Good job Los Pinos. We have been avoiding you for a while as your food was sub par. But last night you did a great job.
We ordered the chicken fajitas and the #13, Three Tacos. The wait staff appeared to be all new, except for a few and the services was above average. The food arrived hot and on very hot plates. So hot that with in a few minutes the grated cheese had melted. The portion size was good and the amount of food was an 8 for the price.
The atmosphere feels a little crowded and noisy, but after the large party in the middle of the room left, thing quieted down quite a bit.
The owner seems to be trying to make improvements a little at a time to the building. The furniture is all new.
Overall I give you an 8. Service 8. Food 9. Atmosphere 8. Cleanliness 8 and portion size 8.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Sunday, October 7, 2012
October 6, 2012 - Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse, Federal Way, WA
We were invited to dinner to celebrate a relatives birthday at the Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse in Federal Way. The reservations were at 6pm and we showed up right on the dot. The restaurant was very busy as it was home coming week. We had to wait while the rest of the party showed up.
We were finally seated at a table where 8 seats surrounded a grill and placed our drink orders. They have a large menu with a great variety of items to choose from, I chose the Teppan Yaki Filet Mignon and Lobster and the wife chose Chicken and Scallops.
We were first served a green salad followed by Miso Soup, with no spoon, so you had to pick up the bowl and sip the soup. Next came a bowl of steamed rice. Our chef arrived, he was an older gentleman, who did not seem to speak much English. He did not have many presentation skills or charm, but did great job.
He cooked the vegetables first, which consisted of zucchini, onions and mushrooms, followed by chicken and seafood. Next came the beef followed by bean sprouts. Dessert was a scoop of sherbert.
The vegetables were excellent as were the different types meats. The only thing I would change is that I prefer fried rice to steamed rice.
I would rate the food a 9, service a 9, cleanliness a 9, price a 5, atmosphere an 8 and overall a 9. The loud drumming that occurred every time they celebrated someones birthday could have been toned down.
We were finally seated at a table where 8 seats surrounded a grill and placed our drink orders. They have a large menu with a great variety of items to choose from, I chose the Teppan Yaki Filet Mignon and Lobster and the wife chose Chicken and Scallops.
We were first served a green salad followed by Miso Soup, with no spoon, so you had to pick up the bowl and sip the soup. Next came a bowl of steamed rice. Our chef arrived, he was an older gentleman, who did not seem to speak much English. He did not have many presentation skills or charm, but did great job.
He cooked the vegetables first, which consisted of zucchini, onions and mushrooms, followed by chicken and seafood. Next came the beef followed by bean sprouts. Dessert was a scoop of sherbert.
The vegetables were excellent as were the different types meats. The only thing I would change is that I prefer fried rice to steamed rice.
I would rate the food a 9, service a 9, cleanliness a 9, price a 5, atmosphere an 8 and overall a 9. The loud drumming that occurred every time they celebrated someones birthday could have been toned down.
October 5, 2012 - Mi Tres Amigos, Puyallup, WA
It was getting late and we had just finished our grocery shopping and we were both hungry. The options were, go home and make a late meal or find a restaurant and try to have a reasonably priced meal. A list of restaurants at 176th and Meridian went through our mind and we decided on Mexican food at Mi Tres Amigos.
The restaurant was busy, but we were seated right away. They brought us chips, Salsa and Salsa Verde and asked if we wanted beans or guacamole, which we declined. To stay within the budget we opted to split the combination fajitas which included two choices of meat. we chose beef and chicken.
The first basket of chips were on the stale side, but the second basket was OK. The salsa was good, but it lacked texture and substance. I expected that of the Salsa Verde.
Our meal arrived quickly and the Fajitas plate was steaming hot as was the plate with rice and beans, which had a separate plate on it with sour cream, guacamole, cheese and pico de gallo. We also had a tortilla warmer with four flour tortilla's.
The fajita's were good. Maybe a little over cooked and slightly burnt. The amount of food was also good. I would rate the food as an 8, service a 9, cleanliness an 8, pricing a 7 and overall a 8. Much better than Los Pinos in Orting.
The restaurant was busy, but we were seated right away. They brought us chips, Salsa and Salsa Verde and asked if we wanted beans or guacamole, which we declined. To stay within the budget we opted to split the combination fajitas which included two choices of meat. we chose beef and chicken.
The first basket of chips were on the stale side, but the second basket was OK. The salsa was good, but it lacked texture and substance. I expected that of the Salsa Verde.
Our meal arrived quickly and the Fajitas plate was steaming hot as was the plate with rice and beans, which had a separate plate on it with sour cream, guacamole, cheese and pico de gallo. We also had a tortilla warmer with four flour tortilla's.
The fajita's were good. Maybe a little over cooked and slightly burnt. The amount of food was also good. I would rate the food as an 8, service a 9, cleanliness an 8, pricing a 7 and overall a 8. Much better than Los Pinos in Orting.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Kapowsin Ale House September 19, 2012
The wife was gone visiting her sister and nieces for a few hours, so I thought "why not", good time for a cruise and a bite. I left the house and headed up Orville road towards Lake Kapowsin. I have driven by it a thousand times, but never stopped at the Kapowsin Tavern or as they call it the Kapowsin Ale House.
I pull into the gravel parking lot and parked the bike. There were quite a few cars in the parking lot and lots of noise coming from the door. I walked in to find some of the locals playing pool (and they were drunk as a skunk) and found myself a seat at the bar. A nice young lady, I think her name was Jackie, asked me what I wanted to drink and if I wanted a menu. I said Coors Lite and "Yes Please" for the menu. The menu had lot's of choices from Pizza to burgers, sandwiches to chicken.
Then I saw it a 4 piece Fried Chicken and Fries. I have yet to find a good local place for fried chicken. I asked the bartender if it was any good and she said it was one of their best on the menu, so I ordered fried chicken and fries.
It was rather noisy with the locals and most of the booths were occupied with customers. Looked like the have an additional room for events and a patio area, which also had quite a few people seated. There was only one bartender and one cook (who did not look too good), but service was great. The locals were getting even louder, but my food arrived and I forgot all about them. The bartender was right the chicken and fries was great. Hot, crispy, decent size pieces and plenty of fries.
I would give the food a 9, service a 9, cleanliness a 7, atmosphere a 5, and the locals a 10 (if you like drunk loud people). Overall it was a 8.5 and I would definitely go back, just for the chicken.
I finished the ride via the Orting/Kapowsin Highway, back through Orting and back to the barn.
I pull into the gravel parking lot and parked the bike. There were quite a few cars in the parking lot and lots of noise coming from the door. I walked in to find some of the locals playing pool (and they were drunk as a skunk) and found myself a seat at the bar. A nice young lady, I think her name was Jackie, asked me what I wanted to drink and if I wanted a menu. I said Coors Lite and "Yes Please" for the menu. The menu had lot's of choices from Pizza to burgers, sandwiches to chicken.
Then I saw it a 4 piece Fried Chicken and Fries. I have yet to find a good local place for fried chicken. I asked the bartender if it was any good and she said it was one of their best on the menu, so I ordered fried chicken and fries.
It was rather noisy with the locals and most of the booths were occupied with customers. Looked like the have an additional room for events and a patio area, which also had quite a few people seated. There was only one bartender and one cook (who did not look too good), but service was great. The locals were getting even louder, but my food arrived and I forgot all about them. The bartender was right the chicken and fries was great. Hot, crispy, decent size pieces and plenty of fries.
I would give the food a 9, service a 9, cleanliness a 7, atmosphere a 5, and the locals a 10 (if you like drunk loud people). Overall it was a 8.5 and I would definitely go back, just for the chicken.
I finished the ride via the Orting/Kapowsin Highway, back through Orting and back to the barn.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Saturday September 1, 2012 - Los Pinos, Orting, WA
It was late. We were hungry and there are not many choices for a good meal in Orting. The mother in law wanted pizza and my wife had a hankering for Mexican. So Mexican it was. Last time we went to Los Pinos we did not have the best eating experience. The food was not great and the portion size keeps getting smaller as the price keeps rising.. I even sent an e-mail through their web site, but the owner did not seem to care. She responded that everyone else likes her food and portion sizes. Well it has been a couple of years, so I thought why not.
It was about 7:30 pm and the restaurant was fairly quiet. I have to admit the place looks nice since they did some remodeling. New floors, new booths and tables, new windows and paint. Just our luck. The owner was going to be our waitress and I thought well now, we will be sure to get good service.
We had not been seated for more than a few minutes when she showed up ready to take our order. We asked her for a little more time as we pondered the menu. The wife and I finally decided to split an order of Fajita's and Frankie decide on the chicken carnitas. All was good as we ate chips and salsa. Although Frankie thought the salsa was too spicy. I thought it was just right.
Well I'm not sure if the owner was teaching us a lesson for asking for more time to place our order, but it took forever to get our meal. I was surprised as normally, in the past, they have been very fast. When the meal arrived, all was good. The steak, onion and pepper mix was tasty and tender and we receive plenty of tortillas. The only complaint's were we only received a about one tablespoons of guacamole, a pinch of shredded cheese and I like re-fried beans, so I thought there could have been more.
When we were done, the owner was slow to bring us our check and we ended up having to go up to the register to sign the credit card receipt and get our credit card back. The owner was busy talking on the phone, while two of her employe's were just standing around at the front desk.
Over all I would give the quality of food an 8, portion size a 5, cleanliness a 9, price a 5 and service a 6. For an overall rating of 7. It wouldn't take much to make this restaurant a top notch place to stop for a good meal.
It was about 7:30 pm and the restaurant was fairly quiet. I have to admit the place looks nice since they did some remodeling. New floors, new booths and tables, new windows and paint. Just our luck. The owner was going to be our waitress and I thought well now, we will be sure to get good service.
We had not been seated for more than a few minutes when she showed up ready to take our order. We asked her for a little more time as we pondered the menu. The wife and I finally decided to split an order of Fajita's and Frankie decide on the chicken carnitas. All was good as we ate chips and salsa. Although Frankie thought the salsa was too spicy. I thought it was just right.
Well I'm not sure if the owner was teaching us a lesson for asking for more time to place our order, but it took forever to get our meal. I was surprised as normally, in the past, they have been very fast. When the meal arrived, all was good. The steak, onion and pepper mix was tasty and tender and we receive plenty of tortillas. The only complaint's were we only received a about one tablespoons of guacamole, a pinch of shredded cheese and I like re-fried beans, so I thought there could have been more.
When we were done, the owner was slow to bring us our check and we ended up having to go up to the register to sign the credit card receipt and get our credit card back. The owner was busy talking on the phone, while two of her employe's were just standing around at the front desk.
Over all I would give the quality of food an 8, portion size a 5, cleanliness a 9, price a 5 and service a 6. For an overall rating of 7. It wouldn't take much to make this restaurant a top notch place to stop for a good meal.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Saturday August 25, 2012 - Chesters
A Cruise and a Bite
What a beautiful day for a bike ride to Long Beach to see the kite festival. The ride is about 150 miles each way and South Bend, WA is somewhere in the middle. As we were filling the bikes with gas, we were talking about where to eat. A nice lady filling up her truck suggested Chester's in South Bend. She said they had great oysters.
It was an older bar on a pier over looking a slough. There were only a half dozen people in the bar and as we walk towards the back of the bar, the floor slanted downward to the left. The menu was simple. It was all on one of those little signs they put on the table, like the ones they use to advertise happy hour or daily specials. They had burgers, sandwiches, fish and chips, chicken and chips, oysters and more.
We decided to give the fish and chips a try and see how a small bar could compare to the supposedly world famous Duke's. Well guess what they have you beat by a mile. Not only were the fish and chips delicious. They were almost half the price of Dukes, $9.00 and you got 3 pieces of fish and a good serving of fries. Only thing missing was clam chowder. But even without it there was 50% more food than Dukes and beers were only $2.75.
I would rate the cleanliness a 9, atmosphere a 8, service a 9 and food a 9 and you guessed it overall a 9. The only negative is that they take only cash. No debit or credit cards. Kind of tough when the wife won't give me any cash to carry.
I highly recommend that if you are traveling thru South Bend, you stop and give Chester's a try. Oh by the way, make sure you watch your speed thru town. It looked like the police were busy trying to give tickets to anyone who did not obey the speed limit.
What a beautiful day for a bike ride to Long Beach to see the kite festival. The ride is about 150 miles each way and South Bend, WA is somewhere in the middle. As we were filling the bikes with gas, we were talking about where to eat. A nice lady filling up her truck suggested Chester's in South Bend. She said they had great oysters.
It was an older bar on a pier over looking a slough. There were only a half dozen people in the bar and as we walk towards the back of the bar, the floor slanted downward to the left. The menu was simple. It was all on one of those little signs they put on the table, like the ones they use to advertise happy hour or daily specials. They had burgers, sandwiches, fish and chips, chicken and chips, oysters and more.
We decided to give the fish and chips a try and see how a small bar could compare to the supposedly world famous Duke's. Well guess what they have you beat by a mile. Not only were the fish and chips delicious. They were almost half the price of Dukes, $9.00 and you got 3 pieces of fish and a good serving of fries. Only thing missing was clam chowder. But even without it there was 50% more food than Dukes and beers were only $2.75.
I would rate the cleanliness a 9, atmosphere a 8, service a 9 and food a 9 and you guessed it overall a 9. The only negative is that they take only cash. No debit or credit cards. Kind of tough when the wife won't give me any cash to carry.
I highly recommend that if you are traveling thru South Bend, you stop and give Chester's a try. Oh by the way, make sure you watch your speed thru town. It looked like the police were busy trying to give tickets to anyone who did not obey the speed limit.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Wednesday 8/23/12 - Carbonado Saloon
A QUICK CRUISE AND A BITE
We took the bike for a short cruise up to Carbonado and stopped at the Carbonado Saloon to check it out. It was a nice clean place with a back yard beer garden. I assume that on a Saturday night the place would be very busy, but on a Wednesday there were only 4 other people at the bar.
Wednesday nights are $5 cheeseburger and fries nights, so we thought why not and ordered 2 of them along with a couple of Coors Lights. They have a daily 2 wheel (motorcycle) deal where drafts and well drinks are only $2.
The food arrived fairly quickly as there was only one person working. I was not to sure about the fries, but after tasting them they were pretty good and the burger was good too. I would give the place an 8 for bar food, 8 for cleanlyness a 10 for service, 9 for decor and an over all 8.5.
They also have other specials during the week including Taco Tuesday's. We are definetly going to add this as one of the places to go during the week for the quick cruise and a bite.
We took the bike for a short cruise up to Carbonado and stopped at the Carbonado Saloon to check it out. It was a nice clean place with a back yard beer garden. I assume that on a Saturday night the place would be very busy, but on a Wednesday there were only 4 other people at the bar.
Wednesday nights are $5 cheeseburger and fries nights, so we thought why not and ordered 2 of them along with a couple of Coors Lights. They have a daily 2 wheel (motorcycle) deal where drafts and well drinks are only $2.
The food arrived fairly quickly as there was only one person working. I was not to sure about the fries, but after tasting them they were pretty good and the burger was good too. I would give the place an 8 for bar food, 8 for cleanlyness a 10 for service, 9 for decor and an over all 8.5.
They also have other specials during the week including Taco Tuesday's. We are definetly going to add this as one of the places to go during the week for the quick cruise and a bite.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Duke's Chowder House Tuesday August 14, 2012
The wife and I decided to take the new Stratoliner out for a cruise and headed for the Tacoma waterfront on Ruston Way. It was a beautiful evening and was a nice 25 mile cruise one way. We decided to give Duke's Chowder House a try, as neither of us had eaten there before.
The restaurant was somewhat busy, with a short wait for first available and longer to sit out on the deck. We chose first available and had to wait only a few minutes. We had a nice and cozy window seat over looking the deck and sound. It was nice and cool with the doors open and the vents blowing cool air.
The menu had a good selection. Claimed they served award winning seafood, but pricing was a little on the high side. Not too bad if the food is good and the portions were reasonable. We came wanting fish and chips and fish and chips we were going to have. We ordered the 1/2 Mac & Jack's Fish & Chips Combo which consisted of a 1/2 order of lightly panko breaded Bering Sea Cod, exceptional made–at–Duke's tartar sauce, cup of Award Winning Clam Chowder for $16.60 each. We also ordered a couple of beers to wash it down.
When the food arrived I was a little disappointed. It looked like a couple of frozen fish sticks you get out of a box, a small handful of Jo Jo's, a small scoop of coleslaw and a small cup of chowder. The fish itself tasted good, the tarter sauce tasted like Skipper's, the Jo Jo's were a little limp and greasy, the coleslaw was OK and the chowder was very good. Not impressive for $16.60 per plate. I have had better fish and chips at Ivar's or Skipper's for half the price.
Overall the restaurant was clean, the atmosphere was great, the service was good, the food was OK and the price was too high. I am not much for going out to have seafood other than fish and chips. I would rather have a good Steak. I guess it will be a long time before we ever go to Duke's again.
We ended the evening on a good note by riding thru Point Defiance Park and watched the evening sunset.
The wife and I made a new deal. When we take the bike out for a ride, we need to check out the food at the taverns along the way and forget about restaurants. It is so hard to get good food at a decent price. $16.60 is not to high, but there should have been 50% more of everything they served. I don't mind paying for a good meal, but come on. At least make it worth the trip.
The restaurant was somewhat busy, with a short wait for first available and longer to sit out on the deck. We chose first available and had to wait only a few minutes. We had a nice and cozy window seat over looking the deck and sound. It was nice and cool with the doors open and the vents blowing cool air.
The menu had a good selection. Claimed they served award winning seafood, but pricing was a little on the high side. Not too bad if the food is good and the portions were reasonable. We came wanting fish and chips and fish and chips we were going to have. We ordered the 1/2 Mac & Jack's Fish & Chips Combo which consisted of a 1/2 order of lightly panko breaded Bering Sea Cod, exceptional made–at–Duke's tartar sauce, cup of Award Winning Clam Chowder for $16.60 each. We also ordered a couple of beers to wash it down.
When the food arrived I was a little disappointed. It looked like a couple of frozen fish sticks you get out of a box, a small handful of Jo Jo's, a small scoop of coleslaw and a small cup of chowder. The fish itself tasted good, the tarter sauce tasted like Skipper's, the Jo Jo's were a little limp and greasy, the coleslaw was OK and the chowder was very good. Not impressive for $16.60 per plate. I have had better fish and chips at Ivar's or Skipper's for half the price.
Overall the restaurant was clean, the atmosphere was great, the service was good, the food was OK and the price was too high. I am not much for going out to have seafood other than fish and chips. I would rather have a good Steak. I guess it will be a long time before we ever go to Duke's again.
We ended the evening on a good note by riding thru Point Defiance Park and watched the evening sunset.
The wife and I made a new deal. When we take the bike out for a ride, we need to check out the food at the taverns along the way and forget about restaurants. It is so hard to get good food at a decent price. $16.60 is not to high, but there should have been 50% more of everything they served. I don't mind paying for a good meal, but come on. At least make it worth the trip.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Health Care August 5, 2012
Now here is an idea that I think would work and provide everyone with health care.
The biggest problem is how do we pay for it and make it fair for everyone, including the free loaders. No one likes additional taxes, but hear me out. Cigarettes and booze already have steep taxes, but we need to add an additional tax to these products for health care. We also tax some food items.
Fresh, frozen and some canned unprepared meat, vegetables and fruit are tax exempt. Along with some of your dairy products, such as the different types of milk, cheese and eggs. Everything else will be taxed to pay for your health care.
Any type of prepared or package or high carbohydrate items. including rice, pasta, bread will be taxed. All processed, prepared , package food, including candy, chips, baked goods, flour, sugar, etc. The only exception would be some canned vegetables and fruit where there has been no sugar added. We would have to create a new product labeling system that accurately states a portion size (not 8 pieces equals a serving size) and determine at what point a serving becomes a high carbohydrate item.
Most health care problems exist because we do not take care of ourselves. We eat the wrong types of food, drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes. We end up being over weight, addicted to alcohol or tobacco and end up with diabetes, cancer and many other health issues. Restaurants and anyone who sells food would have to also collect a tax on the unhealthy foods they serve.
I am not saying you can not consume these items, but it will cost you more than eating right and not abusing your body. I have no idea at this time how much of a tax it would take to cover the entire system, but I think the idea needs to be researched. The tax would be fair for everyone as we don't have to buy the products that are taxed.
What if everyone started eating all the right things to avoid paying taxes into the health care system? Well that would be a good thing. We would be more healthy. Need less health care and hopefully less taxes to support the system.
Everyone should be entitled to health care. Low income, middle class, the rich and even illegal aliens. But everyone has to eat and if you like to eat chips, candy and high carbohydrate foods, you will pay into the system.
I am not a health nut. I have been what the doctors call over weight my entire life. I have diabetes, drink occasionally and abused my body with tobacco in the past. When I was a kid, we were allowed to eat a bowl of cereal every night before we went to bed. We had a large pourable container of sugar on the table so we could add as much as we like to our already sugar laden cereal.
I am OK with having to be on a waiting list for non life threatening procedures. The system also should not pay for any type of cosmetic surgery. This would be another tough task, but I think we could come up with a fair, easy to understand list, that would tell us what is covered and what is not. It does not need to be thousands of pages and hard to understand. There should be no exceptions as to who pays the tax or who is covered by the system.
The alternative is to keep on the same path we are on and our society well continue to be less healthy with each passing day.
The biggest problem is how do we pay for it and make it fair for everyone, including the free loaders. No one likes additional taxes, but hear me out. Cigarettes and booze already have steep taxes, but we need to add an additional tax to these products for health care. We also tax some food items.
Fresh, frozen and some canned unprepared meat, vegetables and fruit are tax exempt. Along with some of your dairy products, such as the different types of milk, cheese and eggs. Everything else will be taxed to pay for your health care.
Any type of prepared or package or high carbohydrate items. including rice, pasta, bread will be taxed. All processed, prepared , package food, including candy, chips, baked goods, flour, sugar, etc. The only exception would be some canned vegetables and fruit where there has been no sugar added. We would have to create a new product labeling system that accurately states a portion size (not 8 pieces equals a serving size) and determine at what point a serving becomes a high carbohydrate item.
Most health care problems exist because we do not take care of ourselves. We eat the wrong types of food, drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes. We end up being over weight, addicted to alcohol or tobacco and end up with diabetes, cancer and many other health issues. Restaurants and anyone who sells food would have to also collect a tax on the unhealthy foods they serve.
I am not saying you can not consume these items, but it will cost you more than eating right and not abusing your body. I have no idea at this time how much of a tax it would take to cover the entire system, but I think the idea needs to be researched. The tax would be fair for everyone as we don't have to buy the products that are taxed.
What if everyone started eating all the right things to avoid paying taxes into the health care system? Well that would be a good thing. We would be more healthy. Need less health care and hopefully less taxes to support the system.
Everyone should be entitled to health care. Low income, middle class, the rich and even illegal aliens. But everyone has to eat and if you like to eat chips, candy and high carbohydrate foods, you will pay into the system.
I am not a health nut. I have been what the doctors call over weight my entire life. I have diabetes, drink occasionally and abused my body with tobacco in the past. When I was a kid, we were allowed to eat a bowl of cereal every night before we went to bed. We had a large pourable container of sugar on the table so we could add as much as we like to our already sugar laden cereal.
I am OK with having to be on a waiting list for non life threatening procedures. The system also should not pay for any type of cosmetic surgery. This would be another tough task, but I think we could come up with a fair, easy to understand list, that would tell us what is covered and what is not. It does not need to be thousands of pages and hard to understand. There should be no exceptions as to who pays the tax or who is covered by the system.
The alternative is to keep on the same path we are on and our society well continue to be less healthy with each passing day.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Fort Lewis Commissary July 27, 2012
Amazing. We had the opportunity to stop by the Fort Lewis Commissary with my daughter and her boy friend. We were on base to attend Bob's Retirement Ceremony, after 23 years in the Army. Congratulations and Thank You Bob!
They sure know how to run a store and some of the big chains could learn a thing or two from them. I expected the store to be large, well stocked and clean, which it was. But I love the small differences. First thing we noticed is that they actually have parking spaces for your carts outlined on the floor when you go to the meat department. You are suppose to park your cart, then browse the huge meat department, make your selection, bag it and then return to your cart. This allows everyone a chance to get what they need without having to fight all the carts. Believe me, it helps. The store was busy and it was a weekday.
When you are all done shopping you head to the checkout line where there is someone who actually directs you to the next open check stand. I like this because, trying to find and pick a check stand is like playing the slot machine. You never know if you picked a winner or a lemon. When you are all done, there is a courtesy clerk, for each check stand, whose job it is to take your groceries to your car. You don't have a choice. But they are fast and efficient. You can tip them if you like.
Pricing is a little lower than your local Winco and when something is on sale it is at a very good price. Again, I was very impressed and our Military deserves the best and more.
They sure know how to run a store and some of the big chains could learn a thing or two from them. I expected the store to be large, well stocked and clean, which it was. But I love the small differences. First thing we noticed is that they actually have parking spaces for your carts outlined on the floor when you go to the meat department. You are suppose to park your cart, then browse the huge meat department, make your selection, bag it and then return to your cart. This allows everyone a chance to get what they need without having to fight all the carts. Believe me, it helps. The store was busy and it was a weekday.
When you are all done shopping you head to the checkout line where there is someone who actually directs you to the next open check stand. I like this because, trying to find and pick a check stand is like playing the slot machine. You never know if you picked a winner or a lemon. When you are all done, there is a courtesy clerk, for each check stand, whose job it is to take your groceries to your car. You don't have a choice. But they are fast and efficient. You can tip them if you like.
Pricing is a little lower than your local Winco and when something is on sale it is at a very good price. Again, I was very impressed and our Military deserves the best and more.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Directv - July 22, 2012
We had Directv installed when we first moved into our home in 2002. They have been providing us with great service and TV viewing for 10 years, when we decided we needed to upgrade our equipment. We had an old DVR that was not HD and was very limited in the amount of data it could store.
We called Directv to see what they could do for one of their long term loyal customers, who always pay their bill on time. Customer service told us that the best they could do, in regards to new equipment, would cost us $200 to $300 out of our pocket. I was somewhat surprised that was the best they could do.
We only have a couple of options where we live. There is no cable. So it is either Directv or Dish and we had not heard good things about Dish. After thinking about what we have heard about Dish. I realized it was mainly negative advertising from Directv and decided to give Dish a call.
Dish offered us their new Hopper and Joey equipment at a great price. FREE. FREE installation and a reduce program fee for the first year and they threw in FREE HD for life with automatic payment. They could also install it the next day. I don't know if you have noticed something here, but I liked the word FREE!
Well to be fair I called Directv back to give them a chance to meet the offer. To my surprise they said they could not do any better then what they offered the first time. So I asked them to cancel my service as of the next day and called Dish and gave them the OK to proceed.
Dish was out there the next day as promised. Did a great job with the install. The installer was very nice and knowledgeable. We had the Hopper installed in the living room and a Joey installed in the bedroom. We were extremely impressed with the new technology, the ease of use and the programing that was offered. We were very happy with the switch.
To our surprise we immediately started getting phone calls from Directv with offers to get us back. I could not believe it. We we asked the for an upgrade they refused and seemed to care less that they were losing a customer. Then we started getting offers at least once a week from Directv in the mail. They now were offering the equipment free, free installation, reduced programing fees for the first year and free HD for life, just like dish.
The final kicker is that they also offered to pay the fee to break my contract with Dish. Where was all this, Directv, when we called you in the beginning? Seems like it would have been far more profitable for Directv to make me a decent offer in the beginning. But no, they decided that they were too good and that no one would leave them for Dish as they were the best.
Well Directv, you were wrong if we ever come back it will be in the future when we want to upgrade our equipment again and only if Dish won't make us a deal.
We called Directv to see what they could do for one of their long term loyal customers, who always pay their bill on time. Customer service told us that the best they could do, in regards to new equipment, would cost us $200 to $300 out of our pocket. I was somewhat surprised that was the best they could do.
We only have a couple of options where we live. There is no cable. So it is either Directv or Dish and we had not heard good things about Dish. After thinking about what we have heard about Dish. I realized it was mainly negative advertising from Directv and decided to give Dish a call.
Dish offered us their new Hopper and Joey equipment at a great price. FREE. FREE installation and a reduce program fee for the first year and they threw in FREE HD for life with automatic payment. They could also install it the next day. I don't know if you have noticed something here, but I liked the word FREE!
Well to be fair I called Directv back to give them a chance to meet the offer. To my surprise they said they could not do any better then what they offered the first time. So I asked them to cancel my service as of the next day and called Dish and gave them the OK to proceed.
Dish was out there the next day as promised. Did a great job with the install. The installer was very nice and knowledgeable. We had the Hopper installed in the living room and a Joey installed in the bedroom. We were extremely impressed with the new technology, the ease of use and the programing that was offered. We were very happy with the switch.
To our surprise we immediately started getting phone calls from Directv with offers to get us back. I could not believe it. We we asked the for an upgrade they refused and seemed to care less that they were losing a customer. Then we started getting offers at least once a week from Directv in the mail. They now were offering the equipment free, free installation, reduced programing fees for the first year and free HD for life, just like dish.
The final kicker is that they also offered to pay the fee to break my contract with Dish. Where was all this, Directv, when we called you in the beginning? Seems like it would have been far more profitable for Directv to make me a decent offer in the beginning. But no, they decided that they were too good and that no one would leave them for Dish as they were the best.
Well Directv, you were wrong if we ever come back it will be in the future when we want to upgrade our equipment again and only if Dish won't make us a deal.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Chickens July 15, 2012
The new chickens have started to lay eggs, They have given us 8 so far this week. I tried a couple for breakfast and they were tasty. One of the larger eggs was a double yoker. Right now most of the eggs are on the small side, but soon they will start to be large or extra large. The chicken we call BB likes to lay inside the goat barn in the goats bed.We will have more eggs than we will know what to do with, so I guess we are going to put up a sign and sell them for $2.00 Per dozen. We have seen signs posted around us for $4.00 per dozen. We are not trying to get rich, just help pay some for the food. We enjoy our little ranch too much to care if we make money. Mellissa let the goats and Rue out for awhile as she was cutting them black berries. Rue was so cute hopping around. When it was time to go back in, they all went back with very little effort. I think Rue has already stolen our hearts.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Rescue Ranch July 13, 2012
We officially became an animal rescue ranch, last weekend. My wife received a call from her sister on Saturday. She was all upset as her neighbor had a baby lamb and its mother and were told by their landlord that they could not keep live stock. So they ate the mother for dinner. She talked them into giving her the baby and then talked us into taking her. We named her Rue.
Mellissa went and got her and brought her home. We were not sure how she would be accepted by the goats. Mellissa had talked to someone at the feed store who said they should get along and maybe Prim will become the mother and take care of her.
Well I guess they really don't know goats. There was really no problem until it was feeding time. Rather than being motherly, Prim was more concerned that Rue was getting more or different food than she was and started head butting her away from her food. Then Peeta joined in the game and poor Rue had to run for her life. Lamb's have no defense other than running. They are a very docile animal and thus are very skittish and run at the first sign of trouble.
We ended up making a small feeding pen for Rue to be in during feeding time. Seems to work, but the goats still try hard to get into the pen. We have the vet coming out Saturday and we will see what he has to say.
It will be interesting later as the lamb will grow to be much bigger than the goats. If anyone has experience with goats and Lambs, feel free to post comments.
Mellissa went and got her and brought her home. We were not sure how she would be accepted by the goats. Mellissa had talked to someone at the feed store who said they should get along and maybe Prim will become the mother and take care of her.
Well I guess they really don't know goats. There was really no problem until it was feeding time. Rather than being motherly, Prim was more concerned that Rue was getting more or different food than she was and started head butting her away from her food. Then Peeta joined in the game and poor Rue had to run for her life. Lamb's have no defense other than running. They are a very docile animal and thus are very skittish and run at the first sign of trouble.
We ended up making a small feeding pen for Rue to be in during feeding time. Seems to work, but the goats still try hard to get into the pen. We have the vet coming out Saturday and we will see what he has to say.
It will be interesting later as the lamb will grow to be much bigger than the goats. If anyone has experience with goats and Lambs, feel free to post comments.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
June 22, 2012 Applebee's - Bonney Lake, WA
We usually have pretty good luck when we decide to go to Applebee's for dinner. They have a good selection of items on their menu and the pricing is reasonable. We decided to sit at the bar rather than wait for a table to open up. The bartender was friendly and provided great service. They changed up their 2 for $20 menu and added a 2 for $24, which includes 2 entree's and an appetizer.
We both decided on the 9 oz. steak with baked potato and Queso Blanco, spicy white cheese and tortilla chips, as an appetizer. The appetizer arrived in a timely manner and was very good. I would give it a 9 for price, taste, quality and presentation.
The steaks were next to arrive. They brought my plate with garlic mash potato's instead of a bake potato, but the server remedied that very quickly by bring me a baked potato. I asked for my steak to be medium and the wife asked for well done as usual. My steak appeared OK, but the wife's was a little pink in the middle, but she accepted it anyway.
The steaks at Applebee's have a very nice taste to them. A little salty, but not sure what other spices they use to marinate them. For the first time I thought my steak was a little tough in spots. Normally they are very tender. The wife said her baked potato was not quite cooked enough for her tastes.
Overall I would give service a 9, food an 7, cleanliness a 9 and price a 9 for an overall rating of 8.
We both decided on the 9 oz. steak with baked potato and Queso Blanco, spicy white cheese and tortilla chips, as an appetizer. The appetizer arrived in a timely manner and was very good. I would give it a 9 for price, taste, quality and presentation.
The steaks were next to arrive. They brought my plate with garlic mash potato's instead of a bake potato, but the server remedied that very quickly by bring me a baked potato. I asked for my steak to be medium and the wife asked for well done as usual. My steak appeared OK, but the wife's was a little pink in the middle, but she accepted it anyway.
The steaks at Applebee's have a very nice taste to them. A little salty, but not sure what other spices they use to marinate them. For the first time I thought my steak was a little tough in spots. Normally they are very tender. The wife said her baked potato was not quite cooked enough for her tastes.
Overall I would give service a 9, food an 7, cleanliness a 9 and price a 9 for an overall rating of 8.
Monday, June 18, 2012
June 18, 2012 Kent All Stars 12 - Sound View All Stars 0
Well I hate to report it, but the rain stopped long enough tonight for the Kent All Stars to beat our beloved Sound View All Stars, 12-0.
I wish I had more to report, but it was not their best game. All the highlights came from the Kent team. Mathew played 3rd base and only had one ball hit towards him. He batted twice, but didn't make it to first base. Oh well, better luck next time. Speaking of next time, they go at it again Tuesday night at 6 pm at the South King County Ball Fields off of Military Road. I hope they come ready to play, because they are all great players.
I wish I had more to report, but it was not their best game. All the highlights came from the Kent team. Mathew played 3rd base and only had one ball hit towards him. He batted twice, but didn't make it to first base. Oh well, better luck next time. Speaking of next time, they go at it again Tuesday night at 6 pm at the South King County Ball Fields off of Military Road. I hope they come ready to play, because they are all great players.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
June 17, 2012 - The Buttered Biscuit - Sumner, WA
Here it is Fathers Day and my beautiful wife's birthday. We had decided Friday night we were going to go out for breakfast on Sunday at the Buttered Biscuit in Sumner, WA. On Saturday we invited the neighbors to join us.
We arrived around 10 am expecting it to be busy on Fathers Day and boy were we right. There were people everywhere. We parked the car and got our name on the waiting list and were told it would be about 45 minutes and it was about 45 minutes exactly when they called our name. We were seated in the downstairs portion of the restaurant and it was rather warm inside even though they had all the doors open.
A young man came by right away, gave us water and asked us if would like anything else to drink, we all opted for coffee. Keeping in mind it was Fathers Day, it took about 20 minutes before a waitress came by and asked if we were ready to order. Joe and I ordered the "Don't be a Chicken", Mellissa ordered the Cinnamon Roll French Toast and Becky ordered the "222-2" which consisted of French Toast, eggs, fried potato's and bacon.
They brought out corn bread that came with the breakfast that Joe and I ordered, it was wonderful, sweet like honey and vanilla topped with butter. Most corn bread is dry, but not this little piece of perfection, it was nice and moist. As we nibbled on the corn bread and drank more coffee, we waited for another 30 minutes for our food to arrive and in the mean time they came by the table quite often to fill up our coffee and water. We finally had to say no more coffee or we would not be able to eat our breakfast.
Finally the meal came, the "Don't be a Chicken" consists of fried spuds with green peppers, onions, seasoning and Grandmas Eggs (scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, sausage and cheese), with a split biscuit on top and 12 oz Chicken Fried Steak, double loaded with SOS gravy.
Mellissa's Cinnamon Roll French Toast was made from a homemade cinnamon roll sliced in half, dipped in egg, cooked on the grilled, dipped in cinnamon and covered with sweet cream butter, powdered sugar and whipped cream.
All was good in the world except Joe wanted his "Don't be a Chicken" with no onions and we did not discover until we both started eating that they mixed them up giving me the onion free version, even though the person who delivered the food made a point to tell Joe his was onion free. Mellissa's Cinnamon Roll French Toast was good, too bad they over cooked it and it was a little dark on the top and hard.
Overall I would rate the portion size at a 10, the food at an 8, service at a 4 and cleanliness at a 7. Hopefully the whole experience was lessened a little by the crowd for Fathers Day. But the lady behind me did not like her meal and the guy in front of us wanted to complain to the manager, but ended up just leaving.
We need to give it another shot when it is not a holiday, and I would also like to try it out for lunch or dinner.
We arrived around 10 am expecting it to be busy on Fathers Day and boy were we right. There were people everywhere. We parked the car and got our name on the waiting list and were told it would be about 45 minutes and it was about 45 minutes exactly when they called our name. We were seated in the downstairs portion of the restaurant and it was rather warm inside even though they had all the doors open.
A young man came by right away, gave us water and asked us if would like anything else to drink, we all opted for coffee. Keeping in mind it was Fathers Day, it took about 20 minutes before a waitress came by and asked if we were ready to order. Joe and I ordered the "Don't be a Chicken", Mellissa ordered the Cinnamon Roll French Toast and Becky ordered the "222-2" which consisted of French Toast, eggs, fried potato's and bacon.
They brought out corn bread that came with the breakfast that Joe and I ordered, it was wonderful, sweet like honey and vanilla topped with butter. Most corn bread is dry, but not this little piece of perfection, it was nice and moist. As we nibbled on the corn bread and drank more coffee, we waited for another 30 minutes for our food to arrive and in the mean time they came by the table quite often to fill up our coffee and water. We finally had to say no more coffee or we would not be able to eat our breakfast.
Finally the meal came, the "Don't be a Chicken" consists of fried spuds with green peppers, onions, seasoning and Grandmas Eggs (scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, sausage and cheese), with a split biscuit on top and 12 oz Chicken Fried Steak, double loaded with SOS gravy.
Mellissa's Cinnamon Roll French Toast was made from a homemade cinnamon roll sliced in half, dipped in egg, cooked on the grilled, dipped in cinnamon and covered with sweet cream butter, powdered sugar and whipped cream.
All was good in the world except Joe wanted his "Don't be a Chicken" with no onions and we did not discover until we both started eating that they mixed them up giving me the onion free version, even though the person who delivered the food made a point to tell Joe his was onion free. Mellissa's Cinnamon Roll French Toast was good, too bad they over cooked it and it was a little dark on the top and hard.
Overall I would rate the portion size at a 10, the food at an 8, service at a 4 and cleanliness at a 7. Hopefully the whole experience was lessened a little by the crowd for Fathers Day. But the lady behind me did not like her meal and the guy in front of us wanted to complain to the manager, but ended up just leaving.
We need to give it another shot when it is not a holiday, and I would also like to try it out for lunch or dinner.
June 16th, 2012 - Emerald Queen Casino - Fife, WA
At the last minute we decided to join the neighbors at the Emerald Queen Casino-Fife for dinner. We chose the Pacific Rim Buffet.
Pacific Rim Buffet features a good selection of cuisine, with choices like prime rib, sushi, cook-to-order pasta, a large salad bar and an Asian bar and a good selection of desserts. We were lucky on this particular Saturday night, there was no line and we only had to wait a few minutes for a table big enough for 9. Our neighbors said that the last time they were there they had to wait in line for about 40 minutes.
The choices were good, I started with the salad bar from which there was a large selection of items to put together your own green salad along with a nice selection of different types of salads and a few choices of Sushi.
The second trip to the buffet, I decided on a piece of fried fish, beef in Bloody Mary salsa sauce, prime rib, mashed red potatoes with gravy and a little Mongolian beef, all were very good.
For dessert I had water melon and strawberries, which were both very good. I would rate the food choices a 7, the food itself an 8, cleanliness a 9 and over all an 8.
Maybe it was a slow night but I preferred the Fife Casino over the I-5 Casino as it was less crowded
When we first arrived, we checked in with our players cards and after at least 2 hours at the casino you can receive $20.00 in a comp coupon for food at their restaurants. The comp must be used with in 24 hours. We decided to check out the deli and brought home a pizza, a turkey sub, a salad, red Velvet Cake and a cookie. We have lunch for Sunday and are going to give the pizza to our neighbors, whose dog ate their pizza Friday night when they came over to help us unload something out of the truck.
The only mistake we made was going to play the slots for a while after dinner. We came home a little poorer and smelling of cigarette smoke.
Pacific Rim Buffet features a good selection of cuisine, with choices like prime rib, sushi, cook-to-order pasta, a large salad bar and an Asian bar and a good selection of desserts. We were lucky on this particular Saturday night, there was no line and we only had to wait a few minutes for a table big enough for 9. Our neighbors said that the last time they were there they had to wait in line for about 40 minutes.
The choices were good, I started with the salad bar from which there was a large selection of items to put together your own green salad along with a nice selection of different types of salads and a few choices of Sushi.
The second trip to the buffet, I decided on a piece of fried fish, beef in Bloody Mary salsa sauce, prime rib, mashed red potatoes with gravy and a little Mongolian beef, all were very good.
For dessert I had water melon and strawberries, which were both very good. I would rate the food choices a 7, the food itself an 8, cleanliness a 9 and over all an 8.
Maybe it was a slow night but I preferred the Fife Casino over the I-5 Casino as it was less crowded
When we first arrived, we checked in with our players cards and after at least 2 hours at the casino you can receive $20.00 in a comp coupon for food at their restaurants. The comp must be used with in 24 hours. We decided to check out the deli and brought home a pizza, a turkey sub, a salad, red Velvet Cake and a cookie. We have lunch for Sunday and are going to give the pizza to our neighbors, whose dog ate their pizza Friday night when they came over to help us unload something out of the truck.
The only mistake we made was going to play the slots for a while after dinner. We came home a little poorer and smelling of cigarette smoke.
June 16, 2012 - Sound View All Stars Win 10-7
Thanks to the great pitching effort from Matthew Evans (my grandson) in the 5th and 6th inning the Sound View All Stars were able to hold off a late rally from the South Hill All Stars.
The wife and I drove down to Auburn this morning to watch our grandson, Matthew, play in his first All Star Game. Game time was 9 am sharp and we did not want to miss any of the action so we showed up at 8:30 am. The ball park has 2 fields and there was a festive atmosphere. There was a concession stand and they had All Star Shirts for sale. Music was playing on the public address system and the score boards in the outfields were all lit up and ready to go.
A little before 9 am they announced the players from both teams, they played the National Anthem and recited the Little League Pledge and then it was time to play ball.
Matthew did not start the first 2 innings and the sound View All Stars began to score runs and increase their lead. Matthew came into the game in the 3rd inning, played third base and had one good at bat, but went down swinging. He then moved to first base for the 4 the inning and after four innings the score was Sound View 10 and South Hill 0. Luckily for South Hill ,if the score would have been 10 to 0 the game would have been over because of the 10 run rule.
The fifth inning began with Matthew at first base. South Hill began chipping away and before you knew it the score was 10 to 5, that is when the magic began. The coach switched pitchers in the 5th with the bases loaded and no outs. I was not sure who it was going to be, but when the meeting at the mound was over, Matthew was left standing at the mound. He struggled a little bit at first, but all of a sudden he seemed to gain focus and determination and his pitching began to hit the mark. He ended up pitching complete 5th and 6th innings, pitching 39 pitches, winning the game and becoming the hero. Final score was Sound View 10 and South Hill 7. Nice job Matthew! Your Papa is very proud of you.
Now on to the second game of the playoffs Monday night at 6 pm, no worries I will report the outcome.
The wife and I drove down to Auburn this morning to watch our grandson, Matthew, play in his first All Star Game. Game time was 9 am sharp and we did not want to miss any of the action so we showed up at 8:30 am. The ball park has 2 fields and there was a festive atmosphere. There was a concession stand and they had All Star Shirts for sale. Music was playing on the public address system and the score boards in the outfields were all lit up and ready to go.
A little before 9 am they announced the players from both teams, they played the National Anthem and recited the Little League Pledge and then it was time to play ball.
Matthew did not start the first 2 innings and the sound View All Stars began to score runs and increase their lead. Matthew came into the game in the 3rd inning, played third base and had one good at bat, but went down swinging. He then moved to first base for the 4 the inning and after four innings the score was Sound View 10 and South Hill 0. Luckily for South Hill ,if the score would have been 10 to 0 the game would have been over because of the 10 run rule.
The fifth inning began with Matthew at first base. South Hill began chipping away and before you knew it the score was 10 to 5, that is when the magic began. The coach switched pitchers in the 5th with the bases loaded and no outs. I was not sure who it was going to be, but when the meeting at the mound was over, Matthew was left standing at the mound. He struggled a little bit at first, but all of a sudden he seemed to gain focus and determination and his pitching began to hit the mark. He ended up pitching complete 5th and 6th innings, pitching 39 pitches, winning the game and becoming the hero. Final score was Sound View 10 and South Hill 7. Nice job Matthew! Your Papa is very proud of you.
Now on to the second game of the playoffs Monday night at 6 pm, no worries I will report the outcome.
June 14, 2012 Emperor City - Orting, WA
You cannot go wrong when you have that hankering for some Asian food when you choose Emperor City in Orting, WA. They have a great selection of different Asian Cuisine on their menu. Items include Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese. We have never had a bad meal, although at times they have seemed short staffed and service can be a little slow, this was not the case during this visit.
On this particular night there were three of us and we decided to order the Po Po Platter, along with a side of fried rice and a large bowl of Won Ton Soup to split between us. The soup was first to arrive and it was very good and there was more than enough for all three of us to have a couple of bowl fulls. I rate the soup at a 9 out of 10.
Next came the Po Po Platter which came on a revolving serving tray with a little fire pot in the middle to keep the items warm. The Po Po platter includes BBQ pork (their style of BBQ pork is a little different than a traditional Chinese restaurant, but very good), deep fried chicken wings, egg rolls, deep fried prawns, chicken fingers and crab rangoon. Come to think of it everything was deep fried. The platter for three was $24.95. Although I can't eat deep fried food everyday, it is a nice treat once in a while. I would give the platter an 8.
The fried rice was also excellent and I gave it a rating of 8 out of 10. Service was good at a 9 and cleanliness is always a 10 in the dining area, I have never seen the back room. Overall rating is an 8.
When ever you are in Orting, you can't go wrong by choosing Emperor City as your dining selection.
On this particular night there were three of us and we decided to order the Po Po Platter, along with a side of fried rice and a large bowl of Won Ton Soup to split between us. The soup was first to arrive and it was very good and there was more than enough for all three of us to have a couple of bowl fulls. I rate the soup at a 9 out of 10.
Next came the Po Po Platter which came on a revolving serving tray with a little fire pot in the middle to keep the items warm. The Po Po platter includes BBQ pork (their style of BBQ pork is a little different than a traditional Chinese restaurant, but very good), deep fried chicken wings, egg rolls, deep fried prawns, chicken fingers and crab rangoon. Come to think of it everything was deep fried. The platter for three was $24.95. Although I can't eat deep fried food everyday, it is a nice treat once in a while. I would give the platter an 8.
The fried rice was also excellent and I gave it a rating of 8 out of 10. Service was good at a 9 and cleanliness is always a 10 in the dining area, I have never seen the back room. Overall rating is an 8.
When ever you are in Orting, you can't go wrong by choosing Emperor City as your dining selection.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
June 9th - Wet Dog Smell
The wife and I went fishing at Clear Lake again. It was a
little windy and chilly, but we each caught two fish. We each had a trout and a
perch. The dogs came along with us and Lucy loves to watch you land a fish.
Today she took it a bit far and when I was reeling one in she decided to dive
in the water and help me out. Once she hit the water it was like, what am I
doing! She swam directly back to the boat and I had a hard time getting a 75
pound dog back in the boat. But I finally got her back in and I think she was a
little traumatized. I don't think she will be jumping out of the boat again for
a while. She did not even want to get out of the boat to get back to solid
ground. I really enjoyed the wet dog smell in the car all the way home.
June 9, 2012 - Opinion's
I don’t care what religion you believe in, whether you are democrat
or republican. I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion. I recently read
a post on Facebook by someone stating their opinion on President Obama’s job
plan he recently talked about on TV. She simply stated her feelings regarding
this plan and her opinion how he has performed as President. She was immediately
attack by numerous people, who I must assume are her friends.
Why is it when someone does not agree with your opinion,
they have to lash out and tell you how wrong you are. They go overboard
defending their position and always seem to try and place the blame elsewhere.
One should be able to express an opinion without fear of
being attacked. We need to be having productive conversations and provide ideas and solutions that can make a
difference.
Rather than attack someone and make excuses or place the
blame elsewhere, maybe we could offer solutions or suggestions that can make a difference. Call, write or e-mail your congressman or senator. Do
research on what you believe and see if there is an organization that supports
your position that you can join and work towards providing solutions.
It seems to me that most people would rather try to shout down people and their ideas in which they don’t believe in hopes of silencing
them. They don't offer any solutions that can make a difference. Unfortunately it works sometimes and people stop letting their opinions
be known.
I hope our country and citizens are better than that. Too many people
have died defending our right to have an opinion.
Friday, June 8, 2012
June 8, 2012 - Joe’s Deli – Fine Food & Restaurant
I met the wife for lunch again today and we decided to try
out the new deli down the street from her office, Joe’s Deli. The restaurant is
located off south 336th street and 12th. They are open
Monday thru Saturday for breakfast or lunch and they serve smoothies and
espresso.
We walked into a virtually empty restaurant. Very clean,
nicely laid out and nicely decorated. We were greeted by a young lady ready to
take our order. The special of the day was their gourmet cheese burger with
fries and a small soft drink for $7.95. They also had chicken tortilla soup and
clam chowder at $2.50 per cup or $3.50 per bowl. We decided to both order the
cheese burger and my wife had the clam chowder, while I had the tortilla soup.
Total for our order was a little over $25.00.
Our soups were first to arrive. The tortilla soup was good
and a little spicy. I could have used more tortilla chips. I would give it a 7.
The wife said the chowder was good and gave it the same rating. Next they
brought the cheese burgers and fries,
served with a small container of ketchup. I thought my burger was good, but the
wife’s was a little to pink for her liking, so we switched burgers. I would
rate the burgers a 7 only because one was not cooked all the way through.
I rated the cleanliness at a 9. Service was also good at a
9. Food was a 7. Overall I would rate at
a 7.5. I think it has potential and we need to go back and try some of their
hot or cold deli sandwiches or their large selection of salads.
Olive Garden - Federal Way, WA
June 4th - Happy Birthday Kim!
My daughter turned 33
years old today, so we decided to take her and Bob out for lunch. It was the
only time we could get together as their kids have something going on every day
this week. We chose Olive Garden in Federal Way. I like Olive Garden and I don’t
think you can go wrong going there for lunch.
We arrived shortly after noon and only had to wait a couple
of minutes to be seated. We all ordered the soup, salad and bread sticks. Bob
and I had the Zuppa Toscanna, Mellissa had the Chicken and Gnocchi and Kim had
the Minestrone. The meal arrived in a matter of minutes. The soups were
excellent as were the salad and bread sticks. We each had refills of soup. I
got a kick out of the waitress. I called the soup Zuppa and she would respond
Toscanna. I guess I was not saying it right, but I still call it Zuppa. We had
a second bowl of salad and another basket of bread sticks.
We all ended up very full and satisfied. I would rate the
overall experience a 9. Service was an 8, food a nine and cleanliness a 9. I would
highly recommend the Oliver Garden for a quick lunch. We were in and out of
there in under an hour and did not feel rush.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Route 66 - Orting, WA
The wife and I decided we had a hankering for Pizza for
dinner. We had just left Costco and were thinking about the Rock on Puyallup’s
South Hill. Then the wife said how about Route 66, on the way home, in Orting.
As we drove up we noticed that they were starting to replace
some of the siding on the exterior. We walked in and there was only one
customer who left shortly after we arrived. The waitress asked us to take a
table and brought us menus. The first thing I noticed is that they have
narrowed their menu down quite a bit, no more burgers. They are now strictly a
Pizza Joint. Salads, bread sticks, garlic fries, hot wings, pizzas, calzones,
ice cream and beer and wine.
There is a patio for outside dining on a warm summer night.
We ordered cheese bread and a medium size pizza, a half Route 66 combo and half
meat lovers, a diet coke and strawberry lemonade. When the waitress brought our
drinks, my coke was in a bottle. I asked her if the business had changed owners
and she said no, but they are going to do some remolding. They are going to
replace their soda machine, thus the coke in a bottle, even though the menu
said bottomless refills. They are also going to put in a new floor and I am not
sure what else. She said the owner decided to slim down the menu. She did not
think it was a very good decision.
Our cheese bread arrived first, nice thick crust, cheese,
butter baked to a light golden brown, very tasty. A few minutes later our pizza
arrived. The cheese bread was better. The pizza crust was too crisp for my
taste. I was not impressed with the meat lover’s side or the Route 66 combo
side.
We were the only customers the whole time we were there. I
am not sure how you can make a living bringing in only $28.00 in an hour, with
at least 4 employees working.
We always try to support the local businesses when we can.
But for a small business to survive now a days they need to reinvent themselves
and have something unique to offer. There are two other choices in Orting for
Pizza, Pizza Hut and Papa Murphy’s and I hate to say both have better Pizza. I
need to have a reason to go to your business. I am not sure how Route 66 can
afford to lose any more customers and by eliminating items from their menu I am
sure they lost more customers. Not everyone likes Pizza.
Overall I would give them a rating of 5. Cleanliness is a 7.
Service an 8. Food was a 4.
We also made our first purchase of Spirit’s at Costco. It
was a little bit of sticker shock with the taxes. But again, as much as I would
like to support the local Orting Liquor Store, they need to give me a reason to
shop at their store. It does not make
any sense to say I am going to run to Safeway and pick up some groceries and
then run by the Orting Liquor Store for some booze when I can get it all at
Safeway. The Orting Liquor Store has to reinvent their store or they will be
part of History, like the Orting Food Center. I also can’t understand how Copes
Pharmacy survives either. Most of their customers must be passing away and they
offer nothing new to attract new customers.
Next I want to check out the new Taco Truck next to the Jack
Pot gas station.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)