Arts & Entertainment
Karamo Brown says D.C. High Heel Race ‘a model of what the world should be’
TV host and reality star will make a special appearance at the event
Television host and reality star Karamo Brown connected with the Washington Blade on Tuesday afternoon before his special appearance at the 36th annual 17th Street High Heel Race in D.C. at the invitation of Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs.
The city’s historic LGBTQ event, by providing a space where participants can feel safe and supported while also welcoming other diverse groups of people to join the fun, is “a model of what the world should be,” Brown said.
Best known for his eponymously named talk show, now in season two on NBC Universal and “Queer Eye,” the Netflix series that wrapped its seventh season in May, Brown became the second openly gay Black man to appear on a reality show when he was cast in MTV’s “The Real World: Philadelphia” in 2004.
Fans of his current television projects are likely aware he is also an author and activist who has worked on behalf of causes related to racial justice, LGBTQ rights, and HIV, with a background that includes training in psychotherapy and experience working in social services.
As intra and inter-party warfare in Washington has reached new heights in recent weeks, Brown advises that divisiveness comes when “you put comprehension over compassion,” adding, “you don’t have to understand me to respect me and have compassion for me as a human being.”
Likewise, he said, being curious about the feelings and experiences of others, and being open to exploring alternative points of view — however inscrutable they may seem, and however different they might be from our own — can also lead to better interpersonal interactions.
With respect “any adult who would choose to willfully hurt a child” by advancing anti-LGBTQ policies targeting young people, Brown said, “I would have to question, ‘what are their motives?’ ‘Why are they feeling this way?'”
We are responsible for ensuring that children are loved, supported, and protected — whether in the context of policy discussions over gun violence prevention, mental health, or matters concerning sexual orientation and gender identity, Brown said.
Asked whether he is interested in inviting any special guests from Washington to appear on “Karamo,” Brown said “let’s be real, there’s tons of politicians — I could bring them and their wives and their mistresses on my show, and they’d fit right on in.”
“I don’t need to call out any names,” he said.
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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