Tag: Goderich Restaurants

West Street Willy’s Eatery – Goderich

On By Author Edmond GagnonIn Food & DiningLeave a comment

Eating dinner and finding a good restaurant while travelling can be a challenge, but thankfully the internet and sites with reviews like Trip Advisor, take away some of the guesswork. If you’re old school, like Cathryn and I, you talk to real people who live in the area and ask them for recommendations or advice.

This type of interpersonal communication paid off for us while dining at the Part II Bistro in Downtown Goderich. We asked our waiter, who was local, to recommend something in the area that was a good place for breakfast. He suggested West Street Willy’s, that was only a hop, skip and a jump away, just off the town square. We’d read great dinner reviews for the restaurant but it was closed that night.

Taking the advice we’d received, we stopped for breakfast at Willy’s before heading further north. The patio out front looked inviting but the weather was a tad cool that morning, and it was that time of season for those pesky bees.

The interior décor was nothing fancy, kind of a cross between small town diner and a cozy dining room in a country home. The breakfast menu was daunting – two pages full of creative dishes – everything from peanut butter, bananas and bacon on French Toast, to Eggs Benny and something called Pete’s Big Mess. The latter caught my eye first, but I opted for the Morning After Poutine. My mess contained crispy home fries, bacon, sausage, peameal, onions, tomatoes, cheese curds, chipotle and hollandaise, topped with two eggs the way you like them.

More concerned about her cholesterol, Cathryn ordered the West Street Benny – grilled, marinated portabella mushrooms and spinach, topped with the usual Benny goodies. Hers was $13 and mine was $15, both large portions and filling. Service was excellent and our waitress was friendlier than your local Avon lady. My only complaint is that we couldn’t stay for dinner.

If your not satisfied with our recommendation of this restaurant, perhaps you’ll take the advice from the TV show, You’ve Gotta Eat Here, who featured Willy’s about three years ago.

Cathryn and I both loved West Street Willy’s Eatery and give it a 10 out of 10.

Part II Bistro – Goderich

On By Author Edmond GagnonIn Food & DiningLeave a comment

On our recent Tobermory trip, for a change of scenery, Cathryn and I decided to take the back roads up north – getting off the highway when we could, and following Lake Huron’s eastern shoreline. Knowing the six hour ride would take us longer, we booked a room in Goderich to make it a two-day trip. On the first day we stopped in Grand Bend to stretch our legs and see what is new. The beach resort town was bustling, with plenty of new places to get your favorite junk food, and a complete makeover of the old Colonial Hotel is in progress.

Cathryn barely remembered being to Goderich years ago, so we drove down to the waterfront and along the public beach. The old CPR Train Station has been meticulously restored and relocated there and converted into a restaurant. New since my last visit is a wooden boardwalk with exercise stations, running the full 1.5 km length of the beach.

For dinner we sought out the Part II Bistro, on the main square – more like an octagon loop that surrounds the court house, with a half dozen streets as spokes, radiating from the center. It was Tuesday, and to our disappointment many restaurants in town were closed for the night. Part II Bistro was open and had rave reviews so that’s where we went. They have a beautiful patio out front that offers a great view of the town square, but the weather and seasonal bees had us reserve a table inside.

I can best describe the décor as eclectic, with tables partitioned for privacy and Covid reasons. They had a nice selection of local craft beers and a descent wine list. We sampled both. A picture of our appetizer wouldn’t do it justice – look up Gnudi on their menu – ricotta, parmesan and garlic formed into soft pillows, with a semolina flower crust set on a slowly simmered IPA, basil tomato reduction. Yes, it was a savory and delicious as it sounds.

Cathryn saw a lamb shank on the menu so there was no decision for her. I was torn between the Sacchietti Pasta and the Greek chicken, but was in need of a good carb fix and chose the latter. Stuffed egg pasta filled with mushrooms and black truffles, tossed with sundried tomatoes, artichokes, woodland mushrooms, spinach, onions and garlic. Finished with cream and herbed infused olive oil and topped with parmesan cheese. OMG! Need I say more? The little pasta pouches made for the best I’ve ever had.

The Lamb Shank was braised perfectly in Moroccan influences of cumin, cinnamon and cardamom, set on Israeli couscous with ratatouille vegetables, topped with it’s own braising reduction. Cathryn barely had to coax the meat off the bone, which I secretly think she wanted to suck on.

Dessert was mostly for me, she only wanted a bite. I selected the peanut butter chocolate cheesecake, of course. The picture tells the story, and it tasted even better than it looks.

Service was just a tad slow, but like everywhere else these days the restaurant is having difficulty in finding wait staff. They did a great job with what they had and Cathryn and I eagerly give Part II Bistro a 10 out of 10.