This Brunch Was A Real Drag

Huddled together in the frigid wind, we Posse crew dreamt of a land that was warmer, more inviting, more....colorful.  We were hungry for brunch and desperate for raucous entertainment to lift this steely-gray day.  Finally, the doors opened; we slowly made our way in, and the first thing we see is the busty, Day-Glo statuette of Hamburger Mary and we knew things were already looking up.

I had long been wanting to experience another drag brunch, ever since Keith and I and our friend Annette attended one at a club in Dupont Circle in Washington D.C. more than a decade ago.  Hamburger Mary's has made the expereince a must-see by most accounts, so I was eager to visit.  And so here we were, watching the black drag queen in the cherry-red gown and running shoes hastily helping two servers throw together a table for thirteen and soon we were settled in.  Our server gathered drink and food orders..some of us went for the Sunday brunch buffet and others chose menu items.  Keith, Kiko and I went for the brunch paired with the bottomless Mimosas.  I see why the good folks at Hamburger Mary's say to come early...the line was already down the street when we arrived and the place was non-stop packed all afternoon.  We knew HM's slung some fine grub but the combo of said grub with the approaching entertainment would certainly explain the capacity crowds. 

Waiting in line to get to the brunch, I found myself once again admiring the decor of the bar area, especially the vintage hair-dryer lighting fixtures over the bar.The brunch itself was pretty fine; especially the filling spinach and pepper omelet the chef cooked up in front of me. I remain a big fan of their burgers in particular and would probably return to the menu on my next visit.  My compatriots-in-brunching enjoyed many of the fine menu offerings: the vegan housemade falafel patty, the Barbra-Q Bacon Burger with thick, spicy barbecue sauce and crispy onion rings, and the Fireball with with blackening seasoning, spicy Mojo hot sauce, jalapenos, melted jack cheese and ranch dressing were among the table picks.  Renee chose a Kobe-beef burger with a side of Mary's Ta-Tas, the housemade tater tots.  The Posse Crew are astoundingly tolerant of me and my food obsessions, so I felt completely comfortable asking Renee if I could photograph her ta-tas in front of her husband Ken.

The bright, colorful highlight of the afternoon was of course the delightfully over-the-top entertainment.  Hamburger Mary's collects some of the city's top drag queens and they were all adorned to the hilt.  I did not get all of their names, but they were all monstrously entertaining.  One, by the name of Moltyn Decadence, noticed Keith seemed to feel a bit awkward and took a particular shine to him; marked by lipstick marks on the top of his head.  Another whose name escapes me did a wicked good take on Amy Winehouse performing Back in Black.  The centerpiece of this colorful cupcake was of course, emcee extraordinaire Daisy Bucket; KC's premier drag mistress.  Daisy is an absolute hoot and a holler and was relentlessly funny, our ribs ached from the hyperactive laughter.  She did shots with our red-faced friend Carl and as she was aware that there were kids in the audience, she wielded double entendres like they were a stealthy ninja weapon that sailed over the kid's heads while leaving the rest of us breathless.  Daisy Bucket is the bee's taffeta-draped knees of queens, if you ask me.

Speaking of those children, I have to say it warmed my black heart to see so many kids among the crowd.  They not only seemed to be having a blast, but were the biggest tippers!   It was a sweet and sweetly off-center family affair, it seemed.....led by the most fabulous nannies ever.