Hamilton Food and Drink Show

The Hamilton Food and Drink Show is a Rose family tradition, so as per usual, my dad and I headed to the Hamilton Convention Centre for some wining and dining (but mostly dining). Here our just a few of our favourite picks!

Pokeh Bar (Hamilton Farmer's Market — Real Food Court)

Hamilton is home to Canada's first pokeh bar. How lucky does that make us? I visited Pokeh Bar at the Hamilton's Farmer's Market just two weeks ago, and I'm hooked. If you're not familiar with it, pokeh is a fresh and nutritious combination of rice, raw fish, and many premium toppings to choose from. Pokeh Bar is brought to us by the same team behind Meat Ventures. 

Ora Italian Kitchen and Bar (18 Hess Street South)

Full disclosure: I don't eat meat. Well, most meat. I'm one of those pretentious-sounding pescatarians. This means, Ora Italian Kitchen and Bar's sliders topped with chocolate-covered bacon were off the table for me; they weren't however off the table for my dad, so I couldn't help but snap this picture while he ordered one of these.

YWCA Hamilton's At the Table Catering Company (75 MacNab Street South)

As an employee of YWCA Hamilton, I'm biased on this one, but I don't think I'm exaggerating: YWCA Hamilton's At the Table Catering Company is one of the city's best-kept secrets. It's a social enterprise catering initiative that uses fresh local and seasonal ingredients while providing healthy meals and training opportunities to women who live at YWCA Hamilton in our Transitional Living Program. Chef Chris Beltrano was serving up antipasto plates, quinoa salad, and ginger cookies made with Nickelbrook's maple porter. To learn more about At the Table, or to learn how you can Be the Recipe for Change, visit YWCA Hamilton's website. 

Eat Industries (Hamilton Farmer's Market — Real Food Court)
After a week in Mexico, I thought I wouldn't be able to look at another taco, but how could I resist Eat Industries roasted cauliflower taco? I couldn't. Read more about Eat Industries, which along with Pokeh Bar is another recent edition to the lower level of the Hamilton Farmer's Market, over at People of Hamilton.