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General Food, Dining and Nightlife News
#46
I was told today that Entertaining Elements/Nash's Bistro/Dinner with the Chef has closed. I know the retail side wasn't working, but I guess the food end of things (which was excellent) wasn't enough to keep things going. I'm sorry to see them go.
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#47
The Matter of Taste coffee kiosk at the Kitchener Central Library has closed following its "test run". My understanding is that the Library will now consider whether or not to install a permanent coffee spot.
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#48
The one time I was going to patronize the coffee kiosk, there was a sign saying "back in 15 minutes". =(
I was so hungry... I was sorely tempted to self-serve a croissant, and leave them some arbitrary amount of cash (as there were no prices listed).
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#49
(01-03-2015, 02:06 PM)panamaniac Wrote: I was told today that Entertaining Elements/Nash's Bistro/Dinner with the Chef has closed.  I know the retail side wasn't working, but I guess the food end of things (which was excellent) wasn't enough to keep things going.  I'm sorry to see them go.

I always felt that Kitchener Downtown wsn't quite ready for an upper end cooking utensils store. Once One Victoria and City Centre open things might be different.
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#50
That seems to be the prevailing view, although sometimes I wonder if Downtown has any future as a retail destination.  With even TBS closing (due to a rent increase, I'm told) it seems like a pretty difficult area for anything other than eateries and offices.  The number of empty store fronts seems, if anything, to be increasing, to the point that I sometimes wonder whether landlords/developers aren't being too ambitious in their rent expectations.

Edit:  Musings more suited to the retail thread, I suppose.
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#51
I felt that EE's space was too large for their product offering. I also feel like Bistro Nash would have been better off in a separate, smaller location.
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#52
(01-03-2015, 04:53 PM)BuildingScout Wrote:
(01-03-2015, 02:06 PM)panamaniac Wrote: I was told today that Entertaining Elements/Nash's Bistro/Dinner with the Chef has closed.  I know the retail side wasn't working, but I guess the food end of things (which was excellent) wasn't enough to keep things going.  I'm sorry to see them go.

I always felt that Kitchener Downtown wsn't quite ready for an upper end cooking utensils store. Once One Victoria and City Centre open things might be different.

This was the case with David's Gourmet too I believe.  

This like other retail definitely need the residential base to be supported and to thrive
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#53
(01-05-2015, 09:38 AM)Spokes Wrote:
(01-03-2015, 04:53 PM)BuildingScout Wrote: I always felt that Kitchener Downtown wsn't quite ready for an upper end cooking utensils store. Once One Victoria and City Centre open things might be different.

This was the case with David's Gourmet too I believe.  

This like other retail definitely need the residential base to be supported and to thrive

I agree but it depends on the store too.  I only made it to David's Gourmet twice when they were downtown.  If it was Vincenzo's it would still be thriving, maybe even expanding.  I'm from out of town but I still make it to Vincenzo's about once a month.  If it was in downtown Kitchener I'd probably visit weekly.  
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#54
(01-05-2015, 09:38 AM)Spokes Wrote: This like other retail definitely need the residential base to be supported and to thrive

Come to think of it, Kitchener is lacking even commercial (office space) density. In places where the density is there business has flourished like the Duke St. food block. New residential buildings help, but also need more Breithaupt blocks popping up along King both Downtown and in the ridiculously height constrained Uptown Waterloo.
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#55
I took my family to Casa Rugantino on the weekend and was incredibly impressed with the quality and value of the food. Great variety of choices, in particular, the veal medallions were excellent. Didn't get a chance to try pizza, which seemed like a popular choice for many of the patrons that night, but it certainly looked excellent. It is one very small restaurant, with seating for 28, which I can only guess should be around 14-16 if the fire marshall ever showed up. A great gem in Belmont village and we will most certainly return.
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#56
I've always enjoyed Casa Rugantino for their pasta. Never tried the pizza. They also do take away, which is super handy.
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#57
(01-05-2015, 09:03 PM)schooner77 Wrote: I took my family to Casa Rugantino on the weekend and was incredibly impressed with the quality and value of the food.  Great variety of choices, in particular, the veal medallions were excellent.  Didn't get a chance to try pizza, which seemed like a popular choice for many of the patrons that night, but it certainly looked excellent.  It is one very small restaurant, with seating for 28, which I can only guess should be around 14-16 if the fire marshall ever showed up.  A great gem in Belmont village and we will most certainly return.

There is now a spreadsheet tucked away in the corner of my desktop called 'restaurants to try'.  Casa Rugantino is entry #1.

Smile
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#58
For many years Casa Rugantino was the best restaurant in town. Then Bima's and Janet Lynn's opened, and then Bauer, Widlcraft, Verses, Peter King, Nick and Nat's, Watami, etc. happened, but Casa Rugantino is still a nice place to grab a bite.
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#59
It's now confirmed that the Coffee Time in the Frederick St Mall will be closing and that a Tim Hortons will be opening at Frederick and Edna, in the mall parking lot.

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5247...m-hortons/
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#60
Mambella's on King St S. appears to have closed. There is no sign in the window to indicate what is going on. Does anyone know if it has permanently closed?
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