We decided to have a family lunch together since we wouldn’t be bringing in the new year as we normally did every year.  It was a bit sad, but so it goes when your children are growing up and they have their own plans. The “bonus” was that Caron and I could actually do what other adults do on New Year’s Eve and be out with friends. Hopefully we can be together next New Year’s Eve in some warm country (beach party would be nice) instead of the minus 13 Celsius temps we had to endure.

Since we all had different things on our agenda to complete on this day we decided to go to Swiss Chalet Rotisserie and Grill, since we figured there wouldn’t be a wait and the food is cheap and not bad. We were right in assuming that there wouldn’t be a crowd, so we were seated as soon as we walked in. If you’ve been to one Swiss Chalet restaurant, there’s no difference in the interior, service and food you get.

I’ll list what we ordered, along with any comments and finish up with my final thoughts, as well as info on this specific Swiss Chalet restaurant.

We started off with a couple appetizers, pop and coffee for myself. All pop, coffee and tea comes with free refill and I must admit that their decaf coffee is really good.

Chicken Spring Rolls - Hand-rolled with Rotisserie Chicken, green onions, carrot slivers & peppers. Served with plum sauce.

This is a hit with Caron and the girls since (as far as they can tell) there’s no cabbage as in the ones you get when you order Chinese food. Word of caution though… allow them to cool a bit before you bite into one. A combination of being greedy and hungry meant that I burnt my mouth when I took a large bite as they looked so appetizing.

We also got:  Crispy Dry Ribs – Lightly seasoned outside, tender & meaty inside. Served with sweet chili sauce.

This must be fairly new to Swiss Chalet since I don’t remember it being on the menu the last time we dinned in (we usually get take out), so we thought we’d give it a try. Truthfully, it’s nothing special. Other than being a bit salty, it’s probably not the best way to serve ribs. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had the rack of ribs that’s served and I can honestly say that for a “non” BBQ joint, their ribs are excellent. Not these though. I’m not one to waste, so I was stuck finishing up the plate.

For our main courses we went traditional…

Rotisserie Quarter Chicken (paid additional for white meat), served with Chalet dipping sauce and our choice of side (rice, fries, salad or baked potato). Caron had the white chicken option which had an additional cost and the rest of us had the dark meat with fries. Kieana had her 1/4 chicken dinner with the Caesar salad and she also ordered an additional side 0f baked potato. There was a friendly bet that She (Kieana) could not eat her complete meal… I’m still waiting for the $10 I won

Andrew, Kieana’s boyfriend had accompanied us for lunch and he had the Chicken on a Kaiser – Chunks of moist Rotisserie Chicken on a Kaiser roll with Chalet sauce for dipping. Which also came with a side. He had ordered a baked potato, but got fries instead which we pointed out and got it corrected. I asked Andrew to take a pic for me to share with my readers, but I’m not sure if he thought he was doing something wrong and would get in trouble with the staff, but here’s the pic he took quickly… (the sandwich is somewhere in that pic)

Overall Thoughts ( Swiss Chalet Rotisserie And Grill Upper Ottawa, Hamilton)

If you looking for ok food at reasonable prices (cost us about $100 with tip for the 6 of us) you won’t be disappointed. Our server could have been a bit more available to us since the restaurant was not busy, however it did get busy during our meal. There were a couple times when we did have to search her out and her personality was not as outgoing as you’d expect for a person working in the service industry.

The fresh cut fries were amazing and probably one of the reasons why we keep eating at Swiss Chalet locations (the chicken is also very tasty). I’m sure it’s probably a hit (for them to promote it in their ads), but the “dipping” sauce that comes with each “chicken” meal is terrible. This is what I picture laundry water to taste like. Sorry Swiss Chalet, you should be promoting your gravy instead.

Here’s some info on this location of Swiss Chalet (see the google map at the end of this post):

1575 Upper Ottawa St.
Hamilton, Ontario
L8W 3E2
Tel: 905 389 9904
Email: swiss1753@cara.com
Website: http://www.swisschalet.ca

HOURS: MONDAY – SATURDAY: 11:00AM TO 10:00PM | SUNDAY: 11:00AM – 9:30PM
DELIVERY NUMBER: 1-866-439-0439 | PHONE: 905-389-9904

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It was one of those Thursday evenings where no one wanted to cook and we all had to eat. Maybe a restaurant was not in the budget with holiday shopping on the menu, but we had to eat. I don’t fancy pasta all that much, but everyone else had a craving so we headed out to East Side Mario’s on Upper James street in Hamilton. Since it was the closest location, plus we’ve been there several times before. Always had good service. Though we found that since they changed their menu the food wasn’t as good as it used to be.

Since it was a Thursday night and we went with the expectation that we’d have to wait for a table as it was also prime dinner time. I guess people were either out shopping or cutting back due to the season and recession, but we were seated immediately.  Now if you’ve been to one East Side Mario’s you should know what to expect, so I won’t bore you with the fact that the inside decor tries to mimic scenes from New York or that it’s a bar / restaurant that servers up Italian food.

Service.

Our server Marina was excellent. Always on time with everything, kept asking if we needed anything else and if the food was “ok”. She seemed confident in her job and her personality showed that she genuinely cared about the people at her table. She was there, but never overbearing. Since our daughters wanted to get home on time to watch “Vampire Diaries” Marina even joked with them and got us out in time. Great job Marina.

I’ll just run through what we ordered…

We didn’t order starters as we were on a budget, was a bit pressed for time and we knew that our dishes would come with unlimited salad and that amazing garlic home loaf. Plus, we were hungry and wanted to dig into actual food.

Tehya had been out earlier with her friends for a Christmas dinner party, so she was ordering this visit and Kieana and Indy decided that since they can never finish their meals that they would just share one. BTW, there were no fees as some other restaurants charge for sharing. They order they “build your own pasta” where you could choose which type of pasta you wanted and the sauce.

Details: Build Your Own Pasta – Choose Your Pasta And Sauce Combination PASTA: Spaghetti, Penne, Farfalle, Linguine, Orecchiette, Bucatini. SAUCE: Napolitana, Arrabbiata, Alfredo or Bolognese meat sauce. $10.99

They ordered the Penne with the Arrabbiata sauce, since they’re like their “pops” and love spicy food.According to them it was a good balance of rich tomato sauce and heat. And yes, it was enough for both of them as the portion was fairly large. though it didn’t look that way, since it came in a bowl/plate type dish which was very deep.

Caron ordered what she always orders, even after knowing that since they changed their menu she no longer liked that particular sauce. She also got the build your own pasta, with the penne but with the Bolognese meat sauce. Yup, she complained just as she did the last time we  were there. Quite honestly it tasted like something out of a jar or can that you’d pick up at the grocery store for under a buck. East Side Mario’s really need to go back to the old way they used to prepare this sauce as this one is a true  let-down.It’s a good thing her meal came with unlimited salad.

I opted for the classic…

Spaghetti and Meatballs Bolognese – Tasty meatballs simmered with our Italian Bolognese sauce, made the authentic way with both pork and beef. $13.99

This is a true classic and must say that it was EXCELLENT, even though as mentioned I don’t like pasta all that much. I usually order my dishes extra spicy and the people in the kitchen did it perfectly. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the meatballs were full of flavour and tender. It was not that grainy sort of meat texture you sometimes get with terrible meatballs.

The salad we opted for (came with the pasta dishes and were unlimited) …

Garden Salad – A large individual portion of mixed greens, grape tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, red onions, black olives and croutons tossed in our signature house vinaigrette.

Caesar Salad – A large individual portion of romaine lettuce, bacon pieces and seasoned croutons tossed with our creamy Caesar dressing (make sure you top with fresh grated cheese and fresh black pepper – it makes a big difference)

The tasty garlic home loaf (we had about 4)

Overall a great evening out that cost us under $80 (we didn’t order any booze), besides the crappy experience with Caron’s meal it still is a restaurant we’d go back. Great Service!

Address:

1389 Upper James St.
Hamilton, Ontario
L9K 1B2

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Store # 33725

(905) 574-3890 Phone
(905) 574-6813 Fax

HOURS OF OPERATION:
Mon – Thurs 11am – Midnight
Fri – Sat 11am – 1am
Sunday 11am – 11pm

BTW, the coffee served is also excellent.

If you’re looking for decent Caribbean food from the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago and you don’t have a vacation booked to visit the islands, you must check out Drupati’s Doubles and Roti shop in Toronto. Though I won’t recommend that you plan a night out to have dinner here, since it’s a very small and busy establishment and they just don’t cater to in-house dining. I’ve visited this spot a few times now and I’ve always been pleased with what we ordered.  Dishes such as roti with an assortment of curry meats, doubles, pholourie, Caribbean style stews and a variety of vegetarian dishes with a unique Indo Caribbean twist.

I must confess, though their curry dishes are probably the best (Caribbean style) you can get in Toronto (possibly outside Trinidad and Tobago), their stew dishes like chicken, red bean and fish as well as their callaloo is somewhat mediocre. But then, I’m a budding chef who specializes in these foods so I can be a bit more objective. And I’ve been spoiled by my mom who’s an expert in Caribbean cooking.

Contact Details:

Drupati’s Doubles & Roti Shop

925 ALBION RD, Toronto, ON M9V 1A6

Phone: 416-745-4189

You MUST Order.

1. The doubles. I’ve had doubles from Trinidad, Miami, NY and Toronto and without a doubt the doubles at Drupati’s can rival the best from Trinidad and Tobago, the home of doubles. The bara, curried chickpeas and the wonderful hot sauce that makes up the doubles at Drupati’s is simply mouth watering.

2. The Pholourie. Little dough balls deep fried and served hot, with spicy dipping sauce.

3. Don’t miss out on getting a chicken roti. Though many people tend to get the boneless (white meat) I love the added flavour you get from the “boned” chicken roti. Basically a flatbread stuffed (folded) with curry potato and chicken cooked in a rich curry sauce. The type of curry you can only find in the Caribbean. Not as pungent as many of the East Indian curries, but loaded with flavour. Plus the herbs used in pre seasoning and marinating the meats are very unique to the Caribbean.

4. Snacks – There’s kurma, pone (a cassava cake), preserved fruits (like red mango,and plum) and how could one forget the currant roll. That wonderful pastry filled with currants, in layers.

5. Their bus-up-shut roti is well done as well.

Some Negatives…

- closes on a Monday. Don’t people eat on Mondays in Toronto?

- establishment is very small and the interior is very basic. No money or creativity was spent on this place. If you’re new to Caribbean (pick up your order and leave) type restaurants, you’d even think the place was dirty from the lack of any real care as far as the customer’s experience is concerned.

- I’m not sure if it’s vented well, but I hate smelling like curry when I leave the restaurant. On entering you’re overwhelmed with the smell of what’s cooking in the back and that smell does stay on your clothes. Now, don’t get me wrong.. I love walking into a restaurant and getting the rich scent of food cooking.. but this was a bit overbearing.

- parking is a HUGE problem, as the sort of strip mall the restaurant is located in is very busy with all the ethnic type stores.

Overall, some of the best food from the Caribbean you’ll get outside Trinidad and Tobago (Indo Caribbean) and though the place can be very busy, orders are filled very fast by very friendly staff. By the traffic that goes through this restaurant, you know the food must be good.

BTW, you can also purchase food in large quantities in the event you’re having  a large gathering at your home. I would suggest you call in your order to ensure they can fill it and to avoid having to wait.

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After spending most of the day at the car dealership trying to get some issues resolved, the last thing I wanted to do was cook dinner. After taking a quick dip in the hot tub we decided to to pack the mini van with the tribe and go out for dinner. The Lone Star Texas Grill in Ancaster opened a couple months back, replacing “The Outback” (will miss the burgers) which was situated in the very same location in the Meadowlands, Ancaster. Kieana had been there a few weeks back and enjoyed her experience so we thought we’d give them a try.

I suppose any restaurant you visit at dinner time on a Friday night will be busy, so having to wait the extra half hour to be seated was not an issue. There were 5 of us in our party, so we had the wait a little longer to get a table big enough for us. When we were finally seated we soon realize that 2 tables for 2 pushed together and a chair added at the top would make for quite a challenge, as we settled in. It’s a good thing Kieana had to leave so we didn’t have to put up with such little space.

In all my years eating out I’ve never come across a more friendly and “genuinely having fun” staff. From the time you’re greeted at the door to the time they open the door for you and thank you for visiting, you’ll only encounter staff who gives the impression that they love what they’re doing. The person responsible for hiring and training the staff at the Lone Star Grill In Ancaster… you did your company proud. There are two staff members who really stood out this night who I will mention later in this review post.

The Interior.

As mentioned before this used to be The Outback restaurant only a few short few months ago, which Lone Star Texas Grill took over and re-transformed. Not sure how they achieved it, but it looks much bigger inside and very welcoming. Like a typical themed bar/restaurant you’ll find a lot of things hanging on the walls etc with the Texas and cowboy theme. Even the staff are dressed in jeans, plaid shirts and some even wore cowboy/girl boots. As we waited to be seated I looked up and noticed that even the light fixtures were replica chuck wagon wheels with light bulbs fixed into them.

There’s a huge bar area that’s very bright and full of activity, as people were either having a drink before dinner or just hanging out watching the various sports events on the many huge plasma screens over the bar.

The dining room seemed well spaced out until you had to actually sit at your table. As mentioned above it can get very crowded and I could never understand why restaurants insist on creating massive menus (size, not offerings). The very same menu could easily be printed and displayed in a small book-like form which would be so much easier to handle. The tables were already small, not to mention the typical stuff that the table already had on it… now try to open a massive size menu. Restaurant owners please consider the space people are working with when creating your menu. Yes, they do look very attractive in their massive size, but they’re not practical.

The food!

You’re greeted with a large basket of fresh made tortilla chips with a very tasty salsa as your drink order is taken and you’re given time to browse the menu. I believe this is refilled as required, since we were asked if we wanted more but we declined since we wanted to save room for dinner.

We placed our order, drinks refilled and waited for about 30 minutes or so for the food to arrive. Yes it was a bit long, but it was Friday night and though it was getting close to 9 pm the dining room was still packed. I had gone to their website earlier in the day to check out their menu so I pretty much knew what I wanted to try. Plus at the website you have the choice to join their mailing list (email) and get a coupon for a free starter. Which I did and it was emailed to me seconds later. I could order anything (1 per table though) off the starter menu that was under $11 I think.

With the coupon we ordered the “Wild Fire Wings” (A full pound of wings, regular or dusted, tossed in our Original BBQ or Texas Butter sauce, served with fries, carrot & celery sticks and ranch dressing.). We had ours done regular and tossed in Texas Butter sauce. The wings itself were a nice size and done perfectly, but that butter sauce was a mistake. There was a hint of butter, but everything was over-powered with a vinegar sort of linguring taste. Seems we never got fries with ours! Maybe this is the typical way bar wings are done and I’m sure it’s probably a hit with other customers, but as someone who’s enjoyed wings all over North America these could be improved on.

Indy ordered the “Little Cowboy Steak” off the kids menu (Grilled 7oz sirloin steak with cowboy seasonings served with steamed vegetables & Mexican rice or fries.). The steak itself was done to perfection and you could tell that decent beef was used. However the steamed vegetables were rather flat and lacked any sort of flavour according to Indy. The fries seemed to be fresh cut, but not sure if it’s because of the time we waited (probably sitting back in the kitchen) or the fact that the restaurant itself was a bit cold inside, the fries were cold and limp. A combination of filling up with the chips and salsa and the fact that the fries and vegetables were a turn-off, but Indy left most of what was served to her on her plate. Cost $9.99

Tehya is very similar to me and will try different things off the menu at the restaurants we visit. I don’t recall she’s ever ordered the same thing and any 2 restaurants we’ve ever been to. Rather than order off the actual dinner menu, she decided on a chili from the starter menu. She got the Texas Red Chili (Traditional Texas-style chili with beans and seasoned lean ground beef topped with Cheddar cheese, diced green onions and served with garlic toast.). This is a MUST try when you visit. Don’t think it’s going to be packed with a punch of spices and heat that will cause heart burn. No, this is well balanced and full of chili goodness. Yes, she insisted I try it and she came pretty close to losing her dinner to me. The toasted bread was wonderful when dipped into the warm chili and the cheese topping made everything all gooey and rich. This was the hit of the night! Cost – $7.99

Caron had the Ranchers Sirloin (8 oz.) (A juicy, boneless cut with great flavour and texture. All of our steaks are served with crispy onion rings, seasonal vegetables and choice of Chuck Wagon Side.) with the fries as her choice of side. Again the steak was done to perfection, but it was a bit dry and could really use some au jus. As with Indy’s order, the vegetables were boring and the fries cold as well. She claimed that she wasn’t really impressed. The free refills of coke helped it all go down Cost : $18.99

I ordered the Baja Tequila Shrimp (Skillet-seared shrimp tossed with peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic, our own Ranchero sauce and flambéed with tequila. Served over Mexican rice and seasonal vegetables.) and was really hoping/expecting to be thrilled with promise of something exciting. I was disappointed from the very first bite I took. However I love shrimp and these were also done as I like, so I did picked away at the shrimp and some of the rice. Same story with the seasonal vegetables as with Indy and Caron. I didn’t even touch that part of my plate. I though that if I asked for some hot sauce it would help add some flair to the dish that was missing. Our server got me a couple hot sauce options (see pic below), but that didn’t help. Vinegar based hotsauce (like the wings) that should not be classified as hot sauce… maybe it should be called flavoured vinegar. After really trying to eat this, I gave up.

Our server asked me if everything was ok after seeing that I didn’t eat much off the plate and though I normally would complain and cause a fuss I decided to keep quiet this night. She again asked and I felt I should say something (I was not hoping or trying to get any sort of response), so I mentioned that it was very hard to eat and that besides the shrimp everything else was “blah”. She apologized, asked if I’d like to get something else, which I declined. Moments later she came back with her manager who again apologized to me, offered to buy my dinner and asked if they could get me something else. THIS IS WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE SHOULD BE ABOUT!  I didn’t have to complain.. they noticed that I didn’t eat my dinner and they took the necessary steps to find out why and gave me options. I again declined, but I did get a cup of coffee. BTW, it was one of the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had.

The manager explained that the dish I ordered was a usual hit in the restaurant and could not understand why it was a miss with me. She apologized again, which was very sincere and went a long way in making this customer feel better.

With the manager covering my meal and the coupon we had for the free starter, our bill came to just under $60 with a 15% tip for our server. Please note that this didn’t include any booze or dessert. (remember to go to their website for the free coupon)

Final thoughts…

I/We probably won’t be going back to the Lone Star Texas Grill anytime soon, but if we did it would be to try those amazing looking fajita platters I’d see making it’s way past our table to other guests. Looked and smelled amazing. To our server “Tequila” (Amber) you did an amazing job and I especially like the fact that you took my situation immediately to your manager (This after trying to resolve it first) . This shows that you care about your customers and you’re willing to make them happy before they leave with a negative view of your restaurant. “Dasiy” (Dana) you and your staff are a credit to Lone Star Grill and I love the professional and friendly way you took the time to make me happy. I didn’t ask or expect anything in return when I didn’t like my dinner, but you went the extra step to cover what I would have spent and you offered me something else off the menu. Thanks!

I will be emailing your head office to give them my positive thoughts about the two of you.

In case you’re reading this review and wondering why there are 2 names for each person I mentioned (Amber – Tequila and Dana – Daisy), it’s because each employee is given (probably chooses?) a fun name to work under. I did mention above that this staff were all having fun.

* Did you notice the portion size with Caron’s meal as compared to Indy’s? And check the price difference.. it’s cheaper to order off the kids menu?

Address | Contact | Time Opened

14 Martindale Cres.
Meadowlands Power Centre
Ancaster, ON, L9K1J9

T: 905-648-7147
F: 905-648-5348

Mon-Thurs 11:30am – 11:00pm
Fri-Sat 11:30am – Midnight
Sun 11:30am – 10:00pm

They have a neat tortilla making machine at the back of the restaurant within everyones view..super cool:

Be sure to leave your thoughts and questions in the “comment” area provided.

Once again the Burlington Rotary Club Ribfest did not disappoint. Since most of what I mentioned in the previous Burlington Ribfest post is pretty much what you’d expect to see and do at the event, this post will showcase some of the pictures I took and a couple of the observations we made.

New at this year’s festival was the “recycle” theme. After Caron got her platter of baked beans, coleslaw, ribs, pulled pork and chicken (we start off every year with this sampler) she pointed out the fact that not only were the containers not the plastic ones from last year, the utensils were also environmentally friendly. It seems that this year all the vendors had to serve their food in biodegradable containers and the disposable knives and forks were all made from a sort of compressed wood. Picture a Popsicle stick made into a fork. However, they were just as strong as the plastic version that’s so bad for our environment.

Not only were the containers and utensils good for the environment, instead of having garbage bins they set up (see pic below) recycling stations where you could take your used containers and food scraps. Here the volunteer staff would separate everything and put them into designated containers to be processed (kinda like the green bin program we have in Ontario).

Kudos to the organizers for implementing this step to show that we care about our environment.

Parking / Crowd.

There were no exceptions as far as parking was concerned. With the thousands of people coming into Burlington for the event, we went knowing that parking will be difficult to find. We lucked out and found a couple spots about 2 blocks away. The owners of a variety store were selling spots for $10 a car and with people coming and going all day (all weekend) I’m sure they made a killing.

Walking from the lot were we parked to the actual event site at Spencer Smith park, we could tell that this year would be even bigger than previous years (plus the weather was beautiful so many people were coming out to make full use of the beautiful skies) with all the people going and coming back to the site. As we approached the gate, our thoughts were confirmed. The place was packed and there was a huge line to get in, but there was a good flow to things. The same amount of people that were flooding in were matched by the number of people stuffed with BBQ goodness leaving. The venue itself was crowded at the front and near the stage (see pics below), but in the middle was enough place to move around a bit freely.

The Q!

Seems the theme this year as far as sauces go was savory sweet! We tried several of the different BBQ sauces that were featured at many of the grillers. I’m not sure if they changed their sauces or were experimenting with new stuff, but we found them all to be very sweet and lacked any true flavour or notes. We even tested the “hot” option at the “Carolina” booth and to be quite honest, I was expecting a prescription saying how much I should take and when, with each dose. It had a sort of medicine taste to it. Was it me or did I need to consume a few beers for everything to taste the way I/we expected?

Best!

Once again the “Boss Hogs” booth provided the best ribs, chicken and pulled pork. However their baked beans didn’t have that same bang as it did last year and had a bit of a “gritty” texture to them. And though there was a huge line to purchase, the staff were very efficient and within 5-10 minutes you had your order and were ready to dig in.

Disappointing!

The most disappointing Q of the day must go to the “Texas” grill. No wonder there was a short line and I was served so fast. Everyone else knew what I didn’t. From their sweet sauce, very small portions (I got a hacked piece of chicken breast that needed a Hollywood type implant to be seriously taken to be a breast) and ribs that were so overdone, the meat was hard to peel away from the bones. Made for a very chewy experience. Their pulled pork had some potential, but with the soup type amount of BBQ sauce it was sitting in made it very difficult to appreciate.

The Carolina grill was the most unorganized set-up at this year’s event. You’d figure with the HUGE line that greeted you, you’d think that these guys were serving up the best Q at the event. NOPE! They were just “glacier” type slow. While my sister waited in line we had enough time to go to 2 different booths (stay in line and get served), come back and eat our entire platters and still had to wait 1/2 an hr for her. Must be some good Q to make people wait this long? Yes and NO. The pork ribs were excellent, but these grillers should not be allowed near beef ribs again. Not only did the beef ribs have a gamy taste to them, they were bland and depended on the bbq sauce to add any sort of enjoyment to them.

NOTE: Reheating the ribs, pulled pork etc may sound like a good idea at the time when you get that take out package, but you’ll be kicking yourself if you reheat it in a microwave. Why didn’t I eat them fresh off the grill? They become very dry and the meat becomes very stringy.

For full directions to the annual Burlington Ribfest, event information like opening and closing times, things to do for the kids and the list of live musical acts, visit the original post I made about the Burlington Rotary Ribfest.

If you’re looking for something you can do with your family the last long weekend of the summer, you must consider attending this annual event in Burlington, Ontario. Free to get it, free entertainment, good food for the most part and well organized. You  may have some issues with parking, but with the constant flow of people, you’re sure to find a spot if you show a little patience or have some luck as we did.

Note: It may sound like a good idea to bring your new born or toddler with you, after all you can stick them in a stroller and wheel them around. Not so much! Not only will you find it difficult to navigate the crowds with the strollers, the smoke and loudness of the event will not be something you’ll want to have your child experience. Make it a date night and get a baby sitter!

Without any doubt, there is merit to this claim. At the end of last summer I had the opportunity to finally attend the Burlington Ribfest and to this day I still get mad at myself for taking this long to attend. I won’t get into much details at this point, since I plan on refreshing my mind and taste buds this year, which means a full review for you with pics and videos. Hopefully I can get Caron and one of our girls to give their thoughts as well so you’ll have different perspectives of the event. Until then I’d like to leave you with some pics, more info about the event and my assurance that you DON’T want to miss this year’s event.

The people, the music and the food are all incredible… so lets hope the weather holds out so I can devour some more of that puled pork, bbq ribs and that wonderful southern baked beans. BTW, you’ll never attend a more organized event in Southern Ontario.

How much does it cost to get into the Burlington Ribfest?

As far as I can remember it’s been free and after checking on their official website I can assure you that it’s FREE!

When is the Burlington Ribfest?

The Burlington Ribfest is now in it’s 14th year and will be held Labour Day weekend in Burlington Ontario on the waterfront at Spencer Smith Park. (see below for a map and full driving directions)

Who will be at the Burlington Ribfest?

Eighteen of North Americas best “Ribber” will be bringing their grills, their award winning  sauces and tons of meat for the grill. All you have to do is bring your appetite and wet towels to clean your face.

Live Performances at 2009 Burlington Ribfest.

* Friday night is kicked off by world renowned songwriter and local musician Tom Wilson.
* Saturday night double header is kick started by “The Kings” (This Beat Goes On, Switchin to Glide) and followed up by “The Spoons” (Romantic Traffic, Tell no Lies).
* Sunday night is fired up by a long time supporter of Ribfest, the legendary “Downchild’s Blues Band”.

Full Schedule:

How to get to the Burlington Ribfest?

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Gone are the days when on a Saturday morning the real “buzz” of Hamilton could be found at the farmers market in downtown Hamilton. I’ve been going to the market religiously since I emigrated to Canada many moons ago, but the past 4 years I’ve been forced to stay away. The culture the market once represented of this great city was gone and the once majestic location needed new life. Well it seems that I was not the only one paying attention, as a complete renovation is underway.

We’ve been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit the past 5 years or so and one of the norms when we travel is to visit the local markets in whatever new city or town we’re in. You won’t believe how much you can tell about a country or city, just from a quick visit to a market. And a visit to the Hamilton Farmer’s market is no exception.

Culturally you’ll be blown away at the representations of the different ethnic groups that call Hamilton (and Canada) home. From the Italian baked treats, to the wide selection of ground provisions found at Ms Tilly’s Caribbean stall, the fish section run by the South Asians, the pastries influenced by the jolly German lady, the fresh locally grown berries run by the Dutch family, the prepared vegetarian delights from India… culture to the extreme! And I love it!

Presently due to the renovations to the old location of the market, the market is relocated down the aisle way from the Sheraton Hotel and the Dollarama Store in Jackson Square and this move seems to have brought back life to the once prosaic existence.

Rather than try to convince you about how nice it is to visit the market now and all the wonderful things you can get here, I let some of my pictures tell the story. There is no place in Hamilton or the surrounding area where you’ll not only find the true vibe of Hamilton represented, but there’s no better place for fresh produce, fish, baked treats, flowers, cheese, deli meats and just about everything you’d expect to find at a farmers market.

History of the Market

The Hamilton Farmers’ Market was originally founded in 1837, at the corner of York & James Streets. Andrew and Mary Miller transferred a small parcel of land to the President and Board of Police of the Town of Hamilton, to be utilized specifically for a Market.

The Market has been in its current location next to the Hamilton Public Library since August 1980. The modern architectural design provides a mezzanine level and lower level, consisting of 176 stands and approximately 80 stallholders. All indoors!

The Market re-opened for business in April 2009 in its temporary location inside Jackson Square. It will remain there until the renovations are complete (Fall 2010). All stallholders are operating, and the hours are the same: Tues & Thurs. 7-6, Fri. 8-6 and Sat. 6-6.

Location:   2 King Street West
Jackson Square Mall, Phase 4
Hamilton, Ontario
Phone:     905-546-2096
Fax:     905-546-2829
Email:     farmersmarket@hamilton.ca

Hours of Operation

Tuesday:        7 am – 6 pm
Thursday:      7 am – 6 pm
Friday:            8 am – 6 pm
Saturday:       6 am – 6 pm

The Market is closed on Mondays, Wednesdays, Sundays and all statutory holidays.

Free Parking

One hour of free parking at the York Blvd. Parkade when the market is open. Take your parkade stub to the Market Office, show proof of your Market purchase, get your validation stamp and show it to the cashier when you exit the parkade.

Come out and support the local economy and enjoy the sights, sounds and taste of Hamilton.

What a great weekend it was for the Wingfest in Hamilton as we enjoyed one of the best weekend in Southern Ontario as far as the weather goes, this spring. With sunny skies and hot temperatures (almost too hot) we headed down to the waterfront to take in the action.

Parking was pretty much left to doing what you can on the streets, except there was the option to park very close to the venue, with a $5 charge (per visit) that we were told went to some sort of charity. It being as hot as it was and the fact that the surrounding streets were already jam-packed, we opted for the paid parking.

It was a very vibrant atmosphere as we made our way into the venue, with people streaming and and out. One of the first things you’ll notice is the huge ferris wheel and the amusement park area they have set up for kids. After an experience we had  a few years back at another park with these temporary rides that move from town to town, we no longer opt for taking these rides. But I’m sure the people who were at this part of the venue, had fun. Though they had to pay for the tickets, as expected.

No entry fee. Like the Ribfest that’s held across the bay in Burlington, the Wingfest was free to enter. It being a wonderful sunny day, it seems everyone was in a good mood and having a great time. When you see fellas with beer bellies walking around with their shirts off, you know people are in a good mood. The lines at some of the places serving wings were quite long and the food and beer tents were also packed. I think people were just happy to get out of the sun for a bit and cool down with a cold beverage and sticky wings. I do hope the long lines meant good wings.

The event was well staffed as far as I can tell. There was a police presence and there was a station for medical attention if that was ever required. (great job organizers).

We were probably there a bit too early in the day, but there was a stage set up, so I assume there was live performers later in the day and into the night. With these tough economic times, a free concert is always good. I also believe (again we were too early) there was a fireworks show at night.

Areas for some improvement?

Promotion. The people I spoke too (not at the event) knew nothing about this event, even though this in not the first year for staging it. Better job can be done with marketing or maybe the organizers are hoping for the guests this to spread the word?

Location. Unlike with Ribfest in Burlington where the backdrop is very nice, this event is held at a location that a bit too industrial looking. And when you did walk out to the water front area..don’t look to the right – the steel plants are there and not all that pleasant to look at. The organizers good do a much better job at finding a nicer location. Somewhere that showcases the natural beauty of Hamilton. A grassy area at least?

The Food. Well, the wing options were plenty, but to be honest I did not make a purchase. The wings all seemed like the same wherever you went, wings with some sauce or the other on it. Would be nice to see people trying different techniques in the preparation, as they all looked grilled and bath in sauces as I mentioned before. Where were the dusted, the deep fried with breading and the other ways you can cook wings?

Caron and Indy had some of the fresh cut fries that were served at the “Hutches” booth since all the onion rings at the event was sold out, as well as the nachos at the “Hooters” booth. Both items got full marks, especially the sort of spiced cheese that came on top of the nacho plate. Price-wise, it what’s expected at these type of events. The container of fries were $4 and the nachos were $5 (there wasn’t any salsa or beef on the nachos). Oh the wings… 1/2 LB was $5 and $10/lb at the places were I did poke my head in to see what the wings looked like.

Judging from the long lines at some wing stalls, there seems to be some favorites and my guess it’s due to the sauces they used at those booths or how big the display signs were that advertised the booth.

Why didn’t I make a purchase? I love me some good wings, but I really didn’t see or smell (BTW, how the heck there wasn’t a mouth watering scent at this park?) anything that looked appealing to me. The closest I came to making a purchase was the “sweet chili heat” ones I saw as it was a bit intriguing, but the pale colour of the cooked wing turned me off, though it was covered in that chili bbq sauce. I’m very visual with my food and I like some clour on my cooked meats.. golden brown from frying or grill marks would be nice.

Overall not a bad experience for my first time at the Wingfest. With some marketing and a better location, this event will be one to mark on your calendar to start off the summer season! Maybe next year I’ll grab me some wings?

Enjoy the pics and be sure to leave me your comments in the area provided below.

Almost forgot to mention… Art at a Wingfest? There was a huge tent (display) area with artwork at the Wingfest, but I just couldn’t connect to two – art and wings!

Date / Location: June 12th and go on until Sunday, June 14th at Pier 8, 47 Discovery Drive, Hamilton, Ontario.

For more information, please contact event co-ordinator, Julia by email at specialevents@hamiltonwaterfront.com or by phone at (905) 525-4498.

The History of Hamilton Wingfest

In late 2007 a movement began to bring the Wingfest phenomenon to Hamilton. Our city is a natural site for such an endeavor: Ward 4 Councillor Sam Merulla pointed out that Hamilton is the one of the first Canadian cities to offer chicken wings.

On December 19, three Hamilton councillors, backed by the Hamilton Waterfront Trust, challenged the mayor of Buffalo, NY, to a “chicken wing showdown”, as it was termed in the December 20 issue of The Spectator. Buffalo is widely recognized as the birthplace of the chicken wing snack, and its proximity to Hamilton resulted in the new culinary creation catching on here before anywhere else in Canada.

Website for the wingfest.

You know you’re Canadian when… you’re in enough clothing as if it’s winter and you head over to the dairy for ice cream. But there’s more… there’s a huge line to be served and the patio area is so packed you’ve got no choice but to head back to your car to finish up before driving off.

Summer (any temp over 10c) and Stoney Creek ice cream goes hand in hand in Greater Hamilton. I grew up on homemade ice cream so I was never interested in going to the ‘dairy” for ice cream with my cousins. However as our girls came along, we started taking them during the warm months to get their freeze on (be prepared for long lines.. they mover fairly fast though). To date I’ve tested several of the 40+ flavours they’ve got listed.. run and raisin, pineapple, orange pineapple, black cherry and vanilla to name a few. Caron and the girls usually try the different flavours of sherbert they stock and there’s never been a complaint.

For some reason I find that the ice cream usually leaves a greasy sort of feel in your mouth, with a weird aftertaste that’s difficult to explain. Now bear in mind that as I mentioned I grew up on rich home made ice cream, so maybe I’m subconsciously comparing the two and finding fault. However after today, I don’t think I’ll be giving Stoney Creek Dairy’s ice cream another try. That said. Caron and the girls are very pleased with the sherbert they get, so our family trips to Stoney Creek Dairy will continue!

Stoney Creek Dairy Ltd.
135 King Street East
Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada  L8G 1L4
Phone: (905) 662-4934
Fax: (905) 662-6599

Website: http://www.stoneycreekdairy.com

Overall a nice outing to enjoy some frozen treats with your family on a warm day (or cold). A kid size scoop will run you about $3 (trust me it’s huge)  and you’ll be amazed and confused by the number of flavours you have to choose from. As mentioned above do be prepared for long lines and limited parking since the parking lot is shared with the “Hutches” near the side of the same building. BTW, “Hutches” is famous for their fresh cut fries and onion rings so if you’re like me and not interested in the ice cream… grab some fries from around the corner.

A bit of Stoney Creek Dairy history:

In 1929, a young George Dawson began the original Stoney Creek Dairy from a small garage at the back of his home on King Street, collecting milk from surrounding farms, bottling it and  providing his neighbours with fresh milk from their own community.  Right from the beginning, the Dairy delivered only the highest quality products and the highest level of service to its customers.  Over the next several years the dairy installed new equipment, developed its own ice cream recipes and began manufacturing and serving its own delicious flavours of ice cream.

Couple weeks back we went out for dinner to celebrate Caron’s birthday at Milestones in Burlington. Still young, gorgeous and vibrant as ever, but I still won’t say how young she turned. Just to be on the safe side

I had called earlier in the day to inquire if we needed reservations and was told that’s it’s probably best to do so to avoid the possibility of having to wait in line. Not sure if there’s ever a line, but when we got there we were immediately escorted over to our table. Good sign.. I hate when I have a reservation and still ask to wait. Overall a lovely place with a very casual and jovial feel to it. Our server for the night (great job BTW) made her introductions and inquired about drinks and starters. We’re not ones to order off the starter menu, nor do we indulge in wines or other alcoholic beverages. Coke and Sprite please!

What a nice mix of excitement and classics on the menu. Kieana old eldest daughter had a hard time finding something she liked… but she can be picky at times. Indy our youngest went straight to the “kids” menu, where she found the good old … Chicken Nuggets and Fries! She was HAPPY!

Some pictures of what we ordered.

Indy, as I mentioned had the Chicken Nuggets and Fries off the kids menu. As a nugget connoisseur, she was quite pleased at the heaping plate that arrived with what looked like fresh made chicken strips and not the frozen stuff that plagues so many kids menu.

Kieana had…Grilled Chicken Caesar. Reggiano crostinis, cipolline onions, shaved asiago, our signature Caesar dressing and hand-sliced chicken breast. The roasted garlic is amazing!

Tehya, the most daring in our bunch had… Shanghai Noodle Stirfry. Pan-fried noodles with red peppers, Shiitake mushrooms. Topped with steamed Asian greens and honey five-spice grilled double breast of chicken. The leftovers made it’s way home and on my lunch plate the next day. Nice combination of flavors and texture.

Caron, the birthday girl had…

Certified Angus Beef 8oz. Top Sirloin. With a trio of signature Steak sauces: House-made Worcestershire, Kobe mustard, Gaucho sauce.
With Black Peppercorn and Cognac sauce served with seasonal vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes.

For the life of me (maybe I was too busy sampling what were on the other plates, but I can’t remember what I ordered. Steak and shrimp? I do know that the steak was cooked perfectly and smothered in a wonderful cognac sauce. Yes, the garlic mashed potato was excellent.

You guessed correct, we’re not dessert people either so we didn’t experience any of the offerings of the dessert menu. However, it being Caron’s birthday she did get a free slice cheesecake to take home with us and it was absolutely delectable, with the accompanying sauces that were included.

Overall we spent a little over a $100 with tip for the 5 of us. But do bear in mind that we didn’t order off the bar or the dessert menu.A great spot to enjoy a wonderful dinner with family or friends. We did get the impression though that it’s more focused towards friends enjoying a night out.

Location

1200 Brant Street
T: 905.332.6057
F: 1.866.381.2014

Milestone’s is located on Brant Street, just north of the QEW. With convenient parking and the Power Center Shopping Mall nearby, Milestone’s is the perfect place to meet after work or before a movie for a fresh Bellini and appetizer in our lounge.

Hours of Operation:

Weekday Opening – 11:30 am             Weekend Opening – 10:00 am