Supporting LGBTQ culture in senior living communities – Washington Blade
Has dining in D.C. returned? The city has seen a wildly dynamic year, punctured by several high-profile restaurant closings, but buoyed by exciting new openings. In no particular order of importance, and in a highly subjective list, these are five of the biggest stories in the DC food and drink scene for the Blade community.
The As You Are Bar Saga
The opening of As You Are Bar was a long time coming. Started virtually in 2019, AYA (as it’s informally known) finally opened its doors to the public in early 2022. Owners Jo McDaniel and Rachel Pike, a duo with more than two decades of combined service in the industry, were highly intentional in building a space that serves D.C.’s LGBTQ community – and every part of that community. As You Are exists to hold and cultivate a safe and celebratory space for the LGBTQ community, they say. Café by day, bar and dance lounge by night, As You Are welcomes everyone. Its food offerings mirror that mantra too: It has plenty of vegan and vegetarian options at lunch and dinner, and lots of non-alcoholic drinks at the bar.
But opening was not easy. AYA, which initially applied for its liquor license in November 2021, couldn’t open for several months, facing both construction delays and fierce resistance from some neighbors and the local ANC, concerned about noise and trash. Undeterred, the two mounted a support campaign with friends and other neighbors, and today has become a mainstay in its neighborhood that once held several LGBTQ bars. Today, AYA is the only one. It counts Pete and Chasten Buttigieg as customers (they also live nearby). Last month, the Human Rights Campaign awarded As You Are a $10,000 grant from its “Queer to Stay” small business campaign. AYA’s impact as a bar with a mission is here to stay.
Peruvian in Blagden Alley
Blagden Alley has been a hotbed of innovative cuisine, and the new Causa is no exception. Chef, co-owner, and Peruvian native opened his two-part, bi-level restaurant in Blagden as an ode to his home country. Service Bar’s Glendon Hartley and Chad Spangler are also co-owners. Upstairs, dubbed Amazonia, is a casual, a la carte restaurant lush with greenery and calming, loungey atmosphere that opened in April. Downstairs is an airy, minimalist, set-menu space that opened in September. It has received local and national accolades: The Washington Post’s Tom Sietsema placed Causa on his seven favorite restaurants list for November 2022, and Eater national named it as one of the country’s best new restaurants in 2022.
In just over 20 seats and across six courses, Causa plates a wide swath of the country, from the Pacific coast to the Andean highlands. The namesake dish (causa) features prominently, made from potatoes (native to the Andean region). In contrast to the formal, seafood-forward dinner downstairs, upstairs is a riot of color and sound, serving shareables and street food like friend plantains with hunks of pork. The massive pisco list is impressive, and the Pisco sours, among the many cocktails Hartley pours, are a frothy delight.
Enrique Limardo’s Growing Empire
Limardo has been bringing decadence to D.C.’s dining scene for years – and with the opening of Joy, his successes continue. Joy, in Chevy Chase, opened in October. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Chef Enrique Limardo came to D.C. after cooking in Baltimore to open Seven Reasons on 14th Street, which was named #1 Best New Restaurant in America in Esquire’s November 2019 restaurant issue, and Washington D.C.’s #1 restaurant by Washington Post’s Tom Sietsema. He also runs the new Imperfecto, a Mediterranean-Latin blend, is the culinary director at Chick + Whiskey, and runs Immigrant Food, a fast-casual restaurant with a cause, dedicated to immigrants who have made and remade America and its food. Joy is a relaxed version of the upscale Seven Reasons, offering diners a more affordable taste of Limardo’s Latin creations. Limardo isn’t done: his restaurant group has other planned openings in 2023 and beyond.
Move Over Vodka Soda: Here’s the Espresso Martini
Beyond the supreme meme-ification of the infamous “Negroni sbagliato with Champagne in it,” the espresso martini has truly dominated the cocktail chatter. CNN named 2022 the Year of the Espresso Martini, and the drink has found its way into the top 10 most-ordered drinks list. It almost seems like a no-brainer: coffee plus liquor plus nostalgia, results in the most zeitgeisty of cocktails. A mix of vodka, coffee liqueur, and espresso (or some variation thereof), the espresso martini most commonly arrives in a martini glass, topped with a bit of froth and an espresso bean or two floating on top. Espresso martinis can now be found in can form, on brunch tables, ordered at last call, and with intriguing substitutions like whiskey or tequila for the vodka. Seven Reasons, mentioned above, even has its own riff with crème de cacao.
Dining for Ukraine
In a city as politically oriented as this, it is no surprise that its restaurant industry sprang into action to support Ukrainian causes after the Russian unprovoked invasion earlier this year. One of the biggest organizations was World Central Kitchen, from D.C.’s own Jose Andres. WCK started prepping meals for refugees in Poland within days, and still has an enormous operation inside and outside of Ukraine. D.C.-based Paola Velez set up the Bake for Ukraine campaign (she had also started Bakers Against Racism) to support WCK and other nonprofits. On Ukrainian Independence Day in August, restaurants and bars again showed up with classes and fundraisers. Dacha, a German beer garden run by Russian-Americans, held a huge fundraiser in April. Ted’s Bulletin crafted a pop-tart, bakeries made Ukrainian-flag cookies, cocktails got names like the Spicy Zelensky (at Tabla), and many more operations announced fundraisers and donations to benefit various Ukrainian causes. D Light Bakery, a Ukrainian café in Adams Morgan, received an outpouring of support. As the invasion creeps toward nearly a year, D.C. showed how it can stand in solidarity.