Shaw's Vegetate: Meat- and Alcohol-Free

"If we want to open a liquor store here, we could, but a fine-dining restaurant can't open because there are no other restaurants in the area," he explains, with plenty of frustration in his voice. "We could be a liquor store that sells pocket whiskeys to drunks and bums, and we could open it right next to the playground."

In March, the Redds thought they found a way around the problem: They paid about $1,200 for a month's worth of limited beer and wine licenses valid on Friday and Saturday nights -- the kind used by caterers or event coordinators who want to schedule parties at venues that don't usually offer alcohol. (This was a legal, if pricey, procedural maneuver that couldn't be appealed by the church.) Vegetate extended kitchen hours until 1 a.m., offering a pared-down menu with items such as vegetarian sliders and stuffed crimini mushrooms. Sometimes it worked, as when DJ Stylus of the local hip-hop group Poem-Cees got a few dozen people grooving to a mix of hip-hop and soulful classics one Saturday night. Other times, I stopped by to find two or three people sitting at the bar and ordering from the short but classy wine list.

"I think [the controversy] definitely hurt us," Redd says. "People think we never serve alcohol."

Last week, the Redds announced in an e-mail to customers that they just couldn't afford to keep paying for the license. The restaurant continues to be busy, turning lots of tables on weekends, and Redd vows he won't stay away from the DJ booth for long.

Still, he prudently wonders how many people are going to come out to hear his blends of vintage Michael Jackson, Jay-Z and Roy Ayers if they can't get an intoxicating beverage at the same time. "We lose business because of [the lack of alcohol]. People call us every week, asking, 'Do you have your license yet?' And we have to tell them no. First, you lose revenue because you can't sell liquor, but people also just don't come. I know everyone doesn't drink, but going out and beer and wine and alcohol go hand-in-hand."

That's a quandary that I've often puzzled over on this beat. Swing or salsa dancers get stuck with goody-goody reputations and a lack of available venues because they're more worried about their steps than buying vodka tonics, so bar owners don't make enough money on liquor sales. I also hear from people who'd like to go out on dates or to catch up with friends without feeling pressured to buy drinks. Vegetate seems -- for now, at least -- to be a promising option, but it probably won't be as popular or as busy as it deserves without pouring drinks. Vegetate's next -- and maybe last -- resort is working with Evans on trying to get a waiver around the law. "We testified at an oversight hearing at the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration," Redd says. "Jack Evans says he's going to do something, but we don't know what or when."

Taking his mind off the controversy for a moment, though, Redd is preparing for Memorial Day weekend at the Black Cat, where he'll be resurrecting one of Lovesexy's most famous events: The Prince vs. Outkast Party. It's just what it sounds like: One song by His Royal Badness followed by one track by Big Boi and Andre 3000. Rinse and repeat. "The Black Cat is trying to diversify the dance nights they have," Redd explains, pointing to a lineup dominated by indie rock and Britpop DJs. "They approached me a couple of months ago, but I couldn't do it [because of the problems trying to get Vegetate going]. I'll probably do them every holiday weekend and some Saturday nights."

Vegetate 1414 Ninth St. NW 202-232-4585 The scene: Good vegetarian food, room to lounge, cool music and no alcohol.