The
Blade’s
annual
roundup
of
the
Best
of
Gay
D.C.
includes
many
perennial
favorites,
like
Annie’s
and
JR.’s,
along
with
a
few
fresh
faces
that
help
keep
this
city
lively
and
dynamic.
In
a
year
marked
by
disappointments
on
the
gay
rights
front
—
from
anti-gay
marriage
amendments
winning
approval
in
11
states
on
Election
Day
to
the
untimely
death
of
activist
Wanda
Alston
to
a
push
by
the
Catholic
Church
to
bar
gay
seminarians
—
it
is
refreshing
to
read
the
story
of
Revs.
Dennis
and
Christine
Wiley,
two
pro-gay
ministers
who
preside
at
Covenant
Baptist
Church.
The
Wileys
are
our
pick
for
best
straight
ally.
Blade
readers
voted
for
the
best
of
gay
D.C.
in
our
online
poll,
while
the
editors
debated
choices
that
frequently
diverged
from
the
readers’
picks.
Chris
Crain,
Kevin
Naff,
Rhonda
Smith,
Ken
Sain,
Brian
Moylan,
Lou
Chibbaro
Jr.,
Eartha
Melzer,
Elizabeth
Weill-Greenberg,
Katherine
Volin,
Jorge
Valencia
and
Patrick
Folliard
contributed
to
this
year’s
guide.
The
restaurant’s
name
comes
from
the
Spanish
“mercado”
(marketplace)
and
“The
Mikado”
(a
Gilbert
and
Sullivan
operetta
set
in
Japan).
Accordingly,
Merkádo’s
options
are
an
unlikely
yet
scrumptious
mash
up
of
Asian
and
Latin
dishes.
Entrees
include
the
“arroz
con
pollo,”
roasted
chicken
in
mojo
with
rice
and
beans,
and
the
crispy,
panko-crusted
crab-and-shrimp
cakes.
Almost
as
ambitious
as
the
culture
fusing
in
Merkádo’s
menu,
is
the
restaurant’s
design
—
a
handsomely
decorated
venue
with
large
portraits
adorning
the
walls.
Merkádo
Kitchen
1442
P
St.,
NW
202-299-0018
As
its
name
suggests,
Hank’s
Oyster
Bar
offers
an
array
of
seafood
options.
That’s
one
of
the
best
things
about
Hank’s
—
its
offerings
of
classic
seafood
plates
and
New
England
favorites
like
lobster
rolls,
steamers
and
chowder.
The
restaurant’s
atmosphere
is
cool,
too.
Tucked
in
between
the
many
restaurants
on
17th
Street,
the
restaurant’s
weekend
brunch,
offerings
of
free
German
chocolate
and
reasonable
prices
make
it
stand
out
in
the
crowd.
The
lesbian-owned
Hank’s
is
a
welcome
new
addition
to
the
neighborhood.
Hank’s
Oyster
Bar
1624
Q
St.,
NW
202-462-4265
For
the
second
consecutive
year,
Two
Quail
is
the
readers’
pick
for
most
romantic
restaurant
in
D.C.
and
it’s
easy
to
see
why.
The
restaurant
occupies
three
Victorian
town
homes
on
Capitol
Hill.
From
the
soft
music
to
the
cleverly
named
martinis
to
the
candlelight,
Two
Quail
makes
for
a
quiet,
memorable
evening
out
with
a
significant
other.
Two
Quail
320
Massachusetts
Ave.,
NE
202-543-8030
It’s
a
painful
song
sung
by
a
woman
about
an
unattainably
beautiful
woman,
years
before
Melissa
Etheridge
made
a
career
out
of
singing
sad
Sappho
songs.
(Say
that
six
times
fast.)
OK,
well
the
song
is
actually
hetero-themed,
but
the
Adams
Morgan
restaurant
that
plays
off
its
name
is
decidedly
mixed
in
sexual
orientation.
Encourage
your
date
to
begin
the
evening
with
a
caipirinha
—
the
Brazilian
national
drink,
loaded
with
sugar
and
a
clear
liquor
made
from
sugarcane,
topped
with
limes,
and
you’re
well
on
your
way
to
Rio
de
Janeiro.
The
palm
tree
décor
and
samba
stylings
offer
the
ambience
for
love.
Just
make
sure
you
finish
up
by
11
p.m.
on
weekends,
or
your
quiet
romantic
meal
will
be
(pleasantly)
interrupted
by
an
attractive,
boisterous
party
crowd
that
would
make
São
Paolo
proud.
And
if
nothing
comes
of
your
romantic
evening
at
Grill
from
Ipanema?
Well,
take
a
cue
from
Edyie
Gourme
and
blame
it
on
the
bossa
nova.
Grill
from
Ipanema
1858
Columbia
Rd.,
NW
202-986-0757
Mark’s
Kitchen
is
an
appealing,
inexpensive
restaurant
on
Carroll
Avenue,
in
Takoma
Park,
Md.,
where
friendly
servers
encourage
you
to
find
a
table.
And
they
make
you
feel
like
a
regular
there
even
if
you’re
not.
This
is
a
neighborhood
establishment,
so
those
familiar
with
Takoma
Park
will
not
be
surprised
by
its
diverse
and
casual
clientele.
The
dining
area
at
Mark’s
Kitchen
is
slightly
cluttered
but
clean,
with
Korean-inspired
art
on
the
walls.
The
menu
boasts
an
eclectic
range
of
choices,
from
miso
soup
and
galbi
(Korean
short
ribs)
to
turkey
club
sandwiches
and
gingerbread
ice
cream
sundaes.
The
restaurant’s
bi
bam
bap
also
is
an
intensely
satisfying
bowl
of
rice
and
shredded
veggies
(including
spinach,
sprouts,
and
carrots)
marinated
in
sesame
oil
with
a
fried
egg
or
with
Korean
steak.
Either
way,
pour
the
spicy
red
bean
paste
sauce
on
top
and
gently
mix
the
contents
from
the
bottom
up.
Tofu
lovers
should
check
out
the
spinach
tofucakes,
which
feature
shiitake
mushrooms
and
red
peppers
served
on
a
small
bed
of
rice
and
mixed
greens.
The
cakes
are
topped
with
small
chunks
of
mango
and
raspberry
soy
sauce.
There’s
also
a
sampler
box
with
your
choice
of
tofu,
chicken,
or
fish,
bites
of
honey
soybeans,
roasted
seaweed
and
shiitake
mushrooms
in
a
sang
dinner
box.
Mark’s
Kitchen
also
features
various
coffees,
teas
and
juices.
Mark’s
Kitchen
7006
Carroll
Ave.
Takoma
Park,
MD
301-270-1884
Great
Sage,
a
vegetarian
paradise
of
sorts,
is
way
ahead
of
most
restaurants
in
anticipating
potential
food
sensitivities
or
restrictions.
If
you
or
a
dining
companion
is
vegan,
or
require
meals
that
are
gluten-,
soy-
or
peanut-free,
the
kitchen
here
gladly
accommodates
your
needs.
The
30-mile
trip
from
D.C.
to
Clarksville,
Md.,
might
test
your
patience,
but
it’s
worth
the
drive.
Once
there,
try
the
Great
Sage
...
Grill from Ipanema (Photo courtesy of 
