Arts & Entertainment
Shop local! Fun, affordable gifts from D.C. vendors
Places to shop without breaking the bank
If you missed out on Black Friday shopping because you were still recovering from eating mounds of turkey and pumpkin pie — or you were too busy catching up with work to purchase something on Cyber Monday — don’t stress! Below is a quick list of gift ideas from local stores where you can purchase something sentimental for your loved ones.
If your “giftee” has a sweet tooth, consider JOYCO chocolate-covered dried fruits or some Sipan apricot jam — made from fruits, vegetables and petals — sold at Yerevan DC, an Armenian store located at 2204 18th St., N.W.
“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” according to the old adage. However, jewelry is any gay’s best friend. Robert Laurence Jewelers is located at 1202 G St., N.W. and has a huge selection of jewelry including unset sterling silver bracelets going for $77.
Miss Pixie’s DC has a 7-inch Orrefors Precious vase going for $110. Head over to 1626 14th St., N.W. to snag this unique, in-demand gift.
For only $1, you can purchase tickets to “Colors: R&B Only,” a journey of R&B music throughout history at The Fillmore on Friday, Dec. 31. Tickets are available at washingtondc.rnbonly.com.
Nubian Hueman has a “GAMBA gender-free” denim jacket for $110. This brand, located at 1231 Good Hope Rd., S.E., is a Black, female, and queer-owned brand amplifying a narrative of inclusion and equality within Black culture. It creates “exclusive collections and one-of-a-kind pieces for those looking to turn heads and make a statement.”
Lee’s Flower and Card Shop, located at 1026 U St., N.W., has a $55 chicken noodle soup gourmet gift set. This gift set is a comforting gourmet selection of artisan chicken noodle soup mix, along with hummus, crackers, bread sticks, mixed olives, Himalayan salt & grinder, and cookies. This gift set also includes an oversized soup bowl, bamboo spoon, and serving tray.
To add extra flavor to any kitchen, the spice bag with lemon pepper hot sauce from The Spice Suite, located at 6902 4th St. NW, make for a perfect stocking stuffer. For $45, you get herbes de Provence and peri peri spices, and lemon pepper hot sauce.
Frères Branchiaux Candle Co. — located in White Plains, Md. — offers a variety of scented experiences including hand-made candles, bath salts, room sprays and diffusers. For $25, you can get one of their holiday collection candles that range in scents from vanilla spice to whiskey sweet.
Take a walk at Black Pepper Paperie Co., located at 1353 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., to find unique craft pieces. For about $45, you can buy wallpapers designed by artists Hadiya Williams that are inspired by The Great Migration.
For the beer lover on your list, Red Bear Brewing has The Krampus Shuffle – Abbey Style Quad that has dark ale has notes of raisins, toffee, plum, vanilla, cinnamon, and clove. You can order a 16oz four pack for $18.75 and pick it up in-person at 209 M St., N.E.
Most popular oven mitt collection from Naked Decor. From People We Admire collection. They can take the heat! Choose from Madam Vice President, RBG, Dr. Fauci and more. Handmade with Love. $15 each at nakeddecor.com or visit their pop-up store at booth# 27 at Downtown Holiday Market. (Now until Dec. 23).
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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