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.

Andrew Rivkin knows it is hard to go wrong when taking a trip to St. Barths. In total, there are fourteen beaches, all blessed with gleaming white sand. Few are crowded, even in peak season, and all are public and free. What is most impressive is that the sand and water are so clean. The ocean is turquoise and clear, while the sand is gleaming and white. Even the sea shells that dot certain beaches are clean and beautiful, making for an enjoyable and relaxing experience wherever you go. Enjoy playing games on the beach, or fall asleep to the sounds of the water washing against the shore. To become more familiar with the island and all the possibilities that await, head to the tourism website and become acquainted. Still, there are a couple that are must see beaches.

Andrew Rivkin loves enjoying the white sand on Flamands Beach

The top beach for many, including Andrew Rivkin, is Flamands Beach. It is arguably the best beach on the island, with both serenity and seclusion. It sits behind towering ficus bushes and stone walls to offer you a unique feel on this Caribbean nation. The smooth sand and blue water manages to combine in equal measure the three things for which St Barths is famous.

Uncrowded and leisurely, Flamands Beach beckons back visitors like Andrew Rivkin year after year. There aren’t many waves, the sky is blue, the water inviting — really couldn’t find anything wrong with this beach and we recommend it to you from Three Best Beaches. In fact, this is one of those picturesque places where you can get above the beach area and take some pretty nice photographs. The higher you get, the easier to see why people just fall in love with this place and feel.

Upon traveling to the Island, Andrew Rivkin was able to get a true sense of the traditional culture of St. Barths by taking a journey to Corossol Beach. Here you’ll find a village once home to St. Bart’s fishermen and now home to ancestors of the original inhabitants from France. Come enjoy a life much more simpler then modern architecture and mega resorts and find a Corossol Beach vacation rental.

The turquoise water at Saline Beach

Yet another great place to visit is Saline. A splendid beach of even more white sand and turquoise sea, backed by a scenery of rolling green hills: so postcard-like it is almost unreal. If you are a fan of these incredibly cliché beaches, all you need to do is drive further up north to delight in at least a handful of them. Grande Saline is a quiet beach, accessible only on foot from the parking area. Its name originates from the salt marshes exploited here by Saint Bartheans. Wherever you go, as Andrew Rivkin knows, you are sure to enjoy the sunshine.

To get the most of a trip, you should stay and live in style. The Atlantis in Nassau is one of the most luxurious tropical hotels in the world. Rivkin is amazed by this unique ocean-themed resort destination, offering a variety of accommodation choices, from the relaxed tropical ambiance of the Beach and Coral Towers, to the iconic Royal Towers, to the sheer luxury and contemporary all-suite style of The Cove. With its enviable location directly on Paradise Beach, The Reef features all the comforts of home in spacious studios and one-bedroom suites. Regardless of where you choose to stay, you will enjoy full access to the wonders of Atlantis. Come and explore a world beyond extraordinary.

The Cove at The Atlantic, a favourite spot of Andrew Rivkin

The Beach tower is the more traditional part of The Atlantis, great for couples and families. Rising above Paradise Island’s pristine beaches, the relaxed ambiance of the Beach Towers at Atlantis offers vacationing families an easy-to-enjoy carefree atmosphere and a slice of the come-as-you-are Caribbean spirit. Beach Tower accommodations truly bring the legendary spirit of Atlantis indoors. Only a few steps from the doors of their guest rooms, vacationers quickly discover the haute couture shops of Marina Village, the Crystal Court, Escape at The Cove, a world class sport center, the Seagrapes Lagoon and plenty of family fun.

Andrew particularly loved staying at The Cove. Stylish and dynamic, The Cove Atlantis is a private sanctuary within the world of Atlantis Paradise Island—providing the most chic and contemporary accommodations the Caribbean has to offer. Soaring 22 stories into the Bahamian sky, The Cove offers couples a unique experience of vacation luxury inspired by the beauty of its surroundings, 600 highly-designed suites filled with luxurious amenities and state-of-the-art technology. It thrives on the rhythm of the day with its exclusive adult-only ultra-pool and beach club, Cain at The Cove, featuring outdoor gaming, live DJ’s, premium bars, and private cabanas. The Cove is also home to celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill, upscale designer boutique, and Sea Glass bar and lounge. Plus, with access to the Casino, Mandara Spa, Aquaventure, Aura Nightclub and all of the amenities Paradise Island has to offer, The Cove Atlantis truly provides the best of both worlds.

For anyone staying at the Atlantis, a private stretch of sand at the grand resort on Paradise Island is awarded to you. It is consistently rated as one the top 10 beaches in the world. Certainly it’s one of the best stretches of beach on New Providence and Grand Bahama Islands. The beautiful beach is off-limits to anyone not part of the resort, which is perfect for all guests. Andrew found the beach close to the hotel complex crowded most of the time, which was great when he was in the mood to socialize. Still, you can take the short walk to the far end of the horseshoe-shaped bay where the sand is pure and white and you will fine lots of room to spread out and enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience.