As Ottawa receives its first snow of the season, our thoughts here at Apartment613 are turning from cold beer and patios to hot chocolate and fireplaces. A group of brave volunteers expect to give everyone’s favourite winter drink the full double blind taste test treatment some point soon at the Apartment613 Science laboratories. However, we first needed to know which of the hundreds of national capital coffee shops, cafes and chocolatiers were deserving of inclusion in our scientific experiment. That’s where Twitter comes in. We asked the Ottawa twittosphere where... | Continue reading article

The epic 2010 Karaoke tour was produced by Andrea Grant. Video production by Andrea and Tyler, with participation by Ashley, Holly, Whitney, Peter, Paul R., Paul K., Julie, Ramsey, Amanda, Georgia, Gloria, Joanna, Steve, Tyler B., Tyler C., Kari, Doug and Claus. In Japan and other Asian countries, karaoke is a way to bond with co-workers and get to know potential business partners. In Ottawa, karaoke culture remains in its infancy, and few are aware of the true virtues of a rowdy karaoke lounge or a sweaty KTV room. Shall... | Continue reading article

Post by Kaitlin Wainwright If you are of a certain age, chances are your summer weekends were, at least in part, spent at weddings and wedding receptions. In the last three summers, I’ve attended no fewer than ten weddings in Ottawa, including my own. But this isn’t entirely about weddings. It’s also about birthday celebrations, graduation parties, fundraisers, company retreats, family picnics, and any other excuse you can think of to round up the troops to have a good time in the last days of this summer or if you’re... | Continue reading article

Post and photos by Jeff B., aka the Lord of the Wings – until recently an Ottawa-based food blogger specializing in the favorite food of sports pub patrons world wide. Check out his blog for news, recipes and reviews from Ottawa and beyond. Apartment613 wishes LOTW the best of luck in his new city and job. I was very honoured when Apt613 asked me to sum up my top five places in Ottawa for Chicken Wings. It came right before a big opportunity, which I’m sad to say will have... | Continue reading article

Guest post by Andrea Grant – who certainly doesn’t let her gills and fins get in the way of cycling around the capital all summer long. It’s hot out – we know. You’re uncomfortable and sweaty – we can tell. You’re stuck in the city with only a bike and some bus tickets, and your only post-work saviour is a cold shower, a Slurpee, and the air-conditioned comfort of your grocery store. Right, Ottawa? No way. Here at Apartment613, we’re surprised by how many of you car-free folks are still... | Continue reading article

Sun, heat, and a long weekend add up to one thing: gelato (they also add up to patios, but math was never my strong point). Gelato is ice cream’s Italian cousin: sexier, more sophisticated, and – just to add insult to injury – less fattening. Since the May long weekend marks the perfect time to indulge in the ultimate summer treat, we’ve asked Ottawa’s Twitterati to let us know who they think makes the best gelato in town. The fact that I live one block from Truffle Treasures has apparently... | Continue reading article

Posts and photos by Jennifer and Don at FoodiePrints Almost a month ago, we were approached by Apartment613 to do a pho round up, having blogged numerous posts on the subject of Vietnamese noodle soup in Ottawa. Apartment613′s Ryan Saxby once referred to us as “pho obsessed.” After some thought, we agreed to participate. We decided to visit five pho noodle houses in Ottawa, all recommended by friends or colleagues. Practical, low cost, and satisfying, Ottawa is blessed with a large number of pho noodle houses. Pho is a popular... | Continue reading article

We poked, prodded, measured, and quantified the wares from eight Ottawa pizza joints – all in the name of delicious, delicious science. Every respectable urbanite needs a good, easy and cheap pizza in their take-out repertoire, and this episode of Apartment613 Science! strives to arm you with the information you need to make informed pizza decisions. To set the scene: a team of eager Apartment613 editors and volunteers show up armed with a bottle of wine and enough cash to order a pizza. We develop a shortlist of pizza places,... | Continue reading article

Ipsos Reid made the headlines last month when it reported that for the first time ever, Canadians are spending more time online than in front of the boob tube. Consequently, sitting in a coffee shop with a Macbook on display is no longer the preserve of wanna be writers or stressed out students, but has become an acceptable pastime for anyone with a taste for celebrity gossip or  sassy cats with bad diction. I expect that sooner or later, access to wireless within city limits will become as ubiquitous and... | Continue reading article

By long-time Ottawan, Samantha Everts, who ended up out west for love but quickly came back to the city she loves. A while back, my best friend decided to cut his teeth on the open mic scene of Ottawa. Having worked on his own stuff for a while he still wasn’t brave enough to go it alone, so I dutifully padded along. Disclaimer- this research has been conducted over the last few years. The first place we hit up was the now closed Elephant and Castle in Rideau Centre. It... | Continue reading article