Restaurant Signs

Driving home today I was looking at the different type of restaurant signs that are out there.  The closer I looked I saw a lot of restaurants that I hadn't paid attention to before.  The places that had simple signs in one or two colors and said something like "Jim's Cafe" or "Grandma's Kitchen" were places that I tend to overlook.  They also seemed to have no decorations in the windows, and all you see is closed mini-blinds.  Who knows what lurks behind the curtains...great food and good prices, or dark and dirty booths with nothing worth eating?  The signs and restaurant fronts offer no clues.

The places with clever names, colorful signs, and decorations in the window at least tell me that their is life inside.  Even better if the blinds are open and I can see that there are actual customers inside.  I also like when local restaurants have signs that highlight their specials, or give a clue about what type of food is to be found inside.

Side Dishes Make the Meal

My husband and I have very different taste in side dishes.  He orders veggies as his side, even if he is having a sandwich, unless the restaurant won't let him substitute for their standard side.  Veggies are ok, and I'll get them as a second side, but if I only get one side it's not going to be green beans!  I always go for a potato of some sort.  At some places I get the garlic mashed potatoes, other places I go with a great big baked potato, and sometimes the fries are the way to go.   

On this note, I have to mention that I don't like when a restaurant serves potato chips as a side unless they are made in their kitchen, or at least say on the menu "served with Ruffles brand chips" so you know what to expect.  I have potato chips in my pantry, and eat them quite often, but I don't feel like paying for a handful to go with my sandwich that costs $8. I at least like a side that requires the chef to do more than open a bag and pour onto a plate.  Unless I am at a deli or sandwich shop, then it's ok.  

Back to side dishes.  So there are some restaurants that I go to just for the sides:  

Cracker Barrel for the cheesy hash-browns

Mi Casa (a Mexican joint in Baltimore) for their beans and rice

P.F. Chang's for their egg drop soup (I guess not technically a side)

Carrabba's for their mashed potatoes

What are your favorite sides, and where can I get them?

Are you a regular?

Are you the type that has a few favorite dining spots that you go to over and over.  Where you don't even look at the menu because you know what you'll order before you walk in the door?  Where you recognize the servers, and they probably know you and may even know what you drink?   Where you feel comfortable, and it's just part of your routine?

Or are you the type to look for new places to dine?  Do you drive by and see a sign for Mexican food and decide to pop in and and test out their burritos? Do you see an add in a newspaper or a flyer, or get a coupon in the mail and decide to try your luck on the unknown?  

I used to be the kind to eat at a few favorite places.  There is just something nice about looking forward to a favorite dish at "your" restaurant.  But now that I'm doing these reviews I have been trying to go someplace new every time we eat out.  It's a big change for me, but I'm really enjoying it.  We've found so many places with great food and friendly people, places that we had driven by many times and never thought about eating there.  I also feel like I'm getting to know my city just a little bit better, too.  The only downside has been that after I have a really good meal, and think "man, I want to come back and order the ______" I haven't been able to yet.  

So if you are the regular type, I'd like to encourage you to pick one new place to try this week (or this month) and see if you can't find another good place to dine.

Kid's Meals

I just had to share this picture of my daughter's first kids meal in a restaurant.  It's usually a battle to keep her in the highchair, and she throws things on the floor, because she is a busy girl who doesn't have time for meals.  When she does eat, she points to our sandwich or pasta, or whatever we are eating and says,"Dat" to ask for a bite.  But when we were at Big Mouth a few weeks ago, we used a coupon for a free kid's meal just to see what would happen.  She was so proud!  She ate several fries and some of the bun, and didn't throw a thing on the floor.  I don't think we'll be buying her meals anytime soon, unless it is super cheap...but maybe paying $3.99 is worth it if it keeps her happy.  When did your kids start getting their own meals?

Poem for my Servers

There are many things that make a good dining experience, and they are no secret.  Good food, good atmosphere, and good service.  You can be in a beautiful setting with a delicious spread in front of you, but if your server isn't bringing you drinks you're not going to leave happy.

Being a server is a tough job!  I tried it for one summer back in college and I struggled at it.  It was in a comedy club that served dinners before the show, and snack food and drinks during the show.  For those three months I tried to earn high tips, but failed.  I just couldn't do it.  Having to carry all those drinks without spilling them, while walking past another table and seeing their empty glasses and making a mental note to get them refills, and hearing my order come up in the kitchen, while two more of my tables were just seated, and another guy needs more napkins and ketchup...It was too much for me!  My tips proved that because I consistently brought in the lowest amount of cash at the end of the night.  I was nice, I was funny and friendly, but I wasn't fast, and I was forgetful.

It's easy to feel abandoned or wonder why our servers aren't always on the ball...but my memories of that summer remind me that my server might have a lot on her plate besides waiting on our table.  I feel even more appreciative when I have a server who seems relaxed and friendly, and who manages to chat with us while also giving us our space.  I try to make it a point to let me servers know that they are doing an excellent job, and I tell them what I like.  "Thank you for bringing out crackers for my toddler when she was fussy.  I appreciate how you always had our drinks ready before we had to ask."  Everyone likes to feel good about what they do.  And so I shall end with a haiku:

Bringing food and drinks

Smiling and happy server

You make dining fun!

Restaurant.com Sale

One way that my husband and I have been saving money when we go out to eat is by using coupons and discount certificates.  We have used Restaurant.com dining certificates many times and we recommend them as a great way to try a new restaurant.  They have some restrictions that differ at each restaurant, for example to use the $50 certificate at Catch Twenty Three in Tampa they require you to spend $100 and the certificate can't be used toward alcohol, but at Queens Pizza in Tarpon Springs to use the $25 certificate the only requirement in dining in and spending $35.  Just look through the restaurant list to find the ones that appeal to you.

Right now through Oct 15th at noon you can save 80% on dining certificates!  That means you can purchase a $25 certificate for $2 and a $10 certificate for $.60 cents!  Now is a great time to try them out!  Just follow this link...

36-Hour 80% off Savings on $25 Gift Certificates. Use the code EIGHTY and pay $2. Valid 12:00am CDT 10/14/08 thru 12:00pm CDT 10/15/08.

Put in your zipcode and see what restaurants are left...they are going fast (I already bought several).  You have a year to use them, so I stalk up when they are on sale like this.  

Contest Winner Selected

The winner for the Cold Stone Creamery Contest has been drawn and notified.  Thanks to all who participated!  Look for future promotions here.

Also, don't forget to leave your own opinions of the restaurants I've reviewed.  Here is the Restaurant Index.  After you leave at least one comment you can be added as a reviewer on the Reviewer page.  

Restaurant Pet Peeves

A quick list of some things that make me not want to go back to a restaurant (or at least leave a bad impression):

• When I walk through the door and I don't see a hostess stand or "Please Seat Yourself" sign and I stand there feeling awkward deciding if I should just find my own seat or wait.
• When the people sitting outside are smoking, and I'm inside but the windows are open and it's difficult to taste my food over the cloud of smoke.
• When my table is sticky, or the food was wiped onto the seats.
• When another person other than my server brings the food out and my server doesn't come by again to see if everything was ok (that's always the time that they bring out my order wrong but I'm stuck waiting for 15 min to tell anyone).
• When a server never looks at me or smiles..just looks at the table or the notepad.
• If drink refills aren't free (this should be clearly stated on the menu).
  

I'm sure there are more...tell me yours.

Stress means Eat (Junkfood)

I don't know about you, but when I get really stressed out I tend to eat stuff that I normally wouldn't (or eat a lot more of something than usual).

Two days my dermatologist called to let me know the biopsy I had done on a mole came back as melanoma.  I don't know how far it has progressed yet, so it has me and my family on edge.

The day I got the call I wanted to go to Arby's for dinner.  I haven't been to Arby's for 2 years, but suddenly a giant roast beef sandwich and curly fries sounded like the perfect dinner.  It wasn't...I paid for it the rest of the night.  Then I wanted mashed potatoes for dinner yesterday...a whole pot full of buttery, salty mashed potatoes...I ate almost the whole pot and enjoyed every bite.  I've had a few extra helpings of dessert along the way, too.  I better watch out!

P. S.  Would it be wrong to add chocolate covered strawberries to my oatmeal this morning?

Put My Food on a Conveyor Belt!

Have you heard about conveyor belt sushi restaurants?  In some fast-food restaurants in Japan sushi is put onto conveyor belts and rotated around the customers so they can just pluck off the food they want.  The plate (color, decoration) indicates its price.  At the end of the meal your server counts the plates on your table.  I saw a show on tv where Kobayashi trains at one of these to prepare for Nathan's hotdog eating contests.

This sounds like a great idea to me!  Maybe not so much for sushi (I'd rather my raw fish not ride around the restaurant a few times before I eat it), but for pizza, sandwiches, nachos, pasta, soup...

I mean how many times have you read the menu thinking your meal would be "x", but when it arrives you think it's not "x" at all.  Maybe you pictured a bigger serving, more toppings, less sauce, or whatever, but if you had seen it first you wouldn't have ordered it.  I can just see myself sitting at my table watching the parade of food go by.  It would be almost like a game - That looks good but it's on a blue plate so it's $15, nooo... that looks too greasy... that salad looks just right and it's in a red bowl so it's $8, perfect!  And how could you pass up on dessert if it's floating by tempting you with it's melting chocolate and whipped cream?  

Yes, I think Japan is onto something here.  Anyone been to one of these?   

Freakin Out Over Price Increases

Tonight we planned on picking up BW3 for dinner on our way home from the mall.  We had a carryout menu with us, so after we left the store my husband called and placed our order so it would be ready (and we could avoid taking our baby out of the car seat while waiting for the food).  When we got there he ran in...and came right back out.

"It's $15!  They changed their menu, our sandwiches are $2 more each!" He fumed.  

"Oh." I say, and hunger confuses my brain about why that matters to me.

"I'm canceling the order!"  He dashed back inside, and reappeared without any food.  He declared that we would go to Panera instead, to protest the rising cost at BW3.

"You realize that we will spend the same amount of money at Panera as we would have at BW3, right?"  

"It's the principle...I thought I was going to pay $10," (we had a $5 off $15 coupon), "but suddenly I was going to have to pay $15 for the same food.   I want different food."  

The funny thing is after we got home, ate, and felt better for sticking it to the man...we goofed.  I pulled out the two menus, old and new, and noticed something.  The old menu says sandwiches do not come with a side so we ordered a basket of wedges to share...our total was $15.40.  The new menu says (in fine print that is almost unreadable at the bottom of the menu) sandwiches are served with fries...so we could have canceled the wedges and paid $15.38.  You know, the person at the counter could have explained that to my husband as he ranted and raved over the new prices and this all could have been avoided.

10 Days Left..

If you haven't already entered the contest to win the Cold Stone Creamery $15 certificate, you have 10 days left!  It's simple to enter, just go here!

Just think, you could have smoothies, sundaes, ice cream cones with 3 mix-ins, or put the money toward one of their ice cream cakes (let me tell you, those cakes are yummy)!