Bite-sized: M.T. Bellies, Welland, Ontario

So I used to work at this restaurant called M.T. Bellies (get it?). I started when I was in high school and it was my first serving job. I worked at the Port Colborne, Ontario location and though it is closed now, they are still going strong at their original location in nearby Welland. M.T. Bellies is a fun, easy-going restaurant with a lot of options on the menu. One side of the restaurant is catered more towards families (including white paper on the tables with some crayons and games) and the other is more for adults, with a few booths and high tables around a bar. While the food would definitely be considered standard restaurant fare (apps, salads, burgers, pastas, etc...) M.T's adds a few unique twists that make it stand apart from places offering a similar menu. One such example is this:

Da Boss

This burger  is called Da Boss and it kind of blew me away. Picture a big homemade beef and cheddar pattie, topped with jack cheese, crispy bacon AND tempura-battered jalapeno peppers! If that wasn't enough, they serve it up on a fresh kaiser bun. I've definitely seen a lot of fried onion rings on burgers but having the spicy yet muted crispy battered jalapenos was a real treat and a perfect burger topping (which I will most certainly be trying to replicate in the near future).

Crispy fried jalapeno on top of Da Boss
(with a side of poutine, obvi)

While on this particular occasion I only ordered the burger, I have tried nearly everything on the menu at one point or another and it is pretty much all good. They aren't doing anything terribly fancy or out of this world, but they are taking classic food items and doing them well and in some cases (such as the case of Da Boss) they are seriously raising the bar! If you are driving through Welland and looking for a casual, good eat, I would definitely recommend M.T's (especially if you are driving through on a Friday in the summer when they are serving up delicious Lake Erie perch!)

Spring Rolls: Hamilton, Ontario

Assorted Spring Rolls Platter

Among the many renovations currently taking place at Limeridge Mall on Upper Wentworth in Hamilton is the arrival of Spring Rolls, a Pan-Asian restaurant chain from Toronto. When I was living in Toronto, I had eaten at Spring Rolls a few times and while it was always enjoyable, it never blew me away. I was pleasantly surprised on my recent visit to their Hamilton location, both for the overall dining experience and the food itself.

Cashew Chicken

In a beautifully renovated space, the restaurant feels bright, welcoming and very modern. Unlike some of their Toronto locations, the tables feel spacious and we didn’t feel rushed or crammed in. They have a contemporary menu, with many options divided by type of cuisine – Japanese, Thai and Chinese – along with a few specialty items, soups, salads and desserts. There is a lot to choose from and I would imagine that almost anyone could find something on the menu to suit their tastes.

We started our meal with the assorted spring rolls platter. This came with a variety of hot and cold rolls as well as hoisin sauce and sweet chili sauce on the side. It also came with a good-sized portion of mango salad in the centre of the platter. The rolls all tasted very fresh and the salad was crisp and refreshing.

Singapore Noodles

For the mains, we ordered the Singapore noodles (with whole wheat noodles), the cashew chicken and the mango salad with chicken satay which came with a bowl of miso soup. Everything was delicious. The noodles came in a tasty curry sauce with shrimp and veggies. The cashew chicken was equally good with lots of nuts and big pieces of chicken. Everything tasted fresh and came out hot. While I likely would not have ordered the mango salad as a main had I known we were getting some with the appetizer, I still ate most of it and the chicken satay was a great addition; grilled skewered chicken breasts with a warm peanut sauce on the side.

Mango Salad with Chicken Satay

The portions were perfect for lunch – in fact we had some to take home – and we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals. The service was friendly and prompt and the food was fresh and filling. Is it my personal favorite Pan-Asian in the city? Probably not. But it is none-the-less an enjoyable dining experience with a lot of fresh menu choices and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good meal after a day of shopping at Limeridge. 

Bread Bar: Hamilton, Ontario

Whenever I have friends or family visiting from out of town, my frequent go-to restaurant recommendation is Earth To Table Bread Bar in Hamilton. It is well situated in a bright, open space at the South end of Locke Street. The food is consistently good, often great, and the service is always friendly and prompt. While the tables can feel a bit cramped together depending on where you are sitting, it is none the less one of my favorite places to eat and drink in the city.

Here is a breakdown of why Bread Bar is awesome:

1) In addition to their regular menu, they are always making daily specials as well as variations on their loaded fries. While there are classic go-to menu options that I always come back to, I often cannot resist trying their daily french fried creation! My two favorites so far are:

Smoked meat with sweet mustard and cheese

Homemade cheese sauce with salsa fresca and
sour cream

World's Best Mac & Cheese

2) The mac & cheese. Amazeballsing. I recommend this above all else at Bread Bar. It is honestly the most perfect mac & cheese that I have ever tasted. Perfectly cooked elbow noodles – first boiled, then baked and always al dente. The sauce is rich and thick – you can taste the roux base and the creaminess of the aged cheddar. They throw in sautéed onions and smoky bacon in big pieces, adding the perfect flavor and texture contrast to the cheese sauce. It gets baked in an individual dish and topped with only a small sprinkling of breadcrumbs. In my mind this simple version of the standard dish is ideal. The breadcrumbs add just the right amount of texture, without making the dish taste overly dry, and the richness of the sauce ensures that every bite is gooey and amazing. 

3) They have a great drink menu. With a variety of local and international wines and a decent selection of local craft beers, you’re sure to find something to wet your whistle. When I visited a couple of weeks ago, I had the rare treat of getting to taste Dillon’s gin, a fresh creation from Niagara’s newest and only craft distillery.  Served in a cocktail with sparkling Riesling and blood orange puree, the gin added a very subtle flavor kick to the drink. It was bright red, light and sweet – a very nice way to start the meal.

4) Pizza.

Vampire Slayer

I guess I should be more specific. Have you ever watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Well, I do and I am a huge fan. HUGE fan. Here at Bread Bar they have a pizza called “The Vampire Slayer” and it is necessarily loaded with roasted garlic. I love the idea of a Buffy-themed pizza (even though that show in particular may not be the inspiration to them, it is in my head) and my boyfriend and I order it often.  Their homemade pizza dough is topped with a creamy béchamel sauce, brie cheese and roasted garlic. It is finished with fresh arugula, grated lemon zest and more garlic. Since I am not a huge arugula fan, I often find it a bit overpowering to the otherwise subtle flavors of the pizza. That being said, it is none-the-less one of my favorites and I could totally go for one right now.

Butterscotch Pudding

5) Dessert! I always save room for dessert. I have a small area in my stomach (right, lower portion) which I never fill while eating, leaving it empty specifically for dessert. You definitely want to use this technique next time you are at Bread Bar because they have many tantalizing dessert options.  For example, you can enjoy their amazing monkey bread (think cinnamoney, cakey, goodness in cupcake size) or one of their daily pies. Last time we went we ordered a slice of their rhubarb pie, which was a tart, moist dessert with a crumble topping. Another option is the homemade butterscotch pudding.

Rhubarb Pie

They fill a mason jar with a very light almost cappuccino-coloured homemade butterscotch pudding. This gets topped with a layer of caramel followed by a pillow of fresh whipped cream. They finish it off with candied pecans - crunchy and salty and perfect. Eating this was one of those moments where I don't think I actually said one full word but rather uttered a series of low moans and/or animal calls.

The Bread Bar is one of those places that I’m sure will stick around for a long time. They’ve developed a significant and dedicated following in the area and they are definitely setting the bar high for local restaurants and cafes.

Who wants to grab a bite?

Bite-Sized: Culantro, Hamilton, Ontario

Pollo empanada

While Hamilton's newest (and only) Peruvian restaurant has already received a ton of well-deserved praise, I would be remiss not to include it as part of my blog on the area's best food, because who are we kidding here? Culantro is doing it right. It has quickly become a popular destination in the James North neighbourhood and though small in size, they are certainly big on flavor. 

My boyfriend is part Peruvian and having been spoiled with places like El Fogon while we were living in Toronto, we were both super anxious for the arrival of Peruvian cuisine here in Hamilton. While I have not yet tried all of their offerings, I can tell you that the empanadas, the yucca and their homemade sauces are delicious*. 

Carne empanada

I have had their carne (beef) and pollo (chicken) empanadas several times and the quality and flavor has been consistently superb. The empanadas are flaky and golden with a generous filling. The carne is stuffed with beef, black olives, raisins, egg and spices. The contrast of the flavors works very nicely and the unique mixture of ingredients is precisely what I love most about Peruvian cuisine. The chicken empanadas are equally delicious, with a light, creamy filling of chicken, sweet corn and spices.  I ordered my empanadas with yucca, a tasty, starchy root vegetable and excellent french fry alternative (note to self: make yucca poutine). They come in cubes and are fried until golden and crispy. Of the two aji sauces provided, I love the red sauce the best. When it first hits your tongue, it is sweet and light. This quickly turns into a deep, spicy flavor and is a perfect compliment to the flaky empanadas. 

Yucca and aji sauces

I look forward to many future visits to Culantro (and I am desperately awaiting for them to add Papa a la Huancaina to their menu! hint hint!)

*It should be noted that their Lomo Saltado is also incredible and will be featured in a future blog on eclectic poutine iterations! 

Anchor Bar: Hamilton, Ontario

Anchor Bar Wings

Blog prologue:

Back when I was in university, I decided to become a vegetarian. This will likely come as a shock to anyone who has been reading my previous posts and has observed my love of meat. I was a vegetarian for about 5 years and really enjoyed it; I was certain I’d never go back to eating meat. After I moved to Toronto and was between jobs, I did some waitressing at Magic Oven, a restaurant offering organic pizza, pasta and salad options. Also, wings. Yes, tasty, delicious free-range, crispy and dry rubbed in herbs and garlic. After about a month at this place, I started dreaming about wings and eventually ate one. It was amazing and they are still to this day my all-time fave wings. This post, therefore, has a special place in my meat gut heart.

The wings:

Anchor Bar, Jackson Square,
Hamilton ON

Working in the James North neighbourhood means that I have many delicious options for lunch.  With so many new and interesting places popping up, it can be hard to keep up let alone choose a place to check out! Last week my co-workers and I decided to visit the Anchor Bar; Jackson Square’s newest addition and the wing joint’s first venture in Canada.  With a fully renovated space, friendly staff and super tasty wings, it has quickly become a popular lunch spot among locals and it’s easy to see why.

Anchor Bar, Jackson Square,
Hamilton ON

We ordered 30 wings – ½ spicy and ½ medium. What can I say? They were very tasty and nothing short of what I would expect from a place known for their wings. The sauce had great flavor – tangy, spicy and bright. The wings weren’t overly battered, just nice good-sized wings coated in a messy sauce. They came with a house-made blue cheese dip which we all loved. I don’t even really like celery but had several pieces just to soak up the dip! 

Buffalo Chicken Poutine

We also ordered a poutine (Obviously. I mean, how can I go somewhere new and not try one of their poutines when they have 4 different kinds on the menu?) We opted for the “Buffalo Chicken” poutine. Although the potatoes are nice and the curds are appreciated, the gravy was overly salty. They didn’t use their signature wing sauce on the chicken, opting instead to let the flavor of the gravy coat the meat. The dish was finished with a ranch drizzle. While we still enjoyed the poutine, I think a few small changes could really make this poutine a show stealer. I would start by coating the chicken in their tasty wing sauce (which, really only makes sense when you consider the poutine is called the “Buffalo Chicken” poutine) and I would substitute the ranch drizzle with their homemade blue cheese sauce. By incorporating two things they are already doing really well, namely their sauce and their blue cheese dip, they would have a delicious and unique poutine.

Overall, the Anchor Bar is a great new spot inside Jackson Square that I would definitely recommend to anyone with a craving for chicken wings.  We left feeling satisfied - not super full or bloated - and anxious to return!

Blog epilogue:

We have all been craving wings in the office since we went. Even for breakfast!

McCartney & Son: Interview with Chef Shane McCartney

Chef Shane freshly slicing
sous-vide herb crusted
strip-loin

Located at 282 James North in Hamilton is the newly launched McCartney & Son, Hamilton's first salad bar. With a huge variety of locally sourced toppings and greens, M&S is also making homemade soups daily as well as tasty deli sandwiches. I popped in last week (as soon as I heard about them) and tried one of the salads. I immediately emailed Chef Shane McCartney for an interview!

So, are you from Hamilton?

I wasn’t born here but I’ve been living here off and on for about 10 years, maybe longer actually, 15 years.

Where were you trained?

Just in restaurants. My very first start was when I bought a restaurant in Halifax called “Café Vienna”.

A few of the delicious salad bar
options

At the time when I lived in Halifax, I had never cooked anything ever in my life. My girlfriend was a chef and the restaurant she was working at was for sale. So I bought the place thinking I wasn’t ever going to have to cook anything or do anything. But day 2 somebody didn’t show up and I was in there cooking and I realized that was what I wanted to do.

What were you doing before that?

I was a music promoter and that’s what brought me out there.

Then what?

Then I moved back here, 10 or 12 years ago, worked in a couple places around here and then worked for a high profile catering company in Toronto where I fed lots of famous people, lots from film and from rock and roll.

That’s why they call you the rock 'n' roll chef?

Yep (laughs) - I’ve fed a lot of famous people.

Food art! Bacon & poutine

Like who?

Most famous is Robert Plant.

(This comes to him instantly. He then pauses for a bit before he names the rest in quick succession.)

Jay-Z, Buck 65, P Diddy, Les Claypool and Primus. And Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson,…

(I rudely interrupt here.)

Holy Crap. Really? Samuel L. Jackson is the last person you thought to name?

(Laughs) Yeah. Well, I always think of music first.

What was the inspiration for M&S?

It’s an idea I’d been thinking about doing here in Hamilton for about 5 years, just had to find the right spot to do it. You know, there are no salad bars in this whole city.

I know! I just moved back from Toronto and love all the salad bar options they have.

(Laughs) I know, they’re everywhere in Toronto! I just wanted to do something really fresh and simple. The original idea was just a salad bar but then Reardon’s closed - I used to live above Reardon’s! So then I was like, well I’m gonna do deli sandwiches, proper deli sandwiches, which is also something that is lacking in the city.

The Big Daddy. Need I say more?

Why James North?

I’ve lived here for about 6 years so I’ve watched the neighbourhood develop. I loved Toronto but I left - I got tired of driving to Toronto. Then the guy who owns Jack and Lois -  he works in film so I used to feed him every day - he hired me to open Jack and Lois. So once I got that up and going I was like, well, next step. And then this place became available.

In conclusion, Chef Shane is the real deal and Hamilton is lucky to have him. I will definitely be coming here often and think you should too!

Olive & Kiwi, Hamilton, Ontario

Have you heard of Olive & Kiwi yet? If not, you should check it out ASAP.

Olive & Kiwi is a market, specialty grocery store and sandwich shop extraordinaire, located at the top of the Garth Street access in Hamilton at 567 Scenic Drive. This place used to be your run of the mill convenience store, until about a year ago when it was taken over by new owners and transformed into a foodie haven. 

In the small space they have, O&K has managed to fit in a local fruits and veggie display, fresh baked breads (from Hamilton's own Cake & Loaf), local cured meats and cheeses, specialty herbs and sauces and so much more! They also recently got a satellite coffee spot for My Dog Joe right in the store. The store is full of beautiful mismatched wood shelves and displays.

While I come here fairly often to stock up on hard to find Ontario dill & garlic pickles as well as Jensen's extra old cheddar (what other kind of cheddar is there, really?) and portuguese corn bread, they still offer me a free sample of soup every time. It's always homemade and always delicious. When I popped in last week after work, I decided to check out their fresh sandwiches. 

When you get to the sandwich counter, you are greeted by 
Tony, the in-house sandwich maker/connoisseur. Of the several yummy options, I decided to go for the marinated and breaded chicken. They marinate the chicken in fresh lemon juice, herbs and white wine and then bread it and bake it to perfection. The breading is crisp and not too thick. I watched Tony carefully. 


First Tony takes a fresh bun and slices it in half (none of this pre-sliced business). He puts on some of the house-made marinara.

He then slices off two pieces of fresh mozzarella and places one on each half of the bun. I'm impressed and this effort does not go unnoticed when I bite into the sandwich.

I choose the following toppings: fried onions and garlic, sauteed mushrooms and grilled peppers (sweet and hot). He piles the toppings onto the chicken and then warms it all up a bit. This then gets placed onto the bun with expert handling. The toppings all stay in place perfectly and the cheese is softened by the chicken. The end product:

I'm not lying when I tell you that I literally sat there making quiet noises of enjoyment to myself, while "Guy Fieri-ing"* each bite. I was happy. 

As I cashed out, the flavor of herbs and white wine lingered in my mouth. I will be back soon and so should you!

*Guy Fieri-ing: To take a double or triple bite, each bite, because it's that good.

Johnny Pastrami's, St. Catharines, Ontario

A few weeks ago while visiting family in the Niagara region, my boyfriend and I were driving around St. Catharines on the hunt for good thrift stores. After checking out a few stores, we decided to drive around a bit more and find somewhere new to eat. Along Ontario Street, we drove passed a tiny little restaurant called "Johnny Pastrami's". It's safe to say I will never be the same person again. 

As the name suggests, Johnny Pastrami's specializes in smoked meats. When you walk in there is a sign above the open window to the kitchen that reads "Half Pound of Pastrami on Rye $5.95". I knew we had selected the right place for our lunch.

The restaurant is very small and when we arrived around noon the place was full and we had managed to scoop up the last free table. Their menu was short and to the point: it listed amazing breakfast options, starters, sandwiches, burgers and of course, smoked meats.

My boyfriend opted for the reuben (pictured above) and I got a little crazy and ordered two items. First, the pastrami burger and second the Italian Poutine.

Before we go any further in this blog, I should tell you that I love poutine... I really, really, really love poutine, all kinds and at any time of day, night, season, etc... There will never in my life be a time where someone put fries with gravy and cheese in front of me and I say "no thanks".  I am in the process of putting together an homage to poutine blog post which will hopefully go up soon!

Now back to the Italian Poutine.

Beautiful golden french fries are covered in mozzarella, topped with marinara and parmesan! The fries get a bit soft but maintain their crispiness surprisingly well.  I was in a happy place. (In fact, I did stop eating for about 5 seconds to say that exact phrase to my boyfriend before returning to the magical land of food heaven). Now, I know that there is some discussion as to whether a poutine must include curds and gravy in order to be called 'poutine'. Possibly this has been an internal discussion that I have been having with myself. Regardless, these were amazing and I am happy to add them to my list of delicious poutines.

With my amazing poutine I ordered a giant burger and I am not ashamed to say that I ate the whole thing.

This was a beef patty, topped with pastrami (the kind that is so tender and juicy it just melts in your mouth) and cheese. Oh and for good measure, some onion rings. It was really super amazingly tasty. My boyfriend equally loved his reuben with tasty russian dressing and zesty sauerkraut.

I cannot wait until we are back in the region to visit again!

Maegan