So, when he and his wife, Dr. Susan Daftary, decided to open a new dental practice, he knew exactly which neighbourhood they wanted to go to – Westboro Village.

"We just always just gravitated to the area, its walkability, it's close to the beach, just the lifestyle," says Dr. Al Khalili. "And we're trying to be a compliment to the neighborhood."

An Ottawa Dentist Office with a "Spa-like" Feel

W Dental Studio, brings a spa-like experience to going to the dentist. Spread over 4 levels, W Dental Studio combines innovative dental care with all the amenities you need to make your appointment as relaxing as possible.

The office features a "comfort menu" complementary to patients both before and during their appointments. Before their appointment, patients can take advantage of hot or cold beverages and lip balm to moisturize their lips before their appointment. There's also an iPad available for kids to use to keep themselves busy before they head to the dentist's chair.

During their appointment, W Dental Studio offers heated/massage dental chairs, neck pillows, weighted blankets and wireless noise-cancelling earphones so patients can enjoy Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify during procedures.

W-Dental Studio is also paperless and aims to be as environmentally friendly as possible in their operations, even down to the bamboo toothbrushes they give patients after their appointment.

The best part? None of these costs extra to patients.

"We've been received well by residents. Anybody who's come in has been wowed by how it has a calming, spa-like atmosphere. Why not have that along with your dental work?" says Dr. Al Khalili.

"There's no extra cost. The fees in Ontario are pretty much standardized, but we're offering all these amenities with your dental treatment. There's no upcharge because we gave you a bamboo toothbrush. There's not an upcharge because we have a massage chair for you while you get your dental work, it's just part of the whole experience."

Neighbourhood Offers an Active Urban Lifestyle

Dr. Al Khalili says Westboro is a unique neighbourhood in Ottawa because of its access to local amenities. Residents can walk down the street and experience different local shops, restaurants, and other businesses.

"There's a lot of these unique 'mom and pop' restaurants or unique yoga studios and spas," he says. "Every little business is somewhat unique. It's not your traditional box stores. There's no Home Depot or Michaels or stores like that."

Westboro Village provides a lifestyle that's hard to find elsewhere in the city.

"Where we live there's not much walkability, just your normal suburb, like Mississauga or something." says Dr. Al Khalili. "In this neighbourhood everybody's walking, there are little cafes and little ice cream shops, it's close to the river, so that's how Westboro Village presents itself."

Discover Local at Hintonburg Connection

W Dental Studio is one of Hintonburg Connection’s Discover local partners. Discover Local is an exclusive program to familiarize Hintonburg Connection residents, with the neighbourhood and the many local businesses and services. It's all about revealing what makes Hintonburg so vibrant, inspiring and livable. From cafes and restaurants to retailers, gyms and beyond, we invite you to discover local. There's a whole neighbourhood waiting to be discovered!

Hintonburg Connection offers bright, modern and new apartment rentals that offer an urban lifestyle in this historic and eclectic neighborhood. Our apartments and flats are designed to enrich your life, free up your time, and help you connect with the people and places that matter most to you.

Ready to move in?

The post Going to this Westboro Dentist is like Going to the Spa appeared first on Hintonburg Connection Blog.

The travel experience can provide us with space to think, create, and be inspired. If you’re a foodie, what better way to bring that feeling home than by starting your own restaurant based on your experiences? Imagination, tenacity, hard work and passion for food are key ingredients that inspired restauranteur, Rod Castro, to create two of Hintonburg’s hottest eateries, 10Fourteen and Pubblico 1331.

Rod has lived in the bustling community of Hintonburg for more than a decade and has strived to bring his travel-inspired cuisine to his fellow residents.

A hint of Montreal and New York in Hintonburg

Reminiscent of the neighbourhood haunts found in Montreal, 10Fourteen offers a selection of expertly crafted cocktails, carefully curated beer and wine, and a fantastic small-plate menu. Many guests return again and again just to experience the latest charcuterie offering. Says Rod, "This is a cozy little spot, and we love that everyone feels welcome to stop by, make new friends, hang out and spend some time together.” According to Rod, 10Fourteen has received invaluable support from the community at a time when many restaurants have struggled to stay open.

Inspired by the “If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere” attitude of New York, Pubblico offers all of the “must eat” menu items found across the big city. From Brooklyn to the Bronx, “we took all the best casual food from New York – pizzas, hot dogs, hamburgers, pasta and we brought it to Pubblico”. After visiting the Big Apple, Rod was inspired by the profound sense of community in their local businesses – the same sense of community he experiences in Hintonburg, and so Pubblico was born. It opened in 2019 as Hintonburg’s New York-style sports pub serving travel-inspired fare.

Buy local, serve local

Borrowing from the sense of community Rod witnessed in his travels, both 10Fourteen and Pubblico support local business by shopping local – buying fresh bread at local bakeries, fish from Wellington Fish Market and produce from local vendors. 

Rod says he'll help whenever he can. "We try to invest in our neighbourhood as much as possible”.

Love for Hintonburg

Rod has lived in Hintonburg for more than a decade and enjoys the people, views, and other amenities the neighbourhood offers. In fact, he lives right here in Hintonburg Connection! "Hintonburg Connection might have the best view of the city I have ever seen!" says Rod.

When he’s not serving guests at 10Fourteen or Pubblico, Rod can be found meeting the neighbours on Hintonburg Connection’s exclusive rooftop patio. “We're starting to see familiar faces and we're starting to recognize one another and have these interesting conversations." 

About Discover Local

Discover Local is an exclusive program to familiarize Hintonburg Connection residents, with the neighbourhood and the many local businesses and services. It's all about revealing what makes Hintonburg so vibrant, inspiring and livable. From cafes and restaurants to retailers, gyms and beyond, we invite you to discover local. There's a whole neighbourhood waiting to be discovered!

The post Enjoy a taste of New York and Montreal right here in Hintonburg at 10Fourteen and Pubblico appeared first on Hintonburg Connection Blog.

A variation of this post was first published on the Westboro Connection blog.

Bridgehead Coffee, a renowned fair-trade coffeehouse chain, is a well-known hub for the residents of Westboro and Hintonburg. The first company to offer consumers fairly-traded coffee in Canada, it has a special relationship with the Westboro and Hintonburg neighbourhoods. Back on June 17, 2000, the first Bridgehead Coffeehouse opened at 362 Richmond Road in Westboro. Currently, it has twenty outlets and includes a line of organic teas and food products.

Bridgehead is known for the quality of its coffees – and the warm and generous service of its team. The staff consciously make an extra effort to bring joy to every customer, and being limited to takeout hasn’t dampened their enthusiasm for creating special moments for everyone they serve. The Bridgehead team are inspired by the long-lasting memories that can be created over cups of coffee.

Bridgehead also deeply values its interactions with the farmers who grow the beans and pluck the tea leaves. They aid them by providing support and also learn how to inculcate environment-friendly practices into their daily work. There is a desire to extend the relationship to customers in the future. “We want our customers to know the farmers responsible for their coffees,” says Blair Amyotte, Director of Marketing and Brand at Bridgehead Coffee.

There have been challenges in creating these relationships during the pandemic, particularly with travel restrictions in place. “The values of community-building and collaboration have still continued to guide our way,” adds Blair. The community of farmers seemed to be hit hard financially. One particular farmer was unable to produce enough harvest to take to market. However, Bridgehead turned the challenge into a chance to support the farmers as well as celebrate its employees. They bought the few bags the farmer had produced, which they gave to their staff as thank you coffees with a note introducing the farmer and sharing his story.

Bridgehead is also committed to supporting the community close to home. Around the beginning of the spread of COVID-19 in Ottawa, when testing centers were just opening up, the Bridgehead team decided to surprise the nurses and staff at the Brewer Park Arena Walk-in COVID Assessment Centre with free coffees. The Bridgehead team was met with an overwhelming response – full of gratitude and joy. The emotional reaction inspired them to continue delivering coffees to these heroic frontline workers every day since then. They have expanded this initiative to deliver to other different local health care worker groups as well, such as The Ottawa Hospital, CHEO, EORLA and community health clinics like Centretown Community Health Clinic.

While Bridgehead is undoubtedly a perfect go-to for a hot beverage or a delicious bite to eat, it’s the kindness and generosity of the team that make it truly special – whether it is delighting customers, aiding farmers, rewarding employees, or celebrating the healthcare workers who are guarding our community.

About Discover Local

Discover Local is an exclusive program for our residents, created to better acquaint them with their neighbourhood and the many local businesses and services therein. It’s all about discovering what makes their local community so vibrant, inspiring, and livable. From cafes and restaurants to retailers, gyms and beyond, we invite you to discover local – there’s a whole neighbourhood waiting to be discovered!

The post With coffee and caring, Bridgehead Coffee is nourishing our community appeared first on Hintonburg Connection Blog.

A variation of this post was first published on the Westboro Connection blog.

Running a restaurant – even one as well-known and well-liked as Westboro’s Savoy Brasserie – can be challenging enough without the added wildcard of a global pandemic. Instead of folding under the uncertainty of everything, the restaurant decided to use the last year as an opportunity to refine and revitalize its take on comforting and palate-pleasing French cuisine.

As it turns out, this meant getting back to basics for the restaurant’s manager Chris Ibey, who explains that the Savoy had two main goals for its revamp: the food needed to focus on French cuisine, and the beer needed to be local. “We combine two things in the name Savoy Brasserie,” he explains, “‘Savoy,’ from the region in France, and ‘Brasserie,’ representing beer.”The Savoy went about updating its menu by drawing inspiration from its namesake, the southeastern region of France. “The Savoy is all about hearty meals,” says Ibey, who added classic dishes such as coq au vin, Provençal stuffed squid, and a fall-off-the-bone lamb shankalongside customer favourites like escargots à la bourguignonne and beef bourguignon which is “absolutely delicious,” adds Ibey, “and if you can’t finish it, it holds well.”

The Savoy’s revamped beer selection is equally tempting. Ibey explains how the restaurant went about switching its 34 taps from suds brewed in Toronto and Niagara to locally produced varieties from Ashton Brewing, Big Rig, Beyond the Pale, Overflow Brewing and Calabogie Brewing among others – with more new options on the way! Between the lengthy beer menu, French cuisine faves, and an atmosphere that’s welcoming and classically designed with subway tiling, high ceilings, cozy booths and a bar running nearly the length of the room, the only thing currently missing is the hubbub, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“A lot of what we want to do with the Savoy is to bring back the social aspect,” says Ibey. “I know it’s tough right now with the pandemic, but I’m looking long-term.” He goes on to explain his vision that the brasserie continues to be the spot for friends to gather, food to be savoured, and socializing to be part of the fun.

They certainly shouldn’t have much trouble attracting patrons, especially with the introduction of a cinq-á-sept menu for the après-work crowd, along with signature days including Buck-a- Shuck Tuesdays, Discover Wine Wednesdays, Mimosa Fridays, and Caesar Sundays. Ibey is also planning events such as a brewer’s dinner.

“A big focus is local beers,” he explains, “so we’ll be inviting a few people from each brewery to come in try each other’s beers. People from the public can come in and meet the brewers and can learn more about the process and discover beer.”

Even though life may feel a little slow right now, there will be plenty of reasons for Westboro locals to spend time to the Savoy once things get back to normal – although they may want to bring a healthy appetite for great food and beer with them.

About Discover Local

Discover Local is an exclusive program for our residents, created to better acquaint them with their neighbourhood and the many local businesses and services therein. It’s all about discovering what makes their local community so vibrant, inspiring and livable. From cafes and restaurants to retailers, gyms and beyond, we invite you to discover local. There’s a whole neighbourhood waiting to be discovered!

The post The Savoy Brasserie’s Classic Comfort & French Flair appeared first on Hintonburg Connection Blog.

A variation of this post was first published on the Westboro Connection blog. 

Whether we’re shopping for easy-to-find products like organic kale, natural deodorant or vegan cheese, there’s one thing we can be certain about these days: healthy living has fully entered the mainstream.

And sure, you might be able to locate these items with little effort at the big chains; but at the same time, you can never underestimate the value of the expertise that Westboro’s Natural Food Pantry offers its many appreciative customers.

According to owner Rick Payant, the health and wellness destination on Richmond Road differentiates itself precisely because of a personal approach and the added value of firsthand experience with products.

“Something we work hard at, and are very proud of, is knowledge and education,” explains Payant, a registered nutritionist himself. “More and more these days, there aren’t a lot of products that you couldn’t find at a mainstream store, but it’s the service, knowledge, and getting the connection with the customer – if you’re helping someone with a health issue, or how to prepare a certain dish; how to follow a vegan lifestyle, a keto lifestyle, we’re pretty up to date on all of that.”

Building a Sense of Community

Payant some time ago, began to notice that the interactions between his customers and his staff were growing into something more than your typical retail relationships: it was as if a community of likeminded people was forming.

“Customers will come in and share their experiences,” says Payant, “how certain things helped them and how others may not have. I even have staff that have been with me for a long time – customers will come in to chat with them. It’s wonderful that we’ve created relationships with these customers, that they feel comfortable sharing.”

Taking Education to the Next Level

In recent years, this sharing took on a more formalized approach – what Payant describes as “taking education to another level” by bringing in certified nutritional practitioner Natasha Villeneuve to head up educational initiatives. Prior to COVID-19, this involved hosting regular in-store seminars and workshops, often featuring guest specialists from Westboro including naturopaths and chiropractors.

Since the pandemic, Payant and his team have moved much of their education online with more webinars, informative videos and live social media events.” We’re anxious to go back to having events in-store,” says Payant, “but we can also reach more people outside of Ottawa now”.

“We Sell Cookies Too!”

All of this may seem ideal, the perfect retail experience for a customer already familiar with wellness products, but Payant has never wanted to alienate anyone who might feel intimidated by the Natural Food Pantry. In order to make everyone to feel welcome and comfortable, they’ve even relied on a little bit of humour to get the message across.

“We ran a program called ‘We Sell Cookies Too,’” says Payant. “We’re trying to say ‘don’t be afraid’ because we wanted to address the intimidation factor – we’re not judging anyone when they come in the door.

“One of the pluses of having health food go mainstream is that it’s gotten people more familiar with the health food industry and more comfortable with products. When they want to take it to the next level, or when they have questions, that’s when they come to us.”

The post A One-stop Shop for Wellness appeared first on Hintonburg Connection Blog.

A variation of this post was first published on the Westboro Connection blog.

From an outsider’s perspective, your average gym may seem a like an intimidating place with unfamiliar rules and machines, where everyone else seems like a seasoned regular. 

But at Hintonburg’s Crossfit Bytown, no matter who you are or what your skill level is, you can expect one thing when you step inside: support.

“Everyone at the gym is on the same level,” says Crossfit Bytown owner Everett Sloan. “You might find a surgeon next to a student – their outside personas are gone. We strive to have a gym where ego is not welcome. We want to have people with a positive mindset, with a growth mindset, who are there to help uplift the community.”

It’s this kind of community building that Sloan had in mind when he started Crossfit Bytown back in 2012. At the time, crossfit – a dynamic combination of coach-led high-intensity workouts and self-improvement – had a relatively small following in Ottawa. Soon, however, Sloan had to find a larger venue to accommodate the growing number of people interested in exercise outside of the traditional gym setting where patrons are left to figure things out for themselves.

Touring the interior of Crossfit Bytown on a typical day, you’ll find coaches on-hand instructing classes, providing encouragement and context, and ensuring skill development – much like you would see with a personal trainer. The Crossfit Bytown space is an open and inviting workout area full of various weights, suspension equipment, exercise machines, and more. The environment is functional and fun without the frills – but that’s exactly the point.

“We wanted to pay attention to the right things, not putting money into the fanciest spaces,” explains Sloan. “We never did anything gimmicky. Our number one priority has always been to make sure that members are healthy and happy. That’s not just a focus on physical health, but that’s mental health and helping people out.”

With winter closing in on Ottawa amidst an already challenging year, the importance of exercise – especially for those who live in smaller spaces – is all the more pressing. Because Crossfit Bytown emphasizes group activity, there’s an inherent motivation that comes from working out with the encouragement of others – the results of which, according to Sloan, are more than worth the effort.

“After the first few months, new members might not notice any physical changes,” explains Sloan, “but there is a difference in their positivity and self-confidence, how they carry themselves, how they smile – it’s not always just the weight and scale that matters.”

The post Fitness Skills & No Frills appeared first on Hintonburg Connection Blog.

Right next door to Hintonburg is Westboro’s popular Strawberry Blonde Bakery which is serving up mouth-watering vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free treats

Stepping inside Strawberry Blonde Bakery to experience the warm and inviting specialty bake shop comes with a guarantee – you won’t be able to resist the temptation of their freshly made donuts. 

This is something that the many fans of this popular Westboro destination for vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free baked goods and desserts know quite well. But for skeptics of this style of baking, their first experience isn’t usually their last.

“I think there’s definitely a stigma around vegan and gluten-free food, and people may come in here expecting things to not taste as good,” says Jacqui Okum, Strawberry Blonde founder. “But when they have a donut or a cinnamon bun, they’re surprised.”

It’s this kind of positive response that keeps Okum baking high-quality, delicious vegan, gluten-free and nut-free goods – even if it means winning over one culinary skeptic at a time.

Vegan Baking

Okum’s passion for delicious treats is something she decided to turn into a career after living in Toronto a decade ago after noticing a lack of vegan dessert options. “I decided to open my own vegan bakery. I wanted to do it right, so I enrolled in the baking program at George Brown College.”
 

Meet the Owner of Strawberry Blonde

Once she and her husband moved to Ottawa, Okum began selling her baked goods at a market stall. “There wasn’t much of a choice for vegan desserts in Ottawa at the time,” she explains, “and a lot of people were asking if I had anything gluten-free or nut-free.” The response from her customers was so positive that Okum’s business evolved, within a year, to wholesale supply before finally opening up shop in Westboro.
 

Oh so many delicious choices

Today, Strawberry Blonde Bakery offers a mouth-watering selection of baked goods – everything from Nanaimo bars and more than a dozen cupcake flavours to cookies, cinnamon buns, and even heat-at-home pizzas and Tourtières. And that’s just for starters.

Eye-popping selection aside, it all comes down to taste. If customer reviews are any indication, Strawberry Blonde Bakery isn’t lacking in that department either. According to Okum, she just wants to make products that taste and look as good as their traditional counterparts. Most would agree that she’s accomplished that and then some.

About Discover Local

Time and time again, residents are drawn to Hintonburg Connection because of the thriving Hintonburg community. In the spirit of helping to maintain this community, our Discover Local program introduces Hintonburg Connection tenants to local business like Strawberry Blonde Bakery. We’re proud of our commitment to supporting local business and excited to bring the very best that Hintonburg has to offer to our residents.

The post Treats with a twist appeared first on Hintonburg Connection Blog.