Comfort Food in the Downtown North Core
By Amy Jones
A fixture in Thunder Bay since 2003, Rooster’s Bistro is bright and cheery, with large windows facing St. Paul St. that open in the summer to give it a patio-like feel. And it is deceptively large, which means that even on busy weekend mornings you won’t have to wait long for a table. True to its name, the décor is all roosters, all over: roosters on the walls, on the menu, and sitting on every available surface. The effect is actually quite charming, almost like you’re eating a meal in someone’s kitchen—someone who just happens to really, really love roosters.
And this feeling extends to the food, from the eggs to the salads to the burgers—this is comfort food at its best. We’re tempted by some of the more intriguing items on the menu, like the Rooster’s Double Stacked Poutine Burger (a burger stacked with pulled roasted chicken and poutine) and the Ukrainian eggs benny (a toasted English muffin stacked with a potato pancake, mini kielbasa sausage, and poached eggs, topped with hollandaise). But in the end we stick with the classic two-egg breakfast and a ham and cheese omelette, with an order of poutine for dessert (after all, it is the dessert issue). Just like we’d make at home, only better—and not just because we don’t have to do the dishes.
Rooster’s Bistro is located at 32 St Paul St., and is open Monday to Friday, 7 am–4 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8 am–2 pm. Find them online at roostersbistro.com.
