“Washington Blade’s” annual reader poll includes numerous favorites in the neighborhood. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
The Washington Blade‘s yearly “Best Of Gay DC” list is out, and one thing is for sure — Borderstan-area businesses are a favorite in the LGBT community. Here are some the neighborhood’s winners from the newspaper’s annual reader poll:
- Best Dance Club: Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th Street NW
- Best Happy Hour: Nellie’s Sports Bar, 900 U Street NW
- Best Gay-Friendly Straight Bar: Black Cat, 1811 14th Street NW
- Best Live Music: 9:30 Club, 815 V Street NW
- Best Women’s Party: BARE by LURe at Cobalt, 1639 R Street NW
- Best Neighborhood Bar: Larry’s Lounge, 1836 18th Street NW
- Best Men’s Party: Mixtape (See our profile on D.J. Shea Van Horn)
- Best Alternative Party: DC Bear Crue Happy Hour at Town, 2009 8th Street NW
- Best Ethnic: Rice, 1608 14th Street NW
- Best Brunch: Level One, 1639 R Street NW
- Best Wine Bar: Cork, 1720 14th Street NW
- Best Late Night: Annie’s Paramount Steakhouse, 1609 17th Street NW
- Best New Restaurant: The Pig, 1320 14th Street NW
- Best Chef: Jamie Leeds, Hank’s Oyster Bar, 1624 Q Street NW
- Best Date Restaurant: Logan Tavern, 1423 P Street NW
- Best Local Dish: Half Smokes at Ben’s Chili Bowl, 1213 U Street NW
- Best House of Worship: Foundry United Methodist Church, 1500 16th Street NW
- Best Spa/Salon: Bang Salon/Aura Spa, 1517 15th Street NW
- Best Men’s Clothing Store: Universal Gear, 1529 14th Street NW
- Best Gym: Vida Fitness, 1517 15th Street NW
- Best LGBT-owned Business: Hank’s Oyster Bar, 1624 Q Street NW
- Best Art Gallery: Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW
- Best Home Furnishings: Miss Pixie’s, 1626 14th Street NW
- Best Second-Hand Shop: Buffalo Exchange, 1318 14th Street NW
- Best Nonprofit: Whitman-Walker Health, 1701 14th Street NW
- Best Hotel: Donovan House, 1155 14th Street NW
- Best Yoga Studio: Yoga District, 1635 Connecticut Avenue NW (and other locations)
Congratulations to everyone!
Finally, a huge thanks to everyone who voted for Borderstan for Best Local Blog. We were honored to make the ballot along with Dcist, Prince of Petworth, Where The Girls Go and Rage. While we didn’t win the trophy this year as we did in 2011, congratulations to Dcist for winning again.
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Vote for your favorites so they can take home the “Best of Gay DC” plaques! (Luis Gomez Photos)
Voting in the Washington Blade’s 11th annual Best of Gay DC reader poll closes Wednesday, September 5, the last day to vote. The rules allow you to vote every day, so you can still vote for your favorites three times! (Borderstan would love to have your vote for Best Local Blog again this year — a big thanks to all our readers who helped us win in 2011.)
Numerous businesses, organizations and non-profits in the Dupont-Logan-U Street area made the Best of Gay DC ballot, with readers nominating their favorites in a four categories: Dining (14 subcategories), Nightlife (15 subcategories), Community (19 subcategories) and People (25 subcategories). There are usually five choices for your vote in each of the subcategories.
Since the Borderstan area is still the heart of DC’s LGBT community, it’s not surprising that so many local businesses and groups made the list. To see all the nominees, and vote, in the Best of Gay DC 2012 contest, visit the Blade’s voting page. (See “Best of Gay DC” Reader Poll Closes Sept. 5; Locals Dominate Ballot.)
Multiple Nominees
A total of 25 local venues and organizations are on the ballot in more than one category; in some cases people associated with the business are on the ballot.
The leaders are COBALT with nine (four of those for BARe), Town Danceboutique with eight, Nellie’s Sports Bar and VIDA Fitness each have five nominations. Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe, the Black Cat and Phase 1 each received four nominations while Hank’s Oyster Bar and U Street Music Hall had three each.
The following each received two nominations: Jeffrey Johnson/Special Agent Galactica, Aura Spa/Bang Salon, Salon Rouge/Salim, Duplex Diner, Level One, FIT-DC, Level One, Floriana, JR.’s Bar & Grill, Larry’s Lounge, DC9, Green Lantern, Black Fox Lounge, Dahlik, 9:30 Club, Foundry United Methodist Church and National City Christian Church.
Vote for your favorites so they can take home the “Best of Gay DC” plaques! (Luis Gomez Photos)
Voting in the Washington Blade’s 11th annual “Best of Gay DC” closes Wednesday, September 5, the last day to vote.
Numerous businesses, organizations and non-profits in the Dupont-Logan-U Street area made the ballot, with readers nominating their favorites in a four categories: Dining (14 subcategories), Nightlife (15 subcategories), Community (19 subcategories) and People (25 subcategories). There are five choices for your vote in each of the subcategories.
We have only listed nominees on the ballot that are located in the Dupont-Logan-U Street area. Of course, since the Borderstan area is still the heart of DC’s LGBT community, it’s not surprising that so many local businesses and groups made the list. To see all of the nominees in the “Best of Gay DC 2012” contest, visit the Blade’s voting page.
Multiple Nominees
A total of 25 local venues and organizations are on the ballot in more than one category; in some cases individuals associated with the business are on the ballot. The leaders are COBALT with nine (four of those for BARe), Town Danceboutique with eight, Nellie’s Sports Bar with five and VIDA Fitness with five. Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe, the Black Cat and Phase 1 each received four nominations while Hank’s Oyster Bar and U Street Music Hall had three each. The following each received two nominations: Jeffrey Johnson/Special Agent Galactica, Aura Spa/Bang Salon, Salon Rouge, Duplex Diner, Level One, FIT-DC, Level One, Floriana, JR.’s Bar & Grill, Larry’s Lounge, DC9, Green Lantern, Black Fox Lounge, Dahlik, 9:30 Club, Foundry United Methodist Church and National City Christian Church.
Local Dining
- Best New Restaurant: Little Serow, The Pig, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace.
- Best Brunch: Agora, Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe, Level One Disco Brunch, Masa 14, Nellie’s Drag Brunch on Sundays.
- Best Date Restaurant: Floriana, Hank’s Oyster Bar – Dupont Circle, Level One, Logan Tavern.
- Best Ethnic Restaurant: Eete, Rice.
- Best Wine Bar: Cork, Floriana, Veritas, Vinoteca.
- Best Late Night Restaurant: Annie’s Paramount Steak House, Ben’s Chili Bowl, Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe, Taylor Gourmet.
- Best Dessert Dish: Alero’s Cheesecake Chimichanga, Coppi’s Tiramisu, Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe’ Goober Pie.
- Best Chef: Jamie Leeds – Hank’s Oyster Bar.
- Best Independent Coffee Shop: Java House, Kramerbooks & Afterwords Café.
Local Nightlife
- Best Dance Club: COBALT, Town Danceboutique, U Street Music Hall.
- Best Drag Show: Ladies of Town, Nellie’s Drag Brunch, Special Agent Galactica at Black Fox Lounge.
- Best Live Music: 9:30 Club, Black Cat, Black Fox Lounge, U Street Music Hall, U Street NW.
- Best Happy Hour: 30 Degrees/COBALT Happy Hour, JR.’s Thursday All You Care To Drink, MOVA, Nellie’s Sports Bar, Number 9’s 2 for 1 Happy Hour.
- Best Place to Meet Women: BARe – COBALT, Phase 1 – Dupont, 22nd Street NW.
- Best Neighborhood Bar: American Ice Company, DC9, Larry’s Lounge.
- Best Karaoke Party: DIK, Green Lantern’s Mama’s Trailer Park.
- Best Alternative Scene Event: CODE night at Green Lantern, CTRL at Dahlak,DC Bear Crue Bear Happy Hour at Town Danceboutique.
- Best Men’s Party: Blowoff – 9:30 Club, Mixtape — Town & Black Cat; RAW – COBALT, WTF?! – Town.
- Best Place to Meet Men: Crew Club, Duplex Diner, Larry’s Lounge.
- Best LGBT Friendly Straight Bar: Black Cat, DC9, Local 16, Stoney’s, U Street Music Hall.
- Best Women’s Party: BARe by LURe at COBALT, Sexy Second Saturdays at Phase 1 of Dupont.
Local Community
- Place of Worship: All Souls Unitarian, Bet Mishpachah (DC Jewish Community Center), Foundry United Methodist Church, National City Christian Church, St. Thomas’ Parish Episcopal Church.
- Best Home Furnishings: Miss Pixie’s, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, PULP, Room & Board.
- Best Hotel: Beacon, Donovan House, Hotel Helix, Renaissance Dupont, Rouge.
- Best Art Gallery: Long View Gallery, Phillips Collection, gallery plan b, Transformer.
- Best Non-Profit: DC Center for the LGBT Community, Food & Friends, SMYAL, Transgender Health Empowerment, Whitman-Walker Health.
- Best Local Blog: Borderstan, DCist, Outrage DC, Prince of Petworth, Where the Girls Go.
- Best Spa/Salon: Aura Spa/Bang at P Street VIDA, Salon Blu, Salon Rouge.
- Best Men’s Clothing Store: Caramel Fashion U Street, Federal 14th Street, Palace 5 14th Street, Redeem 14th Street, Universal Gear 14th Street
- Best Women’s clothing Store: Betsy Fisher Dupont Circle, Caramel Fashion U Street, Lettie Gooch Boutique U St.
- Best Gym: Balance, FIT-DC, Results, VIDA, Washington Sports Club.
- Best Theater: Studio Theatre.
- Best LGBT-Owned Business: Duplex Diner, Hank’s Oyster Bar, Leather Rack, VIDA Fitness.
- Best Second-Hand Shop: Buffalo Exchange 14th Street, Current Boutique 14th Street, Secondi Connecticut Avenue, Martha’s Table 14th Street.
- Best Comedy Club: Source Theater.
- Best Yoga Studio: Bikram’s Yoga College, Buddha B Yoga, Yoga District, Epic Yoga DC.
People
- Best Realtor: David Bediz, Didier Ramos, Fernando Garcia, Mark Rutstein, Ray Gernhart.
- Best Educator: Katie Anderson – Ross Elementary School.
- Best DJ: Jeff Prior – CTRL at Dahlak, Kurt Graves DJ TWiN- Nellie’s, Rosie Hicks – BARe (COBALT)/Pride in the Sky (Rockville Town Center) & Phase 1, Shea Van Horn – MIXTAPE at the Black Cat/U Street Music Hall and others, Tommy Cornelis – TMY, Chord Bezerra – Town.
- Best Businessperson: David Franco – Universal Gear/Level 2 Development, Douglas Warren Schantz – Nellie’s, Ed Bailey – Town Danceboutique/Number Nine, Karen Diehl – Bare/Lure.
- Best Personal Trainer: Bill Thompson – VIDA, Liz Warner-Osborne – VIDA, Natalie Davis — FIT DC, Ryan Stitt – VIDA.
- Best Local Actor (male): Jeffrey Johnson (aka Special Agent Galactica)
- Best Straight Ally: Brett Johnson – COBALT.
- Best DC-Area Bartender: Angela Lombardi – Phase 1, David Chung – Nellies, Eric Wood – COBALT, Jayson Smith – JR.’s, Matt Miller – Town.
- Best Stylist: Salim – Salon Rouge.
- Most Supportive Member of the Clergy: Dean Snyder – Foundry Methodist, Rabbi David Sapperstein – Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Stephen Gentle – National City Christian Church.
- Best Massage Therapist/Body Worker: Leconte – VIDA Fitness/Aura Spa at P Street, Nildo Silva — Tranquil Space/FIT.
