CheapEats Ottawa restaurant guide blog

Available at Chapters & more

For the first time ever, Chapters has gotten their orders into us in time to have the book on shelves when it launched.

That's right, you can find CheapEats Ottawa at Chapters on Rideau right now (though at time of posting they've already sold half their stock.)

Later this week it'll be at the Chapters in Pinecrest Mall too.

You can also find your own copy on the shelves at:

• Perfect Books 258 Elgin Street
• Collected Works 1242 Wellington Street
• Books On Beechwood 35 Beechwood Avenue
• Singing Pebble Books  202a Main Street
• Chapters on Rideau
• Chapters in Pinecrest Mall (later this week)
• La Bottega 64 George Street
• Harry's Deli Place de Ville

 

Technorati Tags: bookstores, where to buy cheapeats, cheapeats ottawa, ottawa, shopping

The Launch Rocked.

Okay, okay!  I know I'm late telling everyone how well the party went, and it did go well. So well in fact, that I'm posting this late because I'm still recovering. (Yes our book launch parties are really more party than launch.)

Thank you all for coming out!  Through out the evening, we had around 90-100 people drop in.

Alex and Nebiat from East African put on an excellent spread, and if you left hungry it wasn't for lack of trying to feed you. They were still serving up plates well after the official end of the party.  This is the first ever CheapEats Launch where we haven't run out of food.

Want to know what that excellent food you were eating actually is?  Here's the menu:

• Key Watt - beef simmered in berbere sauce.
• Alich'a Watt - beef simmered in mild sauce.
• Kik Alich'a - yellow split peas in yellow sauce
• Yemisir Watt - lentils in mild sauce
• Ye'atakilt Watt - cabbage, carrots & potatoes in mild sauce
• Injeera - sour dough flat bread used to scoop up the watt. (watt essentially means stew)
• they also threw in another lentil dish, but didn't tell me what it was called, they just said "a brown lentil dish"

Steve from Beau's was on hand and pouring his fresh, tasty and all-naturally cooled LugTread all night.  Steve also passed along the good news that Beau's LugTread will be available in the LCBO in the next couple of weeks. 

You can check out a few photos of the event here, here and here. 

Book Launch Day!

This morning I'm up early, way too early, so I don't sleep through my interview with tic on CKCU - listen live around 8am.

Today is busy, we're talking to media and building some buzz... I spoke with Ron Eade from the Citizen last week, I'm doing another interview at the launch, and yesterday I visited with Gay Cook who writes the food column in the Citizen.

We're delivering books to Perfect Books, Collected Works, Books on Beechwood, Singing Pebble Books, La Bottega and Harry's Deli.

Not to mention, getting ready for tonight's party... er... I mean Book Launch.  I can't wait and hope to see you there!

I mean: beer, food, books... what more could you ask for?

CheapEats Ottawa Book Launch.
Wednesday February 13th, 7-9pm
East African Restaurant

If you haven't had a chance to RSVP, please let us know you are coming so we get you on the guest list.

 

Hosted by East African Restaurant  and Sponsored by Beau's All Natural Brewing Company

You Are Invited!

Finally, the books are here and we're having a party! 

Join us at East African Restaurant on Wed. Feb. 13th and help us celebrate the latest edition of CheapEats Ottawa.  Talk about restaurants, food and Ottawa while you sample some of East African's great appetizers and sip Beau's with our contributors, celebrities, friends and restaurateurs. 

It's going to be a blast, and you're invited. So come!

 

CheapEats Ottawa Has Arrived

  CheapEats Ottawa Has Arrived

Just as I was about to announce that you could pre-order CheapEats Ottawa, I got a phone call from the printer to let me know they'd be delivering the books TODAY!

So now I have 4000 copies of CheapEats Ottawa fresh from the presses.  Complete with 2 new sections - a Food Glossary & 100 CheapEats Check Marks.

So, now you can buy your own copy of CheapEats Ottawa and we'll pack it up and ship it off to you immediately. 

Shipping within Canada is on us until Feb 13th (when the book will be available at the book launch and in bookstores)

---

Links to the Photos above: 1. New Section - Food Glossary!, 2. Look What's Inside, 3. CheapEats Ottawa, 4. New Section - 100 CheapEats Check Marks

In Bookstores Feb 13th!

We have finally nailed down a release date for the new edition of CheapEats Ottawa - it will be available in bookstores on February 13th.   

Look for it in Perfect Books, Collected Works, Books on Beechwood and After Stonewall.

Note: Due to the sales cycle at Indigo/Chapters, chances are it won't be in Chapters & Indigo stores until some time early March, but it is already partially online (they haven't loaded the "extra info" yet). We'll let you know when they start placing orders for their stores.

Over the next couple of days we'll be:

• letting you know how you can pre-order your copy direct through us
• tell you more about the upcoming book launch (tentatively Feb 13th, so keep your schedule open)
• and if you won a copy, we'll be in touch to make sure we have your up to date address.

It's going to be a busy couple of weeks and just like you, we can't wait to see the final book all together. (You know I'll take photos and post them on the flickr group as soon as the books arrive from the printer!)

CEOT EcoStatement

  This year we decided to formally explore Ancient Forest Friendly printing options for the new edition of CheapEats Ottawa.  It's been a very interesting process and today I got the EcoStatement from the printers for the new edition. (Availability date coming soon too!!!)

Based on estimates made using the Environmental Defense Paper Calculator, we've saved:

• 19 Trees
• 26,843L of water
• 14million BTUs
• 775kg gases
• 413kg solid waste

COOL!

Space for Notes or Out of Town Restaurants?

You know we are finishing the new edition of CheapEats Ottawa.  It looks great and it's informative, funny and tempts you with tasty dishes.  As Fin said, "When I was proofreading this, my mouth started to water."

However, I have an interesting situation which has arisen.  In our constant attempts to keep costs down we are actually going to have a couple more pages than we strictly need, even with the couple of extras we are throwing in for you this time. (I know, it seems backwards, but trust me more pages=cheaper book.)

That means, we have to decide what to do with these extra pages. 

Should we:

• leave them blank for you to take notes, doodle or make paper airplanes?
• give you some blank restaurant forms, so you can include your new finds, restaurant ratings and suggested dishes?
• give you a sampling of Toronto CheapEats?

I figured there was no one better to ask than you.

What would you like?

Technorati Tags: cheapeats ottawa, what do you think?, ottawa, restaurant guide

This Food That Wine Book Launch

We've been talking a lot about wine on the CEOTblog.com, and I'm doing it again. Well... sort of.

CheapEats Ottawa celeb Stacey Metulynsky, of FoodTV's This Food That Wine & Groovy Grapes, just announced the launch of her first book - This Food That Wine written with her FoodTV co-host Angie MacRae.

You might also remember Stacey from the last CheapEats Ottawa book launch where she & Sean of Groovy Grapes were hosting a mini-wine tasting.

I'm a big fan of Stacey's personally and professionally, and I'm eager to get my hands on a copy of this book. 

Stacey told me recently that "Angie and I will be holding 2 book signings & tastings to officially "launch" our book - one in Toronto, one in Ottawa"

Ottawa's launch will be on Wednesday at the Sparks Street Smithbooks. If you are interested in attending, here are the details:

OTTAWA - Sparks St. Smithbooks
Date: Thursday, Dec. 6th
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Location: Smithbooks- 56 Sparks Street
Details: come for a nibble and a sip, and get some holiday shopping done at the same time
RSVP: info [at] McArthur-co [dot] com or 416-408- 4007

This Food That Wine is available now and you can order your copies online

Technorati Tags: this food that wine, book launch, stacey metulynsky, angie macrae, chris knight, ottawa, groovy grapes, wine tasting

pleasepickupyoursocks says "CEOT Pull Up Your Socks!"

I love bloggers, even when they call me to task. 

On Please Pick-Up Your Socks, J just called me out on not letting everyone know what's going on with the upcoming edition of CheapEats Ottawa. 

Or as J says it: "I feel like I’ve been waiting for this book to come out for years! When will it come out?  ... What gives! I want my Cheapeats." 

Well J, here at CEOT headquarters we feel much the same way. 

So let me be direct - we're in the weeds and I suck.

Longer, less direct, more PR-correct version of what's going on with CheapEats Ottawa - we've had major production issues that caused us to put the book on hold. Now that those issues are resolved, the entire CEOT team is double-checking everything.  Making sure that what does go to print is accurate, complete and reflects the current Ottawa restaurant scene.  And that means another complete wave of verification and fact-checking.

We don't have a release date yet, but it will be as soon as possible, and I will make sure that I do a better job of keeping everyone informed via this blog.

It's great to know people are eager for the next edition, and if you want to help us get this one into bookstores even faster, there are two ways you can help.  We need:

• your recommendations of good and interesting new places to consider (nothing makes the book unless it's been recommended by you first
• and your comments on restaurants in the last edition.
• you can leave a reco or comment below, or go over to the CheapEats Ottawa website

J - thanks for the reminder to pull up my socks and keep the communication flowing. 

Everyone - thanks for your patience, support and enthusiasm!

Technorati tags: cheapeats ottawa, cheapeats, ottawa, what's going on, apology to our readers, pleasepickupyoursocks, ceot