Symposium Café Stoney Creek Restaurant & Lounge

905.578.9900 2247 Rymal Road East Stoney Creek, On http://www.symposiumcafe.com


I'd never been to Symposium before the other night. It's one of those places that you just hear great things about, but never actually get out there to try it for yourself. I have friends who'd been, but their stories fell a little short for me.


The ambiance of the place is quite nice, not overstated. It's a classy cafe. Soft chairs, lots of plants, and just slightly subdued lighting. The bar is made of dark wood, and is full of bottles. It would be good for a variety of outings. We were there for a family dinner, and one of my parents' friends stopped at the table to say hi as she was just leaving her book club. It would make a lovely casual dinner date spot too.




My dad ordered the Maryland Crab Cakes for an appetizer and generously shared one with me. But only one, because they were too delicious. I don't blame him for keeping them mostly to himself. They were full of crab and fried lightly so that the inside was still soft but the outside was just a little cripsy. Served with a sauce, kind of a lightly spiced thousand island dressing? But it complimented the seafood perfectly and wasn't too spicy. Barely there spice. Definitely recommending them to anybody who likes crab cakes, or anybody who likes to eat delicious things.


My main course...well...so i kind of made up my main course. I wanted the grilled veggie wrap because it was made with guacamole and goat cheese. Because guacamole and goat cheese are two of my favourite foods. But I wanted the Crispy Chicken Wrap because it had crispy chicken. So they made me the veggie wrap with crispy chicken. And pesto mayo. Guys. The pesto mayo is SO GOOD. And it made the whole thing AMAZING. Exactly everything I wanted in a sandwich. The best part? I told her my dilemma, and SHE suggested the substitution. I didn't have to be a food diva or anything. Just an example of excellent customer service, unlooked for but completely appreciated.


Now, there was a downside. It's a tiny one. Doesn't even effect everybody. But the fries...they weren't terrific. They were not crispy or hot. And I didn't complain, because my sandwich gave me such a hard foodgasm that I didn't mind cold fries so much. But just as an FYI, fries are not awesome; I recommend paying a little extra for the onion rings. Which were firm and not too greasy. Much more delicious.


I don't normally mention customer service in my posts, just the general feel of the people that work there. I don't think it's fair to judge a place simply on how one person treats you (be it good or bad), because if you go and don't get that person you'll have a different experience and think I'm crazy. But I have to mention it here because through the course of our dinner we talked to three different servers (two extra waiters brought our food out so it would all get out faster) and the owner. And all of them were absolutely lovely. Our waitress, Crystal, was so nice and welcoming, and HELPFUL. She made sure we all got exactly what we wanted and left with smiles on our faces. 


The food, and ambiance, and all the things at Symposium are delightful and delicious. And because of this, I was expecting a much higher price tag than what I actually got. My meal, drink included, was less than $20, even with the substitution. Granted, we didn't get dessert there, as it was a birthday thing with the fam, so we HAD to go back to the 'rents place for cake and prezzies. So I can't tell you about the desserts. But from the look of them...well, I will be going back there at some point to try out the enormous pieces of cake available. Because seriously, they looked to be about a pound of cake. And I'd like to eat a pound of cake, wouldn't you?

Baltimore House: Part, the First

289.396.4830  43 King William St. Hamilton, On  www.facebook.com/thebaltimorehouse


I continue my foray down King William at Baltimore House.


Okay. I'm just going to say it. I love Baltimore House. It might be my favourite place to go in all of Hamilton.


The end.


Okay, just kidding.


There is nothing to dislike about it. The building is amazing. The décor is amazing. The vibe is amazing. The coffee is amazing. The food is amazing.


As a business, Baltimore House is a cafe, wine bar, and performance space. Wednesdays are open mic, Thursdays are Seance Thursdays, and I heard on the twitters that Saturday is going to have a house party vibe? Everything they do is gold, guys. So, I've decided that I'm going to have to write more than one post on the lovely, and amazing Baltimore House because there's just too much to the place to limit it to just one. This post will deal with the Balmer as a restaurant. The fooooood.

Veggie Melt

Pear and Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese

They have a wide menu of sandwiches. I have eaten all of them. They're all very good! My favourite is the Veggie Melt. Grilled peppers, and onions, and cheese, lots and lots of avocado! All on fresh sourdough bread! They also have a Pear and Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese that is pretty much amazing. Now, normally, I don't go in for fruit on my main courses, but I had to make an exception in this case. The caramelized onions set off the sweetness of the pear perfectly. And the Three Cheese Grilled Cheese! And the H'Amazing Ham made with Ukranian village ham! And the Reuben, with it's crunchy coleslaw! And the vegetarian-friendly Avocado Dream, full of avocado and sprouts and goat cheese!

H'Amazing Ham

And all of their sandwiches can be made into a salad, or so I'm told. I have a friend with severe Crohn's and she wasn't sure if she could eat at the Balmer, but with the salad option, she could.


Their desserts are amazing too. The brownies are the best I've ever had. No contest, hands down, done. Aaaand it is at this point that I'm going to start wandering into how great they are as a cafe, because they're desserts go SO perfectly with their lattes, so I'm going to end it here. And then get started on the cafe post!

Jack and Lois

289.389.5647  301 James St. N. Hamilton, ON L8L 1H3  www.jackandlois.com

So I know I said my next post would be on Baltimore House, and I am working on it, but I have to drop this short post really quickly. I went to a new place today and I wanted to tell you about it.


Jack and Lois. It's on James N. down near Barton St. The interior is stylish, but still cute. Very formal wallpaper paired with modern paint colours and simple furnishings. And a picture of William Shatner up on the wall. I couldn't stop looking at everything!


And oh my god, you guys. The food. THE FOOD, YOU GUYS. I had the classic cheeseburger with soup and slaw. The cheeseburger was fairly basic, just burger and lots and lots of cheese. But the beef was perfectly spiced and grilled to be tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. The soup was tomato and was obviously freshly made, with actual ingredients (not processed from a can). The slaw wasn't typical coleslaw, it was more of an Asian inspired slaw with a vinegar-based dressing and bean sprouts, with crunchy bits on top. It was very good, I just couldn't eat very much because of the vinegar. But it got scooped by one of my dining partners, so it didn't go to waste!


And speaking of scooping leftovers, I was granted another friend's leftovers in the form of half of the Chancellor, which is essentially a chicken parm sandwich. But with mushrooms and caramelized onions and asiago! I'm pretty sure that my thank-you-for-your-leftovers text involved a few expletives over how good it was for dinner.


My other two dining partners had breakfast. Because they do all day breakfast. Because they weren't awesome enough. I would have had breakfast for lunch, but they didn't have their Eggs Benny today. And Eggs Benedict is my favourite breakfast food. So anyway. The Cobra is their big breakfast, eggs/double meat/hash browns, and I have no idea how he got through all that food. The Hummingbird was a similar meal, but smaller. And instead of toast, you get GRILLED CHEESE FINGERS. They make a grilled cheese and cut it up into fingers. With your breakfast. Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'll stop talking about it. I...I just like it a lot, guys. 


My only sad about my meal today is how long it took to come out. Don't misunderstand, I'm not complaining. The food was incredible and definitely worth the wait! I was just late getting back to work and that makes me sad. So maybe it won't be a regular lunch place for me and my work colleagues, but I can see it becoming a regular for other meals.  I especially want to get back for breakfast and that Eggs Benny!

Thai Memory

905.296.1077  25 King William Street  Hamilton, ON L8R 1A1  www.thaimemory.ca


Okay guys, King William. It's this little street that joins James and John, right? Not so! This tiny little street is full of food, music, art, and culture! I tried find out if the test of awesomeness to be on the street is written or oral but nobody had the information for me.


So, in the interests of my sanity and a sense of order, I've decided to write about the deliciousness in the order that I tried it.


So we start with Thai Memory.


I've been eating at Thai Memory for much longer than I've writing this blog. It's my go-to when I can't decide where I want to eat after work. It was the first Thai food that I ever tried, and I will probably always love it more than any other Thai food because of that. So be prepared for my bias, PREPARE FOR IT.


Are you ready?


So I love it. (You're shocked, after that lead in, I know you're shocked.) But here's where I have a shameful confession. I always order the same thing. Everytime. I've only tried one appetizer, one main dish, and one dessert. I know. I know, it's awful of a food blogger to not try something different at one of her favourite restaurants, but I can't help it. The coconut shrimp, pad thai, and deep fried bananas are so good there! But it's not just the food I love, the atmosphere isn't beat by any other restaurant I've been in.


I'll start with the atmosphere, because despite the amazing food, it's my favourite part. Diffuse lighting, running water, soft music, and tables made from slices of trees. Yes, that's right. The tables are made from slices of very large trees, with benches carved from the same wood. They're beautiful. Everything about it is calming and soothing. It's a feeling that decends on you from the moment you walk in. There are also handcrafted goods imported from Thailand for you to purchase if you're so inclined. The time between when I sit down and when food comes is my favourite time.


Okay, the food. My god, the food! I realize I only have three dishes to talk about, but they are an amazing three dishes. The coconut shrimp are amazing! The breading is light, but the coconut stays nice and crispy. It's served with a sweet and sour sauce that's just a smidge spicy. It's not so spicy that I can't eat it, just spicy enough that I can't eat very much of it. Perfection.


The pad thai is the same, spicy, but not so much that I can't eat it. Granted, I order the mild, because I'm a baby. But it's full of chicken and shrimp and tofu. The portion size is decent for the price, but I always eat all of it and never have any left for lunch the next day. I realize that it being too delicious to save any for lunch is not really a legitimate complaint though.


Deep fried bananas. Oh, the deep fried bananas. I've eaten a lot of them, at many different restaurants. And the ones at Thai Memory are my favourite. You've got to try them served with a scoop of the vanilla, and a scoop of the green tea ice cream! The bananas are hot and delicious with a hint of vanilla. The tartness of the green tea ice cream sets that off the sweetness of the bananas perfectly. Again the portion size is very good, perfect for sharing.


So that's Thai Memory. It's amazing. It's...perfect (because I haven't used that word enough in this post)! You should go. You should try all the things! Not just what I wrote about. In fact, I'm making a promise to you fair readers. The next time I go to Thai Memory, I will try something new, something not mild Pad Thai. ...but I'm still getting the fried bananas!


Stay tuned for my next post, BALTIMORE HOUSE!

Earth to Table Bread Bar

905.522.2999  258 Locke St. S. Hamilton, On L8P 4B9  www.breadbar.ca

I continue my quest to love Locke St at Earth to Table Bread Bar. Now while I do definitely recommend ETT, I actually visited twice before writing this post. Because the first time I went, I was horribly disappointed and didn't want to say negative things about them because everyone seems so lovely there. I had, as I'm sure you have too, heard such awesome reviews about the place and had high hopes for an unforgettable dining experience.
My first visit was with my favourite foodie dining partner. We ordered an appetizer to share and a pizza each. For the app, we got the Local Burrata Cheese plate. Cottage-like cheese with olive tapenade and fresh bread. It was simple, fresh and delicious. The cheese and the tapenade together was a perfect match. I have no complaints about it. But the pizza...
Now, I've heard all about the pizza, and about how everybody loves the pizza and orders the pizza for take-out. My pizza was...problematic. I ordered the field greens pizza. What I got was a crust with sauce and cheese and a salad. I couldn't figure out how to eat it. I couldn't pick it up, and it was too difficult to cut. I wound up taking it home and tossing it a couple days later, very disappointed. And for the whole meal we paid $50, and didn't even order drinks. All in all, the visit was kind of a let down from what I was expecting. My dining partner and I both agreed that we wanted what everyone else ordered at the tables around us instead of what we got.
So when my sisters decided that ETT was going to be the destination for our monthly dinner with Grams, I was a little upset. I tried to tell them about my problematic pizza, but they insisted. And I'm glad they did!
This was visit was a total 180 from the first. I took a lesson from myself and ordered what I'd seen all the other tables ordering last time. Loaded fries for the app and the ETT burger for dinner.
Each day the loaded fries change. The daily loaded fries special while we were there was chili cheese fries. Which was incredible. Pretty much the best loaded fries I've ever had. The chili had the perfect spice; it was mild enough that I could eat it, but was still spicy enough to make me feel accomplished for eating it. My Grams ordered the chili to start (because we wouldn't let her eat too many fries) and said it was just as good on it's own too.
For the main course, I eschewed the pizza in favour of trying the ETT burger. I know I've posted here about how incredible Chuck's burgers are (and they ARE incredible!) but I have a new favourite burger. The meat was tender and flavourful without being over spiced, and it was topped with honey-pickled mushrooms! And brie! HONEY-PICKLED MUSHROOMS AND BRIE.
Ahem. Sorry about the yelling, I just got excited. ABOUT THE MUSHROOMS. Ahemcoughcough. Sorry.
Some other random things I love about Earth to Table (besides the burgers) are their commitment to community and sustainable practices and the decor.
As far as sustainability goes, they installed a filtration system and serve water to the table in old-school milk bottles instead of bottled water. They're promoting drinking local tap water, which is good for everyone. Plus, the milk bottles are retro-cool and now I want one for my place.

The layout is done in a bistro-style with the tables close together. Both times I visited, I made friends with the people next to me (I've learned that only nice, foodie-type people go to ETT, and I'm okay being grouped like that). Oh, and they have a chalk-board wall. I know there's nothing especially new about this as a concept, I've just...I've just always loved chalk-board walls.
So clearly, after the rocky start, I've found yet another place on Locke that has won my heart and will draw me back again and again. Maybe next time I'll go during the day so I can visit some of the shops too? Epic Books and Textures Craftworks, I'm looking at you. Here's hoping!
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Mex-I-Can Pt. II

Went back to Mex-I-Can last night. Again. Last night had every earmark of a failed restaurant trip. Just about everything went wrong.


The temperature in the restaurant had to have been about 50 degrees. It was hot outside. We all know the temps in Hamilton have been outrageous in the past week, we've broken records all over the place. I mean, they call it the Hottest Place in Hamilton, but this was a little ridiculous. But they had a couple portable air conditioners stationed around the restaurant to combat the heat. Sadly, when we got there the only table available was behind both of them. So all we got was hot air off of them and very little air movement.


BUT the second a table opened up in front of the AC they moved us right away. And then we got our pitcher of mojitos! Definitely a perfect way to beat the heat. Rum and lime and muddled mint all combined into a sweet treat to beat the heat (...please forgive the rhyming there). And that was THAT problem taken care of.


Then they didn't have any guacamole. Which, as anybody who's been to Mex-I-Can and sampled their guacamole can tell you, is one of the main reasons for going. There...there was really no fix for the lack of guacamole. I was pretty sad about it's absence. But, as I understand it, the guacamole there is made by one person and SUPPOSE everyone deserves a day off once in a while. I guess. But our waiter was very apologetic. The rest of the food was delicious, so I guess that was THAT problem taken care of.


And then they got my order wrong. I ordered the quesadilla, VERY mild. As I've written before, I have a very weak stomach and tolerance for spice of any kind in my food. The one bite I had of the spicy quesadilla upset my stomach horribly about three hours later. As for how the spicy one tasted? The bite I had, had a delicious flavour amidst the heat. Until I quenched it with mojito anyway!


But I told the waiter and they brought me a new one almost immediately. And it was SO good. I have tried almost everything on their menu and I think the quesadilla has been my favourite so far. Their Super Burritos are great, and the Sopes dish is different and awesome, but the quesadilla! Crunchy and cheesy and hearty and filling, and I wish I had another one right now. And that was THAT problem taken care of.


I hear people talking about how great the food there is, but how terrible the service is. I don't see it. I've had slow service there before, but yesterday they did just about everything to make sure I had a good dining experience. Even though I was hot and disappointed about the lack of guacamole, I had a great dining experience, and that's THAT problem taken care of!


P.S. Found out another intrepid Hamilton food blogger was there at the same time as us. Check out @HamOntScribbles's blog here: www.tasty-scribbles.blogspot.com.

Valentinos Place

905.385.3284  866 Mohawk Rd. E. Hamilton, On  www.valentinosplace.ca


I have been eating at Valentinos for almost my whole life. Since I was a child, my parents have been taking us there for fancy family dinners out, or ordering pizzas for take away. Because, for my entire life, minus the three years I lived with my ex-bf, I have lived only a 7 minute walk from Valentinos. Really, the fact that I don't eat there more often is a downright sin.


When I was younger, up until veryvery recently, the decor was very 80s Italian restaurant. Painted frescoes, and lots of fake plants. Even the archways to the back room or bathroom had painting done to them to make them look like they were edged in stone. That was until recently though. I went there for my sister's wedding rehearsal dinner and was blown away by the new decor.


Updated colours, clean lines, and no fake plants! It was almost a little disappointing really. Like coming home after going away to school to find that your parents turned your bedroom into an "office". Looks good, but it's not your room anymore. Valentinos looks incredible, but it's just not the same as it was in my childhood. It's more modern and classy now. Kinda perfect for a date night with someone pretty! :winkwink::


The service was excellent as well. We were served by the same waitress we've had every time we've been. In fact, when we were children, my parents would get a sitter for us and walk up there for a glass of wine and an appetizer or two for their night out, and this same woman would serve them. When we mentioned that we were happy she was still there and smiling, she just laughed and said that she'd been there 22 years and wasn't planning on leaving. That's dedication.


Thankfully, the food is still as good as ever! I couldn't keep track of what everybody at the table ordered since there were 10 of us, but everyone was pleased with the food. (Even the groom, who is the pickiest eater I have ever encountered. He only ate plain spaghetti, but he was pleased.)


I had the Shrimp and Scallop linguine. While I normally shy away from thick noodles, I was swayed by the shrimp and scallops. I'm a sucker for seafood. Especially scallops. And Valentinos continues to do them well. It's so easy to overcook them, but they were still melt-in-your-mouth soft and buttery. The portions continue to be ample and my leftovers were perfect the next day heated up at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.


The main thing that keeps me away from Valentinos is the price. While I did just go on and on about the decor and food and the service, my pasta dish was $17. I have had similar or better at many places around Hamilton, for less. It makes it impossible for me to jump over to grab some pizza (which happens to be the best pizza I've ever eaten, by the way. Thin but firm crust with lots of cheese and toppings) or a quick dinner more than once ever few months, or even every six months. Which makes me sad.


So I guess my verdict will have to be, FANTASTIC as always, i just can't go as much as I want.
　
　


P.S. I just tried Colio's GNO Citrusberry Twist Wine Cooler. While their winemaker needs to be slapped and reminded that he makes award winning ACTUAL wines, this one tastes like Kool-Aid and will be deadly on the patio this summer! Definitely pick up a bottle. 1.5L for $12.95.