If you live in Thunder Bay—or have even just passed through long enough to ask, “Wait… why is the food scene kind of elite here?”—then you know we are spoiled with some seriously good restaurants.
And if you know anything about me, you know I will find absolutely any excuse to go out for dinner.
Bad day? Dinner.
Good day? Dinner.
Celebrating something? Dinner.
Need to reconnect with friends? You guessed it… dinner.
I love food. Deeply. Passionately. Borderline concerning levels of enthusiasm.
Food is fuel, sure, but it’s also so much more than that. It sparks inspiration to try something new in your own kitchen, gives you an excuse to celebrate, reconnect, unwind after a long week, or simply romanticize a random Tuesday. There is just something magical about gathering around a table with people you love.
Which is exactly why El Tres was one of my favourite places to do that.
For those who also mourned the loss of El Tres, last week brought a beautiful little plot twist: an El Tres dinner night hosted at Bight.
Cue immediate excitement!!!
For $75 a person, you got a three-course dinner, a cocktail list inspired by the roots of the restaurant, and—thankfully—the obvious star of the show: margaritas. Because if you go to an El Tres-inspired dinner and don’t order a margarita, I have questions.
Now, fair warning: if they host this again, you need to move fast. This dinner booked up quicker than concert tickets for a band you swear you’ve loved since before they were cool.
But honestly? Our 8:15 seating was perfect.
It made the whole night feel like an event. A little later, a little moodier, a little more “yes, I did get dressed up for tacos and tequila, thank you for noticing.”
And it was worth every second.
The food was unreal, the cocktails were excellent, the atmosphere was vibey in all the right ways, and the company? Absolute perfection.
It was one of those nights that reminds you why going out matters. Why making plans matters. Why putting on a cute outfit, leaving your house, and sitting around a table laughing until your cheeks hurt is sometimes the exact reset you need.
Did I leave with a stomach painfully full because my eyes were significantly bigger than my actual capacity? Yes.
Did I regret it? Absolutely not.
I left full of food, joy, and just enough mild discomfort to know I had a great time.
So here’s your sign: keep your eyes peeled for the next one, gather your gaggle of geese, find literally anything to celebrate, and go have yourself a great night out.
Because sometimes all you really need is good food, a strong margarita, and people you love.
And maybe stretchy pants for the ride home.
