Hamburger Mary Comes to Ottawa

 I now know how to respond when people ask me this;

“Are you from Ottawa?”

That question is usually asked by longtime Ottawa people, and I know what they mean.  For a while, I didn’t understand, but now I do.  They’re asking if my family, like theirs, lived here when I was born.  Or did I grow up somewhere else?

So, I answer by saying “No, I grew up on a farm in McLean County, between Bloomington and Pekin.  I came to Ottawa in 1973.”

And that’s how you can live somewhere for fifty-one years and still not be from there.  I get it.  And I really don’t mind the question.

But I want to point out that those of us from somewhere else add to our community.  Take my friend Sam for example.

Sam goes to my church, Open Table United Church of Ottawa, downtown on the corner of Columbus and Jackson.  Now that I’m retired, Open Table and the YMCA are where I interact most with other people. You can get isolated during retirement if you’re not careful. I value my association with both organizations very much.

Like me, Sam isn’t from Ottawa.  He grew up in Cleveland, went to university in California, lived for a while in Chicago, and now teaches at the college level.  Sam is married and raising his family in Ottawa.  And like many in our church, he’s a lot younger than me. 

Open Table UCC is an Open and Affirming church, meaning that we opted as a congregation to be intentionally welcoming to members of the LGBTQ community.  “Intentionally welcoming” is church code meaning we do more than put words on the website and go about business as usual on Sunday.  We live that welcome seven days a week all year long.  Not only talking the talk but walking the walk.  We’ve found offering a genuine and meaningful welcome helps us reach younger people who as a group are more comfortable with our stance. 

Open Table sponsors and provides space for another organization, Youth Outlook, to operate a weekly support group for LGBTQ young people.  The Ottawa Chapter of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) also meets at Open Table on the third Sunday of every month.  And of course, there is worship, with open communion, at 10:00 a.m. every Sunday.    We’re a diverse and active congregation, young and old, gay and straight, attended by people of all types and persuasions.  I feel good being part of it. 

One of our most successful programs is Second Sunday Lunch.  We followed the lead of our neighbors, the Episcopalians who began providing a free lunch to the community years ago.  After us, other churches signed on: First Presbyterian, First United Methodist, Christ Community Church, and Trinity Lutheran.  Now, each Sunday of the year anyone in the community who needs or wants food, fellowship, or both can enjoy a community meal in Ottawa.  Your local churches do more than you realize.

Back to Sam.  He has a lot of talents.  In a past life, he was a line cook at Hamburger Mary’s in Chicago.  There are eleven Hamburger Mary’s restaurants in cities across the country.  As a company, they support LGBTQ organizations and causes in the communities where they operate. 

As you know, there is a Pride Festival in Ottawa this weekend. It begins with a Night of Remembrance for victims of violence against the LGBTQ community on Friday the 7^th in Washington Park at 7:00 p.m..  It is sponsored by Open Table Church.  Saturday opens with a parade, followed by a day full of events in both Washington Park and the Jordan Block.  Look for Open Table’s booth there.  Ottawa’s Pride celebration includes a performance by the Ottawa Community Gay Pride choir, led by Open Table’s choir director Donna Martin.  Ottawa Pride activities end officially on Saturday. 

However, on Sunday, in honor of both Pride weekend and Hamburger Mary’s, Sam and his family are cooking Mary’s famous burger with their distinctive fixin’s, hand-cut steak fries, side salads, and like every Second Sunday Lunch meal, great desserts made by members of our congregation.

 

 Hamburger Mary’s is famous for distinctive “mocktails”, or non-alcoholic drinks.  So, added to the food menu on Sunday are Virgin Marys, Wonky Donkeys (a local takeoff on an NA Moscow Mule), and Orange Creamsicles – all with fabulous toppings.  A Wonky Donkey is made of ginger beer and lime.  I have a sneaking suspicion one of Sam’s kids may have gotten in on naming that drink. 

Sam is preparing lunch for a large crowd.  So, if you would like to cap off Ottawa’s Pride Event with a hamburger only Mary (and Sam) can make, or just have a mocktail, please join us.  We serve from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. June 9th.  You’ll meet a nice group of people.  As always, everyone is welcome.  Really.