Crafted With Love: Café Amor & Art Review

Life has become about enjoying the quieter moments, as well as exploring more of the neighbourhoods here in Windsor, Ontario.  If you’re ever strolling down Ottawa Street, you’ll want to stop in at Café Amor & Art, a cozy shop located at 1464 Ottawa St. where a small family business has blossomed into an inclusive space for all who walk through their door.

They have an assortment of specialty drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, flavoured coffees, teas and of course, a variety of home-made soups, sandwiches and mouth-watering pastries. 

As you wait for your order (or you can have a seat and a staff member will bring it to you), there is aesthetically vibrant Latin-American artwork, hand-crafted jewellery, pottery, and such a sense of cultural authenticity throughout the cafe to enjoy.

A frothy rich latte, hearty pulled pork sandwich, side of tangy coleslaw, and unique style of chicken noodle soup with crunchy tortilla chips (as shown in the top photo) hit the spot on a rather cold and chilly day. No dessert this time, but that’s just another reason to return.

When you get the vibe that you're not just a customer to them, but more like family, you know that's love.  

💜Website: Café Amor & Art 

💜Follow on IG Café Amor & Art

The Giggle Mat: Tricks & Treats

 

COME JOIN US FOR EPISODE 9: TRICKS & TREATS!

🌈 The Giggle Mat 🌈 is made possible through the wonders of modern technology. To maintain the safety of everyone, we are still utilizing the virtual space, however we are able to appropriately social-distance for any additional filming. 

Come visit Dizzy, Mr. Purpleman, Miss Kate and Uncle PJ as they discover, explore and express themselves in the amazing world around them through stories, music, dance, crafts, juggling, magic, laughs and more!

We are now on EPISODE 9 and have several local #YQG authors who will be featured in the next few months, plus some other exciting news to share with all our fans!

Don't forget to like The Giggle Mat on Facebook to keep up to date with more content, games, outtakes/bloopers, contests and info on upcoming episodes!

Our shows are also available on Youtube, so you can watch Episode 9 and check out all the other episodes too!!

💜Supported by the City of Windsor’s Arts, Culture & Heritage Fund (ACHF) achfwindsor.ca

Made to feel at home at Bean N' Leaf in Windsor Ontario

Standing in line at March 21 Bean N' Leaf
Photo by Melissa Arditti

Finally stopped into March 21 Bean N' Leaf located at 480 Pelissier St here in Windsor, Ontario, with my friend Jen.  It's a cute and cozy place that is surrounded with art work, trendy toy figurines from movies like the Minions and Toy Story, to other nostalgia that you can look at while you're waiting for your order.  Oh and yes, they have complimentary wifi, just need to enter a password to connect, and you're good to go on your phone, tablet or laptop.

Ever feel overwhelmed looking at a menu in a coffee shop? I know I can stand there for a while agonizing over all the options, thinking of trying something completely new, and then sticking to my favourites.  The chalkboard menu at Bean N' Leaf is plentiful when it comes to coffee, tea and other beverages. If you like your java, they do specialize in a method called "Pour Over Coffee," which is supposed to be a fast and efficient way of brewing. I'm not a coffee drinker, more a latte something-or-other here and there, but mainly tea.

Anyhow, if you have a sweet tooth, all of their desserts are made in-house. I opted out for tea, as we just finished dining at Pho Maxim (you can see my review here on that restaurant, if you're curious as to what i'm talking about: Pho Maxim  ) and I had a big pot of jasmine tea, so I was tea'ed out.

My eyes did go for the dessert section. I had a brownie, which was pretty good. Very chocolately, chewy and rich. I couldn't say it really stood out, as far as what a usual brownie would taste like, but it was still tasty. It looked kind of small for the price, but after finishing, it was more than enough. If you're going in for a drink and snack, expect to bring way more than a handful of change!

They even sell cereal by the bowl, although it's all the sugar-laden ones, so I'd love to see a healthy one thrown in or maybe some concoction of a nutritious granola mix, just in case someone was stopping by and didn't want an overload of sugar. I also noticed they have lactose-free milk on their board. Hurray! This made me happy, as many other places just have alternatives like soy, almond, or coconut.  I'm a lactose-free milk drinker, if you didn't catch on.

I just took one photo from my phone because my battery was running low, so don't mind the camera flash that you see in this blog. I'll probably go back and take more photos next time and then update this posting.

The owner is ridiculously friendly and will explain anything that's on the menu. You can tell how passionate he is just opening up canisters so you can smell different aromas to make your final choice. I love going into places like this where you're not just another number. The personal interaction where someone can answer questions and have a conversation without memorizing a script is a pleasant experience.

Date night, hang out, business meeting, catching up on school work, or just looking for somewhere a little different to go, this trendy cafe is a great addition to the streets of Pelissier here in Windsor!

💜They are now called Cafe March 21, check them out on FB: Cafe March 21

Windsor Restaurant Review - Blooming inside and out: A look into the Sunflower Organic Cafe

Remember the days when you couldn't even order anything “on the side” because it just came prepared however the restaurant made it. Substituting was met with a sigh or “I'll have to ask if we can do that” reply. Choices were really limited and if you had any sort of allergy or special request, you'd have to phone up days in advance to figure out if they could arrange an alternative. I actually went through a time period when I just stopped eating out at restaurants because it was always a frustrating experience and slightly awkward, especially if I was the only one in the group with restrictions.

Now, a new way of thinking has sprouted for certain businesses, especially one that I recently had lunch at last week called Sunflower Organic Cafe, here in Windsor, Ontario.

I loved the vibrancy of the space with all the knick-knacks, neatly organized above the green trim. It kind of reminded me of entering into grandma's house, with a eco-hipster twist.

I was very impressed with how much this cafe caters to each individual and whatever circumstance you're dealing with. Celiac? No problem. Lactose intolerant? Many alternatives available.  Have another kind of auto-immune issue or follow a certain lifestyle, like vegetarian or vegan? Just let the waitress know and she'll figure out a way to make your meal completely customized to your liking. Oh and if you're into the whole organic movement, then you'll feel right at home.  Personally, I don't subscribe to one philosophy when it comes to food, I hold many beliefs that may align with yours, or perhaps be totally contradictory, so take my review with a grain of salt, if you wish and try it out for yourself.

Customer service was top notch. There's no two ways around that.  Our waitress was really friendly and offered to answer any questions that we had about the menu. Speaking of... the menu is large, so there is a lot of variety to choose from.  Start the day with an energizing breakfast, grab a salad, or just power up with one of their smoothies.

Another plus is how reasonably-priced everything is. Many items are under $10, like the Black Bean Wrap, Grilled Cheese, Baby Bella Mushroom and Cheese Omelette, and more.  Check out the menu here: http://www.sunflowerwindsor.com/cafe-menu/

I have to say that my Vegan Apple Cinnamon Buckwheat Pancakes rocked for only $8.95! I couldn't taste the cinnamon all that much, but the mixed berry compote, side of pure maple syrup, plus some refreshing apple splices hit the spot. 3 pancakes might seem stingy since we live in a society where quantity is valued far more than quality, but it was the right amount. I will say though that if you are not familiar with buckwheat, it is rather dense and a little bit on the heavy side, so it won't taste like your traditional pancake.

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Buckwheat Pancakes

On a personal note, I am also happy that there is a new place that I can take my parents. With all the major changes going on for my dad, eating healthy is a top priority. Having a nice customized meal that will give him lots of energy is important because he is so active. Oh and of course, this gives my mom a much-needed break, so she doesn't have to cook.

Thanks to my friend Gail for suggesting this spot for our lunch date! :)

Make sure to check out Sunflower Organic Cafe on Facebook!

Update as of Jan 2016: Sadly, it looks like they have closed their doors for good!!