Some of the first openings later this year and early next year include:

Trillium: Serving Terminal 3, Trillium will be a global tapas restaurant and bar. Chef Claudio Aprile, known for his inventive cuisine at Toronto’s Origin restaurant, developed the menu for Trillium and has incorporated flavours from the worlds best cuisines. The offerings include snacks and small plates as well as raw bar selections, salads and open-faced sandwiches.

Heirloom: Coming to Terminal 1, which is home to the country’s national carrier Air Canada, is Heirloom. Baker and entrepreneur Devin Connell, who is the owner of Toronto’s Delica Kitchen at Yonge and St. Clair, composed the menu of light entrees including soups, salads, sandwiches and delicious baked goods. All Heirloom menu items are made fresh using the the finest local ingredients. Keeping it local is something that Andrew Rivkin appreciates in a good restaurant.

Fetta Panini Bar: Also serving Terminal 1, Fetta Panini Bar is a lively spot that will offer guests a delicious selection of panini’s, salads, and small plates. The menu was developed by well known Canadian celebrity chef Mark McEwan. Fetta’s design evokes a strong sense of spring, anchored by a maple wood structure to add a traditional Canadian texture.

An artist's rendering of the Fetta Panini Bar

Nobel Burger Bar: Serving Terminal 3, Nobel Burger Bar features gourmet burgers, from the classics to the inventive. Also created by famed celebrity chef Mark McEwan, this dining option allows guests to build their own burger or chose from a variety of chef inspired burgers.

With all of these exciting new restaurants coming to Pearson International, Andrew Rivkin is more eager to travel then ever!
 

Check out additional restaurants coming to Pearson International

Toronto Pearson – Innovative Dining by OTG

Singapore Airlines operates the two longest flights in the world, both of which fly into Singapore! The longer of the two flights originates in Los Angeles with a scheduled flying time of 18 hours and 30 minutes. The second flight also operated by Singapore Airlines fly’s direct from Newark to Singapore with a scheduled duration of 18 hours. Andrew Rivkin was surprised that the Newark flight takes less time then the Los Angeles considering that the latter one is geographically closer to Singapore. However, the Los Angeles flight does not take advantage of the diminished winds when flying over the North Pole as the Newark flight does. The Airbus 340-500 which operates on both of these routes, is set in a 1-2-1 business class configuration with only 100 seats on the entire plane making for a truly enjoyable flight despite the over eighteen hours in the air.

Singapore Airlines A340-500 on takeoff

Andrew Rivkin was not surprised to discover that two of the longest flights on the list originate in Dubai, the oil capital of the world. In the air for 16 hours and 30 minutes, you could get from Dubai to Los Angeles or Houston which is ten minutes less. Both of these flights are operated by Emirates Airlines who also serves the Toronto area from Dubai three times a week aboard the largest commercial airplane in the world, the Airbus 380.

The complete list is:

1. Los Angeles to Singapore – 18 Hours 30 Minutes (Singapore Airlines)

2. Newark to Singapore – 18 Hours (Singapore Airlines)

3. Los Angeles to Bangkok – 17 Hours 30 Minutes (Thai Airways)

4. Dubai to Los Angeles – 16 Hours 30 Minutes (Emirates Airlines)

5. Dubai to Houston – 16 Hours 20 Minutes (Emirates Airlines)

6. Doha to Houston – 16 Hours 15 Minutes (Qatar Airways) [Tie]

6. Atlanta to Johannesburg – 16 Hours 15 Minutes (Delta Airlines) [Tie]

8. Newark to Hong Kong – 16 Hours (United Airlines) [Tie]

8. Johannesburg to New York – 16 Hours (South African Airways) [Tie]

8. Dallas to Brisbane – 16 Hours (Qantas) [Tie]

8. New York to Hong Kong – 16 Hours (Cathay Pacific) [Tie]

SOURCE

The list includes Stewart Butterfield, the creator of Flickr one of the world’s most popular websites; Cassie Creighton, the five-year old Torontonian who along with her father created the hit online game Sissy’s Magical Ponycorn Adventure; and Sid Meier of Sarnia, Ontario who is considered to be the father of computer gaming. Meier developed some of the first flight and military simulation games.

Andrew Rivkin is among the top 15 for his pioneer vision in the online gambling industry with Cryptologic in the mid-1990’s. Cryptologic, which was founded in his parents’ Toronto basement along with his brother Mark, provided the underlying software for many prominent gambling Websites. Later, Rivkin co-founded FUN Technologies from Toronto with Lorne Abony, launching highly popular prize-based and casual games.

SOURCE

Proposed Layout of GO Transit System with the Pearson Air-Rail Link

Being a Toronto entrepreneur, Andrew Rivkin appreciates Premier Dalton McGuinty’s speech earlier this week. In the announcement, Mr. McGuinty said that the rail-link will make the “Greater Toronto Area a more attractive place to work, to visit and to invest”. The air-rail link will only stretch three kilometers, but it will connect to the much larger Go Transit system to provide service to Union Station in downtown Toronto.

With increasing traffic congestion, the rail-link will help to alleviate some of the congestion along with providing arriving passengers the fastest “transfer” to and from the downtown core. Andrew Rivkin notes that with the implementation of the air-rail link, travelers into and out of Pearson International will be able to get to and from downtown Toronto in 25 minutes (each way). Compared to traffic congestion on Highway 401, the busiest highway in North America, Rivkin believes that many travelers will take advantage of the new service. An early estimate is that the air-rail link will ease congestion by taking 1.2 million vehicle trips off the road annually.

Some other large metropolitan areas that have air-rail links include London with the “Tube”, Hong Kong with the “Airport Express” and New York (JFK) with the AirTran.

Even though the additional construction needed is only a three-kilometer stretch, the benefit is immense!

SOURCE

An American Airlines Boeing 757 during takeoff

Before Tuesday’s filing, American, Jetblue and Southwest were the only major U.S. airlines that had not filed for bankruptcy reorganization. Based on the low-cost model of Jetblue and Southwest, Andrew Rivkin believes that these two airlines will avoid the necessity for filing for Chapter 11 protection. While the stocks of both of these no-frills airlines have lost some value in the past year, it is nothing compared to the hit that American Airlines stock has taken.

Since 2007, American has only reported a profit in one quarter and has lost close to $5 billion over the past three years. Andrew Rivkin points to the modernization of the airlines fleet over the next few years as a key part of its restructuring plan. American’s current fleet includes close to 250 MD-80 airplanes that haven’t been manufactured since 1999 and are considered to be serious gas-guzzlers. With fuel costs accounting for a significant portion of airlines overall costs, American’s fleet modernization will surely help the airline in its plans to once again becoming a profitable corporation.

Check out the full article: American Airlines Files for Bankruptcy on CNN.com

• Name:  The Standard Grill
• Address: 848 Washington St., NYC 10014
• Website: http://thestandardgrill.com/
• Reviewer: Andrew Rivkin

I recently tried the sushi at Nikko Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Charlotte, North Carolina. Known to be 0ne of Charlotte’s most popular sushi destinations, I thought I’d give it a try.  Friendly service, complimentary starter soup, salad, amuse bouche and dessert were nice touches to one of the best valued sushi places I’ve been too. Charlotte is just not the best city to be eating sushi in, as it is land locked and therefore doesn’t receive alot of fresh fish regularly. Atmosphere was pretty cool and they had complimentary Valet parking.

Conclusion: Good bistro food; poor service.  I gave The Standard Grill 3.5 stars.

From The Standard Grill Website:

At The Standard Grill, Chef Dan produces a menu that emphasizes market fresh ingredients that refine and update classic dishes.

• Name: Kaijou Japanese Cuisine & Bar
• Address:  21 South End Avenue, New York, NY 10280
• Website: www.kaijounewyork.com/
• Reviewer: Andrew Rivkin

I recently had lunch at Kaijou Japanese Cuisine and Bar while in New York City.  Boasting to be a restaurant that is dedicated to the art of modern Japenese cuisine, fusing old world classics with new world ideas, I was exited to dine here. Unfortunately, the view from my table was about the nicest part of my experience. The food may have been pretty, but spotty service and lack of attention to detail took away from the rather ordinary Japanese cuisine I ate.

Conclusion: Not overly impressed; I gave Kaijou Japanese Cuisine and Bar 1.5 stars.

Yours Truly, Andrew Rivkin.

From Kaijou Cuisine and Bar:

With so many themed restaurants competing for your patronage, it is quite difficult to decide whether one is good or not. Instead, Kaijou concentrates on food preparation and lets its delicious “works of art” be the theme. There are no gimmicks to entice you to come to the restaurant, but just give Kaijou one try and you’ll be instantly hooked!

• Name: Nikko Sushi
• Address: 1300 South Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28203
• Website: www.nikkosushibar.net
• Reviewer: Andrew Rivkin

I recently tried the sushi at Nikko Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Charlotte, North Carolina. 
Known to be 0ne of Charlotte’s most popular sushi destinations, I thought I’d give it a try.  Friendly service, complimentary starter soup, salad, amuse bouche and dessert were nice touches to one of the best valued sushi places I’ve been too. Charlotte is just not the best city to be eating sushi in, as it is land locked and therefore doesn’t receive alot of fresh fish regularly. Atmosphere was pretty cool and they had complimentary Valet parking.

Conclusion: Not the best sushi I’ve had however,  I gave Nikko Sushi Bar 3 stars.

Yours Truly, Andrew Rivkin.

From the Nikko Website:

At Nikko Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar, you can expect a truly stimulating experience. On weekends, look forward to hip-hop spun by a DJ, bright lights and owner Joanna dancing her way through sake bombs with her signature boa and cowboy hat … Not to mention the seriously good sushi! The spicy tuna rolls are the perfect combination of creamy with a slight bite and the nigiri features fresh fish perfectly sliced for the best texture and taste. Plus, there are plenty of inventive rolls, such as the Charlotte Roll, with tempura white fish, lettuce and garlic sauce.

• Name: Le Scaramouche
• Address: One Benvenuto Place, Toronto, Ontario M4V 1H3
• Website: www.scaramoucherestaurant.com
• Reviewer: Andrew Rivkin

Just had dinner at Le Scaramouche, which is one of Toronto’s oldest and finest French Restaurants. Known for their vibrant and local-sourced cuisine, Scaramouche is an awesome place to dine. I gave this a 5 star, loved the lobster raviolio, not crazy about our watier, had a bottle of pinot. It was awesome!

From the Scaramouche Website:

Scaramouche has played a vibrant part in Toronto for more than thirty years. Domestic and international reviews have been uniformly excellent but to sustain a restaurant over this span of time requires the loyal support of our guests – every day. Our guests have come to Scaramouche to celebrate their most special occasions and many have also come to view it as their second home. As a youthful 30-year old, our restaurant’s focus has remained unchanged: to provide our guests with an exemplary dining experience that encompasses the best of contemporary cuisine in a convivial setting. Chef/owner Keith Froggett, partner Carl Korte and the Scaramouche team look forward to making your next dining experience a memorable one.

The airlines loyalty program, Aeroplan, is what positions it over its rivals. Air Canada is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s first and largest airline alliance. Passengers are able to use their Aeroplan points to book tickets on Star Alliance member airlines including United and Lufthansa. This gives Canadian’s the ability to travel on reward points to destinations around the world.

Air Canada Boeing 777-300 Landing in Toronto

Air Canada’s fleet consists of over 340 airplanes. The most recent addition to the airline’s fleet is the 350 passenger Boeing 777-300. The airline also operates smaller, propellor-driven, aircraft. These airplanes are used for the airlines regional routes. As the airline continues to expand and modernize its fleet they have placed an order for fourteen Boeing 787’s to be delivered in 2013.

Air Canada provides the most frequent service between Canada’s largest municipalities. Through a service called Rapidair, Air Canada operates a flight between Toronto and Montreal every hour. Andrew Rivkin enjoys the frequent service, as he sometimes has to fly on very short notice. Air Canada allows you to travel worry-free. If a flight is canceled, you know there is one an hour later.

Andrew Rivkin points out the recent upgrades to the interior of Air Canada’s fleet. When traveling to Frankfurt, Germany last month I noticed a significant improvement to the interior of the Boeing 777-300. Every seat in both economy and business class have personal televisions that offer an array of recent and classic movies along with hours of television shows. With this new feature, the flight goes by that much faster. In business class, each seat is designed as a pod, giving you the utmost privacy. All the seats in business class are lie-flat seats, allowing you to enjoy a good sleep. When traveling overseas this should be a requirement!

The cuisine offered on the flight to Frankfurt was much better than what I would have expected on a flight. It was prepared right on the plane so you know its fresh. If you are not a fan of airline food, you can grab some food and drinks in Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounge before the flight. These lounges are located at the primary airports Air Canada flies to. If you are traveling in business class or have an American Express credit card this service is included. If traveling in economy class, you can purchase a pass to gain access to the lounge.

Air Canada’s continued success and the reason why Andrew Rivkin enjoys flying with them is their high level of service and their modern fleet of aircraft.