Motel Hamilton- Restaurant Review

Motel Hamilton- Restaurant Review

The new (and adorable) little Sister to School Toronto is Motel Hamilton. After some major construction, transformation, and face-lifting, Motel Hamilton officially opened its doors on June 9, 2017. It is slated to be, if not already is, one of the hottest brunch spots in Hamilton. With its Palm Spring’s decor, delicious food and drink menu, you will forget you’re only about an hour outside of Toronto.

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If you’re looking for a new place for brunch/lunch in the Hamilton area, go check-in to Motel, you’re sure to enjoy your stay, I know I did!

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When you pull up to the restaurant, you will see the adorable little pastel pink MOTEL sign, and until you walk in (or peak in the window) you wouldn’t really look twice at it. The second you walk in you are instantly hit with Palm Springs motel chic, the smell of delicious food, and the enthusiasm and smiles of the staff!

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Before all the hype began and bloggers and foodies from allover began flooding into Motel Hamilton I was lucky enough to visit shortly after it first opened. Lucky for me, this meant it was less busy, making for optimal photo-shooting time.

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The pastel pink walls, palm leaves, and little motel details really transform this restaurant into a work of art!

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An old pastel pink rotary phone sits at the “front-desk” otherwise known as the “lobby bar”.

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Neon lights are popping up all over the place lately, I love the quirky little detail and homage to a real motel of this one!

We were seated instantly and started off with drinks. The speciality drink menu  (The 5 O’cocktails)  isn’t extensive, but the regular drink menu has everything you would need and more. The cocktail menu drinks run at $12.00 a glass or “Motel-sized” for an extra $2.50. Of course, seeing the Flamingo Sangria I knew immediately I would be ordering that. My boyfriend went with a twist on a classic Caesar and got the Bacon Bourbon Caesar. Once we received our drinks I began taking some pictures, because who could resist photographing cocktails like these?

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Since it wasn’t too busy, one of the staff asked if we’d like to move over to the white table as it was “better for pictures”. I couldn’t have agreed more, and immediately jumped at the opportunity. I was glad he did because my plated food pictures turned out 100% better because of it. There’s something about food on a sleek white table that really grabs the attention to your followers and is proven to be visually more effective.

THE DRINKS

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I’m not a fan of super sweet/sugary cocktails but this sangria had just the right amount for me, with a good mix of bubbly!

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I seriously could have stayed and ate (and drank) here all day, the decor was serious goals!

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Taking a sneak peak at the decor before hand on Instagram, I knew exactly what I was going to wear! I’m a huge fan of themes, so when I saw the pastel perfection and Palm Spring’s decor at Motel Hamilton ,there’s no way I wasn’t going to incorporate palm leaves and flamingos (always) into my outfit! One of the staff members even complimented my outfit and said it was matched perfectly with the decor (success!)

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THE FOOD

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In keeping with traditional brunch, I went for the Charred & Smashed Avocado Croissant (because, avocado, always!) It came with a side of tasty kale salad! The croissant was very fresh, and the eggs were perfectly cooked. They even stayed good after all the pictures I had to take of my food first!

My boyfriend, being the boy that he is, went for the ultimate match made it brunch heaven, chicken and waffles. The waffle was topped with vanilla honey butter, a sweet and salty sauce, and buttermilk fried chicken. While I’m not a fan of waffles, fried chicken has a large part of my heart, so I tried some of his. It was perfectly spiced and battered with undoubtedly moist chicken!

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The food was so yummy and so visually appealing that they basically photographed themselves!

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HELLOOOOOO PINK WALLS!

I would without a doubt recommend this restaurant and can’t wait to go back and visit again!  There were lots of items on the menu I had my eye on, saving them for the next time knowing I would be back.

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Thanks for stopping in!

Head over to my  Instagram to follow along my tasty and fashionable journey!

xoxo,
Sara

Abigail’s Teahouse

Abigail’s Teahouse

Last weekend I visited Abigail’s Teahouse located in the historic friendly village of St. George, Ontario (about an hour from downtown Toronto towards Hamilton.) I made reservations for 4 people ahead of time knowing that space is limited and that it can fill up on weekends. I made the reservation online late the night before and by 7:00 am the next morning I had already received a confirmation back with my booking.

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Abigail’s is open Tuesday-Saturday 11:00 am- 4:00 p.m. Now that Spring is in full bloom, Abigail’s Tea House will be open on Sundays from 11 am until 4 pm You can make reservations on the online reservation system or by calling (519)448-3999.

The Teahouse itself has some pretty cool history behind it, and is bursting with a ton of small-town charm! It had originally been the old Bank of Montreal building before its transformation. It’s situated right at the middle of Main Street, you can’t miss it, there is  only one traffic light in town and you’ll see Abigail’s bright green door.

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Inside the Teahouse:

When you first step into the teahouse you automatically fall in love with the décor. Pink cushions and beautiful green and yellow walls adorned with some pretty fantastic peacock wallpaper! There were beautiful flowers on all of the tables and tons of different tea cups, saucers and pots; I’m such a sucker when it comes to adorable antiques. There are very few tables which is why making a reservation is always recommended. The look and feel of this quaint teahouse made this an even better experience with my friends. A quick look up and you’ll see a magnificent ceiling with beautiful bird cage light fixtures (one of my other favourite touches inside Abigail’s). The atmosphere is lovely and makes a great location for a bridal/baby shower, birthday, girl’s day. Why not treat Mom to tea for Mother’s Day at Abigail’s? On May 13th and 14th celebrate Mom with Abigail’s Annual Mother’s Day High Tea ($40 per person plus hst and gratuity).

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Just a few steps down the street, and I mean a few, lies Abigail’s Bakery where our desserts from the teahouse came fresh from. Much like the green door on the teahouse Abigail’s Bakery has a coveted and not to be missed bright pink door!

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The good stuff…

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Each of us ordered our own pot of tea and dessert so we could share and try a variety of tea, it was a really good way to do it. There were around 90 different types of tea. We asked about some of the popular ones and our server listed off ones that matched our tastes. I’m more of a plain tea type of girl, nothing too strong or fruity flavoured so I landed on the black tea with hint of vanilla, it was delightful! It paired nicely with my delectable scone that came with a side of Devonshire cream and preserve.

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All the staff at Abigail’s were incredibly kind, now I think that partially comes with it being situated in a small town (where I find almost everyone to be so friendly.) They were so passionate and informative about tea and you could really see their passion and appreciate it. After our tea-time we walked over to Abigail’s bakery to check out the desserts they had for sale. They were so many adorable ones to choose from, Mickey Mouse or Peeps cupcakes, lots of spring-themed treats and other classic favourites like Nanaimo  bars. The desserts change almost daily so you just have to ask your server what they have that day. If you visit Abigail’s you will see them all out on display to choose from 🙂

Take a peak at Abigail’s online menu  and be prepared to fall in love!

Tea-time style:

Of course I couldn’t go to a teahouse without looking the part! Although the inside of the teahouse stole the show, my bight pink bag and lace top were the perfect compliment to my surroundings.

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I went for a delicate lace top and kept my accessories simple. The owner of the teahouse actually complimented my top and said she just loves Swiss dot. While we typically have seen Swiss dot on wedding dresses, baby clothes and even curtains, we’re seeing this sheer cotton fabric appear on clothing being sold in stores like Zara, H&M, etc. We are going to see a lot of delicate lace fabrics for Spring, I love how feminine they look!

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I added a pop of pink (my favourite colour pop) by adding this Kate Spade bag which matched the plaid pattern on my Mink Pink wool coat from Winners. Since my top half was quite simple I went for a fun shoe. These pearl embellished flats are from Asos and just scream Miu Miu without the high price point! I thought the small floral details were perfect for welcoming Spring. I couldn’t help but photograph them on the black and white tiled floors!

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Upon cashing out my eye caught these adorable pins. If I didn’t already love the teahouse, these validated my love once and for all! IMG_3304

I can’t wait to come visit again soon! 🙂

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