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Nellie James Too Restaurant Review

When I entered Nellie James Too in Hamilton Ontario. It was a very warm & urban kind of place. Not to big & not to small but very welcoming. This labour of love for Chef Ken LeFebour has been a long time in waiting. Taking his roots of many cultural aspects of his life and turning it into Nellie James Too. Chef LeFebour’s menu consists of many creative ingredients, and when you read his menu you can see why. As the waitress comes she presents a menu board and explains what the seasonal dishes of the day are. A true Farm to Table menu, that is all local vendors that Nellie James Too works with, that is a big win with me to Support our Local Farmers.

Nellie James Too has been brought to life from the matriarch of the family Na Na Nellie, who Chef LeFebour has payed close attention to in his younger years, and learned his culinary skills from everything Na Na Nellie passed down to him from generations early on, and it shows from the ethic spices he uses in his dishes. Nellie James Too also creates many other dishes to please your palate. So as you can see this restaurant aims to please everyone.

While speaking with Chef Ken LeFebour with his ultra calm demeanor, I quote a show I watch called “Moose Meat & Marmalade” which I compare to his restaurant. With such ingredients as Lamb, Salmon & Ontario Beef to name a few. I say this because he respects his seasonal ingredients and pays attention to where they came from. He picks his products with great importance, and then he creates. It’s funny how small the world is, Chef LeFebour & I share some family history in the meat industry together.

I was pleased to see the Novemburger called the Gobble Gobble Turkey Burger on the menu.  With every order of this unique burger a dollar goes to United Way in support building the community. So why is this Novemburger so special, well it consisted of a juicy & tender homemade curried turkey burger, candied duck confit & roasted garlic mayo surrounded with warm grilled naan bread. My sides were pickled kale and hand cut smoked cheddar fries, does that not sound scrumptious. Now I often speak about certain dishes knocking me off my Butcher Block, well this Burger did so. The size of this Turkey Burger was bang for your buck it was a plentiful portion. Most people would think a turkey burger would be dry, but this burger was moist & tender with every mouthful, full of aromatic spices and the immense flavors of the sweet and savory left me gratified. If I had to enter this burger into a competition , it would win hands down. I give it five cleavers….That’s how good it was. With Backstreet Eats happening in Hamilton Ont. head around the back of this establishment and ring the cowbell. Chef LeFebour will make you a Novemburger. After you consume this wonderful burger don’t forget to vote. “Novemburger.ca”

I always look for creative desserts in my travels, and I was not even considering desert until the waitress mentioned Chocolate, BACON, Orange Cheesecake. Yes I said Bacon! All desserts are made in-house at Nellie James Too. With every forkful of this delectable creamy & velvety cheesecake, it was both heavenly and sinful at the same time. The way a desert should be. With a buttery graham cracker crust, chunks of chocolate, shaves of orange zest, and bits bacon all came together in each bite. The homemade toffee lattice was a beautiful touch to this desert. It leaves you wanting more, but I knew I had to save some for later to share.

Nellie James Too also caters to parties of all sizes, and has a full bar of imported beers and creative cocktails to wet your whistle. It’s very clear that every detail in Chef LeFebour’s dishes all have some sort of meaning. If you watch the way each dish is served in presentation, you will see how the pride and spirit is all around Nellie James Too. This is something that cannot be taught, but is just with you from your cultural values and family structure. This is what Nellie James Too in Hamilton Ontario brings to every patron who is looking for that distinctive method of cuisine to entice their palate.

 

Nellie James Too

164 James Street South Hamilton Ontario

www.nelliejames.com

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melinda Paletta

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