Choose Wisely: Erie St. Gastro Pub Food Review

One thing to love about Windsor is the food. We have so many places that have been in business for ages, and for good reason. As life changes, as it always does, it's exciting to see plenty of new local spots with creative and passionate chefs that are popping up that really seem to have the bones for lasting a long time - well, as long as they are supported. 

Erie St. Gastro Pub has a great minimalistic look but is still bright and welcoming with elegant touches of decor. If you're in the mood for a hearty burger, a little asian fusion or even something off the vegetarian/vegan menu, this might be the place for you.  

Dinner & Thoughts:

Steamed Dumplings (Appetizer)- A great start to the meal. We had veggie dumplings which were tasty with a sweet chili sauce. The freshly chopped green onions were a nice addition.

Pho -  I haven't had Pho (pronounced "fuh") in a while, so I was excited to try it out here. It had a heaping amount of chicken, noodles, and a very flavourful broth - I could taste the coriander with every slurp. The bowl was large enough that I have a bit of leftovers for lunch.

Double Pork  -  If you know Bill, he loves a good pulled pork sandwich. He really enjoyed his meal - the pork was soft enough but still with a little bit of chewiness. He also really loved the blend of mustard, chipotle mayo and honey ginger bbq sauce and the Vietnamese slaw. It was incredibly filling.

Usually a side salad is nothing special, but this one was elevated with the right amount of lettuce, shredded carrots, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, a little slice of avocado (he didn't eat that but a nice touch regardless). It was complemented by a delicious carrot/ginger dressing.

Warm hospitality - Maggie was top notch as our server, with a bubbly personality and just so accommodating to whatever we needed from the moment we sat down to the time we left.  We don't drink alcohol (if you do, they have a huge menu to choose from) but that was not an issue at all, as our glasses never remained empty for long, whenever passing by to check on us.  

Overall, I am confident to say that this time, we have chosen wisely. :) 

💜Website: Erie St Gastro Pub

💜Facebook

Keep up the BEET: Wholly Veggie Patties Review!

Wholly Veggie is a Canadian company (based out of my hometown of Toronto!) founded by two friends who love their veggies and want to make sure every table has access to them! Their mission is to create a more sustainable food system, which I think is very important considering the incredible population growth reaching now 7.8 billion in 2021.  How do we continue to feed everyone? This is definitely a challenge but they are up for it!

The company has a great line of veggie products to choose like their taco bites which has a sweet potato crust (yum!), Buffalo Cauliflower wings, veggie pizzas and more! 

Trying out the "Southwest Beet Burger" the ingredients and nutritional profile looked great.  Beets are loaded with various vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium and Vitamin C. 

Packaging

I sliced a beet patty into strips and added some dressing

on top underneath a mixture of zucchini and carrots.

My Honest Thoughts?

By themselves, these patties are fairly bland tasting and a bit more on the chewy side, as opposed to a softer texture that I was expecting. I'm not sure if "beets" are more of an acquired taste overall, but I don't like to turn down a healthy vegetable.  Since 4 patties come per package, day two of trying these out tasted a lot better. I enjoyed them more sliced up, instead of like a regular patty.

Although it does have some spice, it's pretty minimal, so it helps to add your favourite condiments!

They also check off the boxes of being:

✔vegetarian 

✔gluten-free

✔soy-free

✔dairy-free. 

So if those are labels that are important to you, then this would be a good fit!

Another awesome thing to know is that you can "donate a meal" by making a purchase on their website.

"For every meal you donate, we'll match it with another meal to Community Food Centres Canada. 

Your meal donation will go to Harmony Community Food Centre (CFC), one of 13 Community Food Centres supported by CFCC. Harmony CFC is a welcoming place in Toronto where people come together to grow, cook, share and advocate for good food. Their programs support local families and individuals by increasing access to healthy food, skill-building, knowledge sharing, and providing leadership and advocacy opportunities."

I'm excited to try other products from this brand, and I'll be sure to fill you in on whether they'll make my shopping cart again or if they'll stay on the shelf.

Try them out and let me know your thoughts! You can leave a comment or send me a private email using my contact form!  I always love to hear your comments. 

💜Wholly Veggie Website

💜IG

💜Facebook

*Note: All opinions of this product are always my own.

Snack Review: Living Snactive with Mediterranean Snacks

I hate the word “diet” when it is referred to people's weight loss regimes because as everyone knows, it's short-lived and usually meant for short-term success. It's the same routine, you go on a health kick and feel great, like you can conquer the world, but then it goes downhill because the motivation weens and you're back to the very start. The miserable beginning where it all feels hopeless.  So what do you do?

Well for starters, you can ditch the sugar-laden sweets, salty chips that make your hands glisten from all the grease, but don't be duped, even the “health” snacks can be loaded with sugar and tons of sodium, plus other ingredients that may be problematic, based on your individual circumstances.

We need to Live Snactive! Nope that's not a spelling mistake. Going on the philosophy of Mediterranean Snacks, having a Healthy Attitude + Nutritious Snacks + Active Lifestyle = Living Snactive! Everyone has their marketing buzz word, but I can say this really meshes well with me, and I think many others can relate.

 Now there is a full line of products by a great company called Mediterranean Snacks that offers a glorious amount of options for people who have specific dietary needs or just choose a different way to eat.

Here is the assortment that I received in the mail. I was blown away at this big haul. I will go into more detail on what we liked and ones we probably wouldn't buy again.  I ended up sharing these with my boyfriend and the rest of my family.

Before that, I need to talk about how much I love the bold packaging. It's full of vibrant colours, plus the fonts are easy to read, so you don't have to sit and squint wondering what flavour you're getting or what the main features are of the product. All the ingredients are also listed on the back, which is great because I'm a label reader.

So here we go.  I have also taken a bunch of photos, so you can get an idea of what some of the products look like.

Vegetable Medley – An absolute favourite and as you can see, you get a lot of them per bag. I love how they are slightly rounded, so ideal for dipping, or still worth munching on without any extras. Oddly enough, they are seasoned with sea salt, which I usually don't like, but these are a winner.

Baked Lentil Chips (Rosemary) – Baked not fried which is a huge plus. They were also very savoury and crunchy. My parents raved over these, especially my Dad. Due to his condition, his sense of smell has been impaired, so I was pleasantly surprised that he could taste the Rosemary.

Baked Lentil Chips (Roasted Pepper) - A personal favourite and a great chip to dip into some homemade guacamole.

Bean Stalks (Sea Salt, Cheddar and BBQ) – A whole lotta crunch to these babies! Since the number one ingredient is actual beans, they are packed with fibre and protein. Unfortunately, i'm not a fan of sea salt to begin with, so that bag was the least favourite of the bunch.

Cheddar ones were great on their own (think of a healthy version of a cheesie!) and my boyfriend liked the tangy BBQ ones.

Tapaz 2 Go – Mixed feelings here. Although these are meant to be eaten without refrigeration required, I would personally recommend refrigerating them, before taking on-the-go.  For me, it was just awful at room temperature. It had a strange off-putting taste. On my second attempt, I decided to stick it in the fridge for a while and that really made a big difference. It had a nice cooling taste. A good serving size too.

The classic hummus is very mild, the garlic hummus tastes pretty much the same, but I couldn't really taste a very strong aroma of garlic at all. The red pepper hummus has a real kick, my mouth was kind of on fire, but if you like spice, this one is for you. Keep in mind, you'll need to swirl around the mixture a bit. The pretzels were ok, but if you're watching your sodium, probably best to pack a little container and toss in some of their lentil or veggie chips.

I am truly blessed to have my Dad still with us today.  He has made huge strides in improving his health, both physically and mentally.  We all struggle in different ways and it's good to know there is a company looking out for us and providing healthier options.

I am grateful for companies like Mediterranean Snacks that exist and will probably be leading the pack for naturally-based nutritional health snacks for many years to come.

If you would be so kind to excuse me now, I have the munchies and eyeing a bag of Vegetable Medley Straws that are calling my name!

UPDATE 2018: I am not sure what has happened to this company or their website!
You can still purchase from here though: 

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!!

Windsor Restaurant Review: Il Cavallino: A Good Formula

 Il Cavallino
All photos by: Melissa Arditti

It’s been too long of a winter so, at the first real sign of Spring, it was time to head out to a restaurant here in Windsor. Il Cavallino, run by General Manager, Frank Gobbato, is a great little bistro located at 9420 Tecumseh Road East, inside the well-known Formula 1 Collision Centre.

The waiting area at Il Cavallino is fitted with sleek, modern furniture that was a comfortable to sit in as it was pleasant to look at. Photo by Melissa Arditti.

Stepping inside we were greeted by the day-time chef, Suzette. She was very bubbly with a huge smile on her face and ready to answer any questions we had about the menu. It was also nice that she told us in detail about the specials of the day. That is the start of good service.

We  also briefly met the Marketing Manager, Cristina Melnik, who was excited to have us in for lunch.

The decor is very modern, with sleek industrial-metallic and red accents. You could also have your choice to sit at a regular dining table, or get a bit higher with bistro tables and, surprisingly, very comfortable swivel chairs.

The restaurant is small but cozy, relying on ambient light from the windows during the daylight hours. Also, the kitchen has a classic diner feel and the chefs are always visible, so you can actually see what is being made and even smell the delicious aromas.

A modern decor with sleek industrial-metallic and red accents. Photo by Melissa Arditti

As well, there is a fair bit of car nostalgia, so while your meal is being prepared, you can take a stroll around and see some of the displays, including an adorably cute Jetta.

Diners at Il Cavallino can look at the Jetta on display. Photo by Melissa Arditti

Now onto our meals.

We both started out with a tall glass of fresh orange juice, while perusing the large and assorted menu.

Delicious O.J and Il Cavallino's plentiful menu. Photo by Melissa Arditti

I decided to go with a chicken Caesar wrap and a side of non-dairy broccoli soup. Huh? Non-dairy? Did I hear that correctly? I was kind of taken aback when I was told this.

The non-dairy broccoli soup was a surprise to find on the menu at Il Cavillino. Photo by Melissa Arditti

I will start off by saying that I have never had broccoli soup without dairy or cream. It hasn't been on a menu from any restaurant that I've gone to before, and I've been to plenty. So this was a new experience entirely and I knew I’d either love it or regret ordering soup.

Hurray. I was very pleased with the consistency and flavour. I found out that it was so simple to make by pureeing broccoli, adding chicken stock, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs. So goodbye heavy cream soups, hello deliciously light broccoli soup.

Next, my chicken Caesar wrap.

The restaurant offered a perfect chicken Caesar and even had the option of a whole wheat wrap.
Photo by Melissa Arditti.

The tortilla was fabulous and probably one of the best I've had in a long time. It wasn't overly starchy and another bonus is that I could substitute for whole-grain. This is one option that I was truly happy to see, as many other restaurants still haven’t caught on to offering customers the option of white vs whole wheat/whole grain. I realize it does come at a cost but I wish more places offered it.

The grilled chicken was cooked well and was very moist. There was enough of it to really satisfy my hunger. The romaine lettuce was crisp, not wilted, and the Caesar dressing was well balanced, so the tortilla wasn't drowning in a sea of sauce. On the side, you can expect an array of fresh, vibrant fruit which really brightened up the dish.

Bill had one of the specials, spaghetti marinara with garlic bread. The portion-size was great and the noodles were cooked well. The marinara sauce was mild in flavour, not overpowering, and the garlic bread really added a nice touch.

Healthy portions were on the menu at Il Cavallino, and entrees were accompanied
by a melange of fresh fruit.  Photo by Melissa Arditti.

One feature that Il Cavallino is known for is their use of fresh, organically-grown produce that is directly from their on-site garden. If you are searching the city for places that are organic-friendly, this should definitely be your next stop.

Once we were done our main course, Suzette came around with cannoli’s that were purchased on Erie Street; oh my.

Any room left for dessert? Photo by Melissa Arditti

They were absolutely phenomenal. Il Cavallino takes the time to pick out the freshest and most delicious varieties of baked goods on a regular basis.

Another cool thing is if you have an electric vehicle, you can plug your car in, grab a bite to eat, and be on your way. I have not seen this very often, so it’s a great addition for customers who do not use gasoline-based vehicles.

Parking for electric vehicles. Photo by Melissa Arditti

Overall, the combination of service, great food and décor is certainly the right formula to keep customers coming back for more.

Visit their website and like them on Facebook