A few weeks ago, while my cousin Erica was home visiting, we did what has now become our new favorite tradition: The Tomlin Tasting Menu. 

Now, if you’ve never had the privilege of eating at The Tomlin in Thunder Bay, let me enlighten you. It’s got that chic hole-in-the-wall vibe — small, cozy, bursting with flavor, creativity, and service so good you almost want to hire your server to narrate your life. I’ve never had a meal there I didn’t enjoy, and frankly, if you ever wanted to try a tasting menu in Thunder Bay, this is the one. 

For the second year in a row, my mom, my aunties, honorary aunties, cousins, and friends piled together for this feast. But naturally, before stuffing our faces, we had to have a “quick cocktail hour” at Auntie Lori’s house. 

Now, let me tell you about Auntie Lori. She’s a riot. Growing up next door to her, I got a front-row seat to her warped wisdom, love of food, and her unmatched sense of humor. She is, in short, the laughter in the room. She’s also the foodie. So, of course, she had not only the best appy spread laid out, but also her famous rhubarb slush. It looks innocent… it is not. Proceed with both caution and excitement. 

Once the “men of the evening” were assigned as our unwilling taxis, off we went to The Tomlin to cause a little chaos. 

Here’s the deal with the tasting menu: you’ve got two options, $65 or $85. Both will blow your socks off, but that beef in the $85 option? Life-changing. You need a minimum of four people to book, but trust me, you’ll leave with enough food to feed your future self. 

Now, in the spirit of pretending I’m wise, here are my rules for the tasting menu (that I never follow): 

1. Eat slow. There’s a lot coming — trust me. 

2. Try everything. Even if you “don’t like mushrooms,” suddenly, you’ll like mushrooms. 

3. Take leftovers. Do not attempt to be a hero. 

This round, the courses did not disappoint. We started with apps: fried queen tomatoes, cauliflower, burrata, and broccolini (my forever fave). Then came pastas — gnocchi and mushroom ravioli. I repeat me, a self-proclaimed mushroom hater, was swooning. 

Then the main event: aged-to-perfection steak with dreamy potatoes, a medley of veg, and their infamous salad (never skip it). Because half our group has seafood allergies, we swapped the fish course for pork belly, and honestly — pork belly is never the wrong choice. Hot take: pork belly > boyfriends. 

And then… dessert. The second stomach activated. Chocolate torte, blueberry cheesecake, strawberry cake — washed down with cocktails and wines The Tomlin always nails. 

Now, here’s my philosophy when I go out to dinner: I want to laugh a lot, eat too much, and celebrate the people around me (even if they’re strangers for now). That night, two birthdays were happening across the room. Naturally, our whole table broke into song at full volume. Were we in tune? Absolutely not. Did it matter? Absolutely not. Because strangers deserve celebrating too, and group singing somehow makes everyone sound good… right? 

By the end of the night, we were hugging, laughing, stuffed to the brim, and full-hearted (yes, cheesy, but let me have this one). 

Because here’s the thing: every night out should become a memory. Otherwise… what’s the point? Are we celebrating enough? Laughing enough? Or are we glued to our phones missing the whole thing? Being present that night reminded me: you can’t make memories if you’re not paying attention to what’s right in front of you. 

So listen. If you can, book the Tomlin. If you can’t, find your own local spot that offers something similar, or heck — create your own tasting menu. Order too much, share everything, laugh too loudly, and celebrate whoever’s sitting across from you. 

Because trust me — you won’t regret a single bite.