Review: MoRoCo Chocolat

Don’t be fooled, MoRoCo Chocolat is more than a posh chocolate boutique, and has absolutely nothing to do with the country Morocco. Enter at 99 Yorkville, walk through the store and you’ll see the beautifully-decorated restaurant lounge. With deep purple and grey velvets, French damask prints and plenty of mirrors, MoRoCo screams chic.



Tucked away (literally...you can barely see it from the street) in the heart of Yorkville, MoRoCo Chocolat is a hidden gem. I’ve been to the restaurant twice: once for Sunday brunch and once for dinner. Here’s the lowdown on both.

I have to say that my brunch experience was far superior. With a combination of light and hearty brunch dishes, MoRoCo offers quality food and service in a chic, trendy atmosphere: the perfect combination for a morning out with the girls. From fresh omelettes, to quiches, a delicious yogurt parfait and more, MoRoCo has a bit of everything to satisfy every appetite. Beware: the cheesy French toast is a dieter’s worst nightmare! (but totally worth the calories)

Dinner, on the other hand, was disappointing. The food wasn’t great, and the service was very slow, even though the restaurant wasn’t busy. Rather than going for dinner, I’d recommend going later in the night for drinks and dessert. Two words: chocolate fondue. For a fun treat or something a bit different, try the tabletop s’mores. Directions on the menu are as follows:

Torch to taste: 6 steps to S’mores
1.Turn on faux campfire
2.Place dark chocolate on graham cookie
3.Impale a fresh marshmallow on stick
4.Hold marshmallow one inch away from flame and rotate until toasted to your liking
5.Slam marshmallow on graham cookie and chocolate
6.Eat and repeat.

And voila! It’s just like camping...sort of.

All in all, MoRoCo Chocolat is definitely worth checking out for Sunday brunch or dessert and cocktails. Weekends are the busiest, especially Sunday brunch, so if you’re planning on going I’d recommend making a reservation so that you’re not disappointed. Or, if you don’t want to go for a meal, check out the boutique. They have delicious macarons in pretty pastel colours (made fresh daily) that would make the perfect Easter gift!




For more info, visit www.morocochocolat.com or follow them on Twitter @morocochocolat

Hotels + Twitter = ?

There’s no question that hotels have suffered over the past decade, particularly due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, as well as the 2003 SARS epidemic that plagued Toronto and many other cities. Hotel occupancy rates plummeted around the world, and though the situation has improved, the tourism industry has yet to fully recover.

It comes as no surprise that hotels are doing whatever they can to get back on track and encourage guests to visit their properties. Many hotels have turned to Twitter as a business tool, with the goal of reaching potential guests and creating an open-dialogue.

Better yet, hotels are using Twitter to generate general interest in their respective properties by giving away free stays and offering promotional deals to their Twitter followers. Last summer, Marriott International (@marriottintl) ran a “Deal of the Day” promotion solely via its Twitter account and website, offering one deal per day for a Carribbeam, Hawaiian or Canadian hotel from June 1-12.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts (@StarwoodBuzz) offers similar promotional rates via Twitter, and focuses on two-way communication with its followers. If a guest tweets about a bad experience at a Starwood property, they can expect action to be taken to rectify the situation. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Starwood! After all, there mission is to consistently exceed guests’ expectations.

It seems that people are consistently seeking lower prices and better deals from their favourite travel destinations. But they also want better service, and communicating via Twitter (or other social media outlets) is a great way for hotels to reach potential guests.

So if you like to travel and love to find great deals, try following some hotels on Twitter. You never know what kind of deal you’ll find!

Hotels + Twitter = deals

Toronto restaurants embrace social media

It seems like every month there is a new restaurant popping up in Toronto. How some survive among the competition, I have no idea... With high capital costs and heavy competition, it’s no surprise that 60% of restaurants fail within the first 2 years of starting out.

To attract new customers, maintain loyal patrons, and even just to inform the public, an increasing amount of restaurants are turning to social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook. I love going out and discovering new restaurants around the city, and there are mobile applications like UrbanSpoon that can help food lovers (like myself) find hidden gems, right in the palm of their hand!

So what Toronto restos are using Twitter and for what purpose?

• Ossington hot spot @PizzaLibretto tweets about daily specials and menu changes.

• @mildredstemple advertises their lunch “quickies” (and no, it’s not what you think.)

• @Jack_Astors has recently joined Twitter and provides updates on promotions, VIP events and menu additions. The company also shows their commitment to quality service: a couple of users seem to have posted negative comments about their visits to certain Jack Astor’s locations, and @Jack_Astors responded to each of them asking for specific details so that they can follow up. Nice touch, if you ask me!

According to a recent BlogTO post,

“restaurants are just scratching the surface of capitalizing on social media tools to build their following and attract new customers.”

More and more restaurants will jump on the Twitter bandwagon, especially with the busy patio season just around the corner. Bring on the promos!

Pampering for PR pros

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Dressing for the job

So you’ve landed an interview for what could be your dream job. You’re excited, you’re nervous, you’re daydreaming about your amazing new corner office and fat paycheck. Then comes the dreaded question: “what do I wear?”

Looking the part plays a big role in the interviewing process and I’ve always believed it’s important to dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Yeah, I know, very cliché of me...but it’s true. In my opinion, everyone should enter an interview looking put together. Here are some suggestions for staples that will help you achieve that polished look that will impress your boss and give you a confidence boost to knock your interviewer’s socks off.

A dark suit

I love when men wear suits. To me, it exudes class and can make anyone (even the sleaziest) look sharp. A nice, fitted, dark suit should be a staple in every woman’s closet... or at least every woman who hopes to advance in a corporate setting. I’m not suggesting you go out there and drop thousands of dollars on a designer suit; you’d be surprised at how reasonable some great-looking suits can be. The jackpot is when you can find a suit with both a skirt (no shorter than knee-length!) and pant option that work with your body type. Navy or black both look great and can be dressed up to work in a more formal setting. Paired with a nice blouse, the power suit is a sure way to let people know you mean business!

A classic pair of pumps

I don’t care what anyone says: toe cleavage in the office is not okay! Invest in a comfortable pair of classic, black pumps with a conservative heel. They’re so versatile and you’re sure to get your money’s worth. No one wants to see your chipped, month-old pedicure, anyway.

Conservative jewelry

The key here is to keep it simple, unless you’re a super-trendy fashionista interviewing at a funky fashion house. For a corporate setting, something as simple as small, silver stud earrings can really pull an interview outfit together and give you a polished look.

Keep in mind that these tips are more for a conservative office setting. The key is to do your research about the organization you’re interviewing at and dress accordingly. In the end, you don’t want the focus to be on what you’re wearing, but rather on your accomplishments, talent and how you carry yourself.

In the words of one of my teachers: “if you’d think of wearing something to a club, don’t wear it to an interview.” I’m really hoping that didn’t come as a shock to any of you...

Happy interviewing!

Party with a purpose: "Come Fly With Us"

The low down
On Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009, five students (myself included) from Centennial College’s Corporate Communications & PR program held an event called “Come Fly With Us.” Held at The Local Company on the Danforth, the goal of the travel-themed event was to grant the travel wish of Tyler, a young boy suffering from a brain tumour. Tyler’s wish was to go to Disney World and “Come Fly With Us” helped turn that dream into reality.

The theme
The event incorporated travel decor and activities, including a balloon pop, raffle and travel trivia. A specialty drink called the “Red Eye” was also served to promote the theme, with a portion of sales donated directly to the charity. To further enhance the travel theme, event hosts were dressed as flight attendants throughout the evening and event tickets were printed as boarding passes.

The decor
The decor throughout the lounge incorporated small silver airplanes, travel magazines and candle centre pieces. Soft lighting and ambient music helped create an intimate atmosphere where guests were free to mingle, relax and enjoy themselves while supporting a great cause. A slide show video displayed travel images of destinations from around the world, producing an inviting environment that suited the overall travel theme of the event.

The food
To satisfy hungry travelers, guests were offered mini bags of pretzels and a selection of hors d’oeuvres. Included in the selection were bruschetta, chicken wrapped in phyllo pastry and, last but not least, mini portions of Tyler’s favourite food: pizza.

The prizes
The raffles, balloon pop and travel trivia activities were very popular among guests. Prizes included two round-trip air vouchers to any Porter Airlines destination, a pair of 9th row Platinum Toronto Maple Leafs tickets, two $100 Flight Centre gift certificates and much more. Some guests were buying raffle tickets by the dozen!

The purpose? Increased awareness and funds raised
As a token of appreciation, guests were given gift bags as they left the event. Inside each gift bag was a slip of paper directing guests to an online event evaluation form. The results of the evaluation showed that “Come Fly With Us” increased awareness for the Make-A-Wish Foundation among 83 per cent of guests. Not bad!

So... how did we do?
The event was a success and could not have been possible without the support of local companies who generously provided sponsorship. “Come Fly With Us” raised $2,770 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and all funds will be channelled towards sending Tyler and his family to Disney World at the end of February.

Welcome!

This is my first attempt at blogging so please bear with me while I learn the do's and don'ts. :)

Enjoy!