New Bridgehead Opens In Snowbank

A new Bridgehead location opened in an Ottawa snowbank Saturday.

Ottawa - The recent heavy snowfall throughout the Ottawa region has left large snowbanks on many city streets, causing numerous traffic complications. The Bridgehead coffee company has embraced the abundant snow however, and has opened their 437th location in a tall snowbank just off Somerset. St. West near Preston St. The heavy snowfall has left many curb side areas with over 15 foot snowbanks, and Bridgehead is seizing the opportunity to carve out the snowbank and open one of their popular coffee houses inside the snowbank.

Bridgehead Vice President of Operations Dan Burgess says the opportunity has presented itself to open the new location and offer customers their delicious selection of coffees and foods in a compostable building structure. "We thought the large snowbanks that the City Of Ottawa snowplows piled up on regional streets provided a sustainable and ecologically friendly building opportunity for us to open a new location." said Burgess. "We know Ottawa stays damn cold all winter so it won't melt away until April, at which point we will move the location into a recently built condo development." Burgess explained.

The new snowbank Bridgehead opened Saturday to crowds of coffee thirsty customers who enjoyed the innovative use of the perpetual Ottawa city street snowbanks. The location even provides a stroller drive-thru window for those West-end customers with oversized baby strollers on skis.

Ottawa Sun Switches To Gender-Neutral SunShine Person

Ottawa - The daily pin-up girl in the Ottawa Sun got a make-over today as the newspaper launched its new gender-neutral "SunShine Person" feature to replace the typically scantily clad women. The new idea features a gender-neutral model that can be enjoyed by both male and female readers. Normally featuring a clothed or swim-suited female model, actress, athlete, or regular "girl next door", the new feature showcases some of the more androgynous persons in the Nation's Capital. 

The growing trend of providing gender-neutral options to consumers prompted Sun Media to make the switch to the new feature which is published in the Sports Section of the daily and online versions of the newspaper. Regular sponsor CHEZ-106 Radio has opted not to re-new their contract for the SunShine Person feature and will be replaced by Mountain Equipment Co-op as the new sponsor.

The 2012 O-Dot Christmas Wish Book

 Welcome to the 2012 Ottawa Christmas Wish Book...Enjoy this catalogue of Ottawa gift ideas. Feel free to download a
PDF Version to share...Merry Christmas!

O-dot Christmas Wish Book PDF

Unused Scotiabank Place Turned Into Giant Hickory Farms, Calendar Club

The empty hockey arena is now home to the seasonal
 businesses of Hickory Farms and Calendar Club.

Ottawa - The recent NHL lockout has left the Scotiabank Place arena vacant for months, but it will soon see new life once Hickory Farms and Calendar Club move in for the remainder of December. Both retail operations usually take over empty retail spaces in shopping malls, but with the over 20,000 square foot hockey arena being vacant, it was decided a larger venue would be a good opportunity to reach a larger range of customers. 

Known for their delicious assortment of spiced sausage meats and flavourful cheeses, Hickory Farms will begin unloading over 30,000 cases of Snack Baskets and cheese balls into the facility this weekend. Calendar Club will also join Hickory Farms by stocking over 3 million calendars that are popular with many Christmas shoppers. Large signs were put in place earlier Wednesday to denote the new retail space. Equally splitting the floor space of Scotiabank Place between the sausage/cheese and calendar markets, the two businesses are hoping to attract large crowds of shoppers in need of reasonably priced Christmas gifts over the next few weeks. 

Hickory Farms Vice President of Canadian Operations Judy Topleson thinks the empty Scotiabank Place is perfect for their meat and cheese selection. "We are excited to get in there and offer our customers the finest array of pre-packaged spiced sausage and nut-encrusted process cheeses." Topleson remarked. "The Scotiabank Place staff has been great in organizing special events for us that are normally used for hockey games, such as a cheese-ball gun that will launch tasty cheese-balls into the crowds." said Topleson, who is hoping to open this Monday.

Calendar Club is also excited at the prospect at selling their delightful calendars in the vacant hockey arena, and is offering a free "World's Cutest Kittens" 2013 calendar to the first 3,000 visitors.

Bridgehead To Install Stroller Flap Doors

Stroller & parent exit Bridgehead through the new flap door.

Ottawa - Bridgehead locations in the Westboro and Wellington West areas will have new stroller friendly flap doors installed over the coming weeks that allow stroller pushing parents to easily enter and exit the facility without clogging typical door entries.

The hinged door flaps operate in much the same manner as pet flap doors, with a stroller being pushed into the door flap that hinges open, allowing the stroller and pushing parents to enter the Bridgehead with ease. Previously, entry to the Bridgehead was plagued with multiple over-sized strollers being jammed into the doorway, with many non-stroller customers being run over, or forced to hold open the doors for the stroller and pusher. Congestion at the doors is now removed and stroller traffic will be able to enter and exit Bridgehead using the new flap doors.

A pet stroller exits through the new flap door in Hintonburg.

"I used to spend 15 minutes trying to manoeuvre my $1200 stroller into Bridgehead, and injuring at least 2 people in the process." exclaimed stroller pusher Tammy Gorling, who visits Bridgehead twice a day on her way to Lululemon in Westboro. "Now I can just push my stroller through the flap and be in there getting my infused latte without all the hassle." Golring remarked. 

Bridgehead says the new flap doors should be in full operation by the end of the week, and hopes strollers of both babies and pets will allow customers to avoid any past unpleasant door entry incidents. "These new flap doors will allow customers to get their lattes with greater ease, and allow non-stroller customers to avoid injury." explained Bridgehead Manager of Operation Janet Sprague. "The stroller flap doors also facilitate thesis writers that may need to dolly in their home office to set up their thesis writing in our store." Sprague explained. 

Canada Goose Wearing Hipsters Experienced Arctic Program Before You Even Heard Of It

Ottawa - A group of bearded, youthful aficionados of all things retro and un-mainstream banded together recently to discuss their combined adventures in the Canada Goose Arctic Program, before you even heard of the Arctic Program.  Meeting over micro-brewed organic beers at the Elmdale Tavern in the burgeoning arts district of Hintonburg, the group of 10 or so bespectacled, bearded leaders of the avant-garde reminded themselves, companions and others surrounding them that they were in the special Arctic Program before it was mainstream sometime in the early 2000's. 

Hume in the 2007 Arctic Program before you heard of it.

Cory & Nathan on ice floes in the  2006 Arctic Program

The Canada Goose jacket company launched the gruelling Arctic Program in 1989 which is commemorated with a special patch emblazoned on each of their cold weather jackets. Many current hipsters in urban centres wear the jackets, with most of the general public being unaware that the Canada Goose wearing hipsters all endured the special Arctic Program prior to wearing the jacket for personal use.

Being flown in by the hundreds, many hipsters travelled to the extreme northern latitudes to hang out drinking Pabst Blue ribbon beer, discussing obscure 1980's music albums while building glacial hangouts with ice picks and acetylene torches. Once in the Arctic Program, some decided to explore Iceland, and familiarize themselves with Sigur Ros, a now popular music group that wasn't so mainstream back in the first days of the Arctic Program. Teaching each other how to play banjos and harmonicas while eating deep-fried narwhal blubber tacos on free floating ice floes, many hipsters mapped vast expanses of the Arctic in the Arctic Program before returning to their current urban neighbourhoods. Most of the Arctic Program hipsters used their valuable Arctic Program experience to gain employment at local organic grocery stores, used record shops, vintage clothing stores or coffee shops, and relate their knowledge of Sigur Ros and other Arctic Program experiences to friends.

Josh, and girlfriend, Malaya, in the Arctic Program

"We all ventured into the Arctic Program before you even heard of it, experiencing the unbelievable thrills and cold weather that allow us to wear our Canada Goose Jackets with pride." said Kyle Rayson, 32, who completed his Arctic Program in 2006. "We wear these jackets because we did something before it became mainstream." Rayson remarked. "A lot of people are now wearing these jackets, but we did it before it became popular." he remarked. 

Cat Bus Drivers Hazardous: Watchdog

Wiggles, an OC Transpo cat driver under fire from city watchdog.

Ottawa - The recent hiring of cat bus drivers within OC Transpo has one city watchdog upset and warning they may pose a serious hazard on city streets. With most cat drivers taking over the more stressful bus routes within the city, watchdogs are warning that the cat drivers could suddenly turn erratic, causing sudden changes in direction of the bus, or even applying the brakes dangerously. 

City watchdog, Rufus, says the cat drivers can not be trusted and should be placed in a training program before being allowed to operate transit buses within the city. One cat driver, Wiggles, is upset the watchdog would make such a statement when no accidents or incidents involving cat drivers have ever been reported.

Rufus, city watchdog, thinks the cat drivers are a bad idea.

Passengers riding cat driven buses seem to enjoy the relaxed driving by the cats who are uncannily always on schedule and have not been in any accidents. Some passengers have reported some allergic reactions but no formal complaints have been lodged.

 City officials will continue to monitor the cat drivers and will take the watchdog's recommendation into consideration during the annual Transit Commission Review in early 2013.

New Bank Street Traffic Sign Clears Things Up

New easy to read traffic sign at Bank and Slater intersection.

Ottawa - The myriad of confusing traffic signs on Bank Street just got a little less complicated today when City of Ottawa Traffic Operations crews added a simple, easy to read sign at the intersection of Bank and Slater streets. Once a scene of confusion and uncertainty for motorists, the new sign installed today will help clear up the turning and rush hour rules that hindered motorists in the past. Using 4 easy to read arrow and bold font instructional headers, the new sign should make it easier for traffic encountering the intersection to navigate with ease through the already easy going Bank Street turning lanes.

"We hope to see a 16% increase in ease of traffic flow at the Bank and Slater intersection after this new sign is installed commented Traffic Operation Manager Dwight Yeardley. "The new sign really makes it easy for motorists traveling on the busy street to quickly and decisively make a traffic decision with regards to direction and turning." Yeardley remarked.

Somewhat of a confusing intersection in the past, the new sign adds 4 new restricted passage indications that sharp sighted, quick thinking motorists will easily comprehend. Through flowing traffic is allowed to pass between certain daylight hours on specific weekdays, while left turning cars that are blue are allowed to turn between 2am and 4pm. There are some allowances for hourly transportation regarding time frame and nature of the turn.

Traffic Operations hopes to alleviate the confusion experienced with this new sign, and hopes to install 104 similar signs throughout the downtown Ottawa core in 2013.

Paper Cut Forces School To Ban All Paper

Student shows off finger that suffered a papercut.

Paper products from school being burned after the paper ban.

Ottawa - A student at Westboro Alternative Montessori suffered a nasty paper cut during craft time yesterday, forcing the school to ban all forms of paper products. The student, who had just completed a toddler yoga class, began to cut out a Mobius strip from construction paper and suffered a lesion on his right index finger. The papercut was quickly treated with an Elmo Band-Aid by his teacher, but school officials decided in the interest of safety to ban all paper products from the school.

School Principal Lois-Wasell-Numon took the appropriate measures to ban paper from the school in hopes no other children would suffer the same fate. "This papercut is the result of hazardous handling of paper, and such a product should not be part of our curriculum. " Wasell-Numon stated. "No child will be allowed to bring paper onto school property for the safety of other students who may also suffer papercuts as a result of the paper danger." she remarked before lighting the pile of books, paper, and other pulp based items in a massive bonfire in the playground.

Parents of the injured child hope their son will make a full recovery from the papercut and are pleased Westboro Alternative Montessori made the decision to ban paper from the school. "Our child is constantly threatened by the dangers of life, so eliminating one of them sure makes us feel better." the unidentified mother stated upon hearing the news of the paper ban. 

Glebe Begins De-gentrification To Attract Hipster Crowd

Glebe undergoing de-gentrification process to attract more hipsters

 Glebe - The upscale and high-income neighbourhood of The Glebe began intense de-gentrification of its main street and nearby residential streets in an attempt to attract more hipsters and put itself back in Ottawa's trendy limelight. Once known as Ottawa's "trendy" neighbourhood during the 1980s and early 1990s, The Glebe hopes to regain that title by slowly de-gentrifying its assortment of upscale boutiques, fine food stores and wine bars. Taking their place will be grimy, greasy food stands serving artisan like cuisine in a grungy atmosphere favoured by the hipster set in Ottawa. There will also be a city-ordered removal of car parking that will be replaced with bicycle stands for old 1970s style junk bikes to be locked to. Vintage clothing shops, vinyl record stores, and an Urban Outfitters will all be installed as part of the de-gentrification process of the Glebe that begins December 1.

De-gentrification of The Glebe should be complete by 2013

Glebe BIA President Hugh Hutchins thinks the de-gentrification of the neighbourhood to try and attract a more hip, younger crowd back to the Glebe will prove successful and once again put The Glebe in the trendy limelight it once enjoyed. "We once attracted hundreds of young, hip people back in the 1980s but now they all seem to want to hang out in Hintonburg or Westboro." says Hutchins. "We are removing all forms of yuppiness here in the Glebe and hope we can bring back the grungy, up-and-coming feel that so many younger folks seem to gravitate to." Hutchins remarked.

Restaurants in the newly de-gentrified Glebe will only offer $20 and up grease filled food items and beer that you've never heard of that is either micro-brewed or has something infused into it. 

The Glebe is plans to be fully de-gentrified by January 1 with most stores and restaurants being transformed into pop-up places or vintage item outlets by Christmas.

Ottawa Neighbourhood Halloween Treats

 

ORLEANS - BAG OF POUTINE

Kids in this predominately French suburb of Ottawa will be enjoying treat bags filled with their favourite Quebecois treat this year. Steaming hot, and accompanied by a cold Pepsi, Orleans children will be having a c'est tres bon Halloween this year!

ROCKCLIFFE - FABERGE EGGS

Ringing the doorbell of a mansion in Rockcliffe to trick or treat
will guarantee a delightful and authentic Faberge egg. Gilded in real 24K gold, these 19th century treats will be sure to please even the most discriminating Ashbury student!

BARRHAVEN - HOMESENSE GIFT CARD

A traditional Barrhaven favourite at Halloween is the useful Homesense/Winners gift card treat for kids. With most residents visiting a Homesense at least 3 times a week, children will love climbing into the minivan and shopping for their own discounted home decor with their parents!

GLEBE - GLUTEN FREE GRANOLA BALLS

All the rage right now with kids in the Glebe, these deliciously dry granola treats have flax seed and cleansing wheat grass ingredients that will be sure to keep even the most backed up kids regular for weeks after Hallows Eve!

WELLINGTON WEST - BAG OF LATTE


A special treat for the kids in the Wellington West neighbourhood, this bag of latte is just like the ones their parents get at one of the 12 Bridgehead locations in the area. Some homes even add spooky foam designs to the Halloween treats for added excitement for trick or treaters!

HINTONBURG - DONUT BACON BURGER


Hintonburg hipsters kids will salivate and gain valuable calories after a hard night of trick or treating with this local treat favourite!  A delicious ground beef patty smothered in artisan cheeses and bacon is sandwiched between some artisan bacon infused donut halves! (Warning; parents should be wary of some hipster beard hairs in these treats)

WESTBORO - BAG OF AIR

Devoid of any allergens, sugar, gluten, calories or fun, these Halloween treat bags are filled with 100% fair trade oxygen. Kids and parents alike will be overjoyed and safe getting these Westboro Halloween treats!

Time Travelling Voyageur Mistaken For Hipster In Hintonburg

The time-traveling voyageur captured by an iPhone outside the Elmdale

Hintonburg - A time travelling voyageur from the year 1793 was discovered in Hintonburg Wednesday night after he was mistakenly thought to be a hipster hanging out in front of the Elmdale Tavern. A local hipster asked to borrow a smoke from the bearded, red floppy toque wearing man, and when he produced a clay pipe, the hipster grew suspicious of his character and later found out he was a voyageur who had somehow travelled through time in his canoe on the nearby Ottawa River.

Nearby hipsters in the Hintonburg neighbourhood also thought he was one of their group, and even discussed how they admired his red floppy toque and sash. When the hipsters began asking the man about his sash, he responded "I got this sash before your time." and went on to explain how he was lost and his canoe was docked at the nearby Chaudiere Falls. The voyageur then continued to speak to the mingling hipsters as if they too were voyageurs, asking what trade route they were on. Not knowing what he was referring to, the bearded, similarly dressed hipsters called 911 and reported the voyageur as "suspicious".

The time travelling voyageur then grew confused after realizing the group was not also a group of fellow voyageurs and retreated with his bundle of pelts into the Hintonburg shadows. "Yeah, he actually thought we were all voyageurs too." explained Hintonburg hipster Kayle Corbett, 28, who is a regular at the Elmdale Tavern. "I thought he was one of my pals so I asked to bum a smoke, but then he pulled out this clay pipe which I've never seen before, so I knew something was not right." remarked Corbett. "He then told me he was into clay pipes way before me, and put it back into his sash." 

Police arrived on the scene to investigate, but upon arrival, the time travelling voyageur most likely got back into his canoe on the Ottawa River and entered the time travel portal from where he came from and disappeared with no further sightings reported.

Office Receptionist Starts Fake Cobwebbing The Desk

Office receptionist Brenda Logan, 32, spooks up the Modutel office.

Ottawa - With Halloween fast approaching, local office receptionist Brenda Logan, 32, began the annual ritual of decorating the office with spooky cobwebs, pumpkins and assorted plastic spiders. Logan, an avid Halloween buff, thought it would be best to get out the fake cobwebs a week earlier than usual to get things "spooked up" in time for fellow co-workers to enjoy her annual display. 

Sporting a gruesome latex rubber mask that Logan usually wears everyday of the week leading up to Halloween, the office certainly seemed more spine tingling than normal. "I like to stretch lots of the cobwebs over my desk then place a lot of plastic spiders on the webs." explains Logan who has been the receptionist at Modutel Technologies for the last nine years. "This year I am also putting out a fake severed hand that actually looks pretty real and might give Carl in accounting a bit of a scare." says Logan who spent 6 hours preparing the Halloween display.

Her mask, a realistic latex head piece that depicts a man's face that has been doused in toxic acid, helps convey the spooky mood of the office, and brings to life the ghoulish nature of the Halloween spirit. "I usually wear the mask all day, and even eat my lunch through the mouth opening." remarked Logan. "Answering the phones can be somewhat difficult, but it's all worth it when the UPS guy comes in and jumps back in fright."

Co-workers at Modutel Technologies seem to enjoy the spooky display at Logan's desk, but sometimes worry she may get hot in the latex mask all day. "Brenda really makes it pretty scary around the office and even has a fake severed arm this year. We really hope she doesn't suffocate in that mask, she wears it all day." said Hal Norset who has enjoyed Logan's annual Halloween display for many years. "Between the pumpkins, cobwebs, and her mask, Modutel is pretty spooktacular this year." Norset remarked.

New Hangover Cereal Hits The Shelves

Ottawa - Kellogg's released their latest variety of cereal yesterday that will be sure to please those that favour cold pizza the morning after a hard night of partying. The new cereal called "Cold Pizza Smacks" hit grocery store shelves Monday morning, offering customers a chance to enjoy a cereal based on the craving for cold pizza during a morning hangover. The tiny, morsel sized little pizza slices pour effortlessly into a cereal bowl allowing hungover patrons to add milk and enjoy a delightful cold pizza cereal.

Kellogg's Vice President of Marketing Ken Goldblum calls the new cereal "a breakthrough in hangover cereal that combines the need for cold pizza with the convenience of a cereal box". "No longer will hungover people have to wish for cold pizza when they wake up, they can just pour themselves a delicious and nutritious bowl of Cold Pizza Smacks and enjoy the flavour and nourishment they deserve after a hard night of partying." Goldblum explained.


Comprised of miniature pizza slices that have been freeze dried, the Cold Pizza Smacks true pizza flavour is released when milk has been poured over them, releasing the cold pizza flavour, consumed by the hungover person eating it.  College and university tuck shops have already sold out of the cereal, with Kellogg's factories working overtime to keep up with demand. "We realize many people out there do not want to eat a bowl of Muselix or Corn Flakes when they wake up from a hard night of partying, so we are making every effort to produce Cold Pizza Smacks to meet the high demand." says Goldblum.

New "Park 'N Play" Slot Machine Parking Meters Hit Ottawa Streets

Ottawa - The ongoing debate over a casino in Ottawa took a back seat today as the city of Ottawa installed new “Park N’ Play” slot machine parking meters on the streets of Ottawa in a pilot project to see what kind of revenue and reactions the one armed bandit meters produce.

Motorists parking on city streets between Elgin-Bank street and Wellington-Catherine were faced with the unique challenge of testing their luck when paying for parking on city streets. Plugging in the usual coins for parking rates and a swift pull of the lever gave motorists a chance to win free parking if they had a triple seven appear. 

The new pilot project will test residents reaction to a proposed casino in the downtown core and see what kind of revenue can be gained as well as allow motorists the chance to enjoy the exhilaration of gambling fun with a chance to win free parking, discounted future parking or even hit the jackpot of winning free parking for a year. 

Some motorists parking at the new park n’ play slot parking meters welcomed the unique approach to city parking while others thought it was a detriment to the city. “I kinda like the idea I can get free parking if I pull the lever.” said Julie Kimmons, 24, who parked downtown this morning. “It’s kinda fun and exciting to watch the parking meter operate like a slot machine and have sound effects and everything.” remarked Kimmons. Other motorists, such as Frank Hardy, expressed disdain for the new slot meters, describing them as “a blight on our streets” and “a vision of things to come with the looming casino”. 

The new Park ‘N Play slot parking meters operate like regular parking meters but require the user to pull the lever on the side to activate the parking validation process, which will produce a normal parking chit, or if you’re lucky, produce free or discounted parking. Three cherries gives 30 minutes free parking, while a triple 7 produces a free parking for a year voucher.

The pilot project will run until December 31 when it will be decided if the effort was worthwhile and test public reaction to a possible casino in Ottawa.

Chrysler Robots Reach Tentative Deal With Auto Workers Union

Robot president CL-2345X addresses the media about the deal.

Windsor - Robots of the auto assembly industry reached a tentative deal with the Canadian Auto Union and voted in favour of not completely replacing all human workers at assembly plants across Canada. The CAW said the robots voted 90 per cent in favour of not completely replacing the inferior humans with their minimal work ethic and sub-standard productivity. 

CL-2345X announces a deal with Chrysler that does not replace humans.

The robots deal with Chrysler followed agreements reached with Ford and then General Motors in mid-September as part of a pattern bargaining process.
The deal includes not killing the slacking human auto workers by spot welding their beer guts to the chassis frames of vehicles undergoing assembly, and limiting the use of robot ridicule in the work place.

Robot president CL-2345X  said Sunday that now that the union has secured new deals with all of the Big Three automaker Robot forces, his focus will turn to a increasing robot dominance in the workplace. "Bleep, Blurp, bzzzzt" CL-2345X said in a statement.

CL-2345X said that a national auto strategy will not only ensure the industry’s future, but also avoid a “robot uprising” in working conditions. Among the union’s proposals are commitments to building a workforce of humans that will not be made obsolete by the extremely efficient and cost effective robots that can do the work of ten humans for mere pennies a day. "We know the robots can out-perfrom us in every aspect, but when Canadians buy their minivan, I think they want to know that the seats were put in by a human hand instead of the claw of a robot." said Union president Lyle Godfrey.

Bearded, Pleasant Fellow In Plaid Shirt And Adidas Sneakers To Open Trendy Restaurant

Ken Geddes, bearded owner of the trendy new 'Plank' restaurant

Ottawa  - The trendy, laid-back eccentric restaurant scene in Ottawa got a little more crowded this week when the easy-going bearded Ken Geddes, 36, opened his hip new one word restaurant "Plank" in the gentrifying slum of Mechanicsville. The untucked plaid shirt wearing Geddes hopes that his unique casual dining restaurant will meet the dining needs of today's hipster and foodie crowds by offering meals in an eccentric environment that features exposed brick walls, a giant chalkboard menu, Edison filament lights hanging in Mason jars, and menus presented in reclaimed asphalt shingles from a nearby crackhouse. 

Geddes hopes to join the 675 other trendy Ottawa restaurants that offer the laid-back dining experience by offering something different to his patrons, which he says are becoming more discriminating in their dining expectations. "Most people eating out these days are 20-35 year olds who work in the start-up or website development industry who want to be entertained by whimsical presentations during their dining experience," says Geddes, "They need to feel that the $30 macaroni and cheese dish is justified by having it served in a unique format, such as in an ashtray or upside down pylon."

"Plank" whimsically serves meals on manhole covers or in a toolbox.

"Plank" will offer customers a unique dining experience as soon as you enter the restaurant. "We wanted customers to feel they are immediately in a trendy place." explained Geddes. "As soon as you come in you are greeted by our host that tells you they are booked solid and you need a reservation." Customers are then told to wait up to an hour for their reserved seating. The recent trend in 'communal seating' is enhanced by having customers sit on each others laps at tables made out of reclaimed hospital gurneys. Local micro-brewed beer is also served with tap handles being made out of parts from a 1984 K-car.

Geddes new restaurant features cuisine from local sources and offers food that has been cleverly name-changed to seem more unique, such as chicken being called "stockbird" and a steak being called a "meateor". Other menu items are whimsically presented to diners on manhole covers or in a toolbox.  "We really wanted to step-up the casual dining experience," says Geddes, who is already booked into 2013. "At the end of your meal, when we bring you your receipt in a caulking gun, we want you to leave entertained, if not confused."

-story idea courtesy of Colin Cronin