“SAINT JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA – May 22, 2013 – Urban Deli today announced that it has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. The accolade, which honors hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide. Only the top-performing 10 percent of businesses listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award.

“To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor, and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months.”

We want to send out a huge thank you to everyone, the people of Saint John and those who have visited our wonderful city and its Uptown (and our Urban Deli) for all of the kind words you have written about us. You have no idea what it means to us.

Thank you!!!

Congrats again to Kim. And if you’re taking in this wonderful musical, why not plan on having some lovely Italian dining before the show with Italian by Night? Just a thought!

February Food Week

 Chop Chop Plate

Antipasti di Casa
house olives/ tomato jam/ mozzarella di bufala/ prosciutto

 Three Course

Rustico Cozze
mussels/ tomato/ white wine/cream/ herbs/ chilli

Cannelloni Vegetale
ricotta/ spinach/ tomato/ mozzarella

Peposo e Fungi
beef/ red wine/ herbs/ freshly ground pepper

Please advise your server of allergies.

For a look at the New Year’s Eve dinner menu, just follow this menu link.

There are still seats left so if you’re inclined to join us, please call the Deli at 652-3354 and ask to reserve a seat.

We’re looking forward to a great evening and hope you can join us!

One other reminder, Urban Deli and Italian by Night will be closed January 1st AND 2nd. We reopen with our regular hours Thursday, January 3rd, 2013. Have a fabulous evening tonight and all the best in the New Year!

December 24 (Christmas Eve)

Deli open. Italian by Night closed.

December 25 and 26

Deli and Italian by Night closed

December 27

Deli closed. Italian by Night open at 5PM.

December 28, 29 & 31 (New Year’s Eve!)

Deli and Italian by Night open

January 1 and 2

Deli and Italian by Night closed

January 3, 2013

Deli and Italian by Night OPEN for a brand new year!

“The fine eating establishments of uptown Saint John will again join together this fall in chopping up this mouth watering event. Between Monday, October 29 and Sunday, November 4, patrons will be treated to specials offered exclusively for this occasion.”

Both Urban Deli and Italian by Night are taking part in Chop Chop 2012. Here are the menus we have planned, one for Urban Deli (day time) and one for Italian by Night (evenings):

Monday – Saturday 11:30 – 3pm

Two Course

Chicken Panini
Chicken Panini with caramelized pear and onion, bacon & aged white cheddar. Served with daily soup or regular side choice

Dessert
Two housemade frogs/haystacks/macaroons (to eat in or take away for a mid afternoon snack)

Wednesday – Saturday starting at 5pm

Three Course

Antipasti di Chop Chop
mozzarella di bufala wrapped in crackling prosciutto, crispy fontina stuffed risotto cakes and our famous bruschetta

Lamb Shank alla Toscana
rich slow braised lamb shank, house made potato gnocchi finished with orange and garlic gremalata

Sticky Date and Orange Pudding with Warm housemade Butterscotch Sauce and Candied Orange Zest

Two Course

Bruschetta Board
grilled ciabatta drizzled with EVOO and fresh garlic, served with chopped tomato salad, ricotta drizzled with house made pesto and roasted butternut marmalata

Pappardelle Bolognese
house made hand cut pasta tossed in a rich slow-simmered sauce of beef, tomato, white wine, fresh herbs and cream

The team is back to work; Michelle, Andrew & Kim are working hard in the kitchen preparing for our new menu. One of their favourites? They say if you want to start with a melt in your mouth flavour, start with our Insalata D’ Autunno: Warm caramelized pears on fresh greens topped with Gorgonzola and walnuts.

Sharing is a great way to go! Try our Aracini or Bruschetta board that changes slightly in its presentation and ingredients each season.

The lasagna (La Gran Lasagne) is one of a kind! You can order it in Italy or at Italian by Night. What makes it great is the preparation; layers of house made pasta and IbN meatballs, scratch balsamella, tomatoes and loaded with cheese.

For autumn we’ve introduced a four course (quattro corso) menu offering. We’re excited to offer our customers an opportunity to eat their way through our menu, similar to an authentic Italian dining experience. We know you’ll leave happy and full!

As always, gluten-free pasta is available and there are so many dishes available to you on all our menus. Vegetarian? We can easily make your dining experience a great one!

Great News!!! Saturday, October 13th we’re open Saturdays

Since introducing our Italian by Night in February 2012 you’ve asked for us to be open for dinner on Saturday evenings. Now we are and we hope to see you soon! Reservations are recommended but you can certainly take your chances and drop in. We always try to accommodate you and your guests – even on short notice.

Thinking Christmas? You’re not alone. If you would like to join us for a Christmas Italian menu give me (Elizabeth) a call at 652.3354. Let’s chat and see what we can do for you! We also offer caterings and private dinners.

buon appetito!

Last November, I visited the Saint John SPCA Animal Shelter and immediately found a dog that stood out. It was a black lab named Storm.

In any city that I’ve lived I’ve always visited their SPCA. Most times I went to donate something (food, newspapers, toys) and I did it on days when my day felt like it had been a rough one. Visiting the SPCA quickly put things in perspective for me by making me understand that my days are never as bad as the lives and stories of these animals. (Not all are bad stories – just sad circumstances.)

Over the next month and a half I went back to the SPCA. One visit included a walk. Or I should say Storm walked me? He was a big guy. Finally, I asked about how fostering works. With running the Deli, I didn’t think I could manage the commitment of keeping a dog BUT … Christmas was fast approaching and like most people, the heart strings are vulnerable.

Whiskers was adopted from the Saint John SPCA a couple of years ago.

Knowing there was a spoiled cat at home named Whiskers (who had been adopted through the SPCA two years earlier) I was convinced another pet would be too much. (Whiskers has my husband John – John Mallory Fitness – trained just perfectly. It’s very cute.)

A week before Christmas and I went back to the SPCA to ask if Storm was still there and was told that a mom and her daughter had been in to see the dog and were coming back with the dad that night.

My heart sank but I was also happy to know someone was going to take Storm home.

I went back just after Christmas and to my surprise Storm was still there. No one had come back to adopt him.

This is when I filled out the foster-to-adopt paperwork.

Storm and John (John Mallory Fitness) reminds us that a happy dog is an adopted dog and without the Saint John SPCA Animal Rescue animals like him would be without a friend.

My husband and I left for a couple days to Moncton and on the way back to Saint John on New Year’s Eve I asked him if I had showed him the dog I had noticed at the SPCA. He laughed and said, “You’ve been to see that dog at least six times!”

Storm was beautiful and I couldn’t believe he had been brought into the SPCA twice. A family gave him up to the SPCA and he had been immediately adopted. But that family returned Storm thinking he could not be trained and that he did not get along with their cat.

Knowing this, my heart was sad. Every time I had visited him and I would try to pat him through the bars of his cage, he would just push against the bars into my hand and want to be petted. He never barked, whined or anything. He would just look at me with those sad brown lab eyes.

John and I got to the SPCA and he petted him, talked to him and immediately said, “We’re taking him home.”

I was thrilled. I told John I already had the fostering paperwork done.

Fast forward to mid-January and we still have this ‘foster’ dog named Storm. John takes him snow shoeing, walking and running each day. We’re now signed up for obedience classes in February. And our cat Whiskers is no longer hiding. One day Whiskers walked across the room, jumped up on the couch, reached out and swatted Storm across the head with a big meow. Since then their boundaries are set. Now they hang out quite happily.

It was a great way to bring in the New Year and Storm was finally adopted – by us. He goes to work every day with John and they’re inseparable.

Mamasita with her kittens - She is still waiting for a permanent home

Fran, our manager for Italian by Night recently fostered a mom-to-be cat and has spent a few sleepless nights ensuring the mom and her kittens have the best foster care. She’s kept us posted on the family and unfortunately has lost two of the kittens. Fran has given her time and money and has gone above and beyond in her caring for mama cat and her kittens. Her vet has also been kind and generous and has also gone above-and-beyond in supporting Fran.

At times we think there is not enough room or time in our lives for these animals others give up for their various reasons. But I think there is a pet out there for everyone who can reasonably have one.

There are a ton of great causes to support. Right now, the Saint John SPCA needs ours.

(We’re also happy to say that this past Christmas eve staff and customers at the Urban Deli / Italian by Night worked for free and donated both their time and tips to the Saint John SPCA – customers generously donated and we were able to bring them a cheque for nearly $700.)

Do you have an SPCA story? Share it in the comments or on our Facebook page. And please, if you can, help keep Saint John’s SPCA open. We need them so much!

(You can make a donation online at http://spcaanimalrescue.com/donate/ )

These are Mamasita's kittens and they all have a home except for the second kitten in this photo. You can help our SPCA by adopting, fostering or volunteering.

She’s thrilled to know there has been loads of support for the Saint John SPCA but her concern is that it is a big task and there is so much more that is needed.

So Molly wants you to know you can follow the Saint John SPCA on Twitter (@SPCAAR) and you can like them on Facebook to follow their updates.

And you can also donate pretty easily online on the donation page on their web site.

Everything helps and everything is needed. Don’t let the doors close! Help out and let’s get that anxious look off Molly’s face!

(Urban Deli and Italian by Night will be doing something — we’ll keep you posted on what we plan!)

Click here to view the embedded video.