Friday, December 28, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
News of the New...
We've known about this for about a month now, but haven't said anything to anyone since we wanted to surprise our respective families on Christmas.
Maryanne is pregnant. Great news and all, but she's been having a rough time with this over the last couple weeks (feels very sick, can't eat, no energy, etc.). As such, we probably won't be going out too often for the next few months until we (she) can get a handle on the morning sickness and stuff.
I would go myself to some movies and stuff but that's just not very much fun now is it?
Still, we have watched some movies over the last week. Watched Spiderman 3 again on DVD, and enjoyed it again. We watched Sleepy Hollow (Johnny Depp version) on TV and enjoyed that again. And we're still planning to see some of these newer movies when they come out on DVD for rental and stuff later in the month and into next year.
So, we'll be doing reviews, just not as often as before.
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
Maryanne is pregnant. Great news and all, but she's been having a rough time with this over the last couple weeks (feels very sick, can't eat, no energy, etc.). As such, we probably won't be going out too often for the next few months until we (she) can get a handle on the morning sickness and stuff.
I would go myself to some movies and stuff but that's just not very much fun now is it?
Still, we have watched some movies over the last week. Watched Spiderman 3 again on DVD, and enjoyed it again. We watched Sleepy Hollow (Johnny Depp version) on TV and enjoyed that again. And we're still planning to see some of these newer movies when they come out on DVD for rental and stuff later in the month and into next year.
So, we'll be doing reviews, just not as often as before.
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
Chili's, Maplewood - Sometime early December
I have to apologize for this review being so late, but things have been happening lately (see early posts).
His Perspective: D
She ordered a fajita combo (steak and chicken), and I ordered the Cajun rib eye.
Her first plate of food was not a fajita combo, so we sent it back. The waitress returned shortly after with the proper food saying that she called for the wrong order.
My steak on the other hand was not very good. I ordered it medium, got it medium-well to well done, and it wasn't at all tasty. I expected Cajun spices and such since it was a Cajun rib eye, and all I got was char. Also, for a rib eye, this was a very tough piece of meat. I've bought rib eye steak at the market, grocery store and butcher stores. I've prepared them in the oven (broiler), on a grill and on a camp fire. I've never had a rib eye as tough as this was. Maybe the cook was having a bad day, maybe it was just a bad cut of meat (it happens), or maybe it was just prepared wrong. Regardless, I didn't eat more than half of it and I kinda lost my appetite after that.
Won't be going back here for awhile.
His Perspective: D
She ordered a fajita combo (steak and chicken), and I ordered the Cajun rib eye.
Her first plate of food was not a fajita combo, so we sent it back. The waitress returned shortly after with the proper food saying that she called for the wrong order.
My steak on the other hand was not very good. I ordered it medium, got it medium-well to well done, and it wasn't at all tasty. I expected Cajun spices and such since it was a Cajun rib eye, and all I got was char. Also, for a rib eye, this was a very tough piece of meat. I've bought rib eye steak at the market, grocery store and butcher stores. I've prepared them in the oven (broiler), on a grill and on a camp fire. I've never had a rib eye as tough as this was. Maybe the cook was having a bad day, maybe it was just a bad cut of meat (it happens), or maybe it was just prepared wrong. Regardless, I didn't eat more than half of it and I kinda lost my appetite after that.
Won't be going back here for awhile.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
We have to apologize...
...for not having many movie reviews and other things lately. The problem is simple though; there hasn't been anything out lately that either of us have wanted to see. Although, Beowulf is out tomorrow and looks to be entertaining (I like action flicks) and I'd like to see it in the theater.
Other than that nothing has caught our eye for films or shows anywhere around town. Suggestions are always welcome though. If you know of a show, club, movie, etc. that you'd like for us to review just post a comment about it. If we like it or like the idea, we'll get to it soon. Understand that we still have standards and some things will simply not appeal to us at all, so some suggestions may not be acted on.
Other than that nothing has caught our eye for films or shows anywhere around town. Suggestions are always welcome though. If you know of a show, club, movie, etc. that you'd like for us to review just post a comment about it. If we like it or like the idea, we'll get to it soon. Understand that we still have standards and some things will simply not appeal to us at all, so some suggestions may not be acted on.
St. Paul Bar & Grill - November 14, 2007
His Perspective: A
Her Perspective: B+ (not over and above, but a great standard to hold other restaurants to)
We've found our new favorite restaurant! Kincaid's has been slipping over the last few months, so we decided to try something new. Since the St. Paul Grill is right across the street (in The Saint Paul Hotel) we figured it was worth the extra minute walk.
Worth it is an understatement. Keep in mind that that everything will cost more compared to Kincaid's or Matty B's, but it is much closer to a fine dining experience (dress is business casual still).
Our steaks were perfect, our server was on the ball. The starters we ordered were tasty but not the best we've ever had (crab cake and escargot) and even the bread they offer to all tables was quite good. The soup and salad were nice though, and the sides they offer (all À la carte) are big enough for 3 or 4 people; the mashed potatoes were exactly that, no extra over powering flavors or anything.
For dessert, she had a chocolate creme brulee and I had a slice of plain cheesecake (usually offered with sour cream), both of which were excellent.
I can't think of anything bad to say about the St. Paul Grill except that it was quite loud in the dining area until just after 8pm, after that it was quite nice.
If you want a simple and excellent dining experience, you need to try the St. Paul Grill. 'Nuff said.
Her Perspective: B+ (not over and above, but a great standard to hold other restaurants to)
We've found our new favorite restaurant! Kincaid's has been slipping over the last few months, so we decided to try something new. Since the St. Paul Grill is right across the street (in The Saint Paul Hotel) we figured it was worth the extra minute walk.
Worth it is an understatement. Keep in mind that that everything will cost more compared to Kincaid's or Matty B's, but it is much closer to a fine dining experience (dress is business casual still).
Our steaks were perfect, our server was on the ball. The starters we ordered were tasty but not the best we've ever had (crab cake and escargot) and even the bread they offer to all tables was quite good. The soup and salad were nice though, and the sides they offer (all À la carte) are big enough for 3 or 4 people; the mashed potatoes were exactly that, no extra over powering flavors or anything.
For dessert, she had a chocolate creme brulee and I had a slice of plain cheesecake (usually offered with sour cream), both of which were excellent.
I can't think of anything bad to say about the St. Paul Grill except that it was quite loud in the dining area until just after 8pm, after that it was quite nice.
If you want a simple and excellent dining experience, you need to try the St. Paul Grill. 'Nuff said.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Mission American Kitchen - November 7, 2007
Her perspective: B+
I have been to this restaurant twice now for lunch and have had an excellent experience both times. The reasoning behind the rating is that there were no problems with food or service, but there was nothing "over-and-beyond" impressive about it. It's what I should be able to expect at any restaurant. I will be comparing other restaurants to this one as the standard for what should happen.
Even though I came in by myself both times, I was treated just like any other party. They did not skimp on the service just because I was the only one at the table (which happens all too often, not as high of a check, not as high of a tip, "so why should I work hard for one person?"). This is a fine dining restaurant and I can't wait to try it for dinner.
Both times I ordered the lunch sirloin, medium. It comes with a bacon hollandaise sauce, which it to die for! It is served with french fries that have a wonderful seasoning, but I couldn't quite place what it was. I usually don't eat many fries when they come with my meal, but I ate almost all of them because they were so good. The steak was always perfectly cooked and the service was impeccable both times.
I would highly recommend this restaurant based on these two visits. If you have the money, go.
I have been to this restaurant twice now for lunch and have had an excellent experience both times. The reasoning behind the rating is that there were no problems with food or service, but there was nothing "over-and-beyond" impressive about it. It's what I should be able to expect at any restaurant. I will be comparing other restaurants to this one as the standard for what should happen.
Even though I came in by myself both times, I was treated just like any other party. They did not skimp on the service just because I was the only one at the table (which happens all too often, not as high of a check, not as high of a tip, "so why should I work hard for one person?"). This is a fine dining restaurant and I can't wait to try it for dinner.
Both times I ordered the lunch sirloin, medium. It comes with a bacon hollandaise sauce, which it to die for! It is served with french fries that have a wonderful seasoning, but I couldn't quite place what it was. I usually don't eat many fries when they come with my meal, but I ate almost all of them because they were so good. The steak was always perfectly cooked and the service was impeccable both times.
I would highly recommend this restaurant based on these two visits. If you have the money, go.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Applebee's, Maplewood Mall - October 30, 2007
Her perspective: C
His perspective: D
Let me start out by saying that I used to work at Applebee's, several locations, off and on for about 5 years.
We were seated immediately and greeted fairly quickly. William ordered a shot of Jack Daniels and a Mountain Dew. I ordered just a Mountain Dew. Our server brought the sodas and made a separate trip for the Jack. We were ready to order our food for several minutes before our server noticed.
William had ordered a caesar salad as an appetizer. It came out on a warm plate, which ended up making the salad warm, so he didn't really enjoy it. He also ordered the Bourbon Street Steak done Medium and I ordered a Chicken Finger Basket with broccoli instead of fries.
We waited over a half hour for our food and there were three other tables that were seated after us that got their food before we did. William's steak was, once again, overcooked. He ate his sides and we were both almost done by the time the server finally got around to check on us. She wasn't very attentive. She offered to put another steak on, but we both didn't want to stay that long, so he declined. She abruptly took the plate off the table and said that she would have the manager take it off. When the manager dropped off the check, she apologized and I took that opportunity to explain how long we waited. She apologized again and stated that she was in the kitchen at that time and that they had gotten backed up. It wasn't very busy and, even so, that doesn't explain how three other tables got their food before ours. My chicken fingers were good, but the broccoli was bland and under-cooked.
We have decided that should we decide to go to an Applebees, that we will go to the one in Apple Valley, since we have never had a problem there and have had problems at every other store.
His perspective: D
Let me start out by saying that I used to work at Applebee's, several locations, off and on for about 5 years.
We were seated immediately and greeted fairly quickly. William ordered a shot of Jack Daniels and a Mountain Dew. I ordered just a Mountain Dew. Our server brought the sodas and made a separate trip for the Jack. We were ready to order our food for several minutes before our server noticed.
William had ordered a caesar salad as an appetizer. It came out on a warm plate, which ended up making the salad warm, so he didn't really enjoy it. He also ordered the Bourbon Street Steak done Medium and I ordered a Chicken Finger Basket with broccoli instead of fries.
We waited over a half hour for our food and there were three other tables that were seated after us that got their food before we did. William's steak was, once again, overcooked. He ate his sides and we were both almost done by the time the server finally got around to check on us. She wasn't very attentive. She offered to put another steak on, but we both didn't want to stay that long, so he declined. She abruptly took the plate off the table and said that she would have the manager take it off. When the manager dropped off the check, she apologized and I took that opportunity to explain how long we waited. She apologized again and stated that she was in the kitchen at that time and that they had gotten backed up. It wasn't very busy and, even so, that doesn't explain how three other tables got their food before ours. My chicken fingers were good, but the broccoli was bland and under-cooked.
We have decided that should we decide to go to an Applebees, that we will go to the one in Apple Valley, since we have never had a problem there and have had problems at every other store.
Dan Kelly's - October 26, 2007
Her perspective: C
I went here for lunch with a friend from work. We get an hour for lunch. We put our name on the list and were told that it would be a 5 minute wait. We ended up waiting 15 minutes. Once we got seated, it took a while to be greeted. When our server came, he went and got our drinks before we could tell him that we were ready. It didn't seem to cross his mind at all that we were on a time crunch. It took almost a half hour for us to get our food. When my friend asked our server where our food was, he replied that it was in the kitchen somewhere. Great answer, but it didn't help us get back to work any faster. He chatted with us for a few minutes, was very friendly with lots of personality and we ended up getting our food about 5 minutes later. We had to eat quickly and my friend ended up boxing up half of her burger. The food tasted good, but we weren't really able to enjoy it, so that was disappointing. I ate most of my chicken sandwich, because we were waiting to flag someone down so we could get a box. We ended up being 15 minutes late back to work. Not that it was a huge deal, but I had to make up that time by cutting my lunch break short another day.
Any restaurant that is downtown should be aware that most people get an hour for lunch and not everyone's employer is as flexible as ours.
I went here for lunch with a friend from work. We get an hour for lunch. We put our name on the list and were told that it would be a 5 minute wait. We ended up waiting 15 minutes. Once we got seated, it took a while to be greeted. When our server came, he went and got our drinks before we could tell him that we were ready. It didn't seem to cross his mind at all that we were on a time crunch. It took almost a half hour for us to get our food. When my friend asked our server where our food was, he replied that it was in the kitchen somewhere. Great answer, but it didn't help us get back to work any faster. He chatted with us for a few minutes, was very friendly with lots of personality and we ended up getting our food about 5 minutes later. We had to eat quickly and my friend ended up boxing up half of her burger. The food tasted good, but we weren't really able to enjoy it, so that was disappointing. I ate most of my chicken sandwich, because we were waiting to flag someone down so we could get a box. We ended up being 15 minutes late back to work. Not that it was a huge deal, but I had to make up that time by cutting my lunch break short another day.
Any restaurant that is downtown should be aware that most people get an hour for lunch and not everyone's employer is as flexible as ours.
Kincaid's - October 23, 2007
Her perspective: C
His perspective: D
William and I both belong to the Kincaid's Birthday Club, so every year, we get a certificate e-mailed to us for $20 off sometime during our birthday month. It just so happened that we were able to go on my actual birthday.
I made my reservation via opentable.com, and put in the notes that it was my birthday. We were seated right away. The service was quite slow, it took more than 10 minutes to get our bottle of champagne. We got a champagne that is made by the same vineyard that makes Dom Perignon, named White Star. It was excellent for half the price of Dom!
We both ordered steaks done medium. Usually what happens is that William has the problems with food, service, cleanliness, etc. However, this time was special... just for my birthday. My steak tasted like metal. It was terrible. I tasted William's steak and it was excellent. When the server finally came back, William was almost done eating, but they offered to cook another steak for me. I accepted, but could only eat a couple of bites by then and had the rest boxed up. William had also gotten a side of scalloped sweet potatoes which had quite a lot of onion in it. The menu did not say it had any onion in it. William did not eat the potatoes, there was too much onion and they got taken off the bill. They offered to buy us dessert, but we just wanted to go. They replaced my steak, but did not take anything off the bill for that. I expected at least a small discount since William and I had to eat at separate times. We expect more at fine dining restaurants.
**I'd like to make a side comment: I am very disappointed in the content and descriptions of menus. There are things that need to be in there that aren't. Things such as if something is spicy or if it has certain ingredients that people may be allergic to such as onions. Some people can't take something spicy so if the menu doesn't say so, then that duty falls to the server to check with the customer. I happen to not mind things that are spicy and I'm not allergic to any foods, but I've been in the restaurant business long enough to see dietary restrictions due to dieting, medical conditions and allergies. I would think that in such a litigious society, restaurants would be more careful about these kinds of things. Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now.**
We ended up going to the St. Paul Grill for dessert and were very glad we did. My chocolate creme brulee was amazing and William really enjoyed apple crisp. He took some of it home because he couldn't eat all of it. We will have to go back there for dinner.
We have now had three bad experiences in a row at Kincaid's and it used to be our place to go for consistency in food and service. We will be thinking twice about going there in the future.
His perspective: D
William and I both belong to the Kincaid's Birthday Club, so every year, we get a certificate e-mailed to us for $20 off sometime during our birthday month. It just so happened that we were able to go on my actual birthday.
I made my reservation via opentable.com, and put in the notes that it was my birthday. We were seated right away. The service was quite slow, it took more than 10 minutes to get our bottle of champagne. We got a champagne that is made by the same vineyard that makes Dom Perignon, named White Star. It was excellent for half the price of Dom!
We both ordered steaks done medium. Usually what happens is that William has the problems with food, service, cleanliness, etc. However, this time was special... just for my birthday. My steak tasted like metal. It was terrible. I tasted William's steak and it was excellent. When the server finally came back, William was almost done eating, but they offered to cook another steak for me. I accepted, but could only eat a couple of bites by then and had the rest boxed up. William had also gotten a side of scalloped sweet potatoes which had quite a lot of onion in it. The menu did not say it had any onion in it. William did not eat the potatoes, there was too much onion and they got taken off the bill. They offered to buy us dessert, but we just wanted to go. They replaced my steak, but did not take anything off the bill for that. I expected at least a small discount since William and I had to eat at separate times. We expect more at fine dining restaurants.
**I'd like to make a side comment: I am very disappointed in the content and descriptions of menus. There are things that need to be in there that aren't. Things such as if something is spicy or if it has certain ingredients that people may be allergic to such as onions. Some people can't take something spicy so if the menu doesn't say so, then that duty falls to the server to check with the customer. I happen to not mind things that are spicy and I'm not allergic to any foods, but I've been in the restaurant business long enough to see dietary restrictions due to dieting, medical conditions and allergies. I would think that in such a litigious society, restaurants would be more careful about these kinds of things. Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now.**
We ended up going to the St. Paul Grill for dessert and were very glad we did. My chocolate creme brulee was amazing and William really enjoyed apple crisp. He took some of it home because he couldn't eat all of it. We will have to go back there for dinner.
We have now had three bad experiences in a row at Kincaid's and it used to be our place to go for consistency in food and service. We will be thinking twice about going there in the future.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Red Lobster, Roseville - October 17, 2007
His perspective: B-
After having a difficult experience at the Maplewood Red Lobster (tough overcooked seafood is difficult to eat after all) we decided this night to try the Roseville location instead.
A night and day difference! We had a 12 or 15 minute wait (odd on a Wednesday, eh?) and were seated in the bar area.
I had the crab linguini alfredo, she had the coconut shrimp and scampi combo.
The alfredo was pretty good (I brought it home) but I wasn't at all impressed with it or antyhing. It was an alfredo with crab, what more could I expect. Her scampi were good (nice garlic) but the fried shrimp were little wrong.
Instead of finding the sweetness of the coconut, it was that and what seemed to me to be a cajun spice as well. I wasn't expecting that, neither was she. I've never had coconut anything that was spicy like that, and it threw me a curve.
She didn't finish them, and did ask our server if they were supposed to be like that. Our server said they were. Maryanne asked why that wasn't mentioned on the menu, and the server didn't really have an answer.
Other than the oddly flavored shrimp, it was a nice visit, and better than the other store we tried. Service was prompt and polite, and we even had a couple free beverages out of the deal (free before we asked about the odd food). Overall, I liked it and I'll be back.
After having a difficult experience at the Maplewood Red Lobster (tough overcooked seafood is difficult to eat after all) we decided this night to try the Roseville location instead.
A night and day difference! We had a 12 or 15 minute wait (odd on a Wednesday, eh?) and were seated in the bar area.
I had the crab linguini alfredo, she had the coconut shrimp and scampi combo.
The alfredo was pretty good (I brought it home) but I wasn't at all impressed with it or antyhing. It was an alfredo with crab, what more could I expect. Her scampi were good (nice garlic) but the fried shrimp were little wrong.
Instead of finding the sweetness of the coconut, it was that and what seemed to me to be a cajun spice as well. I wasn't expecting that, neither was she. I've never had coconut anything that was spicy like that, and it threw me a curve.
She didn't finish them, and did ask our server if they were supposed to be like that. Our server said they were. Maryanne asked why that wasn't mentioned on the menu, and the server didn't really have an answer.
Other than the oddly flavored shrimp, it was a nice visit, and better than the other store we tried. Service was prompt and polite, and we even had a couple free beverages out of the deal (free before we asked about the odd food). Overall, I liked it and I'll be back.
Innuendo - October 19, 2007
His perspective: A-
While out and about Friday evening in Lowertown St. Paul, we found ourselves in front of Union Depot trying to think a place to eat. Across the street from us was Innuendo. I've walked past it a few times on my way out of work, and I know they've advertised burgers and chili on a semi-regular basis.
We decided to go in and try the food.
I'm glad we did. They weren't terribly busy, but it was still a little early for the Friday night crowd so I wasn't at all surprised. We pretty much had our choice of seating (was around 7pm as I recall). A quick review of the menu had me ordering a bacon cheeseburger with provolone and mayo, and Maryanne had a BBQ chicken sandwich; both came with kettle (potato) chips.
The chips were a little too crispy and hard for Maryanne, I kinda liked them (and finished both hers and mine). But that is a small thing compared to the food.
My god! For the first time in a month at least, we had friendly and very timely service, food prepared as requested, and the taste! It was GREAT! Best burger I've had in a long time (and that includes the famous burgers at the Lion's Tap). So juicy, a nice hint of butter, and quite a nice size.
Maryanne had some of my burger (and she doesn't generally like butter burgers like Culvers) and she thought it was really good. I had a bite of her chicken... so tender and juicy, better then any chicken sandwich I've ever had anywhere. She really liked it too.
We were chatting with our server afterwards, and turns out he was one of the owners. He called over another of the owners, and we proceeded into a nice conversation about the food, the service, our many recent bad experiences dining out and such.
Needless to say they were very pleased. The food, quality and service all rate high in my book. If I ever get a chance at a decent lunch during my workday, I will be stopping back for more. The lack of a solid dinner crowd worries me a little, but they are a recent addition to the area, so I'd bet most folks haven't had a chance to stop in yet. Seriously, its good food for a good price.
And to those people that say I'm impossible to please, read this article again and say that.
While out and about Friday evening in Lowertown St. Paul, we found ourselves in front of Union Depot trying to think a place to eat. Across the street from us was Innuendo. I've walked past it a few times on my way out of work, and I know they've advertised burgers and chili on a semi-regular basis.
We decided to go in and try the food.
I'm glad we did. They weren't terribly busy, but it was still a little early for the Friday night crowd so I wasn't at all surprised. We pretty much had our choice of seating (was around 7pm as I recall). A quick review of the menu had me ordering a bacon cheeseburger with provolone and mayo, and Maryanne had a BBQ chicken sandwich; both came with kettle (potato) chips.
The chips were a little too crispy and hard for Maryanne, I kinda liked them (and finished both hers and mine). But that is a small thing compared to the food.
My god! For the first time in a month at least, we had friendly and very timely service, food prepared as requested, and the taste! It was GREAT! Best burger I've had in a long time (and that includes the famous burgers at the Lion's Tap). So juicy, a nice hint of butter, and quite a nice size.
Maryanne had some of my burger (and she doesn't generally like butter burgers like Culvers) and she thought it was really good. I had a bite of her chicken... so tender and juicy, better then any chicken sandwich I've ever had anywhere. She really liked it too.
We were chatting with our server afterwards, and turns out he was one of the owners. He called over another of the owners, and we proceeded into a nice conversation about the food, the service, our many recent bad experiences dining out and such.
Needless to say they were very pleased. The food, quality and service all rate high in my book. If I ever get a chance at a decent lunch during my workday, I will be stopping back for more. The lack of a solid dinner crowd worries me a little, but they are a recent addition to the area, so I'd bet most folks haven't had a chance to stop in yet. Seriously, its good food for a good price.
And to those people that say I'm impossible to please, read this article again and say that.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Intercontinental Hotel, Milwaukee, WI - September 23-24, 2007
Her perspective: C
His perspective: F
To start off with, this hotel was very hard to find considering it was downtown. The directions on the website were incorrect due to all the construction. We had to get off on an exit farther down than the one we were supposed to take and call to get directions. We finally made it there (after having to turn around). The loading zone outside was full, but we had to park in the ramp under the hotel anyway - there was nowhere else to park. Consequently, it's $20/day to park in their ramp, EVEN if you're staying in the hotel!
We went up to the front desk and a lady at the end waved us over. Unfortunately, the place where William was standing was right in front of the door to get behind the desk and back to the office. There is a peephole, but nobody uses it, apparently. He got hit twice with the door, one of those times was quite hard and hit his hip. The guy that hit him in the hip kept apologizing, but was smiling like it was all a big joke. So we checked in and went up to our room.
The room was an king suite, more set up for a traveling businessman than a couple - including one set of towels, etc. There was a sitting room with a flat screen tv mounted to the wall and a couch that was rock hard. The bathroom was extremely tiny and the bedroom was almost completely taken up by the bed. There was a desk in the bedroom that the tv sat on which had some space to sit, but it also doubled as the dresser. Not to mention that the beautiful view of downtown Milwaukee advertised on the website was actually the grungy, dirty roof tops. Since there was no room for our suitcase out in the room, I unpacked it into the drawers. They would not stay closed - they kept rolling open. Also, the closet doors were sticking. While I was dealing with that, William was in the bathroom cleaning the ice bucket which was covered in dust. Looking around, there was quite a lot that was covered in dust. I called the front desk and told them about the drawers and that we didn't think we would need to clean the room when we got here. They said they would send someone up from housekeeping.
However, the assistant engineer came up instead. As a temporary fix for the drawers, he put velcro on them. What it required was re-leveling of the whole desk/dresser and that would require some time and more manpower. We started telling him about all the things that we were finding and that we had expected more for $230/night. He tried to offer us free movies and free drinks to try to make up for some of our issues, but part of the reason for the trip was to go to a restaurant/bar called The Safehouse, so we weren't going to be there to watch movies and we would be getting our drinks at the bar. He then suggested an upgrade to their Grand King Suite. We agreed and he left to check on availability. When he returned, he had keys for the other room and we went up to check out the room before we moved all our stuff.
This room was much more like we had been expecting for a four star hotel. It was roomier and had a much better view as well as a wet bar. We got our stuff and settled in a bit before heading out to dinner. The restaurant is in walking distance from the hotel, which is one reason we picked it. We got back late and fell asleep watching a movie on tv.
When William got up the next morning, he realized that there were things missing in the wet bar, yet we hadn't touched it. However when he mentioned this to the desk staff at checkout they said we wouldn't be charged.
We went for breakfast later that morning at Kil@wat. This is advertised as elegent and fine dining, and is part of the hotel.
In reality, it was dark, oddly decorated with mismatched colors, and did I mention it was dark? The 'best table in the place' overlooked the intersection in front of the hotel which was currently under construction.
The food was OK, but highly overpriced. We paid $13 for eggs benedict, $22 for steak and eggs, and $8 for oatmeal. The steak went back; William asked for it Medium and recieved it Well Done. The food was fine, but really doesn't warrant such high prices. If you also account for the decor, then they really need to lower the prices, add some lights and other interesting electrical features to match the name of the place, and advertise. It was dead while we were eating.
They also need to work on the staff. We spent a lot of time waiting for a server or someone to come out from the back area and check on us. We waited 20 minutes for drink refills, had to wait 15 minutes to send back my steak, and neither of our servers (we had 2 apparently) came back to check on us after we were served the food. Very bad form folks.
Having to swithc rooms, and still reclean the new room just after it had been services, poor food quality and very high prices all culminated to a poor overall experience.
Note from William: We spent a lot fo money on this weekend stay for our wedding anniversary, which they knew about since we told them in the reservation, when we checked in, and when the nice maintenance man got us a new room. If this is how they treat prospective regular customers, I'd hate to see how the real regulars get treated.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Romano's Macaroni Grill - September 19, 2007
Her perspective: F
His perspective: F
We do not give out an F lightly. The experience has to be truly horrible for us to give out an F.
That being said, let's start with how we were seated. The only wait we had was that the hosts could not seat the tables fast enough; no big deal. As we were waiting in line, William noticed that the bar area was not as crowded as the restaurant, so it would be a bit quieter. When the manager came to seat us, we asked for a table in the bar and were seated immediately. However, we noticed that the manager, in telling the bartender that he would help him out if need be, they got into an argument. We're not sure if they were arguing because the bartender was too busy with 5 tables to take another one or if the bartender was upset that he wasn't getting to take another table. Either way, we had a server named Erin. Until we got greeted, we were thinking of leaving and going somewhere else if it was such a problem for us to be seated where we were.
Looking at the menu, I noticed that they carry Asti Spumante. It is extremely rare to find a restaurant that serves sweet sparkling wine, much less my favorite, so we ordered a bottle. The server was attentive at this time and gave us plenty of opportunity to decide. We both ordered caesar salads, but mine had a lot of the white part of the lettuce, which I don't like, and didn't have much dressing. William ordered a combination dinner called "Mama's Trio" which includes chicken parmesan, nine-layer lasagna and canneloni. I ordered a filet with broccoli substituted for the asparagus. Let's start with the positives, of which aren't much. My steak was cooked perfectly and had a tasty sauce. Now for the negatives. My potatoes were very bland for being garlic mashed potatoes and my broccoli was cold by the time it got to the table. William's whole meal was horrible. The chicken parmesan was like it was chicken pieces pressed together, breaded and frozen. The meat in the canneloni and the lasagna tasted burnt and the cheese was the consistency of snot. He stopped eating and pushed the plate to the end of the table where it sat for at least 15 minutes before the server came over to ask if he wanted a box. He explained what was wrong with it, and, rather than taking the offending plate away, she left to get a manager. The manager came over and William had to explain it all again. She apologized several times and agreed to take his meal off the bill. She then asked me how my meal was and I replied with my issues. She told us she would adjust the bill accordingly. Considering my restaurant management experience, the manager did everything she should have. Unfortunately, the damage was already done.
The server dropped off the check and explained that the manager had taken William's meal and both our salads off the bill to compensate for both of our problems. As I was figuring out the tip, the manager returned to make sure that the server had explained the comps. Even though we replied that she had, the manager still felt the need to explain it again. In doing so, she was keeping us from finishing with our credit card slip so we could leave. Since William wasn't feeling well by this point, all we wanted was to get home.
We have been to this location before, and I have been to other locations in the past as well. I have never had a problem at other locations, but I now refuse to go back to the Rosedale Mall location. Our last visit wasn't exactly problematic, like this one, but it just wasn't very good. I would go to other locations if friends or family want to go, but not this one.
All in all, a very bad experience. Like I said, we don't give out an F lightly, but this visit deserved it.
His perspective: F
We do not give out an F lightly. The experience has to be truly horrible for us to give out an F.
That being said, let's start with how we were seated. The only wait we had was that the hosts could not seat the tables fast enough; no big deal. As we were waiting in line, William noticed that the bar area was not as crowded as the restaurant, so it would be a bit quieter. When the manager came to seat us, we asked for a table in the bar and were seated immediately. However, we noticed that the manager, in telling the bartender that he would help him out if need be, they got into an argument. We're not sure if they were arguing because the bartender was too busy with 5 tables to take another one or if the bartender was upset that he wasn't getting to take another table. Either way, we had a server named Erin. Until we got greeted, we were thinking of leaving and going somewhere else if it was such a problem for us to be seated where we were.
Looking at the menu, I noticed that they carry Asti Spumante. It is extremely rare to find a restaurant that serves sweet sparkling wine, much less my favorite, so we ordered a bottle. The server was attentive at this time and gave us plenty of opportunity to decide. We both ordered caesar salads, but mine had a lot of the white part of the lettuce, which I don't like, and didn't have much dressing. William ordered a combination dinner called "Mama's Trio" which includes chicken parmesan, nine-layer lasagna and canneloni. I ordered a filet with broccoli substituted for the asparagus. Let's start with the positives, of which aren't much. My steak was cooked perfectly and had a tasty sauce. Now for the negatives. My potatoes were very bland for being garlic mashed potatoes and my broccoli was cold by the time it got to the table. William's whole meal was horrible. The chicken parmesan was like it was chicken pieces pressed together, breaded and frozen. The meat in the canneloni and the lasagna tasted burnt and the cheese was the consistency of snot. He stopped eating and pushed the plate to the end of the table where it sat for at least 15 minutes before the server came over to ask if he wanted a box. He explained what was wrong with it, and, rather than taking the offending plate away, she left to get a manager. The manager came over and William had to explain it all again. She apologized several times and agreed to take his meal off the bill. She then asked me how my meal was and I replied with my issues. She told us she would adjust the bill accordingly. Considering my restaurant management experience, the manager did everything she should have. Unfortunately, the damage was already done.
The server dropped off the check and explained that the manager had taken William's meal and both our salads off the bill to compensate for both of our problems. As I was figuring out the tip, the manager returned to make sure that the server had explained the comps. Even though we replied that she had, the manager still felt the need to explain it again. In doing so, she was keeping us from finishing with our credit card slip so we could leave. Since William wasn't feeling well by this point, all we wanted was to get home.
We have been to this location before, and I have been to other locations in the past as well. I have never had a problem at other locations, but I now refuse to go back to the Rosedale Mall location. Our last visit wasn't exactly problematic, like this one, but it just wasn't very good. I would go to other locations if friends or family want to go, but not this one.
All in all, a very bad experience. Like I said, we don't give out an F lightly, but this visit deserved it.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Matty B's - September 7, 2007
Her perspective: C-
I made a reservation for our anniversary dinner at one of our favorite places, Matty B's, in downtown St. Paul, via opentable.com. There is a section on the site to put in special requests, so I put in that is was our anniversary and we would like a booth or at least a quiet table. They called us a couple of days in advance to let us know that they did not have any booths available due to a wedding reception that was taking up that whole side of the restaurant. I was glad for that level of service so we wouldn't be surprised when we walked in the door. It's what I expected from them.
However, when we got there, the only tables that were being seated, other than the wedding party, were in a room that was still quite open to the rest of the restaurant. We were given our choice of table, and we chose the table farthest away from a group of four rather loud ladies. Unfortunately, that meant that we could not get away far enough from them. They were being disruptive to our nice quiet anniversary dinner, they were so loud. We stayed, hoping that they might quite down once they started eating.
To our dismay, once the wedding party arrived, the din in the restaurant was akin to going to Friday's or your local sports bar. We were only barely aware of the food as we were so distracted by the noise.
We got an appetizer of bacon-wrapped, blackened shrimp. Some of the bacon was burnt and it seemed a tad overseasoned. William got a meatloaf that he's had before and it was decent. I had a halibut that was quite good. They did buy us a dessert since it was our anniversary, for which I chose the Bananas Foster. It's very hard to find a restaurant that will do a flambe since it tends to be a fire hazard if the one who's preparing it is inexperienced. It was fun to watch the chef prepare this flaming dish tableside. However, it didn't have much flavor to it. I've had much better.
All in all, we were disappointed. Had we realized beforehand that it was going to be that noisy in there, we would have gone another night or gone somewhere else. This is not necessarily the restaurant's fault. They did inform us that there would be a wedding party and we should have realized that it would be loud, being that our own wedding wasn't that long ago. We would have appreciated it, though, if the hostess had been thinking along those lines and asked us if perhaps we would like to come in earlier to try to avoid that party or if we would like to reschedule for another night that wasn't that busy, especially since I had specifically requested a quiet table. Keep in mind that September 7th is not our actual anniversary, the 10th is, so we have no problem celebrating on a different day. I know not everyone is that flexible, but I would rather go out on a Friday night to celebrate when neither of us have to work the next day, than stay up late on a "school night."
I made a reservation for our anniversary dinner at one of our favorite places, Matty B's, in downtown St. Paul, via opentable.com. There is a section on the site to put in special requests, so I put in that is was our anniversary and we would like a booth or at least a quiet table. They called us a couple of days in advance to let us know that they did not have any booths available due to a wedding reception that was taking up that whole side of the restaurant. I was glad for that level of service so we wouldn't be surprised when we walked in the door. It's what I expected from them.
However, when we got there, the only tables that were being seated, other than the wedding party, were in a room that was still quite open to the rest of the restaurant. We were given our choice of table, and we chose the table farthest away from a group of four rather loud ladies. Unfortunately, that meant that we could not get away far enough from them. They were being disruptive to our nice quiet anniversary dinner, they were so loud. We stayed, hoping that they might quite down once they started eating.
To our dismay, once the wedding party arrived, the din in the restaurant was akin to going to Friday's or your local sports bar. We were only barely aware of the food as we were so distracted by the noise.
We got an appetizer of bacon-wrapped, blackened shrimp. Some of the bacon was burnt and it seemed a tad overseasoned. William got a meatloaf that he's had before and it was decent. I had a halibut that was quite good. They did buy us a dessert since it was our anniversary, for which I chose the Bananas Foster. It's very hard to find a restaurant that will do a flambe since it tends to be a fire hazard if the one who's preparing it is inexperienced. It was fun to watch the chef prepare this flaming dish tableside. However, it didn't have much flavor to it. I've had much better.
All in all, we were disappointed. Had we realized beforehand that it was going to be that noisy in there, we would have gone another night or gone somewhere else. This is not necessarily the restaurant's fault. They did inform us that there would be a wedding party and we should have realized that it would be loud, being that our own wedding wasn't that long ago. We would have appreciated it, though, if the hostess had been thinking along those lines and asked us if perhaps we would like to come in earlier to try to avoid that party or if we would like to reschedule for another night that wasn't that busy, especially since I had specifically requested a quiet table. Keep in mind that September 7th is not our actual anniversary, the 10th is, so we have no problem celebrating on a different day. I know not everyone is that flexible, but I would rather go out on a Friday night to celebrate when neither of us have to work the next day, than stay up late on a "school night."
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Something different
I took an online IQ test:
Get a Free IQ Test
They also posted this after it:
IQs of famous people:
Albert Eeinstein IQ Score 160
Bill Clinton IQ Score 137
Bill Gates IQ Score 160
George W. Bush IQ Score 125
Stephen Hawking IQ Score 160
Jodie Foster IQ Score 132
Ben Franklin IQ Score 160
Charles Darwin IQ Score 165
Blaise Pascal IQ Score 195
FDR IQ Score 147
Plato IQ Score 170
Mozart IQ Score 165
Johann Sebastian Bach IQ Score 165
Get a Free IQ Test
They also posted this after it:
IQs of famous people:
Albert Eeinstein IQ Score 160
Bill Clinton IQ Score 137
Bill Gates IQ Score 160
George W. Bush IQ Score 125
Stephen Hawking IQ Score 160
Jodie Foster IQ Score 132
Ben Franklin IQ Score 160
Charles Darwin IQ Score 165
Blaise Pascal IQ Score 195
FDR IQ Score 147
Plato IQ Score 170
Mozart IQ Score 165
Johann Sebastian Bach IQ Score 165
Monday, August 13, 2007
Kincaid's, St. Paul - August 10, 2007
Her perspective: C+
His perspective: C-
This restaurant is one of the reasons we started this blog, but since it's fine dining, we can only afford to go there on occasion. This is usually one of the most consistent in service and food.
However, this visit was not up to their usual par. We were seated immediately, even though we were a few minutes early for our 8:15 reservation. But looking around the restaurant, I wondered why we were unable to get a reservation for 7:00 or 7:30. The place was not even half full. We were seated in the upper level of the dining room, in the more contemporary side. The lower level looks a little more formal and quiet. Also, we were seated right next to a family of four with two small children. Considering that we were obviously a couple, it would have been nice to be seated farther away, especially since there were quite a few tables available. Luckily, the children were very well behaved, but I have been next to my share of unruly children when all I wanted was a quiet dinner.
Our server was rather unattentive, even though he only had one other table, and didn't have much personality. It seemed like he was rushing away from our table to take care of his other table. That's just plain rude. He was knowledgeable about the wines and took the time to explain what we had ordered since it was obvious we had never tried that particular wine before. Our busser was right on top of things the whole night, which, unfortunately, was better than our server.
We noticed that the menu had changed, and William commented that there wasn't much on there that he would order anymore. I think if I'm willing to try something new, there would be plenty that I could order. And there's always their steaks...
I don't usually like seafood, but I'm trying to try new things, so we ordered crabcakes as an appetizer. There were two sauces on the plate under the two crabcakes. I liked the "sweet and sour" sauce better than the white one, but the crabcakes were fairly tasty, although a little dry without sauce. Shortly thereafter, we were served our caesar salads. Warning: there is a deep fried anchovy on this salad. If you don't like them, please be aware.
Several minutes after our salad plates had been cleared, our server stopped by to inform us that the printer had gone down in the kitchen and it would be about 10 more minutes for our entrees. Having worked in restaurants, I know that there is always a contingency plan in place for this kind of thing which should make it seamless for the guests. Honestly, I do think the printers went down, but I also think that our server forgot to send for our food once we received our salads, which would be unacceptable.
William had ordered king crab legs and I stepped completely out of my comfort zone and ordered their cedar-wrapped salmon special. I was very pleasantly surprised; this dish was phenomenal! I had fully expected to not enjoy this, but I ate the whole filet of salmon and would definitely order it again if it's offered. The flavor was spicy, without being spicy-hot and there was so much flavor, that I was quite amazed that I was eating fish! William's crab was decent, but he wasn't impressed.
We did order dessert: William got cheesecake with chocolate sauce and an Irish Coffee while I got a chocolate torte and a cup of coffee. William devoured his cheesecake as usual. I was a little disappointed that the torte wasn't heated more. Interestingly, though, there was both vanilla bean ice cream and creme anglaise accompanying it - not a bad thing, just interesting. Very tasty, though, especially with the sliced strawberry garnish.
We will be back, because we know that this is not typical of the service here. The food is always good and it is still one of our favorite places.
His perspective: C-
This restaurant is one of the reasons we started this blog, but since it's fine dining, we can only afford to go there on occasion. This is usually one of the most consistent in service and food.
However, this visit was not up to their usual par. We were seated immediately, even though we were a few minutes early for our 8:15 reservation. But looking around the restaurant, I wondered why we were unable to get a reservation for 7:00 or 7:30. The place was not even half full. We were seated in the upper level of the dining room, in the more contemporary side. The lower level looks a little more formal and quiet. Also, we were seated right next to a family of four with two small children. Considering that we were obviously a couple, it would have been nice to be seated farther away, especially since there were quite a few tables available. Luckily, the children were very well behaved, but I have been next to my share of unruly children when all I wanted was a quiet dinner.
Our server was rather unattentive, even though he only had one other table, and didn't have much personality. It seemed like he was rushing away from our table to take care of his other table. That's just plain rude. He was knowledgeable about the wines and took the time to explain what we had ordered since it was obvious we had never tried that particular wine before. Our busser was right on top of things the whole night, which, unfortunately, was better than our server.
We noticed that the menu had changed, and William commented that there wasn't much on there that he would order anymore. I think if I'm willing to try something new, there would be plenty that I could order. And there's always their steaks...
I don't usually like seafood, but I'm trying to try new things, so we ordered crabcakes as an appetizer. There were two sauces on the plate under the two crabcakes. I liked the "sweet and sour" sauce better than the white one, but the crabcakes were fairly tasty, although a little dry without sauce. Shortly thereafter, we were served our caesar salads. Warning: there is a deep fried anchovy on this salad. If you don't like them, please be aware.
Several minutes after our salad plates had been cleared, our server stopped by to inform us that the printer had gone down in the kitchen and it would be about 10 more minutes for our entrees. Having worked in restaurants, I know that there is always a contingency plan in place for this kind of thing which should make it seamless for the guests. Honestly, I do think the printers went down, but I also think that our server forgot to send for our food once we received our salads, which would be unacceptable.
William had ordered king crab legs and I stepped completely out of my comfort zone and ordered their cedar-wrapped salmon special. I was very pleasantly surprised; this dish was phenomenal! I had fully expected to not enjoy this, but I ate the whole filet of salmon and would definitely order it again if it's offered. The flavor was spicy, without being spicy-hot and there was so much flavor, that I was quite amazed that I was eating fish! William's crab was decent, but he wasn't impressed.
We did order dessert: William got cheesecake with chocolate sauce and an Irish Coffee while I got a chocolate torte and a cup of coffee. William devoured his cheesecake as usual. I was a little disappointed that the torte wasn't heated more. Interestingly, though, there was both vanilla bean ice cream and creme anglaise accompanying it - not a bad thing, just interesting. Very tasty, though, especially with the sliced strawberry garnish.
We will be back, because we know that this is not typical of the service here. The food is always good and it is still one of our favorite places.
Friday, August 10, 2007
thistles - August 10, 2007
4168 W Broadway Avenue
Robbinsdale, MN 55420
Her perspective: B
I went out to lunch by myself and had been wanting to try this place for a while. I entered through the rear entrance (there are two entrances) and was greeted immediately by a busy server. She bustled a bit for a minute, then seated me after asking if I wanted to sit inside or outside.
The decor was that of a very nice cafe; casual, but elegant. The service staff is in casual attire and the kitchen is actually in the same room. They do have a small bar, and, I didn't notice it at first, but there is another room. Considering the room I walked into was quite small (only about 10 tables), it makes sense.
I ordered a lemonade and looked over the menu. It was a combination of things that I would expect to see on a fine dining lunch menu - from lobster bisque to seafood dishes. It was quite reasonably priced, under $20 for entrees. I ordered the chicken fettuccine and settled in to read my book.
This dish is very tasty. The pasta and chicken were tender, the chicken had a nice crisp to it like it was sauteed. The sauce was great! It almost didn't need any seasoning, but I couldn't taste any garlic. That was a bit disappointing since I like garlic so much, but the flavor was very good even without it. There was crumbled bacon mixed in and it was garnished with shaved parmesan. Very nice! I finished every bite, which is quite uncharacteristic of me. This is the kind of food I would expect from a fine dining restaurant.
Since I was reading, the server left me alone, only stopping by for the necessary check-back on my food.
I would definitely recommend this restaurant to others and would like to try it for dinner some night soon.
Robbinsdale, MN 55420
Her perspective: B
I went out to lunch by myself and had been wanting to try this place for a while. I entered through the rear entrance (there are two entrances) and was greeted immediately by a busy server. She bustled a bit for a minute, then seated me after asking if I wanted to sit inside or outside.
The decor was that of a very nice cafe; casual, but elegant. The service staff is in casual attire and the kitchen is actually in the same room. They do have a small bar, and, I didn't notice it at first, but there is another room. Considering the room I walked into was quite small (only about 10 tables), it makes sense.
I ordered a lemonade and looked over the menu. It was a combination of things that I would expect to see on a fine dining lunch menu - from lobster bisque to seafood dishes. It was quite reasonably priced, under $20 for entrees. I ordered the chicken fettuccine and settled in to read my book.
This dish is very tasty. The pasta and chicken were tender, the chicken had a nice crisp to it like it was sauteed. The sauce was great! It almost didn't need any seasoning, but I couldn't taste any garlic. That was a bit disappointing since I like garlic so much, but the flavor was very good even without it. There was crumbled bacon mixed in and it was garnished with shaved parmesan. Very nice! I finished every bite, which is quite uncharacteristic of me. This is the kind of food I would expect from a fine dining restaurant.
Since I was reading, the server left me alone, only stopping by for the necessary check-back on my food.
I would definitely recommend this restaurant to others and would like to try it for dinner some night soon.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Champps, Maplewood - August 6, 2007
Her Perspective: C
His perspective: D
This restaurant is unique in that it has enclosed the bar so people can smoke. That's one reason William likes this place. We went for dinner and sat at the rail of the bar. We were greeted generally quickly by the bartender, who continued to be somewhat attentive throughout our visit. He was also very friendly. Since they serve Pepsi product, William couldn't get his usual Jack and Coke, so he settled for a beer. I ordered a cocktail I used to drink regularly, a Purple Rain. It was mixed perfectly. We got our drinks quickly and a few minutes later (the bartender had almost a full rail, so he was busy), he asked us if we would like menus. We looked them over and waited a few more minutes to order.
We started with southwest style Egg Rolls (similar to Chili's, but we wanted to compare) and cheese curds. The Egg Rolls are better tasting than Chili's, but most of them were refrigerator cold in the middle. The cheese curds were burnt. These were taken off the bill.
For entrees, I ordered the Cajun Shrimp Penne and William ordered the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. My plate presentation was sloppy with sauce slopped on the rim and even some sauce underneath the plate. I was very disappointed when I started eating because there was no flavor to the dish. Being that it's supposed to be cajun, I expected some spice and some flavor, but all I could taste were the noodles themselves. I pushed my plate forward and the bartender asked if I needed a box. I told him that there was no flavor to the dish and asked if I could look at the menu again. I ordered some potato skins. These were very hot and fresh, tasted decent, but they needed salt and pepper. However, a server had come by and taken our salt and pepper shakers to be washed. William's dish was also quite bland and needed salt, but we still had the shakers at that point.
Regarding value for the money, I would say they are somewhat overpriced. We were charged $6.29 for four potato skins. I would expect to get six for that price since it's cheap to make, especially since our food experience had been much less than stellar. The other dishes had a large amount of food compared to the price.
My dish was taken off the bill and the bartender even bought us a round of drinks. However, William had told him that he just wanted a Mountain Dew, but the bartender cracked another beer and told him it was on the house anyway.
Over all, we were very disappointed in a place that usually has much better food than this. The service was decent - nothing to write home about, but they did take care of us and whatever problems we had how I would expect a restaurant should.
His perspective: D
This restaurant is unique in that it has enclosed the bar so people can smoke. That's one reason William likes this place. We went for dinner and sat at the rail of the bar. We were greeted generally quickly by the bartender, who continued to be somewhat attentive throughout our visit. He was also very friendly. Since they serve Pepsi product, William couldn't get his usual Jack and Coke, so he settled for a beer. I ordered a cocktail I used to drink regularly, a Purple Rain. It was mixed perfectly. We got our drinks quickly and a few minutes later (the bartender had almost a full rail, so he was busy), he asked us if we would like menus. We looked them over and waited a few more minutes to order.
We started with southwest style Egg Rolls (similar to Chili's, but we wanted to compare) and cheese curds. The Egg Rolls are better tasting than Chili's, but most of them were refrigerator cold in the middle. The cheese curds were burnt. These were taken off the bill.
For entrees, I ordered the Cajun Shrimp Penne and William ordered the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. My plate presentation was sloppy with sauce slopped on the rim and even some sauce underneath the plate. I was very disappointed when I started eating because there was no flavor to the dish. Being that it's supposed to be cajun, I expected some spice and some flavor, but all I could taste were the noodles themselves. I pushed my plate forward and the bartender asked if I needed a box. I told him that there was no flavor to the dish and asked if I could look at the menu again. I ordered some potato skins. These were very hot and fresh, tasted decent, but they needed salt and pepper. However, a server had come by and taken our salt and pepper shakers to be washed. William's dish was also quite bland and needed salt, but we still had the shakers at that point.
Regarding value for the money, I would say they are somewhat overpriced. We were charged $6.29 for four potato skins. I would expect to get six for that price since it's cheap to make, especially since our food experience had been much less than stellar. The other dishes had a large amount of food compared to the price.
My dish was taken off the bill and the bartender even bought us a round of drinks. However, William had told him that he just wanted a Mountain Dew, but the bartender cracked another beer and told him it was on the house anyway.
Over all, we were very disappointed in a place that usually has much better food than this. The service was decent - nothing to write home about, but they did take care of us and whatever problems we had how I would expect a restaurant should.
Spamalot - August 4, 2007
Synopsis: Monty Python's SPAMALOT is the outrageous new musical comedy lovingly ripped off from the film classic “Monty Python and The Holy Grail.” Directed by Tony Award-winner Mike Nichols, with a book by Eric Idle and music and lyrics by the Grammy Award-winning team of Mr. Idle and John Du Prez, Spamalot tells the tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they embark on their quest for the Holy Grail. Flying cows, killer rabbits, taunting Frenchmen and show-stopping musical numbers are just a few of the reasons audiences everywhere are eating up Spamalot.
Her perspective: A
As a fan of Monty Python, I was thrilled to be able to see this show. It was technically perfect, the acting was superb and the jokes were delivered in the true style of Monty Python. They even used John Cleese's voice for the voice of God.
The program had us rolling before the show even started with "fake" show description and credits. In the movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, it was "llamas" and jokes about people being sacked. In this program, it was something about Finland, entirely set in a sauna.
I was impressed that most of the actors playing the Knights of the Round Table looked remarkably like the orginal actors from the film. Except for Lancelot who looked like a dead ringer for Bruce Campbell.
There was a good amount of audience participation, including the Holy Grail being hidden under seat D101, a sing-along after the bows and confetti falling from the ceiling.
I loved this play! If I had more money, I'd go see it again, but I'll settle for the shirt, buttons and coconuts I bought as souveniers for now.
Her perspective: A
As a fan of Monty Python, I was thrilled to be able to see this show. It was technically perfect, the acting was superb and the jokes were delivered in the true style of Monty Python. They even used John Cleese's voice for the voice of God.
The program had us rolling before the show even started with "fake" show description and credits. In the movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, it was "llamas" and jokes about people being sacked. In this program, it was something about Finland, entirely set in a sauna.
I was impressed that most of the actors playing the Knights of the Round Table looked remarkably like the orginal actors from the film. Except for Lancelot who looked like a dead ringer for Bruce Campbell.
There was a good amount of audience participation, including the Holy Grail being hidden under seat D101, a sing-along after the bows and confetti falling from the ceiling.
I loved this play! If I had more money, I'd go see it again, but I'll settle for the shirt, buttons and coconuts I bought as souveniers for now.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Day by Day Cafe - August 5, 2007
477 7th Street West
St. Paul, MN 55102
Ok, I know the blog title is An EVENING in the TC, but sometimes you just gotta write a place up regardless of the time or location.
In this case, we stopped in for breakfast at the Day. We've been here a few times previously (and recently) but today was an exception.
I used to rate this place as one of my top 5 favorite places to eat (not always the best places). In the last year it moved to the top 10. Today it got bumped off the overall top 25 (and I really do have a list).
His Perspective: D
Where to start...
There is usually a line on Sunday mornings. Some days the line is shorter than others and you get seated rather quickly. Today was short, and we were seated perhaps 10 minutes after arriving. We ordered drinks right away.
The drinks arrived a few minutes later, and we placed our orders. Maryanne specifically asked for peanut butter with her meal when we ordered. She ordered a short stack of french toast, I ordered my fav meal there called the Heart Stopper: 3 eggs, 4 bacon or sausage, hashbrowns with cheese and toast. Got mine this time with sausage.
25 minutes later our food was delivered... They were busy but not overly so, and the food we ordered was generally rather quick to prepare, so I can't figure out why we had to wait 25 minutes for food. Other people arriving and being seated after us were served their food before us, so maybe there was just a mix up in the kitchen. Regardless, that generally shouldn't happen.
Food was delivered, Maryanne had to ask again for peanut butter.
Being a general gentleman, I waited to start eating until she had everything she needed and started eating her meal.
10 minutes later, she was angry enough to go find someone to get her peanut butter for her. She started asking two different waitresses, but they both turned and walked away while being asked. That's rather rude in my mind, and very poor customer service regardless. Maryanne ended up walking over to the cashier and asked. They walked back into the room we were seated in and Maryanne was given two cups of peanut butter from the cabinet in our room, not 15 feet from our table.
She had to ask 5 people for something that was already in our room, easily within reach.
Now I understand that by waiting for her my food got cold, but I can still tell if something is under or overcooked. My eggs were overcooked, sausage and hashbrowns were undercooked.
Her short stack of french toast was more like a loaf of french bread (more the shape of the loaf actually) sliced horizontally down the middle. She had two of these slices, one half the size of the other. I thought the menu said 'stack'.
I had to wait for a drink refill more than 15 minutes.
We had to wait 20 minutes to pay our bill (pay at the table, but the neither the waiter or waitress that were serving us seemed interested in stopping back, not even to check on the food). He asked if we needed change, and I said 'Absolutely yes we need change.' Our bill was $19.05, and we paid with a $20 bill. He counted out our change and walked away.
To be honest, I wouldn't have minded the long waits for things if the service was even close to spot-on. Instead the service only highlighted all the other flaws in our meal, and actually made us both rather angry and quite eager to leave.
If you're a regular, you'll get better service because the wait staff knows your face or knows you by name, and tends to serve you better. If your an infrequent customer or first timer, try not to go during regular meal times when they are busy. That perhaps might get you adequate service. Also, we always sit inside the building instead of the outdoor area in back of the restaurant, and I've always noted faster service outside than in. Perhaps in a few months we might go back again, and if we do I'm sitting outside weather permitting.
If you like the food, then go to Mickey's instead. Same food (or better), faster service.
St. Paul, MN 55102
Ok, I know the blog title is An EVENING in the TC, but sometimes you just gotta write a place up regardless of the time or location.
In this case, we stopped in for breakfast at the Day. We've been here a few times previously (and recently) but today was an exception.
I used to rate this place as one of my top 5 favorite places to eat (not always the best places). In the last year it moved to the top 10. Today it got bumped off the overall top 25 (and I really do have a list).
His Perspective: D
Where to start...
There is usually a line on Sunday mornings. Some days the line is shorter than others and you get seated rather quickly. Today was short, and we were seated perhaps 10 minutes after arriving. We ordered drinks right away.
The drinks arrived a few minutes later, and we placed our orders. Maryanne specifically asked for peanut butter with her meal when we ordered. She ordered a short stack of french toast, I ordered my fav meal there called the Heart Stopper: 3 eggs, 4 bacon or sausage, hashbrowns with cheese and toast. Got mine this time with sausage.
25 minutes later our food was delivered... They were busy but not overly so, and the food we ordered was generally rather quick to prepare, so I can't figure out why we had to wait 25 minutes for food. Other people arriving and being seated after us were served their food before us, so maybe there was just a mix up in the kitchen. Regardless, that generally shouldn't happen.
Food was delivered, Maryanne had to ask again for peanut butter.
Being a general gentleman, I waited to start eating until she had everything she needed and started eating her meal.
10 minutes later, she was angry enough to go find someone to get her peanut butter for her. She started asking two different waitresses, but they both turned and walked away while being asked. That's rather rude in my mind, and very poor customer service regardless. Maryanne ended up walking over to the cashier and asked. They walked back into the room we were seated in and Maryanne was given two cups of peanut butter from the cabinet in our room, not 15 feet from our table.
She had to ask 5 people for something that was already in our room, easily within reach.
Now I understand that by waiting for her my food got cold, but I can still tell if something is under or overcooked. My eggs were overcooked, sausage and hashbrowns were undercooked.
Her short stack of french toast was more like a loaf of french bread (more the shape of the loaf actually) sliced horizontally down the middle. She had two of these slices, one half the size of the other. I thought the menu said 'stack'.
I had to wait for a drink refill more than 15 minutes.
We had to wait 20 minutes to pay our bill (pay at the table, but the neither the waiter or waitress that were serving us seemed interested in stopping back, not even to check on the food). He asked if we needed change, and I said 'Absolutely yes we need change.' Our bill was $19.05, and we paid with a $20 bill. He counted out our change and walked away.
To be honest, I wouldn't have minded the long waits for things if the service was even close to spot-on. Instead the service only highlighted all the other flaws in our meal, and actually made us both rather angry and quite eager to leave.
If you're a regular, you'll get better service because the wait staff knows your face or knows you by name, and tends to serve you better. If your an infrequent customer or first timer, try not to go during regular meal times when they are busy. That perhaps might get you adequate service. Also, we always sit inside the building instead of the outdoor area in back of the restaurant, and I've always noted faster service outside than in. Perhaps in a few months we might go back again, and if we do I'm sitting outside weather permitting.
If you like the food, then go to Mickey's instead. Same food (or better), faster service.
Margaux - August 4, 2007
Her perspective: D
A brasserie is an informal French cafe serving beer, wine and simple, hearty food. I wish I had known this before I went, it would have changed my expectations. I was expecting a fine dining restaurant from what I had heard about this restaurant.
The waitstaff was somewhat casual, which didn't seem to fit to me. The floor had obviously not been swept and there were ants running around under our table. The appetizer plates were sitting on the table as part of the setting under the folded napkin. Both of our plates were dirty and mine was chipped. I also noticed that all the tables had linens except for the largest table in the center of the main floor dining room which seats 10 comfortably.
Our server did not seem very knowledgeable, although she seemed pleasant enough and did seem to really be trying. However, she was quite inattentive.
We did not get our bread until shortly before we got our appetizer, which leads me to believe that, even though we had a reservation, they were not ready for us. However, it was served hot and was very good. Our escargot was tasty, very hot and not gritty, but the menu stated that they would be in garlic butter. They were served mostly in olive oil with a little bit of butter and little bit of garlic - not what we were expecting. We did not get a salad included with our entree, which is unusual for even the low end of fine dining. My friend and I ended up sharing a 14 oz. ribeye. It was cooked perfectly and was very tasty - served with mashed potatoes, asparagus and a very well done bearnaise. The meat was quite tender. We both really enjoyed it.
At one point, I noticed the host running down the stairs to seat a party that was waiting at the door. On his way down, he picked up a small ramekin of ketchup that had apparently fallen off a plate earlier. It appeared to have fallen upside down, but he just picked it up and no one ever cleaned the ketchup up off the stairs. I was hoping that no one would slip and fall.
We asked for a dessert menu which mentioned that a list of dessert wines, cognacs and ports would be on the wine list. When I asked to see the wine list again to see the dessert wines and ports, the server stated that she might need the bartender to come out and talk to me about them since they just printed new wine lists and these were not listed on there anymore. When she returned, she was carrying a bottle of port, mentioned two more and did not mention any dessert wines at all. I ordered the flourless chocolate cake and a drink on the dessert menu called Vanilla Royale with vanilla cognac and espresso. My friend ordered a Keoke Coffee. When our drinks arrived, mine was room temperature and served in a snifter. I was confused since the menu had stated there would be espresso, I was expecting a hot coffee drink. The server seemed confused as well. She stated that she had never served one of them before and that's what the bartender gave her. She asked if I wanted something else and I asked if they had Godiva liqueur. She said yes and I ordered a Godiva and coffee. She served the cake without any forks and I had to ask her for them. When she brought my new drink, it looked white, which made me think that they had used Godiva White, which is not what I had asked for, but something I would still enjoy anyway, so I didn't press the issue. The chocolate cake was very good, not too rich, but still rich enough to require coffee with it. We took our time and savored each bite. However, there was a hair on the rim of the plate when it was served. We could see back into the kitchen and only one chef was wearing a hat or hair restraint.
To sum up, I was not impressed with the decor, atmosphere or service. The food was great, but I'm concerned with the numerous health code violations I saw. I will most likely not be back any time soon.
A brasserie is an informal French cafe serving beer, wine and simple, hearty food. I wish I had known this before I went, it would have changed my expectations. I was expecting a fine dining restaurant from what I had heard about this restaurant.
The waitstaff was somewhat casual, which didn't seem to fit to me. The floor had obviously not been swept and there were ants running around under our table. The appetizer plates were sitting on the table as part of the setting under the folded napkin. Both of our plates were dirty and mine was chipped. I also noticed that all the tables had linens except for the largest table in the center of the main floor dining room which seats 10 comfortably.
Our server did not seem very knowledgeable, although she seemed pleasant enough and did seem to really be trying. However, she was quite inattentive.
We did not get our bread until shortly before we got our appetizer, which leads me to believe that, even though we had a reservation, they were not ready for us. However, it was served hot and was very good. Our escargot was tasty, very hot and not gritty, but the menu stated that they would be in garlic butter. They were served mostly in olive oil with a little bit of butter and little bit of garlic - not what we were expecting. We did not get a salad included with our entree, which is unusual for even the low end of fine dining. My friend and I ended up sharing a 14 oz. ribeye. It was cooked perfectly and was very tasty - served with mashed potatoes, asparagus and a very well done bearnaise. The meat was quite tender. We both really enjoyed it.
At one point, I noticed the host running down the stairs to seat a party that was waiting at the door. On his way down, he picked up a small ramekin of ketchup that had apparently fallen off a plate earlier. It appeared to have fallen upside down, but he just picked it up and no one ever cleaned the ketchup up off the stairs. I was hoping that no one would slip and fall.
We asked for a dessert menu which mentioned that a list of dessert wines, cognacs and ports would be on the wine list. When I asked to see the wine list again to see the dessert wines and ports, the server stated that she might need the bartender to come out and talk to me about them since they just printed new wine lists and these were not listed on there anymore. When she returned, she was carrying a bottle of port, mentioned two more and did not mention any dessert wines at all. I ordered the flourless chocolate cake and a drink on the dessert menu called Vanilla Royale with vanilla cognac and espresso. My friend ordered a Keoke Coffee. When our drinks arrived, mine was room temperature and served in a snifter. I was confused since the menu had stated there would be espresso, I was expecting a hot coffee drink. The server seemed confused as well. She stated that she had never served one of them before and that's what the bartender gave her. She asked if I wanted something else and I asked if they had Godiva liqueur. She said yes and I ordered a Godiva and coffee. She served the cake without any forks and I had to ask her for them. When she brought my new drink, it looked white, which made me think that they had used Godiva White, which is not what I had asked for, but something I would still enjoy anyway, so I didn't press the issue. The chocolate cake was very good, not too rich, but still rich enough to require coffee with it. We took our time and savored each bite. However, there was a hair on the rim of the plate when it was served. We could see back into the kitchen and only one chef was wearing a hat or hair restraint.
To sum up, I was not impressed with the decor, atmosphere or service. The food was great, but I'm concerned with the numerous health code violations I saw. I will most likely not be back any time soon.
The Coffee Cup - August 4, 2007
1446 Rice Street
St. Paul, MN 55117
Her perspective: D
I went in for a quick breakfast, but there was almost nothing quick about it. I went in and sat down at the counter. The busser brought me silverware right away and asked if I wanted coffee which he got right away. However, I burned my mouth on it; it was too hot. I decided quickly, but it was like pulling teeth to get the attention of a server. When she finally came over, I asked if I could order. She seemed like she really didn't want to be there. In fact, she paid more attention to the guy sitting next to me, who sat down after me. She also kept trying to fill my coffee cup when I had only taken one or two drinks from it. I also had to ask her for my check.
The food was pretty tasty and cooked properly. The eggs were fluffy, the toast was lightly toasted with a good amount of butter and the bacon was crisp.
We have been to this restaurant a couple of times before and had always had good service. I would like to believe that this was an abhorration and will most likely not get repeated. I'm giving this server the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps she was just having a bad day, but it will make me think twice before sitting in her section again.
St. Paul, MN 55117
Her perspective: D
I went in for a quick breakfast, but there was almost nothing quick about it. I went in and sat down at the counter. The busser brought me silverware right away and asked if I wanted coffee which he got right away. However, I burned my mouth on it; it was too hot. I decided quickly, but it was like pulling teeth to get the attention of a server. When she finally came over, I asked if I could order. She seemed like she really didn't want to be there. In fact, she paid more attention to the guy sitting next to me, who sat down after me. She also kept trying to fill my coffee cup when I had only taken one or two drinks from it. I also had to ask her for my check.
The food was pretty tasty and cooked properly. The eggs were fluffy, the toast was lightly toasted with a good amount of butter and the bacon was crisp.
We have been to this restaurant a couple of times before and had always had good service. I would like to believe that this was an abhorration and will most likely not get repeated. I'm giving this server the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps she was just having a bad day, but it will make me think twice before sitting in her section again.
The Bourne Ultimatum - August 3, 2007
Synopsis: Matt Damon returns as the trained assassin Jason Bourne. All he wanted was to disappear. Instead, Jason Bourne is now hunted by the people who made him what he is. Having lost his memory and the one person he loved, he is undeterred by the barrage of bullets and a new generation of highly-trained killers. Bourne has only one objective: to go back to the beginning and find out who he was. Now, in the new chapter of this espionage series, Bourne will hunt down his past in order to find a future. He must travel from Moscow, Paris, Madrid and London to Tangier and New York City as he continues his quest to find the real Jason Bourne - all the while trying to outmaneuver the scores of cops, federal officers and Interpol agents with him in their crosshairs.
Her perspective: Wait/Must Own
Very good action flick. Good story line, it kept moving and kept my attention the whole film. Matt Damon was excellent, as always, and the other actors were great as well. The action was very well choreagraphed. However, there was quite a lot of extraneous camerawork during the fight scenes. I understand that the director wanted to portray how frantic the characters and the action was, but it was too much. If it had been a less talented actor, I could have seen using the camerawork to "hide" the fact, but it wasn't needed with Matt Damon.
They never really did explain the whole program that he had joined or what they had done to him that made him lose his memory. They also hinted at a personal relationship between Bourne and Nicky Parsons, but they never explained that, either. Even though these left me feeling unsatisfied, I still enjoyed the story.
All in all, if you're a fan, go ahead and see it in the theater, but if you just want to see a good action flick, buy it on DVD. This is one for the video collection.
Her perspective: Wait/Must Own
Very good action flick. Good story line, it kept moving and kept my attention the whole film. Matt Damon was excellent, as always, and the other actors were great as well. The action was very well choreagraphed. However, there was quite a lot of extraneous camerawork during the fight scenes. I understand that the director wanted to portray how frantic the characters and the action was, but it was too much. If it had been a less talented actor, I could have seen using the camerawork to "hide" the fact, but it wasn't needed with Matt Damon.
They never really did explain the whole program that he had joined or what they had done to him that made him lose his memory. They also hinted at a personal relationship between Bourne and Nicky Parsons, but they never explained that, either. Even though these left me feeling unsatisfied, I still enjoyed the story.
All in all, if you're a fan, go ahead and see it in the theater, but if you just want to see a good action flick, buy it on DVD. This is one for the video collection.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
The Interstate 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis
We live here in the Twin Cities (as should be obvious), and we would just like to say that our thoughts, our prayers and our hopes go out to all those working on and affected by this terrible event. We hope that everyone will be able to find some peace and solace after these events.
Our prayers to you, and to the safety of the rescuers, workers and recovery personnel in the aftermath.
Our prayers to you, and to the safety of the rescuers, workers and recovery personnel in the aftermath.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Chili's, Maplewood - July 21, 2007
Her Perspective: C
His perspective: C
We went to Chili's at 2:30 pm on a Saturday for drinks and appetizers. We went to the rail of the bar, but there was no one behind the bar and we had to wait several minutes until the bartender came back. She seemed friendly enough at first and we ordered two Presidente margaritas, which is one of our favorite drinks. She made them right away, and we were trying to watch her make them so we could figure out what is in them. It was hard to see because there was a partition in the way, but we did notice that she used four different bottles. When she brought us the drinks, we asked her what was in them. Her reply was that she wasn't sure! Considering that she had just made the drinks, it's disturbing that she didn't know what is in them and had to look it up in the drink menu. Not to mention that when she started to read the names of the liquors off the drink menu, she couldn't pronounce any of them. She handed the drink menu to me to read for myself. There are three liquors and we had watched her use four.
William's drink tasted different than mine. His had a distinct whiskey flavor in addition to what was supposed to be in it and mine did not. I think she grabbed a bottle of whiskey by mistake and made his drink with it and mine without.
We ordered two appetizers: Queso and Southwest Eggrolls. The queso came out right away, but didn't taste very good. It tasted a bit burnt like it had been sitting for a while. When the eggrolls came out, I noticed that they looked very light in color like they had just changed the oil in the fryer. When I tasted them, I confirmed that they were cooked in new oil. They were very tasty. We put aside the queso and when the bartender came to take it, she asked if we were done with it since we didn't finish it. She did not ask if we were unhappy with it. We told her that it tasted burnt and she rushed off while saying that she would see if the manager would take it off the bill, which they did.
She made one more margarita for William, this time with three liquors, but then gave us our check. We might have stayed longer and had more drinks, but since we already had our check it seemed like we were being asked to leave. We did not feel inclined to stay in light of that, so we paid our check and left.
The bartender was very inattentive during our visit and seemed stressed and busy even though there were only three groups in the bar area including us. Overall, we were quite disappointed.
His perspective: C
We went to Chili's at 2:30 pm on a Saturday for drinks and appetizers. We went to the rail of the bar, but there was no one behind the bar and we had to wait several minutes until the bartender came back. She seemed friendly enough at first and we ordered two Presidente margaritas, which is one of our favorite drinks. She made them right away, and we were trying to watch her make them so we could figure out what is in them. It was hard to see because there was a partition in the way, but we did notice that she used four different bottles. When she brought us the drinks, we asked her what was in them. Her reply was that she wasn't sure! Considering that she had just made the drinks, it's disturbing that she didn't know what is in them and had to look it up in the drink menu. Not to mention that when she started to read the names of the liquors off the drink menu, she couldn't pronounce any of them. She handed the drink menu to me to read for myself. There are three liquors and we had watched her use four.
William's drink tasted different than mine. His had a distinct whiskey flavor in addition to what was supposed to be in it and mine did not. I think she grabbed a bottle of whiskey by mistake and made his drink with it and mine without.
We ordered two appetizers: Queso and Southwest Eggrolls. The queso came out right away, but didn't taste very good. It tasted a bit burnt like it had been sitting for a while. When the eggrolls came out, I noticed that they looked very light in color like they had just changed the oil in the fryer. When I tasted them, I confirmed that they were cooked in new oil. They were very tasty. We put aside the queso and when the bartender came to take it, she asked if we were done with it since we didn't finish it. She did not ask if we were unhappy with it. We told her that it tasted burnt and she rushed off while saying that she would see if the manager would take it off the bill, which they did.
She made one more margarita for William, this time with three liquors, but then gave us our check. We might have stayed longer and had more drinks, but since we already had our check it seemed like we were being asked to leave. We did not feel inclined to stay in light of that, so we paid our check and left.
The bartender was very inattentive during our visit and seemed stressed and busy even though there were only three groups in the bar area including us. Overall, we were quite disappointed.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Chicago, The Musical, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts - July 15, 2007
Synopsis: In 1920's Chicago, Velma Kelly, a vaudeville singer is arrested for the murder of her husband and sister. Roxie Hart, her biggest fan, who is having an affair, shoots and kills her lover when he threatens to leave her. In jail, she meets up with Velma and figures out that she needs not only a lawyer, but the lawyer, Billy Flynn. She convinces her husband to come up with the $5,000 fee for Billy and, for a while, she is the biggest celebrity murderess on the cell block, taking the spotlight from Velma. Velma, in desperation, tries (unsuccessfully) to convince Roxie to join her act once they both get out. Suddenly, an heiress is brought into jail for killing her husband who was cheating on her. Billy turns his attention to her and, desperate to get the attention back, Roxie faints. Upon awakening, she falsely claims she's pregnant. In an effort to garner sympathy with the jury, Billy convinces Roxie's husband to divorce her since the baby is not his. At the trial, Billy uses his "razzle-dazzle" to convince the jury that the murder was in self-defense and just before the verdict is read, there is a shooting/murder on the courthouse steps. Roxie is free to go, but rushes after the cameras and reporters, trying to get more publicity. They are more concerned with the "next big thing". Finally, Velma and Roxie get together to form a double vaudeville act.
Her perspective: B-
First, let me say, I love musicals. I missed this one the first run at the Ordway, but when I heard it was going to run for another week, I made sure not to miss it this time. However, I think watching the movie first somewhat ruined this one for me.
Don't get me wrong, the acting and singing was phenomenal. Gregory Harrison starred as Billy Flynn, and I think that was the highlight of the show for me. The orchestra was up on the stage in full view of the audience and the conductor played a part in the show. That was fun.
However, being that this was a Fosse show and a Broadway tour, I expected more. The choreography was bland and uninteresting; not nearly as "sexy" as I was expecting. It was very repetitive. The costumes were unimaginative and most of them didn't fit the actors or the character they were playing. There were also precious few costume changes. The chorus never changed their costumes and the leads/supporting actors had maybe one or two changes. The actress playing Velma should have been made to look "prettier". Her hair was tied back in a very severe bun and she looked old.
I was rather disappointed with the show as a whole and wished I had paid less for my ticket. It seemed that the sound people were having trouble getting the right mikes on at the right times as well. However, the novelty of live theater, especially with a couple of well-known actors, was not lost on me. I still had a good time.
Her perspective: B-
First, let me say, I love musicals. I missed this one the first run at the Ordway, but when I heard it was going to run for another week, I made sure not to miss it this time. However, I think watching the movie first somewhat ruined this one for me.
Don't get me wrong, the acting and singing was phenomenal. Gregory Harrison starred as Billy Flynn, and I think that was the highlight of the show for me. The orchestra was up on the stage in full view of the audience and the conductor played a part in the show. That was fun.
However, being that this was a Fosse show and a Broadway tour, I expected more. The choreography was bland and uninteresting; not nearly as "sexy" as I was expecting. It was very repetitive. The costumes were unimaginative and most of them didn't fit the actors or the character they were playing. There were also precious few costume changes. The chorus never changed their costumes and the leads/supporting actors had maybe one or two changes. The actress playing Velma should have been made to look "prettier". Her hair was tied back in a very severe bun and she looked old.
I was rather disappointed with the show as a whole and wished I had paid less for my ticket. It seemed that the sound people were having trouble getting the right mikes on at the right times as well. However, the novelty of live theater, especially with a couple of well-known actors, was not lost on me. I still had a good time.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Synopsis: Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts only to discover that much of the wizarding community has been led to believe that the story of the teenager's recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort is a lie, putting Harry's integrity in question. Worse, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, has appointed a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the duplicitous Professor Delores Umbridge. But Professor Umbridge's "Ministry-approved" course of defensive magic leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the Dark forces threatening them, so at the prompting of his friends, Hermione and Ron, Harry is convinced to take matters into his own hands. Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves "Dumbledore's Army," Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that lies ahead.
Her perspective: Must See
His perspective: Must See or Wait depending on how much you like this movie series.
If you are a true Harry Potter fan, you need to see this in the theater. It's worth it to see the special effects on the big screen. If not, you can wait until dollar theaters or video.
I thought the movie was quite well done, although this is the first HP movie I've seen without reading the book first. I guess I had expected a little more, though. The final battle seemed a little short and lacked variety in the use of spells and the demonstration of power. The previous films in this series kept their momentum and, I thought, were very good. While this one didn't measure up to those, I still thought it was very good. The photography was very effective in creating a very "dark" movie. I think they could have used other methods to show the struggle going on inside Harry, though. It's one of those movies that seems more to forward the story line than stand alone. The actors, as always, were phenomenal.
I saw quite a bit of character development in this film. Some of the "bit" characters from the previous films stepped up and played a bigger role in the story line. It was also easy to see that Harry, Hermione and Ron have gotten a lot closer and are more comfortable standing up for each other. Another thing I thought was interesting, was how much power little Ginny Weasley found within herself. There were a couple of spots where she showed how much farther ahead she was than even some of the 5th year students. I'll be interested to see how that develops in the next two films.
Overall, well done. I will be sure to own this one.
Her perspective: Must See
His perspective: Must See or Wait depending on how much you like this movie series.
If you are a true Harry Potter fan, you need to see this in the theater. It's worth it to see the special effects on the big screen. If not, you can wait until dollar theaters or video.
I thought the movie was quite well done, although this is the first HP movie I've seen without reading the book first. I guess I had expected a little more, though. The final battle seemed a little short and lacked variety in the use of spells and the demonstration of power. The previous films in this series kept their momentum and, I thought, were very good. While this one didn't measure up to those, I still thought it was very good. The photography was very effective in creating a very "dark" movie. I think they could have used other methods to show the struggle going on inside Harry, though. It's one of those movies that seems more to forward the story line than stand alone. The actors, as always, were phenomenal.
I saw quite a bit of character development in this film. Some of the "bit" characters from the previous films stepped up and played a bigger role in the story line. It was also easy to see that Harry, Hermione and Ron have gotten a lot closer and are more comfortable standing up for each other. Another thing I thought was interesting, was how much power little Ginny Weasley found within herself. There were a couple of spots where she showed how much farther ahead she was than even some of the 5th year students. I'll be interested to see how that develops in the next two films.
Overall, well done. I will be sure to own this one.
Mickey's Diner - July 14, 2007
1950 7th St W
St Paul, MN 55116
Her perspective: A
I always love going to Mickey's. It is the ultimate greasy spoon/diner. The food is always excellent. Just like all good greasy spoons, it's basically a hole in the wall, but the food more than makes up for it. Open 24 hours and two locations with a very casual, unpretentious atmosphere. The one in downtown St. Paul is always crowded and hard to get a seat, but there's a novelty about eating in a railway car. There is another one just a few miles down the road that I think is St. Paul's best kept secret. There is always at least one open booth and space at the counter - at least when I've been there.
William and I both ordered a light breakfast called Fry 2: 2 eggs, choice of bacon, sausage or ham and toast. It all came out very quickly and cooked perfectly. There were two waitresses working and both worked together to make sure all the guests were taken care of. In the entry-way, there are papers such as City Pages and, my favorite, The Onion. I usually read the Onion to William while we're waiting and while we eat.
It's very quick; you can be in and out within a half hour. It's also one of the few places that serves breakfast all day, which is perfect for weekends. Also, because it's open 24 hours, it's great for those after-bar hunger pangs.
St Paul, MN 55116
Her perspective: A
I always love going to Mickey's. It is the ultimate greasy spoon/diner. The food is always excellent. Just like all good greasy spoons, it's basically a hole in the wall, but the food more than makes up for it. Open 24 hours and two locations with a very casual, unpretentious atmosphere. The one in downtown St. Paul is always crowded and hard to get a seat, but there's a novelty about eating in a railway car. There is another one just a few miles down the road that I think is St. Paul's best kept secret. There is always at least one open booth and space at the counter - at least when I've been there.
William and I both ordered a light breakfast called Fry 2: 2 eggs, choice of bacon, sausage or ham and toast. It all came out very quickly and cooked perfectly. There were two waitresses working and both worked together to make sure all the guests were taken care of. In the entry-way, there are papers such as City Pages and, my favorite, The Onion. I usually read the Onion to William while we're waiting and while we eat.
It's very quick; you can be in and out within a half hour. It's also one of the few places that serves breakfast all day, which is perfect for weekends. Also, because it's open 24 hours, it's great for those after-bar hunger pangs.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Disturbia - July 6, 2007
Her perspective: Must See
Synopsis: Kale (Shia LaBeouf) has a life most teenagers would envy. He spends his days endlessly playing video games, surfing the net, eating junk food and watching cable. He has complete free reign of the house, and a beautiful young hottie named Ashley (Sarah Roemer) has just moved in next door. There's only one problem - he's not allowed to leave the house. Kale's under court-ordered house arrest for three months, and if he takes one step beyond a 100-foot perimeter of the house, his next confinement will be in a real prison, and jail cells don't have video games or cable. Life hasn't always been like this for him. A year ago, Kale and his mom (Carrie-Ann Moss) and dad were a tight-knit, happy family. Then his father was killed in a car accident, for which Kale feels somewhat responsible. The trauma has had long-lasting psychological effects. The once outgoing young man is now shut down and withdrawn. When an insensitive teacher brings up his father, Kale loses it and punches him out. Only the intercession of his mother kept him out of jail. Now he's going stir crazy in his own house while his mother tries to keep things together by working day and night. As the walls start to close in, Kale starts to notice the world outside. With some secondhand surveillance equipment, he begins spying on his neighbors, most prominently Ashley, who soon catches on to him. To his surprise, however, she becomes interested in his stakeout hobby. What starts out as a game turns deadly serious when Kale and Ashley begin to suspect that one of their neighbors (David Morse) may be an elusive serial killer. But who's going to believe them? It may just be their imagination, or they may have stumbled across a secret that might cost them their lives. After all, even killers have to live next-door to someone...
Review: This was a good thriller - very suspenseful. The actors did a wonderful job and all were very believable. The story line started out a little slow, but I think that was necessary to give the audience enough background to set up the main events. The script was very well written and the photography was very effective. There were some camera angles that really grabbed me and pulled me in. I don't think any detail was overlooked. Great movie overall, although a little predicatable as most thrillers are nowadays.
Synopsis: Kale (Shia LaBeouf) has a life most teenagers would envy. He spends his days endlessly playing video games, surfing the net, eating junk food and watching cable. He has complete free reign of the house, and a beautiful young hottie named Ashley (Sarah Roemer) has just moved in next door. There's only one problem - he's not allowed to leave the house. Kale's under court-ordered house arrest for three months, and if he takes one step beyond a 100-foot perimeter of the house, his next confinement will be in a real prison, and jail cells don't have video games or cable. Life hasn't always been like this for him. A year ago, Kale and his mom (Carrie-Ann Moss) and dad were a tight-knit, happy family. Then his father was killed in a car accident, for which Kale feels somewhat responsible. The trauma has had long-lasting psychological effects. The once outgoing young man is now shut down and withdrawn. When an insensitive teacher brings up his father, Kale loses it and punches him out. Only the intercession of his mother kept him out of jail. Now he's going stir crazy in his own house while his mother tries to keep things together by working day and night. As the walls start to close in, Kale starts to notice the world outside. With some secondhand surveillance equipment, he begins spying on his neighbors, most prominently Ashley, who soon catches on to him. To his surprise, however, she becomes interested in his stakeout hobby. What starts out as a game turns deadly serious when Kale and Ashley begin to suspect that one of their neighbors (David Morse) may be an elusive serial killer. But who's going to believe them? It may just be their imagination, or they may have stumbled across a secret that might cost them their lives. After all, even killers have to live next-door to someone...
Review: This was a good thriller - very suspenseful. The actors did a wonderful job and all were very believable. The story line started out a little slow, but I think that was necessary to give the audience enough background to set up the main events. The script was very well written and the photography was very effective. There were some camera angles that really grabbed me and pulled me in. I don't think any detail was overlooked. Great movie overall, although a little predicatable as most thrillers are nowadays.
Transformers - July 6, 2007
Her perspective: Must See
Synopsis: In 2003, the Beagle Mars Rover was launched. We were told that it crashed. It's final transmission was classified top secret. It was the only warning we were given. Now the dueling alien races of the Autobots and the Decepticons have brought their battle to earth and the future of humankind is hanging in the balance. It's their war, but it's our world!
Review: This is one that you need to see on a big screen. The fights are a bit hard to follow due to the constant "morphing" while the action is going on. The special effects are quite impressive, though, and the story line is a little slow moving at times, but very well thought out. The writing was great, with quite a bit of humor. I was also impressed that they were able to use the original voice of Optimus Prime.
However, if you know nothing about the Transformers going into the movie, you will be somewhat confused. I knew a little bit from watching bits and pieces of the cartoon when I was little, but I never got into it, so I didn't fully understand everything.
Shia LaBeouf is really coming into his own establishing himself as a leading man. However, I think he will always be an underdog type character. Josh Duhamel was excellent in a military role and I think we will be seeing much more of him.
Synopsis: In 2003, the Beagle Mars Rover was launched. We were told that it crashed. It's final transmission was classified top secret. It was the only warning we were given. Now the dueling alien races of the Autobots and the Decepticons have brought their battle to earth and the future of humankind is hanging in the balance. It's their war, but it's our world!
Review: This is one that you need to see on a big screen. The fights are a bit hard to follow due to the constant "morphing" while the action is going on. The special effects are quite impressive, though, and the story line is a little slow moving at times, but very well thought out. The writing was great, with quite a bit of humor. I was also impressed that they were able to use the original voice of Optimus Prime.
However, if you know nothing about the Transformers going into the movie, you will be somewhat confused. I knew a little bit from watching bits and pieces of the cartoon when I was little, but I never got into it, so I didn't fully understand everything.
Shia LaBeouf is really coming into his own establishing himself as a leading man. However, I think he will always be an underdog type character. Josh Duhamel was excellent in a military role and I think we will be seeing much more of him.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Perkins, Cottage Grove - July 8, 2007
Her perspective: F
His perspective: F
We stopped here for brunch on our way to Treasure Island on Sunday and got there just before noon. We were seated right away, but the host told us our server's name as she was walking away from the table with her back to us. The table we were seated at was extremely wobbly and we had to push it hard against the wall so we would be able to eat. The A/C was either turned off or wasn't working and the fans were not able to keep up with the heat since it was 97 degrees outside.
As we were looking through the menus, we noticed that they were dirty. It took our server quite a while to greet us. So long, in fact, that we were both ready to order by the time she got there. We could tell that she only had four tables including us, so we wondered why she was too busy to even stop by. However, she was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. That is the only good thing I can say about this visit.
After we ordered, we started noticing that everything, and I mean EVERYTHING on the table was dirty and sticky: the dessert menu, the caddies that hold the jelly and sugar, and the salt and pepper shakers. We also noticed that the window that divided us from another section was quite dirty as well.
When our server brought out our food, she couldn't remember what each of us had and kept putting William's plates in front of me. Since there were only two of us, it shouldn't have been hard to remember what each of us ordered. When I adjusted my plate's position on the table, I noticed that the underside of the plate was quite dirty and one of William's plates was dirty on the top as well.
My Eggs Benedict tasted fine, but they put WAY too much parsley on it. It's supposed to be just a garnish. If I had wanted a salad, I would have ordered one. William's bacon was undercooked in some parts and burnt in others. His toast was just barely toasted and his pancakes were not only way undercooked and very wet, but he found a piece of plastic in one of them.
During our meal, the host decided that it was a good time to vacuum the floor. So, we had to listen to the roar of the vacuum while we were eating. It was extremely annoying. We then listened to our server lie twice to the table behind us. They had been seated before we got there, yet we got our food before they did. The server apologized about the long wait for their food, but told them that everything was taking a long time. This was not true considering we had gotten our food promptly. She lied a second time to them by telling them that they don't do chocolate chip pancakes on Sundays because it ruins the grill. Huh? Not even a hint of truth to that one. I think she just didn't want to order them for some reason.
Once we finally got the check, the server explained that she had circled the total at the bottom, but that there were separate totals for each of us as well. Now, I know that as a server, you shouldn't assume anything about who will be paying the check. However, 99% of parties where there is a male and a female are couples (unless it's lunch on a weekday) and only one person will be paying the whole check. It was quite obvious that we are married and we were offended that she thought we might be splitting the check.
We went up to the register to pay, and the host asked if we would like the check back to take their guest satisfaction survey. We both replied yes in tones of voice that should have tipped her off that we were NOT at all happy. She processed my credit card and gave me my credit card receipt, but then I had to ask her to give me the check so I could take the survey. In the 60 seconds it took her to run my credit card, she had forgotten. I snatched the check out of her hand, spun on my heel and walked quickly out the door. Usually, I would try to talk to a manager when things go bad, but it was so bad that we just wanted to get out of there.
Today, I tried to take the survey on line, but the printing on the check trails off where the store number is supposed to be printed, so I can't even take their survey to let them know how horrible our experience was. We won't be back.
His perspective: F
We stopped here for brunch on our way to Treasure Island on Sunday and got there just before noon. We were seated right away, but the host told us our server's name as she was walking away from the table with her back to us. The table we were seated at was extremely wobbly and we had to push it hard against the wall so we would be able to eat. The A/C was either turned off or wasn't working and the fans were not able to keep up with the heat since it was 97 degrees outside.
As we were looking through the menus, we noticed that they were dirty. It took our server quite a while to greet us. So long, in fact, that we were both ready to order by the time she got there. We could tell that she only had four tables including us, so we wondered why she was too busy to even stop by. However, she was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. That is the only good thing I can say about this visit.
After we ordered, we started noticing that everything, and I mean EVERYTHING on the table was dirty and sticky: the dessert menu, the caddies that hold the jelly and sugar, and the salt and pepper shakers. We also noticed that the window that divided us from another section was quite dirty as well.
When our server brought out our food, she couldn't remember what each of us had and kept putting William's plates in front of me. Since there were only two of us, it shouldn't have been hard to remember what each of us ordered. When I adjusted my plate's position on the table, I noticed that the underside of the plate was quite dirty and one of William's plates was dirty on the top as well.
My Eggs Benedict tasted fine, but they put WAY too much parsley on it. It's supposed to be just a garnish. If I had wanted a salad, I would have ordered one. William's bacon was undercooked in some parts and burnt in others. His toast was just barely toasted and his pancakes were not only way undercooked and very wet, but he found a piece of plastic in one of them.
During our meal, the host decided that it was a good time to vacuum the floor. So, we had to listen to the roar of the vacuum while we were eating. It was extremely annoying. We then listened to our server lie twice to the table behind us. They had been seated before we got there, yet we got our food before they did. The server apologized about the long wait for their food, but told them that everything was taking a long time. This was not true considering we had gotten our food promptly. She lied a second time to them by telling them that they don't do chocolate chip pancakes on Sundays because it ruins the grill. Huh? Not even a hint of truth to that one. I think she just didn't want to order them for some reason.
Once we finally got the check, the server explained that she had circled the total at the bottom, but that there were separate totals for each of us as well. Now, I know that as a server, you shouldn't assume anything about who will be paying the check. However, 99% of parties where there is a male and a female are couples (unless it's lunch on a weekday) and only one person will be paying the whole check. It was quite obvious that we are married and we were offended that she thought we might be splitting the check.
We went up to the register to pay, and the host asked if we would like the check back to take their guest satisfaction survey. We both replied yes in tones of voice that should have tipped her off that we were NOT at all happy. She processed my credit card and gave me my credit card receipt, but then I had to ask her to give me the check so I could take the survey. In the 60 seconds it took her to run my credit card, she had forgotten. I snatched the check out of her hand, spun on my heel and walked quickly out the door. Usually, I would try to talk to a manager when things go bad, but it was so bad that we just wanted to get out of there.
Today, I tried to take the survey on line, but the printing on the check trails off where the store number is supposed to be printed, so I can't even take their survey to let them know how horrible our experience was. We won't be back.
Treasure Island Resort and Casino - July 7 & 8, 2007
Her perspective: C+
His perspective: C
After having a bad experience at Grand Casino, Hinckley, we decided to try Treasure Island. We signed up right away for their membership program, Passport Club, and spent some time walking around to get familiar with the layout and find our favorite games. After playing for a couple of hours, we were rapidly running out of money.
We went back the following day because they were giving out quintuple points.
At one point I had $50 on me and decided I wanted to play Blackjack. I sat down at a $5 table and was doing quite well at first. I went through three dealers, and I was doing better than I had at Hinckley, but I walked away from the table with only $25. I think I'd stick to Blackjack at Treasure Island, though. They have the tightest slots of any casino we've been to.
One thing that was pretty nice is that you are allowed to walk around the floor with alcoholic drinks. At Hinckley, you have to stay in their lounge or at the rail of the bar if you have alcohol and at Mystic Lake, they only sell N/A beer and wine. Treasure Island did have complimentary soft drinks and coffee, like everywhere else, but they had a very nice nightclub at the front entrance and three other bars throughout. There's also a non-smoking gaming room.
We might go back for promotions, but probably not make it our regular place. We were hemorrhaging money there.
His perspective: C
After having a bad experience at Grand Casino, Hinckley, we decided to try Treasure Island. We signed up right away for their membership program, Passport Club, and spent some time walking around to get familiar with the layout and find our favorite games. After playing for a couple of hours, we were rapidly running out of money.
We went back the following day because they were giving out quintuple points.
At one point I had $50 on me and decided I wanted to play Blackjack. I sat down at a $5 table and was doing quite well at first. I went through three dealers, and I was doing better than I had at Hinckley, but I walked away from the table with only $25. I think I'd stick to Blackjack at Treasure Island, though. They have the tightest slots of any casino we've been to.
One thing that was pretty nice is that you are allowed to walk around the floor with alcoholic drinks. At Hinckley, you have to stay in their lounge or at the rail of the bar if you have alcohol and at Mystic Lake, they only sell N/A beer and wine. Treasure Island did have complimentary soft drinks and coffee, like everywhere else, but they had a very nice nightclub at the front entrance and three other bars throughout. There's also a non-smoking gaming room.
We might go back for promotions, but probably not make it our regular place. We were hemorrhaging money there.
Grand Casino, Hinckley - July 7, 2007
Her perspective: C
His perspective: D
We have gone up to Hinckley several times in the last few weeks. Usually we lose money or break even. We've only won a couple of times.
The particular visit that I am reviewing was on Saturday, July 7. Being that the date was 7/7/07, they were having a special drawing and anyone who was a Grand Rewards member won something. We got there about an hour and a half before the drawing to find a line from the kiosks where you swipe your card winding halfway through the casino. We got in line and started to wait. After about a half hour, an employee came around saying that they were cutting off the line quite a bit ahead of us. There just wouldn't be enough time for everyone to get their ticket for the drawing. So, we got out of line and started playing some slots. A little while later, we heard over the PA system that due to the overwhelming response, they were going to pick 14 names instead of 7 to win $777 and that the line was still open. We went back to the line where there was another employee telling everyone that the line had been cut off. She also told us that the employee that had cut off the line earlier had been giving wrong information and we were not allowed back in line - not even for our other swipe. Part of the problem is that there are only 6 kiosks in the entire casino and one of them was down.
We were quite angry by this time since we were not allowed to participate in the promotion at all. We grabbed one comment card a piece and sat down in the bar to fill them out while having a cocktail. On our comment cards, we expressed how angry we were and both put in something about having more kiosks in more locations throughout the casino, especially when they have these kinds of special promotions.
We did still have the chance to swipe our cards for another promotion they are running this month, so we went back to the line and waited to use the kiosks. After we got our tickets we left.
We will probably go back for the next drawing, but we have decided to try out other casinos for a little while.
His perspective: D
We have gone up to Hinckley several times in the last few weeks. Usually we lose money or break even. We've only won a couple of times.
The particular visit that I am reviewing was on Saturday, July 7. Being that the date was 7/7/07, they were having a special drawing and anyone who was a Grand Rewards member won something. We got there about an hour and a half before the drawing to find a line from the kiosks where you swipe your card winding halfway through the casino. We got in line and started to wait. After about a half hour, an employee came around saying that they were cutting off the line quite a bit ahead of us. There just wouldn't be enough time for everyone to get their ticket for the drawing. So, we got out of line and started playing some slots. A little while later, we heard over the PA system that due to the overwhelming response, they were going to pick 14 names instead of 7 to win $777 and that the line was still open. We went back to the line where there was another employee telling everyone that the line had been cut off. She also told us that the employee that had cut off the line earlier had been giving wrong information and we were not allowed back in line - not even for our other swipe. Part of the problem is that there are only 6 kiosks in the entire casino and one of them was down.
We were quite angry by this time since we were not allowed to participate in the promotion at all. We grabbed one comment card a piece and sat down in the bar to fill them out while having a cocktail. On our comment cards, we expressed how angry we were and both put in something about having more kiosks in more locations throughout the casino, especially when they have these kinds of special promotions.
We did still have the chance to swipe our cards for another promotion they are running this month, so we went back to the line and waited to use the kiosks. After we got our tickets we left.
We will probably go back for the next drawing, but we have decided to try out other casinos for a little while.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Fieldhouse Sports Tavern & Grill - July 6, 2007
Fieldhouse Sports Tavern & Grill
(763) 533-3400
5632 W Broadway Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55428-3510
Rating: A-
I went to this restaurant on my lunch break from work with a friend. We were greeted and seated immediately and got to choose our table. The host was friendly, but seemed like she was bored. She did tell us the specials and our server's name. The server gave us some time to look at the menu before she greeted us, so we knew what we wanted to drink. By the time she returned with our drinks, we were ready to order. She took our order without writing anything down, but got everything correct. She came out a couple of minutes later with two new Cokes because she had noticed that the syrup had been running out when she poured our first ones, so she changed it and poured two new ones in case ours didn't taste right. I really appreciate how observant and guest-focused that was. She wasn't overly friendly, but she did take very good care of us. She checked back at an appropriate time (after we'd had a chance to taste our food, yet not just after we'd taken a bite.
I got the Smothered Chicken. My vegetables were incredibly tasty with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top. As my choice of potato, I got the waffle fries with seasoned sour cream (which tasted more like seasoned Ranch). Nothing good or bad about them, they were waffle fries... My chicken had some burnt grill marks on it, but having portobello mushrooms on it made it quite tasty.
I would definitely go back.
(763) 533-3400
5632 W Broadway Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55428-3510
Rating: A-
I went to this restaurant on my lunch break from work with a friend. We were greeted and seated immediately and got to choose our table. The host was friendly, but seemed like she was bored. She did tell us the specials and our server's name. The server gave us some time to look at the menu before she greeted us, so we knew what we wanted to drink. By the time she returned with our drinks, we were ready to order. She took our order without writing anything down, but got everything correct. She came out a couple of minutes later with two new Cokes because she had noticed that the syrup had been running out when she poured our first ones, so she changed it and poured two new ones in case ours didn't taste right. I really appreciate how observant and guest-focused that was. She wasn't overly friendly, but she did take very good care of us. She checked back at an appropriate time (after we'd had a chance to taste our food, yet not just after we'd taken a bite.
I got the Smothered Chicken. My vegetables were incredibly tasty with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top. As my choice of potato, I got the waffle fries with seasoned sour cream (which tasted more like seasoned Ranch). Nothing good or bad about them, they were waffle fries... My chicken had some burnt grill marks on it, but having portobello mushrooms on it made it quite tasty.
I would definitely go back.
Pirates of the Carribean 3: At World's End
Her Perspective: Wait
Synopsis: It is a dark time as the Age of Piracy nears to a close. Lord Cutler Beckett (TOM HOLLANDER) of the East India Company has gained control of the terrifying ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman, and its malevolent, vengeful captain, Davy Jones (BILL NIGHY). The Dutchman now roams the seven seas, unstoppable, destroying pirate ships without mercy, under the command of Admiral Norrington (JACK DAVENPORT). Will Turner (ORLANDO BLOOM), Elizabeth Swann (KEIRA KNIGHTLEY) and Captain Barbossa (GEOFFREY RUSH) embark on a desperate quest to gather the Nine Lords of the Brethren Court, their only hope to defeat Beckett, the Flying Dutchman, and his Armada. But one of the Lords is missing—Captain Jack Sparrow (JOHNNY DEPP), either the best or worst pirate ever, and now trapped in Davy Jones’ Locker, thanks to his encounter with the monstrous Kraken. In an increasingly shaky alliance, our heroes, including Tia Dalma (NAOMIE HARRIS), Pintel (LEE ARENBERG) and Ragetti (MACKENZIE CROOK), must first travel to dangerous, exotic Singapore and confront Chinese pirate Captain Sao Feng (CHOW YUN-FAT) to gain charts, and a ship, that will take them off to world’s end, to rescue Jack. But even if Captain Jack is successfully rescued, the gathering of the legendary Brethren Court may not be enough to hold back the fearsome tide of Beckett, Davy Jones and their powerful Armada…unless the capricious sea goddess Calypso, imprisoned in human form, can be freed and convinced to come to their aid. As betrayal piles upon betrayal, it becomes clear that Jack, Will, Elizabeth, Sao Feng, and Barbossa each have their own agenda, and no one can be trusted. Yet each must choose a side, and make their final alliances for one last battle, in a titanic showdown that could eliminate the freedom-loving pirates from the seven seas—forever.
Review: I thought the movie was rather uneventful and boring. Captain Jack Sparrow did not have nearly as much of the quirkiness that we came to love in the first movie and the story didn't go anywhere. It was a very weak story line that was incredibly predictable. While it did have some good action sequences and great actors, there wasn't much they could do with that script. They spent a lot of time on repetetive conversations and not much time trying to further the story. I was very disappointed. On this series, I would have recommended that they stop after the first one. The sequel was not as good and the third was dreadful. If you are a huge Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom fan, by all means go see it, but wait until a dollar theater or video. If not, don't bother. It's a waste of time and money.
Synopsis: It is a dark time as the Age of Piracy nears to a close. Lord Cutler Beckett (TOM HOLLANDER) of the East India Company has gained control of the terrifying ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman, and its malevolent, vengeful captain, Davy Jones (BILL NIGHY). The Dutchman now roams the seven seas, unstoppable, destroying pirate ships without mercy, under the command of Admiral Norrington (JACK DAVENPORT). Will Turner (ORLANDO BLOOM), Elizabeth Swann (KEIRA KNIGHTLEY) and Captain Barbossa (GEOFFREY RUSH) embark on a desperate quest to gather the Nine Lords of the Brethren Court, their only hope to defeat Beckett, the Flying Dutchman, and his Armada. But one of the Lords is missing—Captain Jack Sparrow (JOHNNY DEPP), either the best or worst pirate ever, and now trapped in Davy Jones’ Locker, thanks to his encounter with the monstrous Kraken. In an increasingly shaky alliance, our heroes, including Tia Dalma (NAOMIE HARRIS), Pintel (LEE ARENBERG) and Ragetti (MACKENZIE CROOK), must first travel to dangerous, exotic Singapore and confront Chinese pirate Captain Sao Feng (CHOW YUN-FAT) to gain charts, and a ship, that will take them off to world’s end, to rescue Jack. But even if Captain Jack is successfully rescued, the gathering of the legendary Brethren Court may not be enough to hold back the fearsome tide of Beckett, Davy Jones and their powerful Armada…unless the capricious sea goddess Calypso, imprisoned in human form, can be freed and convinced to come to their aid. As betrayal piles upon betrayal, it becomes clear that Jack, Will, Elizabeth, Sao Feng, and Barbossa each have their own agenda, and no one can be trusted. Yet each must choose a side, and make their final alliances for one last battle, in a titanic showdown that could eliminate the freedom-loving pirates from the seven seas—forever.
Review: I thought the movie was rather uneventful and boring. Captain Jack Sparrow did not have nearly as much of the quirkiness that we came to love in the first movie and the story didn't go anywhere. It was a very weak story line that was incredibly predictable. While it did have some good action sequences and great actors, there wasn't much they could do with that script. They spent a lot of time on repetetive conversations and not much time trying to further the story. I was very disappointed. On this series, I would have recommended that they stop after the first one. The sequel was not as good and the third was dreadful. If you are a huge Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom fan, by all means go see it, but wait until a dollar theater or video. If not, don't bother. It's a waste of time and money.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Governors Fine Food & Drink, St Paul - June 26, 2007
His Perspective: D for the food, B- for the drinks
Lemme explain... They make some STRONG drinks here, regardless of what drink you order. And they are very well priced to boot, so you can get well lubricated for $20 or $30.
That said, the food and service are terrible. I ordered a simple Hot Turkey Sandwich. It's supposed to be slabs of turkey in thick bread with mashed potatoes and loads of gravy. That's what I got, and a lot of it, but there wasn't any flavor to it. That and the exposed potatoes were crunchy and hard, as if they sat under a heat lamp for too long before being served. Either that or they were instant potatoes and they just didn't have enough water ( I really couldn't tell). This is one of those meals I order at places that I'm not sure about, because you can (at least in part) judge the quality of the menu and staff by how well it is prepared and how it tastes. This is especially the case since it's such a simple menu item to prepare (in my mind anyway). They did a rather poor job overall in my mind.
She got a garlic Swiss cheese burger and fries. She said it was good (and she ate the whole thing, which is unusual for her) but she thought it would have more flavor to it, and it was kinda small she thought, and I agreed.
We've eaten here before (a few months ago) and we both thought the food was much better the first time around. The only reason we didn't go back sooner was that the service sucked before. Tonight was better, but we did spend a lot of time waiting for our server to come back to the dining room, and we had to ask and re-ask for a few things.
I had an empty glass sitting on the edge of the table waiting for a refill for almost 20 minutes (no really, I timed it) and she had to ask and re-ask for dressing. After the server came and got my glass, it sat on the bar for another 5 minutes before the barman washed it. I got my drink (just a Coke) 10 minutes after that. We were about ready to leave at that point, and I was kinda disappointed. Also, When I first got my Coke, I had to ask if it was Pepsi or Coke because it didn't taste right. I thought it might be Pepsi, and she couldn't tell. Our server confirmed it was Coke though. Sure tasted odd at any rate...
This time around, not only was the service bad but the food wasn't all that great either. Still, it was only $26 for the two of us with her drinks. That's a good deal if you don't mind bland to average food and slow service.
I doubt we'll be back for a months (except maybe for Happy Hour) same as last time.
You know, I wonder why they call it Governors Fine Food & Drink since it isn't really fine at all. Oh, and if you note the time of this post you'll see that it's quite early in the morning. I've got a headache and heartburn from dinner and I can't seem to stay asleep. That should give you an idea about just how bad the food was.
Lemme explain... They make some STRONG drinks here, regardless of what drink you order. And they are very well priced to boot, so you can get well lubricated for $20 or $30.
That said, the food and service are terrible. I ordered a simple Hot Turkey Sandwich. It's supposed to be slabs of turkey in thick bread with mashed potatoes and loads of gravy. That's what I got, and a lot of it, but there wasn't any flavor to it. That and the exposed potatoes were crunchy and hard, as if they sat under a heat lamp for too long before being served. Either that or they were instant potatoes and they just didn't have enough water ( I really couldn't tell). This is one of those meals I order at places that I'm not sure about, because you can (at least in part) judge the quality of the menu and staff by how well it is prepared and how it tastes. This is especially the case since it's such a simple menu item to prepare (in my mind anyway). They did a rather poor job overall in my mind.
She got a garlic Swiss cheese burger and fries. She said it was good (and she ate the whole thing, which is unusual for her) but she thought it would have more flavor to it, and it was kinda small she thought, and I agreed.
We've eaten here before (a few months ago) and we both thought the food was much better the first time around. The only reason we didn't go back sooner was that the service sucked before. Tonight was better, but we did spend a lot of time waiting for our server to come back to the dining room, and we had to ask and re-ask for a few things.
I had an empty glass sitting on the edge of the table waiting for a refill for almost 20 minutes (no really, I timed it) and she had to ask and re-ask for dressing. After the server came and got my glass, it sat on the bar for another 5 minutes before the barman washed it. I got my drink (just a Coke) 10 minutes after that. We were about ready to leave at that point, and I was kinda disappointed. Also, When I first got my Coke, I had to ask if it was Pepsi or Coke because it didn't taste right. I thought it might be Pepsi, and she couldn't tell. Our server confirmed it was Coke though. Sure tasted odd at any rate...
This time around, not only was the service bad but the food wasn't all that great either. Still, it was only $26 for the two of us with her drinks. That's a good deal if you don't mind bland to average food and slow service.
I doubt we'll be back for a months (except maybe for Happy Hour) same as last time.
You know, I wonder why they call it Governors Fine Food & Drink since it isn't really fine at all. Oh, and if you note the time of this post you'll see that it's quite early in the morning. I've got a headache and heartburn from dinner and I can't seem to stay asleep. That should give you an idea about just how bad the food was.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Fantastic Four, Rise of the Silver Surfer - June 16, 2007
Her perspective: Must See
Synopsis: The Silver Surfer comes to earth to prepare it for destruction. As the Silver Surfer races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben must unravel the mystery of the Silver Surfer and confront the surprising return of their mortal enemy, Doctor Doom, before all hope is lost... all while Reed and Sue are trying to get married.
Review: In the true style of the Marvel films, this movie is fast-paced, with plenty of action and suspense, which is the mark of good writing and directing. There are several spots that are hilarious, mixed with a few serious spots. They could have done more with Johnny switching powers, and they never explained how he kept his flame power when he took on the other three powers. Not having read the comics, I thought I might not be up to speed on the characters, but they did a good job of making the movies "stand alone" so you don't need to have read the comics. I was wishing that they had explained the science a little more behind separating the Silver Surfer from the board as well as separating Dr. Doom from the board. I also think that the final fight could have lasted longer and been a bit more involved.
Over all, though, if you just want to sit back and watch a Marvel film, it's a good one and I enjoyed it.
Synopsis: The Silver Surfer comes to earth to prepare it for destruction. As the Silver Surfer races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben must unravel the mystery of the Silver Surfer and confront the surprising return of their mortal enemy, Doctor Doom, before all hope is lost... all while Reed and Sue are trying to get married.
Review: In the true style of the Marvel films, this movie is fast-paced, with plenty of action and suspense, which is the mark of good writing and directing. There are several spots that are hilarious, mixed with a few serious spots. They could have done more with Johnny switching powers, and they never explained how he kept his flame power when he took on the other three powers. Not having read the comics, I thought I might not be up to speed on the characters, but they did a good job of making the movies "stand alone" so you don't need to have read the comics. I was wishing that they had explained the science a little more behind separating the Silver Surfer from the board as well as separating Dr. Doom from the board. I also think that the final fight could have lasted longer and been a bit more involved.
Over all, though, if you just want to sit back and watch a Marvel film, it's a good one and I enjoyed it.
Dave and Buster's, Maple Grove - June 15, 2007
Her perspective: A
Note to self: don't use Google maps; it led us to a spot in a residential area about 5 miles away from the restaurant.
Walking into the restaurant, there was a doorman - not a host - a doorman (probably a bouncer, too). We were seated immediately quite close to a mirror that was so clean and well installed, I wouldn't have known it was a mirror but for the fact that I could see myself. We noticed that there was a private area that could be closed off for a party of up to 31. As we were waiting to be greeted, we also noticed that all the ceiling fans were connected and using a single motor. It is a fun, festive atmosphere, and they use actual linens on the tables! Price range is comparable to TGIFriday's or Olive Garden. They have American style cuisine with, what appears to be, their signature barbecue sauce made with Jack Daniels. They have a good selection of appetizers as well as steaks, chicken, seafood, entree salads, burgers and sandwiches. In the center, between the restaurant and the games area is a full bar including most of the usual brands of wine you would see at most chain family dining restaurants.
Our server was Lisa, a fun, friendly person who took great care of us. We never wanted for anything. We both ordered drinks, which were both quite strong, yet tasty. Our appetizers were Tempura Fried Mushrooms with ranch and Queso with chips. Portion sizes are huge, so you're going to want to share. For those of us that like ranch, you'll want to request extra ranch with the mushrooms. However, the batter has a seasoning that's really good, so you don't even need the dip, if you don't want.
There is an insert in the menu advertising a meal/game card package. You pick from any entree on that insert, and get a game card with a certain amount of money on it, for a discounted price. Be advised, though, these specials end at 5:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
I ordered the Teriyaki Sirloin Steak for my entree, which is sliced and served with loaded mashed potatoes and onion frizzles. The meat is marinated, then they put more sauce over the top. It's a little overpowering the first couple of bites, but it really brings out a good flavor in the steak. Quite a lot of food, so good value!
After dinner, I had a dessert martini with Starbuck's liqueur, Godiva liqueur and whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce. Very tasty, but a bit too much whipped cream... Next time, I will have a hard time deciding between the Bananas Foster Pie and the Belgian Chocolate Fondue.
Once we paid the check, we went over to the games area and purchased 2 game cards. You can do this at several kiosks around the game area. There is also a computer where you can register your card to get special offers and coupons e-mailed to you. You can swipe your card at any game, and, if you have enough money on the card for one credit, it will be deducted from your card. Depending on how well you play your game, you get a certain amount of tickets that you can redeem at their commissary for prizes. There are quite a lot of games geared towards younger kids, but there are enough adult type games to keep you entertained for a while. There are also pool tables and cocktail servers wandering around. At one point, I happened to forget my card on the console of one of the games and when I came back, it was gone. We went to talk to a manager to see if there was anything we could do. Since we had gotten our cards at the same time, the card number was sequential and the manager was able to transfer my balance to another card.
Needless to say, we were so impressed by the level of service that we received at Dave and Buster's, that we asked to talk to a manager on the way out. Jeff came out quickly, and I recounted our visit to him and let him know how much we appreciated getting excellent service, especially since we eat out so much. He detracted a bit from our visit by commenting that it doesn't always go like that, but I informed him of my background in restaurants and told him that I was very impressed.
Very highly recommended! We will definitely be back and would recommend this place to anyone. It has something for everyone!
Note to self: don't use Google maps; it led us to a spot in a residential area about 5 miles away from the restaurant.
Walking into the restaurant, there was a doorman - not a host - a doorman (probably a bouncer, too). We were seated immediately quite close to a mirror that was so clean and well installed, I wouldn't have known it was a mirror but for the fact that I could see myself. We noticed that there was a private area that could be closed off for a party of up to 31. As we were waiting to be greeted, we also noticed that all the ceiling fans were connected and using a single motor. It is a fun, festive atmosphere, and they use actual linens on the tables! Price range is comparable to TGIFriday's or Olive Garden. They have American style cuisine with, what appears to be, their signature barbecue sauce made with Jack Daniels. They have a good selection of appetizers as well as steaks, chicken, seafood, entree salads, burgers and sandwiches. In the center, between the restaurant and the games area is a full bar including most of the usual brands of wine you would see at most chain family dining restaurants.
Our server was Lisa, a fun, friendly person who took great care of us. We never wanted for anything. We both ordered drinks, which were both quite strong, yet tasty. Our appetizers were Tempura Fried Mushrooms with ranch and Queso with chips. Portion sizes are huge, so you're going to want to share. For those of us that like ranch, you'll want to request extra ranch with the mushrooms. However, the batter has a seasoning that's really good, so you don't even need the dip, if you don't want.
There is an insert in the menu advertising a meal/game card package. You pick from any entree on that insert, and get a game card with a certain amount of money on it, for a discounted price. Be advised, though, these specials end at 5:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
I ordered the Teriyaki Sirloin Steak for my entree, which is sliced and served with loaded mashed potatoes and onion frizzles. The meat is marinated, then they put more sauce over the top. It's a little overpowering the first couple of bites, but it really brings out a good flavor in the steak. Quite a lot of food, so good value!
After dinner, I had a dessert martini with Starbuck's liqueur, Godiva liqueur and whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce. Very tasty, but a bit too much whipped cream... Next time, I will have a hard time deciding between the Bananas Foster Pie and the Belgian Chocolate Fondue.
Once we paid the check, we went over to the games area and purchased 2 game cards. You can do this at several kiosks around the game area. There is also a computer where you can register your card to get special offers and coupons e-mailed to you. You can swipe your card at any game, and, if you have enough money on the card for one credit, it will be deducted from your card. Depending on how well you play your game, you get a certain amount of tickets that you can redeem at their commissary for prizes. There are quite a lot of games geared towards younger kids, but there are enough adult type games to keep you entertained for a while. There are also pool tables and cocktail servers wandering around. At one point, I happened to forget my card on the console of one of the games and when I came back, it was gone. We went to talk to a manager to see if there was anything we could do. Since we had gotten our cards at the same time, the card number was sequential and the manager was able to transfer my balance to another card.
Needless to say, we were so impressed by the level of service that we received at Dave and Buster's, that we asked to talk to a manager on the way out. Jeff came out quickly, and I recounted our visit to him and let him know how much we appreciated getting excellent service, especially since we eat out so much. He detracted a bit from our visit by commenting that it doesn't always go like that, but I informed him of my background in restaurants and told him that I was very impressed.
Very highly recommended! We will definitely be back and would recommend this place to anyone. It has something for everyone!
Friday, June 15, 2007
Shooter: Mark Wahlberg, Danny Glover
Her perspective: Must See, Must Own
Synopsis: Mark Wahlberg stars as a gunnery Sergeant sniper (Bob Lee Swagger) who saw his buddy killed in Ethiopia and subsequently retired to a solitary lifestyle in the mountains. He is sought out by Colonel Johnson, played by Danny Glover, to help him plan an assassination on the President, with the intention of stopping it. Bob agrees reluctantly, and the Colonel sets him up to take the fall for the assassination. However, the President was not shot, but a dignitary from Ethiopia. Bob continues to run throughout the film, using his skills: they train you how to stay alive after they train you how to kill. He goes to his buddy's widow to help him and eventually enlists the help of disgraced FBI agent, Nick Memphis (Michael Pena).
Review: Great Writing! There is quite a lot of humor and excellent one-liners. The plot is a bit complicated, yet easy to follow. Very good story line; a bit of a twist on a plot I've seen before. It moved along quickly right from the beginning and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. There was just enough action, not too much, not too little; nothing gratuitous.
Synopsis: Mark Wahlberg stars as a gunnery Sergeant sniper (Bob Lee Swagger) who saw his buddy killed in Ethiopia and subsequently retired to a solitary lifestyle in the mountains. He is sought out by Colonel Johnson, played by Danny Glover, to help him plan an assassination on the President, with the intention of stopping it. Bob agrees reluctantly, and the Colonel sets him up to take the fall for the assassination. However, the President was not shot, but a dignitary from Ethiopia. Bob continues to run throughout the film, using his skills: they train you how to stay alive after they train you how to kill. He goes to his buddy's widow to help him and eventually enlists the help of disgraced FBI agent, Nick Memphis (Michael Pena).
Review: Great Writing! There is quite a lot of humor and excellent one-liners. The plot is a bit complicated, yet easy to follow. Very good story line; a bit of a twist on a plot I've seen before. It moved along quickly right from the beginning and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. There was just enough action, not too much, not too little; nothing gratuitous.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Chianti Grill, Falcon Heights - June 13, 2007
Her perspective: C-
We wanted to go someplace a little nicer tonight because it was the anniversary of our first date. We were greeted almost immediately by the host and did not have to wait for a table. She put us back in a corner, which I preferred, but we were right next to a family with a child of about 10. We ordered a bottle of wine, which was served with spotted glassware and the wine chiller had ice in it because it had not been pre-chilled. Our server served the wine properly and maintained a pleasant and professional demeanor throughout our visit. However, she did not write anything down when she took our order. We ordered our appetizer and entrees at the same time and she promptly forgot to order the appetizer.
I commented to Bill that we had gotten our salads before our appetizer, but we thought perhaps they were just being served out of order. The bread was wrapped in a linen napkin, but was not warm. When we received our entrees, I inquired about the appetizer and the server replied that she had forgotten about it. She did apologize and I told her to forget the appetizer, that we had enough food. She brought it out anyway and told us it would be on the house. We would have preferred not to have it at all at that point.
Bill's steak was supposed to be Medium Well and came out Well Done and slightly charred on the outside; his fish had quite a bit more bones than is normal for walleye. My chicken dish was quite good, the sauce was wonderful and the potatoes were good as well. When the server checked on our meals, Bill was almost finished eating the steak, but he did mention to her that it was overdone. The kitchen manager came out and offered to put another steak on the grill, but we declined. It was a good effort.
When we finished our entrees, Bill ordered a mixed drink from the bar, I ordered a shot of a liqueur and asked for a dessert menu. I also asked for the rest of my chicken and the rest of the appetizer boxed up. 10 minutes later, the server came back to inform us that they were out of that particular liqueur despite the fact that several drinks on their drink menu include it. I asked for a drink menu. She brought that, then brought out Bill's drink and we still had yet to get the dessert menu. Bill's drink had some sort of sauce on the inside of the glass.
By this time, we were so put off by the whole experience that we sent her away with the drink to get our check. I double checked it. They had taken the appetizer off, as well as $10 off Bill's meal. His drink was not listed. We just wanted to leave at this point and didn't realize until we got home that we never got our boxed food.
However, as we left, the host inquired about our meal and, with a luke-warm response, actually took an interest in what had happened and offered to get a manager. We had already talked to one, so we declined, but it was nice that she didn't just ask because it was part of her job; she actually seemed interested.
We may go back after a couple of months, just to give it a second chance, perhaps with another server. However, since there were problems in both the service and the kitchen, we are not optimistic.
We wanted to go someplace a little nicer tonight because it was the anniversary of our first date. We were greeted almost immediately by the host and did not have to wait for a table. She put us back in a corner, which I preferred, but we were right next to a family with a child of about 10. We ordered a bottle of wine, which was served with spotted glassware and the wine chiller had ice in it because it had not been pre-chilled. Our server served the wine properly and maintained a pleasant and professional demeanor throughout our visit. However, she did not write anything down when she took our order. We ordered our appetizer and entrees at the same time and she promptly forgot to order the appetizer.
I commented to Bill that we had gotten our salads before our appetizer, but we thought perhaps they were just being served out of order. The bread was wrapped in a linen napkin, but was not warm. When we received our entrees, I inquired about the appetizer and the server replied that she had forgotten about it. She did apologize and I told her to forget the appetizer, that we had enough food. She brought it out anyway and told us it would be on the house. We would have preferred not to have it at all at that point.
Bill's steak was supposed to be Medium Well and came out Well Done and slightly charred on the outside; his fish had quite a bit more bones than is normal for walleye. My chicken dish was quite good, the sauce was wonderful and the potatoes were good as well. When the server checked on our meals, Bill was almost finished eating the steak, but he did mention to her that it was overdone. The kitchen manager came out and offered to put another steak on the grill, but we declined. It was a good effort.
When we finished our entrees, Bill ordered a mixed drink from the bar, I ordered a shot of a liqueur and asked for a dessert menu. I also asked for the rest of my chicken and the rest of the appetizer boxed up. 10 minutes later, the server came back to inform us that they were out of that particular liqueur despite the fact that several drinks on their drink menu include it. I asked for a drink menu. She brought that, then brought out Bill's drink and we still had yet to get the dessert menu. Bill's drink had some sort of sauce on the inside of the glass.
By this time, we were so put off by the whole experience that we sent her away with the drink to get our check. I double checked it. They had taken the appetizer off, as well as $10 off Bill's meal. His drink was not listed. We just wanted to leave at this point and didn't realize until we got home that we never got our boxed food.
However, as we left, the host inquired about our meal and, with a luke-warm response, actually took an interest in what had happened and offered to get a manager. We had already talked to one, so we declined, but it was nice that she didn't just ask because it was part of her job; she actually seemed interested.
We may go back after a couple of months, just to give it a second chance, perhaps with another server. However, since there were problems in both the service and the kitchen, we are not optimistic.
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