Cheap Eats Toronto restaurant guide blog

Tech Update & Apology

First of all,

Apology for those repetitive posts

I'd like to apologize for filling your RSS Readers with those "Quick  Notes".   My intent was to use LoudTwitter to share the CheapEats Toronto twitter updates with you.

But what was initially a quick and easy way to share short notes turned into an RSS-clogging annoyance.  

So I've turned it off, and hopefully that's the last you'll be seeing of that.

Tech Update - @CETO on twitter

However, we are doing occasional twitter updates which might be of interest to you.  If you are on twitter, you can follow @CETO, send comments to @CETO, or even tag your CheapEats tweets with #CETO.

If you aren't on twitter or if you want to track the whole CheapEats Toronto experience on twitter, check out http://twitter.zappos.com/ceot. The guys at Zappos.com/Zappos.ca set this up for us and it's great! (Thanks Zappos!)

Tech Update - New Plethora Press Store for CheapEats

On a less frustrating note, we've successfully launched our new sales site for CheapEats - the Plethora Press Bookstore (Plethora Press is our publisher, who is also us.)

Thanks to everyone who helped get test it out.  Your books are in the mail.

Did you miss out?  Sale extended to May 19th!

If you missed out on the sale, the discount checkout code cheapeater has been extended until Monday May 19th and works for CheapEats Toronto and the just-published CheapEats Ottawa.

Thanks for your patience!

Technorati Tags: CheapEats Ottawa, CheapEats Toronto, books, bookstores, Plethora Press, twitter, ceto, zappos.com, quick notes, apology

Vintages Value List for Saturday May 10, 2008

Greetings All!

This week’s release focus is – “the allure of Burgundy – Seductive Wines, and Surprisingly Affordable”.  Well, for those of you who are familiar with Burgundian wines – the last statement is an oxymoron.  Wines from Burgundy usually cost a bomb, however, the Vintages buyers have found some affordable gems and they are highlighted below along with other great finds:   

Sparkling Wine

48686 Domaine de Nerleux Cremant de Loire Brut (Loire Valley, France) $17.95   
A super fizz – features a green apple nose and a dry, crisp finish.  Start the evening with this one!   

Long Spring Rolls - Photo of the Week

IMG 0396
Originally uploaded by newyork808.

The CheapEats Photo of the Week is IMG 0396 taken by newyork808.Wow, those are some long spring rolls.
From the comments, it sounds like they were tasty too.

I guess this counts as a recommendation for Pho Phuong Hoang.

What else should we check out?

Here's what newyork808 said when they uploaded it to the CheapEats Flickr Group

Shrimp spring rolls from Pho Phuong Hoang - 1153 College Street, Toronto.

Add your own photo to the CheapEats Toronto Flickr Group and it could be our next Photo of the Week.

Technorati Tags: photo of the week, newyork808, summer roll, vietnamese, pho phuong Hoang

CheapEats On Sale 'til May 14th.

Buy a copy of CheapEats online at http://plethorapress.myshopify.com by May 14, using the discount code "cheapeater" & you'll get

25% off & FREE CDN shipping

That means CETO for $9.41 or a CEOT for $10.19, or both for under $20 including shipping.

Just go to http://plethorapress.myshopify.com 
On checkout enter the code: cheapeater

VVL Release Saturday May 10, 2008

Hello Everyone!

Well Vintages is at it again – showcasing pinot noir in this Saturday's release. This is hit & miss grape at the value-end of the spectrum. We tasted ~ 20 pinots from different regions around the world. Of course, we loved the $40 Burgundian – but not enough for it to merit mention on this list. Consequently there is nary a pinot to be seen on the list. If you are pinot fans – we recommend that you visit the nearest Vintages to get a recommendation from a Product Consultant.

SPARKLING WINES

616441 Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catharine Brut (VQA Ontario) $29.95

This is a fantastic sparkling wine rivalling those hailing from Champagne. Toast, apple and citrus highlight this very dry fizz. Grab a dozen oysters and a bottle and you are set!

Where's The WIFI?

Last week, I was surprised by the lack of WIFI at Lettieri's Yorkville location. After complaining about my confusion, I decided to email their Director of Operations, Halina Walkiewicz, and ask what the WIFI situation actually was.  

Halina immediately replied with clarification - not all Lettieri locations have WIFI, but the following list do:

• 79 Front St East
• 21 St Clair Avenue W., @ Yonge
• 571 Bloor St West @ Bathurst.
• 77 Wellesley Street East @ Church St.
• 25 Adelaide Street East @ Victoria (snazzy new location)

Oddly enough, these are the ones I frequent most, so no wonder I thought they were all equipped. 

Technorati Tags: wifi, toronto, lettieri, yorkville, cafes, coffee shops

Ontario Brewing Awards Winners

Yesterday afternoon, I had the opportunity to sit in on the 5th annual Ontario Brewing Awards and sample some of the Gold Medal winners. 

57 brands of Ontario brews were submitted for judging across 15 different categories.  The big winners were Mill Street Brewery walking away with 3 Golds, 3 Silvers and 1 People's Choice.  Close behind were Brick and Great Lakes Breweries with 2 Golds, 2 Silvers and 2 People's Choice each.  The People's Choice favourite was Nickel Brook with 3 People's Choice and 2 Silver Medals.

The awards, which caused some brew-ha-ha last year, were judged this year by a panel of beer experts and some regular beer drinking folks.  The Gold and Silver Medals were based on the expert tastings and the People's Choice were based on the whole panels input.  

As soon as the photo above hit Flickr, comments started coming in on the winners:

• Adam said "Hockley Stout? Gotta try that... the dark is already almost a stout."
• Raj said the Belgian Wit is "Good for the patio"
• Arieh added a note to Cameron's Auburn, "The Auburn is my favourite"

Which are you favourites? Any surprises on the list?

Keep reading for the full list of Gold, Silver and People's Choice Winners.  

Quick Notes

• Hitting the Ontario Brewing Awards this afternoon. Let's hope last year's judging brew-ha-ha was a one time deal.
• Ontario Brewing Awards consumer sampling today, May 6th from 5pm-6pm, Esplanade Bier Markt www.thebiermarkt.com/

Automatically posted from the CheapEats Toronto twitterfeed - www.twitter.com/ceto by LoudTwitter

Technorati Tags: ontario brewing awards, bier markt

Quick Notes

• Just got a CheapCoffee tip from an S*bucks Barista: Want a Mocha? Order a latte using a pre-paid card, get your mocha syrup free.
• Are you doing anything for Cinco de Mayo?

Automatically posted from the CheapEats Toronto twitterfeed - www.twitter.com/ceto by LoudTwitter

What the WIFI?

When did Lettieri stop offering WIFI?

I dropped by the Yorkville location last week for a quick coffee and email check only to find there was no access.  So I asked and woman behind the counter told me if I sat near the window I might be able to pick something up. 

I was sure that all Lettieri locations had WIFI.  It was one of the great things about them.  Did I miss something?

Technorati Tags: lettieri, wifi, yorkville, cafe, ceto