Arts & Entertainment
Best of Gay D.C. 2017: DINING
Winners from the Washington Blade’s annual poll


(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.
Editorās 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.
Editorās choice: Commissary

Level One (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Best Place in Union Market
Salt & Sundry
Editorās Choice: Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.
According to the storeās social media, food writer Amanda McClements is proud to bring her passion for stylish entertaining to life at Salt & Sundry in D.C.ās 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 āare constantly on the hunt for new pieces that reflect the shop’s urban bohemian aesthetic.ā
According to McClements, āour 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, āhis 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 āBetter Homes and Gardens,ā āThe Best of Southern Style,ā āSouthern Living,ā āHouse Beautiful, āFood & Wine,ā āWashingtonianā and āMartha Stewart Living.ā (BTC)
Salt & Sundry
1309 5th St., N.E.

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.
Editorās choice: Compass Coffee

(Photo courtesy of Mason Dixie Biscuit Co.)
Best Michelin Star Restaurant: Pineapple and Pearls
Editorās 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 youāll even be able to hear your special someone cooing at you across the table. Youāll 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.

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.
Editorās choice: RAMW Restaurant Week

Taste of D.C. (Photo public domain)
Best Craft Cocktails
Columbia Room
Editorās Choice: Five to One
The moment you enter the hushed environs of Columbia Room, youāll immediately know that this is no ordinary bar. Recently named Americaās 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 āzombie 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 thereās 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.

Columbia Room (Photo by Whiskeywarrior; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
Best Fast Casual Dining
CAVA
Editorās Choice: Tedās Bulletin
Itās 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 thereās a secret ingredient that accounts for the chainās success, itās that the flavors taste authentic, probably because they are a true reflection of the Greek roots of the companyās 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 Gordyās 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 (Photo courtesy of CAVA)
Best Local Brewery
D.C. Brau
āPopular craft brewery offering free tours and tastings.ā Third win in this category!
3178-B Bladensburg Rd., N.E.
Editorās 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.
Editorās choice: Republic Restoratives

District Distilling Co. (Photo courtesy of District Distilling)
Best Burger
Shake Shack
Locations in Dupont Circle, F Street and Union Station.
Editorās choice: Dukeās Grocery

Shake Shack (Photo by Shake Shack burger and fries; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
Best Caterer
Rocklands Barbecue and Grilling Company
Editorās 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 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.
Editorās 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.).
Editorās 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.
Editorās choice: Tryst

Compass Coffee (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Best Date Restaurant
Floriana
āIntimate, white-tableclothed bistro offering lasagna and other Italian classics with weekly specials.ā Second consecutive win in this category!
1602 17th St., N.W.
Runner-up: Busboys and Poets

Floriana (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Best Ice Cream/Gelato
Dolcezza
1418 14th St., N.W.
Editorās choice: Ice Cream Jubilee
Best Farmerās Market
Eastern Market
Second consecutive win in this category!
225 7th St., S.E.
Editorās 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
Editorās 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 duoās 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

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.
Editorās 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.
Editorās 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.
Editorās choice: The Winery at Bull Run

Breaux Vineyards (Photo courtesy of Breaux)
To see winners in other categories in the Washington Bladeās Best of Gay D.C. 2017 Awards, click here.

Friday, February 7
āCenter 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 āFirst 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 āLGBTQ+ Community Brunchā at 11 a.m. at Freddieās 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.
āFashion 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 āLGBTQ+ 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 āLGBTQ+ 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
āCenter 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 youāre bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that youāre 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 āapplicantsā toward being ācandidates.ā For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, February 13
The DC Centerās 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 Communityās website.
Nightlife
D.C.ās queer bars gear up for Valentineās Day
Options for bears, singles, women, and more

Seeing red: itās not just for ire toward the presidentās Executive Orders. Next week is also Valentineās 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 Valentineās 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. Thereās no cover for either.
Bunker
This Valentineās 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 Valentineās 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 āCupid Undiesā event on Feb. 13 with cocktail specials; Licht is offering a āDate Nightā special that includes two cocktails, two glasses of Champagne, and a cheese board for $35; and gay-owned Wunder Gartenās event on Feb. 14 is apres-ski themed with drinks like Love Potion and Cupidās Arrow.
Theater
Celebrate Valentineās Day with one of these three plays
āWaitress,ā āLove Birds,ā āFuenteovejunaā offer differing takes on love

For theatergoers seeking to mark Valentineās 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 Bareillesās hit musical āWaitressā (Feb.13-March 30) may not seem like a usual love story, but itās a love story nonetheless.
āItās about learning to love and value yourself,ā says MALINDA who plays Jenna, the showās titular server/baker with aspirations to bake prize-winning pies and change her life. āItās 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.
āJenna doesnāt 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 sheās famed for singing on TikTok, compelled her to go public.
She didnāt always believe her queerness to be special: āFor me,ā MALINDA says, āit was like saying my eyes are hazel. There wasnāt much to celebrate. But then I realized there were missing voices in my community. Felt like the right thing to do, and itās been one of the great blessings of my life.ā
Six years ago, after her Helen Hayes Award-winning turn in āOnce,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, āGoing back to theater was prominently featured on my vision board, so when Marcia asked me to commit to āWaitress,ā I happily agreed.ā
For her, Valentineās 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 āthatās exactly how I plan to celebrate.ā
D.C.ās delightful Holly Twyford is spending Valentineās Day working at the Folger on Capitol Hill. Sheāll be on stage, her wife will be in the audience, and depending on the length of the program, theyāll go out to dinner afterward.
For four performances, the multi-Helen Hayes award-winning actor is serving as narrator for āThe 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 Chaucerās āA Parlement of Foulesā by Twyford.
Standing behind a podium, sheāll read Chaucerās words (translated from Middle English and backed by projected slides in the original language), alternating with music played on old and new instruments.
āThe new music is kind of dissonant with the sounds of birdcalls and nature sounds, painting a picture of whatās going on in Chaucerās poem thatās 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 āFuenteovejunaā (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.
Itās about tyranny and love, Arellano explains. Within Lope de Vegaās 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 doesnāt exist, while the others disagree. Itās a charming way to kick off the play.
The celebrated director isnāt one to telegraph messages, preferring audiences think for themselves. That said, he does, of course, make strong directorial choices: āIf I have to choose between love or war, itās more important to talk about love. For me, itās a revolution.ā
And apropos of a Valentineās Day date, GALAās production of āFuenteovejunaā (performed in Spanish with English surtitles) is imbued with live music and verse, an important part of any romantic experience, adds David Peralto, the productionās poetry and verse consultant as well as Arellanoās longtime partner.
The busy Spain-based couple will celebrate Valentineās Day in Seville and couldnāt be happier. Arellano describes Seville as the most romantic city in the world.
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