Sweet Pride

Dessert Gallery Bakery & Cafe
dessertgallery.com

Everybody needs a sweet treat once in a while, so why not pop into one of the two Dessert Gallery Bakery & Cafe locations for a well-deserved Pride cookie? CEO and founder Sara Brook has been winning awards and customers with her incredible baked goods since 1995. And a big part of her business is about giving back. She makes charitable donations to nonprofits and mentors young people, she donates to Second Servings of Houston every month, and she is always at the ready when disasters hit. During Hurricane Harvey, she led a sandwich brigade to hard-hit neighborhoods, and during the early days of the pandemic she fed healthcare workers. So it’s no surprise that she has been a big Pride fan ever since the first day she opened the doors of Dessert Gallery.

“We’ve been baking with love, for love, since 1995!” says Brook. “This year, we’re offering our famous Pride Cake as a 6-inch cake, in addition to the 9-inch size and the slice you already love.”  These scrumptious cakes are rainbow delights inside and out, and perfect for Pride parties. And don’t forget the cookies; there’s even a Trans Day of Visibility cookie!

“At Dessert Gallery, we don’t just make desserts—we make space. Since we opened our doors in 1995, our mission has always been to create a place where everyone feels welcome, seen, and celebrated. That’s what Pride means to me. I believe love wins, and that everyone deserves to live, love, and eat dessert freely. We do Pride because we believe in kindness, inclusivity, and the power of dessert to bring people together. Every cookie, every cake, every rainbow sprinkle is our way of saying: I see you, and you belong here.”

Know Your History

Larry Bagneris – Call Me Larry: A Creole Man’s Triumph over Racism and Homophobia

And here’s a must for your bookshelf: Call Me Larry: A Creole Man’s Triumph over Racism and Homophobia. If you don’t know Lawrence Bagneris Jr., you don’t know your Houston Pride history. This memoir details his life growing up in a large Creole family in New Orleans in the ’50s and ’60s. Bagneris was involved in the civil-rights movement as a teen, explored gay bars in the French Quarter, and then moved to Houston in 1969 where he became an LGBTQ advocate working with The Diana Foundation, the Gay Political Caucus, and as a founder of Houston’s first Pride parade.

“It wasn’t just me,” he recalls. “It was the community that came together. I had a diverse group of friends of all colors and backgrounds. We hung out at gay bars and house parties, and they were just so accepting and generous with their time.”

Eventually Bagneris returned to New Orleans, and his contributions to the local community were often overlooked until more recently when his work was highlighted in the Charles Law Community Archive in Houston’s African American Library at the Gregory School in 2019. Well written and often entertaining, his memoir is the story of a Black gay man who made, and still makes, a tremendous mark in the South. He’ll be in Houston for the Pride parade and says if you see him and have a copy of his book, he’ll gladly sign it. Available now at your local independent bookseller, at a Barnes & Noble near you, and on Amazon.

A Delicious Read

Adán Medrano – The Texas Mexican Plant-Based Cookbook

A mouth-watering read from Houston’s own chef/author/filmmaker Adán Medrano, this new book, The Texas Mexican Plant-Based Cookbook (Indigenous Foodways) will fill you with recipes and history. Medrano grew up in San Antonio and northern Mexico, where he developed his expertise in the flavor profile and techniques of indigenous Texas Mexican food. If you have his Truly Texas Mexican: A Native Culinary Heritage in Recipes (TTU Press, 2014) and Don’t Count the Tortillas: The Art of Texas Mexican Cooking (TTU Press, 2019), you’ll definitely want to add this one to your shelves. In his career as a foundation grant maker, he spent 23 years working throughout Latin America, Europe, and Asia and during his travels came to recognize the cultural importance of food.

“Rooted in indigenous culinary traditions, this cookbook highlights the plant-based practices of our ancestors, where—across Texas and North America—two-spirit individuals held honored roles in the kitchen and community,” Medrano says. “As a gay chef, I connect deeply with that heritage. It’s a celebration of the two-spirit legacy and an invitation to explore the ties between food, identity, and culture. The book is dedicated to my husband, Richard Jiménez, my creative companion for 50 years.” The Texas Mexican Plant-Based Cookbook, scheduled for release August 21, is currently available for preorder at your local independent bookseller, at a Barnes & Noble near you, and on Amazon.

A Pint of Pride

Frost Town Brewing Pride Brews
frosttownbrew.com

Besides Pride, June is also known as a pretty darn hot month in Houston, and what better way to cool down than with a “frosty” brew from Frost Town Brewing, the queer-friendly downtown brewery serving pride by the pint.

In their third annual Pride Series, the brewery offers custom beers on tap to raise funds for local LGBTQ charities. Available starting June 1 in the tap room, the beers were created by head brewer Anna Foulds in collaboration with each queer employee, who also chooses an LGBTQ charity to receive $1 from every pint sold.

As for the beers, Foulds says, “I work with any employee who identifies as a part of the community to come up with fun and creative flavors. This year we will have a Mocha Kolsch, Prickly Pear-Mango-Serrano Sour, Wildflower Honey Kolsch, and a Pomegranate-Yuzu IPA.” In past years, the series has donated to Tony’s Place, Montrose Grace Place, and The Trevor Project. Chill out, drink up, and show your Pride!