Windsor is the coolest city Detroiters barely know. Just like Detroit, Windsor has neighborhoods with brilliant individual personalities, from refined Walkerville, the town that whiskey built, to Via Italia, where Nonas still gossip in Italian on the street. Whichever neighborhood you explore, there are tasty eats at each stop which shape the culture of each area. A blog called WindsorEats.com, which has been run for over a decade by brother and sister duo Pina and Adriano Ciotoli, tracks and hightlights the food options in Windsor and Essex County, creating a comprehensive guide everything food-related that our Canadian counterpart has to offer.
WindsorEats does more than promote the city’s dining scene, it gives light to other aspects of the surrounding food region, such as grocers, wineries, farms and breweries that are a reasonable drive away. They also include recipes for the home cook, food travel writing, and local foodie news. It can be both an insider’s resource for anyone on a culinary quest, or a quick reference when you are in need of a spot-on food solution.
WindsorEats is quickly gaining recognition as a local food authority in Windsor, and they’d like to attract more Detroiters across the border to see what Canada has to offer.
“Coming to Windsor is a new experience,” Ciotoli said. “Detroit has a great food scene and Windsor is paralleling that. We share so much. We both have an appreciation for the good things to eat in life and Windsor offers a different atmosphere and taste on dining.”
Pina recommends Detroiters start with Windsor’s burger scene because it is an excellent introduction to the city. The appeal of good cooking with a cool beer is universal. Consider Motor Burger on Erie Street “ground zero” because in addition to standard comforts, they offer a delicious shrimp burger that seems to be undiscovered in Detroit. Another gem is Taloolah Cafe in Walkerville where diners can order Stuffed Cheesy French Toast with pure maple syrup on the weekend.
While the core of WindsorEats is the blog itself, they are also known for their food & drink tours and events. Pina and Adriano recommend their Drinks of Walkerville tour. You’ll learn about the history of the purple gang, Al Capone, and the importance of Windsor in Detroit’s bootlegging industry. And like any great historical tour, there’s a whiskey tasting involved.
So check out our friends at WindsorEats, and get what you need to know to plan your next international date night or food adventure.