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.
I literally stumbled across this place on one of my morning walks and never noticed that it was a full-service restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. El Farolito (The Lantern) is tucked into one corner of the little market stalls in Melaque Centro, one street west and kind of behind Super Hawaii.
I think this is the first time I’ve ever blogged and bragged about one particular restaurant twice. My last post about 
Cathryn’s shrimp were huge but the only gave her six and I was afraid I wouldn’t get a sample. Her plate came with a salad and rice but she opted for veggies, getting a nice assortment and steamed and tender goodies. We both agreed the coconut shrimp was the best we’ve had yet in Barra or Melaque.
We each had two drinks with our meal and desert. The bill came to $570 Pesos or a hair under 40 Loonies. A steal, considering Cathryn and I think it’s the best restaurant we’ve tried this year in Melaque. We both rated it 10 out of 10.
Cathryn had dropped a few hints that we were over due for a mystery date (an overnight at an undisclosed destination), the comments directed in my direction for her birthday month. It had been a whole two months since our return from Egypt and Africa so I almost felt sorry for her and decided to surf the web for an idea to satisfy her wanderlust itch.
What ever happened to all the good steak house restaurants? Windsor used to have at least a half dozen top notch places. Did the next generation stop eating steak or do they avoid upscale eateries? Even the Outback Steakhouse couldn’t survive in Windsor.
Some new staff that speak gringo are a nice addition this year. Simona and Carlos are welcoming and accommodating as usual. We’ve visited twice in the last two weeks, the first visit was with Cathryn’s mother and her man.
Life Written and Reviewed 