ZANE VISITS: HAMILTON
ZANE took to the road to visit our booming neighbours in Hamilton. Creatively growing, the city has many things us Torontonians love. So take the 45 minute (-ish depending on traffic) jaunt over for a day and check out our Hamilton hit list:
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10AM // Steeltown Garage Co. // 8 Barton St E.
We grabbed an Espresso made from their own locally roasted, 100% certified, organic, fair-trade coffee beans while chatting with Jeff Campagna the owner of this coffee bar boutique entered around the motorcycle community.
10:30AM // Saint James // 170 James St. N
Next up. Breakfast. A definite stop is at the restaurant Saint James where both the food and the drinks are equally as focused on, and equally as delish. The owners used to run our beloved Dark Horse Coffee at Euclid and Queen.
11:30AM // Centre 3 // 173 James St N
Centre 3 is a community run print, media gallery, centre. With unique exhibits and showcases of local talent this space perfectly speaks to the current artistic energy that is emerging out of Hamilton.
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1:00PM // Chaises Musicales // 152 James St
We stumbled upon this gem walking along James Street. Brimming with vintage books, records and some mid century furniture pieces that are some of the most unique.
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2:00PM // The Assembly// 4 Cannon St E
An artist run co-op showing regularly changing exhibits of their members works. Professional artist showcase their place in the contemporary art scene within this intimate fresh feeling gallery. We peeked through the window earlier in the day before their opening and had to come back to see the full show..
2:30PM // Motel Restaurant // 359 Barton St E
Toronto Transplant Chris spoke with us about his brand spankin' new spot. Let us tell you this may be the most Instagrammable place we have ever stepped foot into. Oh, did we mention the champagne pancakes?3PM // Berkeley North // 31 King William St
The ideal lunch spot, so ideal in fact we wish it was in Toronto. With customizable bowls and salads everything was fresh, made in house and completely delicious. This pescatarian restaurant serves up family sharing style dishes on their dinner menu which is our kinda meal.
3:30PM // The Heather // 357 Barton St E
The Heather is one of the most unique dining experiences in Hamilton. A set seven course menu that changes every night they are open. This intimate experience is focused on reconnecting the guests with the person who is cooking their food. Fresh ingredients dictate the menu and the the chef is dead set on keeping things simple and intentional. Oh, and he makes a mean chocolate chip cookie while they are open for cafe hours.
4:00PM // Hamilton Artists Inc // 155 James St N
Hamilton Artists Inc. is a beautiful space putting art and art education at the forefront of everything they do. Supporting local members and showcasing their work. Great to walk through the space to see the newest pieces from some amazing emerging artists..
5:00PM // Antique Avenue // 329 Ottawa St N
What can we say. This place will have you wanting to redecorate your entire place. The sprawling basement is filled with finds you haven't seen anywhere else. We already want to go back and see what new pieces they have. Get your vintage fix.
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6:00PM // Collective Arts Brewing Co // 207 Burlington Street East
This Craft brewer has bottles featuring limited-edition works of art by artists and musicians that change every few months. Sip craft beer and learn about some new artists with their scan-able, free Blippar mobile app to hear the music, see videos and view artist profiles. They also have an open patio in the evenings just behind the brewery to enjoy your drinks.
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8:00PM // The Brain // 199 James St N
This downtown watering hole was exactly the dive bar we were looking for. Simple, casual and comfortable. With unique decorations like graffiti on the wall and window displays, there's not much more to say other than this is exactly where we wanted to end our day in Hamilton..
Visit their websites:
Steeltown Garage Co. • Saint James Café • Centre3 • Chaises Musicales • The Assembly • Motel Restaurant • Berkeley North • The Heather • Hamilton Artists Inc • Antique Avenue • Collective Arts Brewing Co • The Brain
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