There's something about Dada's club-and-restaurant combination that gets me. See the pattern? It's the women - young, attractive, and not hampered by the presence of oafish boyfriends. It's almost like they're hanging out with you. Saturday is an especially happening night. They usually explain: "You can't be from around here if I've never seen you at New Moon before."Įxcuse me, sir, but I noticed you're at Dada at least once a week, and I have to ask: What is it that brings you back so often? Is it the dinner menu? The fine wine? The arty ambiance? "Uh, yeah, that's nice and all. If you're new, before the night is out, someone will invariably ask you where you're from. But the illusion of anonymity is just that, because a visit to New Moon is akin to punching your card at the nerve center of dyke Fort Lauderdale. She causes barely a ripple in the cozy Sapphic dimness. "Let's find the short girl with the neck piercings!" yells a tall woman to no one in particular as she barrels by en route to the broad patio filled with chrome-colored furniture. Behind the bar, the bartender pours out shots, one for herself and one for a woman who squeals that it's her birthday and that she wants a boob job. On a recent Monday night, behind the sedate older couple enjoying a quiet birthday party, the denim-clad ass of a vamping pool table nymphet sways provocatively. New Moon's unchallenged reign over the Fort Lauderdale lesbian scene is an inclusive one - every day of the week, a family-style neighborhood hangout and a lesbian meatmarket coexist within its walls, lubricated by a steady stream of fine wine, live music, and an occasional bump 'n' grind on the pool table or a drag king show.