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hamilton ontario


mod_grl

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I'm staying in hamilton, ontario for the world championship bike race in october. I am looking for some restaurant recommendations in the area. I am interested in good and fresh down home cooking, not particularly fancy or expensive. I'll have a car so I can travel to some of the surrounding towns if that's where the good eats are to be found.

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Hamilton is my home town.

There are no good restaurants in Hamilton.

None.

Um well that's not completely true. Lo Presti's on Maxwell is pretty good. But it may be a bit more high end than mod-grl is looking for :blink:

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

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Hamilton is my home town.

There are no good restaurants in Hamilton.

None.

I'm staying there for a week. Please don't tell me I'm going to have to eat at the ramada inn dining room the entire time. There's got to be something around that's at least decent. I will have a car and can travel to surrounding towns if necessary. Where do the locals eat?

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Oakville also has some great restaurants, Seasons, The Rude Native, Omega (that one is high end, but with Ceasar Salad to die for), Il Fornello's, lots of great places in dowtown Oakville. Burlington has some nice ones too.

Lo Presti's on Maxwell is great. Going the other way towards Niagara, The Lakehouse Restaurant is right on Lake Ontario near St. Catherines. It has a gorgeous patio if the weather is nice.

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

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I ate at a sushi restaurant called Osaka a few years ago. It was pretty good and not too expensive. It's at 581 Barton St East.

I also remember having a decent meal at Le Chinois (173 King St East).

Hope that helps.

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I just knew that innocente wouldn't be able to avoid dissing Hamilton restaurants. We have had more than a few BAD meals there. However, two restaurants that aren't overly expensive and have been reliable on several occasions are the Gate of India at 201 James St. N and Spaghett, a pasta house at 970 Upper James ("on the mountain" in Hamilton parlance). Find the Hamilton Market too - there should be lots of wonderful tree-ripened fruit from Niagara available while you're in the city. Cherries! Peaches! Plums! :rolleyes::biggrin:

Cheers,

Kathy

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Oops. I just reread your original post and realized that your trip isn't until October. On the minus side the fruit season will be over. On the plus side I'll do a bit of asking around and see if a few more suggestions surface.

K.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Try the Bean Bar in Westdale (near McMaster University). I've had several good lunches there.

I'll second the recommendation for the Rude Native in Oakville. Great Spot.

Not too far away is the Bench Bistro at East Dell Estates Winery in Beamsville, which should definitely merit a stop. Also in Beamsville is Peninsula Ridge, but it's very high end.

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Hi,

I would agree on visiting the Niagara peninsula for the wineries, there are new ones every year and it's beautiful out there.

Some of my favorite restaurants in that area (all pretty much high-end though):

On the Twenty

Hillebrand's Vineyard Café

Mark Picone at Vineland Estates Winery

For other info on the region, be sure to check

The Wines of Ontario website

I am heading there myself next week and I'm really looking forward to it :smile:

If you have some time to swing by Toronto, there are tons of great restaurants, many covered in this forum.

Enjoy!

treqx

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Holy cow, imagine living in Hamilton right now, following this line and having people say there is no good dining. My wife and I lived there most of our life, all of our family is still there, and we get back into town once a year. A few recommendations as follows:

Rankins Bar & Grill - nothing fancy but good old fashioned cooking, big servings, fun staff - a great kickback spot - say hi to Amanda and Gary the owners.

Rude Native - used to have a location on King William is it no longer there?

I used to love this place.

Locke St. Diner - I think this is the name, located on Locke street, good local spot - always busy.

The Sheik - two locations I believe, one on King near Queen, and another up on Concession - great middle eastern food.

The Bean bar mentioned above is a great spot in Westdale - casual

Black Forest Cafe - a little touristy, but good german food in the heart of downtown.

Forbidden City - great chinese in the same area as Black Forest Cafe.

The restaurant in the Royal Botanical Gardens - can't remember the name but the owners used to own a really good catering company in town a number of years ago (Compton & Greenland) and the atmosphere is great.

Burlington - my favorite spot here used to be Pepperwoods Bistro on Lakeshore near Brant - I think it is still open - good food, great wine list, lots of great beers on tap, and weekend entertainment.

The market mentioned above in downtown Hamilton is also very good, lots of great cheeses on the upper level.

This is a start, I will talk to my family in Hamilton and find out the latest hot spots for you that I may not be made aware of .

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This is my first post on egullet and I have lived in or around Hamilton all my life.

I would recommend La Cantina and Lo Presti's on Maxwell.

For a sunday brunch, try the Ancaster Old Mill, great setting and good food. A little inconsitent for dinner I have found.

Shakespeares is good for steak and seafood.

There are several good restauarants in neighbouring cities that you should not have any problem eating well.

I agree with the earlier post to visit the farmers market located downtown to get the freshest produce and meet interesting people.

Hope you enjoy your stay.

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Hi, this is my first post on this board. I agree with Virginia, La Cantina and Lo Presti's are very good choices. Give Papagayo a try as well. It's a small Mexican restaurant on King St. near Hess Village. Hess Village has a nice atmosphere if you're looking for a pub type experience. On the corner of Locke and Main you'll find Izzy's. They have FANTASTIC food. Enjoy your stay in Hamilton. :smile:

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