"A Unique Shopping Experience"

A coworker of mine recently visited the salad bar of a local grocery store.  Dissatisfied with some of the store’s recent changes, she decided to write a letter:

I used to come to your store for the salad bar – where a employee would hand make it for me and toss it.  It was great.  Now we have a manual salad bar with half the ingredients and no way to toss the salad.  I am disappointed and have no reason to shop at <store name> anymore.

Here is the store’s EPICALLY AWESOME response:

Dear <snip>:

Many thanks for your email and for sharing your thoughts with us.  As store director, I’m always eager to hear what’s on your mind because you’re our valued guest.  Your feedback is extremely important to me and my staff, and I want to follow up with you personally.

You share with us your disappointment with regards to our new salad bar arrangement.  I’m so glad you’ve voiced your concerns, as I’ve got some information that I hope will please you.  We feature a wide variety of salad options for our guests, including choices of greens, 26 different salad ingredients, and eight different dressings, just to name a few.  Chicken and salmon (along with other items) are available in our deli case.  You mention that you miss having an associate toss your salad.  Please know that we would be delighted to toss your salad for you, so please don’t hesitate to ask any associate – we’re here to serve you and to ensure your complete care and satisfaction. In addition, if there’s a salad item that isn’t at the bar, please contact an associate, and we’ll check to see if that item is available.

<snip>, we’re committed to providing you with spectacular service, a unique shopping experience, and the finest products at the lowest overall prices of any full-service market.  After all, you deserve nothing less!

[...]

Sincerely,

<Store Director>

*That* is customer service.

Hangin’ with B-man

Look at those two handsome devils:

DSC_01180118

One night on our vacation, we had dinner with our friends Wayne, Laurel, and Braden.  Troy was on crack.  He was so busy running around their house that he shunned a most excellent dinner.  On any other day, he would have scarfed it like a rapacious badger.  Oh well.  The boy could stand to lose a few pounds.

Just like his old man.

Ba-zing!

Would sir desire a Coors Light with his T-bone?

Why, yes, I would, thank you.

So.

Kelly and T-man are out of town for the next couple of nights, which means I'll have to fend for myself when it comes to food.  Fortunately, I learned how to operate a BBQ at an early age (thanks, Dad!), so, for tonight at least, I won't starve to death.

What's on the menu:

  • T-bone steak
  • Kimchee
  • Rice
  • Coors Light (for basting the steak (honest))

Mmm… temporary bachelorhood food…

Starbucks + AT&T = Teh Rad

This is good news.  Whenever I'm traveling and I need to check my email, I'll generally head to Starbucks for a cup of joe and to tap into the T-Mobile wireless hotspot.  However, at $9.99/day, the access fee always ticked me off (though never enough to prevent me from paying for it).  I have never needed 24-hour Internet access at a Starbucks.  Why the heck couldn't they offer a smaller time period for less money?

Well, now they do.  Except "they" is no longer comprised of Starbucks + T-Mobile; "they" is now Starbucks + AT&T:

At Starbucks, T-Mobile is out and AT&T is in, at least when it comes to WiFi. AT&T and Starbucks announced their new partnership this morning, saying that the carrier plans to offer a variety of service offerings at 7,000 Starbucks locations in the US. Best of all, many customers will be able to access the service for free (as in beer), with paid offerings as low as $3.99 for two hours of use.

Ah, sanity momentarily returns to the land of overpriced breakfast sandwiches and macchiatos. 

I'm not an AT&T broadband subscriber (monopolies are a bitch (SureWest does provide excellent service, though)), so I don't get to surf for free, but $3.99/two hours is still a welcome change.

Good move, Starbucks!

Eastern Max Buffet

One of the guys on my team at work is being forcefully happily transitioned to another team.  As a small send off, we went to a team lunch at the place of his choosing.  He chose a place I had never eaten before, called Eastern Max Buffet.

I think I can sum it up best thusly:

It's like HomeTown Buffet, but Asian, and without the suck.

If you're ever in Roseville and looking for a good mix of Asian grub, stop on by.  $8.50 all you can eat at lunch.

P.s. – another advantage over HTB: EMB does NOT reek of old people.

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives

I'm a big fan of Guy Fieri's new show on Food Network, called Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  Basically, he visits these obscure diners across the country and samples their famous dishes, all while rapping with the chef to see how the food is prepared.  Talk about the raddest job in the world.

FN has compiled a list of all the hotspots.  I am preserving it here for my own sake, because, let's face it – as much as I like the show, I know it won't be around forever.

So, without further ado, here is the list, categorized by episode.  (Future todo: order by location)

  • DV0101 – "Classics"
    • Mad Greek's Diner
      72112 Baker Blvd
      Baker, CA
      Tel: (760) 733-4354
    • Brint's Diner
      4834 E. Lincoln Street
      Wichita, KS 67218
      Tel: (316) 684-0290
    • Mac & Ernie's
      Williams' Creek Depot – FM 470
      Tarpley, TX 78883
      Tel: (830) 562-3250
      Website: www.macandernies.com
       
  • DV0102 – "That's Italian"
    • Pizza Palace
      3132 East Magnolia Avenue
      Knoxville, TN 37914
      Tel: (865) 524-4388
    • Hullabaloo Diner
      F.M. 2154
      Wellborn, TX 77845
      Tel: (979) 690-3002
      Website: www.HullabalooDiner.com
    • Four Kegs Sports Pub
      267 N. Jones Blvd
      Las Vegas, NV
      Tel: (702) 870-0255
      Website: www.fourkegs.com
  • DV0103 – "Blue Plate Special"
    • Frosted Mug
      11541 South Pulaski Road
      Alsip, IL 60803
      Website: www.thefrostedmug.com
    • Patrick's Roadhouse
      106 Entrada Dr.
      Santa Monica, CA 90402
      Tel: (310) 459-4544
    • The Penguin
      1921 Commonwealth Avenue
      Charlotte, NC 28205
      Website: www.penguindrivein.com
  • DV0101 – "Breakfast"
    • Gaffey Street Diner
      247 N. Gaffey Street
      San Pedro, CA 90731
      Tel: (310) 548-6724
    • Franks Diner
      508 58th St.
      Kenosha, WI 53140
      Tel: (262) 657-1017
      Website: www.franksdinerkenosha.com
    • The Coffee Cup
      512 Nevada Highway
      Boulder City, NV
      Tel: (702) 294-0517
  • DV0105 – "BBQ"
  • DV0106 – "Local Legends"
    • Eveready Diner
      4189 Albamy Post Rd.
      Route 9 N.
      Hyde Park, NY 12538
      Tel: (845) 229-8100
      Website: www.theevereadydiner.com
    • Leo's BBQ
      3631 N. Kelley Ave.
      Oklahoma City, OK 73111
      Tel: (405) 424-LEOS
      Website: www.leosbbq.com
    • A1 Diner
      3 Bridge St.
      Gardiner, ME 04345
      Tel: (207) 582-5586
      Website: www.a1diner.com
  • DV0107 – "Burgers"
    • Triple X Restaurant
      2 N. Salisbury St.
      West Lafayette, IN 47906
      Tel: (765) 743-5373
      Website: www.triplexxxfamilyrestaurant.com
    • Hackney's
      1241 Harms Rd.
      Glenview, IL 60025
      Tel: (847) 724-5577
      Website: www.hackneys.net
    • Squeeze Inn
      7918 Fruitridge Rd.
      Sacramento, CA 95820
      Tel: (916) 386-8599
  • DV0108 – "House Specials"
  • DV0109 – "Retro"
    • South Side Soda Shop
      1122 S Main St
      Goshen, IN 46526
      Tel: (574) 534-3790
      Website: www.southsidesodashopdiner.com
    • Taylor's Automatic Refresher
      933 Main Street
      St. Helena, CA 94574
      Tel: (707) 963-3486
      Website: www.taylorsrefresher.com
    • Byways Cafe
      1212 NW Glisan St.
      Portland, OR 97209
      Tel: (503) 221-0011
  • DV0110 – "Worth the Trip"
    • Big Star Diner
      305 Madison Ave. N.
      Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
      Tel: (206) 842-5786
    • Harold's
      602 N. Limestone St.
      Gaffney, SC 29340
      Tel: (864) 489-9153
    • Mo Gridder's
      565 Hunt's Point Ave.
      Bronx, NY 10474
      Tel: (718) 991-3046
      Website: www.mogridder.com
  • DV0111 – "Diners A-Plenty"
    • Kelly's Diner
      674 Broadway
      Somerville, MA 02144-2220
      Tel: (617) 623-8102
    • Bayway Diner
      2019 South Wood Avenue
      Linden, NJ
      Tel : (908) 862 – 3207
    • The Beacon Drive-In
      255 John B. White Sr. Blvd.
      Spartanburg, SC 29306
      Website: www.beacondrivein.com
  • DV0112 – "American Cookin'"
    • Rosie's Diner
      4500 14 Mile Rd. NE
      Rockford, MI 49341
      Tel: (616) 866-3663
      Website: www.rosiesdiner.com
    • Russian River Pub
      11829 River Road
      Forestville, CA 95436
      Tel: (707) 887-7932
      Website: www.russianriverpub.com
    • Al's Breakfast
      413 14th Ave. S.E.
      Minneapolis, MN 55414
      Tel: (612) 331-9991
  • DV0201 – "Totally Fried"
    • Falafel's Drive-In
      2301 Steven's Creek Blvd.
      San Jose, CA 95128
      Tel: (408) 294-7886
      Website: www.falafelsdrivein.com
    • Ramona Cafe
      628 Main St.
      Ramona, CA 92605
      Tel: (760) 789-8656
      Website: www.ramonacafe.com
    • Silk City Diner
      435 Spring Garden St.
      Philadelphia, PA 19123
      Tel: (717) 335-3833
  • DV0202 – "Route 66"
    • Emma Jean's Holland Burger Cafe
      17143 D Street on Rt. 66
      Victorville, CA 92394
      Tel: (760) 243-9938
    • The Rock Cafe
      114 W. Main St.
      Stroud, OK 74079
      Tel: (918) 968-3990
      Website: www.rockcaferoute66.com
    • Cafe on the Route
      1101 Military Ave.
      Baxter Springs, KS 66713
      Tel: (620) 856-5646
      Website: www.cafeontheroute.com
  • DV0203 – "One of a Kind"
    • JT Farnham's Seafood & Grill
      88 Eastern Ave.
      South Essex, MA 01929
      Tel: (978) 768-6643
    • Joe's Gizzard City
      120 W. Main St.
      Potterville, MI 48876
      Tel: (517) 645-2120
    • Grubstake Diner
      1525 Pine Street
      San Francisco, CA 94109
      Tel: (415) 673-8268
      Website: www.sfgrubstake.com
    • Los Tapatios
      1141 Old Bayshore Highway
      San Jose, CA
      Tel: (408) 729-6199
  • DV0204 – "Local Flavor"
    • Clanton's Cafe
      319 E. Illinois Ave.
      Vinita, OK 74301
      Tel: (918) 256-9053
      Website: www.clantonscafe.com
    • Mike's Chili Parlor
      1447 N.W. Ballard Way
      Seattle, WA 98107
      Tel: (206) 782-2808
    • Duarte's Tavern
      202 Stage Rd.
      Pescadero , CA
      Tel: (650) 879-0464
      Website: www.duartestavern.com
  • DV0205 – "Real Deal BBQ"
    • Jay Bee's Bar-B-Que
      15915 S. Avalon Blvd.
      Gardena, CA 90247
      Tel: (310) 532-1064
    • Smoque
      3800 N. Pulaski Rd.
      Chicago, IL 60641
      Tel: (773) 545-7427
    • BBQ Shack
      705 N. Pearl St.
      Paola, KS 66071
      Website: www.thebbqshack.com
  • DV0206 – "Seaside Eats"
    • Evelyn's Drive-In
      2335 Main Rd.
      Tiverton, RI 02878
      Tel: (401) 624-3100
      Website: www.evelynsdrivein.com
    • Hodad's
      5010 Newport Ave.
      Ocean Beach, CA 92107
      Tel: (619) 224-4623
    • Keegan's Seafood Grille
      1519 Gulf Blvd.
      Indian Rocks Beach, FL 33785
      Tel: (727) 596-2477
      Website: www.keegansseafood.com
  • DV0207 – "Talkin' Turkey"
    • Mike's City Diner
      1714 Washington St
      Boston, MA 02118
      Tel: (617) 267-9393
    • Willie Bird's Restaurant
      1150 Santa Rosa Ave.
      Santa Rosa, CA 95404
      Tel: 707-542-0861
      Website: www.williebird.com
    • Alpine Steakhouse
      4520 S. Tamiami Trail
      Sarasota, FL 34231
      Tel: (941) 922-3797
      Website: www.alpinesteak.com
  • DV0208 – "Viewer's Choice"
    • Bobby's Hawaiian Style Restaurant
      1011 Hewitt Ave. W.
      Everett, WA 98201
      Tel: (425) 259-1338
      Website: www.bobbyshawaiianstylerestaurant.com
    • Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish
      1350 Pasadena Ave
      South Pasadena, FL 33707
      Tel: (727) 381-7931
    • Psycho Suzie's Motor Lounge
      2519 Marshall St. NE
      Minneapolis , MN 55418
      Tel: (612) 788-9069
      Website: www.psychosuzis.com
  • DV0209 – "Family Owned"
    • El Indio
      3695 India St.
      San Diego , CA
      Tel: (619) 299-0333
      Website: www.el-indio.com
    • Charlie's Diner
      32 West Main St.
      Spencer, MA 01562
      Tel: (508) 885-4033
    • Paradise Pup
      1724 S. River Rd.
      Des Plaines, IL 60018
      Tel: (847) 699-8590
  • DV0210 – "Open 24/7"
    • Studio Diner
      4701 Ruffin Rd.
      San Diego, CA 92123
      Tel: (858) 715-6400
      Website: www.studiodiner.com
    • White Palace Grill
      1159 S. Canal St.
      Chicago, IL 60607
      Tel: (312) 939-7167
    • The Dining Car & Market
      8826 Frankford Ave.
      Philadelphia, PA 19136
      Tel: (215) 338-5113
      Website: www.thediningcarandmarket.com

Wasp Crackers

I was all ready to file this one under "Redundant Slurs Against White People", until I looked at the picture.

Free Image Hosting at allyoucanupload.com

ETA:  Speaking of crackers, we're teaching American Sign Language to Troy, hoping that it will reduce the terror of the Terrible Twos by allowing him to communicate his needs to us.  We're using the Baby Signing Time series of videos. 

One of the first words they teach you is "cracker":

Click to see a video demonstration of the word "cracker" being signed 

Of course, me being me, I couldn't resist; instead of making the correct sign, I simply said "cracker" and pointed at Kelly.

That set off an internal struggle inside my brainial region:

I'm so offended!

No, wait – that was HILARIOUS!

*sigh*

It's tough being a half-breed.

Cugini’s is still good the second time around

DSC_00910073

Yeah.  We're pathetic.  We had lunch from Cugini's for the second day in a row.  The pizza is sooooo gooooood!  We just couldn't help ourselves.

Anyway, we didn't do a whole lot yesterday.  We went for a walk in the morning, and, after lunch, we headed up to Morro Bay to walk around on Embarcadero St.  We had a nice relaxing afternoon up there.  The weather was perfect, and, by chance, the local merchants were having a street fair, so we got to check out an eclectic mix of wares being hawked.  One guy was even selling backyard drilling contracts with his plates of BBQ Tri-Tip.  That confused the hell out of me until I took my finger out of my eye socket and realized that his business was in fact backyard grilling.  I are smart, Cletus.

For dinner, I had a Red Dragon Roll from Yanagi Sushi.  That's absolutely one of my favorite rolls of all time, though I wouldn't go so far as to call it #1.  In fact, I don't know if I could designate any roll as the top dog.  There are just too many good ones out there to choose from.

Like I said, it was a pretty mellow day.  You tend not to do too many Wild-N-Crazy Things when you have an infant in tow.

Not that I'm complaining.  This downtime is just what the doctor ordered.  It's nice to get away from it all.