Resolved: To eat, drink, and be merry
Bar news compiled by Spacegirl Spiff
The biggest New Years' parties in Orlando were the traditional ones. SOUTHERN NIGHTS packed people in, most of whom have a fuzzy memory about what really went on around midnight. That's okay, because if it happened at Southern, you know it was good! The best bet was to find a spot and stay there, so there were lots of people camped out in the Showbar or the patio out back. There was the usual Ricardo sighting, of course, as well as plenty of other kinds of sightings I'm much too much of a lady to mention. Way to go, Dan and Co.!
THE CLUB @ FIRESTONE held its traditional New Year's Eve extravaganza. Julian Bain, who was in the middle many of the most memorable events of 1998 (coincidence? I think not), helped put on a real fabulous evening. The place was packed, and even better, everyone was incredibly beautiful. How does Julian do that? Is there a special test at the door? I can see it now, Julian with clipboard in hand, "Give me 100 sit ups or you have to keep your shirt on all night!" Thank god for standards, I say.
Even the smaller clubs were riotous on New Years, and I have gotten word that SADIE'S, CACTUS CLUB, THE FULL MOON SALOON, and FACES all had incredible crowds having an incredible time. You missed it? Well, you can't say Spacegirl didn't warn you!
Now on to the latest bar news items, and the code words this week are closed, open, closed, open — no, I'm not talking about FLUID, for once. That club seems to be doing fine, or at least hanging on in the face of NIMBY opposition. No, this item is about ROMEN'Z, which many people believe has been closed. No, no, it's open, but just by a wing and a prayer. Seems the popular late-night party house was raided in late December by city forces who don't approve of anyone having fun. A dancer was charged with "inappropriate clothing and physical contact with patrons," but was released the next day. I gotta wonder, though, what is "inappropriate clothing?" Polyester? Anyway, Roman was informed that in order for the club to remain open past 2 AM, no alcohol is allowed to be on the premises. I guess locking it up in the cabinets isn't good enough. Whatever.
But Roman has prevailed, as he is known to do. The club is now billing itself as an "Early Breakfast Buffet" in order to circumvent…uh, adhere to the rules. Uh huh. Well, if you want to be hungry for breakfast at Romen'z, my suggestion is to skip dinner. I applaud Roman for keeping going in the face of irrational prejudices — but it is, after all, one thing our community does best.
Speaking of keeping going, TWISTED apparently is not. I am announcing from the mountain here: the word is that all the hassles with the city and other detractors finally put the lid on the endeavor. For the full, ugly story go to <www.twistedniteclub.com> and read the tale for yourself. Thanks to Jerry for keeping me up to date on this sad, sad chapter in the history of our city. All other politics aside, the city of Orlando deserves a sound knuckle rapping for its part in this fiasco. Too bad — it looked like Twisted was going to be a lot of fun. Here's to hoping the backers get a genuine second chance at a different location.
It has been mentioned previously that ICON is gay on Thursdays now, and it is working well for the club. The night, known as CIRCUIT, features the ever-amazing Deilia and DJ star Robby Clark. The up-and-coming Jade is known to be there as well, in the V.I.P. Lounge, so the all-round word is simply "Divine!"
Speaking of divinity, Lesbo-A-Go-Go at SOUTHERN NIGHTS continues going strong. It has swung back to having mostly a gay audience again (whew!) and as usual offers up the most extraordinary girls for women to ogle. Where did that $20 go? Senior Putti dropped by there recently and took some photos that take the breath away. Amazing. Is that legal? Well, in any case, I present one of the tamer ones for your review. The rest are mine! All mine! Hahahahaha….
I want to mention LIL ORPHAN ANDY'S, because anyone out Rosemont way should stop by this friendly bar. Samantha St. Clair, director and hostess, invites everyone to check out their shows on Fridays and Saturdays, and made mention that they are now starting amateur male stripper talent shows on Mondays, beginning at 10 PM. Anyone who knows Samantha knows it is impossible to say "no" to her, so get out of your suburban isolation station and check out Lil Orphan Andy's! Its worth the trip.
Stealth openings are all the rage — heaven knows we don't want too many people to know when a new club opens up! Another new establishment using this dubious marketing technique is ROSELAND, which is at 7355 U.S. Highway 17-92. We know what you know about it, which is not too much, although it sounds quite hot. Lisa "The Latin Bombshell" Lane is hostess, and the music is just as tropical as she is: salsa, merengue, freestyle, and house. Roseland is situated in the heart of Fern Park's "adult entertainment district" (much to the chagrin of certain moralists in Seminole County) and is an 18+, dress-to-impress club. Call (407)675-0890 for more information.
