ON THE MENU: WHAT’S OPENED AND CLOSED ON THE LOCAL RESTAURANT SCENE
Here's a list of what has come, gone and changed in Hamilton and Burlington in February.
Launched & opening soon
Blondies (4490 Fairview St., Burlington)
Replacing the previous pizza shop in the location Pizza Boat, which closed in October last year, Blondies is a growing Toronto franchise that serves a signature “Blonde” pizza with an alfredo sauce base, and stands out with its all-pink exterior branding.
IG: @blondiespizza
Budapest Bakeshop (447 Brant St., Burlington)
The Niagara-area bakeshop creates Hungarian chimney cakes, baked from scratch daily, both sweet and savoury. The chimneys are stuffed with sweet or savoury fillings to make a delicious snack, or layered with meat, cheese and veggies to create a substantial sandwich. Burlington is the first franchised location for the brand and is opening soon.
The Grand (69 Augusta St., Hamilton)
From the creators of Motel on Barton (more on that in the Closed section below), comes another hotel-themed restaurant, this one on a “grander” scale. The space has three distinct sections for enjoying a cocktail, a chic casual date, or an elegant dinner. The menu is upscale casual with salad bowls, burgers, and mains like steak frites, lasagna bolognaise and fried chicken tenders, with plenty of vegan and gluten-free options.
Happy’s Hakka House (3505 Upper Middle Rd., Burlington)
Serving Indian-style Hakka Chinese cuisine, the menu features fresh hot noodles, Manchurian, fried rice, chilli chicken, and momos. A lunch special is offered at only $9.99, and two-can-dine specials for $29.99 include spring rolls, a fried rice dish and a chicken dish.
Squares Pizza & Wings (788 Concession St., Hamilton)
Taking over the location recently known as Pi Square Pizza, this rendition promises “a new twist on pizza and wings”.
Vero Gallery Cafe (659 Barton St. E., Hamilton)
This gallery has taken over the former office space of the Barton Village BIA, taking advantage of the original charm of hardwood floors and exposed brick walls to create a cozy gallery and café space. Serving Toronto’s Ethica Coffee Roasters coffee and sandwiches and pastries from Hamilton café Synonym against the backdrop of local artist exhibitions.
IG: @verogallerycafe
Wingstop (44 King William St., Hamilton)
The Canadian chicken franchise opened with much buzz thanks to free wings to the first 100 people at its grand opening on Feb. 20. Ten lucky winners won wings for a year, some camping out all night to snag the honour.
IG: @wingstopcanada
Rebranding
Pinbones (44 King St. W., Dundas)
The seafood restaurant that has established itself as a Dundas favourite has moved across the street into the newly revamped storefront that was once Valley Charcoal. Diners can expect the same vibe and menu in the new, larger space.
IG: @pinbonesfishmkt
Donut Monster (246 Locke St., Hamilton)
Not so much of a rebrand as a reinvention, as this well-established donut shop is now branching out into all-day breakfast with made-to-order whole fruit smoothies, and a significant number of new savoury menu items, all of which use donuts as the base. The menu includes breakfast sandwiches between donut halves, even fried chicken and waffles made with cake donut batter. Soft launch has begun, with the new menu offered Friday to Sunday from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. to start.
Closed
Dutch Mill Country Market (Millgrove Sideroad, Dundas)
Staff posted on the Facebook account of the suddenly shuttered rural market that ran a large popular tea room, grocery store and gift shop: “Most of you have probably heard the news by now and we (the long time employees of Dutch Mill) would like to confirm that yes, on a surprising note, we are closed … While this is a goodbye from us, we hold out hope for the future that it is just goodbye for now and not forever.”
Motel (Barton Street East, Hamilton)
A beloved brunch staple for nearly a decade, the trendy tropical vibes of Motel have come to a close with owners posting that “After months of negotiations with a new landlord that is situated in a Toronto real estate market, we simply could not get a deal done.” Fans of the eatery’s over-the-top brunch dishes can try the owners’ new venture, The Grand, which opened recently on Augusta. More on that in the Launched section of this list.
Pagoda Chop Suey House (790 Concession Street, Hamilton)
This Concession Street plaza take-out eatery was recently listed as closed on Google, and new signage has appeared this month with the name “Asian Flavor: Chinese & Japanese Food” and a handwritten sign stating the new restaurant opens Feb. 25.
– List compiled by HAMILTON CITY Magazine contributor Suzanne Zandbergen. If you have a restaurant opening or changing, please let us know at meredith@hamiltoncitymagazine.ca.
