy.

The policy states “eligibility for the Female Category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY Gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY Gene.”

“On the basis of the scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the SRY (sex-determining Region Y) Gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development,” it reads. “Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY Gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the Female Category.”

The policy states the test “will be a once-in-a-lifetime test” unless “there is reason to believe a negative reading is in error.”

The new regulation will be in place for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“I understand that this a very sensitive topic,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday in a video. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”

“The policy that we have announced is based on science and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advances in sport that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she added. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”

(Video courtesy of the IOC)

Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, in 2021 became the first trans woman to compete at the Olympics.

Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Khelif later sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberstalking after they questioned her gender identity.

Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, this year became the first openly trans athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics when he participated in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.

President Donald Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last July banned trans women from competing in female sporting events. Republican lawmakers have demanded the IOC ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.

“I’m grateful the Olympics finally embraced the common sense policy that women’s sports are for women, not for men,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X.

An IOC spokesperson on Thursday referred the Washington Blade to the press release that announced the new policy.

Continue Reading

Popular