Archive for October, 2009
Trick or Treat!
Oct 31st
Because this is the first Halloween in our new house, I’m looking forward to this evening mostly with anticipation and only a slight twinge of concern. No, I don’t anticipate the house getting egged or T.P.’d — and that wouldn’t be such a big deal, anyway. My real worry is: What if I don’t have enough candy?!?
When we moved into our former home in East Wenatchee, we’d heard that our neighborhood was a HUGE favorite with trick-or-treaters from, literally, miles around. It seemed that our large development of upscale homes, set on quiet, well-lit streets with wide sidewalks, drew the farm kids who could count their neighbors on their thumbs as well as town kids looking for a safe environment that promised a good haul. The first two years we underestimated what we’d need to satisfy the hoards, even given fair warning by our neighbors, and had to make a mad dash down the hill for more supplies mid-way through the evening. Let me tell you, being the one answering the door as the candy diminishes in the bowl, anxiously awaiting the return of your spouse with reinforcements (while wondering if handing out last year’s leftover candy canes might fill the breach should the bowl run dry), is NOT fun.
I haven’t been here long enough or talked to enough neighbors who were here last year to have a good sense of what to expect in terms of numbers tonight. Besides, between last October and now, more homes have been completed in our development, so a count from last year wouldn’t be all that reliable. I’ve seen mommies pushing strollers through the neighborhood, toddlers at the park, grade-schoolers walking to the bus stop and teens vrooming up and down the street, so I know there are plenty of families around. Counting against us is the fact that we’re on the last street in the development, with several empty lots scattered around. Candy seekers, especially the younger ones, may glance down our way and decide the time and effort to trek this way won’t be worth the perhaps meager return in treats (I can still think like a trick-or-treater, even if those days are far behind me!).
So, I have maybe 100 or so “fun-size” bars (of a variety I’m not particularly fond of, so if the night is a total bust, I won’t be so tempted to devour the leftovers in just a few days — the beginning of the winter weight gain). That would be a laughable number in our old neighborhood, where even 500 might not get you through the night if the weather was decent and it was a Friday or Saturday. I’ll be solo tonight, as Harry is helping out at his Kiwanis club’s annual safe Halloween event up in Rogue River. There won’t be any rescue if half the town decides ours would be a good neighborhood to visit this year . . .Â
Maybe I’d better run out for a few extra bags of candy right now.
Happy Halloween!
– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader
Ah, London!
Oct 30th
As I mentioned in a blog a few weeks ago, I was happy to return to London this October after an almost five year hiatus. I spent more than three months in the city during my junior year at Syracuse University, and I was eager to return. And, once again, London did not disappoint and I made the most of my time there.
I arrived early in the morning on Wednesday and checked into the InterContinental Park Lane. To refresh and rejuvenate after the long flight, I enjoyed a reflexology treatment and spent about 15 minutes in the spa’s flotation bed. After catching my breath, I enjoyed lunch and a Champagne flight on the London Eye. The Champagne flight is available to all passengers of the London Eye. A consultant comes on the pod with riders and everyone enjoys a bottle of bubbly as they soak in the sights of London.
On Wednesday night, I was able to attend the exclusive Vanity Fair/London Restaurant Festival Week launch party at Quaglino’s. Following the reception, I enjoyed the opening night of Pierre Koffman’s pop-up restaurant on the roof of Selfridges. The pop-up restaurant was originally intended to be only open during the festival, but due to its popularity, it has been extended through November. Should you find yourself in London next month, check it out. I dined a table away from Tom Parker Bowles. The pistachio souffle is a must!
Thursday, I enjoyed a morning stroll through Covent Garden market. I watched all the vendors set up shop and enjoyed the sounds of a classical music busker ensemble. In the afternoon I made my way over to the Tate Modern. Pop Life, an exhibit featuring the work of Andy Warhol and others, is currently at the museum. It was my first visit to the Tate Modern. Afternoon tea at Harvey Nichols was a perfect way to wind down in the afternoon. I spent a relaxing evening enjoying dinner at Theo Randall, in the InterContinental, and cocktails and dancing at the nearby Met Bar.
When Friday rolled around, I was disappointed I only had two more days in my favorite city. But, boy, I filled them. In the morning, I visited the Judith Blacklock Flower School for a flower arranging lesson. I spent the afternoon browsing Borough Market and enjoyed lots of delicious treats. In the evening, as a special treat, I enjoyed the InterContinental’s cinema suite. Due to technical difficulties, the EatFilm launch, a part of restaurant festival week, was canceled. The event showcased a food movie, followed by a dinner with a menu inspired by the film. No worries, watching Chocolat and having a special company come in to teach me about chocolate and how to make my own helped me create my own EatFilm night.
On Saturday I visited the Tower of London in the morning. In all the time I spent in London, I had never made it to the Tower. I enjoyed lunch at the Royal Academy with GT representative Joanna Percy. We also took in the Anish Kapoor exhibit. I took a trip down memory lane in the late afternoon, taking the Tube to Edgware Road and walking around the old neighborhood and past our old townhouse. In the evening, I went to the theater and saw Oliver, which was great! Those children could really perform.
And, alas, Sunday came and it was time to return home. I’ll save my thoughts on Heathrow’s Terminal 5 for a different day.
– Kimberly Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive
One Bad Review
Oct 29th
I don’t particularly enjoy reviewing a favorite restaurant negatively, but the purpose of a review is to accurately inform potential customers, and it also allows the business a chance to improve.
My boyfriend and I frequent New York City’s Cafe Centosette on Second Avenue and Tenth Street for weekend brunch. The menu, intimate space, bar and outdoor seating have always been enough to keep us coming back for Sunday brunch — and the service was always up to par.
Until last weekend, it had been some time since our last brunch at Cafe Centosette, so we were both excited to dine there. I ordered the western omelet with egg whites, and my date ordered the vegetable omelet with sausage. I don’t particularly like ham in my omelet, so I made a simple request — substitute sausage for the ham. The waitress told me it would be okay to do this, and she left to promptly place our orders.
I was a bit disappointed when our waitress brought me an omelet with ham in it, but this happens. I was a waitress in high school and throughout college, so I know the stress that comes with the job. Yes, sometimes orders do get mixed up. It is how the problem is fixed that really matters. When I addressed the situation with the waitress, she had an opportunity to make good. Unfortunately, on this particular day, Cafe Centosette seemed to fail in all aspects of service.
Here is a little Food and Beverage 101 — when a customer informs you that you’ve brought them the wrong order, you immediately take it off the table, no questions asked. I know people who break into hives as a reaction to the steam from cooked shrimp. Customers can be allergic, temperamental, or just plain picky — get the order out of their face.
Instead of doing this, the waitress questioned me and said she didn’t hear my request. Then she left me with my plate while she went to check with the chef. Instead of replacing my order, the chef brought me a side of sausage. By this time, I was really aggravated, my food was cold, and I still had the wrong order. I regret deciding to just stick with what was in front of me, but I was tired of trying to spell it out for everyone. The waitress came and apologized after I told her it wasn’t what I ordered. She offered me a complimentary dessert, which I did not want. At this point I just wanted people to stop coming to my table with the wrong items!
The experience doesn’t end there. When we asked for the check, we were charged for everything. And after talking to the manager and waitress twice, they only removed the side of sausage from the bill — a whopping $2.50. I was most disappointed when the manager, who should care about customer service more than anyone else, could not have cared less. I’ve never wanted to walk out on a meal so badly. We didn’t walk out. We kept our cool and paid for both meals, mainly because we were tired of continuously asking someone to fix something. At this point, I just wanted to get the hell out of there, so we did.
I can safely say I probably won’t go back there again. And I hope the manager of Cafe Centosette considers customer service if he would like to keep his frequent customers, and perhaps they should reevaluate their service training for the sake of keeping a healthy business.
– Courtney Centeno, account executive
A Fallen Bid
Oct 28th
Okay, I admit it. I predicted that Chicago would win the bid for the 2016 Olympics. When it was announced that Chicago had lost in the first round, I was stunned — although judging by Chicago sports I should not have been surprised by a “playoff” loss. I didn’t really care if Chicago got the Olympics; I just thought it was going to happen.
The surprising thing to me was the overall level of apathy the decision garnered in Chicago. Chicagoans seemed split on their desire to host the Olympics. Once the decision came, the whole matter was quickly forgotten.
More Chicago sports fan cared about the upcoming Bears game against the Detroit Lions than they cared about the failed attempt to land the Olympics. Granted, Chicagoans take their sports teams very seriously, but I didn’t think the Olympics would be out of mind so quickly. Sports radio hosts tried to kickstart discussions, but they were met with a resounding silence.
I expected outrage at the Chicago force of President Obama, Mayor Daley and Queen Oprah (where was Court Jester Jim Belushi?) for bumbling the situation. Instead, there was a little moaning and then right back to Bears talk. There was more talk about the offseason plans of the Cubs and White Sox than of the Olympics. Even funnier was the unnecessary spin control from the powers that be to explain how this all happened, but nobody was listening because nobody cared.
I am not sure what this means. Does this speak of an overall disinterest in the Olympics? Does it speak of the fanaticism Chicagoans feel about their own teams above all else?
Even businesses didn’t seem to care. Apparently, the promised increase in tourism either wasn’t believable or didn’t matter. I talked to a few concierges, and they all said their hotels were pretty well booked already.
Chicago lost the bid and nobody really cared. The Bears lost their last two games and the city is in an uproar. It doesn’t take much to understand this. The people have spoken.
– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist
