Hope during COVID-19

It's hard for me to articulate my words right now, as each day feels as overwhelming as the next. However, i'm going to try.

🌟Thank you to ....

👉all the workers in a health care position working at the hospitals, retirement homes, and other medical facilities who are doing their best to save lives and provide mental health support to those of us who need it - on any level.

👉all the grocery clerks who are working around the clock, putting products on the shelves so everyone can feed themselves and their families

👉all the educators for continuing your passion for teaching in whatever capacity that is and not giving up on your students

👉the residents of Windsor-Essex County (and beyond) for supporting each other in so many ways, big and small - I've been connected with some amazing people I never knew before

👉all the entertainers who have lost all their gigs until an undetermined amount of time, you're appreciated and valued more than you know, keep on creating, singing, dancing, juggling, making us laugh, and whatever else you have up your sleeves

👉those who are debunking and reporting fake emails/stories/videos and other messages regarding COVID-19, to protect our most vulnerable right now

👉all the local restaurants still providing customers with amazing food, take-out/delivery service and a great big smile, even though we know you're hurting too

👉those who have reached out to someone else in the community, whether that's a family member, friend, neighbour, or a total stranger and provided emotional support, financial aid, or simply offered to pick up some extra toilet paper

the list goes on and on....

Just thank you ALL for being superstars. I'm proud to know you.

Windsor Restaurant Review - Get Me To the Greek: Etta’s Greeklish Eatery

I’ve been out of the loop for the last while with all the new restaurants opening up. I admit that i’m a bit of a creature of habit going to the same places over and over again, so I decided that every once in a while, i’ll try somewhere new.  My lovely fiancé, Bill, usually is my partner in cuisine and so he’s pretty easy-going. When I rattle off a list of restaurants, if he is particularly hangry, the one syllable “food” is usually the response, which means, I'm open to just about anywhere as long as they feed me good food!

Last night, we decided to check out Etta’s Greeklish Eatery located at 5975 Wyandotte St E, here in Windsor, Ontario. The one problem is that there isn’t a lot of parking on the street, so be forewarned, you may want to plan ahead or be prepared to walk. Luckily, we got a spot right in front! Most people don’t eat at 4 pm on a Saturday night, but hey, when you’re hungry, time means nothing, right?

Walking in, the restaurant was pretty empty, which again was to be expected at the time we arrived. We were greeted by a rather enthusiastic waiter and he told us to sit wherever we wanted.

So let’s just jump right into it.  The dinner menu was plentiful, so you have a good variety of dishes from pork, beef or chicken souvlaki, all the way to the well-known gyro pita.

On special that evening was Kokkinisto, which was chunks of beef with an aromatic tomato sauce and pasta. We’ll take 2!

I also wanted to start with a Greek salad. How can you go to a Greek restaurant and not have at least a little feta cheese? Mmmm!

Greek salad
Photo by Melissa F. Arditti

Kokkinisto (looks are deceiving, there was SO much pasta underneath!)
Photo by Melissa F. Arditti

Well the waiter wasn’t wrong when I overheard him tell another table (as we started our meal, more and more people started to stroll in) that they don’t “scrimp on the portions here.” Our meal as you can see above was pretty large.  Lots of deliciously tender beef, tons of pasta and just the right amount of such a flavourful tomato sauce.  No complaints, except that the menu was a bit confusing saying we were entitled to potatoes, rice and veggies and we never received any. I think there was some confusion due to this being a “special.” However, the food was amazing that our starter salads took care of the veggie part and the mound of spaghetti took care of the carbs.

For dessert (sorry no pic), I was awaiting to hear the choices but I guess they were feeling generous and were offering everyone a free slice of dessert, something we endearingly called “galatic bootycall” with a chuckle from our waiter. Okay, so that’s the non-Greek wording for it, but if you ask for that, i’m sure they’ll be able to tell you the actual pronunciation and realize it is called ghalaktobouriko. It had some kind of custard in it, with a honey wrapped filo dough. It felt a bit similar to baklava.  A nice little touch to show appreciation to your customers! It was very tasty and a good way to end the meal.

Overall, we had a great dining experience! Excellent food, bright atmosphere, and friendly and quick service.  By the time we were getting our coats on, the restaurant was pretty packed. Etta’s is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so there’s no doubt that we’ll be stopping in again. Opa!

Go check them out on Facebook: Etta's Greeklish Eatery

Satisfying The Sweet Tooth at TBQ

Sometimes a meal cannot be complete without dessert. When you arrive at a family owned and operated restaurant like Tunnel Bar-B-Q here in Windsor, that has been in business for over 70 years, there is a reason why you keep coming back.

Aside from their reputation of having the best ribs, which I might add really do live up to expectations since the plate is full of flavourful, meaty, fall-off-the-bone tenderness, I cannot resist the dessert menu. I love a late-night walk-in where the staff welcomes you just for dessert.

It’s hard to actually narrow down a choice when black forest tortes, coconut cream pies, and many other decadent desserts are staring at you. However, the waitress is always willing to give an extra few minutes so a wise decision can be made.

Chocolate Torte

My favourite has always been the Strawberry Romanoff cake. I can crave something chocolaty, but once my eyes see the glazed strawberries, I know what I have to order. It’s simple but oh so satisfying. My fork seems to know exactly where to begin to get the first bite that leaves me feeling like I've bitten into a little piece of heaven.

Strawberry Romanoff

You’re not just limited to cakes and pies either. You can get rich frothy milkshakes and ice cream sundaes, too. All the ingredients used are high quality and the portion sizes are perfect so you can enjoy a little indulgence, without the extra guilt.

Next time you’re looking for a perfect ending to any meal, make sure to remember because nothing is quite as sweet as dessert.

*Update: Another great place here closed! This was quite saddening, but inevitable. You can still buy many of sauces online:  TBQ