Peterborough Outdoor Farmers' Markets Open Soon For Season

Peterborough has two Farmers' Markets that bring you locally grown, farm fresh produce, and they both open their booths outdoors in May.

The Peterborough Farmers' Market runs every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Morrow Park and you can stay connected with them on Facebook and Twitter.

The Peterborough Downtown Farmers' Market runs every Wednesday at the Louis St. Parking Lot from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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City In Need: Check Out This Kawartha Food Share Fact Sheet

Kawartha Food Share distributes food to 37 local agencies that run food banks, food cupboards and meal programs. Here's some stats from 2013 they provided to us—many alarming—about the number of people in need in the community:

• 48 schools access Kawartha Food Share to help with their breakfast clubs and meal programs. In the month of March 2013, more than 158,000 meals were served in Peterborough area schools. 17,000 children are fed daily.
• In 2013, Kawartha Food Share distributed over $10 million dollars worth of food.
• Currently, 7,728 people are using food banks every month in the City and County of Peterborough—a number which increases to 11,244 when reflecting multiple visits.
• Food bank use has increased by 35% over the past 5 years.
• 41% of local food bank users are under the age of 18.
• In the month of March alone, 300 people visited a food bank for the very first time.
• 24% of food bank users are a mix of post-secondary students, pensioners and the working poor, many of which are only able to find part-time work in this community.
• Kawartha Food Share’s volunteers work the equivalent number of hours as 10 full-time paid staff positions.

[Kawartha Food Share]

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Silver Bean Café Introducing PTBOCanada Coffee Blend From Kyoto This Summer

As a fun cross-promotion, we are delighted to announce that the Silver Bean Café will be serving a PTBOCanada Coffee this summer, a special Kyoto Coffee Blend.

As Silver Bean explains in a Facebook post announcing the promotion, "We decided to approach Tracy at Kyoto Coffee and ask her to make a special blend for us, one worthy to be called PTBOCanada Coffee. After some strenuous taste testing, I think we have settled on a blend. It is a Brazilian Peaberry and Peru Feminino coffee bean blend and we will be serving it up all summer long at the cafe. The Brazilian Peaberry is Rainforest Alliance and the Peruvian beans are Cafe Feminino."

So now you can drink us up all summer. Enjoy.

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and Like us on Facebook.

You Can Now Order The PtboCanada.com Pizza From Southside Pizzeria

Yep, we have a pizza named after us. "The PTBOCanada.com" (see pic below) is now available at Southside Pizzeria, located at 25 Lansdowne St W. Available in sizes small through extra large, this original recipe includes: sausage, red onion, feta cheese, blended cheese, BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, and Peameal bacon. We've sampled it, and it's delicious. (Note: each topping is optional!) To order it or any other pizza there, call 705.748.6120. (Optional but fun: Email us or tweet us @Ptbo_Canada and @SouthSidePizzer when you order "The PTBOCanada.com"—and tweeting or emailing us pictures of you eating it are even more fun!)  —By Aaron Elliott

"The PTBOCanada.com" at Southside

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Two Fifty Café Closes, Sushi Yonge Opens In Its Place

Update: October 23rd, 2014 - Sadly it looks like Sushi Yonge is now closed.

The Two Fifty Café (at 250 Sherbrooke Street) has closed, and Sushi Yonge has opened in its place. They are currently offering 20% off to celebrate their opening.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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Dr. Hunger To Become Hot Grill On Wheels

Dr. Hunger Hot Grill at 382 Water Street has closed its physical location, and will now become Dr. Hunger Hot Grill On Wheels. It can be found at special events and outside the Red Dog on Hunter Street starting in April on Friday and Saturday nights.

Stay connected with Dr. Hunger on Wheels through their Facebook page.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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DBIA Featured Post: Hobart's Steakhouse

In 2012, Ken Found and Frank Peters were looking to expand their steakhouse Hobart's. Thirteen years earlier, Ken as the principal owner and Frank as the Executive Chef and Operations Manager created Lindsay, Ontario’s premier steak restaurant located in the heart of downtown.

After searching for a location that offered visibility, accessibility, and the opportunity to expand, Ken and Frank found just that at 139 Hunter St W in downtown Peterborough. After some expansive renovations to the 150+ year old landmark, they were able to create the upscale, yet casual restaurant they were looking for.

Named after Frank’s father—who was a respected beef cattle producer and marketer with a PhD—Hobart’s Steakhouse has become a go-to steakhouse in downtown Peterborough. It's a place where you can feel the comfortable and inviting atmosphere as soon as you come through the doors! Still on the renovation list is a private 24 seat wine cellar dining room to be finished later on this year that will only add to the incredible experience.

Specializing in Certified Angus Beef (CAB) Brand steaks, Hobart’s is a step above the competition. In 2013, Frank was named by the CAB Brand as an ambassador signifying a superior level of expertise in the brand and beef quality standards in general. As one can imagine, the menu centers on the almighty steak, but it is not limited to the idea of focusing on just high quality red meat only options.

Also available on their broad menu is a variety of chicken, veal and seafood dishes, as well as an incredible array of soups/salads and an appetizer menu that is sure to please any palate. The atmosphere Hobart’s offers is one that is casually elegant. Diners will feel immediately comfortable in its warm setting and use it for any occasion whether it is a meal before heading to the theatre, a Petes or Lakers game, a meeting with business partners, or anything in between. They have always worked with the philosophy that “We dress up, but you don’t have to.”

The new downtown Peterborough location suits Hobart’s well, as they believe they are in the company of many other amazing quality independently owned restaurants and bars, each with its own unique set of
options. They believe that Hunter St. offers a great central location within walking distance of every great shopping and entertainment venue that you could want to visit. The building they were lucky enough to find
is extremely beautiful and represents the history and quality that the restaurant and its owners would like to be associated with.

The Lindsay location has been a proud supporter of many worthy causes in its community with the contribution of many gift certificates for charitable endeavors. The United Way, Women’s Resources awareness campaigns, and Ross Memorial Hospital have all had campaigns that Hobart’s have been a part of. With their new location now in Peterborough, they intend to follow the tradition of giving in this community as well.

Ken and Frank invite you to come down to Hobart’s no matter the occasion and experience their world class restaurant!

For more on Hobarts (139 Hunter St W), go to:
Website: Hobarts
Phone number: 705.775.4000

For more on Downtown Peterborough and the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), click here.

—By Aaron Elliott

DBIA Featured Post: YoYo's Yogurt Café

Small businesses are run by people who are passionate about what they do. Often times, these owners take a leap of faith and leave a stable career behind to take on something they’ve always wanted to do. For them, the rewards far outweigh the risks. Yo Yo's Yogurt Cafe owners Ted and Carol-Anne Detmers are a perfect example of this.

Located in the trendy Hunter Street Café district, the café can be found at 188 Hunter St W Unit 8, a short walk into the Chamber St. Municipal Parking Lot between Burrow and Kouture Hair Studio. The café is built into an aesthetically pleasing location, combining 100-year-old brick walls with the modernist, colourful features characteristic of frozen yogurt cafés. Ted and Carol-Anne put all of the work into the café themselves, and used as many recycled materials as they could to keep the process as green as possible.

YoYo’s Yogurt Café originated in London, Ont., and was the first Canadian self-serve frozen yogurt chain of its kind. As the name suggests, YoYo’s offers more than 80 different individual flavours of yogurt or sorbet that, when combined with some of the 50 toppings available, yield the promise of a healthy snack or a guilty pleasure treat. All yogurts and sorbets are fresh frozen based and flavoured in house. Toppings include fresh fruits, a variety of candies and chocolates, and even the famous popping bobas—the signature ingredient in bubble tea.

Customers have not one but two different ways to enjoy their frozen yogurt at YoYo’s: a “Yo-Blend” smoothie or a “Yo-Bowl” of yogurt. Each order is paid by weight, with the option of adding protein to your smoothie. A few popular flavours worth trying out include: green apple sorbet, cookie dough, birthday cake and the ever-popular chocolate and vanilla—and they are all non-fat!

As the season changes from winter to spring and summer, YoYo’s will open up its spacious patio to add to the bustling café district’s atmosphere. Even with the cold season at hand, Carol-Anne and Ted say that they have a dedicated group of amazing customers that is steadily growing and spreading the word about them! Very shortly, they will also be introducing a “YoYo to GoGo” option that will allow their customers to take home a tub of their favourite yogurt or sorbet flavour(s).

Carol-Anne and Ted grew up in Peterborough and have been dedicated members of the community for years. They have recently joined the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, and have been long time supporters of the city’s youth soccer scene. Ted was a coach in the rep and house league, and he and Carol-Anne were also conveners for a few house league divisions. They encourage all soccer players to visit the café for a post-game treat.

Open 7 days a week, Carol-Anne and Ted invite you to come in and taste the difference! Once you experience their fresh products, clean environment, and friendly atmosphere, you’ll never look at frozen yogurt the same way again! Once you’re hooked, their “Berry Loyal” loyalty program will give you another reason to keep coming back. The innovative, iPad-based software allows customers to track each visit they make at any YoYo’s location using their mobile phone or land line.

After signing up for the program by entering their phone number on the Berry Loyal iPad, customers receive a $1 off coupon that they can redeem. After their tenth visit is recorded, customers will then receive a coupon for $5 off their next purchase. The Berry Loyal program also enables YoYo’s franchisees to send out promotional offers via text message to all members who signed up at their store. The YoYo’s difference is the unique combination of an old-fashioned approach to the customer experience combined with modern technology and quality products. Come in and experience Yogurt Yo way today!

For more on YoYo's Yogurt Cafe (88 Hunter St W, Unit 8), go to:

Phone: 705.742.0707
Website: YoYosYogurtCafe.com
Facebook: YoYosYogurtCafe
Twitter: @YoYosPtbo

For more on Downtown Peterborough and the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), click here.

—By Aaron Elliott

DIBA Featured Post: Naked Chocolate

In life, there are people who are passionate about things but the timing isn’t right, and people who have a God given talent. When you can somehow align all of these and have a talented person working in an area they’re passionate about, you will find incredible results.

Warren Eley, owner of Naked Chocolate (located at 390 George St N), is one of the lucky people who found the perfect combination. After years of working as a corrections officer, he had finally had enough. Years before, Warren had discovered his love for chocolate making—but had but simply never acted on it. When he finally took the brave step to leave his comfort zone and take a chance, the shop was created in 2009 and he has been turning out some of the finest dessert options this city has ever seen since.

Over the last 5 to 6 years, Warren says that chocolate has really started to take off in our part of the world. Chocolate is now specialized by regions much like wine has always been. People are now “growing it” and cultivating it in such specialized ways that new flavours are constantly being created.

The named “Naked Chocolate” Warren says, came from his idea of combining a few of his favourite shows called Naked Science and The Naked Chef. What he does is a sweet science in created flavours much like a chef does but specifically in the chocolate world!

When you enter the shop, you immediately notice it isn’t your run of the mill candy store. Naked Chocolate offers what should simply be considered as “Edible Artwork”. Using no additives or enhancers, Warren—along with Angela Roest and Caitlin Stephenson—create everything onsite using only the purest of ingredients. They use “old school philosophy and techniques with new school thinking,” as Warren puts it.

What they offer is an absolute marvel when you see it: Gourmet Marshmallows, Pate de fruit, sponge toffee, various mousses, chocolates of course, and their specialty: Truffles. Much of the chocolate offered is specialized by the regions its ingredients come from. If someone was to come in and simply make a purchase based on looks and not even care about the incredible out of this world taste, it would not be surprising.

Warren has and still trains regularly at the Chocolate Academy in Montreal, continually learning new techniques to bring back to his shop. He has the goal of competing in what is called the “World Chocolate Masters” and is consistently pushing the barriers of what is possible with chocolate.

Naked Chocolate often caters events in town and is available to produce for various events and weddings, while also offering classes to those interested in different dessert areas. Over the years since its opening, the shop has also happily donated its creations to different events around the area.

Warren and the staff love being located in our downtown core as the creative spirit of entrepreneurs in their neighbourhood constantly push them to put out great products each day. They invite you to come down and have a look at these creations and see for yourself what their satisfied customers already know: Naked Chocolate is delicious!

For more on Naked Chocolate (390 George St. N), go to:
Phone: 704.775.6253
Website: NakedChocolate.ca
Twitter: @Naked_Chocolate
Facebook: Naked Chocolate

For more on Downtown Peterborough and the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA), click here.

—By Aaron Elliott

Local Gift Under $25 For The Chocolate Lover

Stumped as to what to buy this year? Here is a local gift for under $25 for the chocolate lover. Stop in at Jo Anne's (located at 1260 Lansdowne Street West and 904 Water St. North) and pick some Camino Chocolate. With numerous different organic flavours, made through fair-trade principles, be sure to take advantage of Jo Anne's current Mix-and-match deal of 3 for $8.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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