Restaurant Review

Restaurant: Big Tony's Original Woodfired Pizza

Location: 911 Walker Road

City: Windsor, ON

Hours: Mon - Thursday: 11:30 am – 10 pm
Fri - Sat: 11:30 am – 2 pm
Sunday: noon – 8 pm

Call: (1-519) 252-1100

Reviewed by: Aaron Binder and Emily Sheff

Photography by Emily Sheff

When you walk through the front entrance of Big Tony’s, you feel an immediate sense of ease in anticipation of the comforting meal you are about to indulge in. If you’re going to Big Tony’s, be prepared to eat lots and to eat well.

A great meal at this established restaurant located just minutes from the Windsor train station starts off with a garden salad that is nothing less than gourmet in its full offerings of fresh ingredients. The crisp, chilled lettuce is topped with double-sized capers, sprigs of garden fresh basil, ripe cherry tomatoes, feta that is fresh and firm, and then finishes off with slices of eggplant and artichoke so flavourful you would think Big Tony hand picked them himself.

Some restaurant goers might not consider ordering a risky dish such as escargot, but if you’re visiting Big Tony’s you might want to think twice. The dish is unconventionally served in a buttery cream sauce that’s flavoured with peppercorn and various fresh herbs. The order is served with plentiful sauce so one has just enough for dipping and divulging with the mound of Italian foccacia bread included with this dish. A heap of chives lovingly sprout out of the warm bowl, perfect for nibbling on after you’ve had your fill. Big Tony’s escargot is no doubt the perfect sharing dish before indulging in the next course.

The next must-have is the eggplant parmesan, which offers a perfect sampling of the infamous Leamington Tomato sauce. The eggplant is cooked to perfection, partnered with hearty Italian noodles and a combination of parmesan and bread crumb that are perfectly satisfying without overpowering the other contents of the dish.

Be sure not to leave this restaurant without sampling some of the 200 pizza toppings available. Personally design your own Wood-fired pizza, or choose from a strong list of pre-developed pies such as The Trump. The joy of The Trump pizza begins before the fork even touches the plate. The pizza pie’s aromas are just as strong as its savoury flavours, making consuming this pizza a full experience in itself. The thin whole wheat crust is a fantastic option and compliments any choice of toppings and sauce, of which there are many. To go along with the main course is a perfect selection of wines, including over 17 of the internationally renowned Pelee Island wines prepared no more than an hour from Windsor.

Aside from the stacked menu of flavourful and hearty dishes, Big Tony’s also offers a smoked meat menu, separate oyster and seafood bar and vegetarian options such as soya mozzarella. It’s no surprise that on weekends this traditional pizza joint serves over 400 people during dinner. On Thursday, Friday or Saturday evenings, a selection of jazz artists in from cities such as Detroit and Chicago can be heard throughout the night and throughout the week, sounds of suttle instrumental jazz music will accompany in the background.

Big Tony is as much a part of the restaurant’s ambiance as he is the kitchen. Between courses he can be seen chatting with patrons and employees in his natural, jolly, and laid back manner, when he isn’t concentrating on pulling pies from the wood-fired oven of course. As it turns out, enjoying a meal at Big Tony’s comes with a side of kindness, an extra plate of smiles from the servers and for dessert a perfect end to a weekend in Windsor.

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