Here, in no particular order (hence the lack of a numbering system,) is a quick sixer of favorites from our most recent trip to Hamilton:
- Mr. Sub: Sure it's a chain, but the assorted sub with lettuce, tomato and oil/vinegar reminds me of the pre-Subway, pre-cookie cutter/same here as it is over there, days of late 1970's which in Schenectady, meant Mike's Submarines just off the Crosstown. Cheap cold cuts, mountains of shredded iceberg lettuce, marginal tomatoes on a decent roll but, O Brother the inexplicably delicious result!
- Magner's Pear: It's great to see a pear cider offering from the folks at Magner's. Good pear flavor, none of the over the top sweetness of Sir Perry (oddly from Blackthorn who produces a very good dry English style apple cider) or Kopparberg (great pear, candy sweet.) We should have bought a case for the house, n'est-ce pas? Magner's Pear purchased at LCBO, 75 Centennial Parkway North, Stoney Creek, Ontario.
- Rosé wine: I must confess to a long held bias against Rosé. Mostly because when I became interested in wine (the early 90's if you must know) white zinfandel was being pedaled as the long sought solution for people who do not like red wine. The truth was that it was a god awful, Rosé in color only, overly sugared, marketing inspired wine-esque beverage that produced hangovers nearly the size and with the looming explosiveness of Mt. St. Helens. So in an effort to get the chip off my shoulder and because Agnes was intrigued by a recent television spot in which Rosé was categorized as "party wine," we decided to conduct a more formal evaluation. So we hit the LCBO, 75 Centennial Parkway North, Stoney Creek, Ontario for a couple of bottles and conducted a non-scientific tasting. The results? Consider us converted. When chilled, Rosé is the perfect beverage for summer and it's drink-ability (and high alcohol content) definitely ensures the veracity of the "party wine" moniker. The best of the bunch: Bieler Pere et Fils.
- Naleśniki: Crepes with vanilla scented cheese filling and fruit sauce made by Agnes's mom at the Makar Residence, Stoney Creek, Ontario. This version was cream cheese based with strawberry topping. It amazes me how such thin, delicious crepes can be whipped up on busted up, old non stick pan on a cranky old electric stove. It's the chef son, not the tools! Yes, they taste as good as they look, likely better.
- Sarcoa Restaurant and Bar, 57 Discovery Drive, Hamilton, Ontario: Gourmet fare, fair prices. O and they make their own everything here from the bread down to the condiments. I should inquire about the salt and pepper maybe? Steve and Bridget took up Maggie's recommendation of the slow roasted pork belly sandwich, Agnes went the beef burger route. The look on everyone's face after we finished our lunch tells me they got it right, so very, very right. One quick word to the powers that be: please do not listen to the customers who somehow feel justified offering advice on your new venture, Agnes's burger was cooked perfectly (a pox upon to all who would order well done burgers!) and Heinz ketchup holds nay candle to your house version, those who would provide input to the counter MUST be ignored! Stick to the vision, it's delicious!
- Ribs and coleslaw Makar Residence, Stoney Creek, Ontario: Far be it from me to toot my own horn, nobody likes a self promoting yoyo yo! I am including this one only because Agnes insists I hit this one out of the park. That and it provides occasion to pass along some ideas and techniques which you might find useful the next time you set out to make BBQ'd ribs and slaw: 1. The ribs were dry rubbed up the night before and then smoked with plum wood. I love the wicked fruit essence the smoking imparted, 2. Coleslaw is about 2 things: texture (it needs to be chopped FINE) and balance in your dressing (more vinegar than mayo, with a fair touch of sugar,) 3. No matter how good a jarred BBQ sauce is, you can make better sauce on your stove top with: ketchup, copious amounts of good local Polish honey, brown sugar, soy sauce and a few dashes of cayenne pepper sauce. Too bad the Colonel copyrighted that thing about finger licking good.
- Mr. Sub: Sure it's a chain, but the assorted sub with lettuce, tomato and oil/vinegar reminds me of the pre-Subway, pre-cookie cutter/same here as it is over there, days of late 1970's which in Schenectady, meant Mike's Submarines just off the Crosstown. Cheap cold cuts, mountains of shredded iceberg lettuce, marginal tomatoes on a decent roll but, O Brother the inexplicably delicious result!
- Magner's Pear: It's great to see a pear cider offering from the folks at Magner's. Good pear flavor, none of the over the top sweetness of Sir Perry (oddly from Blackthorn who produces a very good dry English style apple cider) or Kopparberg (great pear, candy sweet.) We should have bought a case for the house, n'est-ce pas? Magner's Pear purchased at LCBO, 75 Centennial Parkway North, Stoney Creek, Ontario.
- Rosé wine: I must confess to a long held bias against Rosé. Mostly because when I became interested in wine (the early 90's if you must know) white zinfandel was being pedaled as the long sought solution for people who do not like red wine. The truth was that it was a god awful, Rosé in color only, overly sugared, marketing inspired wine-esque beverage that produced hangovers nearly the size and with the looming explosiveness of Mt. St. Helens. So in an effort to get the chip off my shoulder and because Agnes was intrigued by a recent television spot in which Rosé was categorized as "party wine," we decided to conduct a more formal evaluation. So we hit the LCBO, 75 Centennial Parkway North, Stoney Creek, Ontario for a couple of bottles and conducted a non-scientific tasting. The results? Consider us converted. When chilled, Rosé is the perfect beverage for summer and it's drink-ability (and high alcohol content) definitely ensures the veracity of the "party wine" moniker. The best of the bunch: Bieler Pere et Fils.
- Naleśniki: Crepes with vanilla scented cheese filling and fruit sauce made by Agnes's mom at the Makar Residence, Stoney Creek, Ontario. This version was cream cheese based with strawberry topping. It amazes me how such thin, delicious crepes can be whipped up on busted up, old non stick pan on a cranky old electric stove. It's the chef son, not the tools! Yes, they taste as good as they look, likely better.
- Sarcoa Restaurant and Bar, 57 Discovery Drive, Hamilton, Ontario: Gourmet fare, fair prices. O and they make their own everything here from the bread down to the condiments. I should inquire about the salt and pepper maybe? Steve and Bridget took up Maggie's recommendation of the slow roasted pork belly sandwich, Agnes went the beef burger route. The look on everyone's face after we finished our lunch tells me they got it right, so very, very right. One quick word to the powers that be: please do not listen to the customers who somehow feel justified offering advice on your new venture, Agnes's burger was cooked perfectly (a pox upon to all who would order well done burgers!) and Heinz ketchup holds nay candle to your house version, those who would provide input to the counter MUST be ignored! Stick to the vision, it's delicious!
- Ribs and coleslaw Makar Residence, Stoney Creek, Ontario: Far be it from me to toot my own horn, nobody likes a self promoting yoyo yo! I am including this one only because Agnes insists I hit this one out of the park. That and it provides occasion to pass along some ideas and techniques which you might find useful the next time you set out to make BBQ'd ribs and slaw: 1. The ribs were dry rubbed up the night before and then smoked with plum wood. I love the wicked fruit essence the smoking imparted, 2. Coleslaw is about 2 things: texture (it needs to be chopped FINE) and balance in your dressing (more vinegar than mayo, with a fair touch of sugar,) 3. No matter how good a jarred BBQ sauce is, you can make better sauce on your stove top with: ketchup, copious amounts of good local Polish honey, brown sugar, soy sauce and a few dashes of cayenne pepper sauce. Too bad the Colonel copyrighted that thing about finger licking good.