You can always tell whether a person is interesting if they take you out to see something a little different. Something that shows originality.  Something that demonstrates that they don’t judge and are open to trying new things. No, I’m not talking about taking you to a sex shop and pointing out all the toys they haven’t tried — I mean making date night more than just dinner and a movie. So for all you want-to-be-heartthrobs, here’s our suggestion for a mid-January date:  bowling and Absinthe. Or, in our case,... | Continue reading article

It’s the last weekend of 01/10, and hopefully the weird weather patterns will disappear along with this month. The forecast for this weekend, though, is mostly sunny, so there are no excuses for staying holed up at home. Tonight is the first jam-packed evening – there’s poetry, film, more film, and music of the Latin variety. The rest of the weekend follows in a similar busy fashion. One highlight: Andrew King’s Manhattan Project exhibit will be opening at the Wall Space Gallery on Saturday night, works that came out of... | Continue reading article

Ever since the Food Network imported Iron Chef from Japan, cooking is becoming more and more like a competitive sport. Just like their non-edible counterparts, culinary sports come in a wide variety of flavours. At the WWF end of the spectrum is the hot dog eating contests, in which ‘reversals’ does not mean a string unexpected of goals. Perhaps more to the taste of the tennis and golf set are events like Juniper Restaurant’s Dueling Chef’s Food and Wine Pairing Event Like a heavyweight on steroids, Juniper is challenging every... | Continue reading article

It’s no secret that we are big fans of ZenKitchen here at Apartment 613. The little vegetarian restaurant on Somerset has become a welcome addition to Ottawa’s culinary scene. When we first wrote about ZenKitchen back in the summer we reported that the restaurant’s executive chef, Caroline Ishii, and co-owner/sommelier David Loan were followed by a camera crew as they tried to fulfill their dream of opening the place and making it a success. That adventure has now been documented in the new show from Mountain Road Productions titled, The... | Continue reading article

It’s no secret that we are big fans of ZenKitchen here at Apartment 613. The little vegetarian restaurant on Somerset has become a welcome addition to Ottawa’s culinary scene. When we first wrote about ZenKitchen back in the summer we reported that the restaurant’s executive chef, Caroline Ishii, and co-owner/sommelier David Loan were followed by a camera crew as they tried to fulfill their dream of opening the place and making it a success. That adventure has now been documented in the new show from Mountain Road Productions titled, The... | Continue reading article

Wakey Juice, Liquid Crack, the Black Ichor Of Life… Coffee by any other name would smell as sweet, especially first thing in the morning. More then just a beverage, coffee is ritual, wake up call, excuse for a break and more to millions of Canadians, not excluding Ottawans. Needless to say, the supreme importance bean juice plays in our daily lives means that the topic of the best brew is a highly personal, and hence contentious, issue. Luckily, Apartment613 never backs down from a challenge! However, for this particular Best... | Continue reading article

Like most people, we here at Apartment613 appreciate the opportunity to save money where we can. When it comes to grocery shopping, that means occasionally looking to purchase bulk goods, but not all bulk stores are created equal so we’re here to give you the rundown on some of Ottawa’s best bulk options (by the way, if anybody has an idea about why so many of these places set up shop on Bank St. we’d love to hear it). We also have a price comparison chart that lets you see... | Continue reading article

This weekend, Chinatown’s Zen Kitchen finally held its long-awaited opening. It is the first fine cuisine vegan restaurant in the city. (Read: the first vegetarian/vegan restaurant with servers!) Co-owner David Loan describes it as the first vegan place “where you can bring a date.” You won’t read much about that claim to fame in Zen Kitchen’s publicity material – and that’s a conscious choice, says co-owner and Executive Chef Caroline Ishii. “We are not trying to be pushing or preachy,” she says. “Think of it as another type of ethnic... | Continue reading article

Update 2: So it turns out that it may not be legal to transport alcohol across provincial boundaries, therefore apartment613 does not condone this activity and would caution you to please consult a legal expert before moving any beverages from the SAQ into Ottawa Update: The LCBO and the Union have delayed a strike until a deal is signed or talks break-down. Just as we’re cooling off from the transit strike that ruined our winter,  Ottawans are realizing that BBQ season may be without refreshments if LCBO workers strike tonight... | Continue reading article

Anyone got the down low on VIP: Shisha, tea and coffee? I’ve been a curious observer on my pedestrian adventures lately, walking by this intriguing new locale – cafe? restaurant? den? – on Preston, just south of Somerset. But I have yet to figure out what it’s all about. Granted, I could have just stopped in to see what’s been going on, but I haven’t yet. So obviously we at Apartment613 need tips! Do you have insider information? Have you taken the step of actually entering VIP? Pass along your... | Continue reading article