Food for Thought with Alex Bielak- Sips and Bites – December 2013

Sips and Bites – December 2013

Some great places to eat, and wines to drink, are featured in this December round-up edition of Food for Thought. As this is published I’ll just have returned from a trip: It was for a meeting, but I took an extra couple of days to avail myself of the many culinary options during my first visit to a great Spanish city.

“Oooh...I'm jealous!” said Erin Dunham when she learned I was off to Barcelona. She’s Chef Matt Kershaw’s partner in Burlington’s The Alex and Hamilton’s Rapscallion, and was chatting with me online about their new venture, Two Black Sheep, on John St South in Hamilton.

“It is an oyster and charcuterie cocktail bar. We are making cocktails like a chef would; freshly squeezed juices and ingredients,” she told me. “It was inspired by a cocktail bar in San Francisco when we realized as much love could go into drinks as we put into food.” Very good point!

Their web site indicates they’ll “offer light fare of oysters, with a variety of garnishes; charcuterie and salumi; a selection of cheeses; and other offerings of pickled vegetables and crisps.”

Sounds like a neat destination, with less travel involved than Spain. So does Charred Rotisserie House on James North, which beckons with a neat logo, charcoal roasted chicken and “signature home made piri piri sauce.” Another I’m looking forward to visiting, 28 Lister Chophouse Grill, has announced it will finally be open for business in early January. It sounds as if they have been facing some frustrating delays because of construction and permitting issues.

They have apparently been keeping their other chops, the culinary ones, fresh by catering events in Hamilton and Toronto. I hear the food for a recent Hamilton Chamber of Commerce Business to Business event, held at the Tourism Hamilton Visitor Centre, apparently went down well… (To see some of their pictures check
out this link.)

In Burlington, Chef Andrew Macleod, continues to work his magic at Spencer’s at the Waterfront with able support from his team, including Jamie Bourdeau, his personable sous-chef, who clearly has a bright future. I suspect another part of the continuing success of this restaurant lies in the sterling work of Sommelier, Craig Maclean. He’s been there since Spencer’s opened and is a great promoter of local wine, including some unusual varieties.

At a recent event he introduced us to some gems from Niagara wineries I was unfamiliar with. Kew in Beamsville (whose 2012 Marsanne/Viognier - Vintages #355834 - held up well with a grilled octopus with fingerling potatoes and Romesco sauce) and Five Rows on St David’s Bench (a super 2010 Shiraz that more than matched roast Elk hip) are on my “to visit” list now. So too is a return to Rosewood Estates, whose (sadly now sold-out) 5-year old Mead Royale was a fine accompaniment to a Tarte Tatin. (For the full suite of pictures from that occasion click on this not-safe-for-vegetarians link.)

Another event with the Chef from 20-year mainstay on the Kitchener-Waterloo restaurant scene, Bhima’s Warung, had us try a cracker of a wine, a 2012 Sileni The Plateau Pinot Noir from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand (Vintages #132142). At a nickel shy of 20 bucks this North Island wine is a real bargain, complex and able to not only stand up to a Indonesian curried halibut dish, but meld with it, creating a softly earthy third taste profile. (And apologies to readers in Waterdown, I cleared out the stock from that LCBO outlet!)

There was also a 2010 Californian Zinfandel (Dry Creek Vineyard, Vintages #574491, $21.50) that we enjoyed paired with a venison Massaman curry. Highly rated by Wine Spectator (90 pts) you can either drink it now and enjoy the fruity nose and flavor, or lay it down a few years. I’ve also had it with both a filet steak and braised shortribs and it worked well with both.

Matching the New Zealand Pinot, and again with less travel involved, was the 2011 Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Select Pinot Noir, I tried at a tasting in London last month. It’s $30 and if you can’t get it at the LCBO they do have the well-received 2010 at the same price (Vintages #33894). I’ve been so impressed by the Pinots from Le Clos that I was thrilled when winemaker, Sébastien Jacquey, invited me for a visit so I could learn more, something I hope to do soon. A Lailey 2012 Reisling ($18.20) was also a standout for me at the same event, and went well with some seared tuna being served.

Natalie Maclean’s “World Holiday Wine Match” results will be out by the time this column goes live. Based on votes cast by her members you might find some interesting suggestions for wines in the $25 and less category. Particularly if you are looking for something to match the eclectic selection of international holiday dishes featured in the contest: Latkes (Hanukkah), Moroccan lamb (Ramadan), Collard greens (Kwanzaa), and Baccala, Roast turkey and Fruitcake (Christmas).

The upcoming season calls for bubbles, and, of course the region around Barcelona is home to Cava, the Spanish sparkling wine that so many of us enjoy as a (relatively) cheap substitute for Champagne: think Freixenet and Codorniu. On that front, I recently found a great value wine that is a super alternative to the Spanish offerings. Available at the LCBO (regular list #211466), the De Chanceny Rosé Brut is from the Loire Valley in France. Aromatic with good fruit it is made with 100% Cabernet Franc Grapes and I found it great value at $17.50.

Beer Drinkers might enjoy a “behind the scenes” tour of nearby craft breweries (in Guelph and Kitchener Waterloo, or Toronto. They are the latest in Ontario’s Signature Experiences, promoted by the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance.)

I also want to draw the attention of readers to a lengthy and useful comment that recently appeared in response to my Sept. 28th column on the the Top Ten Do’s and Don’ts for Your Kitchen Reno. Anyone thinking of undertaking such a venture would do well to read what kitchen designer Donna West had to say.

And finally, an admonition. It is more than about just the food and wine, folks. Ambience is important, no matter how small or basic the establishment: if you are going to claim to be the Best [insert ethnicity of choice] Cuisine in Hamilton, do at least try to reflect some semblance of that culture! I recently ventured into such a place and, though the food was fine, it was a singularly joyless experience, with nary a welcoming smile, music or even any art or colour on the walls… Luckily a quick stop at another eatery of the same ethnicity restored my belief in the vitality and friendliness of that particular culture.

With the holidays almost upon us, and unless inspiration strikes, Food for Thought will be taking a break until the New Year, when I’ll soon be writing my 50th column. (This is #48!) So, I wish you all the best at this festive time of the year, but ask readers to remember not everyone will have reason to celebrate. So please spare a thought and consider making a donation to a local food bank. Most supermarkets now have a box you can drop some items into, so do it!

For more pictures, click here.

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.