SEQUINS ON SUNDAY
Drag queens kick up their heels at brunch buffets
Glasses clink. Forks scratch plates, and cheery chatter fills the dining room. Then, the lights dim, followed by a dramatic drumroll. Music begins to pump through the speakers — and a dancing figure swathed in sequins twirls around the tables under colorful disco lights.
It’s a “Drag Me to Brunch” Sunday at Carrie Nation, a sophisticated speakeasy-inspired cocktail lounge and restaurant just steps from the Massachusetts State House. And once again, sell-out crowds have showed up to sip mimosas, eat eggs benedict and ogle fabulous drag queens who are bringing the showgirl style of a late-night cabaret to a daytime crowd of tourists, fun-loving groups of friends, birthday celebrants and bachelorette parties seeking something a little saucier than the standard brunch experience on supposedly stuffy Beacon Hill.
Drag acts have historically been associated with gay bars. But in the wake of the hit VH1 reality show “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” which has mainstreamed and popularized the performance art form for non-LGBTQ audiences, they are increasingly popping up in mixed and nontraditional venues. And drag brunches are a smart way for restaurants to stand out in a sea of rote bloody mary bars, offering a cool, comprehensive and differentiating dining-entertainment experience.
“It’s a fun experience that attracts everyone from 80-year-olds to parents with kids,” said Oran McGonagle, director of operations for East Coast Tavern Group, the team behind a handful of Boston establishments including Carrie Nation; Scholars, a downtown bar and American bistro that hosts a monthly “Beyonce Brunch”; and Magnolia Smokehouse, a barbecue specialist in Brookline.
McGonagle, a native of Ireland, was inspired by a Dublin bar to assemble a drag brunch last year. His team reached out to some of Boston’s top drag performers, who gamely produced what has since become a recurring hit for the restaurant. Diners start showing up at 11 a.m. for a $20 elaborate brunch buffet of sweet and savory fare — from croissants to charcuterie platters — plus themed cocktails; the restaurant moved from a menu-based brunch to a buffet format to accommodate the sheer volume of attendees.
For an extra $15, guests can continue to nosh throughout the two-hour interactive drag show, which starts at 2 p.m., and receive post-show professional photos with the performers. “Drag Me to Brunch” is cohosted by queens Destiny and Dee Dee de Ray, both well-established entertainers in the New England club scene, and the duo assembles a rotating cast of additional performers for each installment. Although the emphasis is on promoting local acts, there have also been a few surprise appearances by popular “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alums like Boston native Jujubee, campy glamourpuss Jaymes Mansfield and
spicy sequin-shaker Jiggly Caliente.
“The crowds go wild,” said Destiny, who has been known to perform “deathdrop” jumps off the chef's table and get cheeky with the salt and pepper shakers. “We'll bring up older ladies on the stage and get them twerking. There's always some bachelorette parties that start off shy and timid — but not for long.”
The production level of the show keeps getting better and better, adds Dee Dee de Ray, who as Donald Gregorio has an event production company that lends some theater-level lighting and effects equipment.
Right now, “Drag Me to Brunch” is running on a modified summer schedule, with upcoming shows on July 22 and 29, Aug. 12 and 26. A weekly schedule resumes Sept. 9.
“Drag Me to Brunch” also started a bit of a trend. Last month the Lansdowne Pub, across the street from Fenway Park, poured out mimosa buckets for a “Legs & Eggs Drag Brunch” produced by The Welcoming Committee, an LGBTQ club. Classic Harbor Line Boston, a local boating business, just ran its first-ever drag brunch cruise, serving bourbon-smoked bacon and Belgian waffles with roasted apples.
And the Bell in Hand Tavern, a Faneuil Hall-side hangout that bills itself as America's oldest continuously operating tavern, is now home to “Brunch of Queens,” a drag show and buffet brunch on the first and third Sunday of each month.
Their wigs may not be powdered, but local drag performers are pioneering a fabulous future for feasting in our historic spaces.
“It's an amazing atmosphere,” McGonagle said. “It's fun. It's energetic. It gets people active on social media. It creates quite a buzz.”
Brunching at home? Try out this cocktail from the Carrie Nation bar team.
CARMEN MIRANDA COCKTAIL
1 A oz vodka A oz. Aperol Juice of A lime A oz. simple syrup 8 blueberries (floating) Soda to fill Mix; garnish with mint and serve in a snifter glass.