By: Andrew Mrozowski
I come from a small town outside of the greater Toronto area where I couldn’t be open about who I truly am. There were no spaces that were created by people like me, no rainbow flags, no queer party nights – nothing. When I decided to move to Hamilton for school, I knew that with coming to a large city, I would be exposed to a different aspect of the LGBTQ2S+ community and be amongst people with whom I could be my true self.
Fast forward to two years later, I have found spaces in Hamilton where I could be myself and thrive in my own self-discovery, social life and the committed relationship I’m in. I have realized that although Hamilton might not have a designated “gay village”, there are spots that have made me feel welcomed.
At first glance, these spaces may appear “ordinary”, but through my interactions and experiences I’ve found that these spaces greet you with a sense of community, set the scene for fond memories and ultimately aid personal growth. I want to share these spaces with people who might feel like they are out of their element in this city. I know it has helped me a lot during this past year and hopefully it will help you find what you are looking for.
A popular locally-sourced restaurant in Hamilton, HAMBRGR boasts a wide-selection of burgers and craft beers in an industrialized atmosphere. This was not my first time at HAMBRGR, and although my date and I had to wait thirty minutes to be seated, we knew the food was well worth it. Our waiter was really friendly, giving us his enthusiastic recommendations on the extensive menu. Through his charismatic attitude, he made us feel very welcome and even tried his best to charm us.
This experience is one of my first and favourite memories with my boyfriend. I felt like the space allowed me to be my true self without having to worry about how others would perceive me and my sexuality. There was no shade thrown my way that night. If I’m not comfortable in my own skin, then I can’t enjoy my time because my mind is so preoccupied worrying about everything and everyone around me. I can confidently say that I enjoyed my night at HAMBRGR because I was able to leave all the worry behind. In this queer-friendly space, I was able to focus on what was most important to me; starting a new relationship.
Through writing for the Silhouette, I’ve been able to meet a lot of interesting people in Hamilton and I’ve made quite a few friends. I recently befriended Dom Pugliese, who is the the owner of Crumbled. At Crumbled, Pugliese creates deconstructed cake in a cup with unconventional flavours such as lemon meringue, cookie dough and snickers. I have found myself going to Crumbled at least once every two weeks and spending at least an hour talking to Dom and indulging on his decadent cake.
When I first approached Crumbled, I had no idea that it would be queer-friendly. When I went inside and starting talking to Pugliese, he filled the space with inclusivity. Pugliese and I have lost track of time talking about everything from his business, to our personal lives and swapping little anecdotes. At Crumbled and with Pugliese, I was able to destress by getting lost in our conversations and forgetting the responsibilities that constantly dominate my life for a little while.
Pugliese and other owners in the heart of Barton Village are working towards making Hamilton a more queer-friendly city and inclusive for all. Through Crumbled, Pugliese is making an effort to add to the city’s overall queerness, and he has realized that you do not need to open up a designated space to still be welcoming to all. I always look forward to my visits to the Barton Village because I know that I have a good friend there waiting to chat over a unique bowl of cake.
As a student and part-time barista, I will be the first to say that I am addicted to caffeine. I am constantly on the hunt for great lattes in environments that are both aesthetically pleasing and welcoming. During this last year, I have found myself constantly going to two cafes that fit my criteria.
Redchurch Cafe not only serves coffee but also baked goods, food and alcohol. I was first introduced to this space on the night of Halloween, when the space was transformed to host live music and cocktails. I attended the party with my boyfriend and felt that I didn’t need to hide the fact that we were dating because everyone, from the staff to other attendees, had such a care-free and welcoming attitude. I was able enjoy the party without stressing about our safety. These warm and inviting feelings carried over to when I would go to the cafe during the day to study.
Typically flying a pride flag outside, I would probably say that Emerald Coffee Co. is the only definitive queer coffee shop in the city, most likely thanks to the owner, Phil Green. Much like the other business owners on Barton Street East, Green is dedicated to ensuring that the queer community has a place to feel welcomed and supported. He feels that Barton Village will most likely be Hamilton’s next gay village. Emerald Coffee Co. is the perfect place to get some work done in a welcoming environment with great all-natural lattes, drip coffee, and cold-brew on tap. I love coming here because I really enjoy the quality you can get and I’m all for supporting queer business owners.
This party planning duo is ensuring that Hamilton’s queer community always has a safe and fun space to party the night away. Adam George and Steve Hilliard have thrown massive queer parties to reunite a community that has been disconnected in recent years. They’ve also hosted former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants and local drag queens. Adam and Steve’s parties are one of the closest thing the queer community can get to a designated queer space in Hamilton. Since meeting the duo, they have shown me that Hamilton’s gay culture does exist. I used to think that the only way I could express myself and find acceptable is by going to Toronto’s gay village, but thanks to people like Adam and Steve, queer-culture is being normalized again in Hamilton. Thank you Adam and Steve for giving me a space where I can be truly myself, unapologetically.
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Emma Suschkov and Emily Power
The Silhouette
Right in time for Valentine's Day, a couple of McMaster's students by day and cupcake connoisseurs by night (or just all the time) have scoured Hamilton's cupcake scene. Here they delivering some honest reviews before you spend your precious money on someone (hopefully) more precious.
1.Weil’s of Westdale, 981 King St. W.
Price: $2.70
Type: Red velvet
What we chose: Red velvet cake with vanilla icing.
What we thought: Had a lot of icing, which can be lovely but it tasted kind of generic. The cake was indeed moist but not very flavourful.
Rating: 3.5/5
2.Cupcakes of Westdale Village, 1050 King St. W.
Price: $2.50 ($2.00 on Tuesdays)
Type: Lemon drop
What we chose: Vanilla cake with lemon icing and lemon curd filling.
What we thought: The cake was very moist. The lemon curd was very sour, and the icing very sweet and excessively loaded on. All in all, the flavours were a little overwhelming.
Rating: 3/5
3.Bitten on Locke, 219 Locke St. S.
Price: $3.15
Type: Mint chocolate
What we chose: Mint icing on chocolate cake with a bit of mint Aero bar on top and chocolate drizzle.
What we thought: Just the right amount of icing (perfect cake-to-icing ratio, a delicate matter). Moist and delicious cake. And the metaphorical cherry on top was the adorable presentation!
Rating: 5/5
Rick Kanary
The Silhouette
(with a little help from http://www.loveandlaundry.com)
Having previously covered the nitty-gritty details of successfully executing the ‘Turkey Dump’, here at the Sil we felt it necessary to consider the other side of the coin and address the possible casualties. If you managed to ditch some unwanted baggage, well done. If you were a survivor of the infamous devastation caused by this ominous relationship bomb, then kudos to you. If, however, you are one of this season’s haunted cling-ons, our sympathy, and the following recipe, goes out to you.
Bacon is my hero. It solves world issues by distracting us long enough to forget they exist. Chocolate is bacon’s sultry mistress. If bacon is a rough-around-the-edges, down-home, Benicio Del Toro type, then chocolate is Catherine Zeta-Jones. You know what they say, opposites attract.
Throw some maple syrup in there for patriotic good vibes and comfort, and bingo- you have a recipe that can cure the deepest wounds.
Make these cupcakes in giant batches. Trust me.
Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream Frosting
makes 36 cupcakes
Cupcake Ingredients:
3/4 C cocoa powder
3/4 C hot water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C butter, room temperature
2 1/4 C sugar
4 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 1b bacon, cooked and crumbled (set aside about 1/3-1/2 c for topping)
Frosting Ingredients:
(if you are piping the frosting, I recommend doubling the batch)
1 cup of butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp maple flavoring
1 lbs powdered sugar
1/3 c maple syrup
2 Tbsp milk
225 mg Prozac (optional)
Cupcake Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 and line cupcake tin with beautiful liners (cause we all know that the liner makes the cupcake taste better. Am I right?).
Mix the hot water and the cocoa powder together with a fork and set aside. Meanwhile, mix or sift the dry ingredients together. In a mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Mix until the butter is light and fluffy - I usually go a full five minutes! Add the eggs one at a time. Then add the cocoa/water mixture and vanilla. Mix really well. Next add a little bit of flour, mix. Then, a little sour cream and mix. Basically, what you want to do is add flour, sour cream, flour, sour cream, flour. Mix just until combined between each addition. Finally, add your bacon crumbles (except for the part set aside for topping).
From experience, don't fill the cupcakes more than 3/4 full. They turn out the perfect height at 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until they are done. Let them cool completely before frosting.
Frosting Directions:
In your mixer, mix the butter for about 5 minutes - or until light and fluffy. Then add the maple syrup, vanilla extract and maple flavoring. Mix really well. It takes a minute for the ingredients to incorporate into the butter. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Mix the powdered sugar in really well. Once it's nice and fluffy, add the milk and combine well.
Try not to eat all of them. They are pretty darn good!
In order for the Prozac to be a little surprise boost, it is important to disguise it. Using a mortar and pestle (you know, that old-school alchemist’s tool where you crush herbs and stuff) crush the Prozac into powder. You can sprinkle it in batter mixture, but I find it tends to get bitter in high temperatures and is less noticeable if mixed into the sweet icing. Feel free to double or triple the volume, depending on just how badly you were jettisoned into the cultural wasteland that is now your life….I mean…depending on how you feel….
See more at: http://www.loveandlaundry.com/
Brianna Buziak
The Silhouette
As much as we love the fine establishments that surround the McMaster campus, there comes a time in every student’s career that calls for venturing past that comfort zone to see what else Hamilton has to offer. Any bus heading downtown will take passengers past Locke St., an area known as a hub for independently owned restaurants, coffee shops, and clothing stores, just to name a few. After some website surfing and a trip down to Locke, we decided to give these businesses some special attention.
Ole Gourmet Mexican Grill 82 Locke St. S.
Located at 82 Locke Street South, Ole Gourmet Mexican Grill is one of the first places you will see after getting off of the bus. The counter of the shop contains a large window where you can see your taco being made right in front of you. Every Tuesday, Ole Gourmet offers up pulled pork tacos at the reasonable price of $2.
The Button Pushers 119b Locke St. S.
Just before the hill is where you will find this beloved vintage hot spot. As the awning boldly declares, they provide customers with “vintage clothes, custom buttons, art and propaganda.” The Button Pushers has a variety of buttons available to buy, but if nothing quite peaks your interest, you can always request a quote for small or large orders and get custom buttons made. The schedule for new batches of clothes varies so be sure to check often to find one-of-a-kind pieces that no one else on campus will have.
Johnny’s Coffee 129 Locke St. S.
If you blink, you almost miss this quaint Locke St. café- but don’t let the outside fool you. With approximately ten tables, it provides a cozy environment, not to mention the friendly barista who greeted us with a warm welcome. Equipped with board games and a house chess set, sit down and enjoy the unique coffee shop that is Johnny’s Coffee. And while you’re enjoying one of the two featured coffees, or a vegan biscotti, follow a tip from their website and be sure to ask about the “Train Game.”
Shirin’s Fine Foods 139 Locke St. S.
Shirin’s Fine Foods hosts a variety of food to suit every taste. From tarts to cookies, coffee to chocolate, and ice cream to gluten-free brownies, Shirin’s should have something for everyone. They also surprisingly carry cabbage rolls and perogies, including dessert perogies, for those who cannot get enough of these European dumplings. They have a great selection of ice cream from birthday cake to chocolate peanut butter, but it’s only available for a few more weeks! Shirin’s is open six days a week, and closed on Mondays.
SC Consignment 162 Locke St. S.
This sleek boutique located at 162 Locke St. S. is for those who love to find designer pieces at a lower price point. They accept consignment by appointment Monday through to Friday. For those fashionistas who love designer brands, perhaps a trip to SC Consignment will mean finding a dress for one of the many upcoming formals being hosted at McMaster.
Democracy/Locke Street Coffee 202 Locke St. S.
It is not hard to miss this coffee shop on Locke, mainly because you can literally walk in from the street. A large garage-like door stands between Democracy/Locke Street Coffee and potential customers, but on the hot, sunny day that we went to Locke, the door was open so there was nothing to stop people from checking it out. The walls are painted with chalkboard paint and coloured chalk is in abundance for those who wish to express their creativity. Do not expect to be surfing the web or checking your Twitter feed in Democracy, as the chalkboard message bluntly puts it, they do not have Wi-Fi, they would rather you talk to each other. With a variety of pastry, desserts, and bagels from the Locke Street Bakery, enjoy a treat, a cup of coffee and conversation at Democracy.
Epic Books 226 Locke St. S.
Right now, Epic Books has a large tree in the front window. The large paper tree is from a recent Locke Street festival where people were asked to write their favourite children’s book on one of the corresponding leaves. But as the woman behind the counter informed us “it’s not just children’s books.” Epic Books is a warm environment where browsing is made comfortable. They have a section dedicated to local Hamilton authors for those who wish to keep it close to home. After some browsing, our personal favourite was Bun B’s Rap Colouring and Activity Book which includes a page that requires the reader to draw a freehand picture of Jay Z with a pre-printed outline of a New York Yankees hat because, after all, he made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can. Clearly that fine piece of literature is not a children’s book.
Bitten 219 Locke St. S.
After checking out the Bitten website, we knew that a visit to the cupcake and whoopee pie store was non-negotiable. Decorated in white, green and orange, it mirrors the playful look and atmosphere of the website to a T. The shop has a large window overlooking all the confectionary creations customers can choose from, including red velvet, peanut butter, or Rolo cupcakes and pies, just to name a few. If you want to have the larger selection from their extensive menu, the best time to go is around noon, just do not go on Mondays, as that is the only day of the week that they are closed.
