Arts & Entertainment
Presidential sweet
Teddy a tasty follow-up to Lincoln
Teddy and the Bully Bar (1200 19th Street, N.W.). (Photo courtesy Teddy and the Bully Bar)
The same visionary who brought us Lincoln Restaurant (1110 Vermont Ave., N.W.) is back with another. Teddy and the Bully Bar (1200 19th Street, N.W.) doesn’t quite scream Roosevelt to the degree that its predecessor conjures Honest Abe, but it’s still a fun concept with rich offerings served in the oh-so-D.C.-style of small — and I do mean small — plates.
Owner Alan Popovsky, a political science major in college, unveiled Teddy last month in the former site of Sam and Harry’s Steakhouse, which boasts 230 seats, an in-house bakery and quirky contributions from about 50 local artists. Designer Maggie O’Neill makes clever use of the theme with the “rock wall,” created from small Mount Rushmore replicas.
Roosevelt was an avid hunter and outdoorsman, so it’s no surprise that Executive Chef Michael Hartzer has incorporated wild game into the menu. Mixologist John Hogan has developed a distinctive cocktail program to complement the cuisine through the use of homemade tonics, syrups and bitters. And there’s even a gay member of the management staff, Justin Gulledge, assistant general manager.
His favorite thing about his new position is making sure every guest is content, as well as seeing his regulars who come in multiple times per week and enjoy a great meal. Gulledge was a server at Lincoln before taking this promotion. He says his experience on the floor helped prepare him for management, but the need to multitask and help out all his servers at the same time is his biggest challenge.
He adjusted with help from General Manager Romeo Santos III. Gulledge is a huge fan of the rich food served at Teddy and the Bully Bar; his favorites include the fried fish sandwich with spicy mayo and peppers on the lunch menu and the mac and cheese with three cheeses. He says everyone needs to try the peaches-and-goat cheese salad. With this in mind, I gathered a group to give it a try.
Safari Sangria. (Photo courtesy Teddy and the Bully Bar)
It turned out to be my usual dining gaggle plus one of my groomsman who happened to be visiting. We entered Teddy and the Bully Bar after a long day in the sun. We needed something to cool us down and the waiter recommended The Safari Sangria with Veev Acai (a spirit), Vinho Verde (a Portuguese wine), sage, apple, grapefruit and sweet lime foam. From the moment we took a sip of this glorious concoction we trusted our waiter wholeheartedly and not once did he steer us wrong.
Oyster Bay Fritters. (Photo courtesy Teddy and the Bully Bar)
We enjoyed the spectacular basket of fresh made breads accompanied by butters and jams, the delectable Havana croquettes with a green pepper sauce that I was tempted to lick off the plate, and the wonderful oyster bay fritters that were beer battered and had the perfect amount of heat from the chili peppers. The grilled romaine salad and the peaches and goat cheese were also favorites at the table; Gulledge was definitely correct with his recommendation of this dish.
The golden potato puree and the Teddy Macaroni and Cheese were also enjoyable, although the portion was so small we needed to order seconds so the entire table could have a spoonful of each. The small plates here — as with Lincoln — are quite small, so plan accordingly. Even if your waiter tells you they’re suitable to share, you may want to order a couple extras to satiate your hunger. Nothing spoils a tasty meal like the urge to order a pizza when you get home.
The fried chicken, which Chef Hartzer says was Roosevelt’s favorite dish, had a crispy coating and the chicken was tender and juicy.
One standout dish rose above the rest — the crab and avocado with charred corn. The layered dish with fresh cool avocado and rich sweet crab was perfectly balanced, flavorful and refreshing, an excellent summer dish. Be sure to try it if you go.
Popovsky has brought another great concept restaurant to the District and with the help of Hartzer and Hogan, there’s a food and beverage menu full of tantalizing treats. The waitstaff, led by Santos and Gulledge, is customer focused and doesn’t disappoint.
Celebrity News
My evening with Madonna
Gay icon headlined the World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam
Editor’s note: International News Editor Michael K. Lavers and Photo Editor Michael Key will be on assignment in the Netherlands through Aug. 10. They will be covering World Pride in Amsterdam.
AMSTERDAM — Madonna and 6,000 of her closest friends celebrated World Pride at Amsterdam’s AFAS Live concert hall early Sunday morning. I was fortunate enough to be one of them.
Madonna last Wednesday nearly broke the internet when she said on social media in Dutch that “I got somethin’ I wanna talk about,” referring to an opening line in “Danceteria,” one of the tracks on her “Confessions II” album that has received rave reviews since its July 2 release. The track has been on near constant replay on my playlist since I first heard it.
— Madonna (@Madonna) July 28, 2026
MISTR — a telehealth platform that offers free access to PrEP, Doxy PEP, STI testing, and long-term care that has organized Madonna’s Club Confessions shows in the U.S. and the U.K. — later confirmed the rampant speculation. I woke up on July 30 to an email in my inbox from MISTR and the World Pride Music Festival PR team that said I was on the press list.
Madonna was indeed going to headline the World Pride Music Festival that Jake Resnicow and Insomniac produced, and I was going to be there. OMFG!!!!
The gay icon had one more surprise in store.
The Dutch internet on Saturday once again broke over speculation that Kylie Minogue was going to appear alongside Madonna. I was getting ready to leave our hotel in Amsterdam on Saturday night when I saw a video of the two of them together.
“Madonna is now teasing Kylie Minogue on her social media … she may be one of her ‘special guests’ tonight,” I wrote in a text to Washington Blade Editor Kevin Naff at 8:46 p.m.
“Have fun! This is turning into the gayest concert ever,” he responded.
I arrived at AFAS Live shortly before 11 p.m. My press contact walked me and two other Dutch journalists into the venue’s cavernous main room known as the Black Box. We made small talk for a few minutes before I started to walk around and listen to Josh Harrison who was on the decks.
Madonna was scheduled to take the stage at 1:30 a.m., but she is known for being late — she is Madonna and she does what she wants. Hayla, a British singer, and Bebe Rexha are among those who performed ahead of Madonna. Thousands of sweaty men — including a group of Australians next to me who were eagerly awaiting Kylie’s anticipated appearance — packed the Black Box and were dancing, anticipating what was to come.
MISTR CEO Tristan Schukraft at one point came on stage and declared Madonna was indeed in the building. The moment for which we were all eagerly waiting finally came shortly before 2:30 a.m.
“Mother is here and this is gay heaven,” said Madonna when she took the stage.
Stuart Price, who produced her “Confessions on a Dance Floor” album in 2005, manned the decks during Madonna’s set.
She opened it with “I Feel So Free” from “Confessions II.” Madonna then sang “Bring Your Love” and “Danceteria” to which this reporter — and everyone else — sang along.
Madonna then teased a surprise before she began to perform “Love Sensation.” Kylie soon appeared on stage. It was nearly too much for my fellow partygoers from Australia. It was indeed the gayest concert ever!
Madonna and Kylie performed “Love Sensation” together. They then sang “Hung Up” and “Sorry” from “Confessions on a Dance Floor” to round out the set that ended shortly after 3 a.m.
Madonna and I share the same birthday — Aug. 16 — and I would like to think she and Kylie gave me an early birthday present. In all seriousness though, it was an amazing night for me and for everyone else who was fortunate enough to be there.
“On the dance floor I feel so free,” says Madonna in the opening of “I Feel So Free.”
For those few precious hours at AFAS Live I did not think about the Trump-Vance administration and the myriad ways it is destroying the U.S. I did not think about the National Guard troops deployed to D.C. I did not think about the pointless wars that continue to ravage Ukraine and other countries around the world. I simply lost myself on the dance floor and celebrated an icon who has always stood with my community.
Thank you, Madonna.
The Petal Release Party and Drag Show was held at Spark Social on Friday, July 31. Performers included Tiara-Missou, Labianna and Darcy de la Cuadra.
(Washington Blade photos by Landon Shackelford)
Celebrity News
Madonna headlines World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam
Kylie Minogue made surprise appearance alongside gay icon
AMSTERDAM — Madonna on Sunday headlined the final night of the World Pride Music Festival in Amsterdam.
The gay icon took the stage shortly before 2:30 a.m. local time (8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday) during Club Confessions, a set that MISTR, a telehealth platform that offers free access to PrEP, Doxy PEP, STI testing, and long-term HIV care, organized.
“Mother is here and this is gay heaven,” said Madonna when she took the stage inside Amsterdam’s AFAS Live concert hall that can hold up to 6,000 people.
Stuart Price, who produced Madonna’s 2005 “Confessions on a Dance Floor” album and “Confessions II,” which debuted on July 2, DJed the set.
Kylie Minogue made a surprise appearance. She and Madonna performed a new remix of “Love Sensation” from “Confessions II.”
(Washington Blade video by Michael K. Lavers)
“Throughout my career, I’ve always supported efforts to fight HIV and AIDS, and that fight begins with education and access,” said Madonna in a MISTR press release. “With MISTR, (CEO) Tristan (Schukraft) is expanding access to HIV prevention and sexual healthcare for everyone. Through this work, he’s helping preserve and strengthen LGBTQ+ spaces while investing in the communities and culture that have long sustained us.”
Minogue in an Instagram post thanked Madonna, Price, Schukraft, and MISTR.
Madonna appeared at The Abbey in West Hollywood, Calif., in April. Madonna in June celebrated Pride month with a pop-up performance in New York’s Times Square.
Jake Resnicow and Insomniac produced the World Pride Music Festival that also featured Bebe Rexha and Paris Hilton, among others.
“Pride has always been about bringing our community together,” said Resnicow. “At a moment when too many people are being told to hide or make themselves smaller, gathering openly, joyfully, and without apology matters more than ever. I couldn’t be prouder of what this festival brought to life in Amsterdam — one dance floor, completely free.”
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