Vol. 8 Issue 5 • December 2019 - January 2020
s o u t h
f l o r i d a
g a y
n e w s
Brandon Wolf Page 64
Embraces Activism, Advocacy
After Pulse
The Camping Guide Is here! Begins on Page 76
themirrormag.com
IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®
This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.
(bik-TAR-vee)
MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY
BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:
BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: } Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section. } Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY. } Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY. } Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. } Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. } The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).
} Worsening of Hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you
have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.
ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains: } dofetilide } rifampin } any other medicines to treat HIV-1
BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you: } Have or have had any kidney or liver problems,
These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY.
including hepatitis infection. } Have any other health problems. } Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY. } Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.
HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:
Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.
} Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-
counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.
} This is only a brief summary of important information
} BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other.
Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.
Get HIV support by downloading a free app at
MyDailyCharge.com
GET MORE INFORMATION about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.
} Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5. } If you need help paying for your medicine,
visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.
BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, KEEP EMPOWERING, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: December 2018 © 2019 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0102 01/19
KEEP EMPOWERING.
Because HIV doesn’t change who you are. BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.
Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you. To learn more, visit BIKTARVY.com.
Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and visit BIKTARVY.com.
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‘MY MIND IS GAY BUT MY SOUL IS MELANCHOLY’
Quote by ANDREW LANG
Dear Readers: I pulled the article reproduced in part below off the internet in 1999 and published it in The Weekly News aka TWN, (South Florida’s only gay paper at the time) as a reminder to the gay reader that we weren’t home yet, and that they had to vote (in 2000, we elected Gore, but, the election was taken from him by the Supreme Court - If you don’t remember this, due to your relative youth, please google it). Now Lang’s story stands as a grim reminder that our fear and consternation at the recent election of Donald Trump are quite legitimate. Do not allow your relatives and any friends you may have left who are misguided enough to admonish you to accept the election and “move on,” to invalidate your feelings. Our fear and horror now is even worse that when the Pulse massacre jolted us from our sense of well-being after Supreme Court ruled that gays and lesbians have the right to marry. This is much bigger than the massacre. This isn’t the work of a lone lunatic, but, the orchestrated takeover of our country by an evil movement which is all the more repulsive because it is a movement: our fellow citizens’ hate and bigotry
The Times 26 Aug 1999 “The Nazi persecution of gay men has largely been ignored by historians. Now the few survivors have revealed the extent of their suffering in the death camps. Tim Teeman reports on Forgotten Victims of the Holocaust: “While interned at Schirmeck concentration camp, Pierre Seel, then 17, was forced to build crematoria, raped by officers with broken rulers and used as a human dart board with syringes thrown by camp orderlies. After the war he was allowed back into his family only under the condition that he never reveal the true circumstances of his original arrest. He entered a marriage of convenience and eventually became suicidal. Today, aged 76, Pierre continues to struggle for official recognition of the persecution suffered by homosexual men under the Nazis. He remembers his best friend dying in Schirmeck after guards set a pack of German Shepherd dogs on him. Of his own experience, he rages: “I was arrested, tortured and beaten. There was no trial. I was sodomised, raped. I can’t forget. I’m ashamed for humanity. Ashamed.” “There are about ten known gay survivors of the concentration camps. Their stories received a first and long overdue airing on a Channel 4 documentary, Pink Triangle. It is almost impossibly moving: some men have not spoken about their experiences before. For many years they were hidden from history; unlike other victims of Nazi persecution they are not entitled to compensation, reparation or any form of legal redress. “The end of the war in 1945 had hardly brought liberation for gay men; it was only in 1969 that Paragraph 175 of the German Penal Code outlawing homosexuality was
has brought this to pass. We have enjoyed an unparalleled run of LGBT rights victories in the past several years and we believed that Trump and the bigotry he spewed would never prevail. Now we are both in shock and despairing of what the future may hold for us, and if not for us, personally, for our fellow citizens, and non-citizens. And rightfully so. In 1999, Broward County was facing a repeal referendum on the 1995 addition of sexual orientation to the human rights ordinance. Take Back Broward, a hate group associated with the Republican Party and funded by the right wing Heritage Foundation, fueled by irrational hatred of gays and lesbians were barely turned back by the local political action committee, Americans for Equality, of which I was the chair. I had the incomparable good fortune of fighting for justice and prevailing. Now, I find myself lost in the thousands of words written by so many in response to this election: when will a way forward come to me? What can I do? Today I am searching and only offer you commiseration, a bit of LGBT history, and a glimpse of what an internment camp may look like.
finally repealed in West Germany. Only earlier this year were homosexual victims of the Holocaust officially recognized for the first time at a memorial service held at what was Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Historian Dr Klaus Muller, who has traced the survivors, says: “Many of the gay men who were taken to the camps died within a couple of days. Marked with a pink triangle, they were the lowest of the low, there was no support network as there was for political or Jewish prisoners. They were put into slave-labour squads, subjected to torture and some to terrible medical experimentation. “At Buchenwald there was a doctor who tried to change them by instituting a particular gland. The operations were crude. Many died as a result of botched surgery. Others were beaten to death, drowned headfirst in water, hung by their arms till they were dead. Some were castrated . . . really, the worst you can imagine.” One man remembers the “singing forest” outside his concentration camp. That is, there was a sequence of concrete poles on which all those waiting to be sentenced were hung - “their screeching, howling and screaming was inhuman - the singing forest. It’s beyond human comprehension. So much remains untold”. “Heinz F. - almost 93, dapper, besuited, with a luminous face - weeps as he tells his story for the first time. He remembers the hedonistic pleasures of Weimar Germany, the Berlin gay clubs of the Twenties and Thirties. He met Magnus Hirschfeld, whose Hirschfeld Institute was one of the world’s first gay- rights organisations. He eventually settled in Munich where a sub-lieutenant of Ernst Roehm - the homosexual head of the SA [a.k.a. Storm Troops], Hitler’s “backroom muscle” which crushed dissent on the streets in the early days
of Nazi rule - tried to recruit him for the force. Heinz turned him down. “In 1935 someone in his circle of friends was arrested. Under pressure from the Gestapo, the man revealed the names of about 20 other homosexuals. Heinz was working in his family’s store when he was called by the local police to go down to the station. Unsuspecting, he went. Without a trial, he was sent to the Dachau concentration camp. Thus began a series of arrests and imprisonment that would take Heinz to numerous prisons and concentration camps over nearly nine years. At Buchenwald he met many other homosexuals, including several Jews who were also forced to wear the pink triangle. “These “multiply persecuted” men had even less chance to survive the camps. Heinz remembers a homosexual Gypsy who, at 24, committed suicide by letting himself be shot while “trying to escape” from the quarry. “They were harnessed, pulling rocks, those poor people,” he says, eyes glistening. “The older people were always praying.” The war ended when Heinz was 40 and he went home. His father had died and no one asked him a single question about his years of captivity. “My mother never said anything. She didn’t want to make it harder on me. I’ve never talked about it.” When asked if there was anyone he wanted to talk to about it, he convulses with grief. “My father,” he weeps. “Dr. Muller, who is the project director of the United States Holocaust Museum in Western Europe, began to trace the few homosexual survivors six years ago. “What they’ve all experienced is a lack of support - most of them are very isolated. The memories of torture don’t go away, the fact they were still criminals after the end of the war, that many families told
M.S.W., J.D.
them to keep quiet about why they were sent to the camps. Some committed suicide after being rearrested at the end of the war. Most of the men I’ve contacted have managed to live with the anger, disappointment and terrible memories, though at a huge cost.” “Threaded between the men’s stories is an intriguing examination of the influence of homosexuality in the course of Nazi Party history itself. Roehm, for example, was known to be gay, leading Hitler to issue a statement supporting him, though not by name, in 1932: “Private life cannot be an object of scrutiny unless it is in conflict with the basic principles of National Socialist ideology.” If these are the stories of ten men, what of the others? The
Nazis arrested 100,000 men on suspicion of homosexual behaviour. More than half were convicted, of whom 10,000 to 15,000 were sent to concentration camps. Two thirds of them are believed to have died while there. The others, who when released were still criminalised, retreated into silence. Of his work in bringing their stories to public attention, Dr Muller, 39, says: “I am gay myself and German. I am thankful to talk to the survivors because it is better to deal with a horrible past head-on, rather than not understand because of a lack of information.” He adds that most of these “sweet, strong people” do not want to talk: they are old, the memories are too painful and they want to be left alone. Their quiet heroism,
however, is clear. Bernhard - arrested in 1937, imprisoned without trial, castrated, survived death camp - now boasts that he is “stronger than Hitler”. Heinz F. smiles determinedly: “Only now I talk. I’ll be 93 in September. Thickskinned, no?” And his lip trembles again. His eyes, distant, looking somewhere off-camera, reveal that he is thinking of something else much darker.” Paul Moor (Berlin) Finally, speak up often and passionately, and never, ever, hide who you are and who you love: Stand and be counted as there is power in numbers. - Robin Bodiford
Note from the CEO Mirror Introduction ● Page 12 Publisher’s page The Delights of Dining Out ● Page 18 Trans Talk Gender Roles In Marriage ● Page 24 Feature Rainbow Railroad’s New Campaign ● Page 28 COLUMN Don’t Ask Don’t Tell: What It Meant To Mayor Pete ● Page 30 Gadgets WOLF Gourmet Blender ● Page 56
Table of contents
CampOut Alabama ● Page 80 CreekRidge Campgrounds ● Page 81 The Homestead At 3218 ● Page 82 Rainbow Ranch ● Page 84 Whispering Oaks Retreat ● Page 85
Cars The Rolls-Royce Dawn ● Page 66
River Ridge Campground ● Page 89
NEW LOCATION
January 25–26, 2020
Florida Atlantic University 777 Glades Road Boca Raton, FL 33431 Only ¼ mile off I-95, Exit 45 East GPS address: 1995 Dade Ave, Boca Raton 33431
Featuring ... Nudes in Glass This Ain’t Your Grandma’s Glass Show
Sugar Creek Campground ● Page 78
Copper Cactus Ranch ● Page 86
The South Florida Depression Glass Club’s 46th
Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM / Sunday 9 AM –4 PM Early Buying Saturday 9 AM -10 AM
New and Lesser Known Gay Campgrounds in North America: Intro ● Page 76
Opinion Hope For A New Tomorrow: SFGN Endorses Mayor Pete For President ● Page 64
Profile Brandon Wolf Embraces Activism, Advocacy After Pulse ● Page 70
Vintage American Glass and Pottery Show & Sale
CAMPING
Wildwoods Hideaway ● Page 88
DawgWoodzCamp ● Page 90 Pack Up And Get Camping ● Page 92
See how American glass companies interpret the male and female form in glass and pottery! Highlights Free gift to first 100 people on Saturday, first 50 Sunday Door prizes every ½ hour Glass repair onsite Glass nudes display Roseville pottery display Raffles-100 ways to win Free parking Admission: $5.00 with ad, $6.00 without Early buying: $10.00 Saturday 9:00-10:00 AM
Info: Show chair Jerry Lizzie | jerliz60@hotmail.com | 561-767-2592 | www.sfdgc.com | www.facebook.com/sfdgc
F
Note from the
CEO
According to a much quoted truism from playwright Neil Simon, “there are two laws in the universe: the law of gravity and everyone likes Italian food.” I grew up in Italy and, like all Italians, I live a romance with food. Everyone can cook and everyone is an expert. You want to make pasta? It’s pasta, tomato, oil, and garlic with a touch of red pepper if you like it with a kick sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Pizza? It’s dough, mozzarella, tomato, and basil, that’s all! You don’t need layers of pineapples or bacon over it. Masterpieces should not be tampered with. Italian food is simple at heart. It’s all about harmony rather than quantity. There are usually 3 to 5 mandatorily fresh top quality ingredients and it is fabulous. Why overcomplicate a good thing? And it goes way beyond just simple nourishment. Discussions about how a particular dish should be cooked, what sauce is acceptable with which pasta shape, or which wine should be served with it, are serious business. The reason for this reverence for food and how it’s prepared stems from the importance of family in mostly Catholic Italy. Sunday would not be Sunday without going to Mass. Of course we couldn’t eat before Mass because we had to fast before Communion, but we endured because the good part was that we knew, when we got home, we’d find freshly handmade ravioli, or tortellini or gnocchi followed by lamb or rabbit, ossobuco, pork roast or fish and a large variety of butter or olive oil sautéed vegetables, with the ever present rosemary oven roasted potatoes. Large extended family groups come together to eat and socialize as often as possible. The average year is littered with religious holidays, around which traditions have grown about which particular foods must be eaten. It’s a tradition, a feast, and it’s not optional. Italian food has now travelled all over the world. Italian immigrants have brought their cuisine with them and used food as a comforting taste of home, setting up restaurants and sharing their passion with the rest of the world. It’s this passion and pride that also make the food so delicious, popular, enduring and wholesome. You don’t have to be Italian to agree that food, any ethnic food, is one of the greatest pleasures of life, if not the most satisfying, therefore we have dedicated this issue of the Mirror to the dining experience. I hope you enjoy it. Buon Appetito!
PIER ANGELO
“Fast food is not good. Good food is not fast..”
Antipasto Meat Tray by Fratelli Beretta
Ham N’ Eggs,” Fort Lauderdale, FL 16 Freshly Baked English Sultana Scones
$13.99 • igourmet.com
$14.79 •
www.EnglishTeaStore.com/hayward-padgettsultana-scones.html
Perfect for parties or unexpected guests! This tray contains 3 ounces each of sliced prosciutto, Italian dry salami, black pepper salami, and coppa ham. With some bread, olives, and a bottle of vino or two, you’re all set for an impromptu picnic.
Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
$19.98 • italianfoodonlinestore.com Parmigiano-Reggiano is a hard Italian Cheese made from partly skimmed, unpasteurized milk. It is only allowed to be produced in the provinces of Parma, Reggio-Emilia and Modena, as well as parts of Emilia-Romagna. 12 | THE
-Slogan of “Country
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
Available as a pack of 16, Hayward & Padgett’s Sultana English Scones are delicious, crumbly scones filled with sweet juicy sultanas. Made using British flour and free range egg, these english scones are free from artificial colours and flavours and are suitable for vegetarians.
DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020 Vol 8 | Issue 5 2520 N. Dixie Highway | Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954.530.4970 Fax: 954.530.7943
Publisher
NORM KENT norm.kent@sfgn.com
Chief Executive Officer PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI piero@sfgn.com Associate Publisher/ JASON PARSLEY Executive Editor jason.parsley@sfgn.com
EDITORIAL
A Publication of south florida gay news
Art Director BRENDON LIES artwork@sfgn.com Senior Features Reporter DAMON SCOTT A&E Editor J.W. ARNOLD Food Editor RICK KARLIN Digital Content Director JUSTIN MUSIAL webmaster@sfgn.com
SALES & MARKETING For ad placement in the Mirror Magazine, contact 954-530-4970 Sales Manager JUSTIN WYSE justin@sfgn.comm Senior Advertising Assoc. EDWIN NEIMANN edwin@sfgn.com Senior Advertising Assoc. CLARK ROGERS clark@sfgn.com Sales Consultant Charles Reid Distribution Services Rocky Bowell LEE CURTIS Printing THE PRINTER’S PRINTER National Advertising RIVENDELL MEDIA Accounting Services CG BOOKKEEPING Cover 1: Illustration via Adobe Stock/ Brendon Lies. Cover 2: Brandon Wolf. Photo courtesy of Brandon Wolf.
The Mirror is published bi-monthly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor are those of the writers. They do not represent the opinions of The Mirror or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations in The Mirror. Furthermore the word “gay” in The Mirror should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material that appears in The Mirror, both online at www.themirrormag.com, and in our print edition, including articles used in conjunction with the Associated Press and our columnists, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher of The Mirror, Norm Kent, at Norm@NormKent.com. The Mirror is published by the South Florida Gay News. It’s a private corporation, and reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs. MIRROR Copyright © 2019, South Florida Gay News.com, Inc.
Associated Press Florida Press Association National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association
14 | THE
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
EAT LOCAL Breakfast In America Page 36
Have A Slice of ‘Toast’ Page 38
Mexican Fine Dining? Yup, It Exists Page 40
Food and Restaurant Section
DINING
Dine Out at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Page 42
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
FEATUREs To Market, To Market Page 34
The Diner: An American Icon Page 46
A Woman’s Place Page 48
Diner Beware Page 58
Page 44
Featured below: Chefs simmer up a plethora of options at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, where you can choose between fine dining in Kuro, a quick snack at Rise Kitchen & Deli, or anything else inbetween. Read more on page 42. Photo via the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Facebook.
Eat, Drink and Toast to a Memorable Dining Experience!
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PUBLISHER’S EDITORIAL
The Delights of
Dining Out “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
– Charles M. Schulz
H
ave I told you that my partner is like my dog? He chows down every meal in seconds. He might as well be on four legs with his head down and his tongue licking out the bowl. He does not eat food. He inhales it. Fine foods should be sensuously salivated, saturating your palate with sauces fine and tastes erotic. But no, my partner sucks down food like an Electrolux scoops up dirt. We could be at the finest French restaurant in Paris or having an omelet at the Floridian on East Las Olas. My long time dining companion does not know the meaning of cutlery or class. It must be the Lakeland background, but damn you should not eat biscuits and gravy with your fingers, especially if it comes to you courtesy of the OB House in downtown Fort Lauderdale, and no one serves it better. I could feed my partner the way Charlie Brown fed snoopy. A little bowl of Alpo and he would be good to go. IThe guy lives on Burger King and has McDonald’s on Speed Dial. Frankly, I would rather do 5 to 10 in Leavenworth than be sentenced to a term eating Big Mac’s. You don’t get to chew and eat their burgers. They melt in your mouth. M and M’s are supposed to do that, not your burger. Life only begins after you eat. Then everything else happens. 85 % of all gay couples interviewed by Consumer Reports admit they have had at least one meal together before they married, unless, of course, they met at the Boardwalk. We queers call that the Strip Club Exception. But what happens when you marry?
18 | THE
You go to a reception, and then you eat. What happens when you go to a play? You go to a show, and then you eat. What happens after all that depends on how good you ate and how much drank. So you must eat well, though some of us could slow down on those amazing desserts from Stork’s. By the way, with the exception of a pizza,
We could be at the finest French restaurant in Paris or having an
omelet at the Floridian on East Las Olas.
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
// Norm Kent or some Chinese food, no food that arrives in a car should ever be eaten. You just don’t know who or what has been in that backseat. It should also be against the law to eat in a car. Someone tell my careless partner that the ‘family Mustang’ was made for driving, not dining. Dogs should not be allowed to stick their heads out of car windows nor clerks be permitted to put Big Mac’s in it. Frankly, it should be a felony to eat in the driver’s seat. You can’t enjoy the succulent juices of the Clams Oregano from Bona Italian Restaurant in Wilton Manors while doing 65 on I-95. Also, let me add that eating should not be a chore. Shelled stone crabs requiring steel claws to open should be outlawed. As for lobsters, I want them served to me declawed, removed from the shell and bathed in melted butter. All you can eat night at Truluck’s on East Sunrise come to mind. Frankly, I am okay with hot dogs, though my vegan cardiologist would not agree. Humphrey Bogart might take exception. He once said that a hot dog at the ballpark can match a steak at the Ritz. I agree. No good American should ever live a life without a Dodger Dog and no South Floridian should pass his days before downing a Chicago style dawg from Hot Dog Heaven in Lauderdale. I am a simple guy. I can find gastric enjoyment with a steamed Sabrett and Dr.
Brown’s Black Cherry soda from the hot dog car at the downtown Lauderdale Home Depot. Food must be regulated though. People who serve sushi in ballparks should be deported. Putting pineapple on a pizza is an act of treason. Eating a cheesesteak without peppers and onions is grounds for immediate incarceration. Fortunately, here at SFGN we have a food columnist who has covered everything from Vietnamese to Vegan foods. But he has probably foolishly never had the biscuits and gravy at the OB House in Lauderdale. His loss. For our friends to know more about your special place, I shamelessly say ‘Advertise with SFGN.” We will give life and light to your enterprise.. Proud of your pasta? Blow your own horn. Let us help. Thanksgiving approaches. The cars will be lining up to talk turkey at the Honey Baked Ham on Federal Highway. But not all of us want Chinese on Thanksgiving. I mean Moo Shu Pork has its place in the American diet, but not on the last Thursday in November. You may be traveling to be with family. Make it special. Don’t fight. Eat. Remember, grandma made your first meat loaf, and nobody made it like her, right? What was it Oscar Wilde once said about food? I think it was “After a good dinner, one can forgive, anybody, even your own relations.” Yeah, that’s what I tell my partner after he does not come home at night. I love hearing about new places owned by enterprising entrepreneurs with a dream and a cooking plate. I mean if you live in Fort Lauderdale, and have not checked out Henry’s Sandwich Shop on Northwest 6th Street, by the tracks, you are just losing out. My suggestion, like the Sun Sentinel food critic Michael Mayo, who has a guest column in this issue, is to find those unique and novel places we all just don’t know about yet. Too many chains. The little guys are falling off the map. Save them we must. Forget not the Jaxsons and the Jack’s Burgers, but shed a light on the new chefs in town. Everyone likes a good pastrami sandwich, and just writing this makes me want to drive to the Pickle Barrel Deli on East Hillsboro Blvd in Deerfield Beach. I can go on and on, but the pages cannot. What are your favorite places? I do a radio show- every afternoon, five days a week. Call me on the air at 888-565-1470. Let me know where to go. People have been doing that for years, anyway. Nothing new. Food, my friends, is fuel for the heart and love for the soul. Enjoy this issue of the Mirror. Try putting a little whipped cream on it. Go from there. After all, no one of us can live on Kentucky Fried Chicken alone.
s o u t h
f l o r i d a
g a y
To those who support us... Thank you. December - January Advertisers 3H Clinical Research Loria Medical Actors’ Playhouse at The Miracle Theatre Maltz Jupiter Theatre Apt 9F Meetings & Incentive Marketing Gay Travel Law Offices of Robin L. Bodiford Midway Specialty Care Center Broward Center for the Performing Arts NABU American Fusion Buffet & Sushi Broadway Across America Law Office of Shawn C. Newman Canyon Restaurant Oakland Park Dental Castelli Real Estate Services Poverello Center City of Oakland Park R3 Accounting/MediXAll Country Ham N’ Eggs South Florida Symphony Orchestra Doc’s Plumbing Sterling Accounting The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum – FIU Symphony of the Americas Fort Lauderdale Dermatology The Big Coconut Guesthouse Gilead Sciences Gold Coast Upholstery The Glass Club Henri Frank Group Real Estate The Grand Resort & Spa Island City State Toast JM Lexus Ultimate Disco Cruise Jimenez Law Wells Fargo Wilton Manors Joe Grano Real Estate World AIDS Museum
n e w s
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Low Intensity Shock Wave Therapy for ED (erectile dysfunction) is emerging as a potential powerful treatment for men suffering from ED. Numerous studies have identified over a 50% response rate in men treated with this therapy. The treatment is painless and requires no preparation or anesthesia. It is performed in Dr. Lief’s office. Shock wave treatment for ED works by utilizing low intensity acoustic pulse waves. The waves then break up small plaques in the vessels that supply blood to the penis. This results in improved blood flow that is necessary for an erection. It can also break up the plaques that form in Peyronie’s Disease and help men suffering from chronic Prostatitis. The treatment is affordable, safe and has the potential to improve a man’s sexual function. Call our office to set up your treatments.
9750 NW 33rd St. Suite 218 Coral Springs
954.755.3801
LiefUrology.com
Se Habla Español Urologist Dr. Lief is a member of WPATH World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
TRANS TALK
Gender Roles
in Marriage // Atticus Ranck
A
s I write this, I’m sitting in a nail salon while my wife gets her nails done. I’m playing the role of the dutiful husband who obligingly accompanies my wife on these errands while I patiently try to keep myself occupied.
My wife makes me go shopping with her and while she tries on coats and sweaters and debates between this pair of sunglasses or this pair, or asks me which shirt I like better (hint: it doesn’t matter which one I like better because she’ll get whichever one she likes better), I browse the men’s section waiting for her to tell me we can leave now. When it’s time to pay at a restaurant or a store (or a nail salon, like I just did) I almost always pay because it feels good to provide for her even though we both work and we share the same bank account. Sometimes we are so heteronormative, it makes me sick. In our relationship, there are clearly stereotypical gender roles we both fit into really well. She likes shopping, having her nails done, and wearing makeup and heels. I enjoy being the driver when we’re in the car together, paying the bills, and building and restoring furniture. But we also buck stereotypical roles often, too. While she does do most of the cleaning in the house, I’m the primary chef and baker. She puts the laundry in the washer and switches it to the dryer, but I’m faster at getting it folded. I’ll iron my clothing and she avoids it as much as possible. These roles are just that, though - stereotypes. Cisgender, heterosexual couples break the stereotypes all the time. Some men enjoy shopping. Some women love football. I’m only incredibly conscious of these gender roles because of my experience. I’m often asking my wife, “Do you think my voice is too high?” “Is this work bag too feminine?” I simultaneously want to be seen 24 | THE
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
as masculine all the time while also recognizing the dangerous box that masculinity places one in and trying to constantly refrain from limiting myself because of outdated notions of what makes one a male. When my wife and I first moved in together, we didn’t sit down and decide who would take on which domestic duties, although that is a good idea. Instead, we worked out what makes more sense for each of us. And it turns out that we generally each just gravitated toward more stereotypical roles. However, we were open to taking on roles that worked for us. In order for me to maintain a healthy sense of gender, I try to ask myself, “What do I like to do?” or “What makes me feel comfortable?” instead of performing the role I think a man should take on. We’ve found what works for us, but it’s still something we work on, like any other couple committed to making it work long term. I have to make conscious efforts to show my appreciation for all the housework she does. I like her to at least pretend to care where we stand with our finances so that we can make financial decisions together. It turns out that two trans people in love are surprisingly similar to any other couple in love.
Atticus Ranck develops LGBTQ+ educational and training curriculum and resides in Albany, NY. Prior to this, he has worked at two different LGBTQ nonprofits, including as the Director of Transgender Services at SunServe.
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// Tucker Berardi
T
he Rainbow Railroad, an international charitable organization, recently launched the #HelpOthersOut campaign — a social media initiative that will raise public awareness alongside life-saving funds for LGBT people who face persecution, violence, and the threat of death in any countries around the world where it is still considered a criminal offense to be LGBT.
In almost 70 countries it is a crime to be LGBT, and in 11 of those countries members of the LGBT community can even be sentenced to death, and their route to escape the country often isn’t easy. “Everything is being done so that they can’t flee the country,” said Igor Kochetkov, an LGBT group leader in Chechnya where individuals were detained for being gay. “It is very bad for use because it makes out work much more difficult in terms of evacuation.” The Rainbow Railroad’s campaign came out in recognition of Coming Out Day (October 11), an annual celebration of LGBT people who can safely come out as their authentic selves. The campaign encourages people on social media to change their profile picture to the ‘anonymous avatar’ in order to symbolize the countless LGBT people for whom it remains impossible to come out due to the threat of violence, persecution and even death in some countries. The #HelpOthersOut campaign will also feature stories of LGBT individuals who faced threats of violence or persecution. Since its founding in 2006, Rainbow Railroad has helped to save the lives of over 600 LGBT people in desperate search for safety. The organization provides life-saving resources, including information, connections, and sometimes funding for evacuation, relocation, and other associated costs for LGBT people in imminent danger. “Right now, countless LGBTQI people are forced to suffer in silence due to hateful laws that make them the target of state-sanctioned violence, persecution, and even death,” Rainbow Railroad Executive Director Kimahli Powell said. She continued, “It’s up to each of us to ‘Help Others Out’ by calling attention to the many countries around the world that puts a target on the backs of their LGBTQI citizens. Coming out is one of the most powerful ways LGBTQI people can change hearts and minds — this Coming Out Day we celebrate those who can safely be who they are, while we remember and fight for those who are forced to live in hiding.” Supporters are being encouraged to share messages on social media of support for LGBT people living in the darkness of danger.
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FEATURE
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
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Diana Davies, Untitled (Marsha P. Johnson Hands Out Flyers for Support of Gay Students At N.Y.U.), C. 1970, Digital print, 11 x 14 inches, Photo by Diana Davies/© The New York Public Library/Art Resource, NY
Diana Davies, Untitled (Marsha P. Johnson Hands Out Flyers for Support of Gay Students At N.Y.U.), C. 1970, Digital print, 11 x 14 inches, Photo by Diana Davies/© The New York Public Library/Art Resource, NY
10975 SW 17th St., Miami, FL 33199 | frost.fiu.edu | 305.348.2890
Diana Davies, Untitled (Marsha P. Johnson Hands Out Flyers for Support of Gay Students At N.Y.U.), C. 1970, Digital print, 11 x 14 inches, Photo by Diana Davies/© The New York Public Library/Art Resource, NY
10975 SW 17th St., Miami, FL 33199 | frost.fiu.edu | 305.348.2890 10975 SW 17th St., Miami, FL 33199 | frost.fiu.edu | 305.348.2890
COLUMN
Don’t Ask Don’t Tell What it Meant to
Mayor Pete // Pete Buttigieg
Editors Note:
This was originally published as a note from Pete on The Moment, our Medium magazine. For more content, visit: medium.com/the-moment-by-pete-for-america.
O
n the day before my deployment to Afghanistan, I wrote a letter. It was for my family in the event that I didn’t come home, a 32-year-old man’s attempt to make sense of a short but very full life. Writing it had required as much of me as the hardest day of training. What I didn’t put in the letter was that the act of writing it forced me to reflect on the possibility that I could die without ever having known what it felt like to be in love.
That was the mandated reality of many servicemembers before me. For seventeen years, DADT (Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell) forced LGBTQ soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen into the closet. The punishment for living openly was dismissal from the armed forces.
30 | THE
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
For individual servicemembers, that meant hiding who they were from the people they trusted with their lives. In some cases it meant giving a life that was less than whole. For partners, it meant that when a promotion came up, they wouldn’t be there to celebrate a new rank being pinned on. And should the worst happen, they wouldn’t even be contacted. We accepted this for so long that it just felt normal. Some even felt it was necessary to keep our country safe. It ultimately took the recorded responses of the more than 400,000 men and women in uniform who were interviewed for the historic report to make clear that LGBTQ service members are not burdensome to the military; they’re invaluable. And on September 20, 2011, President Obama signed the repeal. Servicemembers and their families could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Many even sent letters of thanks like this one from Master Sergeant Bertie Wiggins. She wrote: I’m so proud of my wife and children and for the sacrifices they made in my 11 years of service to our great country. Now, they too, can be recognized for the selfless service they have given in support of me and my calling. Or this one by Darin from Washington: My husband will deploy next June, but this time his pack will be a little lighter without the worry of whether or not his family will be taken care of. Or this one from Master at Arms Michael Aycox: Few people understand what it is like to be an outcast in…their own mind, and even fewer understand what it is like to be told “No you cannot love.” You said to the world “Yes you can, and you are not alone.” We’ve come so far. But the struggle is not over. It’s not over when so many Americans can be denied work or fired for being who we are. It’s not over when transgender troops, ready to put their lives on the line for this country, have their careers threatened with ruin one tweet at a time by a commander-in-chief who, himself, pretended to be disabled when it was his turn to serve. The politics of the past have returned, but we will not wait another seventeen years to do something about it. That’s why I’m proud to count former Pentagon senior spokesman Doug Wilson, who played a key role in the DADT repeal, and Eric Fanning, the first openly-gay Secretary of the Army, among the many LGBTQ national security professionals on my foreign policy and national security team. Gently setting the letter to my family in a desk drawer made it clear to me: You only get to live one life. And if you return home safe from a dangerous place, you owe it to yourself to build a life that is worthy of your own good fortune. So I came out. I met and married Chasten. I became whole. Our servicemembers deserve the chance to live a life that’s whole without losing their jobs or erasing the ones they love. As president, I will ensure we respect the humanity of those who risk everything for us. We owe it to them.
Pete Buttigieg. Photo via Pete Buttigieg, Facebook.
DINING x
food and Restaurant section
Looking for somewhere new to dine? With everything from local diners to friendly marketplaces — not to mention some tantalizing stories and a few familiar faces — our food and dining section is sure to have everything you need to feel satisfied. So go on... turn the page and feast.
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| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
Bring all your friends.
S eafood Sushi Buf f et 3485 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale
954.568.2208
FOOD
, et k ar To M
To Market… // Rick Karlin
Check out these delightful delis
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34 | THE
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
T
he best restaurants in South Florida are often to be found tucked into the corner of a grocery store. I’m not talking about the hot food bar at Whole Foods, I’m talking about little hole-in-the-wall ethnic groceries. That’s not unusual throughout much of the rest of the world. Elsewhere most grocery stores offer a café of some kind and until the 1950s that was true in the U.S. as well. However, the advent of the supermarket chains did away with the grocery/café. Psst! Lean in closer, I don’t want anyone else to hear this. I almost hate to tell you about Cucina Caruso. It’s managed to be a well-kept secret for decades and I really don’t want to share this hidden gem. I know that once word gets out, there’ll be a wait for the limited number of tables there are and the friendly staff will become over-worked and, well you know how it goes. So, let’s just keep this between us. Cucina Caruso is an Italian deli/grocery store where you can pick up anything from a few meatballs or a pizza to a full meal to take home. There is also a nice variety of imported and domestic Italian food products. But the real reason folks come here is for the little café set up on one side of the store. Pulling into the non-descript strip-mall you’d have no inkling as to the culinary treasures to be found inside, and those treasures are only matched by the charming staff, who all exhibit a joy and pride that is infectious. You can stop by during the day for a light pick me up, say an espresso and zeppole (Italian doughnuts), of a slice and a soda. But the regulars know that the best deal is to be had weekdays during lunch and Thursday nights. That’s when the staff puts forth a buffet of some of their favorite dishes. Head up to the deli counter, tell them what you want and they pile your plate high with favorites, which they then take back to the kitchen to heat up and then deliver to your table. On the night of our visit you’d have thought there was a royalty convention in town; the place was packed with queens all enjoying antipasti such as Caprese, Greek and pasta salads, caponata, white beans, escarole, bruschetta and assorted vegetables, while being chatted up by the attractive and attentive staff. My hubby chose a slice of pizza as an appetizer and enjoyed it so much he had two more slices for dinner. The others in our party marveled over chicken Milanese as well as a variety of pasta options, traditional meatballs and a version made with ground chicken served in Marsala sauce, incredible 4-inch thick lasagna, as well as sausage and peppers and onions, eggplant Parmigiana and filet of sole. And, those are just the dishes we were able to sample; there were dozens of others that as tempted as we were, we just didn’t have room for. Desserts are not included, but are available at an additional charge. That’s not bad for $15.99 for dinner, $ 11.99 for lunch. If you’d prefer something a little less gut-busting, a full menu, from breakfast through dinner, is also offered. Wine, beer and soft drinks are also available.
Cucina Caruso Italian Market
4165 N Dixie Hwy., Oakland Park 954-630-8855 CucinaCarusoItalianMarket.com While few feature the hospitality and variety available at Caruso’s, there are a number of other ethnic markets in the area that also feature café service.
Tortilleria Mexicana 4115 N Dixie Hwy., Oakland Park 954-563-2503
Located in the same strip mall as Cucina Caruso, Tortilleria Mexicana may lack some of the charm and polish, but it dishes up good authentic Mexican fare, with tamales and tortillas made in house. Latin American pastries and groceries are also options. If you’re looking for décor, there’s a large number of options; from pictures of the various popes to mariachi hats and maracas.
Sasaya Japanese Market 1956 E. Sunrise, Fort Lauderdale 954-761-8010 SasayaJapanese.com
This tiny storefront offers a good selection of Japanese noodles, sauces and accompaniments as well as cooking utensils. The sushi bar in the back dishes up the freshest fish in town.
Bazaar International 202 W Hillsboro Blvd, Deerfield Beach bazaarint.iga.com
For those a bit farther north, this familyowned food market is also home to its own deli which features a rotating assortment of rich comfort foods like oven roasted salmon with herbs or chicharróns. While you’re there, you can find a heavy assortment of ingredients for your favorite ethnic recipes.
Greek Pastries & Deli 4701 N. Federal, Fort Lauderdale 954-776-0020 GreekPastriesFTL.com
This is more of a Greek deli than a grocery market, but there are a few Greek specialty items available and the staff is so friendly and the pastries so divine, that we’re including them anyway. It’s also some of the best Greek food in town and they have a small seating area. Only open for breakfast and lunch. DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020 | THE
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FOOD
BREAKFAST IN
AMERICA // Pier Angelo Photo via Country Ham N’ Eggs, Facebook.
Country Ham N’ Eggs 2671 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale 754-202-0253 CountryHamNeggs.com
A
fter being a long-time mainstay in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Robert and Ginger Minlionica opened an upscale version of their restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, just east of the Coral Ridge Mall. The reason for their move was simple economics, “It’s triple the size for half the rent. Our locals are ecstatic because it’s easier to get here, and there’s plenty of parking both in front or in the back.” The name and friendly efficient service, are holdovers from the quaint old spot, while the décor is sleek and modern with touches of beautiful art depicting, John Lennon, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and a gorgeous mural/collage featuring the history of The Beatles. The menu, while expanded from the original, offers the best of classic American cuisine. Breakfast options include challah or croissant, French toast, waffles, eggs any style, pancakes and omelets with all the expected sides. There are more varieties
36 | THE
of eggs Benedict than you knew existed, featuring the traditional as well as versions swapping out the Canadian bacon with spinach, sautéed veggies, turkey breast, pork roll, Italian sausage, lox, steak, or fried shrimp. If you want to be totally decadent, sub sausage gravy for the hollandaise! The kitchen staff is flexible and very accommodating when it comes to substitutions and alterations. For those looking for something besides breakfast fare, there are the traditional diner
The owners welcome every customer with a smile and regulars are often greeted with hugs.
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
favorites: burgers (beef, salmon, turkey and veggie) melts and wraps, sandwiches galore as well as more unexpected options such as a quesadilla. There is also a large array of salads, including Caprese, and fish options. It is a wonderful place for a Saturday or Sunday high-end breakfast. The top shelf brands full bar serves the best fresh squeezed orange juice Mimosa’s I ever had, and the Bloody Mary’s and Coffeetini are also very popular. The owners welcome every customer with a smile and regulars are often greeted with hugs. The place is extremely gay friendly, it is a home away from home, where one can socialize and eat good food in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. When I asked Robert, the owner, if he would describe his establishment as a diner or a restaurant or a Bar & Grille, he immediately responded by saying: “We are a diner on steroids!” Open 7 days a week 7 a.m.-3 p.m. DoorDash Delivery (doordash.com): Get Country Ham N’ Eggs Delivered to Your Home or Office! Note: in January of 2019 Country Ham & Eggs won South Florida Gay News’s Golden Spoon Award as “Outstanding Breakfast Joint.”
FOOD
Have a Slice of
‘Toast’
This diner deserves a return visit // Rick Karlin
x
Toast
3020 N. Federal, Fort Lauderdale 954-533-7346 ToastLauderdale.com
T
oast has a lot going for it; a varied menu offering a nice mix of classic diner fare as well as “fancier” dishes, comfy décor, attentive and friendly service and reasonable prices. What it doesn’t have going for it is much in the way of foot traffic or visibility. Perched on the corner of a strip mall that looks suspiciously like an old motel, new signage makes it a little easier to find and once you do, you’ll return.
Breakfast fare includes the usual variations on eggs and breakfast meats, pancakes, waffles etc. There are four versions of eggs Benedict. In addition to the classic, there are also three named for exotic locales; Florentine (spinach), Californian (turkey and avocado) and Norwegian (Nova lox). Breakfast sandwich choices are varied 38 | THE
and include the trendy avocado toast topped with spring mix and an optional fried egg, the “A BELT” (avocado, bacon, egg, lettuce, and tomato) and the traditional French favorite, croque madame, a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with a fried egg. Lunch options, most priced less than ten bucks; include burgers, club sandwiches, melts, wraps and deli plates as well as the classic “half sandwich with a cup of soup”. Entrée salads are quite reasonably priced
There are four versions of eggs Benedict. In addition to the classic, there are also three named for exotic locales.
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
and include a Cobb, Chef, Caesar and Greek (both the traditional and “Village” style, a lettuce-less combination of tomato, cucumber, onion, Kalamata olives and feta). The house salad combines baby field greens, avocado, bleu cheese, grapes, apple, walnuts, celery and raspberry vinaigrette. Grilled chicken breast, shrimp or salmon can be added to any salad and the tab will still be less than $15 For an appetizer, try the “Greek charcuterie;” tzatziki, feta, Kalamata olives, pepperoncini, gyro meat served with toasted pita. There’s enough for the entire table or as a light meal for $12.95. Greek entrée specialties include; lamb or chicken gyros, spinach pie, kabobs, lamb shank or chops, moussaka, pastitsio, and shrimp or chicken Ladoregano (cooked with lemon, olive oil, garlic, and herbs). Dinners also include classic American diner favorites such as pork chops, fried shrimp, meatloaf, and roast turkey, as well as more upscale offerings as steak, grilled salmon and pasta dishes, all in the $15-$20 range, $2-$3 more for soup or salad.
FOOD
Mexican Fine Dining?
Yup, it exists. // Rick Karlin
Photo via Eduardo de San Angel, Facebook.
Eduardo de San Angel 2822 East Commercial, Fort Lauderdale 954-772-4731 eduardodesanangel.com
Y
ou know from the name that Eduardo de San Angel is not going to be your run of the mill restaurant, and it doesn’t disappoint in that regard. This is not a place you go to scarf down a couple tacos pastor after a few beers. The minute you walk into the door you know this is a place where you dine, not just eat. This is a temple to the creativity and talent of chef Eduardo Pria (brought up in the neighborhood of San Angel in Mexico City, hence the name). While still a teenager Eduardo earned a scholarship to attend culinary school in Madrid, Spain, graduating 4 years later with high honors. After graduation, he underwent multiple internships in Spain, France and Italy. He moved to the U.S. and was the chef at famed Mansion in Turtle Creek. Pria later moved to Florida and opened his titular restaurant. The menu at Eduardo de San Angel reflects not only the chef’s roots, but his travels; with dishes such as an excellent,
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piquant and spicy tortilla soup sharing the menu with lamb chops and crème brûlée. In addition to the aforementioned tortilla soup, we began our meal with a creamy puree of cilantro and zucchini that was refreshing yet provided just a bit of heat at the back of the throat. An appetizer of crab cakes presented two thick patties, bursting with lump and blue crab, halved and displayed across a trio of sauces; a warm and toasty mole, a refreshing crema and a spicy chipotle chile sauce. Seeing the cheese ravioli on the menu sparked the interest of my vegetarian husband. The dozen or so pasta pockets were filled with fresh cheese and lightly dressed in a vibrant chipotle and toasted walnut cream sauce. The pasta was augmented by a dollop of refried black beans which added a rich, luxurious underpinning. When I asked if the roasted Long Island duck was crispy, I was assured it was and asked if I would like it extra crispy. That’s always risky because it can dry out the meat, but when it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by how moist and flavorful the flesh was, while the skin practically snapped. The spicy guava syrup and cinnamon poached pear compote proved to be the perfect accompaniment.
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
Friends had warned me to save room for dessert (and I did, half of each course went home with me) as the dessert selection was not to be missed. Our charming server brought over the dessert tray (everything made in-house, he assured us) and again chef Eduardo’s global experience is reflected. The crème brûlée is infused with guava, the pears are poached in a deep red port. I opted for the tri-layer chocolate cake. A creamy milk chocolate mousse resting upon a layer of dark chocolate ganache, sitting atop of crust of crushed nuts, was an absolute delight. The service and atmosphere aren’t at quite at the same level as the cuisine. And at $150 for dinner for two (without drinks), they should be. I do have some minor critiques. For instance the servers, while attentive and doting, reached across one diner to present food to another. At a taco joint, I’ll excuse that, but at this level of dining I expect (and pay for) more. Still they aren’t severe flaws. In fact, most wouldn’t notice them. But from a restaurant that has been featured on Food Network and profiled in Gourmet Magazine and Bon Appetite and top rated from Zagat, I expect only the best.
FOOD
Dine Out at the
Seminole Hard Rock
Hotel & Casino Photo via the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Facebook.
// Pier Angelo
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, FL 33314 866-502-7529 SeminoleHardRockHollywood.com
T
he Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has already redefined the skyline of South Florida with its spectacular and massive guitar shaped hotel complete with a dazzling light show. The 450foot tower is shining brightly in every direction, its exterior bathed in red, blue, purple, green and yellow.
The big guitar can be seen for miles from points in Broward and Miami Dade. There is nothing anywhere that resembles it. The new portion of the gambling and entertainment resort also aims at redefining dining with a mix of high end, and more affordable, eating options (There are no big chains and no big names in the form of celebrity chefs of bold-face names ): RISE: 24 hours, 260-seat deli & diner set in slick and modern interior featuring eggs galore, bagels, sandwiches, quiches, burgers and salads, surrounded by dramatic lighting fixtures from a 28-foot ceiling. 42 | THE
CONSTANT GRIND: a café’ serving pastries, sandwiches and gelato. CIPRESSO: 220-seat Italian restaurant. A contemporary twist on Italian-American fare, with a menu of time-honored classics based on old world traditions. The menu features creative, unique interpretations of handmade pasta, sauces, breads, pizza and composed specialty dishes.
The resort’s mainstay and most famous signature dining spot, the COUNCIL OAK STEAK & SEAFOOD, has moved from inside the original Casino To the Seminole Paradise Venue with 268-seat floor-to-ceiling windows framing a cascading waterfall two story high. You can order a $300 ounce of caviar with a $2,000 bottle of wine. Or veal chops, crab cocktail, sole meuniere, beef tartare, rib-eye for two, steak au poivre.
ABIAKA ( which means Warrior) is a livefire grill, seats 160 and offers a spectacular picture-view of the guitar and surrounding lagoons. It specializes mainly on sea food from scallops to oysters to local fish and blue crab but also grilled dry-aged rib eye and spicerubbed meats.
On the older side there is the revamped food court, The Hard Rock Café’, KURO (the upscale Japanese-sushi restaurant that opened in 2015), BOL (Authentic Asian Cuisine inspired by Chinese and Vietnamese recipes ), FRESH HARVEST ( Las Vegas style buffet restaurant with eight food stations and a $38 Sunday brunch).
You will not go hungry at this resort.
On the way there is also a Korean barbecue do-it-yourself restaurant. You will not go hungry at this resort, in all there are at least two dozen food options covering the spectrum of any possible taste or preference therefore don’t spend all your money on gambling save some for a touch of decadence and indulgence.
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
FOOD
Somewhere Over the
Rainbow (Palace) // Rick Karlin
Photo via Rainbow Palace, Facebook.
Rainbow Palace
2787 E. Oakland Park Blvd. - Ft. Lauderdale, 954-565-5652 RainbowPalace.com
hink “fine dining” and what comes to mind? French, Tcertainly. Italian, definitely. Even that vaguely Eurocentric term from the 50s and 60s, Continental. But, Chinese?
That food is usually regulated to storefronts and small family-run establishments serving abundant food at bargain prices. There’s no reason Chinese food should not be given the same respect and consideration, after all it’s a cuisine that has been around thousands of years. Chinese food and fine dining are available in Fort Lauderdale at Rainbow Palace, where liveried servers preside over white linen tablecloths and food is presented as art. It’s all very high-end (including the over-priced wine list) and, while the food is pricier than you might find at a storefront, the quality of service and ingredients make it well worth the added expense. Soups are priced $7-$11, but when we mentioned that two folks would be sharing, and asked for an extra spoon, the staff went to the trouble of dividing the portion into two bowls. The house wonton soup featured a large bowl of plump and juicy 44 | THE
dumplings stuffed with minced pork and a delicate chicken consommé with vegetables, scallions, slices of chicken breast and perfectly cooked shrimp. The spring roll was perfectly fine, filled with shrimp, pork and julienned vegetables, but at $6 for a single spring roll, was a tad over-priced. On the other hand, a quartet of shrimp and lobster dumplings, steamed and pan-fried on one side, giving a nice combination of chewy and crunchy, were a relative steal at $19, as they were bursting with lobster. Entrée portions are generous, easily enough for two to share, or a hearty meal for one. Orange beef featured marinated flank steak, grilled then breaded and fried, yet still medium and tender inside, bathed in a tangy sauce, mildly hot spices and a touch of Grand Marnier for $29. Hunan country chicken highlights slices of chicken breast, wok fried, then tossed in a spicy and piquant sauce garnished with diced fresh vegetables for $27. Scallops in hot pepper sauce showcases a half-dozen huge sea scallops, lightly breaded in a water chestnut flour, which gives them the thinnest crispy edge, sautéed with diced garden vegetables for $35. But I do have one suggestion — the same diced vegetables can make each dish homogenous, so a bit
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of variety would be nice, say broccoli or cauliflower. A trio of lobster-based dishes priced from $44 to $62 are the highest priced items on the menu. Throughout the meal, indications of fine dining abounded. Courses where brought out on carts, the dishes covered by silver cloches and each of the guests served at once. Not once was a dish auctioned off, as in “Who had the fried rice?” When two guests mentioned they’d by sharing their entrees, the waiter divided and plated each for them. When one of the diners finished before the others the plate was not taken away until all the others at the table completed their entree, which is a nicety too often unobserved. After our meal, we were allowed to sit and chat until we requested the bill. At which point the dessert platter was presented. While the variety of chocolate cakes and key-lime pie all looked tempting, none was particularly Asian in feel and we were too full to sample a dessert anyway. We departed feeling as if we had truly “dined out” with the special attention that implies, sure it cost us more than catching a quick bite, but once in a while (or more often if you can afford it), that’s a good thing.
FOOD
THE DINER: an
AMERICAN ICON // Pier Angelo
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t is a home away from home for many Americans, a place to socialize, eat when working a late shift or enjoy a meal any time of day. It is an American icon that has appeared and is engrained in all facets of popular culture. Diners attract a wide spectrum of the local populations, and are usually small or family run businesses. From the midtwentieth century onwards, they have been seen as quintessentially American, (no other country in the world has an equivalent to the Diner) reflecting the perceived cultural diversity and egalitarian nature of the country at large. Throughout much of the 20th century, diners, mostly in the Northeast, were often owned and operated by Greek American immigrant families. The presence of Greek casual food, like gyros and souvlaki, on several northeastern diners’ menus, testifies to this cultural link. More than 350,000 Greeks immigrated to the U.S. bringing with them the concept of a coffee house and business smarts, today, more than 500 diners in NYC are Greek-owned. The concept of the diner began when Walter Scott, a Rhode Island entrepreneur, repurposed a horse-pulled wagon into a car that served sandwiches, coffee, pies, and eggs to people late at night. He quit his job as a printer to sell food from the wagon. Soon other companies followed to produce lunch wagons or early diners. During the Depression many diners stayed in business due to their low cost menus. The demand for diners increased after World War II when many service men and women returned home. Diners frequently stay open 24 hours a day, especially in cities, and were once America’s most widespread 24-hour public establishments, making them an essential part of urban culture, alongside bars and
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nightclubs; these two segments of nighttime urban culture often find themselves intertwined, as many diners get a good deal of late-night business from persons departing drinking establishments. Many diners were also historically placed near factories which operated 24 hours a day, with night shift workers providing a key
Many diners were also historically placed near factories which operated 24 hours a day, with night shift workers providing a key part of the customer base.
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part of the customer base. All this meant diners could serve as symbols of loneliness and isolation. Edward Hopper’s iconic 1942 painting Nighthawks depicts a diner and its occupants, late at night. The diner in the painting is based on a real location in Greenwich Village, but was chosen in part because diners were anonymous slices of Americana, meaning that the scene could have been taken from any city in the country-and also because a diner was a place to which isolated individuals, awake long after bedtime, would naturally be drawn. The spread of the diner meant that by 1942 it was possible for Hopper to cast this institution in a role for which, fifteen years earlier, he had used an Automat all-night restaurant. But as a rule, diners were always symbols of American optimism. Norman Rockwell made his 1958 painting, The Runaway, generically American by placing his subjects, a young boy and a protective highway patrolman, at the counter of an anonymous
One hundred years on, American diners are as popular as ever. During most elections political candidates often make a
stop at the local diner to meet voters. diner. In television and cinema (e.g. Happy Days, Grease, Diner, American Graffiti, Twin Peaks, When Harry met Sally), diners and soda fountains have come to symbolize the period of prosperity and optimism in 1950s America. They are shown as the place where teenagers meet after school and as an essential part of a date. The television show Alice used a diner as the setting for the program, and one is often a regular feature in sitcoms such as Seinfeld. The diner’s cultural influence continues today. Many non-prefab restaurants (including franchises like Denny’s ) have copied the look of 1950s diners for nostalgic appeal, while Waffle House uses an interior layout derived from the diner. The Poirier’s Diner and Munson Diner, both manufactured by the Kullman Dining Cart Company of Lebanon NJ, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Diners provide a nationwide, recognizable, fairly uniform place to eat and assemble, desirable traits mirrored by fast food chains. The types of food served are likely to be consistent, especially within a region (exceptions being districts with large immigrant populations, in which diners and coffee shops will often cater their menus to those local cuisines), as are the prices charged. At the same time, diners have much more individuality than fast food chains; the structures, menus, and even owners and staff, while having a certain degree of similarity to each other, vary much more widely than the more rigidly standardized chain and franchise restaurants. One hundred years on, American diners are as popular as ever. During most elections political candidates often make a stop at the local diner to meet voters. Known for their reasonable prices, comfort food, no pretense and friendly owners and staff, they are still a regular stop for workers, families, children, adults, students, seniors and housewives covering the spectrum of all ethnic groups.
Photo via PxHere.
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FEATURE
A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen…
the Dining Room and the Board Room Meet some local female chefs and restaurant owners // Rick Karlin
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ccording to 2018 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 22 percent of chefs and head cooks are women, although women make up over 55 percent of the workforce in food preparation and serving-related occupations. When it comes to management positions in the restaurant industry, the percentage drops to single digits. The hospitality industry serves as a first work experience for many women. Restaurants and bars not only discriminate against women, they also often create an atmosphere which encourages sexual harassment. Things are changing, slowly but steadily.
The Mirror interviewed three women from three different operations; Carol Moran co-owner of the recently opened Apartment 9f, a small mom and mom operation; Annie Blake from the mid-sized Death or Glory in Delray Beach; and Lisabet Summa, Culinary Director and Chef Partner with Big Time Restaurant Group (Louis Bossi, Rocco’s Tacos, Big City Tavern, City Cellar, City Oyster, Grease, Barrio) about the challenges and rewards of being women in the male dominated hospitality industry.
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Lisabet Summa. Photo via Lisabet Summa, Facebook.
Carol Moran and Nancy Goldwin. Photo credit: Carina Mask.
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Annie Blake. Photo via Annie Blake, Facebook.
Carol Moran and Nancy Goldwin. Photo credit: Carina Mask.
FEATURE
Carol Moran,
said she has been in the food and hospitality industry, “Forever!” She previously operated Thirteen and Thirteen-Even in Wilton Manors. Born and raised in South Florida, she worked in restaurants while putting herself through college and discovered she loved the business. She’s been doing it ever since, in a variety of capacities. She ran the wine program for a super popular busy restaurant in NYC and is now back to home with her wife Nancy to oversee her newest effort, the recently opened Apt 9f on Wilton Drive. Tell me about your first job in the food and hospitality industry: Frankie’s Pizza, which is still operating in Miami. It’s iconic now. This is where I excelled and fell in love with the business. It was small family run and I liked that feel Did you have a mentor in the field? No, not really. Just a lot of trial and error What is the greatest joy/reward you derive from working in the field? Giving people a chance and meeting all kinds of different folks who walk through your doors.
What is the greatest challenge in the food and hospitality industry? Ugh! Staffing, which is why when I find someone that I jive with, I work with them for life. I tend to call people I have worked with to see where they are at in their life and see if they want to work together again. Are there any challenges particular to women in the food and hospitality industry? If so, what are they? I think investors absolutely see male restaurant owners as a better investment — “They are stronger and work harder.” “Come with me,” I say
“It was hard because it was growing up and learning your style of the person/ manager I want to be
without sacrificing who I am.” - Carol Moran, Apt 9F
How have you dealt with those situations? Only ran across it once and my reply was, “I can run my bar with you on back. Now get out!” (laughs) What has been your biggest disappointment, professionally? Thirteen. It just never really resonated with the community. It was great food and got awesome reviews, but that was it. What do you feel was your greatest success professionally? Mmm, that’s a tough one. I would have to say my time at Red Lobster, when it was super homophobic. But I started a hostess and left a director. It was hard because it was growing up and learning your style of the person/manager I want to be without sacrificing who I am. If you didn’t work in the food and hospitality industry, what job would you like be? Teaching, for sure.
Carol Moran. Photo via Apt 9F, Facebook.
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What is your latest project: Apt 9F, we are bringing our NYC home back to Wilton Manors. It is our apartment. We want all to feel like it’s an apartment party. It’s comfortable to hang out in, grab some nibbles and a great craft cocktail, beer or of course kick-ass wine. We have 70 liquors, 20 beers and 20 wines. Surely you will find something you like, and we have some fun new liquors to turn you on to.
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Annie Blake. Photo credit: Carina Mask.
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Annie Blake. Photo via Death or Glory Bar, Facebook.
Annie Blake
is one of four co-founders (three of whom are women) of Death or Glory Bar in Delray Beach. In addition to overseeing operations most nights at the restaurant, Blake’s day job is Director of Premium Sales for Cocktail Kingdom, the world’s premier manufacturer and distributor of professional barware (available at the Death or Glory satellite shop). She’s been with Cocktail Kingdom since 2012, where she brands barware for liquor portfolios globally (translation: she’s responsible for badass swag and keeps company with the best drink slingers across the country.) Blake brought Miracle, the holiday Pop Up Bar, to Death or Glory in 2017 and is expanding it to other locations in South Florida. This summer, Death or Glory has beenhosting Bar Brawls, a highly popular bartender competition featuring some of the topcocktail slingers from the tri-county area. She lives in Boynton Beach with her husband and their dog Buddy, who is the loveable mascot at Death or Glory. She attended NYU for Communication Studies and grew up in Clifton, NJ. Tell me about your first job in the food and hospitality industry: I was in college. Two guys who owned the rowdy college bar in town decided to open a coffee shop and restaurant called The Daily Grind. I was their first server. The place was completely disorganized and all over the place, complete with a hot-headed chef right out of central casting, but I loved it. I knew I’d never work at the mall again. Did you have a mentor in the field? My boss, Greg Boehm, who is the owner of Cocktail Kingdom and owns multiple NYC bars including 2019 Spirited Award Winner, Katana Kitten, as well as the Miracle franchise, has been an amazing mentor in hospitality, management, and business. He’s taught me that successful businesses runs well not by micromanagement, but by strategic hiring, management support, teamwork, and highlighting talent. A simple thank you goes a really long way. What is the greatest joy/reward you derive from working in the field? The cocktail renaissance has been an amazing time to come back into hospitality, but some cocktail bars take themselves too seriously for my taste. I love our bar, and specifically our tiki bar, because it allows
us brings so much fun and whimsy to our cocktails for our guests. What more does anyone want than to escape after a long day? Cocktails should never be intimidating. I find so much joy when guests trust us to go outside their comfort zone. You don’t like rum or gin? Don’t be so sure. What is the greatest challenge in the food and hospitality industry? Friends always ask me for guest horror stories, and they don’t really exist. Our guests are lovely people who I’d happily have in my own home. Our 100-year-old house on the other hand, can be a real beast at times. When something breaks during service, like the air conditioning did this summer, I think, why didn’t I just put a restaurant in a strip mall? Are there any challenges particular to women in the food & hospitality industry? My partner, Ayme Harrison, and I, have certainly encountered challenges. We have absolutely had (sorry guys) men ask us who actually owns the place. The same men will often ask if they can “take it off our hands.” More than that though, it’s been our mission since day one to create a safe space for women to drink and dine solo without feeling ostracized or harassed. When a former manager suggested we host a ‘ladies night’ we thought--you’d like to ply women with cheap drinks so they’ll be less offended when people hit on them? Pass. We’ve made it very clear that Death or Glory is a space in which everyone should be respectful of each other. I think as women owners, this is both challenging and important. We owe it to women to set the standard. How have you dealt with those situations? In any situation when you’re dealing with alcohol and people you’ll get someone having a bad day from time to time. If someone is a little out of line, we let them know we’d be super happy to see their smiling face again...tomorrow. What has been your biggest disappointment, professionally? I loved being a server in college, but it was beat into my brain that hospitality was a stop-gap job, not a career. I went on to work in book-publishing for ten years, which was a very acceptable, if passion-free career. Anytime I heard the phrase ‘when you do what you love it doesn’t feel like work’ I thought well, you’re either a liar, or
you don’t work. Having the opportunity to return to hospitality through Cocktail Kingdom and now with Death or Glory, I work twice the hours I did in publishing and you’ll never catch me watching the clock. nI wish I’d gone with my gut in the first place. What do you feel was your greatest success professionally? Death or Glory was nominated for Best New American Cocktail Bar for the Spirited Awards in 2018. The Spirited Awards are like the Academy Awards of the cocktail industry, and the nominations tend to go to big players in large markets. Getting the nod for our little bar in Delray Beach was unbelievable. I’d like to think we share it with all the little bars with big ambition. If you didn’t work in the food and hospitality industry, what job would you like to have? Radio City Music Hall Rockette, obviously. (laughs) What is your latest project? This summer has been a blast — we’ve brought together South Florida cocktail bartenders with our Bar Brawls competition. Having the community come together, meet each other, collaborate and elevate is amazing. We also have all sorts of fun in the works at Death or Glory, from our “Death or Gory” Halloween pop-up, to Miracle at Death or Glory, which is our Christmas and holiday pop-up. We’re also planning monthly cocktail classes with various themes, which will be listed on our Facebook events page facebook.com/deathorglorybar. We like to keep ourselves on our toes and just hope everyone is having as much fun as we are.
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Lisabet Summa. Photo credit: Carina Mask.
FEATURE
Lisabet Summa
has been the culinary catalyst for Big Time Restaurant’s extraordinary growth over the past 25 years. She is one of only a few women in the U.S. restaurant industry who is both a senior culinary operations executive and owner. “LB” is responsible for new concept culinary development, design/build of high-performance kitchens for each brand, menu development, kitchen profitability, food safety, and the hiring, personnel development, and motivation of more than 600 kitchen professionals. Prior to joining Todd Herbst and Bill Watson at Big Time Restaurant Group twenty years ago, Lisabet Summa worked with chefs Charlie Trotter and Florida’s Norman Van Aken at Sinclair’s American Grill at Jupiter Beach Resort. Summa was head chef at Café L’Europe on Palm Beach and pastry chef at Café St. Honore in Palm Beach Gardens. She was an instructor at Florida Culinary Institute where students voted her Best Teacher in 1994. A native of Chicago, Lisabet’s early culinary inspiration came from her mother and grandmother. Her first professional culinary job was modest. She served as a line cook at a Chicago diner while attending the Goodman School of Drama. When a friend returned from attending a European cooking school, Summa’s culinary sights were raised, and she left acting behind. She selected the French restaurant Alouette as the place she wanted to begin working in the world of haute cuisine. The all French, all male staff was put off when she knocked on the door and volunteered to work for free, but she won them over quickly. Later, Summa moved to Chicago’s acclaimed French restaurant, Maxim’s, as pastry chef.
Tell me about your first job in the food & hospitality industry: My first job was running a lemonade stand. But my first real job was at a bar and grill that all my friends worked at as bartenders. The owners decided they wanted to open for breakfast, so I asked to be the breakfast chef. I burned more sheet pan bacon than anyone has a right to. Being a short order cook is not for the faint of heart, but it was interesting enough for me to decide to work at a very good French restaurant in another town for free for three weeks until they offered me a job. Did you have a mentor in the field? I never had a mentor, but as a woman in the industry, I really look up to Nancy Silverton, a female chef and Liz Pruitt, another female chef. I’ve researched and been inspired by their careers. What is the greatest joy/reward you derive from working in the field? Being part of the tradition of older chefs teaching young chefs the ropes in the kitchen. What is the greatest challenge in the food and hospitality industry? It’s a pretty well-known fact that the hospitality industry across the country is experiencing a shortage of employees. I’m not sure why--maybe because there are so many food service operations. Every year, it becomes harder to find cooks. That’s why it’s important that we create a higher-minded culture and a better work environment to retain people. Are there any challenges particular to women in the food and hospitality industry? If so, what are they? I think women in any industry can be faced with gender bias. Along with that, if a woman is strong, demonstrative or aggressive, there’s always a lot of labelling because those aren’t seen as female characteristics, which isn’t true, but old ideas about women in the workplace rear their ugly heads. Working with young people, there’s a lot more acceptance of women in the workplace. It’s the older people who have these attitudes. Young people make up most of workforce in the hospitality industry, so there’s been a ton of progress. How have you dealt with those situations? I have been told that women aren’t
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effective in business because they’re too emotional. Men like to say, “It’s not personal, it’s business.” All the biographies I’ve read of men in business say that everyone brings so much of themselves to running their enterprise. Business is always about relationships. It starts with the human side of things. Having empathy is very important when you’re managing a changing and youthful workforce. It has served me well to care about the people who work for me. The notions of gender are breaking down and blurring and it’s more about humanity and women are, more and more, able to compete on an equal footing. What has been your biggest disappointment, professionally? That I didn’t travel to Europe in my early 20’s. I started working and was supporting myself and didn’t have that adventure seeker personality. I was working in kitchens for European chefs, but I didn’t have that wanderlust. I was more reserved and a little afraid to travel on my own. If you spent time in European kitchens it was a supplement to a formal education, which I didn’t have either. But once you start working twelve-hour days in a kitchen, it’s hard to say you’re going to go back to school. You feel like your work is your formal education. What do you feel was your greatest success professionally? What’s happening right now with my company in the growth of our restaurants, the diversity of our brands, the development of Louie Bossi and Elisabetta’s, the Italian branch of the group, as well as Rocco’s Tacos, the Mexican branch. I’ve worked for 25 years, building, operating and overseeing what is now 18 diverse, complicated, trendy, successful kitchens. If you didn’t work in the food and hospitality industry, what job would you like to have? I would be a professional gardener or farmer or involved in textile design. What is your latest project: Elisabetta’s, located at 32 East Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, our newest restaurant, has been open for a month and I couldn’t be happier with the restaurant and our staff. The guests already feel like long time customers and they’re so appreciative and expressive. We make everything by hand and it’s more work to do it that way, but our guests appreciate it and acknowledge it.
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GADGETS
WOLF Gourmet Blender / / Pier Angelo
B
ring the professional performance and distinctive style of Wolf appliances to your countertop with the Wolf Gourmet blender. A striking complement to the iconic Wolf range, this 64-oz.cap. blender offers ultra-responsive speed control to reach your exact preferred consistency. Make soup, blend drinks, chop vegetables, puree sauces, whip cream, churn butter, grind grains, create nut butters and more.
Suggested Price:
$799.99
WILLIAMs SONOMA‘s Price:
$599.95
www.williams-sonoma.com Also available on amazon
More info: • Pulse function works with any manual blending speed, from lowest to highest. • Extra-large 64-oz. Tritan jar is shatterproof and BPA free. • Tamper fits into lid for mixing thick or frozen mixtures. • Stainless-steel and die-cast construction. • Sized to fit under standard-size cabinets.
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| JUNE - AUGUST 2019
• 2.4-peak-horsepower motor propels the blades to speeds over 210 mph. • Responsive, infinite variable speed blends ingredients to your exact preferences with a twist of the dial. • Intuitive LCD control panel displays speed and elapsed blending time. • Four program settings for total simplicity: Smoothie, Ice Crush, Puree, Soup. • Available with red, black or stainless-steel knob. • Includes an emulsion cup for dressings and marinades and a filler cap with measurement markings. • 7 1/2” x 9” x 20 1/4” high. • 13 lb. • 1545W.
FOOD
r e n i D e r a w Be
A few tips
d l e i f e n i m t ran u a t s e r s ’ a rid
o
Fl h t u o S n i about tips
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ny of these scenarios sound familiar? The meal is done, you pay the check and the server returns with your credit card. You notice the slip contains an automatic gratuity AND a blank line for tip along with suggested calculations. A server hovers over your shoulder with a newfangled tablet PRESET to a generous tip amount at meal’s end. You may feel awkward lowering the percentage. At a fast-casual restaurant, you are confronted with a computer screen asking for a tip BEFORE you get your meal, which you may have to fetch and clear yourself. Tipping at restaurants is trickier, more confusing and more pressured than ever, with South Florida diners encountering automatic gratuities, unclear and inconsistent tip policies, tricky new gadgets and more quick-service restaurants where tips are expected and solicited. As a professional eater who dines at hundreds of restaurants annually, I often find myself flummoxed. I mistakenly double-tipped a few years ago, and I almost did it again last week. I can only imagine how casual and special-occasion diners feel. “For restaurants I say full disclosure is always the best policy,” says Tom House, a Fort Lauderdale-based restaurant consultant and hospitalityindustry veteran. “And for customers I say don’t be afraid to ask if you have a question ... And always be aware.”
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o ael May // Mich tinel Sun Sen
Sharp eyes needed As one who has felt the sting of a doubletipping episode, I concur. A few years back, I got tripped (or tricked?) into a double tip at a Sunny Isles Beach resort restaurant where an automatic gratuity was added to a hardto-read check. When I caught it a few days later, I called management and got my extra tip refunded. The incident taught me to be vigilant. A recent meal at a Fort Lauderdale Peruvian restaurant reinforced the lesson. The restaurant added an automatic 18-percent “service charge” to my $155.50 bill. When the server brought my creditcard slip, she didn’t mention it. The creditcard slip contained a blank tip line along with a tip guide at the bottom listing tip amounts and projected final totals. Those calculations were based on a sub-total including the auto-gratuity ($27.99) and tax ($10.89). If I followed the guide and gave the suggested 20 percent ($38.88), I would have left a $66.87 tip, or 43 percent of my food-and-beverage total. I had never seen anything like that before. “Deceitful,” says Elliot Wolf of Be Nice Restaurants, an outfit that operates seven Fort Lauderdale restaurants. “Sneaky,” says Todd Herbst, co-founder of Big Time Restaurant Group, a West Palm Beach-based entity that operates 16 restaurants. “It feels underhanded,” says House, who
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has been “everything from dishwasher to owner” and now consults for dozens of South Florida restaurants with his A Better House consulting firm. Thankfully I noticed the automatic gratuity before I added another tip. Because it was among a few lines in bold print I wouldn’t call it hidden, just easily missed. I still added a few bucks to bring the tip up to 20 percent, but it left a bad taste. When I posted the receipt on the “Let’s Eat, South Florida” Facebook group run by the Sun Sentinel, it drew hundreds of comments and some members shared double-tipping episodes. They called it “wrong,” “not acceptable” and “ridiculous.” “There is no excuse for this,” wrote Gerard Mayer. “I would not return.” Automatic gratuities have become prevalent for larger parties and at touristy spots such as resort hotels and beachfront restaurants in Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach. But this incident happened at Inkanto, a smaller Peruvian restaurant on a decidedly untrendy stretch of East Oakland Park Boulevard. It was nowhere near the ocean or Intracoastal. Inkanto owner Luis Santos says the restaurant applies an 18-percent autogratuity on parties of six and more. He says the policy is listed on the menu, but I missed it. In my case there was another problem: Our group was a party of five.
“That was a mistake then. You shouldn’t have had a service charge,” Santos said in a follow-up interview. He says he wasn’t on hand the night my group dined, and that he’s had trouble with servers who apply the service charge improperly. He says he once fired a staffer who applied service charges to small parties, sometimes triggering double tips. Some restaurants add auto-gratuities to all bills, particularly eateries catering to visitors from countries where service is factored into checks and additional tipping is uncommon. “When you’re out with a group and you just throw in credit cards and have had a few drinks or some wine, you could easily miss it and end up double-tipping,” Herbst says. “You really do need to look over the check.” Wolf, Herbst and House say restaurants should be clear about automatic tips, with servers compelled to mention it when leaving the bill. Says House, “Whenever you don’t say something, you’re setting yourself up for trouble. Especially in today’s environment [of social media].” Wolf says his restaurants stamped checks with a “gratuity included” notice in bright red ink when they briefly experimented with auto-gratuities a couple years ago. “How hard is it to get a stamp?” Wolf says. “It’s like some restaurants are trying to trip people up.” Better restaurants respond to criticism
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FOOD
by adjusting. The Surf Club Restaurant by Thomas Keller in Surfside adds autogratuity to all checks, something a server neglected to mention when he left the bill during my review visit in 2018. When I returned a few months later, another server clearly announced the service charge. I considered it a small victory. House says he recommends restaurants use the words “additional gratuity” in the usual space for tips when auto-gratuities are imposed. “Some people like to still give a little extra to bring it up to 22 or 25 percent if they’ve had a great experience,” he says. He also says suggested tip guides with misleading figures should be removed from bills with service included. “You can program [the billing and printing] systems any way you want,” Herbst says. “Some places just choose not to,” Wolf says. All say it’s a poor strategy in the long run, particularly if customers get the impression they’re being gamed. “Some servers like a double dip, but I don’t,” House says. “It can only come back to bite you in the ass.” Fresh American Bistro, the hotel restaurant in Sunny Isles Beach where I had my 2016 double-tipping episode, is no longer in business. The gadget revolution Another recent tipping tripwire is the advent of tablets and portable devices that servers bring to tables to swipe credit cards. Sometimes guests will find these pads preset to a 20 percent tip, with the onus on guests to move the highlighted box to a differing amount. Options boxes are set by the restaurant -- usually 18, 20 and 22 percent, but sometimes 30 percent or higher. There are also option boxes for customized tip or no tip, for those who want to leave cash. Guests may feel awkward or pressured if the server holds the gadget and watches the tip process unfold. With the days of a traditional paper bill delivered in a check folder waning, discretion has taken a hit. “I don’t think it’s classy for a server to 60 | THE
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stand there, but on the other hand a guest may need help with a device or servers have to hold the device,” restaurant consultant House says. “Everyone is now happy that the credit card doesn’t have to leave the table, but technology always brings up new issues.” Because of the potential for fraud and identity theft, creditcard companies will soon mandate that cards never leave the hands of customers, Herbst says. “It’s that way in Europe now — the server never touches the card,” he says. Some Big Time restaurants, such as Elisabetta’s Ristorante in Delray Beach, are getting ahead of the curve with newer electronic devices that look like traditional check presenters (complete with a foldover cover). Servers leave them on tables at meal’s end, and customers insert cards, compute tips and sign. A red light turns to green when the process is done. “A few customers are confused the first time, but once they get the hang of it it’s pretty easy,” Herbst says. Technology changes but tipping standards remain the same. House says good service merits a tip of 20 percent of the food and beverage total before tax, including expensive wine. Some restaurants compute tip guides based on after-tax totals. House’s advice: Pay attention and always do your own math. Partial service, full tip? A newer challenge for diners is the fast-casual conundrum. Are tips required at eateries where customers order at the counter and pay first? Fast-casual
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
restaurants, also known as quick-service restaurants (QSRs), have proliferated in the last decade, similar to fast-food restaurants (where tipping is not expected) but with better ingredients. Some fast-casual restaurants have food runners deliver meals to tables. Others make patrons return to the counter to get their food. Some clear and clean tables, others expect patrons to bring trays to trash bins. Some pay staff a tipped minimum wage ($5.44 an hour), while others pay regular minimum wage ($8.46 an hour) or higher. What to do when confronted with a computer screen with tip options before eating? The consensus among five restaurateurs I spoke with is 10 to 12 percent. House says, “Why am I tipping ahead of time? My answer is hit the button that says ‘cash,’ then tip in cash after the meal.” Wolf says the staff pool tips at Lunchroom, the two fast-casual restaurants he operates, including cooks. He says all employees get paid more than standard minimum wage and that the usual tip is 10 to 12 percent. Michael Saperstein, partner in two fastcasual restaurants in Deerfield Beach (Charm City Burger and El Jefe Luchador), says tips are pooled among all employees and that most patrons leave $1.50 to $2 on checks that average $13-to $15. He understands the frustrations of customers who are confused by tipping at fast-casual restaurants. And then there are QSRs that have gone the no-tipping route, including Ovlo Eats in Plantation and Vale Food Co. in Fort Lauderdale. At those restaurants, staff and service costs are built into the food price and tips are declined. “I hate when they turn the flip-screen around when you pay and you see a tipping box with 20 or 15 percent,” Vale Food Co. founder Sunny Ilyas says. It’s a sight that diners increasingly find all too familiar.
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OPINION
Hope for a New
Tomorrow
SFGN endorses Mayor Pete for President
T
he newspaper you hold in your hand has spent the past ten years and 500 issues illuminating LGBT lives, advocating for the causes we find in common, standing up for the rights we hold so dear.
We do so again today. One year from today, on the first Tuesday in November of 2020, America will get to choose its next president of the U.S. We endorse the candidacy of Pete Buttigieg. We do not do this simply because Mayor Pete is a gay man and this is a gay paper. We do this because he is a good man seeking to do great things. Of course he will have the best interests of the LGBT community in his heart, but he has the spirit of America in his soul. Pete Buttigieg is the polar opposite of Donald Trump. He is educated and articulate, reasonable and responsible, committed and conscientious. To the table, he brings class, not crass; dignity, not disgrace. He is an advocate, not an ass. Donald Trump’s tenure in the White House threatens our nation daily. His personality is toxic, his patriotism suspect, his politics racist, and his positions on social issues neanderthal. His presence in the White House corrupts the soul of our nation. From the LGBT community’s standpoint, Donald Trump’s tenure has already compromised social freedoms the LGBT community has won over the last two decades. He threatens to do even worse going forward. The President is turning back time to an America less diverse, less inclusive, less just. 64 | THE
Our country needs a leader who will bring Americans together, not tear us apart. The field of Democratic candidates has a host of such aspirants, each with strengths, all with flaws. No one candidate in an America of 300 million souls will ever be the ‘perfect’ candidate; all things to all people. Remember perfect will always be the enemy of good. This year, however, Mayor Pete does stand out as the most inspirational and aspirational one. The Mayor of South Bend is asking our citizens, from shore to shore, to believe in
If not now, when?
If not us, who?
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
// Norm Kent hope, not hate. He is asking us to embrace our individuality, not erase it. He appeals to our better angels, not our worst fears. Pete Buttigieg is a name no one knew or could pronounce a year ago. He is the mayor of a small town in a conservative state. But America is getting to know him. They are finding an honest man with a unifying voice; a man who addresses problems instead of creating them. Mayor Pete will build bridges, not walls. Pete Buttigieg is a young man with modern ideas, instead of an old one with bone spurs in his brain. He is a Rhodes scholar who speaks in eight languages instead of in four letter words. He is a soldier who was firing guns at terrorists while Donald Trump was firing Omarosa on a reality TV show. Pete Buttigieg is authentic, genuine, and real. He has turned adversity into strength and challenge into character. Our country deserves a citizen with courage and a conscience at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Our newspaper understands that not all gays and lesbians speak with one voice. We represent a range of personalities and politics. A rainbow is a bouquet of many colors. Pete Buttigieg, however, is a candidate who will represent them all. SFGN celebrates as well the candidacies of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren,
Pete Buttigieg is authentic, genuine, and real. He has turned adversity into strength and challenge into character.
Our country deserves a citizen with courage and a conscience at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue . Kamala Harris and Corey Booker. Indeed, any of the Democratic candidates for the presidency would do a better job than the man renting the space now. All will represent our interests honorably and capably. Today, however, we come down on the side of Mayor Pete. He has made us proud, and will make our country stronger. He is one of us who speaks for all of us. He is proof for all of us there is no bridge too far; that we are only limited by the boundaries of our imagination. Let us not coronate next November a corrupt king. Let us pass the torch to a new generation of Americans, multi-cultural and diverse, inclusive and rich with life, visionary with grace, and mindful of the tomorrow future generations face. Can the LGBT community help win the World Series of politics in 2020? This is a century which began first with the Boston Red Sox winning it in 2004, the Chicago Cubs in 2015, and now the Washington Nationals in 2019. Each team waited nearly a hundred years, or even more. It can happen to us too. Everything cometh to he who waiteth so long as he who waiteth worketh like hell whilst he waiteth. If a man stands by his convictions, and there abides, eventually the whole world will come around to him. Maybe it’s our turn. Why not?
CARS
the
Rolls-Royce
Dawn
How to Look Fabulous While Topless
At almost $350,000 it’s a dream for most // Larry Printz
K
nowing that autumn is upon us, let’s let loose with a melancholy last gasp of unhinged gratification before the onslaught of winter. The feeling that summer engenders is one that automakers attempt to capture in their best cars, an essential essence that reveals itself as you get in, hit the starter button and put it in gear. Yet few cars possess it, particularly luxury cars. But the 2019 Rolls-Royce Dawn isn’t just any car. To compare it to any consumer product, let alone other cars, is a bit unfair. For the Dawn is the result of an arcane alchemy that mixes mechanical excellence, exquisite design and a knowing eloquence that continues a treasured tradition that endures unabated over RollsRoyce Motor Cars’ 115-year history. There is nothing else quite like it.
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Photo via Rolls-Royce.
CARS Once, there were many cars like this; American cars with names like Packard, Marmon, Pierce-Arrow, and Duesenberg. To drive a 2019 Rolls-Royce Dawn is to appreciate how those cars felt in their time even though these cars remain snapchats in time, oblivious to the changing world. That can’t be said of the 2019 Dawn despite its respect of tradition. For under the timehonored trappings resides a state-of-the-art automobile. Using the same architecture that RollsRoyce employs for the Ghost sedan and Wraith coupe, the Dawn drophead is your private earthbound jetliner, albeit one that’s immensely powerful. Its 6.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-12 and eight-speed automatic transmission’s 563 horsepower effortlessly whisks you to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds. You can still end up in a comfortable cell; top speed is 155 mph, although this is not a car for boy racers; that’s not its demeanor. This is a grand tourer of the first order. The Dawn has an ease and heft about it that lends the car an air of unflappability. Everything about this car revolves around effortlessness, so don’t look for manual shift paddles on the steering column; the car is there to take care of the bother of shifting for you. The Dawn’s perfectly-weighted steering initially feels light and numb, but becomes more satisfying as speed builds. Not surprisingly, the body leans in corners yet return enough grip and athleticism to take on more demanding roads. All sorts of computer-controlled dampers and automatic ride height mechanisms deliver a deftly balanced driving experience and incredibly comfortable ride. Road shocks and noise are so effectively muffled, passengers don’t notice or know of them. The Dawn’s deportment is one that American luxury cars once provided, but no longer do now that accountants oversee car development and engineers have became blinded by adherence to harsh German driving characteristics. It’s easy to appreciate what’s been lost as you pull out of your walled estate, the side-vision cameras revealing any oncoming traffic or loitering paparazzi. If
Photo via Rolls-Royce.
Rolls-Royce Dawn Base price:
$346,300 Engine:
6.6-liter twinturbocharged V-12 Top speed/0-60 mph:
Horsepower/Torque:
Wheelbase/Length/Width:
EPA fuel economy (city/highway):
Cargo capacity:
563/605 pound-feet @ 1,500 rpm 12/18 mpg
155 mph/4.8 seconds there are any, you can speed away as the Dawn’s “Power Reserve” gauge keeps track of the car’s engine power. Unlike a tachometer, which starts at 0 rpm and rises as your engine’s rpms rise, this gauge starts at 100 percent on the right side of the dial and rotates backwards as more power is used. Consider it a tachometer in reverse. Enhancing this car’s special feel is its hood ornament. Known as the Spirit of Ecstasy, it’s been a crucial element since 1911 and retracts automatically when the car is shut off. But if you’re flying by too quickly to show her off, your wheel hubs use ball bearings to ensure that the Rolls-Royce logos on the wheel centers are always upright and easily read. As you’d expect, the Dawn’s cabin sports supportive seats for four and are covered in buttery soft leather. The cabin’s elegant bookmatched wood veneer enriches the experience while also providing countless hours of Rorschach testing. And it’s incredibly silent. Even the climate control is whisper quiet, without the annoying fan noise that bedevils so many other cars. This remains
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
9.2 cubic feet Curb weight:
5,203 pounds mostly true even when the power cloth top is lowered, something that takes a mere 22 seconds. Of course, the Dawn has the expected infotainment and connectivity technology that thankfully can be hidden behind a wood-veneered door. For this car is not about the real world, it’s a rolling den of earthly delight. Driving is not a chore in this car, it’s an experience – something that continues once you arrive at your destination, stepping out through rear-hinged doors. Maybe onlookers are watching you, but more likely they’re looking at your steed, 5,100 pounds of perfectly proportioned metal, leather, and action. How pricey is it? Well, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average sale price of a new home in the U.S. is $368,600; the 2019 Rolls-Royce Dawn’s base price is $346,300. You can more than double the value of a new home merely by parking it in the driveway. Then again, true luxury is exclusive, not inclusive; class production, not mass-production. It’s something most alleged luxury automakers no longer seem to understand. Yet for those who can afford such finery, the 2019 Rolls-Royce Dawn remains a rare chance to revel and romp in one of the world’s finest cars. Consider it the picture-perfect way to wrap up a memorable summer in style.
Larry Printz is an automotive journalist based in South Florida. He can be reached at TheDrivingPrintz@gmail.com. 68 | THE
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PROFILE
Brandon Wolf Embraces Activism, Advocacy
After Pulse // Damon Scott
B
randon Wolf was wrapping up a phone call with Florida State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith before his Mirror interview in early fall.
“When he calls, the world is on fire,” Wolf said jokingly after the call ended. Smith represents House District 49 in east Orlando. Like Wolf, he is a community activist. Smith is a Democrat and was the first openly gay Latino to serve in the Florida Legislature. “He was elected right after Pulse,” Wolf said.
All photos courtesy of Brandon Wolf, pictured right.
70 | THE
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
Photo via Rolls-Royce.
PROFILE Pulse, of course, is the Pulse Nightclub – the site in Orlando where a horrific mass shooting took place on June 12, 2016. It’s where a shooter killed 49 people and wounded 53 others. Orlando law enforcement shot and killed the man after a three-hour standoff. Wolf was one of about 320 people inside the LGBT venue that evening on “Latin Night,” along with two of his closest friends, Andrew “Drew” Leinonen and Juan Guerrero. Leinonen and Guerrero were both killed. Wolf escaped through one of the club’s doors with others who had been hiding in a bathroom. His life not only changed in an instant, but would also start to travel down an unplanned path. Wolf was thrust into the spotlight and into a role he didn’t seek. Since Pulse, he’s been sought after for comment and analysis by every kind of media and has been interviewed on national TV on LGBTQ issues, and gun reform. It’s all catapulted him into a career of activism and advocacy. Earlier this year, Wolf was named the development officer and media relations manager for Equality Florida.
“There is no evidence that arming teachers in schools makes them safer. But we’re going to test the theory around live children?” - Brandon Wolf
Activism unleashed The 31-year-old was recently an invited guest at CNN’s Democratic presidential town hall in Los Angeles that focused exclusively on LGBT issues. “The candidates actually had a significant amount of time [to speak],” he said. “A majority of the candidates agree on the meat of the [LGBTQ] issues. All of them are leaps and bounds beyond what we have today.” Wolf said he’s worked with Julián Castro and that the campaigns of Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren have reached out to him for input. He said all three have “pretty comprehensive plans” on things that matter to him and much of the LGBT community. One of those issues is gun reform. Soon after the Parkland shooting, the
Brandon Wolf (right) with Drew Leinonen (left) and Juan Guerrero.
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Florida Legislature passed, and former Gov. Rick Scott signed, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. The act tightens gun control, school security and school safety. It banned bump stocks and raised the minimum age to purchase a firearm from 18 to 21, among other restrictions. It also allowed teachers who receive training to be armed. “It was a double-edged sword,” Wolf said. “You don’t want schools to be a prison, but reinforcing schools is important. Good things came out of it, but most troublesome has been the arming of teachers.” Wolf said the state gave schools the power to arm teachers, or not. As a result, almost none opted in through the first year. “We dodged a bullet because the schools did the right thing, but on the second year the state has put incentives in place for school districts to take part. If they want extra funding, they have to have armed teachers,” Wolf said. The situation now, as he describes, is that to receive a measure of financial stabilization, schools in underprivileged areas essentially have to arm their teachers. “Put all of that in the melting pot and we’re ripe for a very bad situation for schools in Florida,” Wolf said. “Think, for example, of a white teacher in majority black school who feels threatened.” Wolf said that while certain politicians did a good job of selling armed teachers as an answer to the problem after Parkland – it is a wholly untested theory. “We’re skipping right to human trials,” Wolf said. “There is no evidence that arming teachers in schools makes them safer. But we’re going to test the theory around live children?” As part of his work at Equality Florida, Wolf does grassroots organizing to push back on the idea and get it changed. “People connect with Brandon because he is real and vulnerable and authentic and he makes the most of any opportunity to deliver
PROFILE Brandon Wolf meeting President Obama in 2017.
a vision of a world free of discrimination and normalized gun violence,” said Nadine Smith, Executive Director of Equality Florida. “He is willing to speak truth to power, whether on national TV or a private meeting with politicians. And he is just as relentless working tirelessly behind the scenes and out of the spotlight to make real and lasting change as well.” Eye-opening Orlando Wolf grew up in Portland. He left for Orlando when he was 19 to be a part of the Disney College Program. While he intended to move back to Oregon after a short time, it only took about nine months before he would fall in love with the city, with Florida, and with himself and his identity. Wolf came out in Portland during his senior year in high school. “I had a small group of friends – the experience was not one where there was a huge community or networks of people to talk to,” he said. “Portland is a beautiful place, but it’s homogenous. As a mixed race LGBTQ person I didn’t get to explore much of my identity when I was there.”
For example, he said, in his high school of about 2,000 students, 11 were black or mixed race. He was one of four mixed race or black teens in his graduating class. By contrast, Florida is a melting pot, especially Orlando, Wolf said. “Folks are visiting all the time, Spanish, Portuguese. I’m a huge foodie, too. It was a transformative experience,” he said. After the college program, he signed a full time contract with Disney for five years – being cast in parades, shows and doing various forms of entertainment. In high school, he’d worked for Starbucks and he’d do that in Orlando as well, especially after he felt his run with Disney was coming to an end. “I’m a person who needs to feel connected to other people. At Disney, I’d see guests for a moment and then they’re gone. Starbucks afforded me the opportunity to get to know people,” Wolf said.
Road to equality In 2012, Wolf was promoted into Starbucks management, first as a store manager and then opening a new store in Orlando’s Lake Nona community. It was during that time that the Pulse shooting happened. After a recovery period, he was promoted as a Starbucks district manager eventually overseeing 16 stores, including in Tallahassee, where Equality Florida has a strong presence, especially during the Legislative sessions. “Before Pulse, I didn’t know who Equality Florida was,” Wolf said. “But immediately after Pulse, Nadine reached out to me.” Smith is an LGBT activist and has led Equality Florida since it was founded in 1997. “We met at a Starbucks and she asked me what it was I wanted to be doing with my life – how did I want to impact other people? Did
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PROFILE I want to be an advocate and activist all the time?” Wolf said. Over time the relationship grew and was nurtured. Wolf got on Equality Florida’s steering committee and volunteered. He operated largely behind the scenes doing his own personal advocacy. “Especially after Parkland, I got to a place where it felt like activism and advocacy were mingling. Nadine said there was the right position, and it was the right timing,” he said. Smith added: “One of the things I love most about my job is the amazing and talented people I get to work with. Brandon has clarity of purpose, a fearless resolve to do what is needed and the humility to know success is always a team effort. That powerful combination has made him a force for LGBTQ equality and in the crucial work of breaking the lethal grip of the gun lobby.”
Right: Brandon Wolf. Below: Brandon Wolf (left) with Drew Leinonen
‘You go through these moments’ Wolf’s work at Equality Florida is all encompassing, but he continues to assist his nonprofit – the Dru Project. The project began about a month after the shooting when Wolf launched a GoFundMe page to help subsidize funeral costs for
“Especially after Parkland, I got to a place where it felt like activism and advocacy were mingling. Nadine said there was the right position, and it was the right timing.” - Brandon Wolf on joining Equality Florida
Leinonen’s mother and Guerrero’s parents. He set a goal to raise $10,000, but almost $100,000 came in. Leinonen’s mother wanted to use some of the funds to create a legacy for her son. “He was proudest that he created the gay-straight alliance at Seminole High School,” Wolf said. “He was passionate about LGBTQ issues and young people.” The Dru Project provides scholarships to LGBTQ individuals and supports gaystraight alliance groups in schools. Wolf’s capacity to help lead the group has tapered a bit since taking on his role at Equality Florida, but he still stays connected. Meanwhile, the Pulse Memorial and Museum, commemorating the victims, is set to open in 2022. Wolf said he didn’t really know what to expect when he recently searched for the designs online.
“I am floored by how truly stunning those designs are,” he said. “It’s on the size and scale of the African American History Museum [in Washington, D.C.].” The museum will not only honor the Pulse victims, but will also be a tribute to the struggles of the LGBTQ community at large for equality. The site of Pulse will preserved as a permanent memorial while the museum and education center will be located a third of a mile away. “When you lose someone, the thing that keeps you up at night and fear the most is that you’ll forget them,” Wolf said. “You go though these moments. You desperately search for video so you can hear them, for pictures so you can see them.” Wolf still visits the Pulse site sometimes. He lives three blocks away. “I usually do it when I know people won’t be there,” he said.
More information is at onepulsefoundation.org, thedruproject.org and eqfl.org. 74 | THE
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
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g campin
n w o n K r e s s e New and L
s d n u o r g p Gay Cam rth America In No
W
here else can you strike up a conversation with a stranger on a perfect summer morning, in your pajamas, carrying a bag of dog poop? Gay camping of course. Gay camping is perhaps the single biggest growing gay institution. As gay bars close, gay neighborhoods attract a variety of buyers, and gay businesses take on a broader base of customers, gay campgrounds continue to prosper. Gay camping is not a poor man’s sport, yet most gay campgrounds continue to grow. Gays tend to love ‘their’ place much like fans love ‘their’ team. They find a haven in a safe and friendly environment and become comfortable with the community and culture. There are many passable, good and great gay campgrounds across North America. Most are located east of the Mississippi River and most of those within about a two hour drive of a major metropolitan area. Size and success of individual properties appear at first glance to be directly related to the size of the market from which they can draw campers. The Woods in Pennsylvania draws from at least four major metropolitan areas making it one of the most popular. In addition, new gay campgrounds open each year. In 2017 and 2018 there were at least ten new gay campgrounds across the U.S. Several including Rainbow RV in Groesbeck, Texas, Copper Cactus Ranch in Queen Valley, Arizona and The Homestead at 3218 in Crawford, Texas have opened west of the Mississippi River. The west is an area that has had notably few gay campgrounds. California, where many facilities might be expected to serve a large and open market, has none. Fledgling smaller properties like River Ridge in Kentucky and
// Ric Reily Saddleback Campground in New Hampshire are founded by owners who love camping. Smaller new gay campgrounds tend to be built from the bottom up making new uses of limited acreage. Major new properties like Creek Ridge Campground in Michigan are filling voids left by under performers. Larger new gay campgrounds are usually already camps. Some are failed religious camps or even failed gay campgrounds finding new life with new owners. The worst performers have become so bad that new nearby properties have succeeded in drawing members away. Camp Out Alabama has taken over a closed campground and is drawing back some of the displaced campers who moved on to others nearby. Rumors of a new facility opening near Rehoboth Beach in Delaware are just rumblings. If that occurs it will share a market with The Woods in Pennsylvania. New competition taking advantage of a vacancy in the market could satisfy excess demand. Beginning a new business of any kind requires a certain dedication and appetite for risk. Opening a new gay campground generally puts the new owners in a rural, usually remote and often isolated location. Surrounded by non urban neighbors, each can take whatever reaction to the new business that fits their beliefs. Mostly, new owners find neighbors friendly and accepting. Areas surrounding large gay campgrounds quickly learn to embrace their new gay customers who spend more and more readily than less affluent locals. Setting up a culture of giving, a natural attendant to gay entertainment, local organizations from volunteer fire departments to animal rescues benefit directly from the generosity of gay campers in the new parks. Let’s take a look at some of the new and less well known gay campgrounds in North America.
Ric Reily is a gay camping enthusiast and an SFGN contributing columnist. He is a shareholder of Sawmill Camping Resort in Dade City, FL, and regularly summers at Jones Pond Campground and RV Park near Angelica, NY. This is his sixth annual feature about gay camping.
76 | THE
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
Don’t miss a
tastE. Feeling the hunger?
Read SFGN’s weekly food column for an exclusive bite on local bars, restaurants, and seasonal flavors.
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g campin
k e e r C r a Sug d n u o r g p m Ca
30 West 4977 Highway 2N Only, T 931-209-1000 und.net mpgro SugarCreekCa ws Facebook Revie 19 m o fr s r a 4.9 St // Ric Reily
T
ennessee has several outstanding gay camping options strung along the length of a long east to west state. Timberfell Lodge in far eastern TN and Whispering Oaks near Nashville are now joined by the new Sugar Creek Campground. Like most gay campgrounds Sugar Creek requires a membership and is men only. April through October are the operating months with the campground open everyday. Sugar Creek Campground isn’t ‘only’ notable because it is situated in Only, Tennessee, less than an hour west of Nashville. Conveniently, it’s just off Interstate 40 and centrally located between Nashville and Memphis. The owners have owned Mirandas, an adult toy store, nearby in Only for decades. They are familiar with serving gay customers and have longstanding deep connections with the local gay clientele and business community from Nashville to Memphis. Thus far the local response has been positive both from governmental regulators and nearby neighbors who are mostly gay or related to gay men. After visiting other gay campgrounds in the market area Sugar Creek’s owners wanted to create an updated facility. The shower house is new, featuring individual shower stalls and a gang shower room, and is kept in clean condition and excellently maintained. All infrastructure, electrical, plumbing, and septic are new, quite a change from many campgrounds. The beautiful property is cut through with its crystal clear namesake Sugar Creek pocked with shaded and sunny wading and swimming holes. The peaceful natural setting includes a cave that feeds the creek five thousand gallons a minute over waterfalls and through sunlit glades. The property is very private and though not advertised as clothing optional, owners and campers are friendly and accepting to everyone, including those who choose to fully integrate with the pristine backdrop. Abundant field space is perfect for rounds of kickball, baseball or rugby and is certainly unique in a culture usually dominated by volleyball as a physical sport. Horseshoes, volleyball and corn hole setups are also available. The all important swimming pool, the
The beautiful property is cut through with its crystal clear namesake Sugar Creek pocked with shaded and sunny wading and swimming holes. 78 | THE
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
Photo via Facebook.
center of gay camping daytime activity and socializing, is open. A community campfire burns most evenings. Accommodations include a five unit building suitable for three guests each. There are thirty-seven campsites with full hookups for RV’s, and twenty tent sites with electricity. Cabins are coming, planned for completion by Spring 2019. After their first summer some amenities are still in the works. Plans include a hot and a dry sauna for the second season. Entertainment is a mainstay amenity of gay campgrounds and Sugar Creek has a stage with seating for a hundred campers. Friday night game nights are hosted by a drag queen. Saturday nights are full on drag shows with Chyna and Marlene presented in a less formal or serious style. Drag at Sugar Creek is fun and well, campy. Willie Lickets is the bar and grill, open Friday, Saturday and part of Sunday. The club serves bar food and beer. Because there is no liquor license campers are welcome to bring their own bottle. BYOB is a big boon for campers as most arrived prepared and at Sugar Creek they run into no resistance. Differing from most gay campgrounds, Sugar Creek opens its night club to non members for an entrance fee on some nights. Visitors can watch the shows and have access to the night club though their welcome expires when Willie shutters for the night. When you’re ready for a top notch gay camping experience including new amenities, full services and great entertainment Sugar Creek is a sweet option.
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g campin
a m a b a l A t u O p m a C Road 163 Campground340 Geneva, AL 36
334-684-0188 y.com utAlabama.Weebl
CampO
4.8 Stars from 21 reviews
Photo via Facebook.
// Ric Reily
M
att and Jason own CampOut Alabama, opening the new gay campground set near the Alabama and Florida State line after relocating from Chicago. Jason has a background in teaching and farming with an appreciation for the slower pace that rural living has to offer. In his previous life, Matt was a Property Manager. Together they enjoy house flipping as a side line. They arrive in gay camping uniquely suited to manage a rural campground. Pre CampOut Alabama Jason and Matt enjoyed traveling with their camper and unwinding by the campfire with a drink and friends. In July 2017, they found, actually stumbled upon, a former gay campground that was abandoned and for sale. Matt, Jason and Bear the dog drove to take a look and fell in love. Recovering from an attacking swarm of bees, they made an offer which was accepted. CampOut Alabama is an older gay campground that was overgrown though the new owners are working hard bringing it back into shape. The road in is challenging. Giving up careers, security and friends to pursue a vision is a dream many have yet few execute. Matt and Jason did. The owners are friendly and always willing to help campers with whatever they need to make their visit memorable. The campground is a large spread out property, set in the woods, offering large wooded sites for a real camping feel. A fully stocked pond is great for fishing and flowing out of rolling woods is a creek where campers are welcome to swim. Take a walk down trails through quiet picturesque woods. Like many older properties some sites are less than perfect so be prepared to level your rig. The shower house is new, and a laundromat is available. A clubhouse includes a comfortable lounge, dance club, pool and hot tub. After a dip in the pool or soak in the hot tub get some sun on 80 | THE
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the sundeck. The pool and hot tub are always open and facilities are clean and inviting. Accommodations range from rustic camp sites to luxurious camper rentals. New cabins include the Deluxe Cabin with a queen bed, King Deluxe Cabin with a king bed, and both have a bathroom, refrigerator, microwave, air conditioning and heat, and a charcoal grill. The Sleeper Cabin has a queen bed, refrigerator, microwave, air conditioning and heat, and a charcoal grill though no bathroom. A bunkhouse room is available. Bring all your supplies. You need bedding, towels, soap, shampoo, food, water, plates, cups, flatware and anything else you may want while enjoying your stay. Camp sites include five primitive tent sites, five rustic tent sites and five tent sites with water and electricity. There are also forty full hookup RV and trailer sites. Day passes, night passes, and an annual day pass are available. The park is open for day and night passes from morning until midnight. Day passers must leave the park by seven and night pass holders must leave the park by midnight. A variety of different events and themed weekends keep socializing fun. Campers stay true to southern hospitality and are friendly, warm and fun. Visitors must be 18 years of age or older to enter, except for friends and family weekends. An annual $15 membership is required. CampOut Alabama is not a clothing optional property except for clothing optional weekends and while swimming in the pool or soaking in the hot tub. Matt and Jason have rescued and are recycling a failed gay campground. Their efforts are bringing it back and local and traveling campers are noticing and embracing their success.
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CreekRidge Campgrounds
5250 Williamston Rd Stockbridge MI 49 285 517-565-3800 CreekRidgeCampg round.com 4.3 Stars from 30 Google reviews
// Ric Reily
M
ichigan’s first all male, membership only private campground, CreekRidge Campgrounds was acquired in Summer of 2016, opening the following Spring for the 2017 season. Owners Ron and Mike’s mission is to provide an environment where friends become family. “As we work to give back to our community, we want to build a campground where we hope you take time to enjoy the simple things in life, building friendships, enjoying what nature has to offer or sitting around an open fire.” Ron and Mike make a point of being out in the field interacting with their guests and assuring them of a good time. With their second season in the books, CRC has stepped out of the crowd of new gay campgrounds to shine as one of the best gay campgrounds in North America. Located in an underserved market certainly facilitates success, yet this place has worked hard reaching out to gay campers and providing a top quality product all the while maintaining a focus of giving back to the community. Operating a new business delivers a motivation to truly understand what guests expect and how they would like their campground to improve. CRC listens and their success reflects a willingness to work for their customers. CRC, for men 21 years of age and older, is centrally located near Stockbridge, Michigan, between Ann Arbor and Jackson, northwest of Chelsea, about an hour and half drive from Detroit and twenty minutes from Jackson. The drive from downtown Lansing is less than forty miles. Serving southern Michigan, northern Indiana and northern Ohio, CRC is less than a two hour trip for many campers. One hundred and forty-five sites make up the campground. Many are seasonal sites, the core of most gay campgrounds,
Photo via Facebook.
some with basically permanent campers. In addition, back in and pull through motorhome and trailer sites with water and thirty or fifty amp electricity make up a large part of the property. Tent sites, some with water and electricity and all with tables and fire pits are located under large shade trees or in the open fields for sun seekers. Campsites are all large and well marked. If you don’t own a motorhome or trailer, or simply don’t want to bother with hooking it up or pitching a tent, cottages, the bunkhouse, and even some RVs can be rented. Shower houses are clean, modern, and there are plenty of them. A laundromat is available. A bridged creek runs through the gorgeous seasonal sixty acre campground. The creek separates the clothing optional outdoor area with wooded hiking and walking trails from two fishing ponds and
the main campground. Set back from the main road CRC is entered through a secure gate at the office. Locked after hours, the gate serves to keep non campers out, and provide a real sense of safety and security. Like most gay campgrounds the pool is the center of daytime social activity and CRC delivers. The brand new pool is large and maintained beautifully always sparkling clean. Campers are welcome to bring their own beverages to the pool area. Virtually every weekend is packed with themed events both daytime and night. Club Solitude is the blazing dance hall with it’s club like environment, laser lights and DJ driven professional sound system. CreekRidge Campground is a favorite for many who have become seasonal campers, and for many more who have had the pleasure of a weekend visit.
DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020 | THE
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The Homestead A t 3218 O
4.9 Stars from 18 Google review
s
// Ric Reily
wners Mark and Rob have created a private membership only RV park and campground exclusively for gay and bi men in Central Texas. Your twenty-five dollar annual membership could be halved as The Homestead is a Friends with Benefits participant. Open since Memorial Day 2016, their clothing optional resort is about a two hour drive from Austin. Access is via a country road outside of rural Crawford. Mark and Rob’s private farm is about 30 miles from Waco and Baylor, and about 40 miles from Belton and Mary Hardin-Baylor. The beautiful north central Texas countryside provides a serene backdrop and the surrounding landscape lets you immediately know you are in Texas while adding to the pure rural ambiance. The owners live on property and go out of their way to make visitors feel like guests rather than a paying customer. Hospitality is their focus and it certainly sets the theme. All ages and body types are represented, younger, older, large, small, fit and muscular, bears and leather men. The Homestead at 3218 is a getaway for everyone and rarely is an attitude encountered. Open year around, entry is through a secure gate with the facilities a bit down the driveway. Once inside, the seclusion offers an invitation to let the city stress go. Whether you want to participate in outdoor activities, swim in the seasonally heated pool or sun bathe on the surrounding deck or grassy areas is all up to you. The grounds are well-maintained. Sit at night and gaze at bright stars through clear skies hearing only the sound of crickets in the distance. The night sky is spectacular. The pool area is well appointed with lounge chairs. Soak up the hot Texas sun or relax in the shade of one of many umbrellas. Music fills the pool area and like most gay campgrounds the pool is a great place to socialize. A well equipped Recreation Center is a non smoking chill venue to play billiards, watch the big screen television or just enjoy conversation with friends. The Rec Center also houses a series of accommodations including a bunk room with single beds, private dressing areas for day pass guests, small rooms with beds rentable for short terms to relax privately, and hostel style private sleeping cubicles. In addition, the building includes a video and game lounge, drink vending machine, clothes and personal items lockers, a large steam room, large open shower room and restroom facilities A private clothing optional outdoor sunning and smoking patio surrounded by a high-fence is attached. Massages are available. Everything is well kept and spotless. Accommodations offerings are wide and varied. Fully furnished first class Pool House suites top the list. One suite is a large one
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3218 Canaan Church Road Crawford TX 76638 254-486-0032 TheHomesteadat3218.com
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
Photo via Facebook.
bedroom unit with views of the creek and pasture. Another is a spacious two bedroom suite with similar views. Both are fully furnished and offer a completely outfitted kitchen including ice in door refrigerators, private bath, queen size bed and a queen size sleeper sofa. Each suite includes everything needed, all utilities and even select DIRECTV channels on flat screen televisions. Between televisions and WIFI there is all the connectivity needed to the outside world. Though most guests find themselves leaving their phone in the room and never turning on the television, the scenery and pool can be very inviting. Free laundry and parking round out the entire package. The Homestead at 3218 is growing. Longwood Tavern is coming soon with a full liquor license, three meals a day and indoor and outdoor dining. Also coming are an additional three acres accommodating about fifteen travel trailer and RV sites with parking pads, utility connections, a central waste dump station, and approximately ten tent camping sites.
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954.763.1900 DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020 | THE
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h c n a R w Rainbo
1662 LCR 800 642 Groesbeck, TX 76
254-729-8484 et RainbowRanch.n
le
oog 5 Stars from 8 G s review // Ric Reily
R
ainbow Ranch is a LGBT campground and resort established in 1997 located in Central Texas just outside Groesbeck about two hours from Dallas. Open every day it’s an affordable gay environment and a safe place where you can be yourself and unwind. Before leaving town headed to the camp be certain to have all you need, it’s a long trip back. Better yet bring everything you need from home, there are few local stores available. Turning off the main highway there are about three miles of narrow rough pavement that leads across a small bridge that can seem tentative in a long and heavy RV. The road ends in the campground property. After the final miles take in some fresh air and relax. Acres of stunning Texas scenery on Lake Limestone roll into the distance. The lake is beautiful and sunset across it is nothing short of spectacular. The pet friendly property is home to every insect that flies or crawls, no different than any other rural campground. Tenters are advised to protect their supplies from animals, which to my mind seems a good reason to up the tenting game to a cabin. Campground staff is friendly, helpful and accommodating. With a mix of permanent residents and weekenders, Rainbow Ranch has a wide variety of campers. Weekenders and permanent campers are friendly and quickly include newcomers inviting them to feel welcome. There is a strong sense of community and camaraderie. Beginning as a primitive camp, Rainbow Ranch has evolved into an RV park and campground with many themed weekends. Major events now include Memorial Day, Women’s Fest, Men’s Round Up, Ladies Summer Splash, Fall Fur Fest, the October Fest Party, and an annual New Year’s celebration. Accommodations include tent sites, RV sites, large and small cabins right on the edge of the lake and a complete full size house providing options for any visitor. Spotless showers and bathrooms with flush toilets are well maintained and located conveniently. Tent sites are affordable, well maintained and each includes a fire ring and picnic table. Choices include primitive tent sites with no water or electricity and tent sites with utilities. If you enjoy a party atmosphere camp near the pool and pavilion. If you seek peace and
The view and breeze are wonderful and being away from noise and congestion delivers nature at its finest.
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| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
Photo via Facebook.
serenity camp on the lake near the permanent residents in an area under shade trees. The view and breeze are wonderful and being away from noise and congestion delivers nature at its finest. RV sites have plenty of space and are close enough for groups to camp and party together. Full hookup RV sites include water, sewer connection and electricity. If you don’t yet own an RV and want to experience one, several are available for rent. Large and small rental cabins, some with two queen beds, are neat as a pin. New smaller cabins without bathrooms are located lakeside, a short walk to a clean shower house, and offer spectacular views particularly at sunset. Accommodations also include a 2,800 square-foot completely outfitted house with room for up to 14 guests. Talk about a private party! A pristine salt water swimming pool is refreshing with WIFI available. Free canoes and boats are provided for daily use. Nature trails, three fishing piers on the lake and pond, a sand volleyball court and a basketball court keep campers busy. The Pavilion houses a venue for foul weather and nighttime activities. Covered and enclose-able, the pavilion space with new decking allows activities, parties, and dancing with a DJ in any weather. In addition, a pool table, air Hockey and big screen TV round out entertainment options after dark. For quiet times you can even borrow a DVD to watch in the comfort of your own site. There is always something new as the owners never stop improving the property, another reason why Rainbow Ranch has been awarded the Dallas Voice Readers Voice Award for best weekend getaway six of the past ten years.
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Whispering Oaks Retreat
926 Walker Ro Hampshire, TN 38ad 461 931-446-1171 MyWhisperingOak s.org 3.3 Stars from 13 Google revi
ews
// Ric Reily
W
hispering Oaks is a Middle Tennessee private membership resort located about an hour and a half southwest of Nashville near Mount Pleasant, TN. For men only, Whispering Oaks is a rustic clothing optional campground with a convenient layout set on naturally beautiful wooded terrain. Improvements are continual by the dedicated owners. On arrival and driving through the gate it’s easy to feel like you have come home. The camp is set on a mountain top spanning over four hundred and fifty acres. Forests of trees provide shade and terrain for miles of hiking trails. Open meadows dot the mountainsides. Bold streams cascade over waterfalls running through the verdant woods feeding beautiful meandering creeks that water small ponds throughout the property. The owners, staff and residents are friendly and welcoming. Whispering Oaks is clean and well maintained. It is a great place to relax, enjoy a naked hike and meet new friends. Amenities include a heated swimming pool, a large bubbling hot tub and a multi use recreation center and assembly hall that hosts many themed events. Tenters, visitors in cabins without bathrooms and those who just prefer public facilities will enjoy the community restrooms and showers. After dark The Woodshed comes alive for adult entertainment. Feel free to bring along your favorite food, there is common refrigerator space and a microwave along with a grill for personal use in the dining pavilion. In addition, there is a full commercial kitchen where meals are prepared for special events and themed weekends. Special event menus generally are at an additional charge to campground access fees and rentals. Homer’s, the general store, sells toiletries,
Photo via Facebook.
snacks, camp supplies, cigarettes, and logo items. The nearest grocery store is about eight miles away. Over twenty individually decorated cabins dot the camp. Most include a queen size bed, air conditioning and Wi-Fi. Some include microwave, mini refrigerator, flat screen television and private or shared baths. Creative names define a theme for each including, though by no means limited to, Thai One On, Nash Vegas and The Love Shack. Personally, I might avoid The Funky Bunk. Consistent with the camp nature of Whispering Oaks, accommodations are on the rustic side ranging from cabins with complete kitchens to bunk beds in a bunk house. Accommodations include two bunk houses, basic cabins, deluxe cabins with shared baths, private rooms, and private rooms with private baths. Yet in keeping with demands of the gay market Whispering
Oaks provides a high level of creature comforts in their cabins. Campers can tent and RV sites include full hookups The campground offers fourteen RV sites for ten permanent residents and four weekenders equipped with up to fifty amp electric service, water, and sewer. Additional RV sites are being created. Located just a few miles away is The Farm, one of the largest and longest-lasting intentional communities in the United States. They have several public areas to visit including a fabulous General Store, which offers many natural and organic foods. An annual membership fee of ten dollars keeps the camp a private facility. A day pass is available. Bunks cost twenty dollars per night. Cabins and RV are priced for two. All and all Whispering Oaks is a great value for the experience and a genuinely unique place offering endless opportunities in a huge and beautiful setting.
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Road Elephant Butte h t r o N 16 5 4 7, 911 85118 Queen Valley AZ 3 520-231-50 4 h.com Ranc CopperCactus s 7 Google review 5 Starts from
Copper h c n a R s u Cact
// Ric Reily
book. Photo via Face
B
obby Cook and his partner Rich Homan have created a safe men only retreat for the small Arizona gay community to frolic and be themselves. Their forty acre Copper Cactus Ranch is located one hour east of Phoenix, Arizona. It’s hidden in the Superstition Mountains foothills near Tonto National Forest, Gold Canyon and the famous Elephant Butte north of Queen Valley off of Highway 60. There you’ll be greeted by the very welcoming hosts along with the other guests. The guys have done a great deal of work improving the property. The underlying focus of this retreat is more than simply gay camping, it is creating camaraderie among gay men. It’s much more than a campground it’s a men’s sanctuary. It is a place to experience comfort and acceptance on a secluded forty acres. This ranch is a retreat into nature for those who want to share in the company of other gay men, to be able to sit and talk with like minded souls and share experiences of being gay and being men. Copper Cactus Ranch is perfect for making new friends and bonding with like minded guys. The retreat is a nineteenth century pioneer ranch populated with saguaro cacti. The native desert is all around and is a great place to experience the beauty of the desert while primitive camping in a rustic and rugged environment. Copper Cactus Ranch Men’s Retreat is a clothing optional place to relax with a host of beautiful spots for hiking in mountains, washes and canyon areas. Amenities include the swimming pool and a large comfortable hot tub spa with seating for many. There’s a television room for movies and an indoor bring your own bottle saloon with a lounge including live music or Karaoke. Outdoor showers have gorgeous 86 | THE
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views of the mountains and Elephant Butte. Trails and a group campfire round out the list. Copper Canyon Ranch Chuckwagon serves breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Food is excellent and cooked to order, with superb service. Sit back and enjoy a delicious home made meal. A gift shop offers handmade glass art gifts made at and by the men of the Ranch, logo items, calendars of the local men and other art items. Accommodations include seven rooms with queen size beds in the private ranch house with shared bathrooms and private shower. Queen size beds are also available in the ranch house bunk room. Tent camping and several RV sites including electricity and water connections are also available. Themes and events fill days and nights. Outdoor activities include after dark pool parties, soaker wars, pool games and barbecues. There’s also weekly karaoke, a monthly drum circle and strip poker. Regular themes include bear, cowboy and leather events. In addition, more serious activities include discussion groups about men’s health, surviving abuse and using PrEP. Though rural, Copper Cactus Ranch is located just ten minutes from a golf course, a liquor and convenience store and is only thirty minutes from the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum, the Renaissance Fairgrounds, and the Country Thunder Music Festival grounds. Annual calendar year twenty-five dollar membership is required. Day passes are available for access to the property and all amenities from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. Copper Cactus Ranch Men’s Retreat is a truly unique gay campground that delivers a traditional camping experience wrapped in celebrating being a gay man.
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1946 Wilton Drive Wilton Manors • FL 33305 www.IslandCitySmiles.com DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020 | THE
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s d o o w d l i W y a w a e d i H
ad 181 7975 County Ro46 Eutaw AL 35 3 205-860-8036 .com way WildWoodsHidea Google reviews 12 m o fr s ar St 4.9 // Ric Reily
R
and and John, the owners of Wildwoods Hideaway are outgoing hosts and like to personally welcome each of their guests to their beautiful resort and campground, the product of their life long dream. From the moment of arrival each guest is likely greeted personally by the owners who deliver a rundown on everything you need to know. This is one of the best gay campgrounds in the Southeast. Staff can be instant friends and take great pride in providing a place where gay men can get away from their routine and enjoy nature. They provide a sense of community where everyone can have fun, feel safe and enjoy being themselves. Though you may be traveling or live close by, this place does turn strangers into friends. Everyone, staff, campers and permanent site holders are welcoming to new members. It’s easy to have a great time. All guests on the property must be members and memberships are annual starting on the date of purchase. Like most gay campgrounds membership allows owners to limit access. Unlike most gay campgrounds Wildwoods Hideaway memberships vary in cost and benefits. A Travelers Membership is for traveling gays who will not likely return within a year and is good for the length of stay. The Diamond Membership includes fourteen of each day and night passes good any day except Holidays and special events. If you don’t want to plan and just drop in anytime the Honors Membership is a great choice with unlimited access anytime. Memberships can be upgraded at anytime by paying the difference. Members then purchase a day pass for access 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., a night pass for access 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., or an overnight pass valid through 9 a.m. the next day while staying on an otherwise paid campsite. Veterans receive a twenty percent discount on purchase of a day or night pass or any accommodation. Also unlike most gay campgrounds where two tent campers can pay more than two guys in a forty foot motorhome, all sites and rooms are priced for two. Accommodations vary widely including primitive tent sites without utilities. Class A RV sites provide water and fifty amp electricity hookups. Standard RV sites offer water and thirty amp electricity connections.
Staff can be instant friends and take great pride in providing a place where gay men can get away from their routine and enjoy nature.
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| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
Photo via Facebook.
Sleeper cabins offer a full size bed including linens, air conditioning, mini refrigerator and a microwave. In addition, poolside rooms include queen size beds, linens, air conditioning, mini refrigerator with freezer, and a shared bathroom with a shower, perfect for the more demanding gay man. But wait, there’s also Morningwood B&B, which includes breakfast. Where shall we begin? You needn’t ask, you had me at breakfast. Amenities include two in ground salt water swimming pools with sundecks for perfecting your tan. A large spa has hundreds of delightfully useful jets particularly helpful in relaxation and rejuvenation. A second smaller hot tub conveniently located between the pool and the Pavilion will no doubt get you warmed up and limber for the evening ahead. The Pavilion is your place to take a break and shun the sun. With plenty of seating the pavilion features fans, an enormous flat screen television, and great music. All common areas and buildings are smoke free, clearly a big plus for me on any amenities list. Southern hospitality is a distinct set of unwritten rules that never fails to welcome newcomers into the community. Wildwoods Hideaway knows every one and graciously embraces all who visit.
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River Ridge Campground
1385 Harding Road Mt Olivet, KY 4106 4 606-842-1385 RiverRidgeCampg round.com 5 Stars from 2 Go ogle Reviews
// Ric Reily
R
iver Ridge Campground is Kentucky’s only exclusively male campground and RV park. Set in northeastern Kentucky on the Licking River it is located seventeen miles east of Cynthiana, KY. After a seven mile drive thru rolling hills west of Mt. Olivet, off highway 62, a narrow and winding paved lane leads to the camp. Keep a slow speed watching for oncoming traffic. Grocery and camping supplies stores are in Mt. Olivet so make a stop before arriving at camp. Campers must be 21 and older and own a membership to River Ridge Campground. The camp is non smoking and a member of Friends with Benefits, a gay camping industry program providing reduced cost memberships to those with a membership at another participating campground. In addition, a Travelers membership is good for one visit. River Ridge Campground provides a place for men of all ages, types and backgrounds to relax along the alluring Licking River in the beautiful rolling hills of Northern Kentucky. The camp owner, Matt, affectionately known as RVMan Matt, opened his campground to bring men together and help them break down barriers and kindle friendships. The property is mostly clothing optional and a privacy fence encloses the entire park. Wi-Fi is available throughout. A lodge building includes a day lounge with big screen television, kitchen, laundromat and a convenient morning coffee bar. A swimming pool is in Matt’s plans and in the meantime campers can cool off in one of the water relaxation stations, basically huge stock watering tanks. Hot water showers and toilets including outdoor showers are conveniently located. Theme weekends include the usual for many gay campgrounds, Memorial Day, Gay Pride, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Don’t miss The Run for the Roses Kentucky Derby, Cowboys ‘N Leather and Couples Massage, uniquely River Ridge favorites. Evening activities include Friday night movies in the day lounge, frequent potluck dinners, and Friday and Saturday night bonfires. Daytime activities include volleyball, horseshoes, sunning yourself in a lounger or cooling off in the water tanks. Also take advantage of three hundred and fifty feet of Licking River frontage for relaxing along the river bank or kayaking, canoeing, tubing, and fishing for small and largemouth bass, catfish, muskie and trout. Kayak, canoe and tube rentals are available including transportation six miles upstream to float back to camp or float two and a half miles downstream to a pick up point. If you want to visit just for the day without staying overnight, day passes are available. Or call River Ridge Campground your country club with an annual day pass available for only two hundred fifty dollars, which includes your annual membership. More than forty RV sites for travel trailers, fifth wheel trailers and
Photo via riverridgecampground.com.
motorhomes including pull through sites for big rigs are available. Sites have 30 or 50 amp electricity, city water, and dump station with weekly pump-out service available. Rates are for two campers per night and extended stay rates including water and electricity are available. Some seven month seasonal sites are available. Tent sites with electricity and water, and primitive tent sites without water or electricity are priced per person per night. There is a bunkhouse with six beds. Presley Place is the deluxe cabin with a queen bed including linens and pillows, air conditioning, refrigerator, Wi-Fi Smart television and porch chairs with its own fire pit and bathroom next door. The lodge houses a completely furnished private room with a queen size bed, including linens and pillows, Direct TV and private bathroom. The non smoking room is suitable for two and requires a two to three might minimum stay. River Ridge Campground is a labor of love for its owner and his effort shows. Campers enjoy the quiet intimacy along the river and volunteer their own labor making the camp better each season. DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020 | THE
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DawgWoodzCamp
County Rd 822 # 13 33 Grassy, Missouri 63751
573-238-0144 DawgWoodzCamp. com
5 Stars from 18 G oogle Reviews
// Ric Reily
O
wners Tommy and Gregg go out of their way to welcome everyone and live up to their mantra, “Where men come to enjoy the Dawg Dayz of summer.” Very friendly and helpful with information, directions, and advice, they are responsive via email and messenger though reservations can be easier by telephone. Their campground is open April through October. DawgWoodzCamp is a private, 21-plus male only, membership campground nestled in the deep back woods of southeastern Missouri. Located about two hours south of St. Louis, MO and an hour from Cape Girardeau the rustic clothing optional campground is set on 65 secluded and wooded acres and is a great place to chill. Campers are singles and couples, mostly thirties and older, bears and other rustic guys making a fun mix of bi and primarily gay men from Memphis TN, Cape Girardeau, Kansas City, and the St. Louis area though some arrive from as far away as New Zealand. Cell service in the area is very limited so print out directions as maps may or may not work on the last few miles of the drive. The location may not even appear on your map. This place is very rural, know the way before you go. Already a great spot, it continually gets better. DawgWoodz lacks some amenities of more established campgrounds and is consistently being improved as it grows and develops. Though similar to CampIt Campground, near Saugatuck, MI and Cactus Canyon Campground, near Springfield, MO it’s not the largest around but still a great place to spend some time away from it all. And, neither of the other nearby gay campgrounds have a Peacock, at least the feathered variety. This is a smaller campground with gravel roads meandering through dappled sunlight and shade to 90 | THE
Photo via Facebook.
comfortable campsites. As a private membership only campground everyone must have a current season or lifetime membership. Day passes are available and overnight site and cabin rates vary by accommodation and are higher on holidays and during special events. Camping basics, ice, soda, some adult supplies, and sundries, are available in the camp office. Other supplies, groceries and restaurants, are available in a small town about a ten mile drive away. Be prepared for Confederate flags and limited options at local stores. It is best to arrive well prepared for a great time in the Woodz. Traveling or visiting in an RV, book one of the limited number of back in RV sites early. Five cabins with air conditioning but no indoor water nor plumbing are available for rent. There are single and group sites located in three main camping areas, including about twenty tent sites most of which are primitive without electricity and water. Fire rings at individual campsites lends even
| DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020
more to the rustic nature and charcoal grills are everywhere. Outhouses are located near tent sites. Clean and well cared for facilities include the gang style shower house which is centrally located near the large salt water pool. The swimming pool is surrounded by a wood deck with plenty of tables and chairs, a few umbrellas and a six man hot tub. After dark, part of the pool deck becomes an outdoor dance floor with dance music and disco lights. DJs are there most weekends with a laser light show that rivals some clubs. On holidays and during special events food and fireworks are often provided. Themed weekends and events means there is always something to do including the Saturday night bonfire creating a festive atmosphere. DogWoodzCamp is known for its inclusive campers and fun atmosphere. Go prepared to be included and bring along some extra food and drink to share in building an even stronger community in Southeastern Missouri.
Loria Medical SCROTAL ENHANCEMENT – A True BREAKTHROUGH There’s no reason to let gravity, age and hormones take a toll on your man package. If you’re experiencing an overly saggy, stretched out scrotum skin you know how uncomfortable this can feel in tight clothing, interfere with exercising, and make you feel self-conscious during intimate situations.
Scrotal Enhancement
Aside from age or hormonal issues, some guys find they may just want a larger, tighter, rounder, firmer scrotum. Well, it’s now possible to get larger even ‘smoother’ testicles. With Dr. Loria’s state of the art Platinum Procedure you can have the scrotal enhancement you’ve always desired, for increased confidence, personal pleasure and satisfaction. Loria Medical Scrotal Enhancement Procedure is a true breakthrough, in that it provides a fuller, larger scrotum, yet provides a natural realistic texture to the touch without surgery. The result is a larger, more prominent scrotum that commands attention, respect, and intrigue and feels natural, soft, and undetectable.
If you’re experiencing shrunken testicles, saggy scrotum or hanging loose skin, contact Dr. Victor Loria at Loria Medical. We can help you regain your confidence.
Call 1-877-Dr-Loria today for more information.
g campin
p U k c a P And
g n i p m Get Ca S
// Ric Reily
eldom passes a week that someone on their first visit to a gay campground doesn’t cross my path. Though I am consistently surprised to know there are those who have never heard of campgrounds oriented to gays I remember that I too was one. Once initiated most return for more. Getting comfortable with routine is easy and safe. Going to the same places, shopping in the same stores, eating in the same restaurants and visiting the same gay campgrounds is familiar and comfortable. Yet, that very comfort precludes new experiences that often lead to interesting individuals and broadened understandings. As our world changes, as our rights and acceptance expands, new gay campgrounds open. Scattered about the country some campers realize their dream of owning a gay campground and set about the task of creating a place and experiences for their friends and customers. Get out and check out a new or improved gay campground. I enjoy the same several camps mostly out of habit, and I already have a membership. Many gay campgrounds participate in the industry program Friends With Benefits that provides for half price memberships with ownership of a membership at a participating campground. Every gay campground has its own character, culture and topography. Each is populated with a cross section of the 92 | THE
metropolitan areas from which it draws customers. Some are huge, crowded and loud. These can be difficult to get a reservation in, particularly during gay High Holidays and special events. Some are small and intimate and deliver a uniquely personal experience including mingling with owners and other campers. Many are well managed businesses with excellent entertainment options, up to date, clean and well maintained facilities and beautiful properties. Some are small camps etched out of forests or hillsides offering little more than a place to pitch a tent, revel in nature and meet other campers. Old standards in the business have been around for decades, serving generations of gay campers. They are located in the eastern U.S. near big cities. New ones open each year all across the country some in places never before served by a gay campground. The beaten path leads us to many, close to home and easy to find. The road less traveled leads to opportunities for adventure at new found slices of gay heaven. They are our retreats. All worthy of a visit. Every one the actualization of the owners dream with a personality driven by those who call it their own. Each a place where gays can be who they are unencumbered by expectations at home. So get up, pack up and get camping.
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DECEMBER 2019 - JANUARY 2020 | THE
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Meet Dr. Victor Loria, Meet D.O. Dr. Victor Loria,
A PIONEER IN COSMETIC PENIS AND SCROTAL ENHANCEMENT
D.O.
Can increasing your penis size really improve your life? If you’ve been feeling inadequate due to A PIONEER INofCOSMETIC PENIS SCROTAL ENHANCEMENT dissatisfaction with the size your penis you know how AND much this can affect your whole life on a daily basis, from your intimate connections to your professional performance and beyond. Can increasing your penisleader size really improve your life? If you’ve invasive been feeling inadequate due to Dr.Victor Loria is a globally renowned in non-surgical, minimally methods for male penis and dissatisfaction with the size of your penis you know how much this can affect your whole life on a daily scrotal enhancement, eliminating the need for traditional surgery and the risks that accompany it. basis, from your intimate connections to your professional performance and beyond.
Dr.Victor Loria is a globally renowned leader in non-surgical, minimally invasive methods for male penis and scrotal enhancement, eliminating the need for traditional surgery and the risks that accompany it.
TYPES OF MALE ENHANCEMENT PROCEDURES
Glans Enhancement | Scrotal Enhancement | Shaft Enhancement
TYPES OF MALE ENHANCEMENT PROCEDURES
The highly popular Platinum Technique is a minimally invasive, permanent filler procedure which Glans Enhancement | Scrotal Enhancement | Shaft Enhancement fulfills the objective of increasing the size of your penis. There are other major benefits that make The highly popular Platinum Technique very is a minimally invasive, filler procedure which this procedure intriguing such permanent as: fulfills the objective of increasing the size of your penis. There are other major benefits that make this procedure very scalpel intriguing such No general anesthesia | No | as: No stitches
Lower cost |anesthesia No risks of surgery No general | traditional No scalpel | No stitches Lower cost | No risks of traditional surgery
Dr. Loria uses not only the most sophisticated and state-of-the-art techniques Dr. Loria uses not only the most sophisticated and state-of-the-art techniques that are available and recognized today, butbut also has been advancements that are available and recognized today, also has beenmaking making advancements and providing leading technology with advanced the and providing leading technology with advancedtechniques techniques ininthe Enlargement & Restorationfield. field. Penile Penile Enlargement & Restoration Learn more about the highly successful Platinum Procedure and other popular
Learn more about the highly successful Platinum Procedure and other popular techniques that can dramatically improve the quality of your life at techniques that can dramatically improve the quality of your life at
www.loriamedical.com • 1-877-Dr-Loria
www.loriamedical.com • 1-877-Dr-Loria
PENILE GIRTH ENLARGEMENT AND SCROTAL ENHANCEMENT WITH THE RENOWNED PLATINUM TECHNIQUE!
A BIGGER, BETTER YOU in 2019!
IMPROVE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, SEXUAL PERFORMANCE AND SELF ESTEEM! Globally renowned pioneer in penis and scrotal enhancement with non surgical techniques since 2010. Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Victor Loria has improved the lives of thousands of men.
The Platinum technique is an acronym that stands for “Penile enlargement using Collagen Layering Activation Filler Technique Involving New and Unique Materials”. The many benefits of the Platinum Procedure vs traditional surgery: • NO Cutting with a Scalpel • NO Scars • NO Stitches • NO General Anesthesia Risks • NO Invasive Surgery with Skin Implants • NO Invasive Surgery with Liposuction Fat Transfer • NO Invasive Surgery with an artificial skin Implant • NO Invasive Surgery with a Rubber-Silicone Prosthetic Implant • MUCH LOWER Risk of Infection, bleeding, complications, etc. • MUCH SHORTER Recovery and Healing Time • RESULTS Seen in 14-21 days….not years as seen in physical exercise methods
Contact www.loriamedical.com or 1-877-Dr-Loria
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