SPILLING the Tea

From the intrigue and drama of a Texas gay bar empire to the unexpected journey ten years later of Out On Main, the USA's first LGBTQ-themed restaurant that celebrated gay history and made history of its own, Michael Caven's life has been anything but ordinary. 1983. A destitute Michael Pappas meets legendary Texas gay bar owner Frank Caven, sparking a legal adult adoption that birthed a fabulous, wildly bipolar new persona: Michael Caven. Buckle up for a rollercoaster ride through the outrageous realities of 80s and 90s nightlife from being a high-end hustler in NYC to a family-owned topless stripper bar in Florida to machinations and drama within a Texas gay bar empire to spiritual reckonings deep in the Amazon. It s gritty, celebrity encounters, bar lords, and drug dealers that isn t for the faint of heart. 1995. Michael Caven s next act shifts from Texas gay bars to a midwestern kitchen. Alongside co-founder Tom Grote, Michael sets out to mainstream LGBTQ culture through Out On Main, a groundbreaking Midwest restaurant that celebrates history on every plate. A brutal business, every evening a production, any dinner could become a happening or a disaster; any night a celebrity or famous writer might show up; or in bad weather, no one shows up at all. In the end, you re only as good as your last meal.