Apex (Photo courtesy of www.apex-dc.com)
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Friday, October 07, 2005
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.
For the first time in the four years that the Blade has conducted this survey, VelvetNation has been unseated as the city’s top gay nightclub. Maybe that has something to do with Apex’s universal appeal, which spans several nights rather than just one big party each week. Thursday is college night, and with no cover with a student ID and no classes on Friday, all the young guys (and the guys who love them) come out to play. On Fridays, some of the city’s best DJ talent and the venue’s multi-floor layout attracts a bit of an older crowd, but one that certainly knows how to have fun. Saturday’s Liquid Ladies party is one of the hottest spots for lesbians in town, especially those who love dance music and hip-hop.
Apex
1415 22nd St., NW
202-296-0505
www.apex-dc.com
Yes, this six-year-old Saturday gay dance party may have been bounced as the readers’ choice and it may not be as popular as it once was, but it is still one of the best joints in town. If you were at its annual Madonnarama recently, you know that Velvet still gets packed, the music is still bumpin’, and the boys still love it. And just wait, the rest of the year brings Junior Vasquez, Victor Calderone, and Abel (on New Year’s Eve, no less) to this iconic D.C. venue. It may be getting older, but it is way too soon to count Velvet out of the running.
VelvetNation
Saturday, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Half & K Sts., SE
www.velvetnation.com
It’s a shame that D.C. really only has one dedicated lesbian bar, but as long as we only have one bar, it might as well be this Capitol Hill gem, which is also the city’s oldest continuously running gay bar. Sure, lesbians in the District have other options if they want to go out and party, but the Phase offers a safe place to relax, have a nightcap, dance, shoot pool, catch a drag king show or just meet some friends. It may not attract the most diverse crowd, but there really isn’t any other place in town like the Phase.
Phase One
525 8th St., SE
202-544-6831
For as long as anyone can remember, Wednesdays at Chaos has meant ladies night, and it has always been a popular one. Many other bars (some even on the same 17th Street strip) have tried and failed to pull the loyal crowd away. Maybe it’s the mix of both newly out women and those who have been in town for a few years. Maybe it’s the low ceilings and intimate venue. Maybe it’s the burlesque show the third Wednesday of each month. But, no matter what the secret is, everyone knows that if it’s the middle of the week and you’re looking for a hot time with hot lesbians, this is the place to be.
Chaos
Wednesdays
1633 Q St., NW
202-232-4141
www.chaosdc.com
The name may be a little clunky, but it’s the only way to describe these happenings for the hippest and sexiest of the city’s Sapphic crowd. Masterminded by local lesbian Bridget Hieronymus, who wanted, “somewhere I could sit or walk around and have a good drink and talk to people,” she partnered with Kimpton Hotels — the swank chain that also houses some of the city’s most cutting-edge bars like Rouge and Topaz — and rotates the nights around their properties. On Wednesday and Saturday nights, you’ll find women looking for cosmos and company rather than beer and pool. Check the group’s Web site for dates and locations.
A Different Kind of Ladies’ Night
www.AdifferentKindofLadiesNight.com
Let’s face it, as long as Dupont Circle is the gay neighborhood, JR.’s, the gatekeeper of the 17th Street strip, is most likely going to be the neighborhood bar. Everyone may not know your name at this friendly hangout, but, chances are, someone will come up to you and ask for it. Always popular at happy hour, you’ll find many men stopping by in suits and ties after a day at the office and, later on, the jeans and T-shirt crowd will stop by either after dinner or as a meeting place for an evening out on the town.
JR.’s
1519 17th St., NW
202-328-0090
www.jrsdc.com
Technically it’s a diner, not a pub, but it’s as close to a gay Cheers as you can get in Washington — except here everybody knows not only your name, but what you do and who else you know. It’s Washington, love it or leave it. Gay political types from across the spectrum (yes Virginia, there are gay Republicans) mingle in this Adams Morgan mainstay, especially on Thursday nights. The New York Times even took note how D.C.’s radical outing activists uncomfortably shared space with their sometimes-prey here. Relax, dear RNC closet cases, the Signorile-come-latelys haven’t been spotted here in some time. Gay owner Eric Hirshfield is more Sam than Diane, although he probably fancies himself more of a Woody (that’s Harrelson, not sexual).
Duplex Diner
2004 18th Street, NW
202-265-7828
www.duplexdiner.com
The old adage says you don’t get something for nothing. That’s true at this Logan Circle hangout too, but every day from 5 – 9 p.m. you will find buy-one-get-one-free drinks. So it’s not surprising that a decent after-work crowd always shows up to wow at the freshly made mojitos and marvelous martinis. Halo is so popular that this smoke-free venue just expanded to the ground floor to give patrons more room to mix and mingle in a hip, posh setting. On nights at the end of the week, the jacket and tie crowd is replaced by the city’s gay A-list after happy hour looking for a quiet place to be seen. You may not get something for free, but, chances are, at Halo you’ll always have a good time.
Halo
1435 P St., NW
202-797-9730
Never heard of 30 Degrees? It’s the bar famous for having the name no one knows, even the majority of its regulars. That’s because it’s more affectionately known as the Pottery Bar, given its Mitchell Gold décor, or just Cobalt, its big brother bar upstairs. Occupying the space in between Food Bar and Cobalt has 30 Degrees forever trapped in an identity crisis, but the well-dressed folk who drop by after work don’t seem to mind (or does that make it worse?). The music may be borrowed from upstairs, but the volume is lower and the comfortable seating allows for more intimate conversations. Just don’t leave your coat unattended. It’s a curious house rule enforced so vigilantly it would make the Department of Homeland Security proud.
30 Degrees/Cobalt
17th & R Streets, NW
202-462-6569
www.cobaltdc.com
The worst part about the new baseball stadium planned for Southeast D.C. is that it is ruining one of gay culture’s national pastimes — a good drag show. But before this cabaret institution is replaced by home plate, it still packs in the crowds to see some of the city’s hottest lip-synchers, like Lena Lett, Vicki Voxx, Monet DuPree, Blair Michaels, Gigi Couture, Tina Turner Adams and, of course, the club’s crown jewel, Ella Fitzgerald. Directing the show for almost three decades, Fitzgerald disarms everyone with her humor while stunning them with her costumes and performance. It’s a real foul ball that people will miss out on this show.
Ziegfeld’s
1345 Half St., SE
202-554-5141
www.ziegfelds.com
We’ve all heard of boys that will be girls, but, even after five years, many are still stunned by the D.C. Kings, a troupe of women who perform as men. Founded by legendary king Ken Las Vegas in 2000, this group that is 60 members strong has no permanent location. Instead, it performs at the city’s hottest lesbian nights, including Chaos the first Wednesday of each month, the Phase One on the second Sunday of each month, and at Apex on the third and fourth Saturday of the month. With names like Miles Long, Caesar Melons, Kwid Pro Quo, and Mo Curly on the roster, these Kings have enough attitude and skill to put any queen to shame.
D.C. Kings
www.dckings.com
There may only be two floors, but there are countless possibilities for patrons at Cobalt, one of the city’s most courteously cruisey bars. The preppy type that is usually attracted to this 17th Street hotspot won’t come right up and grab you, but they will let you know that they are interested. The downstairs lounge is the perfect place to approach a single man with the offer to buy a drink, and the packed dance floor upstairs is just right for grinding up next to that guy who’s been giving you the eye all night. And, with a bustling happy hour crowd, you may even run into someone who would rather lure you into a conversation than into his bedroom.
Cobalt
1639 R St., NW
202-462-6569
www.cobaltdc.com
Many who have never been are afraid of this leather bar (the oldest “Eagle” in the country), thinking that they’ll be chained to the bar upon arrival. Those who frequent it know that is not the case. While there will be plenty of guys in vests, chaps, boots and tight jeans on any given night, they are some of the nicest and most approachable guys in the city. With the second floor set up so everyone can cruise around the bar and the center of the room and the action downstairs focused on the pool table, there’s a venue for guys of any speed to find a date or a new friend.
D.C. Eagle
639 New York Ave., NW
202-347-6025
www.dceagle.com
OK, so it only happens one night a year, so you’d better work fast. Held every year in mid-September at the Washington Hilton in Dupont Circle, this event that raises money for the Mautner Project, the national lesbian health organization based in D.C., is filled with the city’s finest decked out in tuxes in gowns. Sure, some will be there with their partners, but for those looking to date or network, this is the place where the crème de la crème of D.C.’s lesbian scene come to be seen. Approach her on the dance floor or ask her for a drink in the hotel lobby, but either way, it will be a magical night.
Mautner Project
www.mautnerproject.org
Those who don’t want to put all their eggs in one basket might want to check out this regular Saturday night dance party. Frequented by many young up-and-comers, the ladies transform Apex into a sprawling club that crackles with energy and rumbles with women’s laughter. Butch and femme, black and white, young and mature, you’ll find people of all stripes dancing to house music or hip-hop on the main dance floor or hanging on the couches in the lounge upstairs. There’s a reason that this event has lasted several years: when the girls just want to have fun, this is where they go — every night of the year.
Liquid Ladies
Saturdays at 9 p.m.
Apex
1415 22nd St., NW
202-296-0505
www.liquidladies.com
Fuego, which gay business owner Philip Doyle opened two years ago, is the place to be these days. Men and women who attend events there say the Latino dance party, held each Saturday in Northwest D.C., at Cada Vez, holds special appeal because of great Latino music — from merengue and reggaeton to salsa — and opportunities to mix and mingle with people from home, wherever that might have been.
Doyle says supporters of Fuego, which means fire in Spanish, have helped raise money for various Latino individuals and causes. He describes patrons who attend Fuego events as his friends — friends who are standing with him as an ongoing battle brews between Cada Vez owners and D.C. residents opposed to the business’ liquor license being renewed.
One of the main reasons that Fuego draws large crowds (Doyle says between 300 to 450 people attend the Saturday party) is the music played by his business partner, DJ Hector J. Zarate.
DJ Hector says he tries to be sensitive to the fact that folks who attend Fuego events are from Central America, as well as from other parts of the world. The event also attracts straight Latinos who appreciate its atmosphere as well as men and women who are not Latino.
Cada Vez is Fuego’s third location. Previous spots included Tequila Grill and the Sheraton Four Points Hotel.
Fuego
at Cada Vez
1438 U Street, NW
Saturdays
10 p.m.-2 a.m.
www.clubfuegodc.com
As VH1 knows, we love the ’70s and ’80s, and no one loves the new age more than the gays. Whether it’s vintage tunes by favorites like Madonna, Janet Jackson or Abba or modern classics like Devo, Bananarama and Human League, on Tuesday night Cobalt’s resident DJ Jason Royce has a record collection like few in the city. Each new tune will have you squealing, “I love this song!” and the crowd will keep you dancing all night long. Yes, we love the ‘80s, and for one night each week we can pretend that the decade never ended.
Flashback
Tuesdays at 10 p.m.
Cobalt
1639 R St., NW
202-462-6569
www.cobaltdc.com
For the second year in a row, we just can’t get enough of Taint, the edgy gay night that is held on the first Sunday of each month (but check the Web site to confirm the date) at DC9, a neighborhood bar on the U St. corridor, from 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. With a healthy dose of Brit pop, electronic music, experimental pop, indie rock, and even some really crazy hip-hop, Taint is like a little slice of New York’s East Village on the banks of the Potomac. Mostly male but with a smattering of women, all the cool kids get decked out and come together to get down in a “Madonna-free zone.” The booths downstairs are a great place to chat, but the real action is on the dance floor upstairs that, on packed holiday weekends, feels like it might buckle from all the dancing. No wonder one of the city’s few alternatives is still a hit.
Taint
First Sunday of the month
1940 9th St., NW
202-482-5000
www.taintdc.com
Plenty of gay men and lesbians commute into D.C. from Northern Virginia for work, but when they want the gay community in their community, they turn to Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This Crystal City bar has been serving up campy fun and good food for the past few years. Featuring karaoke almost every night of the week, this joint guarantees a good time. Also drop in for Monday night’s comedy night, featuring Jolene Sugarbaker and Sunday night’s “Freddie’s Follies” drag show.
Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant
555 S. 23rd St.
Arlington, VA
703-685-0555
www.freddiesbeachbar.com
For all you doubters, yes, there is a gay bar in Wheaton, Md. An old karaoke bar, De Lounge sprang up in 2003 far up on Georgia Avenue and has been attracting the men and women who don’t want the hassle of going all the way into the District for a drink or a night out on the town. Whether you want to sing karaoke or eat some Chinese food from the Paul Kee Restaurant next door (they’ll deliver it to the club for you), the neighborhood feel of the bar is pervasive and welcoming, especially at happy hour from 4 – 7 p.m. weeknights. Friday night is ladies’ night, Saturday night is mostly for men, Monday night features dance lessons, but Sunday nights is still for karaoke. Some things never change.
De Lounge
11305 Georgia Ave.
Wheaton, MD
301-933-4176
www.delounge.com
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