OPEN

Trinacria Cafe: Mt. Vernon locals no longer need to flock to Trinacria’s flagship on West Paca Street to get their fix of overstuffed sandwiches, antipasti, and old-school Italian pastas. After an eight-month hiatus (owner Vince Fava abruptly closed the shop with little explanation back in March), the Centre Street location across from Mount Vernon Marketplace has made its return to the neighborhood. Operating in soft-opening mode this weekend, the spot is expected to be officially back up and running next week featuring all of its signatures. Look out for plump chicken parm subs, filling red-sauce dishes, and, of course, plenty of wine pairings.

NEWS

Esquire Praises Baltimore in Best New Restaurants List: The national acclaim keeps on coming for the Charm City dining scene. Earlier this week, Esquire released its picks for the 21 Best New Restaurants in America, and, not surprisingly, a few familiar names were included on the list. Le Comptoir du Vin—which was also ranked among Bon Appetit magazine’s national selections this year—came in at No. 18, with shoutouts given to its house-baked sourdough and celery salad with pistachios and dates. Additionally, industry veteran Chelsea Gregoire, general manager at True Chesapeake Oyster Co., was named Beverage Director of the Year for her top-notch bartending programs and her “generous-spirited approach to inclusiveness,” according to food and drinks editor Jeff Gordinier. And we’d be remiss without mentioning Enrique Limardo, former executive chef of Alma Cocina Latina, whose new Washington, D.C. hotspot Seven Reasons took the No. 1 spot on Esquire’s list.

DuClaw’s Sour Me Unicorn Farts Returning This Summer: In perhaps the most clever promotional campaign we’ve seen in quite some time, DuClaw Brewing and Diablo Doughnuts recently announced that their collaborative ale, Sour Me Unicorn Farts, will be back on shelves and taps in June 2020. Taking inspiration from Lizzo’s viral Instagram in a Skittles-filled bathtub, head brewer Brandon Stanko and Diablo owner Michael Roslan climbed into a tub filled with Fruity Pebbles in the middle of Graffiti Alley to plug the return of the glittered sour—which is brewed with mashed fruity cereal. Inspired by the local LGBTQ community, the beer is part of DuClaw’s “Sour Me” series and gets its name from Diablo’s cereal-crusted rainbow doughnut. We’re looking forward to its return just in time for the city’s annual Pride festivities this summer.

EPICUREAN EVENTS

11/16: Tire Shop Pop-Up: Burn and Churn BBQ Part II

Bark BBQ is setting up shop inside the former home of Parts & Labor in Remington yet again for this afternoon pop-up highlighting smoked brisket, al pastor pork belly, spare ribs, beef ribs, and scrumptious sides. To wash down all of the eats, there will be plenty of Diamondback beers, as well as seasonal cocktails from the shop’s neighbors at R. Bar. The pop-up is part of a recurring series aimed at activating the space while the property managers at Seawall Development continue their search for a permanent tenant.

11/19: Make Your Own Genever Class at Gunther & Co.

Learn the ins and outs of Genever—a predecessor to gin that is ultra-popular in the Netherlands—at this DIY cocktail class with Frederick-based McClintock Distilling. Settle in at Gunther & Co. to learn about the production process, make your own custom gin blend, and snack on light bites throughout the evening. In addition to a bottle of whiskey and your own botanical jar, the $45 price of admission also includes a complimentary cocktail.

SHUT

Points South Latin Kitchen: Though details are still unknown, this Fells Point destination lauded for its traditional South American dishes and recurring Sunday drag brunches remains closed. Brooklyn Heights, the host of the weekly shows in the restaurant’s downstairs bar, confirmed to Baltimore last week that the restaurant had shuttered suddenly earlier this month. Luckily, with the help of Points South co-owner and managing partner Bryson Keens, Brooklyn has found a new home for the Sunday performances at Bookmakers Cocktail Club in Federal Hill. There’s no word yet on what will become of Thames Street spot, but, rest assured, the show will go on. As Keens told Brooklyn: “It’s not the end [of the brunch]. It’s just the end of an era.”

Editor’s Note: The Points South drag brunch has found a new home. Starting this Sunday, November 10, the event will be held at Bookmakers Cocktail Club in Federal Hill. Check out the event’s Facebook page for more info.

Last Friday, Points South Latin Kitchen in Fells Point was abruptly shut down by its landlords. Though official details behind the closure are still unknown, it left one of Baltimore’s most popular and celebrated drag brunches without a home.

Drag queen Brooklyn Heights, the host and impresario of the brunch, now finds herself in the unfortunate position of having to find a new venue for the recurring Sunday event, which is sold out through November.

Guests who purchased tickets for last Sunday’s brunch received direct notification from Brooklyn that the event was cancelled, as well as a refund. But Brooklyn is determined that this weekend’s show will go on.

“We have the reservations,” she says. “We have the people. We just need to find the venue.”

A few places have reached out and offered up their space, including The Hard Rock Cafe and Power Plant Live. Right now, Brooklyn is weighing her options.

“I don’t want to jump from here to here,” she says. “It’s not a good look. It’ll just confuse patrons.”

For now, she says that those with brunch reservations should stand by until further notice.

“We’ve been doing this every Sunday for four years,” sighs Brooklyn, who admits it’s been a “rough” few days. “I just want people to know that we’re doing everything we can to find a new home.”

Points South opened in the former home of Anastasia on Thames Street in March 2016. It quickly became known for its Latin American fare and accompanying margaritas and sangria, and debuted its weekly drag brunches soon after.

As Points South co-owner and managing partner Bryson Keens—whom Brooklyn said is like a “father” to the drag queens—sadly told Brooklyn: “It’s not the end [of the brunch]. It’s just the end of an era.”

After three trips to RuPaul’s DragCon, Baltimore’s own Brooklyn Heights wanted to bring a drag convention back home. And now Charm City will have its own iteration of DragCon in the form of the first-ever (and hopefully annual) Baltimore Drag Festival—which will be held at Creative Alliance on September 14.

Brooklyn and husband Iyana Deschanel are the head producers of the event. Drag lovers of all ages can look out for an assortment of activities, vendors, and performances at the evening soiree.

“There’s something for every single person to do,” Brooklyn says. “Whether you’re 5 years old or 65 years old.”

Before the convention’s official start at 7 p.m., there will be makeup tutorials by local queens and a drag queen storytime—something that has gained traction in the scene recently. Once doors officially open, a smorgasbord of local vendors will begin selling all of the essentials—from wigs and makeup to nails and padding—for both veteran queens and the dabblers of drag.

As Brooklyn, who hosts the weekly drag brunch at Points South Latin Kitchen, knows full well—no drag party is complete without eats and drinks. For that reason, she’s assembled a food and drink lineup featuring Points South Latin Kitchen, Nacho Mama’s, and Union Craft Brewing.

Among the attractions that Brooklyn is most passionate about is the booth that will register attendees to vote in time for the 2020 election cycle: “It’s just something you wouldn’t think of,” she says. In keeping with the community-focused theme, there will also be HIV testing provided by local health project BeSure Baltimore.

Starting at 10 p.m., a lineup of more than 25 local performers including drag queens, drag kings, and bio queens, will take the stage. Be on the lookout for headliners Deschanel, Sabrina White, and Karmella, as well as other noteworthy names like Baby, Pariah Sinclair, Jalah Nicole, and Sasha Mann. At midnight, a DJ set by DJ KB will finish off the evening.

Brooklyn says that she toyed with the idea of bringing a performer from Drag Race’s extensive alumnae list to the festival, but, in the end, decided it was best to highlight the local scene.

“When we thought about it, we wanted to keep this Baltimore,” she says. “Baltimore has so much great art and talent.”

In Brooklyn’s six-year career here, she’s seen the scene evolve as drag has become more mainstream.

“When you think about Baltimore drag, the first person that everyone obviously thinks of is Divine, who is just the epitome,” she says. “That kind of got lost in translation to a certain extent when RuPaul’s Drag Race became so mainstream.”

She also notes the closing of iconic gay bars such as The Hippo—where she got her start as a performer—as a reason why some performers felt as if they had no safe place to go. But, as Brooklyn puts it, “drag queens are like roaches.”

“I say that very kindly,” she explains. “If you kick a roach out of your house, girl, they’re going to go somewhere else. The point is that they will go to any venue and have a drag show, and people will come.”

But while the festival aims to showcase the breadth and beauty of drag, it’s also a showcase of the diverse art that Baltimore has to offer.

“Every single booth, every owner, every person that’s going to be there is Baltimore,” Brooklyn says. “We don’t have anyone coming from D.C. or Pennsylvania. It’s just Baltimore. That was exactly what we wanted—to make sure it was something local that represented all walks of life in the city.”

EAT

May 26: Momo X Sandlot

Sandlot, 1000 Wills St. 3-7 p.m. Free.

Skip the typical Memorial Day backyard barbecues (sorry, Mom) in favor of this culinary star-studded cookout at Harbor Point’s waterfront oasis. Hit the “beach” and spend Sunday afternoon sampling eats from some of the best grillmasters in the city, including Spike Gjerde of Woodberry Kitchen, Steve Chu of Ekiben, David Thomas of Ida B’s Table, and Carlos Raba of Clavel, as well as special guest Tae Strain of Momofuku CCDC in Washington, D.C. Jam out to live music by local troubadour Caleb Stine and, once the food coma has passed, indulge in sweets from Pure Chocolate by Jinji Fraser and David Alima of The Charmery.

DRINK

May 25-26: Brew at the Zoo

The Maryland Zoo, 1 Safari Pl. 1-7 p.m.$24.99-75.99.

We can’t think of a better way to kick off Memorial Day weekend than hanging out with Maryland Zoo’s polar bears and penguins while sipping on local brews. In between unlimited samplings of beers from more than 80 regional breweries, bop along to live music by artists like Ballyhoo! and Amish Outlaws and soak up the suds with eats from dozens of food vendors. Best of all? Every dollar raised goes directly back to the zoo.

SEE

May 25: Baltimore Drag Awards

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. 8 p.m. $18.

If you thought this year’s Met Gala featured the best campy couture looks around, think again. Follow the trail of glitter and false eyelashes to the Creative Alliance for the annual Baltimore Drag Awards, hosted by powerhouse MCs Brooklyn Heights and Betty O’Hellno who will lead the camp-tastic audience through a cocktail mixer, awards ceremony, and a series of fierce performances. While it’s too late to sit VIP, snag tickets to be in the company of the city’s best drag performers and see if you can spot the standout entertainers featured in our June Pride issue.

HEAR

May 26: Sowebo Arts & Music Festival

1100 Hollins St. 12-8 p.m. Free.

Summer in the city is full of street festivals, but after 36 years this Sowebo arts and music extravaganza continues to stand out among the pack. Held on the streets around Hollins Market, this neighborhood-wide affair boasts three stages of music—with sets by local bands like Deaf Scene and Joe Keyes and the Late Bloomer Band—along with tons of family-friendly activities, including a craft rumble, a petting station with furry friends from Irvine Nature Center, and a puppet performance by Black Cherry Puppet Theater.

DO

May 24: Art After Hours

The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. 8-11 p.m. $20-25.

When visiting hours end, the real art party begins. To commemorate the final weekend of the Monsters & Myths: Surrealism and War in the 1930s and 1940s exhibition, pack the Baltimore Art Museum to experience sound art, musical performances by artist Hans Berg, Surrealist-inspired games, and pop-up activities through the night. After downing signature cocktails and bites from Gertrude’s Restaurant, take advantage of late-night access to the galleries and spend some time with works by artists like Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso before the exhibition closes on Sunday.

Wake up and smell the hairspray—local drag queens have taken over Baltimore’s brunch scene, and they’re leaving a trail of glitter in their wake. With high-energy performers drawing masses of mimosa-sipping patrons to restaurants such as Minnow, El Bufalo Tequila Bar & Kitchen, and Trinacria Cafe, it’s time for a refresher course on how to act when a queen sashays around your table or challenges you to a twerk-off.

We asked Brooklyn Heights, host and lead performer of Points South Latin Kitchen’s Sunday brunch, to give us the lowdown on drag brunch etiquette.

• Always tip your entertainers! It takes a lot of money to look this fabulous, darling.
• Do not touch, unless given permission.
• Unless you work for Picture People, get off your damn phone!
• The more you drink, the prettier we’ll look.
• If anything we do offends you, you probably don’t belong here, anyway.
• Respect the staff as much as the entertainers. We ALL work hard to please you!
• Make a reservation, confirm your reservation, and show up to your damn reservation.
• Have fun!