(Windsor, Ontario, Canada)
I was recently in Windsor, Ontario, for the Open Fours Provincial Lawn Bowling Championships. I’ve written about Windsor before (click here for details). But for today’s post, I’d like to talk about some unique dining experiences that we had on this trip.
Windsor’s oldest Ukrainian restaurant opened on a quiet residential street in 1929. It was called simply “Ukrainian Restaurant“. The first owner was Pearl Hawrylak. She ran it until 1967. In 1968, it was purchased by Anna Momcilovic…who continues to run it today!
Anna is now 88 years old, and is still the chef, server, manager, dishwasher, and sole employee. And it is still called “Ukrainian Restaurant”. To save time, you need to place your order through the window to the kitchen and grab your own drink from the fridge.
It is incredible to have 94 years of service under one name, in one off-the-beaten-path location, and under just two owners. It’s not fancy, but it is definitely authentic and a most welcome throwback to another time. We opted for combination plates of perogies, cabbage rolls and sauerkraut. And I had to have borscht as my soup selection. It came with cream, which Anna told me was the proper Ukrainian way to eat it.
“Ukrainian Restaurant” was unique. But my team and I had also a very enjoyable meal in an Ethiopian restaurant called “World Marathon Ethiopian Restaurant“. I’ve written about Ethiopian restaurants in the past: see here, here and here. Eating with one’s hands is something most people have gotten away from in “sit-down” restaurants, but I still find it a lot of fun. According to Ethiopian folklore, people who share meals in this way will never betray each other.
World Marathon offers alternatives for those who aren’t quite ready for the “hands-on” authentic experience, but I dove right in. Almost all of my teammates ate that way too. They watched me briefly demonstrate the proper technique (scooping assorted sauces and specialties with pieces of my injera “crepe”), and then followed suit.
Sadly, I was so enthusiastic that I forgot to take pictures before digging in. But I did remember to take some pictures when we stopped in Woodstock, Ontario, on the way home after the tournament. We went to Sushi Cove, where I ate Korean food in 2021 and had a good experience. I went for the bulgogi this time, while my wife went for the bibimbap (in foreground).
I also picked up a couple of special vinyl records in Woodstock, before making the long drive back to Kingston. I’ve lost track of the number of records in my collection, but I can remember where I picked up each one. For me, it’s another way to commemorate some of the special travel experiences I’ve had. Just like this blog.
And then there are the random places you stumble upon. Dorking (pictured above) wasn’t much more than a crossroads. It is in a very traditional part of the province. It’s so traditional that several horses (with buggies) were “parked” outside the general store.
Stay tuned for more on my local summer travels…and an upcoming trip requiring a couple of flights each way!