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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 ...
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