FRANKIE’S FAVOURITE EATERIES 

Ottawa

For those of you who don’t know — like some of my friends in Paris or Miami — Toronto is not the capital of Canada. Ottawa is.

This past week I headed to Ottawa to meet a few customers, a few potential customers, and the Ambassador of Poland to chat about a couple of things we’re working on. And no… not just pierogi, baby.

Lunch

For lunch we stopped at a local spot that delivered: Johnny Farina.

I started with a sparkling water and a zucchini carrot soup — delicious. For my main, I had the blackened salmon lunch. I always forget about the blackened option; it adds fantastic flavour and actually makes salmon more exciting than the usual preparations.

Now I’m curious… do the spices add that many calories? Hmmm.

Either way, Johnny Farina is a great little option if you’re downtown.

Dinner

Drumroll please… 🥁

Riviera — Wow.

This is what I’m talking about. Sexy. Sophisticated. Huge ceilings. Gorgeous bar. And a Negroni list with ten different versions.

Don’t miss Riviera when you’re in Ottawa.

We arrived an hour early before our third dinner guest joined us, so we started with a drink and a small appetizer. After several of my jokes fell flat, I told the waitress to just pick a Negroni for me based on what she’d heard from me so far.

She nailed it.

It was a slightly sweeter Negroni than the traditional one, with a hint of rosemary. We shared a dynamite tartare to start.

Our buddy arrives and, without even looking at the menu, says:

“You have to try a Negroni here — they clearly know what they’re doing.”

So I went for a second one — this time a classic. Perfect.

Next up: the seafood tower. Honestly, it felt like it had just come out of the sea. Razor clams, tuna belly tartare/ceviche on a mini salad leaf that was outstanding, plus lobster and crab claws that were spot on. A fabulous start.

There were three of us, so we shared a steak with fries and a beautiful au jus, perfect gnocchi, and a salad with chicory, little nuts of some kind, and tons of shaved cheese — Parmesan-ish. I can’t remember exactly what it was because I’m writing this the morning after… and there may have been a few more wines involved.

We finished by sharing a pavlova with passion fruit — three spoons.

I almost hate to admit this… but it was better than anything I’ve had in Toronto in years.

Everything felt fresh, almost farm-to-table. Light, lively, and just a great vibe. In my opinion, Riviera is the perfect restaurant.

Oh, and I added our waitress to my newsletter list because she wanted to try an excellent Polish water called Perlage that I think the restaurant should carry.

Riviera — if I could give you a 10 out of 10, I would.

Actually… you know what?

You’re a 10.

TECH SPOTLIGHT

Just when you thought your monthly subscriptions were under control, Meta is testing a new one — this time inside Instagram.

The company has quietly begun experimenting with Instagram Plus, a premium tier designed for everyday users (not just influencers or businesses). And the features? Let’s just say they lean heavily into the art of subtle social media strategy.

For starters, subscribers can view Stories anonymously — yes, you can lurk in peace. On the flip side, you’ll also get more insight into your own posts, like seeing how many people rewatched your Stories. There’s also more control over who sees what, with the ability to create custom audience lists beyond the usual “Close Friends.”

Want your Story to have main character energy? Instagram Plus lets you extend Stories for an extra 24 hours and even spotlight one per week, pushing it to the front of your followers’ feeds. Add in animated “Superlikes” and the ability to search your viewer list (no more scrolling endlessly for one name), and it’s clear Meta is leaning into personalization and visibility.

The test is currently rolling out in countries like Mexico, Japan, and Philippines, with pricing sitting at just a few dollars per month — low enough to tempt curiosity, but still another line on your subscription list.

Of course, not everyone is thrilled. Between streaming, music, and “premium everything,” subscription fatigue is very real. Still, with platforms like Snapchat proving that users will pay for extra features, Meta is clearly testing how far people are willing to go for a more curated (and slightly more mysterious) online presence.

So the real question is: would you pay to be a little more invisible — or a little more seen? 👀📱satisfying. 📱✨

Check it out!

REAL ESTATE SPOTLIGHT

Speaking of Ottawa 3.8 mil - for a condo ? Seems high to me ... What am I missing here ? 

On another note, this rental, 1.7 mil. The math doesn't really make sense, but I think the prices can stay higher than most cities because the jobs are... not going anywhere ? - you tell me. 

Check it out!

COMMUNICATION!

Here is a fabulous sales tool video to watch for the most important skill... Communication.

On The Scene “Party of The Week”

Selected photos from the Women’s for Women Event! Big time behind the scenes. Here first!

By George Pimentel

Take a sneak peek at this week’s event photos, your 🫵 backstage pass. 

WORD OF THE WEEK

Oblivion

What It Means

Oblivion can refer to the state of something that is not remembered or thought about any more, or to the state of being unconscious or unaware. It also sometimes refers to the state of being destroyed.

UNTAMED PODCAST

LISTEN BELOW

FRANKIE’S SONG OF THE WEEK

I had no idea that Cameron Whitcomb was Canadian. He's been a big part of my Spotify lately and even more now since I saw him win a Juno. Here is one of my favourite songs by him, I also love the song "Options".

WE SELL WHAT?

Attached is a video of one of the products that we sell. I know , I bet you thought all we sold was printers and IT solutions... Call me if you need one of these, we lease them as well. Approx 1k a month. 

100 WEEKS OF POSITIVE MESSAGES

Frankie did 100 days of positive messages 3 years ago. He wanted to center them around mental health and positivity. We will post them each week for 100 weeks.

“You missed calling a friend.

You stole something.

You screwed up.

You ate too much.

You overreacted.

You are not yet the person you want to be.

You flip flop politically.

You gossiped.

You cheated on someone.

You wish you were more excitable.

You lied.

You are ashamed of the way you treat your friends or family.

You thought something was one way but later learned it was another.

You spent too much money.

You thought about yourself first.

You didn't make time for something or someone important.

Get over it ! Nobody is perfect.

You can fixate on a thought or a mistake for months or even years in some cases.

The first thing you should do is forgive yourself and the next is MOVE ON for the sake of everyone.

Become the person you want to be.

If you are having trouble sleeping and it is not medically related, it probably has something to do with anxiety or feelings of guilt.

I am a big believer in not making mountains out of molehills and moving things along.

Not everything needs to be addressed, let people live.

Don't try to be the work police or morality police, nobody is perfect, let things go.

We all know what is right and what is wrong.

We all have the same eyes.

Don't think the quiet person or silly person in front of you is a fool.

They see and feel a lot more than you think.”

🧠A Weekly Dose of Psychology You Didn’t Know You Needed 🧠

Hi everyone! I’m Maya, I hold an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science and Psychology (basically, I can analyze both a crime scene and your overly complicated coffee order). I’m also an incoming Master of Arts candidate in Counselling Psychology, which means I spend a lot of time thinking about how the human brain works, and why it sometimes does the exact opposite of what we want it to do.

Psych Fact #40: Your brain remembers unfinished tasks better than completed ones.

Ever notice how the one thing you haven’t done keeps popping into your head, while everything you have done just… disappears? That’s not you being forgetful. That’s your brain doing exactly what it’s designed to do.

It’s called the Zeigarnik effect. When a task is incomplete, your brain keeps it active in your memory, almost like a mental sticky note it refuses to throw away. Once the task is finished, your brain essentially checks it off and lets it go.

This is why unfinished work can feel so mentally “loud.” It’s not always about the difficulty of the task, it’s about the fact that your brain hasn’t closed the loop yet.

The upside? You can actually use this to your advantage. Starting something, even for a few minutes, can make it easier to come back to later because your brain has already opened the loop.

So if something’s been lingering in your mind all day, it might not be a motivation problem. Your brain just really wants you to finish what you started.

Until next time,
Maya 🧠✨

TRIVIA

Category: Space!

CHRIS’ CORNER

Blue Jays are Back - and on the Attack!

Let’s start with a disclaimer: I don’t really give two shakes about baseball until late August or early September.

In fact, until May or June, I typically don’t even look at the standings very much.

But, after the Toronto Blue Jays nearly – oh, so nearly – winning the whole damn thing last year and then the Italian national team’s improbably run to the World Baseball Classic semi-finals, plus a reloaded New York Mets team looking good on paper, I felt like it was my duty to at least see what was up to start the season.

On that note, the Blue Jays came storming out of the gates on a mission to prove they’re legit. Three straight wins on Opening Weekend, two walk-off wins, 50 total strikeouts by their pitching staff, and so much more to love.

Kevin Gausman was killer on Opening Day with an 11-strikeout, zero walk performance against the visiting Oakland A’s.

The bats did their job too. Scoring 16 runs over the three wins.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a .364 average with four hits, four walks, an RBI, and a run scored against the A’s.

And everyone else did what they needed to do to get hits, runs, and outs as the Jays won their first three games to start a season for the first time in 30 years.

At the time of this writing, the Jays had played the first two games of their second series of the year against the Colorado Rockies at the SkyDome (I will always, always call it the SkyDome).

Oh, and the Mets started by winning 2 of 3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with former Blue Jay Bo Bichette not quite getting off to the start he would have wanted to. Still, it’s a 162-game season, so there is plenty of time to improve on that end.

Now that acknowledging the Blue Jays is out of the way, I’ll go back to the NBA and NHL – the playoffs are starting soon – as well as all the soccer you can handle.

Barring anything super noteworthy to write about, I’ll be checking back in on the Jays and Mets in May or June . . . and then again in late August or early September.

That’s it for me! Ciao for Now!

By Chris Occhiuzzi

UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS

WEATHER THIS WEEK

TORONTO

MIAMI

PARIS

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Act according to the way you want the world to be, not the way it is, unless you're happy with the way it is of course.”

-SFD 

CONTRIBUTIONS

If you would like to contribute to the newsletter, please contact us. Our NL goes out to over 10k business owners, friends, and other professionals in my network. We would love to have people from different walks of life, and we won't judge your writing. If you would like us to keep your articles anonymous, we can do so as well. Also, if you enjoy the newsletter and want to contribute $, please donate to www.camh.ca anytime on our behalf AND please have your friends subscribe, it will mean the world to us. 

Thank you

- Frankie

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Super Frankie is lazy. He loves technology because it makes life simpler. Technology is spawned from ideas that make life easier. He is the founder of Busys.ca which is a company that sells/leases and services printers, laptops, document management software, copiers, IT services, and phone systems throughout North America and Europe.

LET’S CONNECT

*These articles, jokes, and stories are written by individuals handpicked by SFD for their unique way of thinking and writing. While SFD appreciates their styles, he does not necessarily endorse their opinions. This newsletter is designed to bring a smile to your face. If you prefer not to receive this weekly newsletter, please feel free to unsubscribe. You will be missed.