A Hamilton blog about the places I explore & love + all the reasons why I love this city
We were so excited to sit in our backyard after the long winter that we put on our winter coats, poured some pints, and grabbed our new gardening book, Grow Great Grub by Gayla Trail that I picked up from Mixed Media. We can’t wait to start up our vegetable garden, and get working on our landscaping project for this year.
Steve turned 34 this year, and this was his birthday cake. I’m not a baker, so when it comes to birthday cakes I’m always at a loss. We had a busy day visiting some great places around the city, sitting in our garden and enjoying one of the first warm days of spring. I almost forgot about a cake. Luckily we live next door to a convenience store.
After a nice spring walk down by Bayfront Park we went to Hutch’s for their classic fish and chips. It was my first time to Hutch’s, and although usually a typical summer attraction, it is open all year round. Everyone must’ve been feeling spring in the air because there was a pretty good crowd ordering up burgers, Stoney Creek Dairy ice-cream, and plates of fish and chips.
*Hutch’s Harbour Front, 325 Bay St. North, Hamilton
When we visited Buffalo to see the Albright Knox Art Gallery we figured our trip to Buffalo wouldn’t be complete without sampling some authentic buffalo wings. After some extensive research pre-trip we had already crossed Duff’s and Anchor bar off the list. Instead we headed to Gabriel’s Gate in Allentown to try their beer, wings and beef on weck.
It had a cozy warm interior that was filled with regulars, cheap pints ($3.75!) & real good wings
We split 2 orders of wings; one cajun, and the other bbq, as well as a beef on weck. The wings were crispy, not greasy, with lots of meaty goodness.
This was my very first beef on weck, which is apparently a classic Buffalo culinary delicacy. Sliced beef on a soft doughy bun that’s topped with caraway seeds, and massive flakes of salt, served with a nice side of spicy horseradish. Gabriel’s Gate did an OK job (I thought the beef was over cooked). On my next Buffalo visit I want to try the weck at Schwabl’s.
*Gabriel’s Gate, 145 Allen St. Buffalo, NY
Homes of Allentown. All the houses had brightly painted wood panel siding. It reminded me a little of the colourful homes of Saint John’s, Newfoundland. We didn’t do too much neighbourhood exploration on this trip but I think that another trip to Buffalo will be in store, and maybe we’ll try and bring along our bicycles for some fancy free summer time cross border cycling.
A day trip to explore Buffalo was perfect for a grey spring Sunday. Since moving to Hamilton we’d done a lot of talk about wanting to visit the Albright Knox Art Gallery, and on one of those dull in between winter and spring days, when it’s too cold to be outside but spring enough that you want to be somewhere besides hibernating, a short drive across the border to Buffalo to check out some contemporary art did just the trick.
*Albright Knox Art Gallery, 1285 Elmwood Ave. Buffalo, NY
