Cafe Limoncello

Cafe Limoncello
226 Ottawa Street North
Hamilton, ON

http://www.cafelimoncello.com/

A mission for mussels marinara and a suggestion from Justin at Eating Your Content led us to a little gem in Hamilton’s fabric district, Cafe Limoncello. If you’re craving classic Italian food at a reasonable price, Limoncello is your golden ticket.

Logo

We don’t love it or hate it. Their lemon logo is classic and gets the point out about who they are – classic old-school Italian.

Food and Reviews
Can you guess what we ate?…. Mussels of course! They were everything we dreamed of and more. There was a ton of marinara sauce on these bad boys, so the endless servings of bread really helped. We’re getting hungry just thinking about it.

We also ordered Straciatella soup, Caesar salad and Spaghetti and Meatballs. All classics, done right!

The Straciatella was a bit salty for our liking, but we tend to like things under-seasoned. For the average folk, we assume it would be perfect-o.

We were way too full to try dessert, but according to everything we have heard, they’re famous for it. Next time!

Atmosphere

The restaurant is unpretentious and simple – not bad looking by any means, but they’re trying to impress with the food rather than the space. The place has a warm feeling to it that we think is meant to make you feel like ‘one of the family’.

Brand

Limoncello is a good choice for a night out with the family, or for lunch after shopping Ottawa Street North. They have that classic family-run feel in a restaurant, that’s becoming a bit hard to find in Hamilton! As much as we love all the new, modern & creative restaurants – we will never get tired of basic Italian comfort food.

Social Media Campaign

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CafeLimoncello

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cafe-Limoncello/163682383671758?fref=ts

They have an active social media presence, and are great at interacting with their #HamOnt community. Way to go Limoncello!

Suggestions

Our suggestions would be:

#1 Make sure the servers know the social media handles. We asked one server for the Twitter handle and she wasn’t sure if Limoncello had an account. #HamOnt is all about twitter, and since Limoncello does have an active social media presence, people should know about it! Get on that and enjoy some word of mouth customers!

#2 Resize your Twitter/Facebook profile pic so that people can see that logo of yours!

All in all, we think they’re doing a great job at being real and we’ll definitely be back again. You be you, Cafe Limoncello!

Been to Cafe Limoncello? Review it with us!

Embrace the ‘Detour’s

Detour Cafe & Restaurant
41 King St W,
Dundas, ON

Set in the heart of downtown Dundas, Detour Cafe is a bit out of the way for us (living in East End Hamilton and North End Hamilton) – a ‘detour’ if you will – but every time we visit, we can’t help falling in love with the cafe all over again.

Logo
The logo reminds us of a road sign and, in our minds, portrays exactly what the cafe offers: a detour from the everyday grind. It’s a place to take a coffee break with friends and enjoy high quality food at low costs.

Food and reviews
Lindsay- I tried one of the Specials of the Day, which was a French Toast Brioche with chocolate, sprinkled with icing sugar. I swapped the sauce for some fruit preserves and was happy I did so! The meal was extremely rich and sweet (just what the doctor ordered), but I would have liked it in a smaller portion. It was definitely a meal made for sharing!

Heather – The Detour Hash is probably my favourite dish in Hamilton, and also one of the main reasons I LOVE to visit Detour. It’s got a variety of different ingredients in it (smoked meat, potatoes, spinach, sweet potatoes, onions, peppers and poached eggs), but they all blend together so well! I also appreciate that you can add oven roasted tomatoes on top, which of course, I always do! Mmmm.

Atmosphere
We love everything about the atmosphere! They have a gorgeous location, a comfortable space with dark woods and cozy accents (featuring local art) and have added in a huge patio for those warm weather days. It’s definitely a place you’d take a detour to visit.

Brand
Detour is a brand done right. You can find their logo in a few locations in the cafe (great for brand recognition) and it can be found easily on their social media.

Social Media Campaign
Facebook – www.facebook.com/pages/Detour-Cafe/520840597946844
Twitter – twitter.com/_DetourCafe
Instagram – instagram.com/detourcoffee
Website – http://detourcafe.ca/

We love all the food porn pictures they have been posting to their Facebook lately, but we would love to see more posts per week. Being that it’s a “detour” out of the way, we need to be reminded!

Suggestions
We love everything about Detour! Our only suggestions would be: why not post from Instagram to Facebook? Let more people see those gorgeous photos! Also – offer poached eggs all day please! 🙂

Side note: we’ve also heard that Detour Cafe has recently purchased the Manual Labour Coffee trailer and will be frequenting local events with it!

Been to Detour Cafe & Restaurant? Review it with us!

The Green Smoothie Bar

The Green Smoothie Bar

236 James Street North, 

Hamilton, ON 

Calling all vegans, vegetarians and smoothie enthusiasts – Green Smoothie Bar is your new haven.

If you haven’t tried this Hamilton staple yet boy are you missing out.

But with their community efforts, yoga classes and strong presence in all local festivals, we’re sure all of you have had a sip of this green delight.

Logo

The Green Smoothie Bar’s logo fits its brand and theme – fresh, healthy and organic! What do you think of when you think of green? Well hopefully green!

The additional brown and white fits perfectly with this vegan, plant based smoothie bar.

Food and Reviews

Lindsay – I got my favourite, Banana Nut smoothie with chai, chia and matcha. It is literally banana bread in a cup. Healthy, vegan and delicious. I told you all it was possible!

Heather – I was sad to hear they were out of ingredients for my crave-worthy favourite smoothie, Chocolate Cherry, but I settled for Chocolate Hazelnut with Chai and wasn’t disappointed. Still all the yummy chocolatey flavour that I needed… and still green! Perfection.

The best part is that they provide you with healthy versions of some of your favourite treats! Clean eating DOESN’T have to be hard! They reinvent some of our favourite desserts like apple pie and chocolate cherry into healthy, green smoothies.

Don’t forget! Green Smoothie Bar also offers Collard Green Wraps, Kale Chips, Bento Boxes and other snacks.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is what you would expect from a local smoothie bar; a stainless steel and wood bar with chalkboard menus and café style seating.

The crisp whites and apple green are refreshing and the exposed brick and wood accents feel organic. They showcase real fruit, real vegetables and mason jars full of spices and flavorings that they call kickers.

Brand

Green Smoothie Bar is about helping #HamOnt reinvent the way we think about food. Being foodies ourselves, it’s important for us to eat right (especially when we sample some of Hamilton’s BEST dishes regularly). Green Smoothie Bar’s brand is its mission – clean.

Clean eating, clean design, clean colours, and a clean, clear brand.

They are also involved locally which helps establish their community-minded brand – they frequently offer yoga classes, live music and gallery shows.

Social Media Campaign

Green Smoothie Bar has great social media! They are interactive and are involved in the #HamOnt community – offline and online! Check them out.

Facebook –  The Green Smoothie Bar

Twitter –  @GSBHamilton

Instagram – @GreenSmoothieBar

Website – http://www.thegreensmoothiebar.com/

Suggestions

Be open 24-7. That way Lindsay can ALWAYS get her vegan smoothie 😉

Have you been to The Green Smoothie Bar? Review it with us!

And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street

Mulberry Street Coffeehouse

193 James Street North, 

Hamilton, ON

Now if you love Hamilton, we know you love James St N. It’s artistic and filled with fun stores, yummy restaurants and interesting art galleries.

James St N also used to house a laundry mat in a beautiful brick building. But now you don’t have to visit the corner of Mulberry and James St N just to wash your clothes – you can go for a coffee, a cupcake, some art and it’s a good place to get some work done.

Mulberry Street Coffeehouse is the perfect place for dates, freelancers, artists, moms, dads, kids … well, anybody.

Logo 

Their outdoor sign was made by local artists ‘Dave Hind and The Aluminum Quilting Society’ – we love it! We checked out The Aluminum Quilting Society’s ‘Carnival Commanders’ show at De Facto at Mulberry (the gallery side of the cafe) before the sign was up and completely admired their work. The sign is uber creative and sticks with Mulberry’s brand of supporting local artists. They seem to have switched over all their logos on their social media sites to a picture of the steel works sign. Different – but we like it. (We would love to see a brightened up picture though! It’s a bit dim on their website/facebook/twitter.)

Food Review

Well we both had the Iced Peach Green Tea, and if you’ve read our other blogs you are probably starting to see a trend. Or a problem. Yes, we both love tea.

Anyways, it was cold. It was tea. We drank it real fast.

Lindsay also spotted a vegan double chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. Now if you’re a struggling vegan like Lindsay (darn cheese) anything double chocolate is heaven. How Heather managed to snap a picture of it before Lindsay scarfed it down we’ll never know.

*Tip: They have their liquor license. And the only thing almost as good as tea is craft beer! (In our humble opinion.)

Atmosphere

Mulberry is one of our favorite places to walk into because you get hit right smack in the forehead with their brand.

Chandeliers, cracked mosaic floors and hand-written black board menu – it is everything you would come to expect from shabby chic. A green vintage couch is paired with a 70’s maroon couch and a tarnished coffee table. Tables on the De Facto side (gallery side) have beautiful silver legs paired with mismatched chairs. Actually, almost everything Mulberry is mismatched – is this the island of misfit furniture?

When you walk in at the corner entrance you are greeted by a friendly smile and a bar filled with cookies, cupcakes and other baked goodies. And there is an array of drinks to choose from.

There are also multiple seating areas. Right now the both of us are sitting in Mulberry working at the couch seating. It’s a lot like sitting at home in our living room working – except without the distraction of our video-game playing boyfriends.

You have a room off of the “living room” that is filled with 70s looking booths and crystal chandeliers. The main room sports few tables with a high window table and bar stools covered in gorgeous burlap fabric. They also have great outdoor patio seating.

When you turn the corner you enter De Facto at Mulberry – an art gallery attached to the café. It has the bright crisp walls you expect from an art gallery with modern lighting.

They have plugs for our computers, free Wi-Fi and an artistic atmosphere that keeps our minds flowing. Great for freelancers and artists alike.

Brand

We think Mulberry is vintage-bohemian. With its vintage couches, beautiful crown molding and original exposed brick, you feel the warmth of original Hamilton. Filled inside is just as much original but more artistic – the patrons and staff of Mulberry street are what you would expect from a café in Woodstock. Long flowered skirts, Geek chic glasses and a friendly smile. You can come here to work, to read, to think or to make friends.

Now Mulberry isn’t hipster. It’s not that kid who tries too hard to impress you. You know those kids. The ones who invite you over to look at their vinyl collection but won’t let you touch it. And forget asking them about it. They’ve been hoarding them in their room but we both know they have no idea who 3/4s of them are. Hipsters.

We think Mulberry is that hippie chick you see riding on her bike down James St N. She’s friendly. She’ll stop to tell you a joke. And she’s more interested in learning about you than showing off. That’s the part we love about Mulberry. They love their city and they love local artists. As we mentioned, their sign outside was made by Hamilton artists ‘The Aluminum Quilting Society’.
In all, Mulberry loves Hamilton. Hamilton loves Mulberry.

Social Media Campaign

Great amount of community followers and pretty good communication. They don’t post everyday but about 2-3 days. Twitter is the same deal, but more retweets than original posts. We think it could be amped up a bit. Also wish their social media handles were all the same – but they were still easy enough to find. In all, thumbs up.

Facebook: Mulberry Street Coffeehouse
Twitter: @MulberryCoffee
Instagram: @Mulbs
Website: www.mulberrystreet.ca

Recommendations

Would love to see a more in-depth website. People go to Facebook for connecting and websites for information. Things about the food, free Wi-Fi, photos of seating and information about the art gallery would be beneficial.

Been to Mulberry Street Coffehouse? Review it with us!

Red Crow Coffee: Family Comfort

211 James Street South, 

Hamilton, ON

We had both never been to Red Crow Coffee (Espresso Bar) before, as we’re both not really coffee people (tea all the way!), but boy are we happy we didn’t miss out on this one! Red Crow Coffee  is in a great location and gets quite a large crowd at meal-times (especially around lunch) from what we’ve seen. Most visitors seemed like they were returnees, and all these people can’t be wrong about Red Crow, can they? Read on my friends.

Logo

We like the looks of their logo – a red crow silhouette design with a plain, bold, black font for the name. The fact that it’s a standing crow as well rather than a flying crow makes us think of stability… which is what we want in a cafe. A coffee house is where you want to be able to get “your usual”. A place where you can go in the mornings and not have to make an executive decision regarding your meal – though Red Crow does have a few delicious specials up their sleeves! The logo is not really displayed too prominently in their cafe and we totally don’t get the flower shop to coffee house signs out front. All in all though – we think the logo suits the brand.

Food Review

Red Crow has some amazing food. Baked goods, salad, soup and some tasty toasted sandwiches. It’s definitely a relaxing place to sit back and have a good lunch.

Lindsay – I had the soup of the day which was an orange carrot ginger chilled soup. It was the perfect soup for a hot day. It was delicious and filling. Perfect for this veggie girl! Paired with an Italian soda, I was ready to get some serious work done.

Heather – I had a grilled panini called ‘The Caprese’. It had a delicious mix of bocconcini cheese, fresh tomatoes and pesto. Even though this sandwich didn’t have meat on it (practically a carnivore over here), I loved it! The tomatoes were yummy & fresh orange-coloured heirloom tomatoes and it was just the perfect combination of ingredients. The sandwich also came with a small side of greens. They had a good, sweet dressing on them which I really enjoyed.

Atmosphere

Red Crow is family comfort. It is a place of stability, a place you can feel comfortable. They have an array of various, mostly retro, seating to make you feel even more comfortable in their cafe! Whatever suits your mood, they’ve got it. You can find regular cafe tables and chairs, cushy couches, and bar stools at a big front window.

They also have some interesting art. Vintage prints, some family pictures and gorgeous retro mirrors all make an appearance at Red Crow Cafe.

It’s also the perfect place to freelancers to get some work done. With their free wi-fi and good cups of tea (and coffee of course), you can get a lot done.

Brand

Incomplete. The idea of “stability” in the branding of the cafe is one we love. The logo, comfortable atmosphere and family-run aspects all work to their advantage, but we think their original brand got a bit lost along the way. It seems as if they weren’t able to complete all of their marketing and brand elements (ie. the sign!).

Social Media Campaign

Great social media presence altogether. The website could use a bit of beefing up with some gorgeous food & beverages images! Instagram could easily remedy this situation. 😉

Twitter – @RedCrowCoffee

Facebook – Red Crow Coffee

Instagram – None that we could find.

Website – www.redcrowcoffee.com

Suggestions

We suggest more visual marketing! We’d love to see: more pictures on the website, some signage (outside and in) with the Red Crow logo prominently displayed, and  an instagram account. With or without the extra visual marketing though, we will definitely be paying Red Crow a visit again.. especially if we’re looking for somewhere to do some out-of-office work!

Been to Red Crow Coffee? Review it with us!

Welcome to the Moulin Rouge

10-12 John St North

Hamilton, ON

You walk down the hustle and bustle of Main St toward John, book or notepad in hand and Lucienne Boyer softly playing into your earphones. You are looking for a quiet place to read, write or relax with a friend.

Or maybe you know nothing about the French culture. You have no idea who Lucienne Boyer is (singer of Parlez-Moi d’Amour which you’ll find in one of Lindsay’s all time favourite movies, Casablanca) and you don’t know the difference between a macaron and a macaroon (ask Heather if you still don’t know).

But, hey that’s okay. Moulin Rouge Café and Boutique has just the right atmosphere any local café goer will love, with the fine French details Coco Chanel would be proud of.

Located at 10-12 John St N in Treble Hall, Moulin Rouge is one of Hamilton’s newest Cafés. Five months into business, the Café and Boutique is doing well says owner Jeff Feswick.

Jeff tells us that he feels like Moulin Rouge is the hidden gem on John St N. But don’t let its intimate setting fool you – Moulin Rouge is not exclusive in the least and opens its doors to any Hamiltonian.

Okay, so let’s dive right in!

Logo

The “Moulin Rouge” logo has the vivacious curves and sultry feel you would expect from a dimly lit French café and the boldness found in a strong French woman. And could it be any other colour than red? We dig it.

Food Review

Lindsay’s order: Freshly squeezed O-Juice at $4.00 plus a salad with none other than French dressing, approximately $5.00. Total Cost: $10.20.

The O-J was unreal. I mean, a little Starbucks priced but well worth spending the two toonies I found at the bottom of my purse. Jeff said to ask for it with ice and shaken, not stirred.

The salad – was salad.

Heather’s Order: Thé at $1.95 plus a ham and cheese croissant sandwich, approximately $4.00. Total Cost $7 and some odd cents.

Well you know I love my tea – I drank every last sip. I also did enjoy asking for a cup of (peppermint)“thé.” Last time I was there I noticed they had some adorable rock-sugar-on-a-stick, and it was free to customers! I thought this was a great addition to the teas, but was disappointed that I didn’t see them available on this visit.

The croissant sandwich was filling and fresh. It served its purpose as a late afternoon snack. I would have loved to see some true Parisian meals available… Arugula and tomato on a baguette, anyone?

Look out! Moulin Rouge just got its liquor licence. We see red wine and french beer in its future.

Atmosphere

As soon as you walk anywhere near Moulin Rouge you can feel the vibe of John St. N change. As you near Treble Hall you see a beautiful storefront that showcases a sophisticated café and boutique. Its deep red colours draw you in and instantly entice you.

When you walk in you feel like you have just been invited into the secret world of the Moulin Rouge. French music plays in the background, French books lay on the counter and the staff is there to make sure you enjoy every second of it.

We loved the combination of exposed brick and chandeliers. Super chic!

With the couches and the set up in the café side you really feel like you could sit and relax with a good book or good conversation. Plus – Moulin Rouge offers free Wi-Fi to customers!

On the other side is the boutique. You are able to shop and chillax on this side  as well. They have tables and couches set up so you can bring your drink or food if it’s a scenery you prefer. We opted to stay on the café side while eating, as the crisp whites of the boutique made us nervous.

Brand

What can we say, from the music to the décor to the clothes, Moulin Rouge displays a consistent brand. They know who they are and hey, we like it. And you will too.

We think Hamiltonians are always on the hunt for a great brand and a great experience when it comes to our food and restaurant scene. We’re all about the details and the way we feel when we step into a restaurant. And the way Moulin Rouge made us feel they accomplished any goal they had set out with their branding.

Social Media Campaign

Is lacking. Five months into business and Moulin Rouge seems to be known to those who pass it or to those who know a friend of a friend who has been there. We think some serious Twitter and Instagram love needs to happen. #HamOnt loves local places. Let them love you Moulin Rouge!

Twitter @MoulinHamilton

Instagram @MoulinRougeCafeBoutique

No website.

Suggestions and Recommendations

Amp up your social media and your menu. Would love to see an array of macarons (again, if STILL unsure, ask Heather).

Overall, a place the two of us will frequently visit.

Been to Moulin Rouge? Review it with us!