Written by Staff Writer-Now Moments TIMES
There’s no red carpet. No velvet rope. No need to name-drop at the door. What’s being built isn’t status, it’s space.
On Sunday, December 7th, a two-level venue tucked along DC’s H Street Corridor will open its doors to something that doesn’t happen often in hospitality: a gathering made by and for the culture, not just around it.
*Shhhh* RSVP here! before the word gets out!
This is Filipino Tastemakers x SULOD Speakeasy, a holiday experience blended with a nostalgic house party vibe that trades pretense for presence. It’s a food and cocktail experience. It’s a community room. It’s a family reunion for some, and an introduction for others. But more than anything, it’s a reflection of what happens when local hospitality workers, DJs, creatives, and dreamers decide to make room for themselves and bring others with them.
Filipino Tastemakers were never built to be flashy. There were no press releases, no PR runs, no front-page profiles. The story began in 2022 with quiet, intentional nights hosted in spaces borrowed from friends. Each gathering was a soft reset. A way to unwind after the work week, and also a way to be seen without performance, without code-switching, without dilution.
“We didn’t have a blueprint,” the team behind the concept shares. “We just wanted something for us, something grounded in our food, our sounds, and the way we move through the city.”
The first Tastemakers events were small, sometimes no bigger than a dinner party. But word spread. More people showed up. Chefs volunteered. Bartenders offered to help. DJs played for free. One night became a rhythm. A rhythm became a culture. And now, two years later, it’s returning to H Street with a sharper vision and a longer guest list, but the same warmth at its core.
What sets this venue apart isn’t what’s new. It’s what’s been missing. Many of the guests expected on December 7th aren’t just attendees; they’re the foundation. They’ve helped host, pour, plate, promote, or protect the energy since the start. That loyalty is something the team doesn’t take lightly.
“There are a lot of moments in hospitality where people forget who helped them get here,” they say. “This event is for everyone who never asked for credit but always showed up.”
Guests can expect a blend of Filipino and Creole street-inspired cuisine, specialty cocktails, and a lineup of DJs who understand how to read a room, not just fill it. The venue itself will feel lived in, familiar, and homegrown. The kind of place where it’s okay to stay a little too long, and nobody’s rushing you out. There’s no dress code. No pressure. Just come.
This particular soft opening marks a milestone. It’s not just another event or holiday edition; it’s a homecoming. The H Street Corridor was the site of some of the first Tastemakers experiences, and the team says the return carries emotional weight. “We know the history here,” they reflect. “And we know how important it is to take up space in places where our cultures have often been erased or sidelined.”
For the Filipino and Creole American community in the DMV, visibility hasn’t always translated to belonging, especially in nightlife. The team hopes this venue and event model something different. Not just inclusion, but authorship. “We didn’t want to just be part of the scene,” they explain. “We wanted to create it. Curate it. Control the tone.”
They’ve done it without corporate dollars and without selling culture as a commodity. That’s rare. And it’s why the event has garnered quiet reverence among those who know what it takes to build something like this.
Many in the room will be first-generation. Others will be industry veterans. Some may not know the full backstory, but they’ll feel it. That’s the goal.
“We don’t always need to explain every detail,” the organizers share. “Sometimes it’s enough to let people experience the vibe. It tells its own story.”
That story is part tradition, part rebellion. The drinks are handcrafted but not precious. The food hits like memory, not trend. The music dips between decades and genres without losing pace. Everything is curated to feel like something real, not something algorithmic.
But behind every easy moment is hard work. This isn’t a sponsored event. It’s community-funded, community-run, and community-kept. From the flyers to the floor plan, it’s built by a small team that works full-time jobs in bars, restaurants, and creative spaces. They’re not looking for clout. Just continuity.
“Pop-ups are fun, but we’re thinking long-term,” they say. “This is part of a bigger idea about what Filipino and Creole hospitality can look like when it’s led by people who live it.”
Eventually, the dream is to expand. Not as a brand, but as a blueprint. The Tastemakers team imagines future nights in other cities. Maybe a traveling residency. Maybe a permanent home. But nothing rushed. No one’s chasing trend cycles or investors. For now, they just want this December night to feel complete.
It’s an invitation. A reminder. A thank-you. And a proof of concept all in one.
If you’ve never been to a Tastemakers night, this is the one to start with. If you’ve been before, you already know: it’s not about who’s watching, it’s about who’s gathering. The door opens. The music starts. The food comes out. And the room becomes something else entirely.
That’s the culture.
