Meet The Ex-Reality TV Star Who’s Making The “Gay” Bar Hip For Everyone

Us fashion folk knew Amanda Leigh Dunn well before she landed on Showtime's catty, often steamy, lesbian reality soap opera, The Real L Word. Tough and beautiful, she was a constant presence in our inboxes (and social lives) as she plied her considerable people skills working the PR and marketing games. But she's gone brick-and-mortar with her latest pursuit, The Dalloway. While the Soho spot is yes, technically a "gay bar," with her help, it's become a nighttime favorite for stylish New Yorkers of all persuasions. Here Dunn tells us why she just had to create one of NYC's favorite new hangs.

“When I came back from living in L.A., it was so evident to me that there was something missing in the scene — a place for the community to go and not feel like they were in a ‘gay bar.’ The people around me were pushing and rooting for the idea. Their confidence in the concept is probably the main reason it came to fruition. When my business partner, Kim Stolz, and I discussed it, everything sort of clicked. Our ideas just meshed, and the timing was perfect!”

“Yeah, originally, we were going to open just a bar. But after meeting Vanessa Miller, our executive chef, it turned into something much more. We took on a space that was much bigger than we planned, but now it doesn't seem big enough. We’re very happy with the outcome.”

“I sort of grew up in the nightlife scene in NY, as odd and ‘party monster' as that sounds. It taught me a lot that I wouldn't really have learned otherwise, like how to be extra cautious and still cultivate relationships with many different kinds of people from all different places.”

“Well, I’m actually not much of a drinker. I have to constantly be social and personable with people. I find that drinking makes me a bit cloudy. Not drinking while I’m at work gives me a leg up, and I never have to worry about being hungover, which is rad. That said, when I do drink, I really like citrus cocktails like this Malibu Island Spiced on Ice. I love the way the orange breaks up the flavor. It’s the type of drink you can curl up with by the fire or drink in the summer by a beach — your call.”