Blog Articles
Groovy Tuesday’s
Thursday, February 27, 2014
What makes Groovy Tuesdays unique is the fact that its tight-knit space encourages guests to engage with each other, with the staff, and with Melanie. Most nights you won’t catch anyone else serving tables except Melanie, which is a rare find these days. She does not boast to her customers about being the owner, she just genuinely wants to ensure that their experience in her dining room is fun and enjoyable for all – including herself and her staff. Melanie is proud of the relationships she has been able to build with her guest’s over time, welcoming each one at the door with a hug and a kiss, and even occasionally sitting down at the table to catch up over a glass of wine.
Born and raised in Ireland, Melanie has a charming combination of perseverance, luck, and great taste. She moved to Barrie when she was 14 years young after her family decided it was time to make a change. Luckily for Melanie, you can have roots and wings, and even though her roots are planted deep into her fabulous restaurant, she still makes time to go back to Ireland at least once a year. She uses those trips now to gain inspiration for Groovy Tuesdays, and more specifically her ever changing menu.
Melanie views every day as a new opportunity to do something different, and something better than the last. She is a firm believer in constant change, which is why you often won’t see a dish repeated on her menu. Melanie’s creativity and daring nature come out when she is developing her new menus, as she is constantly looking for eclectic food pairings to make a dish undeniably ‘groovy’. Added inspiration for her menus come from her travels to San Francisco & Chicago; two cities she enjoys visiting as often as she can.
As a true community contributor, her focus is to try and shop locally as often as she can and admits to enjoying getting lost in a good farmers market. Melanie’s chef, Sarah, has been with her since the beginning and collaborates with her on the menu selection. Their differing approach to recipe development often comes together in delicious, creative dishes that keep patrons coming back time and time again.
