The Gore Building | ? | 5 fl | Completed

[Millstone]

We should all get together at some of these 'good' Hamilton restaurants. I have no idea where I should eat.

[HAMRetrofit]

Originally Posted by flar

But compared to London, Hamilton has very few good restaurants and a lot of very poor restaurants. I have not seen world class dining in Hamilton.

Sorry. I have dined at London's and Hamilton's top restaurants

Hamilton trumps London without effort.

[raisethehammer]

has anyone on this board tried La Cantina, Lo Presti's at Maxwells, Shakespeares, 1010 Bistro, Acclamation, Wild Orchid, La Piazza Allegra, KOI, Sizzle or 7 Windows??

I could name more, but that's a good enough variety...please do tell me what is wrong with these places?? you'd pay several hundred dollars in TO at similar places and thousands in NYC.
Off the top of my head I could easily double the length of that list just in the downtown area....Hamilton smokes London and is in Toronto's league, but obviously on a much smaller scale.

[flar]

Originally Posted by HAMRetrofit

Sorry. I have dined at London's and Hamilton's top restaurants

Hamilton trumps London without effort.

I've lived in both cities for extended periods, you're simply wrong here.

[the dude]

definitely some good restaurants in town. i'm a big fan of 'brownies' and 'three-16 lounge' in particular: very chic; very urban; food's not bad either.

[HAMRetrofit]

Originally Posted by flar

I've lived in both cities for extended periods, you're simply wrong here.

This is subjective. I am sorry, in Toronto it is very easy to find inexpensive quality dinning.

I also have lived in both London and Hamilton. I am not wrong.

London is #3. There is no world class dining there.

[flar]

This is probably the stupidest argument I've been involved in, nevertheless I'll state that you will not find world class dining in London, Ontario or Hamilton. Why would you? They're not top tier cities. I'm not wealthy so I've only had the opportunity to try world class cuisine on a few occasions, these were in Toronto, New Orleans and Montreal. You will obviously find fine dining in both London and Hamilton, but just like London has four times as many hotels as Hamilton, they also have more fine dining establishments than Hamilton. Hamilton beats London in many other respects, but not with restaurants. This doesn't mean Hamilton doesn't have good restaurants, it just means that there are relatively few, and I am not alone in this opinion among people in the real world.

[coalminecanary]

Pepper jack Cafe and thai memory. Both worth a shot. PJC is mostly fresh loal ingredients from the farmer's market. Their pizzas are amazing.. I have trouble ordering pizza when I go to a restaurant but theirs are just so good.

Thai memory is beginning to eclipse my thai as the go-to spot on king william for thai food I think.

Another sweet place is mex-i-can. It looks really dumpy inside but the food is amazing and it's all made by hand at the moment you order it (prepare to sit and have a few drinks before the food arrives, good things come to those who wait)

che burrito is pretty sweet too, but also kind of slow.

some places i wish we had (from toronto): burrito boyz for fast burritos, utopia (amazing restaurant on college) and rasoee for quick indian (though modern india is fast and also really good)

[block43]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

has anyone on this board tried La Cantina, Lo Presti's at Maxwells, Shakespeares, 1010 Bistro, Acclamation, Wild Orchid, La Piazza Allegra, KOI, Sizzle or 7 Windows??

I could name more, but that's a good enough variety...please do tell me what is wrong with these places?? you'd pay several hundred dollars in TO at similar places and thousands in NYC.
Off the top of my head I could easily double the length of that list just in the downtown area....Hamilton smokes London and is in Toronto's league, but obviously on a much smaller scale.

You forgot Boo's Bistro, it is by far the best restaurant in Hamilton.

[HAMRetrofit]

London lacks the diversity of cultural dining establishments that Hamilton has. Its concentration and quality of fine dining is the same as Hamilton. There is no relationship between the amount of hotel space in the city and quality dining. Most people that I know from Toronto who travel to London feel this way too. London may have a few more chain restaurants but not independents, locals, and ethnics.

[BrianE]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

has anyone on this board tried La Cantina, Lo Presti's at Maxwells, Shakespeares, 1010 Bistro, Acclamation, Wild Orchid, La Piazza Allegra, KOI, Sizzle or 7 Windows??

I could name more, but that's a good enough variety...please do tell me what is wrong with these places?? you'd pay several hundred dollars in TO at similar places and thousands in NYC.
Off the top of my head I could easily double the length of that list just in the downtown area....Hamilton smokes London and is in Toronto's league, but obviously on a much smaller scale.

I went to La Cantina a few years ago and Acclamation. I enjoyed both meal equaly I would say. Two different styles of restaurant but both had the same quality of food and service at the same price range.

I will agree very stongly with the idea that that chain restaurants get way more buisness than they deserve. Especialy East Side Mario's, I'm pretty sure nothing is cooked from scratch in their kitchens anymore, just add chicken to pre mixed sauce and serve.

Went to Turtle Jacks (the in-laws didn't want to gamble on a restaurant downtown) this weekend and couldn't get a parking spot, there were a dozen cars trying to leave because there wasn't room. Come on! the food is not that good! I'll bet there were empty tables downtown at any number of better restaurants. But lets face it people will go for the safe option everytime because they're afraid of getting ripped off.

[flar]

Originally Posted by HAMRetrofit

London lacks the diversity of cultural dining establishments that Hamilton has. Its concentration and quality of fine dining is the same as Hamilton. There is no relationship between the amount of hotel space in the city and quality dining. Most people that I know from Toronto who travel to London feel this way too. London may have a few more chain restaurants but not independents, locals, and ethnics.

This post certainly reveals your ignorance, hotels and restaurants go hand in hand, ever heard of the hospitality industry? Having been on hiring committees in both London and Hamilton where the candidates are high level professionals who expect to be wined and dined, I can assure you that fine dining and good hotels are a problem in Hamilton but not in London.

[Tony]

Isn't this a TAD off-topic?

[HAMRetrofit]

This is totally off topic and you have not substantiated your claims with a shred of evidence. You have not presented factual proof that hospitality services increases the quality and concentration of restaurants. If this were the case Niagara Falls would have some amazing restaurants, which it does not. Your opinions are simply based on experience, or perhaps discrimination against Hamilton and Toronto. Since this debate is a provincial one perhaps it should be continued in the Ontario Section.

[LikeHamilton]

Not that I am not enjoying the discussion about one of my favourite subjects food, there are great food places everywhere. You just have to find them! Can someone start a new topic on food and restaurants?

[the dude]

i created a restaurant thread that virtually no one has contributed to. this would be a great opportunity for some forumers to add a few to the list.

actually, i've just started a new restaurant thread. PLEASE contribute. i'd love it if we could compile a huge list that people could refer to.

[rousseau]

Originally Posted by HAMRetrofit

If this were the case Niagara Falls would have some amazing restaurants, which it does not.

Whoa...Niagara Falls has some very good Japanese restaurants. The large one, can't remember the name, has been recommended to me by a couple of different Japanese friends.

As a former resident of Hamilton now living in Stratford (and thus having the opportunity to visit London now and again) my impression is that Hamilton and London are about the same on the lower-cost ethnic food front, which is somewhat shameful for Hamilton when you consider the population differences between the two cities. I don't know anything about the higher-priced "hospitality" food that upper management types need, though I don't think it would be surprising to anyone that London outpaces Hamilton in that area considering how many more hotels there are in London.

[HAMRetrofit]

^ your first mistake is posting regarding a conversation that is already over.

may I direct you here http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...79#post3424279 so that you may reacquaint yourself with the dining scene in Hamilton.

Only after you have tried the restaurants discussed here are you entitled to have an opinion of the caliber of dining that Hamilton offers.

[raisethehammer]

I know some of you hate it, but I LOVE this building. the balcony railings are awesome.
big windows.
the top portion is the only boring part, but it's minor and I'm sure they'll end up stamping the name and date into it once it's done.

[DC83]

Originally Posted by raisethehammer

I know some of you hate it, but I LOVE this building. the balcony railings are awesome.
big windows.
the top portion is the only boring part, but it's minor and I'm sure they'll end up stamping the name and date into it once it's done.

Speaking of... Did they announce the 'winning' name for this place?
I think the Downtown BIA was holding a naming contest, right?