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Best of Gay D.C. 2017: DINING

Winners from the Washington Blade’s annual poll

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Gay D.C., gay news, Washington Blade

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Best Ethnic Restaurant

Rasika

Popular Indian restaurant in Penn Quarter. Also won in 2015.

633 D St., N.W.

rasikarestaurant.com

Editorā€™s choice: Thai Tanic

Rasika (Photo by T. Tseng; courtesy Flickr)

Best Bottomless Mimosa/Bloody Marys

Level One

Brunch is served a la carte every Sunday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

1639 R St., N.W.

levelonedc.com

Editorā€™s choice: Commissary

Level One, gay news, Washington Blade

Level One (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Best Place in Union Market

Salt & Sundry

Editorā€™s Choice: Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.

According to the storeā€™s social media, food writer Amanda McClements is proud to bring her passion for stylish entertaining to life at Salt & Sundry in D.C.ā€™s bustling Union Market. She opened the shop in November, 2012 to share her love of cooking, entertaining and design, and says that she and her team ā€œare constantly on the hunt for new pieces that reflect the shop’s urban bohemian aesthetic.ā€

According to McClements, ā€œour ever-changing collection of goods for good living features handcrafted furniture, dinnerware, linens, covetable vintage finds and a pantry stocked with small-batch foods and craft cocktail ingredients.ā€ She is also proud to offer farm tables hand-made by her father, a North Carolina craftsman who creates furniture out of salvaged and locally milled wood. She brags that, ā€œhis pieces are one-of-a-kind and showcase the rustic beauty and patina of aged wood.ā€

The store also hosts special events and demonstrations with local chefs, mixologists and food personalities.
In addition to the Union Market location, Salt & Sundry has added stores in the Logan and Shaw neighborhoods and has been featured in such notable publications as ā€œBetter Homes and Gardens,ā€ ā€œThe Best of Southern Style,ā€ ā€œSouthern Living,ā€ ā€œHouse Beautiful, ā€œFood & Wine,ā€ ā€œWashingtonianā€ and ā€œMartha Stewart Living.ā€ (BTC)

Salt & Sundry

1309 5th St., N.E.

@saltandsundry

shopsaltandsundry.com

Salt & Sundry (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Best Locally Made Product

Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.

Approachable, affordable and portable Southern staples.

2301 Bladensburg Rd., N.E.

masondixiebiscuits.com

Editorā€™s choice: Compass Coffee

(Photo courtesy of Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.)

Best Michelin Star Restaurant: Pineapple and Pearls

Editorā€™s Choice: Inn at Little Washington

In a time when fast casual is king, Pineapple and Pearls chooses to reign supreme in the realm of special occasion restaurants ā€” the kind of place where you go with the love of your life to celebrate a milestone.

The details are worthy of true fine dining, from fine china to edible parting gifts, and the acoustics are so good that youā€™ll even be able to hear your special someone cooing at you across the table. Youā€™ll splurge, of course, but Chef Aaron Silverman and his stellar staff will make it worth every penny, with a sumptuous 11-course tasting menu that will absolutely live up to the hype.

Expect to pay $280 per person when seated in the dining room, which includes wine pairings, gratuity and tax, or $180 per person at the bar, where drinks can be ordered a la carte. Past menu highlights have included roasted potato ice cream with caviar and crispy potato threads, sweetbread tacos on handmade tortillas, and a playful PB&J made with foie gras butter and cherry preserves.

If the price tag is too rich for your blood, go ahead and reserve a spot on the patio, where you can order a few snacks and drinks at more modest prices of about $16 each. Because Pineapple and Pearls is usually not open on Saturday, it also means that weeknights just became cool again. (KH)

Pineapple and Pearls

715 8th St., S.E.

pineapplesandpearls.com

Chef Aaron Silverman (Photo by Kate Warren)

Best Food Festival or Event

Taste of D.C.

The largest culinary festival in the mid-Atlantic ran Oct. 7-8.

thetasteofdc.org

Editorā€™s choice: RAMW Restaurant Week

Taste of D.C. (Photo public domain)

Best Craft Cocktails

Columbia Room

Editorā€™s Choice: Five to One

The moment you enter the hushed environs of Columbia Room, youā€™ll immediately know that this is no ordinary bar. Recently named Americaā€™s best cocktail bar at the 2017 Spirited Awards, Columbia Room offers drinks that hover somewhere between intellect and fantasy ā€” playful twists on classics, from a Manhattan crafted with ā€œzombie vermouthā€ to a Sazerac spiced with roasted star anise.

The cozy Spirits Library is a perfect spot to curl up with a cocktail and a friend or two with a jazzy soundtrack, and thereā€™s a fun punch garden out front for hanging with a crowd, but the gem is the elegant tasting room tucked away in the back. Go for either a three- or five-course tasting menu ($79 and $108, respectively, gratuity included) of cocktail and snack-sized food pairings ā€” the themes change with the seasons, offering an interesting little flavor journey that turns an ordinary night at the bar into something a little more elevated. (KH)

Columbia Room

124 Blagden Alley, N.W.

columbiaroomdc.com

Columbia Room (Photo by Whiskeywarrior; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Best Fast Casual Dining

CAVA

Editorā€™s Choice: Tedā€™s Bulletin

Itā€™s no secret that fast casual dining has taken over the restaurant landscape, but few have done it better than CAVA, the offshoot of Cava Mezze, which got its start right here in the region.

If thereā€™s a secret ingredient that accounts for the chainā€™s success, itā€™s that the flavors taste authentic, probably because they are a true reflection of the Greek roots of the companyā€™s founders. The assembly line format so popular these days works well with the fresh ingredients, from grilled meatballs spiked with lemon and oregano to garlicky braised lamb, topped off with some of the standouts that originally appeared at Cava Mezze, like the spicy Crazy Feta and the roasted eggplant and bell peppers mixed with tangy Greek yogurt.

Garnishes like pickled banana peppers from locally owned Gordyā€™s Pickle Jar and fresh mint provide just that touch of brightness that makes lunch at your desk feel a little less sad. (KH)

CAVA

Various locations across DC, Maryland and Virginia

cava.com

CAVA (Photo courtesy of CAVA)

Best Local Brewery

D.C. Brau

ā€œPopular craft brewery offering free tours and tastings.ā€ Third win in this category!

3178-B Bladensburg Rd., N.E.

dcbrau.com

Editorā€™s choice: Right Proper Brewing

DC Brau (Photo by Steph Harding Photo)

Best Local Distillery

District Distilling Co.

Reclaimed barn doors and brick walls are the backdrop for American fare and drinks crafted from spirits made on-site.

1414 U St., N.W.

district-distilling.com

Editorā€™s choice: Republic Restoratives

District Distilling Co. (Photo courtesy of District Distilling)

Best Burger

Shake Shack

Locations in Dupont Circle, F Street and Union Station.

shakeshack.com

Editorā€™s choice: Dukeā€™s Grocery

Shake Shack (Photo by Shake Shack burger and fries; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Best Caterer

Rocklands Barbecue and Grilling Company

Editorā€™s Choice: Patrick Vanas Events

Craving something big and beefy for your next event? Look no further than Rocklands Barbecue, which dishes up stacks of wood-smoked baby-back ribs, brisket, chicken and leg of lamb, not to mention their Mason-Dixon macaroni salad, homemade apple compote and barbecued baked beans.

Their full-service catering operation offers everything from table rentals to ice cream sundae bars, and you can get as refined as you like with passed appetizers of brown sugar bacon skewers or avocado toast, or go whole hog and literally opt for a whole smoked pig to anchor your holiday table. (KH)

Locations in Washington, Arlington and Alexandria.

rocklands.com

Rocklands BBQ and Grilling Company (Photo courtesy Facebook)

Beat Cheap Eats

&pizza

Third consecutive win in this category!

1215 Connecticut Ave., N.W.

1250 U St., N.W.

1400 K St., N.W.

andpizza.com

Editorā€™s choice: Amsterdam Falafel

&pizza (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Best Chef

Jose Andres

Spanish-American chef often credited for bringing small plates to the U.S. America Eats Tavern is coming soon to Georgetown. Other locations include Barmini (501 9th St., N.W.), China Chilcano (418 7th St., N.W.) and Jaleo D.C. (480 7th St., N.W.).

joseandres.com

Editorā€™s choice: Jamie Leeds

JosƩ AndrƩs (Photo by Blair Getz Mezibov)

Best Coffee Shop

Compass Coffee

Second consecutive win in this category!

1335 7th St., N.W.

compasscoffee.com

Editorā€™s choice: Tryst

Compass Coffee (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Best Date Restaurant

Floriana

ā€œIntimate, white-tableclothed bistro offering lasagna and other Italian classics with weekly specials.ā€ Second consecutive win in this category!

1602 17th St., N.W.

florianarestaurant.com

Runner-up: Busboys and Poets

Floriana (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Best Ice Cream/Gelato

Dolcezza

1418 14th St., N.W.

dolcezzagelato.com

Editorā€™s choice: Ice Cream Jubilee

Best Farmerā€™s Market

Eastern Market

Second consecutive win in this category!

225 7th St., S.E.

easternmarket-dc.org

Editorā€™s choice: FARMFRESH Dupont Circle Market

Dolcezza (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Eastern Market (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Best Food Truck

Peruvian Brothers

Editorā€™s Choice: Far East Taco

Frequently landing at the top of favorite food truck lists, Peruvian Brothers offers up authentic homestyle flavors based on the dishes that brothers Mario and Giuseppe Lanzone grew up eating on the coast of Peru.

Pan con chicharrĆ³n, fried pork tenderloin and slices of grilled sweet potato on a French roll and topped off with the duoā€™s signature criolla sauce ā€” made with vinegary thinly sliced red onions ā€” is a perennial favorite, along with a baked tilapia filet sandwich and hearty empanadas stuffed with beef, chicken or spinach. Be sure to try the Peruvian wild rice, studded with bacon, raisins and walnuts, and save room for alfajores, a traditional sandwich cookie filled with dulce de leche. (KH)

Peruvian Brothers food truck

peruvianbrothers.com

Peruvian Brothers (Photo courtesy Facebook)

Best Pizza

Comet Ping Pong

Hip crowd eats pizza and wings while playing ping pong and listening to bands in warehouse-chic digs.

5037 Connecticut Ave., N.W.

cometpingpong.com

Editorā€™s choice: Matchbox

Comet Ping Pong (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Best Rehoboth Restaurant

Blue Moon

Bright, remodeled Craftsman cottage serving upscale American fare with regular live entertainment.

35 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del.

bluemoonrehoboth.com

Editorā€™s choice: Fable

Blue Moon (Washington Blade photo by Daniel Truitt)

Best Local Winery

Breaux Vineyards

Second consecutive win in this category!

36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Purcellville, Va.

breauxvineyards.com

Editorā€™s choice: The Winery at Bull Run

Breaux Vineyards (Photo courtesy of Breaux)

To see winners in other categories in the Washington Bladeā€™s Best of Gay D.C. 2017 Awards, click here.

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Calendar

Calendar: February 7-13

LGBTQ events in the days to come

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Friday, February 7

ā€œCenter Aging Friday Tea Timeā€ will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].Ā 

Go Gay DC will host ā€œFirst Friday LGBTQ+ Community Social in the Cityā€ at 7 p.m. at P.F. Changs. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Saturday, February 8

Go Gay DC will host ā€œLGBTQ+ Community Brunchā€ at 11 a.m. at Freddieā€™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.

ā€œFashion Freewayā€ will be at 11 a.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Guests will have the opportunity to check out the clothing closet. Clothes, shoes, accessories, and other items will be available. For more details, email [email protected].Ā 

Sunday, February 9

Go Gay DC will host ā€œLGBTQ+ Community Dinnerā€ at 6:30 p.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano. Guests are encouraged to come enjoy an evening of Italian-style dining and conversation with other LGBTQ folk. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Go Gay DC will host ā€œLGBTQ+ Coffee and Conversationā€ at 12 p.m. at As You Are. This event is ideal for making meaningful new connections and informal community building. Or just to unwind and enjoy the group happy hour. Fabulous people from all over the world are expected. Nametags will be provided. This event is free to attend and more details are available on Eventbrite.Ā 

Monday, February 10

ā€œCenter Aging Monday Coffee & Conversationā€ 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 details, email [email protected].Ā 

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 youā€™re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that youā€™re not 100% cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.Ā 

Tuesday, February 11

Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so. By sharing struggles and victories the group allows those newly coming out and who have been out for a while to learn from others. For more details, email [email protected].Ā 

Trans Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is intended to provide 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.Ā  For more details, email [email protected].Ā 

Wednesday, February 12

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. 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 ā€” allowing participants to move away from being merely ā€œapplicantsā€ toward being ā€œcandidates.ā€ For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

Thursday, February 13

The DC Centerā€™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.Ā 

Virtual Yoga with Charles M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breath work, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Communityā€™s website.

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Nightlife

D.C.ā€™s queer bars gear up for Valentineā€™s Day

Options for bears, singles, women, and more

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Join District Eagle this Valentineā€™s Day for Leather Lovers Gear Night. (Photo courtesy of the District Eagle)

Seeing red: itā€™s not just for ire toward the presidentā€™s Executive Orders. Next week is also Valentineā€™s Day. Your faithful gay bars and establishments are gearing up (in some cases, literally) for the holiday. Here is a list of just a few options for the LGBTQ+ set.

Crush

On Feb. 14, Crush debuts a new event, just in time for the holiday. Meet Grizzly, a monthly Bear Happy Hour. Running 5-10 p.m., Grizzly features not only discounted drinks ($4 draft, $8 pitcher, and a $9 Bear Crush), but food: there will be free hot dogs during the evening. Without skipping a beat, later that night is a Valentineā€™s Day Stop Light Party 10 p.m. with DJs. They’ll have green, yellow, or red stickers so your crush can see if you’re available. Thereā€™s no cover for either.

Bunker

This Valentineā€™s Day, Bunker is turning tradition on its head with F*CK CUPID, a high-energy celebration for those over the holiday hype. Whether you’re flying solo or just want to skip the clichĆ©s, enjoy an unforgettable night with a special performance by a to-be-announced local drag queen and a dynamic set by Miscalculated. With free entry for singles and just a $5 cover for couples, it’s the perfect chance to dance the night away without the romance-themed distractions.

District Eagle

Join District Eagle this Valentineā€™s Day for Leather Lovers Gear Night, an inclusive event for all members of the leather community. DJ Jason James will provide the beats throughout the night, and guests wearing gear can enjoy 10% off drinks until midnight. Whether you’re single, taken, or in a situationship, everyone is welcome to celebrate in a welcoming, gear-friendly environment.

Number Nine

Nine is also launching a new event, titled Single Mingle, a singles mixer, the event will rotate theme for differing tastes. This first event takes place on Feb. 13, 7-9 p.m., upstairs, for those interested in dating queer men. Tickets are $15 and include a complimentary first drink plus ice breakers. On Thursday, Feb. 27, along with DC Gay Girls+, Nine will host a Single Mingle event for those interested in dating in the Sapphic community.

Additionally, Uproar will host a ā€œCupid Undiesā€ event on Feb. 13 with cocktail specials; Licht is offering a ā€œDate Nightā€ special that includes two cocktails, two glasses of Champagne, and a cheese board for $35; and gay-owned Wunder Gartenā€™s event on Feb. 14 is apres-ski themed with drinks like Love Potion and Cupidā€™s Arrow.

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Theater

Celebrate Valentineā€™s Day with one of these three plays

ā€˜Waitress,ā€™ ā€˜Love Birds,ā€™ ā€˜Fuenteovejunaā€™ offer differing takes on love

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MALINDA plays Jenna in ā€˜Waitressā€™ at Olney Theatre Center.

For theatergoers seeking to mark Valentineā€™s Day with live music, love, and friendship, the DMV offers some new spins on traditional themes. 

Poised to make its regional debut at Olney Theatre Center, Sara Bareillesā€™s hit musical ā€œWaitressā€ (Feb.13-March 30) may not seem like a usual love story, but itā€™s a love story nonetheless. 

ā€œItā€™s about learning to love and value yourself,ā€ says MALINDA who plays Jenna, the showā€™s titular server/baker with aspirations to bake prize-winning pies and change her life. ā€œItā€™s also about sisterhood. From the start, the women involved in the show decided to be there for each other onstage and off, and it shows. For anyone with girl group love in their lives, this is an especially good show to see.

ā€œJenna doesnā€™t get a lot of satisfaction out of her primary partnership. Along with self-love she explores the antithesis of that ā€” partner violence. Our director [Marcia Milgrom Dodge] took the lesson of community support and community love to heart.ā€

Prior to coming out as bisexual in 2022, MALINDA considered herself more of a “quiet queer.ā€ However, the inspiration derived from Irish music (“music of the oppressedā€), which sheā€™s famed for singing on TikTok, compelled her to go public. 

She didnā€™t always believe her queerness to be special: ā€œFor me,ā€ MALINDA says, ā€œit was like saying my eyes are hazel. There wasnā€™t much to celebrate. But then I realized there were missing voices in my community. Felt like the right thing to do, and itā€™s been one of the great blessings of my life.ā€

Six years ago, after her Helen Hayes Award-winning turn in ā€œOnce,ā€ MALINDA took a break from musical theater. She needed time to age into dream parts, and one of those roles was Jenna. She recalls, ā€œGoing back to theater was prominently featured on my vision board, so when Marcia asked me to commit to ā€˜Waitress,ā€™ I happily agreed.ā€ 

For her, Valentineā€™s Day is an opportunity to reach out and tell friends, family, and, of course, romantic partners, just how much you love them. 

And she adds ā€œthatā€™s exactly how I plan to celebrate.ā€ 

D.C.ā€™s delightful Holly Twyford is spending Valentineā€™s Day working at the Folger on Capitol Hill. Sheā€™ll be on stage, her wife will be in the audience, and depending on the length of the program, theyā€™ll go out to dinner afterward.

For four performances, the multi-Helen Hayes award-winning actor is serving as narrator for ā€œThe Love Birdsā€ (Feb. 14-16), a new Folger Consort work that blends medieval music with a world-premiere composition by acclaimed composer Juri Seo and readings from Geoffrey Chaucerā€™s ā€œA Parlement of Foulesā€ by Twyford. 

Standing behind a podium, sheā€™ll read Chaucerā€™s words (translated from Middle English and backed by projected slides in the original language), alternating with music played on old and new instruments.  

ā€œThe new music is kind of dissonant with the sounds of birdcalls and nature sounds, painting a picture of whatā€™s going on in Chaucerā€™s poem thatā€™s beautiful and funny. Chaucer describes the male eagles pleading for the hand of the female eagle. Chaucer seems almost unwittingly feminist when he has the female eagle ask her eagle suitors to give her a year to think about it.ā€

GALA Hispanic Theatre in Columbia Heights presents ā€œFuenteovejunaā€ (through March 2), a timely production staged by out director JosĆ© Luis Arelleno. Penned in 1613, this work from the Spanish Golden Age ranks among playwright Lope de Vega’s most performed plays.

Itā€™s about tyranny and love, Arellano explains. Within Lope de Vegaā€™s timely tale of brutish power lies an intense love story. In fact, at the top of the show, four characters, two males and two females play a game. What is love? One of the players asserts that love doesnā€™t exist, while the others disagree. Itā€™s a charming way to kick off the play.

The celebrated director isnā€™t one to telegraph messages, preferring audiences think for themselves. That said, he does, of course, make strong directorial choices: ā€œIf I have to choose between love or war, itā€™s more important to talk about love. For me, itā€™s a revolution.ā€ 

And apropos of a Valentineā€™s Day date, GALAā€™s production of ā€œFuenteovejunaā€ (performed in Spanish with English surtitles) is imbued with live music and verse, an important part of any romantic experience, adds David Peralto, the productionā€™s poetry and verse consultant as well as Arellanoā€™s longtime partner. 

The busy Spain-based couple will celebrate Valentineā€™s Day in Seville and couldnā€™t be happier. Arellano describes Seville as the most romantic city in the world.

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