Martini House: Burlington, Ontario

If you’re looking for good food, a great atmosphere (inside and out) and an incredible cocktail list, then Burlington’s Martini House is for you. Tucked away on Elizabeth street, the Martini House offers a nice small patio in front, perfect for summer nights, and a cozy, candlelit setting inside. I recently visited for dinner on a Saturday night and thought it was time to share this place with you!

It goes without saying that they know what they’re doing when it comes to drinks – they have a separate menu designated just for martinis, offering a wide variety of combinations. I have had a chance to sample several different kinds and they have all been expertly concocted and mixed. On my most recent visit I decided to opt for a glass of wine instead of a martini and they had a good variety of local and international wines to choose from.

On this particular occasion I decided to order their curry mussels with a caprese salad. Perhaps a bit of a strange combo but it worked. The mussels were served in a rich, golden curry sauce and came with naan bread. They were served on a bed of rice which was perfect for soaking up the yummy curry sauce. The mussels were quite filling and would easily have sufficed as one whole meal. The caprese salad was equally good with a light balsamic and oil dressing. The salad is listed in the menu as coming with crisp leaf greens, which I opted out of - I don’t think lettuce belongs in a caprese. The tomatoes were ripe and delicious with beautiful bocconcini and fresh basil. It’s one of my favorite salads and they do it well.

My two friends who joined me for dinner ordered the pasta of the day and the filet mignon. The pasta dish consisted of homemade ravioli that were filled with fresh ricotta, spinach and scallions and served in a creamy garlic sauce. The ravioli were perfectly al dente and the portion was a good amount for a dinner serving. While we unfortunately had to send the filet back because it was overcooked initially, they immediately remedied the situation and gave us all free dessert as a food offering (which we graciously accepted, obviously). It should be noted that the fact that the meat was improperly cooked was quite out of the ordinary for them – I have ordered the filet there before and it was cooked perfectly – so don’t worry about this happening to you. The steak came back out served on top of a mountain of lobster cheddar mashed potatoes (yes, it is a thing and yes, they are crazy delicious) with grilled green beans and asparagus.

While it became a bit too dark outside for me to take any good photos of the desserts (I really hate the look of food shots with a flash so I made the decision to just go ahead and eat without taking any photos – a rare moment!) they were good but not incredible. The assorted cheesecake platter tasted a bit stale and uninventive, whereas the chocolate peanut cheesecake was dense and delicious! While I haven’t sampled their other solid desserts, I think your best bet is to enjoy a final dessert martini, of which they have several delectable options. 

I would certainly recommend checking this place out next time you are in B-town but be sure to make a reservation! It's a popular joint.

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!)

Field Trip: Vintages BBQ, Toronto, Ontario

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Vintages BBQ in Toronto courtesy of She Does The City.  Held inside the Corus building at the Queen’s Quay in Toronto, the sold-out event was full of people excited to enjoy an evening of wine tasting and delicious BBQ!

We braved two hours of traffic coming in from Hamilton to Toronto (which, as a reference, should not have taken more than 1 hour) for the event and we were not disappointed. I had never been to the Corus building and thought the space was incredible and perfect for this kind of event. With high ceilings and a modern-industrial feel, the room was set up with various tasting stations and big open doors that lead to the patio and outdoor grills. The room was buzzing with people drinking and mingling while the DJ played upbeat versions of classic hits.

With so many wines to choose from, I was grateful for the taster’s notebook – a small booklet listing all of the offerings as well as space to make notes – which was provided to each attendee.  Here are some of my favorites from the evening:

• France, Rhône: M. Chapoutier Belleruche, Rouge, 2011 – a full-bodied deep red wine, that was both fresh and very fruity, exactly what I look for in a summer red.
• USA, California: Buena Vista Vinicultural Society, Sauvignon Blanc, 2011: I was naturally drawn to this wine because of the name and I will definitely go back to this wine because I continue to find the name very amusing (also, it was tasty).  This was a very fresh tasting Sauv-Blanc with an herby nose to it. I think it would be amazing with roast chicken or pork tenderloin (or a Buena Vista Social Club playlist).
• Italy, Toscana: Casamatta, Sangiovese 2011: I am not often a big fan of Sangiovese, but found this one quite nice. While there was still a bit of an “earthy” flavor, which I don’t generally enjoy, the fruity nose and taste made the wine seem bright and flavourful.  

Now, you may recall my mentioning that this event was both a wine-tasting and BBQ and I would be remiss if I didn’t also discuss the delicious food! For starters, I have been craving ribs since Thursday. I am really not much of a rib person and typically avoid eating them in public (I’m a messy enough eater without the addition of super-saucy finger food) but decided to just go for it and was not disappointed. Picture meaty, succulent ribs, covered in a tangy sauce with meat that fell right off the bone and melted in your mouth! (I’m sorry because now you probably want ribs, too!) Needless to say I went back a few times to get more because they were so good. There was also a steak station with little pieces of steak cooked perfectly to medium-rare. While enjoyable, they weren’t seasoned at all and in this case, the flavor of the meat itself just wasn’t enough to not require seasoning. The third station was a seafood station and I definitely made my way over more than once. They had whole salmon fillets that had been grilled over cedar planks as well as tiny little lobster sliders that were topped with a generous dollop of tangy aioli. 

In addition to the BBQ stations outside, they set up a few tables indoors with an equally delectable selection of salads and veggies. Besides the cute little cornbread squares and tasty guacomole, my favorite item here was the potato salad. I know, potato salad typically isn’t anything special or memorable, but that is precisely why this one was so good. Perfectly cooked potatoes (firm yet tender), just the right balance of creaminess and tangyness in the dressing and sweet peas! It seems so obvious to me to put peas in potato salad now but it was pretty exciting at the time (it’s the little things in life, right?) Everything was very good and perfect for cleansing your palate in between wines.  

Overall, the event was very well done and I only have one suggestion for next year’s: to see more wines from Canada since there were only 2! We have some pretty incredible wine regions and I would have loved to see them represented at this event. None-the-less, the Vintages BBQ was a great opportunity to try new wines, listen to fun music and, of course, eat ribs! Thanks She Does The City!

Strawberry Picking at Murphy's: Binbrook, Ontario

A few summers ago, one of my friends from school introduced me to Murphy’s farm. We had been looking for a place to pick strawberries and with this one located in nearby Binbrook, it was the perfect option. We filled a basket full of berries and turned them into delicious homemade strawberry pierogies. When we decided to go back this year, I instantly started planning out my future strawberry creations.

Although we are now into the very early days of July, there remain many delicious strawberries to be picked across Ontario. On Saturday, we headed back to Murphy’s to pick ourselves some strawberries, enough to make jam and a few other tasty treats. The farm is quite large with several strawberry patches to choose from. 

This year’s berries, though somewhat smaller, were extremely sweet and juicy. We couldn’t help but taste a few along the way! We filled up two big baskets worth and went out to buy jam jars and our other jamming needs. Having never made jam before, we looked up a number of recipes before settling on this one. We ended up using half brown sugar and half white sugar as well as added a bit more lemon juice than was called for. After several hours of hulling, mashing and boiling...voila! Jam!

I didn’t stop there, however.

For breakfast the next day I made strawberry-banana crèpes with nutella! They were light and sweet and the creamy chocolate of the nutella was the perfect contrast to the bright strawberry flavor. I added the banana because I pretty much always add bananas to crèpes – it just makes sense. 

My basic crèpe recipe goes something like this: 1 cup of milk, 1 egg, a cap of vanilla extract and about the same in vegetable oil get mixed in a large bowl. I take a ripened banana and smush it a bit in my hand while it is still in its peel then remove the peel and mash it into the mix. Then I start to add flour to the mix, a tablespoon at a time - usually between 6-8 heaping tablespoons depending on the consistency. Basically you want a well mixed batter (without any flour lumps but there will obviously be some banana lumps) that is still pretty runny (but not too runny). It's gotta be runny enough that it will spread across your pan easily and very thinly but not so runny that it doesn't hold its shape. Pour batter into an oiled pan on medium heat and let the batter spread to the edges to form a thin crèpe and there you have it! Because they are so thin they really don't need a whole lot of cooking time and often don't even need to be flipped (if thin enough!)*

Next on the list were strawberry tarts using my best friend Chelsea’s foolproof recipe. I have never been a great baker and I used to be even worse! Chelsea, however, is an incredible chef and baker and shared her sour cream pie recipe with me several years back. I modified it slightly to fill 12 little tarts and it turned out beautifully. The recipe is basically 1 cup of sour cream, 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup white sugar and 1 egg all whisked together until well-combined, then poured over top of fresh berries in a pie shell (or tart shells). It gets topped with a crumbly mixture of 1/4 melted butter, 1/3 cup flour and 1/3 cup brown sugar. These measurements are for a whole pie, so when making tarts, I cut it all in half. You throw the pie/tarts into a hot oven (450) for 10-15 minutes then turn it down to 350 for an additional 15-20 (tarts) or 30-45 minutes (pie) or until the crumble is golden on top and it doesn't jiggle too much when you give it a shake. It's pretty much the easiest pie recipe and everyone will love it. 

Finally (and in my mind, la crème de la crème) is the simple but always delicious strawberries with cream. This is a special treat for me because my grandmother (my memère!) used to make this for me in the summer after dinner. It’s really just a bit of sugar, some fresh strawberries and cream. The tart strawberries get mellowed out by the sugar and cream and once you are done all the berries, drinking the leftover is the best part. Bon appétit and happy picking!

*Disclaimer: I am notoriously awful at sharing recipes, particularly the kind that involve me essentially going by feel like when I make crèpes. I hope my directives aren't too vague and that your crèpes and tarts are edible delicious!

Zum Linzer: Hamilton, Ontario

I was pleasantly surprised to have been able to score a table for two on a Friday night when I called a few weeks back. While parking is a bit difficult (since the restaurant is located directly on Main St. in Hamilton) I was definitely far too excited to let that deter me; I hadn’t been to Zum Linzer in several months and wore my stretchiest finest jeans for the meal.

Deep Fried Camembert

From the moment you walk into their small but cozy digs, you pretty much know right away that you are in a German restaurant. They have about 10 tables and a small but very nice bar. They have a row of beer steins along a shelf hung across a brick wall in addition to a collection of decorative plates. They use proper linens on their tables (i.e.: not paper) and their servers are always knowledgeable, friendly and prompt.

House Salad

When we sat down, there were about 3 other full tables and I could hear people quietly speaking to each other in German (which I take to be a very good sign). Soft music with inaudible lyrics could be heard in the background and mostly everyone there seemed pretty serious about the food and beer. While they don’t have a huge beer selection, what they do offer includes select imports such as Warsteiner Dark, Munich, Stiegl and Gosser with a few on tap and a few in bottles. I know the beer only contributes to how full I inevitably feel whenever I eat here but I think it is necessary – somehow wine just doesn’t feel right. Kind of like how not eating the complementary rye bread that comes to the table doesn’t feel right, even though it means that I’m already half full before the apps arrive.

Gypsy Schnitzel

We start off with the deep fried camembert cheese and receive a huge breaded and deep fried round of the stuff. It comes out golden and crispy on the outside and warm and creamy on the inside. They serve it on a toasted piece of bread with a thick dark currant jam on the side, of which the sweet and tart flavors perfectly complement the rich cheese.

We then receive two plates of the house salad, which is quite unique in comparison to many other places. The salad is basically a handful or so of fresh greens topped with a medley of finely diced pickled veggies in an oil and vinegar dressing. Little pieces of carrots, red cabbage and onion can be picked out, creating a colourful, flavourful and interesting start to our meal.

Liver and Onions

Our mains arrive at the table – two heaping plates of meat, sauce and spaetzle. My boyfriend ordered the liver and onions because a) he loves liver and onions and b) he says it’s the best he’s ever had (I can’t really comment on this because unfortunately I really, really don’t like liver and onions). I ordered the gypsy schnitzel, a classic thin piece of breaded pork covered in a rich paprika sauce. It comes with a huge portion of spaetzle and grilled veggies. The sauce is savoury but not spicy, with sliced red peppers and onions to give it a bit of texture and depth of flavour.

We didn’t have room for dessert (or for all of the spaetzle) and we both left feeling very satisfied and exceptionally full.  I certainly recommend this place to anyone looking for a delicious schnitzel (Michael recommends it for anyone looking for amazing liver and onions) and an overall very good dining experience in Hamilton. 

Bite-Sized: Nabil's Middle East Fast Food, Hamilton, Ontario

On the corner of James North and Wilson in Hamilton is a strip mall. Inside this strip mall there is a pet store, a pretty good sushi buffet and among other things, the best falafel I have ever had. I have sworn by Nabil’s for falafels since 2006 and it is simply the best (better than all the rest). 

The Falafel Pita:

Warm, soft pita that gets doused in a spicy red sauce and creamy garlic sauce, while two big fresh falafel balls get fried and then placed inside the pita. They add lettuce and tomatoes, wrap it all up and quickly throw it on the grill for a slightly crisp and very warm pita. The magic of this pita is both the quality of the falafel – crispy on the outside, soft and airy on the inside, with lots of parsley and garlic – as well as the creamy garlic sauce. While a lot of falafel pitas tend to be dry and bland, this one is creamy and full of flavor. I highly recommend it!

The Works: Burlington, Ontario

San Francisco Treat with Bacon and a side of poutine

With the upcoming launch of The Works burger joint in Hamilton’s own Jackson Square, it seemed only fitting to give it a try at the nearby location in Burlington (also I love burgers in general and didn’t really need a reason to check it out). The Works has been around since 2001 and has over 20 locations already up and running and nearly 10 more on the go.  When I recently checked out the Burlington location, I was immediately impressed with the friendly staff and cool interior; the brick, metal and wood gave it a rugged, industrial feel that worked well with the menu offerings and overall dining experience. 

The main thing with The Works is that you are pretty much guaranteed to find something on the menu that appeals to you, as long as you like burgers. Not only do they have 6 different patty choices including (but not limited to) beef, elk and portobello caps, they have 71 different combo toppings and many different sides to choose from. 

Tower-O-Rings

We started off by ordering milkshakes, which I heard were a specialty of theirs. They give you the option of mixing multiple flavours (and I’m the kind of person who likes a lot of options when it comes to food) and went with a chocolate and peanut butter mix while my boyfriend opted for raspberry and chocolate. They both arrived in big glass measuring cups with straws and were extremely creamy and thick (and also very filling)! 

For our appetizer we ordered the “Tower-O-Rings” which are breaded (not battered) onion rings. They come piled high with two dipping sauces; we got the Chipotle mayo and the Buttermilk Ranch.  The rings were super crispy – crunchy even – and quite large! It’s a pretty generous portion for an appetizer when you consider that you’ve already had half a milkshake and have a burger and side on the way. We couldn’t quite finish the tower but I imagine that it would have been a perfect size for 3-4 people, instead of 2.


After looking at the menu and what seemed like a billion topping combinations, we finally settled on our burger picks. I got the San Francisco Treat on a beef patty, which came with real Kraft dinner & cheddar cheese (not Rice-a-Roni). I blame Diners, Drive-ins and Dives for making me add bacon to my burger (as well as a side of poutine).  My boyfriend got the Blues Burger on an elk patty, including blue cheese and double smoked bacon, with a side of their spicy die-cut chips.

Poutini Martini

I really liked the Kraft dinner and the creaminess that it gave the burger, and the bacon added just the right saltiness and texture. One of my ‘beefs’ with the burger, however, is that the bun was a bit stale and oval (while the patty was round. That is actually a pretty big pet peeve of mine and I have sent back many a non-matching bun at restaurants - yes, I am that customer). 

I ordered the Poutini Martini as my side, which is a standard poutine with onion rings. The image I had in mind when I ordered this was of small, crispy bites of onion rings mixed into the poutine. What I received, however, were large pieces of onion rings (basically one of their rings roughly broken into 4 pieces) thrown onto the top of the poutine. While they did use real curds (5 points for that), I was disappointed in the lack of said curd (minus 5).

Blues Burger with Die-Cut Chips

My boyfriend enjoyed his burger but found that the blue cheese was almost too strong and somewhat overwhelmed the flavour of the meat. While elk is a pretty lean meat, the burger remained moist and had a nice texture to it. The spicy die-cut chips were probably the high light here. Similar to kettle chips except a bit thicker and with a really yummy house-made dry rub on them; we ate them all despite being super full. 

Overall, The Works is a good burger joint and they are definitely a player in the ongoing best-burger competition. They are constantly coming up with new toppings and combos and that is precisely why I think they will do well in Jackson Square.  The shakes were great, the onion rings were crispy and unique and with a few tweaks to their buns and poutines, they could really have something amazing! I will be sure to check them out once they are up and running in Hamilton. Oh and be sure to come super hungry and to spread out your milkshakes and onion rings!