occasion: My bf and I were interested in taking some…read morebartending classes so we thought we'd try this one out. We went on a Friday night, event started around 7pm and lasted ~2 hrs (but that was more so due to socializing) drinks: we made 3 drinks and ended the night with champagne. The drinks were classics with simple ingredients so you can recreate at home, but the real value was in the techniques. Jacob (our instructor) showed us how to properly muddle, strain, shake, the ingredients in the cocktails. They were very generous with servings, I think I made my drinks too strong at the beginning and started dialling it down but you could do 2 oz a drink all the way through. To end the night, Jacob showed us how open a champagne bottle with a samurai sword. He was actually very informative about the sword technique.. made it look pretty easy but not sure if ill be trying that at home lol atmosphere: Its in an office complex/apartment building on king west. The area is meant to be a sharable work space which is used for the events. The place felt very homey, high ceilings and wide open well lit area with couches, ping pong tables and a large wooden bar/kitchen area for making drinks. It was enough space to comfortable host a party of 20 (apparently they've done groups of up to 40) people: The instructor was awesome, felt more like a conversation than a class. He's been bartending for a long time, competed in competitions as well and was very detailed with his teaching. We wanted the experience to be more like a party and less like school and we definitely got that. price: we did a new years event and it was $75 per person (not sure if its different price for regular sessions), but we got 3 very sizeable strong drinks and a glass of champagne. Definitely think its worth it considering how much other places in the area charge for cocktails.

Just had a mini bachelorette on Saturday night and we had the best time! Everyone is so nice and as…read morethe evening goes on everyone gets even more friendly ;). Jacob and Val (I cant remember his name sorry!) were great hosts and made it such a fun environment and helped when you were looking a bit sloppy. The cocktail recipes were plays on some classics but simple enough that you could make it at home. The space is slightly hard to find... when you see the Neon Heart it's the small glass door on the left of it with the #71-73 on it. We pressed some random buttons, but I think someone will come down to get you. Warning there are 4 flight of stairs so stretch your legs before entering. I don't write reviews often but this place totally deserves the 5 stars... go for a birthday or party or even a date you are gonna have a great time (just don't drive!).

I thoroughly enjoyed the course. Even if you have a background in bartending previously, there are…read moremany details, the history of making alcohol that add to the knowledge of the beverage. My teacher, Jess, was great at teaching the course and took the time to answer questions and interact with all participants. It is a good course for covering all the basics and teaches you a few things that serve as a strong foundation to keep learning more.

My obsession with cocktails has reached a juniper-soaked fever pitch. Just the other day I scraped…read moretogether unused egg whites from breakfast to fashion an early afternoon bourbon flip. Totally unnecessary. So too are the infused simple syrups I make in my spare time. And I think I buy way more fresh limes and lemons than is typical of a person without scurvy. I think I have a problem, but I can't seem to SHAKE it. So I took some classes. Located in a rather non-descript location at Adelaide and Portland, the Toronto Institute of Bartending is the place to get edified in the ways of the drink. Their "classroom" is a fully-equiped bar where you pull up a stool and get your learn on. Their bartender certification program includes lessons in product knowledge, tastings (Sippin' Patron at 11am? Yep.), and of course many hours behind the bar, mixing, shaking and stirring. TIB was quick to emphasize that this class is about bartending -- not mixology. You don't only learn how to make drinks but how to serve and treat customers. This is definitely crucial stuff for anyone wanting to break into the industry. There was good practical advice about how awesome working in a nightclub is (spoiler alert: it's not), and helpful tips on how and where to find gainful employment as a barkeep. Our instructor was Chris, a long-time tender of bar at various Toronto haunts. He really knew his stuff and kept the lessons casual and breezy. He wasn't afraid to tell the two unfortunate lovers of Smirnoff Ice in our class to "GTFO" (something I truly appreciate) and he blasted music during our practical work. He's also quite man-pretty which I just thought I'd mention for the ladies (and curious men) out there. The course was spread over four eight-hour Saturdays; well worth the cost considering the knowledge and skills attained. On the last day there is a practical and written test, and if you pass you get certified. I'm not above mentioning that I was the top-scoring dude on the practical exam. I "won" the honour of doing a "muff dive" shot in front of the entire class. I'll be sure to post the video of this online never. Lots of fun. Check it out. Obligatory Title Pun: Satisfy your THIRST for knowledge. Menu Readability: Someone needs to redo their lesson manual posthaste. It's loaded with typos and low-res raster images. I think it was made in Word. PUKE. Need to mention: They are opening a bar in the same space called Spirit House Toronto. Stay tuned. What this place teaches me about myself: I rule the booze school. My mother will be so proud.

**They closed off the King St location and is now at 9 Clarence Square, Toronto, ON…read more I took the week-long accelerated Masterclass program three years ago. It was very informational and I did learn a lot. I got the basic bar-tending kit at the end of the class, and my certification card. However the program really doesn't prepare you for any real bartender jobs and can really only be viewed as a beginning intro series. I got a taste of what it'd be like working in high-traffic (through the final exam) but wasn't really trained thoroughly to survive in a real bar. The only thing I took away from BartenderOne was how to use a bartending kit, and how to make some classic drinks. It's true that they use powerpoints with misspellings. Wasn't worth the 500$. Also most places don't recognize or accept the certification so it's kinda just a gimmicky thing to have. Still cool though. I was interested enough to continue learning on my own; currently I work as a freelance bartender on the side of my full time job, mainly doing semi formals and parties. ***READ THIS: They said graduates of the program would be able to train in their events team, and work for them (first few events you only earn tips) and told us to add them on Facebook. My request to join wasn't accepted until a few months later with reinforced follow-up. No one posted on the events group and the owner and staff left me on read when I messaged for updates. So basically it was just an over-hyped scam. Don't take this course if you want to work. ***

Very cool event to try out for newbies & pro's, fun for team building, stags/staggettes, and dates…read more Would def do this again!

We could not have asked for a better venue for our wedding. Sarah, Paula and Gleb were with us from…read morethe very beginning in working with us to ensure everything we wanted for our wedding was possible. They were always incredibly responsive and open to any concerns or questions we had. They were also super detail-oriented and able to offer ideas and I sights to ensure our event was one-of-a kind. We had a a few dietary restirictions and accessibility needs for our guests and every single accomodation was met with compassion and support. Gleb was fantastic the day of and kept the day moving smoothly but also made sure we were having a fantastic time. All our guests raved about the beautiful space, the food, and the service. We would highly recommend this venue to anyone.

Came here as a wedding guest, it's conveniently located in the city; the spacious ballroom was…read moreperfect for a big wedding; the catering and service were decent quality. This place used to be a theatre so the theme of the wedding was movie premiere of their love story, and the venue was exclusive to them for the whole night, super cute!

Visited On: October 23, 2019 Meal: Dinner…read moreDining Style: Dine-in Would I Return: No Ordered: -Steak Dinner ($21.00) -Tea ($2.50) Thoughts: I would give Shopsy's a 3.5 star rating. To me, this is one of those places you check out once and that's good enough. I was satisfied with the service and food, but nothing stood out for me to want to return. Service We went for an early dinner at 6:00 PM on Wednesday and were seated within a few minutes. We had 3 different servers serve us throughout the evening, as opposed to 1 like in most other places. Everyone was helpful and friendly. Food I ordered the steak dinner (8oz AAA Alberta NY striploin, shoestring onions, fresh vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes). To my surprise, the plating was well done and very impressive. The steak had more fat pieces than I would have liked and the garlic mashed potatoes was a bit dry. However, the steak was cooked perfectly and the shoestring onions were crispy and delicious.

Well I've never been to a NY or Montreal deli, but I kind of like the music…read more... Shopsy's Deli has been around since 1921 when Harry and Jenny Shopsowitz opened a small ice cream parlor below their tiny apartment on Spadina Avenue, in the heart of Toronto's garment district. Their sons Sam and Izzy built the business, and Sam eventually became known as Canada's 'Corned Beef King.' I first heard about Shopsy's when my first real girlfriend (Miriam) told me stories of family visits to Toronto and eating at their neighbourhood deli. Soon after, my friend Norm and I headed off to Toronto to see the sights and eat at Shopsy's for ourselves. And I have returned periodically to this location over the years. This is a great place to satisfy a craving for a delicious deli sandwich (hold the white bread and mayo), along with some crunchy coleslaw and a nice green pickle on the side. And you get a bit of the attitude thrown in for free. My only real criticism is that this Shopsy's is not really in the "neighbourhood" anymore. I love the Jewish-style delis not just for the food, but for the community energy.

I've been waiting a while to write this review because I wanted to be as objective as possible…read more We had our wedding reception in july 2014 at boadens. We had the tudor room which is the smallest of the 3 rooms. With such a small wedding guest list we opted with the smallest room (minimum guarantee 120 people). Boaden's is an ideal reception hall if you're looking for a hall that has everything included. I'm talking everything! Fancy table covers, napkins, flowers, full sit down dinner, a dj, OPEN BAR (our guests loved that) and the wedding cake!!! There is also a lovely bride room to freshen up that is lockable so you can lock away presents. The office associate Linda was fantastic, she was patient, very helpful and has evening office hours for those who work during the day. We were able to walk around the hall multiple times, we got to sample the dinner we chose, including dessert! The prices are VERY reasonable, especially if you book off season. They have monthly specials, and cheaper prices if you book a fri or sun. There are extra fees if you want to use the projector or have a candy table for example, and you have to pay for a guaranteed amount of people regardless if they all show up. Overall we had a fantastic celebration at boaden's and I highly reccomend them to any engaged couples I know. There were a few blips along the way but that happens to the best of us. My only real disappointment is that they spelt my name wrong on the welcome sign on the red carpet. I give this place 4.5/5 stars.

"Middle-of-the-road, solid" is the best way I can describe Boaden's, a site I visited two weeks…read moreback for a graduation dinner. "But Alex," you say. "You're not 18 anymore!" No, but this was a graduation dinner and scholarship awards ceremony held by the Franklyn Parker Foundation, a group that honors students in Peel that have shown exemplary commitment to their studies and gone above and beyond with community involvement. I was invited as a guest to cover the event and took in the opportunity to review the hall (which has apparently moved down to the corner of Cawthra/Queensway), which i've passed plenty of times but never visited. The first thing I came to realize is that "smaller than expected" is a good way to describe the site. Aside from the parking issues (it's on the side of a complex that's a bit unwieldy to get into - I didn't hear the end of it from some of the parents who attended with their kids), it's also just one single banquet hall from what I can tell. I get the sense that this place is more of a budget option for those who can't afford Le Treport to the east, Oasis Convention Centre to the south or Livadia/Candles to the north. There's no doubt that the staff at Boaden's know how to handle the essentials, though. Here's a tip: you can always gauge the quality of a banquet hall by how they handle their washrooms, and this was A-one. Nice white towels, modern design, clean... a great first impression. Dinner itself was very enjoyable. I found myself starving (I had just done an hour-long walk earlier in the day) and loaded up on a buffet-esque spread of bread, chicken, salad, lasagna and potatoes. There was nothing fancy or exceptional about the meal (I'm unsure if they offer different menus here), but I do remember that they served cinnamon raisin buns, which were delicious and had me going back for seconds, thirds and fourths! Dessert also consisted of a plate of small items for each table, and it quickly became clear that they knew the way to my heart - Portuguese tarts. Don't tell anyone that I scarfed down three of these before the end of the night, and I would have had a whole lot more if none of the guests were looking. The service was also prompt and quick, if not overtly friendly. The ambiance of the site was good, and the acoustics for lead performer Ammoye (who just won a Juno Award this year, IIRC) were quite powerful. I could see myself coming back for another event in the future. South Mississauga has a lot of banquet hall options (perhaps too many), but if the experience is as consistent and enjoyable as the one I experienced, Boaden's is a place worth coming back to. Well worth a look.

Ashley was our paint nite instructor. We had a company event onsite in our office in Toronto. The…read moreinstructor came to our office. She was very cool. We had a fun time. Majority of the painting was not done using paint brushes but more of the paper towel. The painting turned out nice.

SCAM REFUND PROGRAM! Attended a paint night at Burlington with friends to celebrate my birthday…read more I've bought a ticket and send them the referral link for them to ourchase the ticket so we can get the bring 3 friends promo and get your ticket refunded after the event. The artist was amazing, friendly, started on time and was engaging. However I didi not get a refund, I've been sending them emails and it feels like a bot. They respond like they don't read my concern and just proceeds in explaining the program. I've sent them proof I've attended and that I sent the referral link conversations with friend. But it's been annoying like you're talking to a wall. Event was Nov 15 and it's Dec 10 now without resolutions or getting a response from a real person. (Yes, I didn't find any phone number that I can call) I would still probably do this activity again or attend the artist's events but not with paintnight.com

I attended this venue for a large gala/awards ceremony. The venue itself is huge! There were 60…read moretables with ten person a table and servers galore! The front entrance had room for photographers, a photobooth and the seating chart. There was a third room with two bars on opposite walls and a stage for a band. Finally, there were doors exiting into a small courtyard in case you needed a break from the action. The food was very good. The tartar was a good size for an appetizer and I liked the assortment of crackers. The roast dinner was a good size piece and the harvest vegetables were cooked perfectly. There was a small dessert served as well. Overall, I was impressed with the service and dinner took around 3 hours total. I would return here again.

Venue: 4.5 stars Food: 3 stars…read more I recently attended a wedding as a bridesmaid and will say that the venue is absolutely beautiful - very elegant and luxurious! The lighting is stunning. Unfortunately, the food wasn't as great as we had hoped for. While the hors d'œuvres were pretty good, the course meal was very luck lustre. The food definitely looked better than it tasted. My salad was decent. My steak was very tough, bland, and dry (more well-done when it should've been medium rare). My dessert was mediocre at best. I expected a lot more from a 5-star venue.