Food for Thought with Alex Bielak - Are we a culinary wasteland?– Part 2.

Are we a culinary wasteland – Part 2?

YES, Anonymous, I was being a “provocateur,” and it’s clear the answer to the question is NO we are not a culinary wasteland. Food for Thought readers responded vigorously to part one of this column, offering many opinions and suggestions. One thoughtful commentator wrote (sic):

“I love the Hamilton that is not like everywhere else. Most great things about Hamilton have come about despite (and perhaps because of) nothing comes easy. Diversity rising out of adversity, a cultural Galapagos largely ignored and spurned by the rest of the country. I could give a toss whether we rate alongside Toronto or Montreal on some fabled "culinary roadmap … Could things be better? Absolutely. Celebrating and supporting what we have and not wasting too much time bemoaning what is not seems like a good place to start.”

I think we can build on that sentiment and the passion evident in various other responses. I wrote earlier “we
don’t have a food scene”, noting that “scene” was perhaps the wrong word to capture precisely what I meant. In the words of another reader, we are “nestled half way between the country's largest city and the largest wine region west of the Rockies.” My principal point remains that we are not capitalising on the bounty we have, and are thus operating in the shadow of our neighbours.

That rich medley of ingredients, includes: food fests, gourmet picnics, strolls; suppers and fundraisers; restaurants aplenty, some regionally or even nationally recognised, with a number of new places opening recently; cooking and mixology classes; ribfests; a (new) Dishcrawl; well-stocked cookware stores; groceries and cheese shops; independent coffee emporia and barista bootcamps; farm stalls, and markets, and, coming soon, a beefed-up Farm to Table project; wineries and tasting events; Downtown Dining and Localicious in Burlington and Hamilton respectively; chocolatiers; food trucks and the new Food Truck Alley at the corner of Aberdeen and Longwood; not to mention Rural routes , Hamilton Eat Local and the Hamilton Fruit Tree project. We also have some good writers and active tweeters to tell and spread the stories.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could harness that diversity, passion and energy, bring the elements together for the benefit of the region as a whole and build a real community of interest? Why shouldn’t we have a food “scene” drawing visitors FROM Toronto, Niagara and beyond?

Should local governments have a focal point to promote food and wine? For instance the Tourism Hamilton website front page has nothing related such matters (though it does have restaurant and farmer’s market links a couple of levels down). A call to their switchboard reveals that no one has food-related tourism in their title, and I’m directed to a tourism event co-ordinator who had been around a long time and might know who to speak to... The Tourism Burlington site is no better.

Is it perhaps time for a culinary summit where like-minded people could come together and discuss how we might collectively achieve this. Encouraged by Marc Skulnick, Editor of Hamilton Magazine which has expanded its food and wine offerings of late in recognition of what suddenly seems like a burgeoning local food scene (there’s that word again), I bounced some of these ideas off several individuals, asking what they thought might help promote the region as a culinary destination.

When I chatted to Michael Stauffer, Chef at the Celli's restaurants, about this he told me about an inspirational book called Setting the Table by Danny Meyer. Stauffer says Meyer’s celebrated restaurants helped turn around the Gramercy Park and Flatiron Districts in New York because of their “enlightened hospitality” approach to building community and attracting customers.

“A similar approach could be great for Hamilton too,” he added, noting that if the City of Hamilton had a (formal) incubation system for restaurants that would help. He also mused that a “Raise the Hammer Dinner” featuring a tasting menu by various chefs might help raise the trust level that Hamilton’s restaurants can exceed expectations. “There is a demand and an interest, and a culinary summit would be perfect.”

Hamilton Councillor Judi Partridge thinks while such a meeting “needs to be driven by people in the industry,” it is a “great idea” and one she imagines the City would be “absolutely onside to attend.” Partridge also told me Hamilton is working to smooth the way for new restaurants. “City staff were very helpful in bringing the famous Anchor Bar to downtown, and the City very much got behind the food truck movement and helped make it happen,” she said.

Dave Hanley is the ebullient front man for the new Dishcrawl events making such a stir in Hamilton, with tickets quickly selling out for each locale. I’ve interviewed him for a future column, but for now can tell you that this is the sort of individual who believes in Hamilton. He is making things happen, bringing together “neighborhood restaurants, local chefs, regional food producers and fellow food enthusiasts”.

Hanley says he’s found Councillor McHattie helpful in promoting the dishcrawl concept, but if the City wants to be known as a food destination “that is a policy decision”. I agree with him, but also with Partridge in that the city is but one player, and perhaps not the best one to lead such an initiative.

From his own perspective Hanley says “there’s gold here” and “Hamilton is a brand that is in the wrong category.” He’d love to see a larger festival leveraging the “spectacular music scene” in the city along with the food elements including the “unreal” food trucks.

So, now you’ve found your voice, I’ll put the question out there. Who in Hamilton/Burlington/Halton is interested in stepping up and bringing people together to discuss these ideas?

In the interim, for a taste of some of what is going on in our neck of the woods, drop by the FoodandDrinkFest this weekend: I’m sorry I won’t see you there as I’m off to the first Food Bloggers of Canada Conference to expand my horizons… More on what I learn anon.

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.