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Introduction
Multicultural Windsor-Essex enjoys a temperate climate, a
vibrant economy, and plenty for the culinary tourist.
As the southernmost point in all of Canada, Essex County and Pelee Island are at the same latitude as
northern California. People flock from around the world to view the stunning bird migrations at Point
Pelee, Canada’s only Carolinian National Park – and the perfect place for a
picnic. Lush farmlands and vineyards make this one of the most
griculturally productive counties in the country, and Essex County
farmers are proud of their heritage and their 200-year-plus ties
to the land. Windsor offers culturally diverse communities,
richly ethnic neighbourhoods, and an extensive
riverfront park system, with over 215 parks and 3,000
acres of naturalized and formal gardens.
Dining opportunities abound in Essex County,
where over 400 restaurants reflect virtually every major
culinary tradition, including a diversity of Italian, Chinese,
Greek, Japanese, and Halal options. An unusually
large number of eateries in Windsor includes the
enclave of fine restaurants on Erie Street – Little Italy
or the "Via Italia" – also home to some of the city’s
best shopping. Browse kitchenware, linen and
specialty grocery stores, savour regionally-inspired
Italian cuisine at one of many ristorantes or trattorias,
or just sit and relax while sipping an espresso at
an outdoor cafe.
Restaurant Sound Bites
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The Twisted Apron
The Twisted Apron offers upscale comfort food made from scratch, blending new techniques with some of Grandma’s traditional recipes, with a menu that changes seasonally. "We’re bringing back family traditions, with a twist," says Kate Robinson, owner-operator, who grew up in Windsor and loves the area, especially old Walkerville. Her mandate: 70% of the ingredients come from Essex County in season. Pastries and breads are made in-house as well as fresh ice cream, soups, salsas and homemade dressings.
1833 Wyandotte Street East, Windsor
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Taste Bud Bistro
"Customers love when I can come out and talk to them about their meal and about the farmers and artisans that contributed," says Janine Bratt, owner and chef of Taste Bud Bistro. The restaurant’s menu consists of 25% locally sourced ingredients. Bratt chooses local products because of their superior freshness and flavour, as well as to support the local economy.
401 Riverside Drive West, Windsor,
in the Art Gallery of Windsor
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Foia Restaurant & Lounge
Foia Restaurant and Lounge offers a local dining experience, with a commitment to serving high-quality foods that are naturally raised and chemical-free. A proponent of culinary tourism, Rosario Montaleone revels in the opportunity to work with local farmers, producers and companies like County Connect. Beef tenderloin is grass-fed and hormone-free beef from Wild Acre Farms.
1614 Lesperance Road, Tecumseh
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Jack’s Gastropub & Inn 31
Jack’s Gastropub is the evolution of a 20- year career in hospitality. Family owned and operated by Trevor and Kim Loop since 1989, the restaurant features signature burgers and pub-inspired house specialities, with an "only local" wine list. The owners take pride in sourcing local produce, fish and meats for the menus, which change to provide the best seasonal offerings from both Essex County and other regional producers.
31
Division St. S. Kingsville
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Caldwell’s Grant
Caldwell’s Grant, steak and seafood specialists, partners with farmers with a commitment to ethical practices, and supports sustainable fishing practices. Chef Laura Clarke-Giberson, largely self-taught and cooking in the area for over 15 years, has a "less is more" culinary philosophy. Simple seasonings and careful preparation let the flavours shine through.
269 Dalhousie Street, Amherstburg
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Rino’s Kitchen
Located within The House, Chef Rino Bortolin offers a full neighbourhood café menu as well as a lunch/brunch menu that changes daily. The focus is on high-quality local produce and supporting area growers.
131 Elliot Street West, Windsor
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Mephisto’s Grill & Lounge
Nestled in the quaint Victorian community of Kingsville, Mephisto’s offers internation-ally-inspired cuisine, with an additional menu featuring regional fare and a superior representation of local wines.
15 Main Street W, Kingsville
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Nero’s Caesars Windsor
Enjoy classic steakhouse fare with a modern and innovative approach to cooking. The focus here is on seasonal local ingredients, guaranteeing the freshest flavours throughout the year and highlighting all that Essex County has to offer.
377 Riverside Drive East, Windsor
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Tuscan Grill
Within the Ambassador Golf Club, Tuscan Grill features rustic Mediterranean-inspired fare with a focus on casual grilled cuisine. Chefs Daniele Palanca and Justin Harb change the menu daily to reflect what is available locally and in season. Produce is sourced from local greenhouses including Mucci Pac, Amco and Sunset Produce, with local produce and meats also supplied by Morton Wholesale and County Connect.
1025 Sprucewood Avenue, Windsor
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Seasons Bistro
Chef Charles Khoury’s passion for food is reflected is his craft and on his plates. The restaurant offers casual fine dining at accessible prices. The seasonal menu uses only the freshest ingredients daily, supplied by local farmers, wineries and other producers. Seasons also caters to special dietary restrictions.
5975 Malden Road, LaSalle
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Toscana
Giano Parco and business partner Jonathan Reaume both operate this highly-rated restaurant and wine bar, where they both cook as well. The partners’ innovative and approachable style is informed by traditional Italian cuisine with a contemporary twist. The kitchen is at its best with fresh seasonal ingredients sourced from local producers, butchers and merchants. The dinner menu features Farron’s Black Angus rib-eye steak, several veal dishes, and signature calf’s liver served with mashed root vegetables.
3891 Dougall Avenue, Windsor
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La Zingara Trattoria
Located in the heart of Windsor’s Little Italy, La Zingara (the Gypsy) is beautifully designed and spacious. Pina Maceroni and her sister Antonia own and operate this charming restaurant. The fresh fish, cooked in a brick oven, is accompanied by rapini and potatoes. Annual trips to Italy provide inspiration for the menu, with ingredients sourced locally, featuring soups, salads and an extensive list of regional pastas and traditional dishes. Pizzas from the wood-burning oven in the corner of the dining room are especially popular.
655 Erie Street, Windsor
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Meadows by the Lake
The historic Meadows has been serving local favourites since 1923, specializing in Lake Erie Yellow Perch and Pickerel, with everything made fresh to order. The kitchen sources local products and ingredients for its extensive menu, with over 100 items to choose from. Surrounded by great wineries, they only serve local wines.
9278 County Road 41, Harrow
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Farmer’s Markets
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Downtown Windsor
Farmers’ Market
"Farm fresh" is more than just a slogan. Local farmers are happy to help you discover the bounty of Essex County. Buy your fresh produce directly from the grower, and often within hours of being harvested. This bustling market features almost 40 vendors and more than 100 years of unparalleled selection and friendly advice.
44 University Avenue East, Windsor
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Amherstburg
Farmers’ Market
Taste the best the county has to offer! Amherst-burg Farmers’ Market is open Saturday mornings to 1:30 p.m. from May 21 to October 8. Meet the farmers who grow your food, at "the little white church" at the end of Howard Ave
7860 Country Road 20, Amherstburg
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Culinary Events
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WindsorEats Wine Trail Ride
Join WindsorEats on a leisurely guided cycle tour and experience the tastes, sights and
sounds of Essex County. You’ll be able to sip the local wine and learn about the
region’s award-winning wineries. Participants on our Wine Trail Ride visit two or three
wineries on each ride and are then treated to a local meal made with products from
Essex County.
Saturday, May 21 Saturday, August 20
Saturday, June 18 Saturday, September 17
Saturday, July 16 Saturday, October 15
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Sprucewood Shores Estate
Winery Sips Sounds and Bites
Every Sunday from June 5 to September 25, entertainers perform on the patio
nestled in the vineyard. Enjoy $3 tapas prepared by a local restaurant onsite
and get a chance to meet the chef. Cooking demonstrations start at 12:30 p.m.,
with live music until 4 p.m. Buy a glass of wine or sangria, and savour the Sips,
Sounds and Bites!
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The Art of Eating Food & Wine Festival
A celebration of wine, food and entertainment in this beautiful waterfront setting
nestled on Lake St Clair in the village of Tecumseh. Let your senses be tempted
by Essex County’s finest.
August 12–14, 2011
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Shores of Erie International Wine Festival
A celebration of wine, food and entertainment in this beautiful waterfront setting
nestled on Lake St Clair in the village of Tecumseh. Let your senses be tempted
by Essex County’s finest.
August 12–14, 2011
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Blueberry Social & Lost Arts Festival
Saturday, August 6, 2011
This celebration of lost arts and local fruit features demonstrations of 19th-
century craftsmanship, including: basket weaving, spinning, blacksmithing,
woodcarving and more. Celebrate the blueberry season with crafts, blueberry
pie and ice cream sundaes, live music, and games. Find your taste in the
raucous fun of a neighbourhood local near the waterfront, serving up fresh-
caught perch and ice-cold draught beer. John R. Park Homestead Conservation
Area. Pick your own berries at the Klassen’s Farm just east of the Homestead.
The Homestead is located on the shore of Lake Erie between the towns
of Kingsville and Colchester at 915 County Road 50 at Iler Road.
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Festival Epicure:
A Celebration Of Food, Wine and Music
2011 marks the 16th annual Festival Epicure, and every year the bar gets
raised higher. An eclectic, high-calibre approach to every facet of Festival
Epicure kicks off the Windsor-Detroit region’s summer festival season in style,
with culinary demos by some of the most prestigious chefs in the region.
Riverfront Festival Plaza, July 8–10, 2011
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The Harrow Fair
On September 1-4, 2011, this 157-year tradition continues. The Colchester
South and Harrow Agricultural Society has plans to celebrate the bounty of the
local agricultural scene at their fairgrounds at the foot of McAffe Street. This is a
rural tradition, and Essex County’s most comprehensive agricultural showcase.
Lake Erie North Shore
Wine Region
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The Wine Route
Smith & Wilson Estate Wines, in Chatham-Kent, is considered the start of the Lake Erie North Shore Wine Route, but there are over a dozen wineries in Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island. Supported by the Southwestern Ontario Vintner’s Association (SWOVA) and the Wine Council of Canada (WCO), the area is blossoming into a premier wine region in the province.
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Smith & Wilson Estate
Wines
The vineyards of Smith & Wilson Estate Wines grow on a gently sloping gravel ridge that falls to the north shore of Lake Erie.The family-run vineyard, stewarded and overseen by George and Mary Jane Smith, began producing top-notch grapes in the early 1980s, introducing its own brand of vintages in 2004. Private tours and tastings for groups of six or more are available by reservation. Tours are approximately 45 minutes in length and include a visit to the vineyard (weather permitting), a tour of the production facility, and a guided tasting of four Smith & Wilson wines.
8368 Water Street, RR 1, Blenheim
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Pelee Island Winery
At 550 acres, Pelee Island Winery’s vineyards comprise the largest private estate in Canada. Each and every grapevine is grown and cared for according to specifications outlined by the World Wildlife’s Fund’s strict Sustainable Vineyard Practice, which limits and controls pesticide spraying, in favour of 100% island-grown natural fertilizer, sorghum grass.
Pelee Island is a natural destination for Vinifera grape growing because of the number of sunny and frost-free days it enjoys, and its Toledo clay soil and limestone base. Under the supervision of Walter Schmoranz, considered to be one of Canada’s winemaking pioneers, the winery has garnered hundreds of awards worldwide, most notably for the 2002 Cabernet Franc Ice Wine – winner of the Citadelle de France Gold Medal. There are over fifteen varietals grown on the island.
455 Seacliff Drive (County Road 20), Kingsville
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Viewpointe Estate
John, Steve and Jean Fancsy own, operate and oversee every aspect of the business of their Viewpointe Estate Winery. Viewpointe was conceived through careful planning, embracing a vision from a truly regional perspective. Their mission is to showcase Essex County’s fine wine and culinary diversity. Chef Mary Ann Marshall directs the winery’s culinary arts centre where fresh, local flavours are as close as nearby gardens, farms and roadside stands along the lakefront. The Winery Shoppe provides tastings of their award-winning wines such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling,
Auxerrois and Chardonnay.
151 County Road 50 East, Harrow
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Aleksander Estate Winery
Owners Alex and Genny Bemben and family have been in the wine industry for over 20 years. At Aleksander Estate Winery, the focus is on making small-batch, high-quality wines that capture and reflect the characteristics of each vintage. The five-acre vineyard features classic grape varieties, including Riesling, Vidal, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Chambourcin, entirely hand-picked for maximum quality, and a series of specialty fruit wines, all 100% locally grown.
1542 County Road 34, Ruthven
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Sanson Estate
Sanson Estates, established in 2002, is the second stop on the local Wine Trail and a participant in the Wine Dine Recline programme. Owned by professional chef Dennis Sanson and his partner Maureen Jacks, the estate has three hectares devoted to grapes with Baco Noir and Vidal varietals.
9238 Walker Road, R.R #1, McGregor
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D’Angelo Estate Wineries
With nearly 25 years in the wine industry, owner Sal D’Angelo continues to produce quality wines within his two winery locations (one is in BC). D’Angelo Estate Wineries opened in Ontario in 1984, with the first vintage produced in 1989. In 1999, D’Angelo was awarded the Grape King Award for the finest vineyard in Ontario. There are now 42 acres of grape vines planted with only the finest French viniferas and hybrids. The Ontario wine list consists of Cabernet, Marechal Foch, Vidal, Chardonnay, select late harvest and ice wine.
5141 Concession 5 North, Amherstburg
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Colio Estate Wines
When Colio Estate Wines opened in 1980, they were recipients of the first winery license in the region since Prohibition. This rekindled a viticulture interest in what was once Ontario’s largest grape-growing area. Today the winery boasts over 2.4 million litres of cooperage, including a climate-controlled barrel-aging room and a technologically advanced bottling line that produces in excess of 300,000 cases per year. Tastings and tours begin and end at the Hospitality Centre, which features all of the vineyards’ wines, as well as gifts and souvenirs. The winery was awarded "Winery of the Year" at the 49th Annual Niagara Grape & Wine Festival. White wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling have been the foundation of the estate, and extensive plantings of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz ensure quality fruit for the production of varietally sound red wines.
1 Colio Drive (Just off Walker), Harrow
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Colchester Ridge Estate Winery
Located on Colchester Ridge near Harrow, Colchester Ridge Estate Winery (CREW) is owned and operated by Bernard Gorski and Nancy Gorski. To make the best wine each year, their philosophy is to "take your time and do it right." Their 42-acre estate, a short distance from Lake Erie, currently has 12 acres producing grapes. Their signature wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Gewurztraminer.
108 County Road 50 East, Harrow
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Erie Shore Vineyard
Erie Shore Vineyards, Canada’s most southern, is owned and operated by Harvey and Alma Holingshead and family. They specialize in 100% estate-grown VQA wines. The first vines were planted in 1997, and there are now over 15 acres of European varieties of grapes. In 2002, they opened their winery, with seven inaugural vintages
410 County Road 50 West, RR 3, Harrow
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Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards
Coopers Hawk is one of the area’s newest wineries, with nine acres out of 69 devoted to grapes. Tom and Mike O’Brien are the owner/operators. Their fields are planted with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Riesling, and Chardonnay, and plantings of Vidal will soon be producing ice wines.
1425 Iler Road, RR 1, Harrow
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Mastronardi Estate
Winery
Established in 2006 in the heart of Essex County, Mastronardi Estate Winery is owned by Eadie and Tony Mastronardi. Along with their winemaker, Lyse Leblanc, they produce high-quality VQA wines. Planted over 25 years ago, the 100-acre vineyard produces 18 varietals of Vinifera, and the estate has garnered awards for its Ice Wine, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, to name a few. Tastings, tours and seminars are available onsite.
1193 Road 3 East, Kingsville
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Muscedere Vineyards
The Muscadere family own and operate their winery on a 163-acre farm, with thirteen acres dedicated to the vineyard near Harrow. Five acres were planted in 2002 with Vidal, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc vines. An additional seven acres were planted in 2005 with Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc vines. The last acre was planted with Northern Italian varieties used in the production of Barolo wines: Nebbiolo and Barbera vines.
7457 County Road 18, Harrow
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Black Bear Farms of
Ontario Estate Wines
Black Bear Farms of Ontario Estate Winery is owned and operated by Jerome and Madeline Rondalez. The 83-acre farm produces strawberries, raspberries, black currants, blueberries and more, specializing in fruit and berry-based wines. Plums, peaches and pears are also used to infuse a variety of wines. Five months after opening in 2008, the winery won a Gold Medal at the 2009 All Canadian Wine Championship for their Special Reserve and a Bronze for their Purple Raspberry.
1137 County Road 20 West, Kingsville
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Wagner Orchards and
Estate Winery
In 1986, Wagner Orchards and Estate Winery began with the planting of apple trees for a pick-your-own operation. High-quality fruit and grape wines are now produced, as well as sparkling wine and cider. Red, white, blush and dessert wines are available on-site. Harold and Janice also raise beef cattle without hormones or antibiotics.
1222 Concession 8 West, Lakeshore
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Sprucewood Shores
Estate Winery
The Mitchell family warmly welcomes you to sample handcrafted 100% Ontario VQA wines at their lakefront destination winery. Experience the true beauty of lush vineyards and beautiful Lake Erie from our balconies or beachfront. While you are here, try out one of our delicious picnic baskets with a glass of wine as your explore our property! Services Offered: Tastings, tours, special events, weddings, corporate functions, picnics and retail store. Hours of Operation: Monday to Sunday, 11 AM to 5 PM.
7258 Cty Rd. 50 West Harrow, Ontario N0R 1G0
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Getaway Culinary Packages
Enjoy one of these culinary packages that will
inspire and recharge you, from romantic
getaways to an escape with friends.
There are currently no culinary packages available.
Please contact the Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island County Tourism
office for more information about their exciting culinary experiences!
For More Information Visit:
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