About the last thing I expected to see when I walked into Pi
Bar & Restaurant on a Monday night was a table and a half of middle-aged
guys playing 500. That’s the old-timey
card game we play with Carol’s folks down on the farm in Iowa.
Pi , which opened last year in the Seward neighborhood, bills itself as “an awesome social club for
queer women and their friends.” Their website promises “hot women, dancing, karaoke, trivia, lots of live entertainment,
free pool during Happy Hour from 4-8 PM daily, awesome drink
specials, and
tasty food.,” but not a word about the 500 game. Maybe they are afraid of
attracting too many Iowans.
It turns out that it’s a regular game that started around 10
years ago at the Gay 90s, but now is held every Monday night at Pi. Some
evenings they get up to five tables, but at this time of year, a lot of the
regulars take off for warmer climes. Over the years, they have raised thousands
of dollars for Open Arms Minnesota.
Monday night happens to be movie night and half-price bottle
of wine night, and every evening from 4 to 8 p.m. it’s also happy hour, which
means half-price appetizers, cheap beer, and free pool.
The menu is mostly comfort food, ranging from chicken wings
and burgers (mini or large) to chilled soba noodles with a sesame vinaigrette
and a G.L.B.T. But a new menu will be coming out soon that will add a bigger
selection of salads, sandwiches, and entrees.
Being a cheapskate at heart, I ordered a huge basket of Pi
(tater) tots for $3, and three very small burgers for the same price (both are
regularly $6.) The burgers were a little dry, as mini-burgers tend to be, but
the toppings of fresh sliced tomato, crisp romaine lettuce, catsup and aioli
made up for that, especially considering the price. And the tater tots, were
crisp, crunchy and irresistible.
Our other entrée was the Gaysian wraps, a do-it-yourself kit
of romaine lettuce leaves, carrots, cilantro, red onion and mock duck (or tofu or
chicken) with a lively, spicy peanut sauce ($8). We washed all this down with a
bottle of 2006 Gnarly Head Zinfandel, which is a good value at $21, and a steal
at the Monday night price of $10.50.
The featured movie last Monday was Gendernauts (1999) Monika
Treut’s documentary about San Francisco’s transsexual community, featuring
Annie Sprinkle, among others. On
Monday, February 25, the movie will be Tipping the Velvet, a Victorian drama
about a lesbian love affair. Other highlights of the Pi calendar include Trivia
night every Tuesday, screening of the TV show L-Word every Wednesday, and on
Queer Speed Dating on this coming Thursday. On Thursday, Feb. 28, they’ll
feature Dildo Bingo, a benefit for the Trans Youth Support Network.
P.S. – Just a reminder – if you want to join us for dinner and jazz at T’s Place this Wednesday, please drop me a line at iggers@rakemag.com, or just show up.
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