SPILLING the Tea: Adventures in a Texas Gay Bar Empire

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. Read more