Must-try food events in Hamilton in March
Food brings people together and these events are sure to do this. Which one are you headed to?
When I found out about these two events happening in Hamilton, I knew I wanted to share them with everyone.
While these two events are very different in nature, each one truly shows how food does bring groups of people together to celebrate various things. Let’s jump right into it.
Demonstration Dinner for The Bridge
“The Bridge from Prison to Community is a charitable organization that runs programs for men who have been released from incarceration,” Leanne Smith, a volunteer at The Bridge shared.
Programs include Support Groups & Meal Based Programs, Family Support Groups, Transitional Housing, Intensive Case Management, Clinical Counselling and more.
Since 1970, The Bridge has been promoting safe community reintegration for persons exiting incarceration, Smith said.
“Through our restorative approach, we provide clients with an opportunity to rebuild connections to the community and achieve personal reintegration goals for a better future.”
On March 11, from 6 to 9 p.m., The Bridge is bringing back a very popular event to the Hamilton community to raise money.
Back in April, 2022, there was a fire at the Bridge House and they are still in recovery mode. They are asking for extra help from the community for donations to continue to run programs and provide income to offset their expenses while they cannot use the house.
By running this event, they are hoping to bring more awareness to not only the organization but also this one-of-a-kind event.
Leanne told us, “Chef Wayne (Baker), who is a board member and active volunteer will be preparing a gourmet meal in front of the attendees.
“After the demonstration, everyone will be served the full meal. The meal consists of the following: Tomato Basil Bisque, Egg roll or Italian Noodle Casserole, Three Cheese/Meat Filled Manicotti, Mushroom Risotto, Cheese Drop Biscuits & Chocolate Lava Cake. Award Winning Musician, Cory Cruise will also be performing during the evening.”
Excited to support a great cause and get tickets? Here are the details: Tickets are $42.42 and must be purchased in advance. Tickets can be purchased from Eventbrite.
The Bridge is planning more events, so give them a follow on their Instagram account. Or sign up for their newsletters at hamilton-bridge.ca and select signup for updates.
“Food Is Me”: A Hamilton-based docuseries & tasting
Kris Osborne and Nathan Sizemore are the masterminds behind this tasty production. “Food Is Me” is a docuseries, hosted by food writer and media personality Tara O’Brady.
It is an intimate, vulnerable, and often funny exploration of the people, food, and drink behind five of Hamilton’s most noteworthy breweries, bakeries, and restaurants: Dear Grain, Tomah, The Himalya, Maria’s Tortas Jalisco, and Grain & Grit. “Food Is Me” will be released on-demand on Bell Fibe TV1 in the spring of 2023.
Kris and Nathan had a chance encounter that led them to blend their backgrounds of television production, directing, and food into this exciting Hamilton docuseries.
We chatted with Kris and she shared, “We wanted to do something David Chang-inspired — something more intimate and less formal, where the host was in the kitchen getting her hands dirty and making the food of people she was connecting with.
“We wanted it to feel less like an interview and more like a conversation; and that’s where Tara O’Brady came in. Through the series, we are aiming to inspire a greater view of the Hamilton foodscape as creative, inspired, complex, diverse, everchanging, and one worth seeking out. And for the subjects we are shooting, we genuinely want to see their businesses thrive and for the opportunities they seek for their own successes to materialize. Their stories are important to us.
“Food says so much about where we come from, how we see the world, how we connect with others, and what we love.
“This series is about connecting with the people in the community, telling the origin stories of creative dishes and delicious food and drinks, uniting over the making and baking of sourdough bread, and trying new flavours and styles of cooking. ‘Food Is Me’ is about finding the unexpected in a place you thought you knew.”
The Hamilton community is full of food lovers and people are getting excited for this event. Kris is thrilled with the initial response they have been getting from the community.
This event is happening on March 30, 2023, 7 p.m. at The Westdale cinemas. Tickets include a generous tasting from each of the five restaurants and, of course, a screening of the show.
Hear their stories, experience their incredible food, and meet the people shaping the Hamilton food scene.
Seats are limited, so grab your tickets at Eventbrite and make sure you follow them on their Instagram page.
JOYCE LEUNG IS A FOOD WRITER AND BLOGGER WHO LIVES IN HAMILTON. FIND HER TEACHING ASIAN COOKING CLASSES AROUND THE CITY WHEN SHE IS NOT DINING OUT AND TRYING ALL THE DELICIOUS RESTAURANTS OF HAMILTON. JOYCE WILL NOT WRITE ABOUT ANY ORGANIZATIONS SHE HAS A SEPARATE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH. YOU CAN REACH HER AT JOYCE@JOYCEOFCOOKING.COM