What It Is:

Uncle Ray’s Food & Liquor (10 James St. North) brings a taste of Toronto’s Union Chicken to Hamilton. While on the Toronto menu, Uncle Ray’s is a section dedicated to fried chicken, the new Hamilton restaurant focuses on and expands this concept, becoming the fourth location to house “Ray’s Famous Fried Chicken”.

Over the last few months on James Street North, you may have noticed the decal of a bunny wearing an eye patch adorning the shopfront asking, “Who the hell is Uncle Ray?”. After our visit, it is safe to say we know exactly who Uncle Ray is.

The name is a metaphor for the passion that you find from all the staff. This not only comes across in service, but also through the quality of food that Uncle Ray’s dishes out to its customers.

How to Get There from

Campus:

Grab the 51 from campus towards Main Street West and James Street North. Head north-east past King Street East and you’ll find the restaurant on the east side of the street.

Alternatively, you can take the 5C or 1A from campus and jump off at Main Street West and MacNab Street South. Walk north-east towards King Street West, then east towards the intersection.

For a quicker trip, you can take the 10 from Main Street West and Emerson Street to Main Street West and MacNab Street South.

The Cost:

Entrees are broken into two categories, plates and fried chicken. Plates range from $17 to $29.50. Fried chicken will cost you $18 or $19 depending if you get the O.G. Plate or Lightning Chicken, respectively. I am warning you now, a to-go box will probably be a good idea as the meals are big, providing you with two great portions. Sides dishes range from $5 to $9. The restaurant also has a large list of snacks and appetizers that run from $6 to $19. If you are looking to share a meal with two to three friends, Ray’s Southern Platter costs $69. Uncle Ray’s is able to split cheques.

As the name boasts, Uncle Ray’s has a wide assortment of beer from domestic to craft, as well as a few draught lines. A variety of wines can also be found on the menu as well as a handful of mixed drinks. If you’re gonna grab a drink, expect to be paying anywhere from $6 to $29.

Craving something sweet? Uncle Ray’s has a small, yet delightful dessert menu ranging from $5 to $8.

What to Get:

The moment of truth —

what should you try? When I went to the restaurant with my housemates, we were immediately greeted by the warm, industrial atmosphere of the space. It is slightly reminiscent of HAMBRGR before their renovations.

To drink, I enjoyed a Piña Colada that looked like it was straight out of a Caribbean resort. If alcohol isn’t your thing, they also feature pop and three types of water — sparkling, bottled and filtered tap.

Looking at the food menu, all of our eyes immediately went to the fried chicken section. Not only is it on the cheaper side of the menu, we figured it would be a mistake not to try their in-house specialty. I ordered the O.G. Plate (which includes gravy, pieces of fried buttermilk, boneless chicken thighs, hot honey and green onions) with a side of triple cooked fries accompanied by a malt vinegar aioli. My housemates ordered the Lightning Chicken (which includes habanero hot sauce, Nashville style fried chicken, hot honey and pickles stacked on a piece of white bread) with a side of fries.

We all exchanged pieces of each other’s chicken, and took a bite at the same time. We were blown away by how the kitchen staff was able to achieve a moist, tender thigh on the inside while being crispy and flavourful on the outside. The O.G. had a savoury, sweet flavour from the gravy and honey mixing on the plate. The Lightning Chicken didn’t taste spicy at first; however, two thighs in and your nose will be running and your eyes will be watering. DO NOT make the mistake of rubbing your eyes like I did!

The magic doesn’t stop there as Uncle Ray’s dessert menu features a few delectable desserts. As I was celebrating an early birthday dinner, I was able to get the carrot cake on the house, while my other housemates had the buttermilk soft serve and pot of chocolate. Uncle Ray’s triple-layered carrot cake with cream cheese icing was by far the winner at our table.

Why It’s Great:

Uncle Ray’s Food & Liquor is quickly establishing itself as a go-to Hamilton spot in the downtown core. I know the price really doesn’t conform to the student-budget; however, if you are with a group of friends for a night out on the town and if you’re willing to splurge a little outside of this week’s food budget, Uncle Ray’s provides a great atmosphere to catch up and enjoy some tasty food.

A “life-hack” that my housemate and I learned with Uncle Ray’s leftovers: if you bring home your chicken and fries, pop them in the oven at 400°F for 25-35 minutes depending on the strength of your oven. If you can resist for about 5 minutes, your meal will be almost as crispy as when you first bought it.

 

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By: Jennifer La Grassa

“You’re living with five other girls?! And you only have two bathrooms? Good luck with that.”

“Just make sure nobody brings candles and lights them, that’s the last thing you need to worry about.”

“Oh man, six girls? Can you imagine when all of your menstrual cycles sync and PMS hits at the same time?”

Upon entering my second year of university, whenever I mentioned that I would be living with five friends in an off-campus house, I usually received one of the above responses or a variation of all three.

Fortunately, it went a lot better than everyone expected. We lived in harmony, didn’t set the house on fire and continue to be friends to this day. I am by no means a student-house-living-guru, but I hope to provide you with some advice that will ease the initial struggles you may encounter.

Upon first moving in, you and your housemates should have a “house meeting.” Even if you lived with the same people the previous year, it’s always good to start fresh and remind everyone of the rules that were put into place, as well as those that need amendment. For you student house virgins, a house meeting will help you organize and plan for the year ahead.

One of the main topics of your discussion should be how and when the house will be cleaned. I suggest making a schedule that rotates weekly and putting it up on the fridge; this allows everyone to have a clear outline of their duties and not get stuck with the same task each week.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep your house clean, if not for your own comfort then for the peace of mind that you won’t be having any other housemates moving in (ones that may be small, furry and not much help in paying rent). As well, if you are planning to make household items—eg, paper towels, dish soap, dish sponges—communal, discuss the purchase of these items.

Other topics of discussion should include cleaning up after oneself (specifically not letting dishes pile up), having friends over, playing music, and sharing food. Each of these topics doesn’t need a strict rule, but you should make sure that you’re all on the same page about how they should be dealt with.

Should conflict arise, promoting communication and calling a house meeting is the best solution. If something isn’t working for you, don’t allow your frustration to build up to the point where you’re leaving passive aggressive notes around the house.

The best way to deal with a difference of ideas is to be upfront and tell your housemates what needs to be changed. If you’re not one for confrontation, then make sure to create a Facebook group to politely mention your concerns.

A Facebook group or group chat of some sort will come in handy when discussing any and all household matters, especially for times when you are too busy to gather for a house meeting.

Remember, everyone has their quirks and the stress of university life can make anyone irritable, so try to be understanding and accommodate the needs of others. Once the technicalities of living together have been put aside, my best piece of advice is to go with the flow and enjoy the experience.

After a long day of classes, coming home to have five of my best friends eager to hear about my day was the most rewarding part of it all. My housemates became my family, and I truly hope yours do too.

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