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RESTAURANTS

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Iraqi home cooking in Windsor

WindsorOntarioNews.com June 13 2025

Call it Iraqi home cooking. Unique in Windsor, Ayam Zaman restaurant opened more than a year ago in a small plaza at 671 Wyandotte St. E. Unit 4 (the former Five One Nine cafe). And just like restaurants that advertise Canadian "home-cooking" this little space with eight tables around the side of the Windsor Market plaza specializes in the Iraqi equivalent. The name means "the old days." Co-owner Lama Abu Sha'aban says the couple (she's Palestinian and her husband Iraqi) moved to Canada in 1995 and worked in other trades but have always loved to prepare food. They would cook big family style meals for their Iraqi friends. So, as Lama put it, in retirement "we would make our house just a tiny bit bigger." She admits the menu is extensive for such a small space though they are looking to move. It's broken into cold and hot appetizers, "The Grill," main course and family-sharing platters. Its hours are long too - 2 pm to 2 am, Mondays closed. How does Iraqi food differ from other Mideastern cuisine? Lama says it is more intense with some lemon-infused flavours. "It's strong, it's not mild - it's not spicier it's more flavourful." There's also a strong emphasis on lamb. The Iraqi national dish, for example, is Quzi, slowly cooked lamb over rice topped with roasted nuts and raisins. There's also Tashreeb, a "rustic" dish that the poor made when they used the foods on hand. It's lamb shank slowly cooked in tomato broth in spices poured over bread. Then there's Pacha, a favourite among Iraqi customers and similar to Scottish Haggis. It features stuffed sheep intestine and tongue cooked and served in broth. Lama says this takes a long time to prepare and that's what she does on Mondays when the restaurant is closed. "It's actually very healthy for you, all sorts of vitamins, the taste is very rich, hardy." Other foods on the menu are kababs, tikkas (i.e., grilled chicken breast, served with fries, hummus, grilled onions, and tomatoes). There's also more lamb dishes, fish, barbecued chicken, even quail.

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“Elevated street food” at A’burg’s Frate

WindsorOntarioNews.com May 29 2025

Perhaps what most defines Amherstburg becoming a trendy food destination these days is the opening of Frate, which now celebrates six months in the river town. It’s part of an inventive complex with the boutique Hotel STRY (story), the O Bar and Montenaros Coffee at 70 Murray St., one block off Dalhousie. Co-owner Rob Nesbitt calls it “elevated street food.” Frate operates out of a shipping container, hence the play on words, with an outdoor patio and indoor dining at the O Bar. Why the burg? Besides a working relationship with the hotel “we love the foot traffic and tourism draw.” Frate is located in an L-shaped alley converted to patio and accessible from two streets. Customers order at the window or can be served inside the resto. On the menu there’s “a lot of Mexican influence” along with local dishes like the well-known "smash burger" and poutine. “We try to put a twist on everything we do,” Nesbitt said. So, you’ll fund Shoyu Sugar Steak Bites, Lobster Rangoon, Frate Poutine and Loaded French Fries. That’s just for starters. You can also order Birria Grilled Cheese, Lake Eries Perch Tacos or a Crispy Dill Chicken Sandwich. Frate was originally on Windsor’s Drouillard Rd. at Pressure Drop bar until its contract ended. But moving to A’burg to help STRY and O open provided a "pretty unique opportunity.” The shipping container may be new locally but the concept exists elsewhere. “It’s kind of a different idea and it makes people do a double take,” Nesbitt says. The O Bar with its colourful midcentury furniture and decor provides the liquor license. The co-owner is Nicole Stach. Frate is open seven days a week.

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Technology fuels manipulative tipping

WindsorOntarioNews.com May 13 2025

By guest columnist Dr. Sylvain Charlebois (Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and co-host of The Food Professor Podcast)

Tipping fatigue is real — and it's spreading. What was once a gesture of appreciation has become an increasingly opaque and frustrating part of dining out. In our cashless, digital economy, Canadians are now routinely nudged — or guilted — into tipping more, often through emotionally manipulative interfaces. Sad emojis for selecting a 15% tip? Prompts for 20% on a $6 latte? This phenomenon, known as tip creeping, has become a serious irritant for consumers. But there's a deeper issue — one that many don't notice. In most provinces, tips are calculated after sales tax is added to the bill. That means a 20% tip on a $100 meal with a 15% tax becomes $23, not $20. This hidden markup adds confusion and undermines consumer trust, especially when it's unclear whether the extra money, also known as “Tipflation,” is going to the server, shared with staff, or kept by management. Most diners never check. Last week, Quebec decided to do something about it. It is now illegal in that province for payment terminals to calculate tips on post-tax amounts. Tips must be applied to the pre-tax total. In addition, restaurant operators must clearly display the total bill, including the tip. No emojis, no games — just transparency. While some critics argue this is government overreach, the truth is that inaction from the food service industry has made regulation necessary. The tipping model, once rooted in merit and service quality, has evolved into something that more closely resembles a wage subsidy.

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Long sought riverfront patio with light foods, coffees, booze, finally arrives

WindsorOntarioNews.com April 24 2025

The new 351 Streetcar legacy beacon, which opened today, isn’t just a streetcar. But it’s a full-blown outdoor café, complete with seating in a fixed picnic style setting with overhead canopies. And there are a variety of snack items that could stand in as lunches or light dinners. Everything from charcuterie boards to nachos, salads, onion rings and yes poutine. There’s also a variety of beverages, adult and non-adult. You can get a variety of coffees, from Latte to Cappuccino to Espresso. There’s iced coffee – perfect for an upcoming summer day like the weather was on opening day - hot chocolate and tea. And there’s pop, juice and energy drinks. Slushies, iced tea and fresh lemonade? Sure. Don’t forget ice cream for a sit down treat or stroll along the river - soft as well as waffle cones, sundaes, milkshakes and floats. As for adult beverages, the longtime demand for a riverfront patio in addition to (with all due respect) Bistro at the River, offers local wines from Sprucewood, Cooper’s Hawk and Pelee Island and two outside wineries. There’s also local craft beers from Walkerville, Frank’s and Sandwich plus two outside breweries. And you can wile away the afternoon or evening with cocktails. These are coolers from Dillan’s, Whiteclaw, Bacardi Mojita and more. And mixed canned drinks like Canadian Club & Ginger Ale, Crown Royal Whiskey & Cola and Jack Daniels & Cole. Oh yes, and Boozy Lemonade, Slushies and Milkshakes. For tee-totalers Redbull Refresher mocktails.

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It’s “nona style” at Ristorante Avanti

WindsorOntarioNews.com April 13 2025

Avanti at 1317 Hall Ave. has consistently racked up a popular following pretty much since it opened in 2007. Owner and chef Dan Ferriolo, who schooled at St Clair’s culinary arts program, attributes this to its “all you can eat” or “nona style” menu. He believes the menu is the “only one in the city” and is what 95 per cent of clientele order. The reason? It’s because it’s the real way Italians eat. “Italians are not known to just sit down and having a plate of pasta,” Ferriolo says. “A plate of pasta is just one of many courses that we enjoy when we all sit down together.” So that means appetizers salads, pastas, entrees, all rolled into one grand dinner. At various price points. From a Grande ($36) which has two appetizers, one salad, one pasta and two entrees to a Mini Grande ($31) to Pasta Piccolo ($25) - two appetizers, one salad, two pastas. Another popular order is the Everyday Takeout Special, dinner for four at $65. Avanti literally means “forward.” Says Ferriolo: “In Italy it’s used when someone comes to your door, you welcome them by saying ‘Avanti’, so it just kind of means ‘come on in,’ like a welcome to move forward.” Besides the all you can eat menu the ristorante also has a general menu which stresses pure Italian cooking. “You know, many people do fusion and we keep it ‘nona style’ we like to say – everything homemade, everything done here, so it’s all pretty much traditional dining.” The restaurant, which seats 65, is also popular for group bookings.

Photo: Google Street View

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"The view" captured this restaurateur

WindsorOntarioNews.com March 25 2025

What inspired Republik Asian Eatery & Bar owner Kee Zheng to open his fourth restaurant in Windsor? "The view," he unhesitatingly says, about the 14th floor restaurant in the CIBC tower downtown. The space has long had a reputation for formal - and perhaps stuffy - dining. But not with Republik, which has an informal but edgy vibe, relaxed atmosphere, and if you want it, a little entertainment. "We love the view," states the Burlington-based entrepreneurship, who's had 30 years in the biz and has opened 13 restaurants under different names (his other chain is Hibachi in major Toronto area malls). In Windsor, you may have to take an elevator to get there but there's plenty of street signage letting you know Republik is just upstairs. Why the name? "Oh, I think it's a cool name," Zheng said. "And our atmosphere, we want to bring a young crowd." Don't be dissuaded by the onetime expensive location; prices are half or less of what used to exist in the totally remade space. Besides food there's a DJ booth for later in the evening and a couple of pool tables - hence the name "bar" - creating the relaxed atmosphere and semi-club feel. The cuisine is pan-Asian: Thai, Japanese, Chinese, with a menu Zheng designed himself. His pedigree extends to seven years at an elite Manhattan French restaurant. "My background is a chef, I love to cook," he says. Bottom line? "We want to make people happy first and then make some money."

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Burg has first female master sommelier

WindsorOntarioNews.com March 5 2025

Hole In The Wall is among the latest new restaurant in Amherstburg offering fine dining in a casual atmosphere. It's actually located in the former event "speakeasy" space immediately above the Peddie family's River Bookshop, though special events like book and film nights still take place. Currently it's undergoing a rejig for a spring reopening. The resto has created an "intimate" vibe and can seat up to 40 with summer outdoor patio space on the street, manager Rosemary Skinner says. A new chef is testing a changed-up menu. Cuisine will be a mix of seafood, homemade pasta and more. "Sharable plates, fine dining, we have a master sommelier Jennifer Huether who curates our wine list," Skinner said. "I believe there's only two female master sommeliers in Canada. She was the first one." She also worked for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment in Toronto, where Peddie was onetime CEO. Owners Richard and Colleen "are very big believers in small towns," Skinner said, and have almost single handedly launched a renaissance in the burg's downtown with several shops. Peddie released a book last year Great Small Towns of Ontario. "They try to put things that aren't there that a small town could benefit from." The new menu will distinguish itself from other local finer dining places, Skinner said. "The same with our wine list, you cannot go into the LCBO and buy those wines. Our clientele is from all over Essex County and also from Michigan. It's pretty interesting."

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'Old school' burger joint winning fans

WindsorOntarioNews.com Feb 19 2025

The online review at Windsor Food Spotters was too good to resist: "One of the best Burger joints I've ever been to...juicy and so frickin' amazing...they use smash patties so I got the double patty and it was HUMONGOUS!!! The fact that you used a flat buttered bun OMG!!!" Well, you get the picture. So WON just had to check it out. GC (Great Canadian) Burger at 1965 Tecumseh Rd. W. just open in December and has already amassed a wide following with more than 500 positive online reviews, according to owner and partner Ahmed Shaath - "Shad." The secret to this burger joint's newfound success? An old school vibe with a genuine fresh great tasting burger, and don't forget the hand cut fries. Freshly ground - "smash burgers" - are hand formed for each order in a special mixture. GC Burger's home base is Mississauga from where Shad moved to oversee the Windsor op. Why here? "I felt Windsor had a lack of good (burger) restaurants," he said. The menu lists beef and chicken burgers - several variations with different add-ons - and tenders. Customers also love the fries. With decades of experience at other burger chains the ownership came up with what they thought was the best way to prepare burgers in a classic burger venue. They call it an "old school burger." Finishing out the prep are a signature sauce, maple bacon jam, grilled mushrooms and sauteed onions. All served up on a Brioche bun. To appeal to a wide clientele all meats are Halal. Beyond the burgers are hot dogs, Cajun and truffle fries and, yes, poutine - it's Canuck after all. Currently there's a limited offer of a GC Chop with seasoned premium beef, American cheddar, nacho cheese, etc. - yup, on a Brioche sausage bun.

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For breakfasts, town appears to have moved on from late lamented Maria's

WindsonOntarioNews.com Feb 3 2025

At one time Maria’s Restaurant was the place to go for breakfast in Amherstburg. And for lunch and dinner too. Generations of townies dined at the almost iconic eatery on Amherstburg’s main street directly across from what used to be General Amherst High School. That all ended with the pandemic and the eventual mysterious closure of the restaurant (WON at the time unsuccessfully sought an interview) but which rumours suggested there were various issues including structural problems with the building. It was torn down and an empty lot remains, eroding part of the town's longtime soul. That left the cute and popular Speck's, tucked away on Bathurst St. in the core. But now the ‘burg seems to have moved on. It now has a full complement of breakfast options since chain restaurant Stacked opened not far from the former Maria’s next to the Sobey’s, and the Town Diner in the long-closed Tim Horton's further up Sandwich St., which opened last year. All three restaurants seem to be doing a booming business. If you want to expand the notion of breakfasts you might add several independent coffee shops - Caffeine & Co., Bucket List Coffee Roastery and Montañeros all in the heart of downtown. There's also Flow Cafe & Bikes and the ling time Downtown Espresso Cafe. Maybe the town should advertise, "If you want a good breakfast come to Amherestburg!” Like Speck’s, Stacked and Town Diner emphasize the full breakfast. Stacked means stacked pancakes and offers a wide variety of flapjacks. But don't let the name fool you because you can get everything from breakfast wraps to sausage and eggs and even a Veggie Scrambler and avocado toast. Meanwhile at Town Diner the daily blackboard's specials say it all. How about Spinach Feta Omelet, Salmon Breakfast, and Pancakes or French Toast Combos? A recent sample of the eggs benedict concluded they were the best ever tasted. Helpings are generous and dishes reasonably priced.

Photo: Town Diner facebook page

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Montañeros Coffee happy to make first bricks and mortar cafe in the burg

WindsorOntarioNews.com Jan 15 2025

Montañeros Coffee has selected Amherstburg to open its first bricks and mortar shop. It’s an indication the burg is becoming the place to be for artisan and chic stores as the town’s long dormant downtown continues to undergo a transformation. The company, owned by two native Colombians, Wilmer Hernandez and Caterine Arboleda, opened with a trailer at Yorktown Sq. in S. Windsor with pop-up appearances elsewhere. Meanwhile, their branded coffee (the company is officially a corp.) is being marketed with different grinds far and wide. On a visit to their A’burg store the owners were back in Colombia, as they return periodically to meet with growers and order fresh product. In charge was another Colombian Mr. Cárdenas (photo) in the three-week old venue, part of the STRY boutique hotel and adjacent to the O bar, where patrons can wander back and forth. The décor is colorful and spacious, and the shop features an abundance of coffee treats as well as unique Colombian pastries. The move to town was partly because the owners personally know the owners of STRY and because the burg is simply on the rise. “We’re in on the ground floor,” Cárdenas says. “Every day more and more people are coming.” This of course includes hotel guests. The café is open every day 9 – 5. Customers favourite brew? “It’s hard to say but a lot of people here they like Americano because it’s pure coffee," Cárdenas says. "We are excited because our coffee growers are doing an amazing job.” The coffee is organically grown and shipped to Canada as green beans then roasted in Kingsville. What does the barista recommend a newbie? “I suggest black coffee without sugar without cream, it’s pure coffee.” For in-house or to brew at home customers can select Intenso Espresso, Exotico Luxury, Castillo Premium, Natural Luxury and Caturra Premium. A'burg seems to becoming a little coffee shop haven, with Caffeine & Co., the Bucket List and now Montañeros all within a three minute walk.

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Serving up wide variety of breakfasts and lunches including for vegan tastes

WindsorOntarioNews.com Dec 16 2024

Vegan tofu breakfast and vegan scrambled eggs, those aren’t the kind of dishes you get at a regular breakfast restaurant locally. But ever since The Breakfast Guyz opened at 2763 Howard Ave. (in front of the iCheckINN motel) last winter they’ve offered both a traditional Canadian breakfast as well as special dishes for the vegetarian and vegan community. Co-owner Shivani Babbar says there are as many as 10 dishes to accommodate a non-meat palate. “What I’ve heard as feedback from vegan people is that they don’t find a lot of places serving vegan breakfasts,” she said. ”And the best part about it is it’s just not the food but they can sit with their family or friends who enjoy regular food and they want to eat their vegan food and not feel left out and feel like ‘Oh I’m just ending up eating potatoes or a salad.’” But the resto offers a wide variety of breakfast dishes altogether. There are seven omelettes, several breakfast sandwiches, skillets, bennies, pancakes, French toast, oatmeal and parfait bowls. But it’s not just breakfast. The restaurant serves a full range of lunch dishes with appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pita, wraps and burgers. Shavani and husband Arun moved here from the GTA partly for a change in lifestyle. They both have backgrounds in the hospitality industry and helping new restaurants get up and running. “We wanted to do something where we wanted to create a balance,” she said. “Being in this industry you’re working day and night. But we have kids, we have family … and we wanted to have some spare time for our families too so we came up with the idea of breakfast and I guess it clicked.” Hence a resto specializing in breakfasts and lunches and open 8 am – 3 pm (4 pm Fri & Sat) seven days a week. The Breakfast Guyz has also carved out a niche hosting groups, often sports teams or family gatherings. “A lot of clientele have become our regulars, they appreciate our food, and give us ideas too and then keep coming back,” she said. “I think that’s the biggest (compliment) for a restaurant.”

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Parents and kids can party together at this Amherstburg family fun centre

WindsrOntarioNews.com Nov 26 2024

It used to be known as the Verdi Club, for decades Amherstburg's Italian social club. The Verdi closed some years back and the building has been reincarnated as The Fort Fun Centre. The Fort is one of the few private event centres in Windsor-Essex that accommodates both adults and kids. "The whole place is very family oriented," manager Bob Shaw says. "It's more like an arcade with a bowling alley - a family fun centre." There’s also beach volleyball and, coming soon, laser tag. The Verdi used to be famous for its traditional Italian pizza oven. The Fort has kept the oven and makes the same pizza! Shaw says that’s the top seller, with a build-your-own option with customers. But the kitchen offers a wide variety of burgers, steaks, wraps including chicken bruschetta, bowls, nachos, and a kids menu of course. On the entertainment side, there are themed nights like comedy shows with well-known and hometown star Leo Dufour. There’s line dancing - including instruction - the first Fridays of the month “which are really going well,” Shaw says. There's a "huge" patio with an outdoor stage in milder weather. "And we're licensed for 1600 out there.” The Fort can accommodate groups of 100 for private parties. The Fort pays tribute to its Italian heritage with a small bar reopened for banquets nicknamed The Verdi Room. The venue is open seven days after 3 pm weekdays and 11 am weekends (winter hours) and currently not open for lunch. But what makes the place stand out is that adults can have their fun and kids can too. "We have everything for adults and kids - great cocktails, great food," Shaw says. In other words, while the adults are sipping adult beverages the kids are playing in the arcade. No need for a babysitter.

Photo: The Fort

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Resto notes...Bubi's gone, Windsor needs a full-fledged Greek restaurant and Vito's DT on verge of opening?

WindsorOntarioNews.com Nov 11 2024

We’re sorry to see that one of the early innovators in Windsor restaurant dining has closed. Bubi's Awesome Eats at University and Janette closed after 40 Years on October 4th 2024. Bubi's changed the concept of the hum drum burger and caught the eye of critics winning awards and was even featured on the Food Network. “Garlicky good love to all!” was management’s Facebook signoff…..Meanwhile in the heart of downtown, at a well-regarded eatery, we were seated at a table that seemed like a football field in length – making us pretend to speak to each other through bullhorns – when there was only two of us. Why the distance? At the same resto – and this has been noticed increasingly at other establishments – the tip calculator on the handheld keyboard started at 18% not the former 15%..... Why is music in too many restaurants so bland and mediocre? A combination of 70s, 80s and early 90s tunes that have been played from time immemorial simply deaden the senses, enjoyable food or not......When they talk about the glories of ‘al fresco’ dining they didn’t mention the wasps. Repeatedly when we’ve dined outdoors, we’ve been plagued by wasps, even inside on one occasion sitting near the cafe's open street garage patio door……Let’s face it dining out these days is horrendously expensive and an eye opener to people who haven’t been out in awhile. Recent forays into county and city restaurants routinely saw bills topping $100 for two people. Yet there are more restaurants than ever so, like paying for gasoline, restaurant dining seems to be, as economists say, “elastic”…..It appears Windsor needs a good sit down and more "formal" Greek restaurant. Most existing eateries seem to be glorified take outs. One we attended was bereft of two classical Greek dishes; it didn’t even have ice for the water. They may have had gyros and fries aplenty but not the heavier entrée dishes like Spanakopita (spinach & feta in filo pastry) (photo) or even moussaka. We got up and left…..And we see that Vito’s, the popular and well regarded gourmet pizza restaurant, a Walkerville mainstay, appears to finally be opening its downtown location. WON has reported on this over the past couple of years. The downtown opening seems to have been hindered and earlier attempts to contact management were unsuccessful. Now, it seems, the resto is a go in the former Birks building – home to a number of higher end eating iterations over the years – at the prime corner of Ouellette and Park.

Photo: Google Street View

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Downtown offers diverse eating options within 'walkable urban landscape'

WindsorOntarioNews.com Sept. 30 2024

The region’s downtown dining guide has got a boost from the Downtown Windsor BIA, now promoting the regional publication on its website, produced by Tourism Windsor Pelee Island. It only makes sense. Downtown gets a knock but there really are an astounding array of places to eat and drink in the city centre. And now is the time to embrace it. As DWBIA director Debi Croucher says, “With a high concentration of eateries, many reflecting the region's cultural heritage and local flavours, dining in downtown Windsor is about more than just food - it’s about the overall experience.” The guide is divided into eight sections, from Quick Serve to Pubs, Pizza places to Lunch, Cafes and Fine Dining. Quick Service features the traditional chains but also under the radar places like Booster Juice. Four pubs are featured and nine pizzerias including Snap Custom Pizza and Homeslice. Cafes include Café March 21 and Williams Fresh. Croucher says not only does downtown offer a “diverse range” of eateries but has "an abundance” of international cuisines, which people who haven’t been downtown in awhile might be surprised to find. Moreover, simply being downtown is a different experience. “Visitors can enjoy meals in stylish venues, artistic settings, historic buildings, or scenic outdoor patios, all within a walkable, urban landscape. Many establishments are locally owned, adding to Windsor’s authentic, homegrown charm.” While many long-time eateries are noted many newer ones are also listed. These include Panache Ultra Lounge & Restaurant, Auto City Hamburgers & Poutine, Saila Vibes, Thyme Kitchen and Smoke’s Poutinerie.

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Even in Windsor-Essex, great perch dinners may be a thing of the past

WindsorOntarioNews.com Sept. 11 2024

By RON STANG, WON Publisher

Whatever happened to Essex County’s great perch dinners? At one time the late and lamented Duffy’s in Amherstburg, for example, offered all you can eat Friday night perch - and at a reasonable price. A recent visit to two area restaurants – in locations one would think would excel at serving fish – proved more than disappointing. At the first, a total of three fresh fillets were served on a plate with home cut and very yummy fries. But three fillets seemed a bit stingy though they were of a size normally associated with perch. The second restaurant served four measly – and I mean measly – fillets. And insult added to injury was the fact the fries were thin and bland, and about what you’d buy at a grocery store (on the low end). The second restaurant’s menu also proved deceptive. No prices were given, only the prices of add ons, such as "blackened" for $3. The whole shemozzle (with alcoholic drinks and one piece of cake) came to $103 before tip. Yet diners kept coming to this longtime and physically attractive eatery, about whom one can only say “there’s a sucker born…” The first restaurant priced its “three piece perch basket” at $21. It was okay but the fries were the true delight. And, yes, a little research shows that perch is now relatively expensive. An online answer said Lake Erie Yellow Perch currently is selling at $31.95 a pound. That’s from about $15 in 2016, according to a CBC story at the time, when it had just jumped from about $11 over the past year. However, at the first restaurant another fish dish didn’t make the grade. This was the seafood salad – $20 – which contained 80 per cent lettuce and cucumber bits sprinkled with some stringy squid, a few shrimp and barely there scallops. The website picture was highly deceiving. Even the bowl presentation was unattractive, likened to serving cereal. We want to support the restaurant sector but we also don’t want to be made fools of.

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Turkish cafe, pastries & grocery in one

WindsorOntarioNews.com August 12 2024

Troya Turkish Pastry and Grocery is something the city of Windsor has never had before – a combination Turkish café (outside and in), pastry shop and grocery store. It opened three weeks ago at 943 Ottawa St. just east of Parent Ave. The brainchild of Mehmet Murat Karademir, it has a delightful welcoming atmosphere, open 6 am to 11 pm and 1 am on weekends. Mehmet, who’s from Istanbul and now settled in Windsor with his family, thought there was a big gap in Turkish cuisine here. “Toronto has a lot of Turkish food, pastries and restaurants but Windsor didn’t have a lot of Turkish food stores,” he says. “So we decided to open a Turkish grocery and we added pastry.” Coming to Windsor was happenstance and not entirely surprising for a newcomer. Memet had originally planned to go to the US but stopped in Windsor and fell in love with a community without big city woes yet not too small to support a Turkish enterprise. The shop’s name refers to Troy, the ancient Greek city that’s located in Turkey. (Check out the 2004 film with Brad Pitt.) He encourages people to come for breakfast and sample Turkish coffee and pastries including baklava and cookies, made in house by a team of three chefs. Among the pastries are Sekerpare (flour sugar egg and oil), Fistik Sarma (pistachio roll), Sobiyet (similar to baklava), and Baklava itself. There are scrumptious rolls covered with hazelnut and almond, sour cherry, pomegranate, chocolate and lemon. And cookies galore. Along the grocery aisles you’ll find jarred marinated pickles, cheeses, meats, beans, soup mixes, coffees and teas and help-yourself bins with different types of nuts. Windsor may not have a huge Turkish community but it does have a substantial Balkan one (Macedonia, Croatia, etc.) and Greek. “If you know anything about Greek cooking, we learn lots of things from Greece,” he says. But it doesn’t really matter since the café-grocery welcomes everyone

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Oven 360 brings finer dining downtown

WindsorOntarioNews.com July 29 2024

The highly successful pizzeria franchise Oven 360 – now with 11 locations and as far afield as Chatham and Burlington and the first US location in Troy MI - has spun off a finer dining option in downtown Windsor called Cucina 360. The brainchild of chef Remo Tortola and a few investors, the 360 concept relies on an authentic Italian-built revolving (hence 360) wood-burning pizza oven. Customers can watch the pizza being made and, like at a Harvey’s or Subway, choose individual toppings. The restaurants serve up authentic Neapolitan pizza from the place in Italy from where Tortola hails. The downtown experience also includes the oven experience but has a full menu with an upscale but relaxed vibe. A bonus might be it’s located in a building well known to generations, the late lamented Kurt Deeg’s former Ye Olde Steak House on Chatham, St. W., which operated 40 years. Tortola says older customers talk of their memories. While clientele was a little slow to learn about the restaurant during its first year of operation in 2023 the pace has definitely started to pick up. “It’s amazing,” Tortola says. “The customers, especially the older people, all have memories of that place.” The next cohort of diners are those 30-50. And Tortola is getting tourist trade from people staying at downtown hotels. Tortola opened the restaurant after downtown investors approached him. “They said, ‘you are the right name to do something downtown and try to revitalize downtown Windsor.’ I liked the idea and that’s what we did.” Look for a contemporary elegance with brick walls, modern furniture, a bar and a well-stocked wine nook. There are cold and hot appetizers, pasta, steak, chicken, rabbit, veal and baked salmon. If Oven 360 is bringing people back downtown one can only hope its model can be duplicated by other retailers.

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Tommy's revives 'Tunnel' tradition

WindsorOntarioNews.com July 12 2024

The Tunnel Bar B Q lives! The venerable and popular one-time restaurant – which had legions of fans on both sides of the border and folded its tent a decade ago soon followed by the death of owner Thom Racovitis, continues in another iteration, as Tommy’s Bar-B-Q in the Roundhouse Centre across from Devonshire Mall. Run by long time former Tunnel employees Thom and Lesley Stoiantsis, the resto opened in 2017, first on Erie St. before moving to the former Outback Steakhouse in the Roundhouse. Thom – also known as Tommy – began working for Racovitis, his uncle, when he was 15 in 1967. “I did the managing and all the buying and made the barbecue sauce,” he says. As people have discovered Tommy’s the resto has built a loyal following; after all, who didn’t like the original Tunnel? And the restaurant has virtually the same menu – ribs, chicken, combos, fries, a variety of sandwiches and salads. And the desserts! The exact same cakes and pies that were almost as legendary as the ribs at the original Tunnel. Strawberry Romanoff, Black Forest, Swiss Chocolate, Chocolate Windmill, apple, coconut and banana cream pies - all made in house. “Our bake shop is in the kitchen and they start at 6 am and they’re usually out of there by one and then we open up our service at three,” Tommy says. Even the rotisseries are from the original resto. One of the few new additions to the menu is the Beef Ribs. “They’re a huge seller, because not too many (restaurants) have beef ribs. I don’t know of anybody else really,” he said. Some of the staff are the same. “Some employees like (his manager) she’s been with us for 36 years,” he says. “She worked at Tunnel, The (affiliated former) Other Place, The Marketplace (formerly at the Holiday Inn) and now with us. We have a few drivers that have been with us, a cook whose been with us over 25-28 years.” So, no need to mourn the original Tunnel, just head to Tommy's.

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Fest Windsor's top food celebration

WindsorOntarioNews.com June 28 2024

Shahdesh Singh found it a comparative breeze this year getting city approval to host the second annual Windsor Food Festival. The head of the PSD (Production Stage and Décor) event planning company learned the ropes last year but still attracted 7000 people to the Riverfront Festival Plaza. “It’s just that I was new and I did not know how to do that, and it was my first time dealing with the city,” Singh said. “Last year was difficult but this year it’s going smoothly.” Singh, who moved to Windsor in 2020, create the festival because he didn’t see anything like this in Windsor. “I understand there are some events on a small scale but not on the festival plaza,” he said. Not only is it a culinary spectacular. But it provides performing artists with a wide stage – literally – to perform and with exposure to new audiences. And PSD doesn’t charge them to perform. There will be singers dancers, drummers, many from the South Asian community, of which the festival has a distinctive stamp. “It’s where people can come, gather, enjoy, socialize,” says Singh, and has provided a meeting place for the city’s large Asian community. “The international students and the international community, they need this,” he said. Last year there were 18 stalls and this year so far 28 have been booked and the deadline for booking is July 4. Some 60 artists have also booked to perform “and we’re still open for bookings,” he said. And while South Asian cuisine will be a signature feature a wide variety of foods, from wings to poutine to burgers, will be available. Some of the vendors will be restaurants, others pop-up. All will be inspected by the health unit. The event will be held July 12 – 14. Admission is free with registration (for statistical purposes) or $2. After July 4 a map and vendor list will be posted to the www.WindsorFoodFestival.ca website.

Photo: Windsor Food Festival

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Next up for Golden Harvest: a full cafe

WindsorOntarioNews.com June 14 2024

Golden Oven European bakery has been a delightful addition to the local food scene since opening last fall with plans for a sit-down café in the next few months. Owner Sonia Abro and husband Ablahad moved to Windsor from Munich, Germany, where they also ran a bakery. But Abro had family in Windsor and wanted to make the move to Canada. People have raved online about the small bakery at 1794 Westcott Rd., open seven days. “We were surprised by the many different pastries having different textures from light and airy to layered and flaky to moist and chewy, being delicately flavoured to perfection,” one customer wrote. “My wife and I both agree that Golden Oven European Bakery is now our number one go to bakery.” The bakery has a variety of fruit pastries, croissants and breads, all baked fresh and using European ingredients. “We do European style I don’t think they have it here in Windsor,” Abro said. “We have 15 – 20 different kinds of breads.” These include healthy Good Heart with seeds like poppy, sunflower and flax. There’s Apple Cinnamon bread on weekends, the namesake Golden Oven bread with black and green olives, cheddar cheese. “This is bread you can pull apart and just eat as is,” Sonia says. There’s Smokey Onion, Orange Cranberry, Cranberry Walnut and Blueberry. And the pastries taste different because European cream is used which doesn’t give that too sweet taste. “It’s not sweet at all, it doesn’t affect the flavour,” she says. “Lots of customers say, ‘We didn’t have this kind of cake before.’” Sonia says some customers use the sweet breads to make French toast or simply dip in butter and eat. Patrons are obviously going away happy. “I don’t have any bad reviews, they always come and go with a happy smile,” Sonia says. “Another lady told me that she doesn’t want to come to the bakery but her feet told her to go,” she laughs. The croissants are large, flaky and buttery. Said a customer: “Hands down the best croissant I’ve ever had.” We can’t wait for the café to open.

Photo: Golden Harvest's facebook page

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Toto Cafe wants to up coffee house vibe

WindsorOntarioNews.com May 30 2024

Toto Café has upped the coffee house vibe to a surround sight and sound experience. The newish eatery at 12211 Riverside Dr. E. in Tecumseh melds different concepts to come up with a unique ambience. “We believe that every detail, from our concept to our decor, is an integral part of the story we're eager to share with you,” owner Joe Proeski says. The idea behind the cafe is to bring people together and create community. Proeski says the concept is “rooted in the idea of fostering genuine connections and creating memorable experiences.” The design blends “contemporary elegance with cozy charm,” he says. Customers will find “warm tones, natural textures, and inviting seating arrangements that invite you to linger awhile.” These include custom-made lighting fixtures made by local artisans to curated artwork on the walls. Proeski says the café is committed to a food experience of “innovation and authenticity.” Check out Toto’s signature Lotus energy drinks “crafted from natural, plant-based ingredients,” to the eatery's “decadent selection of pastries and desserts.” Proeski and staff have “years of experience” in hospitality ranging from restos to cafes, pubs and nightclubs, bringing the best of these to Toto. “Our vision was simple yet profound,” he says. “To create a space where people from all walks of life could come together, share stories, and savor moments of joy and connection over great food and drinks.”

Photo: Toto Café

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Couple expand to "Pan-Asian" cuisine

WindsorOntarioNews.com May 13 2024

ChopstiX, which recently opened at 152 Lesperance Rd. in Tecumseh, isn’t offering “fusion” food, at least not yet. But what it is offering is a “pan-Asian” menu, and that’s pretty unique for the Windsor area. Owner Lam and Justin Harb already had a following from their Pad Thai on Wyandotte St. downtown, which they ran for a decade. But it was small and only offered takeout. And an alert to the civic powers that be: It was difficult operating in that area because of the homeless and addicts with “a lot of garbage and needles,” Lam says. The couple now has three small children and didn’t want to expose them to that negativity. They took some time off and then the former Healthy Mama vegetarian restaurant space became available. “I walked into the place and felt instant connection!” Lam says. Asian food runs deep in Lam’s family. Her family originally opened Simply Thai in Tecumseh. Lam also travelled extensively in southeast Asia and her father urged her to open her own resto. “My dad thought that I needed some kind of inspiration,” she says. “So, he immediately sent me there for four months and I travelled pretty much with a backpack and stopped at stalls and watched people cook. I just kind of picked up the technique from my native country and created a menu right there for fun." She brought it home and her father said, "Great let’s go look for a restaurant." Meanwhile, Lam and Justin have been soulmates since college. While Lam concentrates on the food Justin focusses on the restaurant’s concept and aesthetics. As she says, “I’m the authentic and Justin is the modern.” So they’ve branched out from just serving Thai to Vietnamese and Chinese. “Not everybody’s into authentic Asian cuisine but I feel that people are ready to be introduced to it,” she says. But the couple has opened the door to expanding into a fuller “fusion” of cuisines and mixtures. “We’ll definitely get into more varieties,” she said.

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Windsor FB group chats up restaurants

WindssorOntarioNews.com May 2 2024

Windsor has its own restaurant chat site. It’s Windsor Food Spotters on Facebook. It was created two years ago and has almost 13,000 members. The unrestricted site is constantly updated with all manner of resto and bar discoveries, opinions and general discussion about the area’s dining scene. Today, for example, the lead off post is about Torus Doughnuts. “Over priced and overrated” says one contributor. Another “F--- donuts, stay hard” whatever that means. Another cites Terra Cotta Pizzeria (original spelled incorrectly) pizzeria downtown, giving shout out for its two for one pizza night. “With everything going through the roof these days price wise we could not believe the deal. 4 pizzas, 2 pints, and a litre of wine for $85 bucks. Take out the alcohol your looking at roughly $35 for 4 pizzas that were wood oven baked. Unreal.” Chimes-in another, “I haven't been there in ages someone told me they closed down, glad to hear they didn't, their pizza is delicious.” On a different topic, a poster wanted to know if any patios are open yet. One person replied, “We ended up going to Kildare House.” Someone else posted a pic of the Erie Street GastroPub. Others contributed: “River’s Edge”, “The Barrel House” and so on. A different poster is looking for a job for an experienced sever. “I have my smart serve and many years of experience but still unable to find a place to work part time.” Several commentators offered leads. Another poster praised Walkerville Eatery. “We got some dill pickle pizza, taco pizza (they had a BOGO half price deal on Wednesdays) and some delicious sliders (the kid - vegetarian goat cheeseburger, conquistador - chorizo burger, and the parm - chicken parm burger) with Parmesan fries. Yummy.” And is this sacrilege in Canada's motor city? This poster actually said they preferred Windsor pizza with “round and crispy” - as opposed to the Windsor traditional shredded - pepperoni. “Well done zza from Napoli Pizza.” Surprisingly, most people agreed with him.

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Sicilian cuisine stars in Riverside

WindsorOntarioNews.com April 17 2024

John Fuerth’s Capone’s Grill & Pasta Shop at 5880 Wyandotte St. E. in Riverside will be celebrating its eighth anniversary in July serving up distinctly Sicilian style Italian food. Fuerth has had a long background in the restaurant industry – “since I was a kid actually” - and worked in well-known eateries as far back as Bentley’s Roadhouse and Cadillac Jack’s. In 1992 he opened Jake’s Eastside Pub & Grub on Lauzon Rd. then sold it in 2004. But he had studied under a Sicilian chef de cuisine and always wanted to open that kind of restaurant. The opportunity arose in a vacant space that was a onetime dessert shop and the long-ago Elaine (French) Bistro. Sicilian food uses fewer ingredients and is heartier with solid meat and fish, with dishes wrapped in sauces like Marsala, Piccata and Sicilian. “We do some really nice stuff here but it’s not 10 or 12 different things that you have to put into a dish to make it good," Fuerth said. "Sicilian is more of a rustic type cuisine.” The resto’s menu has plenty of meat and seafood dishes. Fuerth's customers’ fave? “I probably do about 40 pounds of veal a week.” Meanwhile. typical dishes might be Braised Beef Tenderloin pasta with sautéed mushrooms with choice of noodles, Sautéed Prosciutto with onion, mushroom, spinach and grape tomatoes tossed in a cream sauce. Or Shrimp & Crab stuffed Sole (or other fish) topped with a white wine cream sauce, served with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables. The Riverside location, comfortably seating 32 with a small bar, perfectly fits since Fuerth grew up in the neighborhood and there is no other Italian restaurant in the area. “There's nothing else like it out here," he said. Post-Covid, the restaurant is only open three days a week but does private parties other nights. That makes sense. “When we were allowed to reopen again it was 'like you know, we’re going to stick to the Thursday, Friday, Saturdays because everything – labor food costs fixed costs – have skyrocketed' – that if you’re not busy every day you’re not making money.”

Photo: Google Street View

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