The Pepper Cat Restaurant

We finally made it to the Pepper Cat Restaurant in Amherstburg and it was well worth the long trek from Windsor. Formerly the Beacon Ale House, you have to try this new restaurant. It’s advertised as upscale dining but the prices were not ridiculous.

Our visit was in the late afternoon for kind of a late lunch or early dinner so we decided to sample their appetizer menu. We leaned heavy on seafood with the mussels, done in a white wine and garlic sauce – with lots of juice that was great to soak up with their focaccia bread – perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

We ordered everything at once for a real smorgasbord – escargot that came with perfectly melted and gooey cheese on top. And their crab cakes, a decent size and lightly breaded. A special treat was the grilled octopus, something that is normally difficult to cook, but it was done perfectly – tender inside and char-grilled on the outside.

The spread filled up three of us and was all washed down with local craft beers that they have on tap. We had a gift card that halved our bill but found their appie prices were in line with other restaurants, and the portions were sizeable. The size of the octopus leg had us wondering how big the monster was before we ate it.

We had a friend in from Cambodia who loves seafood, and he was delighted by the food and liquid sampling. The chairs were super comfortable and the service was great. The chef even visited our table at our request. Cathryn and I highly recommend the Pepper Cat and rate it a 10 out of 10.

Patios in a Pandemic

1_5020583Who doesn’t enjoy sitting on a patio on a sunny summer day, sipping their favorite beverage or indulging in a picnic that is prepared by someone else and delivered to your table? Why is it then, that it took a world pandemic for cities like Windsor to get their heads out of their arses and do the patio thing right.

Other cities have been doing it for years, and not just in Europe. Restaurants and bars have been after the city for years, trying to give patrons what they want, allowing them to enjoy the long summer season that our area has to offer. Past downtown business owners must be cursing the city, seeing the success newer establishments are enjoying.

Back in the dinosaur age, when I used to walk a beat downtown, I couldn’t understand why they didn’t shut down Ouellette avenue. There was barely any place to park on the street and it eventually had to be barricaded because of bumper to bumper traffic that cruised up and down the strip.

But hell no, we couldn’t do that permanently. Where else would those ten cars park and how could businesses take deliveries? There’s something else I learned working downtown – there are alleys that run behind all those businesses and parking garages that very rarely operate at capacity.

So, I guess there really wasn’t any good reason to allow patios to expand onto sidewalks and into parking spots, because I haven’t heard anyone complaining about it. If you haven’t seen what’s happening in Leamington, Kingsville, Essex, Belle River, Amherstburg, and even good old Windsor, check it out. Cold drinks and good grub await you in pandemic patio paradise.

Lord Amherst-burger

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By Cathryn Gagnon:

The historic town of  Amherstburg is the home to a cozy little pub called, Lord Amherst Public House and Wine Bar. It’s located at 273 Dalhousie Street, and named after  Lord Jeffrey Amherst, who served as the first Governor General of British North America.  This quaint meeting place comes complete with creaky wood floors and traditional English pub fare. Separate from the pub, there is a wine bar upstairs. It has a rustic European décor and features imported and local wines.

Our server was sweet, welcoming, and attentive.  We started off with a Grimbergen, dark lager, craft beer. It had caramelized undertones with a crisp coffee finish.  Since it was my birthday lunch, and my mother was buying, I thought I would splurge. We ordered soup and sandwiches.

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