The Citizen, 2016-06-09, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2016.
Blyth restaurant tops provincial TripAdvisor lists
Wanted: A new shelf
Blyth restauranter Peter Gusso, co-owner and chef at Part II Bistro, has run out of room at the
service counter in his main -street business for the awards he has been receiving. Gusso most
recently received two awards from TripAdvisor.com. The restaurant has had the top ratings in
the Canadian Cuisine and Bistro categories in Ontario from among thousands of other
restaurants. Also shown is his Top Ontario Restaurant award for 2015, also from the site.
(Denny Scott photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Blyth's Part II Bistro has once
again been recognized by
TripAdvisor for offering
consistently high-quality service and
food according to independent
reviewers.
After being named the top
restaurant in the province in 2015,
based on consistently high reviews,
the restaurant has been awarded for
being the best reviewed in the
Canadian Cuisine and the Bistro
categories and have received awards
to display.
The restaurant was up against
9,181 other sites in the Canadian
Cuisine category and 1,633 in the
bistro category.
The site ranks various tourist
locations including restaurants,
accommodations and tourist
destinations based on category -
specific qualities as well as an
overall recommendation to visit the
location again. Restaurants, for
Munro Festival crowns
short story winners
Continued from page 1
authors are when they meet them.
As for highlights of the weekend,
Sickinger said that hosting Atwood
in Blyth's historic Memorial Hall
was certainly one of the great
memories he'll take away from this
year's festival. He also feels as
though the festival broke serious
ground with its "That's So Gay"
author panel, held at F.E. Madill
Secondary School.
The event featured conversations
with Vivek Shraya, Shawn Syms and
Mariko Tamaki about the LGBT
community and how it's portrayed in
the world of literature and the
importance of accepting and
inclusive communities.
He also said that readings by
Elizabeth Hay and Sheila Heti, as
well as a special performance of
scenes from the Blyth Festival's If
Truth Be Told were also memorable.
Actors would perform scenes from
the play, which deals with banned
books, and when a book was
mentioned, one of the festival's
authors would step in and read a
passage from that book.
It was unique and offered
perspective to the stories behind the
play, Sickinger said.
At Saturday night's gala dinner,
the winners of the festival's short
story contest were also announced.
In the Adult category, Judy
Waytluk of Winnipeg placed first
with her story "The Neighbour"
while Ragna Goodwin of
Peterborough placed second with
Wits End and Melancthon's Connie
Cook placed third with "Reflections
at a Funeral".
In the Youth category, Caleb
Butcher of Ottawa's "He Waits"
placed first, while Iza Agullar of the
Waterloo region placed second with
"Remembering Autumn" and Curtis
Jeffrey of Goderich placed third for
his story "Creeping Normality".
A special prize was presented to
Menaka Raman -Wilms of Thornhill
for her story "Tissue Paper". The
special award was presented in
partnership with the Arts and Letters
Club of Toronto.
For more information, visit
www.alicemunrofestival.ca.
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example, are scored based on value,
service, food and atmosphere as well
as an overall rating. All are based on
a five-star system.
"Three months ago we heard from
TripAdvisor that we were being
honoured," co-owner and Chef
Peter Gusso said. "We had 100 per
cent recommendation and the
highest number in the two
categories."
Canadian cuisine is, according to
Gusso, his specialty.
"It's what we advertise and pride
ourselves on — having local food that
is made with Canadian products," he
said. "And the bistro award is pretty
self-explanatory."
Gusso said the honours, including
last year's best in the province
award, are based on the
recommendations the business has
on the TripAdvisor website, the
majority of which are
overwhelmingly positive with most
giving a five -of -five
recommendation for the location.
The awards are based on the
restaurant having mostly 100 per
cent recommendation ratings, with
about 10 per cent being four -out -of -
five and the rest perfect scores.
Gusso also heard recently the
restaurant was due to receive the
certificate of excellence title on the
website.
"It gives us a badge on the site as
well as a decal we can put on the
door of the restaurant," he said.
The certificate shows up as part of
the restaurant's listing whenever
anyone searches on the site.
TripAdvisor explains the mark is
given to restaurants,
accommodations or attractions that
consistently earn great reviews from
travellers.
"It really feels amazing to receive
these awards," he said. "It's great for
everyone here and really shows
everyone, my wife Sarah, myself
and the staff, that our hard work gets
noticed."
Gusso said that good food and
good atmopshere can get a
restaurant far, but the service
provided is what makes or breaks a
restaurant and he says his staff
always go the extra mile.
"We really appreciate that people
recognize how much we enjoy
having them visit," he said. "It's
amazing."
Gusso has been recognized not
only by the website, but also by
several different local organizations
and said that each time, it leaves him
honoured.
"I'm still in awe," he said. "I
think back on how some of these
awards are hard to get and
I'm thankful that everyone here
worked together to reach these
milestones."
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