Waterloo Region Connected

Casa Rugantino in Belmont Village is expanding. They have taken over the former toy store that is attached to it on the north side.

I also noticed that it appears that a car was driven in to the old TD Bank location. The front door and adjacent window were boarded up, and the rail of the ramp was crushed and bent. Probably a case of thinking one were in reverse.

Relative video...

(04-17-2016, 08:26 PM)kwliving Wrote: [ -> ]Casa Rugantino in Belmont Village is expanding. They have taken over the former toy store that is attached to it on the north side.

Wow!  This really is a surprise.  They have been busy/crowded for probably the last 30 or 40 years, but have resisted the urge to expand until now.  Could it be that a new generation is taking over Casa Rugantino?

I hesitate to post this having been too fast off the mark about (still not open) Descendants brew pub, but I think Smile Tiger Coffee is going to open on Monday. The hours are ambitious - open 0500hrs to 2200hrs Monday to Thursday; 0500hrs to 0000hrs Friday; 0800hrs to 0000hrs on Saturday; and 0900hrs to 2000hrs on Sunday. The building looks very good:

(04-23-2016, 05:49 PM)panamaniac Wrote: [ -> ]I hesitate to post this having been too fast off the mark about (still not open) Descendants brew pub, but I think Smile Tiger Coffee is going to open on Monday.  The hours are ambitious - open 0500hrs to 2200hrs Monday to Thursday; 0500hrs to 0000hrs Friday; 0800hrs to 0000hrs on Saturday; and 0900hrs to 2000hrs on Sunday.  The building looks very good:

They've got Request before city council on Monday for an agreement to encroach on city right of way for a patio, sign, and awning.
https://www.kitchener.ca/en/Calendar/Dow...7917660cbc

Will Smile Tiger have a small bakery or something similar, or purely coffee only?

(04-23-2016, 05:49 PM)panamaniac Wrote: [ -> ]I hesitate to post this having been too fast off the mark about (still not open) Descendants brew pub, but I think Smile Tiger Coffee is going to open on Monday.  The hours are ambitious - open 0500hrs to 2200hrs Monday to Thursday; 0500hrs to 0000hrs Friday; 0800hrs to 0000hrs on Saturday; and 0900hrs to 2000hrs on Sunday.  The building looks very good:

GO Train users will love the 05:00 opening hour if they are taking an early train.

I catch the 6 that flies by around 5:50am, and this morning I could clearly see the bright, blue neon sign on (helpful to catch zombie, habitual GO riders' eyes). I almost got up early to try visiting, but 4:30am is already early enough. Maybe tomorrow? Definitely will be heading over on the weekend, see if it feels like a spot for my morning caffeine. I find the Sunday times interesting: standing out front of Balzac's on Sunday morning just at 9:00am, there were about 6-8 of us waiting for their opening (Matter of Taste is my other Downtown spot, and they're 10:00am).

I was in to Smile Tiger this afternoon and it is a very nice space. Sort of "high-end industrial/hipster" stlye. They serve some nice looking pastries, but the food selection seems to be limited to a few salads and some "texas toast" offerings that I assume are geared to the early train crowd. The whole building is a nice example of a repurposed and renovated industrial building.

How's their coffee?

This is another Joel Gingrich (DVLB) place, so that's what you'll get from the caffeine side.

(04-25-2016, 07:07 PM)JoeKW Wrote: [ -> ]How's their coffee?

I had an espresso, which was fine.  I should have thought to order a drip coffee!

(04-25-2016, 05:43 PM)panamaniac Wrote: [ -> ]I was in to Smile Tiger this afternoon and it is a very nice space.  Sort of "high-end industrial/hipster" stlye.  They serve some nice looking pastries, but the food selection seems to be limited to a few salads and some "texas toast" offerings that I assume are geared to the early train crowd.  The whole building is a nice example of a repurposed and renovated industrial building.

Will I need a new "hipster" hat to go their? 

(04-27-2016, 10:41 PM)MacBerry Wrote: [ -> ]

(04-25-2016, 05:43 PM)panamaniac Wrote: [ -> ]I was in to Smile Tiger this afternoon and it is a very nice space.  Sort of "high-end industrial/hipster" stlye.  They serve some nice looking pastries, but the food selection seems to be limited to a few salads and some "texas toast" offerings that I assume are geared to the early train crowd.  The whole building is a nice example of a repurposed and renovated industrial building.

Will I need a new "hipster" hat to go their? 

It wouldn't hurt, or you could just grow you beard out until you look (ironically!) like a Victorian farmer!
Actually, is hipster still even a thing?  I use the term myself, but it seems to be getting a bit long in the tooth.

I feel like the hipster aesthetic has spread to the point of being mainstream. I no longer know what a true hipster would look like.

Lest anyone misunderstand my use of "hipster" wrt Smile Tiger coffee, I should perhaps just have said "stylish". The staff seem very nice, from my interactions so far.