Sad Day for Ottawa Street & Windsor as Creperie Omer Announces Moving Date
It’s official. May 30, 2010 will be the last day for Creperie Omer in Windsor.
Gerry, owner of the fantastic “Parisian” spot in the middle of the Ottawa Street Village, has stated that with the current level of support he is receiving he will no longer be keeping the restaurant open in Windsor. Instead, he is moving Creperie Omer to Chatham.
WindsorEats will have more on this story soon.
Happy St. Paddy’s Day 2010!
WindsorEats would like to wish everyone a very happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day! Here are some events happening in and around Windsor-Essex for St. Paddy’s 2010:
Mick’s Irish Pub
Toast & Jam/ Cluster Folk along with Kenneth MacLeod and the Windsor Salt Band will provide the live entertainment. There will be green beer as well as amazing Irish food.
The Loose Goose
Drink specials will be aplenty and the live entertainment kicks off at 5:30pm with Jaime Reaume. Dave Russell will continue the music immediately after Reaume’s set at 10:00pm. There will also be a plethora of food specials:
- Corned Beef & Cabbage, $10
- Potato Leek Soup, $5
- Guinness Beef Stew, $5
- Whiskey Wings, $9.75 for 1lb or $17.75 for 2lbs
- Sweet Potato Wedges, $6.50
- Irish Poutine in Creamy Curry Gravy, $8
- Bangers & Mash, $8
- Corned Beef Sandwich with Chips, $8
- Sheppard’s Pie, $10
- Fish & Chips, 1pc for $10 or 2pc for $12
Caldwell’s Grant
Join them on St. Paddy’s for a pint. Chef Laura has made some delicious Irish Stew and Guinness Cheesecake. They also have some craft brews on tap including Guinness and from Rail City Brewery a coffee porter, copper and blonde ale. Dan MacKinnon will be making his cameo appearance with his bagpipes.
The Pour House
Opening at 11:00am with the sweet, sweet sounds of Tartan Army. Enjoy fantastic Irish fare with their St. Paddy’s inspired lunch and dinner specials.
Crazy Couple Days
You may have noticed we were having some issues with out site over the last couple days. You weren’t alone.
Our web and email server were not functional over the last two days and in our site was replaced with a standard placeholder page usually reserved for available web addresses. We received some frantic emails and Facebook messages begging us to tell them we weren’t gone for good. Well, here I am telling you we are definitely not gone or leaving anytime soon. We just had one major screw up.
Sorry, but, you’re stuck with us for a long, long while!
Mezzo Supper Club & Fashion Show: March 26, 2010
Join Mezzo Ristorante & Lounge and local clothing designer Dilly Daisy as they host the Mezzo Supper Club on Friday, March 26, 2010.
They will start the evening with a wonderful 3 course meal and will host a fashion show displaying all of the fabulous fashions by Dilly Daisy. After all that fun, then you can dance the night away with DJ Remedy.
Dilly Daisy clothing consists of colourful vintage-inspired pieces that are hand crafted from fabrics that are comfortable and easy to wear. Specializing in party dresses with distinctive details like funky collars and vintage buttons, designer, Dee-Dee Shkreli refers to her unique line as “Eye Candy”.
Dilly Daisy clothing and accessories are available at The Unique Rabbit and Made in Windsor (Windsor) and Revolution (Kingsville) as well as online at www.dillydaisy.com.”
Here is a look at the menu for the evening:
Course One
Manicotti
wild mushroom, goat and ricotta cheeses stuffed manicotti in a sambuca blush sauce topped with asiago cheese and white truffle oil
Course Two
Salad
mixed greens tossed in a pineapple dressing topped with pistachios and shaved apple wood smoked cheddar
Course Three (please choose one of the following)
Australian Lamb
pan roasted Australian rack of lamb finished in a white truffle lamb jus
Tilapia
pan seared and braised tilapia filet with diced tomatoes in a white wine ammoglio sauce
Pollo Marsala
pan seared chicken breast in a wild mushroom marsala wine sauce
Dinner reservations will begin at 7:00pm, and as always, Mezzo turns club at 9pm. Call Filip today for reservations or email him at info@mezzo.ca. If you can’t make it for dinner, meet some friends for a fabulous Mezzo martini after 9pm.
Each month, Mezzo spotlight a local charity to benefit from this event. For April’s Supper Club, they are pleased to announce that they have chosen The Distress Centre of Windsor – Essex County.
“The Distress Centre of Windsor-Essex County exists to provide emergency crisis intervention, suicide prevention, emotional support and referrals to community resources by telephone, to people in Windsor and the surrounding area.”
Tickets are $40.00 per person or ask about Mezzo’s group rate. If you are interested please contact Filip Rocca at info@mezzo.ca or call 519.252.4055.
Also, feel free to take advantage of Mezzo’s complimentary Valet parking.
Will the Windsor-Essex Region Become the Festival Mecca of Canada?
The Town of Tecumseh is the latest Windsor-Essex municipality to approved a new festival plaza.
Festivals such as Art of Eating will now have the opportunity to flourish in a proper festival setting and it also gives the Dragon Boats an opportunity to expand. Rumour has it there will be no link between the Dragon Boats and Via Italia this year as they will have food vendors on site for 2010.
Between this new park design, the previously approved design for Festival Plaza on the riverfront in downtown Windsor and the recently approved design of a festival plaza in LaSalle, this region is poised to become the festival region of Canada.
History in our restaurants
WindsorEats thought it would be a great idea to highlight a few of Essex County’s restaurants located in historic residences or nestled into heritage buildings.
Our region is rich in history and you can really get a sense of our past when visiting our city centre or surrounding towns and stroll down their main streets.
I’ve talked about this restaurant before but it’s always worth mentioning again, because it’s over 100 years old….a rarity for any building in this city.
Located in downtown Windsor, Hikari, 345 Victoria Avenue, offers up Japanese cuisine in one of Windsor’s oldest homes. Hikari resides in the Sutherland-Sheppard House which was built in 1896. It was once home to Major Ralph F. Sheppard, a commander of the Essex Scottish, who served during World War II and was distinguished as a Member of the British Empire. The home was built in the Queen Anne Revival style, elements of which can be seen in the unique ornate front porch.
The Victoria Rose Tea Room, 64 Main Street East, is located in the heart of Kingsville. The home was built in 1883 and has seen a number owners throughout its history. Today, owners Louise Morrison and Theresa Morrison have kept the character of the home intact. The tea room is a favourite amongst locals for their use of fresh ingredients and are well known for their homemade desserts.
Our region has a number businesses located within heritage designated buildings as well.
Mazaar’s Lebanese Cuisine, 372 Ouellette, is located in the historic Canada Building. Next time you take a trip to Mazaar’s look up. When the Canada Building was completed in 1930, at 12 stories high, it was the largest office building in Southwestern Ontario! A few details to look for on the exterior of the building are the brass doors leading to the lobby of the main building, the brass Canada Post box which is still in use today and the ornate metal canopy over the entrance way.
Taloola Cafe, 396 Devonshire Road, is one of those spots you can envision in any metropolitan city. Serving organic and fair trade coffees, the cafe is situated in historic Olde Walkerville and sits in what was once the former Crown Inn Hotel. Built in 1892 and designed by the architectural firm of Mason and Rice, Detroit for the Walkerville Land & Building Co. the hotel was built for Hiram Walker and Sons and is considered to be one of Windsor’s most important heritage buildings. It was the first hotel in Walkerville, housed the first telephone in the area and it is even rumoured to have entertained Al Capone himself.
Independent restaurants, cafés and local businesses are what make where we live unique. Whether it’s their historical connection or their location in a bustling neighbourhood, they provide an authentic experience of the city or town we live in.
Windsor and Essex County have many restaurants, cafes and independent retailers scattered throughout its boundaries. They are quaint, creative, distinctive and extraordinary. So the next time you head out to lunch, dinner or are just looking to grab some coffee, think about supporting one of the many great local businesses that call Essex County home. They are what makes our city unique.
Check these and other great culinary spots throughout Essex County on www.windsoreats.com!
Wine Trail Rides for Charity
This year, WindsorEats has opened up our Wine Trail Ride for charities and organizations to use as a fundraiser. Rotary and Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital Foundation were the first ones to take us up on the offer. Here is the information regarding their rides:
Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital Fundraiser – May 8, 2010
The Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital Foundation was created to help Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital provide high-quality and compassionate care to its patients and their families.
Formally launched in the fall of 2005, as the Heart of the City Hospital Foundation, our mission is to support Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital by funding priority capital and equipment needs. In 2008, the Foundation changed its name to Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital Foundation to honour and better reflect the century-long tradition of Hôtel-Dieu and the Salvation Army Grace Hospitals’ caring for the community.
Tickets for the HDGHF ride are $55 each and can be purchased on the Wine Trail Ride website
Rotary’s Pedal for Polio – May 29, 2010
Choose one of three leisurely cycle routes to three beautiful Essex County wineries where you will sample local wines before enjoying a fabulous dinner at your final destination. At the end of the evening, take home a bottle of wine to remember your day.
The $100 ride includes an escorted tour, samplings at three wineries, a special multi-course meal, bottle of wine and a tax receipt for $60.
For registration information go to the Wine Trail Ride website.
Lilly Kazzilly’s Updates Menu
Lilly Kazzilly’s, the popular seafood restaurant along the banks of the Detroit River, has updated their menu!
Pina just visited there recently and took in some great live entertainment which she highly recommended.
It’s Official! Amherstburg to Get Farmer’s Market
Amherstburg Town Council official voted to move forward with the Farmers Market project which now looks like it will be launched in mid-June.
A very big thank you and congratulations are in order for Dan and Nancy of Tredki Acres farm who poured their heart and soul into this project.
We’re excited to see your vision come to life!
As Dan said, “Success and happiness is not something that can be found, these are things you must create!”
Windsor City Council Think Urban Chickens Are A Joke
The other night I had an opportunity to speak with an acting member of Windsor City Council and the topic of urban chickens was brought up.
As mentioned by Steve Green of Windsor Essex Community Supported Agriculture, council has been dragging their feet in setting up a working committee. The comments made by this councillor indicated why, as it was mentioned, that the majority of Windsor city councillors look at the topic of urban chickens as a joke behind closed doors and laugh it off.
Whether you agree with the idea of urban chickens or not, the possibility of improving the sustainability of Windsorites lifestyles and even providing at least one small tool in the fight against poverty should at the very least be looked at.
Please take the WECSA poll, contact your city councillors and urge them to get the working committee started to see if urban chickens in Windsor is feasible. Steve Green has offered to pretty much do most of the legwork, so there really is nothing to lose.