PARADISO RISTORANTE

2041 Pine Street, Burlington On., (905) 639-1176, Open for Lunch and Dinner

My wife and I went to Paradiso on a Friday night.  We made reservations for 6:30 and I am glad we did, because it was packed with patrons within minutes after we arrived.  Even though it is a large space, it gets very busy during peak hours.

We began with a bottle of California Merlot 2009 and it was smooth as silk.

The waiter Adam brought us a very tasty focaccia bread and olive oil dip plate that was unusual and delicious - in fact I asked for two servings it was so good.

We both selected the same appetizer sesame cormeal crusted calamari, served with horseradish cocktail sauce and cucumber aioli with lemon.  They were very good.

After examining the specials menu - we both decided on the same main.

We decided on the Pecan Crusted Pickerel ($2 from every main was going to the Ride to Conquer Cancer benefitting the Toronto General Hospital and the Princess Margaret Hospital).  It was a delicious choice.  The pickerel was superb and the saffron rice cake was divine!

Wondering if their desserts could be as good as the meal I decided to peruse the dessert menu.

So I decided (I shouldn't have) to select the creme brulee selection.  They were pure decadence.

I decided to push the envelope and complete the meal with a Blue Sky martini and it was a great ending to a wonderful meal.

Our server Adam was very efficient given how busy the restaurant was. The booth we had was wonderful (the surface was covered in copper).  The ambiance was great and the food was scrumptious and imaginative.  We will definitely return to Paradiso again.

http://burlington.paradisorestaurant.com/Home/tabid/9204/Default.aspx

JET CAFE 

184 King Street East, Hamilton, On.  (905) 297-8113. Open for Breakfast and Lunch

Located on the main thoroughfare through downtown Hamilton, beside a parking lot is the Jet Cafe. It is situated in a rather grimy stretch of store fronts, but they are improving as the area is changing slowly.  

It isn't very impressive inside and certainly could use updating (especially the washrooms) but it has a varied clientele from hipsters to suits.  Local art covers the walls and is reasonably priced.  It has a large selection of fair trade organic coffees including Kicking Horse Kick Ass blend coffee and a selection of Seattles Best.  There is also an outdoor patio on the side of the building and a parking lot beside it.

The menu selection is surprisingly extensive, ranging from a wide variety of all day breakfasts, including vegan selections, to a selection of sandwiches, stir fry, and pitas. The menu is found on chalkboards and large handwritten posters near the cash, where selections are made and paid for when ordering. 

I was here with my son and we are both fans of pulled pork sandwiches, so we decided to try it.  It was delicious: the pork was just the right amount, it was tender and had a nice barbecue sauce on it that was not overwhelming.  There was a nice coleslaw in the sandwich and the bun melted in your mouth.

It came with a bowl of homemade baked beans and onions and a generous portion of fries.  The beans were a nice touch, but the fries were rather ordinary.  The price was very reasonable and the meal was quite delicious.  The staff were efficient and friendly.  We will definitely be back to try their breakfasts, which are their specialty.

BEAVER AND BULLDOG 

2020 Lakeshore Road, Burlington On. in the Waterfront Hotel, (289) 337-9119, Sun. and Mon. 11:30 - Midnight, Tues. & Wed. 11:30 - 1:00 am,  Thurs. - Sat. 11:30 - 2 am

My wife and I went to the Beaver and Bulldog for an early dinner on a Friday afternoon in late March.  It just happened to be the last days of Taste of Burlington (which is a prix fix time for many restaurants in the Burlington area).  We were offered a meal including salad and desert and main for basically the price of the main ($14.99). This was a good deal.

We didn't have to use a $10 coupon we had - so we could use it another time.  It is a very large space that is broken up into a variety of seating areas - some of which overlook Lake Ontario and is part of the Waterfront Hotel on Lakeshore Road.

After being greeted by several very friendly staff, we were seated at a very nice banquette table.  Our waitress arrived with our menus and the good news that Taste of Burlington menu was still on.  We ordered a nice bottle of Masi wine.

We began with a nice salad with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing (unfortunately I forgot to take a picture - blame the wine).  We both ordered the same main, which was a breaded and seasoned pork schnitzel topped with a lemon caper sauce.  It was served with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

The pork was tender and tasty as was the lemon caper sauce.  The garlic mashed potatoes were delicious, however the vegetables were disappointing in quality and quantity.

We followed the main with a desert we have never had before - bread pudding.  After smelling one of them go by our table to another patron - the butterscotch smelled intoxicating so we tried it and it was absolutely delicious.

It was a surprisingly good meal for the price and in a pub not known for being a gastropub.  It has many specials throughout the week and has a nice outdoor patio that overlooks the lake.  We will definitely come back to try some other items.

http://www.beaverandbulldog.com/home/