Earlier this week, the blogging team behind foodiePrints contacted the people behind the community website, Ottawa Tonite, to answer its call for volunteer bloggers. Having very little insight into local theater (usually turn to Evan Thornton's Wellington Oracle), visual art, film, or even comedy, we offered blogs on food in Canada's capital. The powers that be accepted and we saw our first discussion piece on the recent controversy surrounding Top 10 lists of Ottawa's restaurants appear last Thursday.

Here is a screen capture for posterity:

What's In a List

Recently launched, Ottawa Tonite answers the growing need in Ottawa for an online source of information on local art and entertainment. It was conceptualized at the bar of Chez Lucien, a locals' burger joint, one evening by Sue Murphy and Cheryl Gain. According to Murphy's recent blog entry, "How to build a community website", after they finished their dinner, they scoured the web for that evening's live performances, Murphy on an Iphone and Gain on her web-enabled cellphone. Finding no online source for information, they decided to make one. Gain's vision: "Create a community space where local artists can talk about what?s really going on behind the scenes of their craft and bring a glimpse of their lives to their audiences."

Shortly after Ottawa Tonite's launched, I pitched the idea of contributing material to Ottawa Tonite to foodiePrint's editor, my better half Jenn. When we got the go ahead from Ottawa Tonite's staff, we sifted through our collection of "to post" material for foodiePrints. We settled on something that would allow just about all of the fine dining restaurants in Ottawa to be listed. Jenn and I are very proud of how much Ottawa's restaurant industry has developed in recent years, offering a variety of choices to diners, and we hope it continues to grow.

That said, check back to Ottawa Tonite every so often, you may find a foodiePrint or two.

Cheers to Cheryl Gain, Sue Murphy, Rob Dupuis, Dave Samojlenko, Patrick Denny, and Mike Thompson for putting Ottawa Tonite together. Thank-you for letting us contribute!