REVIEW: The Twisted Apron

Saturday, March 10, 2012 1 comments Categories: , , , , , , , , ,


The Twisted Apron Company
1833 Wyandotte Street East
Windsor, Ontario Canada
Phone: +1 (519) 256 2665



Map

TYPE OF RESTAURANT: Gourmet Cafe
ATTIRE:  Casual
PRICES: E- $9 M- $18 D- $3.50
$$ Affordable

PAYMENT OPTIONS: Cash, Mastercard, Visa, Debit/EftPOS

HOURS: Sunday - Tuesday 9am-3pm
                 Wednesday - Saturday 9am-9pm

RESERVATIONS? Walk-ins Welcome
HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE? Yes.
VEGETARIAN? Yes.
VEGAN? Yes.
GLUTEN FREE? Yes.






 RATING:


        Quality of Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
   Originality: 4/5
        Atmosphere: 5/5






























The last time I was in Walkerville was probably when I checked out Walkermole. The Twisted Apron was right across the street and having not heard about it was curious to see what it was all about. The menu posted on their window had me promise myself I'd be back. Since then, several of my friends have been telling me to check this place out (especially Magda).

Today was that day, after an amazing yoga session downtown I was craving something wholesome and satisfying. Knowing my foodie friend Adam was down from Toronto I messaged Adam to see if he was available for a quick lunch our mutual friend Eman tagged along as well.

The Beet Salad
Upon walking in to the place, the atmosphere was really comforting. The exposed brick interior, the cool lighting fixtures, and the Gaggia espresso machine at the counter all caught my eye. The chalk board saying "thank you for supporting local farmers" also made me smile. I could immediately tell I was at someplace different than everything else in Windsor.

Truffled Grill Cheese
The place was incredibly busy, with an eclectic crowd. I offered to sit at the window seeing as there was likely a wait for a table. I was seated with a menu and quickly offered something to drink. I went with a warm, healthy pot of Dragonwell green tea. I perused the menu and was stuck on what to order. Breakfast is served until 3 making the decision even more difficult. I decided 1pm should be considered lunch and the Veggie Burger seemed appealing. Soon after, Adam and Eman joined me, both equally having difficulty in what to order. To make the decision a bit easier, we ordered several entrees as a preventative measure for leaving the place regretting we didn't try our #2 and #3 choices. Upon placing my order I went with the Veggie Burger as originally planned, but also went with the Beet Salad and the Truffled Grilled Cheese which originally Adam and I decided to share but come to think of it I only shared the Grilled Cheese the Beet Salad was all mine.

I started with the Beet Salad, which was just what I was craving. Delicious heirloom beets roasted and tossed in a bed of mixed greens and julienned granny smith apple. The colours were outstanding and the mix of flavours and textures were incredibly refreshing.

The grilled cheese was made with truffled butter, white cheddar, and brie. It tasted great, perfectly browned bread with delicious runny cheese in the centre.

The Veggie Burger
The Veggie Burger consisted of a mushroom and kale patty with some lettuce, tomato salsa, and some sort of mayo. While this sandwich tasted great (and didn't last very long) what would have set it on a pedestal of its own would have been some extra condiments (tomatoes, pickles, etc.) and a better bun (like a wholemeal or multigrain as opposed to white).
The Canadian (yes that is a thick slice of peameal bacon)

Next up was dessert. While I was sitting eating, Magda was messaging me on Facebook with suggestions on what to get. She insisted on the bread pudding but unfortunately they were all sold out. The three of us went with carrot cake. The slices of cakes were brought out fairly quickly, and had only two of us smiling. The cake has walnuts on top and Eman was highly allergic to nuts. Our server noticed Eman had passed his slice aside for me to finish once I was done mine and she asked if all was okay. Eman explained his allergy and the server took back the slice offering the chocolate cake instead. The server returned a short while later having CALLED the baker at home and asked if there were any nuts in the chocolate cake--None.
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting

If the owner of The Twisted Apron is reading this review, you have done an amazing job recruiting your staff. From the man who greeted me at the door with a smile, to the young guy who offered me a drink, to the server who is one of the best I have ever had in this city. I commend you.

If you are in the Walkerville area, I INSIST you check this place out. Simply--- AMAZING!

NEVER BUY STOCK AGAIN

Friday, March 9, 2012 0 comments Categories: , , , , , ,

About a month or two ago, I was reading through my Facebook newsfeed and came across a shared link from one of my friends Kendel who I met at university. The title of the link was "Five Packaged Foods You Never Have to Buy Again...". Having an absolute disdain for the mass-produced crap that lines our grocery store shelves, I definitely was worth click.


The article goes on to detail how you never have to buy (1) Soups (2) Stock (3) Canned Beans (4) Hummus (5) Cereal ever again (and the many reasons not to). The one that really caught my attention was #2... stock made from "garbage".


For those that know me, not only do I love food but I love gardening as well. There is nothing better than fresh, organic produce grown in ones backyard. As with most organic gardens, fertilization without the use of synthetic chemicals is crucially important. It is for this reason I compost. My garden gives me amazing produce and in return, I give it the scraps from those vegetables which go into my compost bins and become a nutrient rich compost for next years harvest.

The Scraps

One thing about living  in Canada that limits this amazing compost action is WINTER :( When the microorganisms in the compost bin slow down, my scraps have to wait until spring to begin to keep up with the amount of vegetables and fruits I consume. decompose. That is where this stock from "garbage" comes in.


The article explains that instead of sending vegetable (and fruit) scraps to the composter, save them and use them to make a homemade broth free from all that sodium, BPA, and all those other nasty things associated with store bought stock. I took the challenge.


For the last two months, whenever I made a dish I threw the scraps into a plastic bag and stuck them in my freezer. My housemates were probably wondering what the heck I was doing. Now you know guys ;)


There were portobello mushroom stems from a risotto, pumpkin from roast veggies, parsley from tabouli, ginger from a stir fry, endive from a salad, carrots from a soup, stems from serrano peppers, lemon rind from who knows what (probably tequila shots)...

The Soup :)
To make the stock, I simply tossed all these scraps into a large pot, and doubled that same amount as water. I simply let this boil for 5 minutes, and then strained the scraps out of the broth.* I added some sea salt and pepper to taste. I then simply tossed in some noodles and had a suprisingly amazing soup made in less than 10 minutes and uber healthy too.


The only thing is, I wish I could recreate the broth I just enjoyed but.... no recipe. Forcing each batch of stock to be equally unique.


* the remaining scraps from the strainer went into the compost bin anyways




REVIEW: The Snooty Rooster

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 4 comments Categories: , , ,


The Snooty Rooster
300 Ouellette Avenue
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Phone: +1(519)915-0478
Email: n/a
Website: n/a




Type of Restaurant: Tea House
Attire: Casual 
Prices: E- $6 M- $10 D- $4
$$- Affordable
Payment Options: Debit/Eftpos, Cash

Hours: 
Monday-Sunday 11am-9pm
Reservations: Walk-ins Welcome
Handicap Accessible? Yes.
Vegetarian? Yes.
Vegan? Not really.
Gluten Free? Yes.

RATING:

Photobucket

Photobucket









Quality of Food: n/a
Service: 0/5
Originality: 3.5/5
Atmosphere:3.5/5

I recently took on yet another job. This one is near the City Hall in Windsor, Ontario. As a result, you will likely be seeing quite a few reviews from downtown Windsor establishments. 

I had been to the Snooty Rooster in the past when I was craving an espresso. The guy working the counter was like, we don't do espresso there is Starbuck's right on the corner of Wyandotte and Ouellette. I found this response quite odd. He is directing me to the Starbuck's chain that I CLEARY knew was there, rather than recommending one of the locally owned coffee shops like MILK Coffee Bar, or the Coffee Exchange just down the road. Needless to say, I left that day and didn't go with his suggestion. But rather did my Coffee Exchange review that day.

I had about 30 mins to get to work, and thought I'd give the Snooty Rooster another shot seeing as I now knew they were a tea house and not a coffee shop. To be honest, it is a pretty cool place. They have a long chalkboard along the back wall which is their food menu that changes regularly. In the far corner, a play area for kids to keep occupied while their parents enjoy a tea or something to eat.

I made my way up to the counter and that same guy was working. I asked what sort of teas they have. He pointed in my direction to a table behind me, where the tea menu was located. I quickly placed my order for a Tanzanian Chai, paid, and made my way to the washroom. I returned to the counter and despite spending about 5 minutes in the washroom the tea was still not ready. The guy had only just then set the water to boil. I waited, and waited for that water to boil. I swear he must have put cold water into that kettle. The guy saw me anxiously staring and made the comment "I watched kettle never boils". I felt like responding, "No, a kettle that was just put on with cold water never boils". The kettle was finally boiling, and I had just 10 minutes to make my walk to work. The same worker was fumbling over something with a total disregard to the boiling kettle right beside him and despite knowing how anxious I was to take my tea to go. Long story short, I had to call the worker's attention to the kettle and asked if he would simply pour the hot water into my cup so I could take my tea and make it to work on time. 

The place is cool, has a neat concept, but their service really needs to improve or I wouldn't be surprised to see this place shut in no time. Windsor doesn't usually have a tolerance for poor service. To be honest, that second chance is all I am willing to give to this place. If you do decide to try it out, feel free to let me (and others) know what you thought by submitting your comment below.

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)