The Urbanite – Jon Liedtke – Jan. 15, 2014
After a year of serving delectable eats to those stopping into The Willistead, chef David Dimoglou is ready to shake things up.
“The plan was that after a year we’d start introducing some more international, global flavours,” said Dimoglou. “We’re going to start [with] some Thai, Indian and Moroccan dishes.”
“The reason for that was I didn’t want to be labeled a fusion restaurant right off the bat, I didn’t want to be labeled at all, so we deliberately did not describe the restaurant as anything,” he said.
Dimoglou explained that the goal of the restaurant was to start with dishes that were “definitely uncommon.”
Since opening its doors in 2013, the response to the restaurant has been “fantastic” and, according to Dimoglou, the “overwhelmingly positive” response is a strong motivator.
The new additions to the menu are geared towards lunches and Dimoglou explained that they’re being referred to simply as bowls. While they’re perfect for a single meal, sharing is suggested.
“We still encourage people to order a large number of dishes and to share, so everyone can try everything,” said Dimoglou. “The reasoning being we want people to take two bites of 10 things than 10 bites of two things.”
Overall, the menu at The Willistead is a personal expression of Dimoglou which includes a collection of his favourites. He employs a nose-to-tail philosophy when it comes to prepar- ing dishes, using the whole animal whenever possible and some of the less popular cuts.
“In the end, [the menu] just became very personal, I hadn’t planned it that way,” he said. “I wanted it to stand on its own, but in the end it turned into a very personal expression of me.”
In the coming year Dimoglou said patrons can look forward to a planned rooftop garden and an outdoor fire- place, which would be used as a wood burning rotisserie, oven and grill with the intention to cook outside near an outdoor bar.
JON LIEDTKE – Jan. 15, 2014
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Jonathon Liedtke is the managing editor of The Urbanite, Windsor’s alternative newspaper. He is also a member of Windsor’s “Punk with Horns” band The Nefidovs, and as such, is committed to enhancing and sustaining the arts community.
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