Well I certainly did get your attention! The previous column (Are we a culinary wasteland – Part 1?) attracted a lot of comment. Based on that, the time I need to digest the thoughtful input of individuals I’ve interviewed for the piece (including ebullient Hamilton Dishcrawl Ambassador, Dave Hanley), and the Easter holiday, I’m deferring the second part of the piece till next time around.
Before I tell you about a few upcoming events I’ll begin with a curious piece I found in my local newspaper, the Flamborough Review, about a food and drink
festival in Toronto on April 5th-7th. It had no byline.
Now, I love all things food and drink, and the event looks fun with some attractive speakers. However, I wonder why my community paper is writing up a Toronto festival, when just a week later (April 12-14), Hamilton’s own Food and Drink Fest is coming to the Careport Centre on Longwood Rd? (I attended that highly enjoyable event last year, and got a ton of leads for this column.)
Perhaps the two events are linked, but I rather suspect Metroland Media, which owns the Review and other community papers, is cross-promoting its own (Toronto) event at the expense of the Hamilton one. My suspicions are exacerbated given the full page advert, complete with a Metroland banner, that appears on page 24 of the paper. (Metroland also has a slew of shows, including this particular one, featured on their website.)
I was not able to discuss this with anyone at the Review given the holiday, but it struck me the paper is straying somewhat from its vaunted “Connected to your Community” slogan found on its masthead. Then again, maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised and find a piece on the more local festival in next week’s paper…
To give the Review credit though, long-time reporter Dianne Cornish does have a lovely article in the same edition about a SHARE charity banquet that has been running 18 years now in Copetown. This year’s event, in support of rural programs in Central and South America, is Thursday April 11th. Tickets ($40) can be ordered by calling 905-648-1345.
Here are some other culinary opportunities readers might want to follow up on:
Liaison College in Jackson Square runs an open house every Tuesday at 7pm. There you can learn about their next culinary boot camp, which features ten evenings of instruction by professional chefs.
I’ve written previously about the wonderful carnivore haven, Rapscallion. It’s good to see they are now open Thursdays (as well as Friday through Sunday). When I called I was told they have a great deal on at the moment where - on Thursdays - you can get two glasses of house wine, 4 plates of your choice and 1 dessert for just $69 for two (plus tax and tip).
I’ve been wondering on and off what happened to my favourite dim sum place, Jade Garden, which seemed to be undergoing an interminable renovation. (To date I’ve not had any luck finding anywhere as good, so if anyone has any recommendations for great dim sum in our area I’d love them to share.)
Driving by the corner of James St and Vine recently, I noticed a spiffy new Thai place had opened in its place. Part of a chain, the Ben Thanh Hamilton’s menu looks extensive and interesting, and best of all they do Dim Sum too, but just on Sundays. Ryan McGreal of Raise the Hammer just gave it a great review, so it looks worth a visit.
On the health front, the Spectator is running their second “Nutrition and Wellness Expo” Saturday April 27th and tickets are $6 in advance or $8 at the door. A bit further out, but sure to be popular, my friend, nutritionist Sue Baron is running a four-week “Spring Detox” course at Goodness Me, in Waterdown. It begins May 1st and she assures me “it will feature delicious recipes and put a spring in your step”.
Finally, after all this food talk, I would like to recommend a terrific wine for your consideration. I was recently at an event where we engaged in a complex blind-taste off of eight 2009 and 2010 wines from France and Niagara. The clear winner was the Jackson Triggs Delaine Vineyard Cabernet Merlot 2010. Available at the winery and via the LCBO (VINTAGES #989269) it’s not cheap at $29.95, but with its lovely nose and fruit flavours that linger on the tongue, this Bordeaux-style wine is certainly splurge-worthy!
With that a Happy Easter to all Food for Thought readers.
Alex (Alex can be reached at fft@thehamiltonian.info ) or on twitter @AlexBielak
Food for Thought logo, designed and kindly donated by Ninka Bielak. Ninka can be reached at ninka.bielak@gmail.com.
Food for Thought logo, designed and kindly donated by Ninka Bielak. Ninka can be reached at ninka.bielak@gmail.com.
So our family went for an Easter Dim Sum at Ben Thanh Hamilton. The daughter of the now-retired owner of the Jade Garden works there and the dim sum is good but not as extensive as it used to be. Notably missing are anything sweet or deserty (e.g. egg tarts, sesame balls or fried water chestnut) and there is something I had not had before - a chili salt pumpkin (basically a tempura dish). Everything is a bit more upscale than it used to be and prices are up. $62 including tip for tea for four, 9 dim sum and one Singapore noodle.
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