Back to Big Bang
Twenty years (to the date!) after Big Bang’s original grand opening in 1989, all the freaks gathered once again for a reunion party on Monday, July 20. Back in the day, the downtown bar was the watering hole for Orlando’s artsy-gay-bohemian crowd… and they still tell the stories. Because Big Bang is long-closed, the eclectic group partied at the Independent Bar on Orange Ave. Original owner/proprietor Sam Singhaus (aka Miss Samnmy) scanned like crazy to get all his old photos up on the wall for a slide show. Meanwhile, an original Big Bang DJ spun house music while another one kept the dance floor full with disco. About 150 revelers showed up—not bad for a Monday night—and they included original Big Bang employees, artists and musicians. Why have it at the Independent Bar? Because the bar owner went to junior high and high school with Singhaus. The night also marked Singhaus’ 51st birthday, since the original club opened on his 31st birthday. “It was great to get everyone together again,” Singhaus the day after. “There were faces there I haven’t seen in years, and I’m still sore from dancing all night.”
Winter Park’s new gay-owned restaurant
After the recent closings of Graze, Sanctuary Grille and The Beacon in Thornton Park, LGBT diners are jonesing for a gay-owned restaurant they can call their own. If they’re willing to venture into Winter Park—the cool Hannibal Square part, west of the stuffy Park Avenue part—they’ll soon have an option. Mi Tomatina will open next to Hot Olives some time in mid-September. Co-owner Stuart Kirban has lived in Orlando for 20-plus years, and along with business partner Patricia Carvajal is an avid restaurant enthusiast. Their vision: a fun, intimate gathering spot rich with the tastes, aromas and energy of Mediterranean Spain. How fun? Mi Tomatina is named after the tomato throwing festival that takes place every summer in Bunol, Spain. If you want to do a quick drive-by before the grand opening, the address is 433 W. New England Ave.
