{ the grand farewell }

In the most recent edition of Biz magazine I came across a really interesting business concept. The Grand Farewell is a Burlington-based company that creates short autobiographical videos of a person's life, made while their still living, to be shown at their funeral.

OK, let's get this over with - yes, it's macabre, morbid, and slightly depressing. But on the lighter side, it's a fantastic opportunity for someone to share their story and define their legacy...and provide a memory that will stand the test of time.

Click here to find out about the process.

Call for a free, no-obligation consultation:
1-905-315-5055
email ron@thegrandfarewell.com.

{ lunar eclipse }

Thought I'd share a few pictures of the beautiful lunar eclipse last week. Stunning! If you missed it, the next total lunar eclipse will be on December 21, 2010. Mark your calendars.

{ THE best sandwich west of the city }

As the title of this post states, I'm going to talk about the best sandwich west of the city. In fact, it was so good the first time that I went back the very next day to get the same sandwich again (and it was just as good!). Artisano Bakery Cafe is an unassuming little spot in between a spattering of outlet stores in the RioCan Center (that's the name of the new outdoor outlet center on Burloak). There's plenty of parking, but the challenge becomes how to navigate around the throngs of Artisano-groupies shuffling in and out of this hot-spot.

Now I can't comment on why everyone else flocks to Artisano, but I can tell you that the best sandwich I've ever had the pleasure of consuming came out of this cafe. Nestled between 2 slices of herb & cheese focaccia sits generous shavings of turkey breast, bacon and provolone cheese, seasoned with their very own garlic-parmiggiano sauce. Then pressed, panini-style, and served warm. It is one of the most delightful experiences...and a must try. The sandwich is called the Turkey, Bacon & Provolone Panini. If you order it by itself, it's served with a gourmet dill pickle slice and your choice of kettle chips or an apple. You can also choose to eat a 1/2 a sandwich (which, believe me, is more than enough) with either a soup or a salad.

So, what are you waiting for?
RioCan Centre Burloak
Artisano Bakery Cafe Ltd.
3505 Wyecroft Road, Building I, Unit 3
Oakville, Ontario
L6L 0B6
Phone: 905-825-5271
Fax: 905-825-2450

Oh, and also try out their other location:
Artisano Bakery Cafe Ltd.
1020 Islington Avenue, #14
Toronto, Ontario
M8Z 6A4

And their set to open another one soon:
Artisano Bakery Cafe Ltd.
353 Iroquois Road,
Oakville, Ontario

{ burlington . aka hollywood west }

Often lovingly referred to as Borington, Burlington should actually be renamed Hollywood West. After all, Ryan Gosling once attended Lester B Pearson and Jim Carrey played hookie at Aldershot High School.


Oh, and until writing this post I had no idea that the very annoying (sorry) host of Good Day L.A., Jillian Barberie, is also from our small town.


Born in Burlington, Ryan Taylor is Canada's top male model recently signed to fashion giant IMG.


Although not really considered a celebrity, Burlington's-own Frank Rondell-Chiarelli does impersonate the larger than life, late celebrity Ray Charles


And who could forget Finger Eleven (aka Rainbow Butt Monkeys)? The top 40 alternative metal band from Burlington.


And although not 'technically' a celebrity, Burlington's own Michael Lee-Chin is Canada's 11th richest Canadian also donated $30-million to Toronto's newly-launched Michael Lee-Chin Crystal at the ROM. Well, he's a celebrity in my books.

So next time you utter the word Borington, think about these incredible Burlington-connections and be proud.

{ pov . performing arts burlington }

There's a lot of talk right now about the Burlington Performing Arts Centre building project. In fact, the Burlington Post ran a multi-page spotlight in this Sunday's edition. I wanted to weigh in as a resident, a branding expert and an advocate of arts + culture.

Burlington, the brand

I spent the last 15 years developing and building brands for tier 1 consumer goods companies. Many people think of a brand as a logo or a name, but in fact a brand is a collection of perceptions in the mind of the consumer based on experiences. And the truly successful take control over what their brand stands for and build those experiences for their consumers.

I moved to Burlington from Toronto about 4 years ago. I came from a city that had a distinct personality - a thriving metropolis of cultures that came together and not only co-existed, but co-experienced. Yet, I enjoyed moving to Burlington...I was close to family, in a friendly city with friendly neighbours, and could leave my door unlocked if I so wished. The problem is, 4 years later I'm still not sure what Burlington stands for. It lacks a distinct personality, the heart of which to build experiences from. Without that heart, Burlington is simply a nice city to live in. Not necessarily a desired destination.

As a resident, I would love to see arts and culture thread its way into the fabric of our city. I dream of a day when I can enjoy an enriching night out in Burlington...a day when my friends from Toronto will drive the 25 minutes to lap up a Burlington show with Burlington talent...a day when creative boutiques and gourmet restauranteurs flock to our city to sell their wares...a day when Olympic champions, Hollywood celebrities, and elite theatre performers state that they made their start in our city...and a day in which Burlington solidifies itself as a desired suburban city based on the experiences and perceptions of its residents and visitors.

Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts & opinions. A community and corporate services meeting to discuss the proposed construction of the Performing Arts Centre will be taking place on Tuesday @ 7:00 p.m. at City Hall, 426 Brant Street.

For more info, see the Performing Arts Burlington website.

{ valentine's day: pepperwood bistro }

Hurry up because seatings are filling up for Pepperwood Bistro's Valentine's Day Dinner. Enjoy the sweet sounds of Michael McGuire - if you haven't had the pleasure of hearing his jazz vocals, you must. Choose from Pepperwood's prix fix or a la carte menus. Oh, and I heard a little something about chocolate covered strawberries.

The prix fix menu choices are as follows:

Appetizer
Braised chickent, chorizo sausage, ricotta and sweet bell peppers baked in puff pastry wiht white frisse endive salad and black currant vinaigrette.

Main
Black cod poached in vanilla pink peppercorn scented court bouillon with roasted sweet potato pont neufs and ancho pepper tomato relish

- or -

Hazelnut pesto crusted 1/2 rack of australian lamb with shallot butter whipped potatoes, crisp onion strings, pan jus and mint infused oil.

Dessert
Vanilla scented individual cheese cake with strawberry cream

- and -

Chocolate caramel lava cake with black cherry coulis

$85 per couple (taxes and grats not included)


For another taste of Pepperwoods...
Saturday, February 16 @ 7 p.m. at the RBG Centre
Valentine's dinner and dance. Begin your evening with champagne and strawberries. Enjoy a spectacular dinner catered by Pepperwood with live music. After dinner, let the DJ entice you to dance the night away. Tickets — Members: $100 per couple; Non-members $120 per couple. Reserve tickets by calling 905-527-1158, ext. 513.


Photo via flickr

{ valentine flowers . via holland park }

Looking for a beautiful bouquet for your Valentine, but abhor the thought of buying long stem red roses? Holland Park has some beautiful options to choose from.


top left - hopeless romantic ($74.95)
top right - passionate reds ($44.99)
bottom left - spring tulips in hot pink ($34.95)
bottom right - multi-coloured roses ($54.99)

Call 1-800-234-6515

{ cherry oranges }

Have you heard of these little gems? Cherry Oranges are also known as the "Emperor's Delicacy" - an extremely tiny and rare Mandarin found only in a remote region in the south of China, dating back 1300 years.

Now I must say that I try to stick to locally grown fruits & veggies, but these little gems intrigued me.

They're less than half the size of a regular Mandarin (as you can see in the bottom image) and their taste is more sweet but more subdued (not having the tart, acidic notes that a Mandarin has). Although they are supposed to be seedless, you will find a seed here and there. But overall, they're quite enjoyable. These would be fantastic for kids with little hands.

I picked mine up from Fortinos.

{ spencer's at the waterfront }

Spencer's at the Waterfront is located just west of the downtown core, on Lakeshore Road. With beautiful views of the lake and the Skyway Bridge through its tall wall of windows, it's a picturesque setting for a nice night out. And it's equally as nice to visit on the weekend for brunch.

Michael and I set out to Spencer's this evening for a relaxing wrap up to an otherwise tough work week.

I began with the Heirloom Beet and Monforte Goat Cheese starter - $9. It was OK. I found it a bit unexciting and wished there were more beets (I think if you put all the pieces together it would be a 1/2 a small beet). I followed with the Linguini, Olive Oil & Parmesan entree - $16. It had nice flavour - the pine nuts and the oven dried tomato were a pleasing combination and the wild rocket gave the perfect kick. I would have liked the pasta to be a bit more al dente. But overall it was nice.



Michael had the Dungeness Crab Fritters - $13. He said they totally lacked flavour and were a big disappointment. The 8oz Spenny Burger ($15) did not get a better review, even though it seemed to be a hot commodity at the restaurant...there were about 10 other people in the tables around us who had ordered this entree.



Overall, we found the food disappointing. The service was great - maybe a tad slow. The ambiance was very nice - it has a relaxed yet elegant feel. There was a musician playing who was absolutely fantastic - unfortunately I didn't catch his name.

Tips

- in the winter, try to stay as far from the front door as possible - there's a nasty draft
- if you're going for brunch, get there early or make a reservation...it's usually fully booked (oh, and be sure to bring change with you as parking is paid until 6:00 p.m. M-Sat)
- get a table by the window facing the lake - best view in Burlington

Contact Info


1340 Lakeshore Road
Burlington, Ontario, CANADA
L7S 1B1
Phone; 905 633 7494
Fax; 905 633 4816
info@spencersatthewaterfront.com
www.spencersatthewaterfront.com

Main Spencer's Landing photo via flickr

{ Valentine's Day }

1505 North is having a Valentine's Day event featuring Rudy & Esther and a fantastic prix fix menu. Click here for menu.
Call 905-319-1330

{ burlington arts center - annual art auction }

Don't miss the Burlington Art Center's annual art auction on February 15, 2008. This is the premiere fundraising event for the gallery which will feature original contemporary Canadian art, including an original piece from famed Canadian wildlife artist Robert Bateman. At the auction you'll find a wide variety of art: lithograph, watercolour, oil, multimedia, pottery, fiber art, sculpture, and jewellry.

Tickets

Pre-auction dinner and auction tickets are $100.00
Auction tickets are $35.00 at the door, or $30.00 if you're a member of the center

Schedule at a glance

The patrons reception starts at 6:00 p.m. on February 15th. Enjoy a fantastic dinner, meet the artists and get a sneak peek of the auction items!

The live auction will start at 8:00 p.m.

Free previews of the auction items will be scheduled as follows:
February 13 & 14, 12 - 9 PM
February 15, 12 - 5 PM

For more information

Website
T: 905 632 7796

Photo via flickr