a&e features
Check out these holiday shows in D.C.
Renee Fleming, ‘Nutcracker’ and more coming to area stages


The National Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorale will perform āThe Messiahā at the Strathmore Dec. 17-18. (Photo by Don Lassell; courtesy National Philharmonic)
There will be lots of chances to get in the holiday spirit in the coming weeks. Here are some you may want to check out.
The National Philharmonic Singers under the direction of conductors Stan Engebretson and Victoria Gau will present a holiday concert on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church (107 S. Washington Street) in Rockville. Stanfordās āMagnificat in G Majorā and famous Renaissance motets āIn Dulci Jubiloā and āResonent in Laudibusā will be performed along with popular carols and a sing-along. Itās free but donations will be accepted. Details at christchurchrockville.org.
The National Philharmonic will also perform the āMessiahā at the Strathmore Dec. 17-18 with a nearly 200-voice choir. Tickets start at $28. Details at nationalphilharmonic.org.
Olney Theatre Company presents āA Christmas Carol: a Ghost Story of Christmas Pastā by Charles Dickens performed as a one-man-show by Paul Morella Nov. 25-Dec. 31 at its Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab (2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, Md.). Tickets range from $20-40. Details at olneytheatre.org.

Paul Morella as Scrooge in the one-man show āA Christmas Carol; a Ghost Story of Christmas Pastā at Olney Theatre Company. (Photo courtesy Olney)
The Washington Revels present āThe Christmas Revels: a Nordic Celebration of the Winter Solstice in Music, Dance & Dramaā Dec. 10-18 at the GW Lisner Auditorium (730 21st St., N.W.). The performance will include Nordic winter traditions from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden performed by a cast of more than 100 ages 8-85. Tickets range from $12-60. Visit revelsdc.org for details.
The Washington Chorus under the direction of Julian Wachner will perform āA Candlelight Christmasā Dec. 11-22 at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall (2700 F St., N.W.) and on Monday, Dec. 19 at the Music Center at Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md.). The show features brass, organ, sing-alongs, major choral works such as āThe Dream Isaiah Sawā and the āHallelujah Chorus.ā Tickets range from $18-72. Details at thewashingtonchorus.org.
Country diva Lorrie Morgan brings her āEnchanted Christmasā tour to the Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, Va.) on Sunday, Dec. 18. Tickets are $45. Details at birchmere.com.
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has several holiday-themed performances coming up including Handelās āMessiahā Dec. 2-4, āFamily Concert: the Snowmanā on Dec. 3, āSwinginā Nutcracker a la Ellington featuring Step Afrika!ā Dec. 8-11, āMusic Box: Snowflakes on Paradeā Dec. 10, a screening of āItās a Wonderful Lifeā in which the score will be performed live on Dec. 15-16, āHoliday Pops with Storm Largeā Dec. 17-18 and more. The BSO performs at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore) and at the Music Center at Strathmore (5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md.). Ticket prices vary. Details at bsomusic.org.

Members of the local dance company Step Afrika! perform āA Swinginā Nutracker a la Ellington,ā which will be performed Dec. 8-11 at the Strathmore in North Bethesda, Md., and the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore. (Photo courtesy Weinbergharris & Associates)
Drag outfit the Kinsey Sicks perform their show āOy Vey in a Mangerā at Theater J (1529 16th St., N.W.) Dec. 20-28. Tickets are $19-52. Details at theaterj.org.
āJewmongous,ā a comedy-song concert featuring Jewish hipster comedy created and performed by Sean Altman, will be performed on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8:30 p.m. at BlackRock Center for the Arts (12901 Town Commons Dr., Germantown, Md.). Tickets are $17-25. Details at blackrockcenter.org.
āKwanzaa Celebrationā will be held Dec. 17-18 at Dance Place (3225 8th St., N.E.) featuring the Coyaba Dance Theater under the direction of Sylvia Stoumah. Tickets are $15-30. Details at danceplace.org.
Kwanzaa celebrations for each day will be held at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum (1901 Fort P., S.E.) Dec. 27-Jan. 1 with Culture Queen (Jessica Smith) offering music, movement and storytelling for all ages. Itās free each day at 11 a.m. Details at anacostia.si.edu.
Hot 99.5ās āJingle Ball 2016ā will be held Monday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Verizon Center (601 F St., N.W.) featuring Meghan Trainor, the Chainsmokers, G-Eazy, Fifth Harmony, Diplo, Ellie Goulding and more. Itās sold out but last-minute tickets may be available on Stubhub.
If youāre up for a New York visit, Cyndi Lauper and friends present their annual āHome for the Holidaysā benefit concert on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. at the Beacon Theatre (2124 Broadway) in New York. Lauperās guests include Aloe Blacc, Ballets with a Twist, Big Thief, Billy Corgan and more in a holiday-themed benefit concert for the True Colors Fund, an LGBT youth charity. Tickets range from $50-150. Details at ticketmaster.com.
Creative Cauldron presents āA Christmas Carol Memory,ā a world premiere re-imagining of the Dickens classic featuring puppets, Dec. 1-20 at ArtSpace Falls Church (410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church, Va.). Tickets are $15-30. Details at creativecauldron.org.
Saxophonist Dave Koz brings his Christmas Tour 2016 to the National Theatre (1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.) on Saturday, Dec. 3 with guests Jonathan Butler, Valerie Simpson and Kenny Lattimore. Tickets are $68-98. Details at davekoz.com.

Out saxophonist Dave Koz returns to the region again this year with his annual Christmas tour. He plays the National on Saturday, Dec. 3. (Photo by Bryan Sheffield)
The Gay Menās Chorus of Washington presents its annual Christmas show āNaughty and Niceā Dec. 10, 17 and 18 at the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., NW.). This yearās show features songs such as āSleigh Ride,ā āMerry Christmas, I Win,ā āSnow,ā āText Me Merry Christmasā and more. Tickets range from $25-65. Details at gmcw.org.
The New Wave Singers of Baltimore, an LGBT chorus under the direction of Adam P. Koch, will perform their annual holiday show āHoliday Memoriesā Dec. 10-11 at Immanuel Church of Christ (1905 Edmonson Ave., Catonsville, Md.). Admission is free. Details at newwavesingers.org.
Contemporary gospel legends Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith bring their show āChristmasā with a full symphony orchestra and guest star Jordan Smith of āThe Voiceā to Royal Farms Arena (201 W. Baltimore St.) in Baltimore on Sunday, Dec. 18. Tickets range from $36.50-147. Details at ticketmaster.com.
Pope of Trash John Waters brings his show āA John Waters Christmasā to the Birchmere (3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria) again this year on Tuesday, Dec. 20. Tickets are $49.50. Details at birchmere.com.
The Rockville Civic Ballet will perform āThe Nutcrackerā Dec. 3-11 at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre (603 Edmonston Dr., Rockville, Md.). Tickets are $17. Details at fscottfitzgerald.showare.com.
The Hope Garden Childrenās Ballet presents āA Christmas Carolā at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre (603 Edmonton Dr., Rockville, Md.) on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 1:30 and 6 p.m. Details at hgcbt.org.
The Swingles, a UK-based a cappella group, will perform their show āYule Songsā at the Barnes at Wolf Trap (1635 Trap Road, Vienna, Va.) on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $38. Details at wolftrap.org.
Wolf Trapās annual Holiday Sing-A-Long with the United States Marine Band and members of several local choirs, will be held at the Filene Center (1551 Trap Road, Vienna, Va.) on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. Itās free and gates for the lawn and in-house seating open at 3. New unwrapped toys will be accepted for Toys for Tots at the Filene Center entrance. Donations are optional. Bring a candle and a bell to participate in various parts of the show. Details at wolftrap.org.

The Holiday Sing-A-Long is an annual tradition at Wolf Trap. Bundle up if you go ā itās held at the Filene Center (Wolf Trapās massive shed) on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. (Photo courtesy Wolf Trap)
The Boston Brass will perform āChristmas Bells are Swinginā!ā at the Barns at Wolf Trap (1635 Trap Road, Vienna, Va.) on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $38. Details at wolftrap.org.
Metropolitan Community Church of Washington, D.C.ās largest mostly LGBT church, has its annual Christmas concert on Friday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. at the church (474 Ridge St., N.W.). The MCC choir under the direction of Tyrone Stanley will perform along with guests. Itās free but reservations are encouraged. Reserve a free ticket by e-mailing the church office at [email protected].
āA Christmas Carolā will be performed at Fordās Theatre (511 10th St., N.W.) through Dec. 31 with Craig Wallace as Scrooge. Tickets are $22-92. Details at fords.org.
Congressional Chorus will perform āHoliday Cheers: a Musical Champagne Evening for Grownupsā on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 8:30 p.m. at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St., N.E.). Tickets are $40. Details at congressionalchorus.org.
Congressional Chorus, the American Youth Chorus and the Capital City Symphony will perform āHoliday Sing-a-Long: an Annual H Street Tradition for the Whole Familyā on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 4:30 and 7 p.m. at Atlas Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $12.50 but get them now ā both shows invariably sell out. Details at congressionalchorus.org.
The Kennedy Center has several holiday-themed events planned.
The Cincinnati Ballet will perform āThe Nutcrackerā Nov. 23-27 at the Kennedy Center Opera House (2700 F St., N.W.). Renee Fleming will perform āVoices: a Merry Little Christmasā with Megan Hilty Dec. 8-9 in the Kennedy Center Family Theater. The National Symphony Orchestra will perform Handelās āMessiahā Dec. 15-18 in the Concert Hall.Ā The NSO Pops will perform āA Holiday Popsā featuring Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana Dec. 9-10 in the Concert Hall. NPRās āA Jazz Piano Christmasā will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10 in the Family Theater.Ā The Second City will perform āTwist Your Dickensā Dec. 9-31 in the Theater Lab. Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra will perform āElla Wishes You a Swinginā Christmasā Dec. 16-17 in the KC Jazz Club. A āMessiahā sing-a-long will be held Dec. 23 in the Concert Hall at 6 p.m.
Ticket prices vary. Full details on this and all Kennedy Center shows at kennedy-center.org.
a&e features
Taste of Pride celebrates LGBTQ and allied restaurants
Weeklong event will feature local eateries and bars

Get ready to celebrate LGBTQ-owned, managed, and allied restaurants at Taste of Pride from Oct. 2-8.
The weeklong event is a new initiative by Capital Pride Alliance. In 2021, the organization put on a single-day brunch event in June at LGBTQ and allied restaurants, but this is the first weeklong iteration.
About 15 local restaurants and bars are set to participate, including As You Are, Shawās Tavern, Jane Jane, and Code Red. Thereās also an opening party on Monday, Oct. 2 featuring food and drink vendors without a traditional brick-and-mortar space, like Suga Chef and Vegan Junk Food.
Taste of Pride will raise funds for the Pride365 fund, which supports local LGBTQ organizations. There will be a three-course prix fixe menu at several of the participating locations, with lunch and brunch menus offered at $30, and dinner menus offered at $40 or $55.
Kareem Queeman, known as Mr. Bake, will be headlining the opening event on the evening of Oct. 2 at Lost Generation Brewery. Queeman, the founder and owner of the renowned bakery Mr. Bake Sweets and a James Beard Award semi-finalist, said heās excited to spotlight LGBTQ chefs and mixologists.
Queeman said heās proud to be a part of bringing queer culinary experts together to celebrate the work theyāve all done and discuss what changes need to come to the industry ā there will be a panel discussion on Oct. 2 covering those topics. LGBTQ chefs have long gone unnoticed, he said, despite the innovative work theyāve done.
āQueers have been in the industry doing the work for a very long time and we just haven’t really gotten that acknowledgment,ā Queeman said.
Providing this space for LGBTQ people in the restaurant industry is paramount to giving a sense of power and ownership in the work they do, Queeman said. He wishes there was this kind of space for him when he was coming up as a chef when he was younger.
Taste of Pride is also a great opportunity for LGBTQ people looking to get into the industry to find safe spaces to work that are run by queer people, Queeman said.
Rob Heim, the general manager at Shawās Tavern, said heās looking forward to being a part of the event. And new fall menu items at Shawās Tavern will be available during Taste of Pride, which heās thrilled to showcase.
āI was really excited to help out and participate,ā he said. āItās a great idea.ā
The smaller number of participating restaurants in Taste of Pride is intentional, said Brandon Bayton, a volunteer executive producer organizing Taste of Pride. Itās so each restaurant can be well-represented during the week, and different restaurants will be highlighted on social media on separate days. Capital Pride Alliance is also partnering with influencers to get the word out.Ā

Visibility ā all year long
Itās important to have events like Taste of Pride outside of June, Bayton said.
āWe exist 365 days,ā Bayton said. āSo we need to make sure that we continue the celebration and invite others to celebrate with us and just be authentically ourselves. We enjoy and do a lot of things other people do. There’s no reason why we should just be constrained to one month.ā
Queeman agrees. His identity as a queer Black man doesnāt stop or start at any given month.
āI’m not just a queer or gay man in June or I’m not just a Black man in February,ā he said.
And food is a major intersection that all people of all identities enjoy, Bayton said. Itās a simple way to bring people together.
āWe do the exact same things that everyone else does,ā Bayton said. āWe all eat. We all love to eat.ā
Taste of Pride will run from Oct. 2-8. For more information and to make reservations, visit capitalpride.org/event/taste-of-pride.
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Hip-Hopās complicated history with queer representation
At 50, experts say the genre still doesnāt fully welcome LGBTQ inclusion

I didnāt really start listening to rap until my college years. Like many queer Black children who grow up in the closet, shielded by puritanical Christianity from the beauty of a diverse world, I longed to be myself. But the affirming references I could pull from ā in moments of solitude away from the wrath and disdain of family and friends ā were in theater and pop music.
The soundtrack to my teenage years was an endless playlist of pop divas like Lady Gaga and BeyoncƩ, whose lyrics encouraged me to sashay my hips anytime I strutted through a long stretch of corridor.
I was also obsessed with the consuming presence of powerful singers like Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston, and the hypnosis that was Chaka Khan. My childhood, an extrapolation of Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays spent in church groups, choir practices, and worship services, necessitated that I be a fan of throaty, from-the-stomach singing. But something about the way these artists presented themselves warmed my queer little heart. LaBelle wore avant garde geometric hairdos paired with heavily shoulder-padded blazers. Houston loved an elegant slender gown. And Khan? It was the voluminous red mane that gently caressed her lower back for me.
Listening to rap music in college was a political experience. My sociology classes politicized me and so it was only natural that I listened to rap music that expressed trauma, joy, and hope in the Black experience. However, I felt disconnected from the music because of a dearth of queer representation in the genre.
Nevertheless, groups like Outkast felt nostalgic. While delivering hedonistic lyrics at lightning speed, AndrĆ© 3000 ā one half of the rap duo ā mesmerized with his sleek, shoulder-length silk pressed hair and colorful, flowing shirts and trousers ā a style that could be translated as āgender-bending.ā Despite the patriarchal presentation rampant in rap and Hip-Hop, AndrāāĆ© 30000 represented to me, a kind of rebellious self-expression that I so badly wanted to emulate but couldnāt because of the psychological confines of my conservative upbringing.
My discovery of Outkast was also sobering because it was a stark reminder of how queerness is also often used as an aesthetic in Hip-Hop while actual queer people are shunned, rebuked, and mocked. Queer people in Hip-Hop are like backstage wingmen, crucial to the development of the show but never important enough to make a curtain call.
As Hip-Hop celebrates 50 years since its inception in New York City, I am filled with joy because itās been half a century of Black people owning their narratives and driving the culture. But itās fair to ask: At whose expense?
A viral 2020 video shows rapper Boosie BadAzz, famed for hits like āSet It Offā and āWipe Me Down,ā rebuking NBA star Dwayne Wade and award-winning actress Gabrielle Union-Wade for publicly supporting their then-12-year-old daughter after she came out as transgender.
āDonāt cut his dick off, bro,ā said BadAzz with furrowed eyebrows and a gaze that kept turning away from the camera, revealing his tarnished diamond studs. āDonāt dress him as a woman dawg, heās 12 years. Heās not up there yet.ā
The responses from both Wade and Union-Wade were a mixture of swift, sarcastically light-hearted, and hopeful.
āSorry Boosie,ā Union-Wade said to an audience during a live podcast appearance at Live Talks Los Angeles. āHeās so preoccupied, itās almost like, āthou doth protest too much, Little Boos.ā Youāve got a lot of dick on your mind.ā
Wade also appeared on an episode of podcast, āI AM ATHLETE,ā and looked directly into the camera.
āBoosie, all the people who got something to say, J-Boogie who just came out with [something] recently, all the people who got something to say about my kids,ā he said. āI thank you because youāre allowing the conversation to keep going forward because you know what? You might not have the answers today, I might not have the answers, but weāre growing from all these conversations.ā
This exchange between the Wades and BadAzz highlights the complicated relationship between Black LGBTQ individuals and allies and the greater Hip-Hop and rap genres and communities. While Black queer aesthetics have long informed self-expression in Hip-Hop, rappers have disparaged queerness through song lyrics and in interviews, or online rants like BadAzz, outside the recording studio.
And despite LGBTQ rappers like Queen Latifah, Da Brat, Lil Nas X, and Saucy Santana achieving mainstream success, much work lies ahead to heal the trauma that persists from Hip-Hopās history of patriarchy and homophobia.
āāProgressionā will always be relative and subjective based on oneās positionality,ā said Dr. Melvin Williams said in an email. Williams is an associate professor of communication and media studies at Pace University. āHip-hop has traditionally been in conversation with queer and non-normative sexualities and included LGBTQ+ people in the shaping of its cultural signifiers behind the scenes as choreographers, songwriters, make-up artists, set designers, and other roles stereotypically attributed to queer culture.ā
āAlthough Hip-Hop incorporates queerness in their ethos, ideas, and trends, it does not privilege the prospect of an out LGBTQ+ rapper. Such reservations position LGBTQ+ people as mere labor in Hip-Hopās behind-the-scenes cultivation, but not as rap performers in its mainstream distribution,ā he added.
This is especially true for Queen Latifah and DaBrat who existed in the genre for decades but didnāt publicly come out until 2021. Still, both faced backlash from the Black community for daring to challenge gender roles and expectations.Ā

Lil Nas X also faced backlash for his music video āMonteroā with satanic references, including one in which he slides down a pole and gives a character representing the devil a lap dance. Conservatives such as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem accused him of trying to scandalize children.
āYou see this is very scary for me, people will be angry, they will say Iām pushing an agenda. But the truth is, I am,ā Nas X said in a note that accompanied āMontero.ā The agenda to make people stay the fuck out of other peopleās lives and stop dictating who they should be.ā
Regardless, āMonteroā debuted atop the Billboard 100.
In an article published in āSouls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture, and Society,ā scholar C. Riley Snorton posited that celebrating queer visibility in mainstream media could be a problem as this kind of praise relies on artists presenting in acceptable forms of gender and sexuality expression and encourages representation that is āread alongsideā¦perceptions of Hip-Hop as a site of Black misogyny and homophobia.ā
In the case of Frank Ocean, who came out in 2012 prior to the release of his album āChannel Orange,ā his reception was warmer than most queer Hip-Hop artists because his style of music is singing, as opposed to rapping. Because of this, his music was viewed more as RānāB or pop.
āFrank Ocean ain’t no rapper. He’s a singer. It’s acceptable in the singing world, but in the rap world I don’t know if it will ever be acceptable because rap is so masculine,ā rapper Snoop Dogg told the Guardian in 2013. āIt’s like a football team. You can’t be in a locker room full of motherfucking tough-ass dudes, then all of a sudden say, ‘Hey, man, I like you.’ You know, that’s going to be tough.ā
So whatās the solution for queer people in Hip-Hop? Digital media.
Williams, the Pace University professor, says that being divorced from record labels allows queer artists to be independent and distribute their music globally on their own terms.
āWe witnessed this fact with artists such as Azealia Banks, Cakes Da Killa, Fly Young Red, Kevin Abstract, iLoveMakonnen, Lil Nas X, Mykki Blanco, and Saucy Santana, as well as legacy LGBTQ Hip-Hop acts like Big Freeda, DeepDickCollective, and Le1f,ā he said. āThe music industry has experienced an increasingly mobilized market due to the rise of digital media, social networking platforms, and streaming services.ā
āMore importantly, Black queer Hip-Hop artists are historicizing LGBTQ+ contributions and perspectives in documentaries, films, news specials, public forums, and podcasts. Ultimately, queer people engaging in Hip-Hop is a revolutionary act, and it remains vital for LGBTQ+ Hip-Hoppers to highlight their cultural contributions and share their histories,ā he added.
(Hip-Hop pioneers Public Enemy and Ice-T will headline The National Celebration of Hip-Hop, free concerts at the West Potomac Park on the National Mall in D.C. on Oct. 6 and 7.)
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Cuisine and culture come together at The Square
D.C.ās newest food hall highlights Spanish flavors

Downtown got a bit tastier when āthe next generation of food hallsā opened its doors on Tuesday near the Farragut West Metro stop. Dubbed The Square, its half-dozen debut stalls are a Spanish-flecked mix of D.C. favorites, new concepts, and vendor-collaborative spirit.
After two years of planning ā and teasing some big-name chefs ā the market is, according to the owners, āwhere cuisine, culture, and community are woven together.ā
Behind this ambitious project with lofty aims are Richie Brandenburg, who had a hand in creating Union Market and RubĆ©n GarcĆa, a creative director of the JosĆ© AndrĆ©s Group who also was part of the team of Mercado Little Spain, the fairly new Spanish-themed Andres food hall in Hudson Yards.
Food halls have come a long way since the new Union Market awakened the concept a decade ago. Instead of simply rows of vendors in parallel lines, The Square has a new business model and perspective. This food hall shares revenue between the owners and its chef partners. Vendors are encouraged to collaborate, using one software system, and purchasing raw materials and liquor at scale together.
āOur goal was two-fold: to create a best-in-class hospitality offering with delicious foods for our guests; and behind the scenes, create the strong, complex infrastructure needed to nurture both young chefs and seasoned professionals, startups, and innovation within our industry,ā says Brandenburg.
The Square has embraced a more chef-forward methodology, given that the founders/owners themselves are chefs. Theyāre bringing together a diverse mix of new talent and longtime favorites to connect, offer guidance to each other, and make the market into a destination.Ā

The first phase of The Square premiered this week. This phase encapsulates a selection of original concepts from well-known local chefs and business owners, and includes:
⢠Cashionās Rendezvous ā Oysters, crab cakes, and cocktails, from the owners of D.C. institutions and now-closed Cashionās Eat Place and Johnnyās Half-Shell (Ann Cashion and John Fulchino).
⢠Jamón Jamón ā Flamenco-forward food with hand-cut jamón Iberico, queso, and croquetas, sourced by GarcĆa himself.
⢠Brasa ā Grilled sausages and veggies are the stars here. Chef GarcĆa oversees this Spanish street-food stall as well.
⢠Taqueria Xochi ā Birria, guisado, and other street tacos, plus margs. Named after the ruins of Xochitecatl in Central Mexico, and from a Jose Andres alum.
⢠Yaocho ā Fried chicken, juices, sweets, and libations.
⢠Jungeās ā Churros and soft serve ice cream. Brandenburg and GarcĆa both have a hand in this stall.
⢠Atrium Bar ā The central watering hole for drinks. Atrium Bar serves cocktails, wine, and beer curated by The Squareās Beverage Director Owen Thompson.
āHaving been part of Jose Andres’s restaurant group and getting to know Ruben and Richie, it’s amazing to see how their values align with ours at Taqueria Xochi. Seeing all these incredible chefs heading into Square feels like a full-circle moment,ā said Geraldine Mendoza of Taqueria Xochi.
Slated for fall 2023, the next round of openings includes Flora Pizzeria, Cebicheria Chalaca, KIYOMI Sushi by Uchi, Shoals Market (a retail hub), and more. Additionally, chef RubĆ©n GarcĆaās Spanish restaurant, Casa Teresa, will soon open next door to The Square.
The Square is just one of a handful of new food halls blossoming in and around D.C. Up in Brentwood, Md., miXt Food Hall is an art-adjacent space with tacos, a year-round fresh market, coffee, and beer. Across from Union Market is La Cosecha, a Latin marketplace with everything from street food to a Michelin starred restaurant and a festive vibe. Closer to The Square is Western Market by GW University, which opened in late 2021 with a buzzy, relaxed style.
For now, the Square is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Square plans to open on weekends and extend hours to offer dinner service in the coming months. A few alfresco seats will accompany the hall.

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