Yeh! Yogurt introduces grilled cheese to its menus

I dropped by the Quartier Cavendish location of Yeh! Yogurt today just before lunch time and was pleasantly surprised to see that grilled cheese had been added to the menu at the special introductory price of $2.99.

Yeh! stores boast a self-serve format offering over 60 revolving flavours of frozen yogurt.  At Yeh! the customer can choose from a wide variety of healthy and sweet toppings in an attractive and hip “urban cool” funky pink setting  –pink being the official colour. The debut of grilled cheese shows that this place is a lot more than just yogurt.  At most locations you can purchase healthy shakes, both sweet and savory crepes, premium coffee, iced coffee and waffle cones or bowls.  There are even soups at some locales.

Ariel showcases a grilled cheese sandwich and chocolate shake.

Ariel, the shift manager when I visited, said that the grilled cheese sandwiches are catching on. At the Cavendish location they should become popular with students from the nearby schools in particular. Mimi Cohen (no relation), the marketing director for Yeh! Yogurt, said that the company has developed  "a secret signature grilled cheese recipe that makes ours so mouth watering delish."

Asked to elaborate, Mimi said: "We have  a unique grilling technique using our Waffle-Irons. The extreme heat emitted from the iron combined with the perfect level of pressure carmelizes the butter and adds a crispiness to the bread. The result is a unique flavour and a mouth watering grilled cheese experience like none other out there!"

Having taken the taste test today, I must agree. It was one of the better grilled cheese sandwiches I have had in some time. 

Owners Jon and Marvin Gurman are looking at worldwide expansion for Yeh!Yogurt, with destinations as far as Lebanon and China about to join the family.

John Molson Sports Marketing brings in big names: here is what Marc Bergevin had to say

Remember the name Ryan Garellek. The Côte Saint-Luc resident works for  John Molson Sports Marketing,  which is a subsidiary organization at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University. The organization's bread and butter in terms of events is its Annual Sports Business Conference, known as JMSM14.

Each year JMSM brings together some of North America’s best and brightest sports marketing students to network, interact with, and learn from industry executives. From president  to general managers, the conference hosts speakers from all of North America’s major leagues, whose insights prove useful for aspiring students. 

Somewhere between lectures, tutorials, and campus libraries is where you'll find  Garallek’s committee.  

From the heights of the bleachers to the depths of the field, sports is the common passion that unites, defines, and drives these youngsters. As their website says,  “Money makes the world go round more than that it fills stadiums, wins games, and builds dynasties. Sports and business will forever be intertwined.”

At Ryan’s invitation I dropped by the D.B. Clark Theatre at Concordia’s downtown campus on Friday, November 7 to hear Montreal Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin and Tampa Bay Lightning Assistant GM Julien BriseBois speak on a panel moderated by TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger

Julien BriseBois, Darren Drager, Marc Bergevin and Ryan Garrellek

This was a great opportunity to see how hard these guys actually work. BriseBois, who spent nine yers in the Habs head office, is constantly on the road scouting, overseeing the Lightning’s AHL minor league team in Syracuse and checking on prospects in junior. He credited his wife’s support and noted how he still tries to find as much time with his two boys, aged 7 and 5, as possible. “We even moved close to the rink,” he said.

Bergevin spent 20 years as a player in the NHL and then immediately moved into scouting and management (with one year as an assistant coach) so he says his kids were used of him being on the road. Referring to his present situation he said : “At the end of the day I am with the team most of the time.”

August, notes Bergevin, is usually the lightest month for GM as the roster is basically set.

Asked about what is the most important thing about the building and development of an organization, he noted how the draft is crucial. “The backbone of a franchise is the draft,”  he said. “It is very tricky.”

What has been his toughest decision so far? “Letting Brian Gionta and Josh Gorges go,” he said. “We discussed it in our war room, but ultimately it was my decision.”

Bergevin got some chuckles when he talked about the difference between  hockey in Chicago and Montreal. “If you go to the United Centre they have 21,000 fans; so do we at the Bell Centre,” he said. “They want their team to win; so do we. But after a game they go home, take off their Black Hawks jerseys and wait for the next game. They have the Bears, the Cubs, the White Sox. Our fans go home and they talk about the game. Their passion is off the charts. But there is no place I’d rather be.  I was gone for 28 years, but it is like I never left.

Others on the agenda include Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman, LA Dodgers GM Ned Collettti, Director of Content and Analytics for Bloomberg Sports Alex Burwasser, TSN Hockey Analytis writer  Travis Yost, Columbus Blue Jackets Executive VP of Business Operations  Larry Hoepfner, Director of Corporate Partnerships for the Boston Celtics Chris Baker, Tampa Rays Director of Marketing Carey Cox, hockey agent Don Meehan and Cleveland Cavaliers President of Business Operations Kerry Bubolz

Activities continue at three venues: the DB Clarke Theatre, the Holiday Inn Expres at   155 Boulevard René-Lévesque Est and the Sports Station at 2051 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest through Saturday night, You can see the full schedule at jmsm.ca.

Global TV and The Beat 92.5 FM morning crews share their secrets about getting up early

As an avid follower of the Montreal media, specifically through my column in The Suburban and this blog, it is always a pleasure to spend some time with the people whom I watch and listen to. For  a high school Career Fair I helped organize,  I invited The Beat 92.5 FM's Cat  Spencer, Sarah Bartok, Shaun McMahon, Natasha Hall and Claudia Marques while Global TV's wakeup crew of Jessica Laventure, Camille Ross and Richard Dagenais were on hand as well.

Jessica Laventure, Richard Dagenais, Camille Ross, Cat Spencer and Sarah Bartok

The Beat continues to bring us great music and dynamic on air personalities. Cat and Sarah have been a team for the past four years. Natasha handles those neat news updates and traffic while Marques is out and about in the city all week long for promotional stops and ticket giveaways; McMahon was recently promoted to weekend morning show host. Cat and Sarah have terrific chemistry together. Cat is a towering figure who came over from Virgin Radio while Sarah is as beautiful as she sounds. Over at Global, the team has been together for almost two years now and they have bonded. Dagenais is the veteran of the group, has a great sense of humour and always keeps us guessing as to what important international day it is. Ross, a breathtaking beauty with an infectious laugh, adapted perfectly to her new role. As for Laventure, she is a ball of fire and addictive to watch.

I thought it would be interesting to pull these five aside and ask them what it is like to have to wake up so early weekday mornings.What time do they get up? Do they nap? What time do they go to sleep?  This was an absolute blast and I am sure you will get a kick out of the video below. There appears to be a potential partnership here as the two morning show crews are big fans of one another.

So You Think You Can Dance Tour's outstanding Montreal stop; I talk to Ricky and Valerie

The Crowd Goes Wild

The  Bell Centre was rocking on October 27, as the energetic So You Think You Can Dance season 11 tour hit Montreal for a second year in a row. The show, which airs on Fox and CTV, has won 11  Primetime Emmy® Awards and sparked America’s fascination with dance. Montreal is one of an incredible 70 cities on the tour. The Season 11 tour lineup  includes winner  Ricky Ubeda, runnerup.Valerie Rockey and the other top 10 finalists Emilio Dosal, Tanisha Belnap,  Jessica Richens, Zack Everhart, Bridget Whitman, Casey Askew, Jacque LeWarne and  Rudy Abreu.

This is a magnificent presentation, with amazing numbers, multiple costume changes and  some superb props.  The show began with executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe shown on a giant video screen. His pre-taped message is full of pep and set the right tone for the evening. After the top 10 entered the stage –along with four extra dancers – for an opening number, the voice of Lythgoe brought them back for formal introductions and the crowd went wild.

I must say that this one remarkable show to be in the audience for. It is so fast paced and quite extraordinary to see the dancers, complete unknowns only a few months ago, treated like “idols.” The program consists of a series of group numbers, duets and solos. It is so well choreographed and ends on such a high, you just know that everyone in the crowd will be back next year if the organizers decide to grace our city.

The show took place in  a slimmed down version of the Bell Centre, with the higher levels blocked off and many other sections closed to accommodate the large stage. There were long lineups entering the arena, with security stepped up after the violent incidents in Ottawa and St. Jean last week. Some 3,500 fans were on hand, less than last year. I cannot understand why. Perhaps because it was a Monday rather than a Sunday night.

 

Ricky and Valerie from So You Think You Can Dance share a moment with me backstage.

Prior to the afternoon rehearsal I got to meet Emilio and Tanisha, whom I had interviewed by phone a few weeks ago. As well, I sat down with Ricky and Valerie for a private chat. Ricky had been to Montreal once before. For Valerie, this marked her first trip to Canada.

Ricky,  the 18 year old winner, was the favorite to take it all early on this season.  For winning tip honours  he  appeared on the cover of Dance Spirit magazine,  took  home  $250,000 and will  join the Broadway cast of On the Town in the spring. 

“This all feels like a dream, like I put my life on pause” Ricky said.  “Winning was like the craziest thing ever. I still don’t believe it sometimes. I am so grateful. I just graduated from high school in May. I have never lived by myself and I am going to move to New York City.”

“I’ll come visit,” chimed in Valerie, who considers Ricky like a brother.

Valerie, 20,  left her hometown in Indianapolis, Indiana a year ago to pursue a career in dance. Then she succeeded with the SYTYCD auditions, setting the stage for lots of new opportunities after the tour ends.

“I honestly have no idea what I will do next,” she said.  “I'm going to wait and see what comes my way and what opportunities are presented to me. I don't know where I'm going to be after the tour. I just want to dance. But I also want to take acting classes”

Ricky, who received a thunderous ovation after his solo, said he is enjoying the tour. “It has been awesome,” he said, “but kind of exhausting living on a bus  and doing a show almost every night. This is our 21st stop out of 77. It is a once in a lifetime experience.”

While Valerie agrees that the tour schedule is exhausting, there is a lot less pressure than the television show. “We still get to do what we did in the show, but without the pressures of voting and judges comments,” she says. “We are just having fun.”

And what about their new found fame? “It was just another audition for me,” she said. “Then one round after another I kept getting further and further. The next thing you know I am the runner up on the show. It still does not feel real. I thought it would by now, then I catch myself signing autographs. Who would have thought three and a half months ago I’d be doing this.”

“I am thrilled with the spectacular, fresh talent we have discovered this season,” stated Nigel Lythgoe, judge, executive producer and co-creator of the hit FOX series. “I believe these dancers have inspired the choreographers to create remarkable dance numbers each week. I am excited for your favorite dancers to bring their inspiration and routines to even more cities throughout the nation on this year’s tour.”

Here is a link to my video interview.

Chris Reiser and Ted Bird "KIC" start country station

While I am not necessarily a country music fan, because of the personalities CKKI 98.9 KIC Country FM has  added to its lineup recently I have been giving it a listen every now and then.
 

First off we have radio veteran Chris Reiser co-hosting the morning show with the ever so charismatic Lee Haberkorn, who has been heard on Virgin Radio.

 

Chris Reiser

“I've been involved with CKKI 89.9 KIC Country for two years now,” says Reiser. “It's been an exciting time building a radio station from the ground up with minimal resources, but the positives far outweigh the negatives.”

You can also hear Reiser on CJAD, Virgin Radio and CHOM. That’s because he works for the Canadian Traffic Network, which supplies traffic reports for the stations. “They don't have a problem with my involvement with KIC,” he says.

Reiser is also very active in the Voice-Over community and typically has several sessions a week.

“I like country music,” Reiser says. “Though  the bulk of my career was in the rock and adult contemporary world, I have always been a fan of country music.”

 

Johnny Jordan

Johnny Jordan does lunchtime from Noon to 2 p.m.. He has worked in places like  Seattle and Honolulu in the past and of course the legendary Ted Bird can now be heard as part of a spirited drive home show Erik Gregory and Skana Deer.

Ted Bird

Dave and Dave it the air from 6 p.m. to  9 p.m. weeknights. “They are new to the industry and we are encouraged by what we've heard from these guys so far,” says Reiser.

The Shabbat Project set for next weekend

Jewish Montrealers will be among thousands of Jews worldwide joining in on The Shabbat Project, a ground-breaking event aimed at uniting world Jewry in fully  observing the Shabbat custom together. In its second edition, The Shabbat Project was developed and  piloted by South Africa's Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein encouraging the Jewish community to thoroughly  keep Shabbat in unity. Approximately 75 percent of South Africa's 75,000 participated. It was such a successful  event that this year’s Shabbat affair rolled out to the rest of the world, including Montreal.

From Great Britain to Guatemala, there are more than 1,400* official partners from over 35 countries. Held on the weekend of Friday, October 24 to 25, more than 800 Montrealers are currently  registered in committing themselves to fully respecting this spiritual event. Jews of all religious levels,  origins, or professions are encouraged to take part.
 

In conjunction with various synagogues, "this monumental event has the potential to unite world Jewry  in a time when we really need it," said Pinny Gniwich, lead organizer of Montreal’s The Shabbat Project.
 

The event will officially kick-off Thursday night October 23 with Challah Bakes at Beth Zion Congregation  (7 p.m. $18) in Côte Saint-Luc and Beth Ora Congregation (7 p.m., free of charge) in St. Laurent and at Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation in  CSL, with guest speaker, Rachel Frenkel, the mother of Naftali Frenkel, one of the three Israeli Yeshiva students that was kidnapped and murdered last June.

From Montreal to the world, register today in #Keepingittogether at www.theshabbatprojectmtl.ca.

Habs-less at the Hilton in Quebec City

I just returned from a weekend conference in Quebec City. We were based at the beautiful Hilton Hotel, where most of the Members of the National Assembly stay while the government sits.  I was not able to find out whether Pierre Karl Peladeau, the  flamboyant new PQ MNA for St. Jerome and possible future leader, is one of their guests. And while he insists that he has nothing to do with his media properties, I wonder how he would have felt on Saturday night.

The fist pump that saved Canada. But what about the Hilton PKP?

I had a session starting at 8 p.m. so I made sure to eat dinner  at 6 p.m. and headed back to my room to watch the beginning of the Canadiens game against Patrick Roy's Colorado Avalanche. I turned to CBC, which actually airs the Rogers Network broadcast, only to learn that they would be showing the Maple Leafs vs. the Red Wings. City  TV had the Habs game.  As a frantically searched the dial I quickly learned that the Hilton does not carry City. I picked up Le Journal de Québec and sure enough the Canadiens contest was being shown on Peladeau's TVA Sports Network.  I went through the channels again and wouldn't you know it, the Hilton does not have that channel either! How is this possible in supposedly hockey mad Quebec City, where the Florida Panthers might land next year.

Fortunately I was able to squeeze my way into the executive lounge, where they have Bell Fibe TV (sorry Mr Peladeau) and had them put the Habs game on. I watched the first period and all was well.

With TVA Sports owning the right 22 regular season games, as well as playoff action, for the next 12 years I would suggest that the Hilton get its act together.