Um, whoa. I just noticed that Life Time Fitness has been charging me membership dues for a joint membership that was cancelled in 2006. I'll have to get the bank on the phone to see how far back the charges go, but in the meantime: Has anyone else had problems with the handling of your Northwest gym membership after the company was taken over by Life Time?
An anonymous comment on Andrew's blog announces that, as of tonight, Five is finally done. Someone threw their final temper tantrum and the investors decided to "put the thing out of its misery."
At Temple, I work with several former employees of Five, all of whom will loudly gripe about their last few months there. Half-smirking and half-wincing, they entertain me with stories like how the entire wait, bar, and kitchen staff would take rows of shots before opening the dining room because getting through the shift was unbearable otherwise. Not because of the customers, of course--Five always had a stellar staff that was eager to cater to every request I ever made, and I was very happy to see some of the same faces at Temple--but because Five was so poorly managed that the pure pandemonium that took place behind the scenes made it nearly impossible for them to maintain their sanity while working, especially while executing fine dining service.
Imagine needing a drink to get through a day at the office.
My first dinner at Five was incredible, yet the same entrees just a couple of weeks later were disasters. Thinking it was just one of those anomalies that occasionally appear when a restaurant first opens, I tried Five for dinner once more after that, but that was the last time I'd ever eat there. So sad: a beautiful restaurant (pretty bathrooms!), great staff, sexy beer and scotch list, but disappointing food with a you-gotta-be-kidding-me price tag. Plus... just a really weird spot for such a restaurant. Should be interesting to see what goes in that space now.
Hey, I'm back in Minnesota! I had the most annoying flight attendant on the way home. I nicknamed her "Your Passive-Aggressive Aunt Lynn" because she was so every Midwesterner's passive-aggressive mom/aunt/grandma (and her name was Lynn).
- After picking up my empty cocktail glass, she said, "wow, you drank that fast" while walking away.
- After serving me a coffee and my friend a second cocktail, she leaned over and whispered to me, "maybe you should tell your friend to have a coffee, too."
- After noticing my seatbelt was off while the fasten seatbelt sign was illuminated during flight, asking me about it, then hearing my explanation that I was just getting up to use the bathroom, she said "well, I guess that's your decision."
- After hearing my explanation that I was going to change out of my flip flops and skirt and into jeans and boots once I got to the spacious airport bathroom, she sighed, "alright, but that jetway isn't exactly gonna be warm."
At first I thought I was maybe being sensitive, but Lynn made a few other comments (that I can't remember right now because it's 3am and I'm still on Caribbean time) and those really pissed off my friend, too. Then one of the other passengers voiced a fairly audible complaint about her as we were de-boarding, which made me feel justified.
Oh baby, I am so sleeping in tomorrow.
A very random post today:
- To answer the question asked here: Stasiu's was closed down for a week and a half for cleaning, repainting, and redecorating. Brad Schutte of the 510 Restaurant is the new owner. Brad is also bringing in live music, better food, and an array of single malt scotches. The urinals are not going anywhere.
- I should have a Silence of the Lambs category on this blog. Local gothy boy Carrier Flux covers Q Lazzarus' "Goodbye Horses" (mp3).
- Girl Friday through The Dialectalizer.
- I had a terrible dinner of linguine in white wine sauce at The Loring Grill last night (I know, I know, I should've known better). Just piles of red onions and red pepper skins and pools of grease and mountains of salt; gross. But check this out: on the menu, they have a cocktail sauce that's served with the calamari. They also have a shrimp stir fry. My dining companion was really craving shrimp cocktail, and asked if it would be possible for the chef to make him one, since our server/bartender had just informed us that the shrimp is fresh. No problem, she said. Then she came back a minute later and told us that THE CHEF SAID NO BECAUSE HE WAS FEELING ORNERY FROM HAVING HIS WISDOM TEETH PULLED OUT AND HE DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE IT.
- I now own one of these. What should I do with it?
The downtown Olive Garden is closed and nobody cares but me. Look, I'm not saying it's my favorite restaurant or anything. It's just a great place to get a cheap lunch that's actually pretty tasty. The minestrone soup is great when it's not too salty, and -- call me crazy -- but I actually like the cheese ravioli with marinara. It's one of my hangover cure meals. See also: spaghetti marinara from Buca, #6 easy mayo from Milio's (I prefer Erbert & Gerbert's, but parking there is a bitch), and #3 no meat from Taco Bell.
I was this close to posting a big rant about a contractor that's giving me hell right now, but I'm honestly afraid of getting sued if I name names. If anyone has a paint job coming up, feel free to send me an email and I'll gladly tell you who NOT to hire in the Twin Cities.
Likewise, if anyone has any glowing recommendations for painting and masonry companies in the Twin Cities, please let me know. I've had it up to here with the way these f**king criminals do business. They try to take advantage of people like my client who live in affluent neighborhoods. They don't show up for the first day, hell, the first week, on the job. They change the estimate price after starting the work. They insult my intelligence by claiming certain conversations never took place. They're completely disrespectful to me and to my client.
You know what? Screw it. No more messing around. I just joined Angie's List 5 minutes ago. $53 a year is so worth it when it comes to dealing with these goddamn contractors. Looks like I'll be calling Varsity Painters tomorrow morning.
Found via the Strib: the Wall Street Journal scouted out both Five Restaurant & Street Lounge and Masa in an article called "Where to Eat This Fall". I wonder if that’s stressful; to have the WSJ write about how awesome your restaurant is going to be before it even opens.
Five actually is open now, at least partially, which I didn’t know until reading this article tonight. Andrew Zimmern had mentioned to me a while back that it would be opening soon, so I was watching for it. But I couldn’t find it. Then I saw this ad on Craigslist, looking for hosts/hostesses for a new restaurant at 2917 Bryant, and just knew that had to be it. I drove over there yesterday, but must’ve whizzed right by the address, because I still didn’t see it.
Doy, it’s in the old police station. I’m not a dumb girl, I just didn’t see past the cop shop.
Also in the Strib: Christian Johnson, owner of the Spyhouse on Nicollet, is opening a diner down the block called Bad Waitress Breakfast Joint & Coffee Shop. Should’ve just named it Joe’s Garage. Honestly, have you had worse service? After tonight, I’ve vowed to no longer eat there.
My most regular dining companion lives across the park, so we end up at Joe’s every so often when all other destinations are exhausted. Right off, the server tells us she’s having a bad night and that she’ll be back in a few minutes to take our dinner order because she’s too busy right now. Okay, fine, she’s dramatic, whatever. A few minutes after we do order, she stops back to ask me again what I’d wanted. This doesn’t upset me so much, even after I realize that she’d taken the time to clear two tables in our section before stopping by again.
My lasagna came out before my salad; small mistake, no big deal. This happens all the time, as I seem to be one of the only people left on earth who regularly orders a salad with dinner. I told server #2 (server #1 was somewhere having a nervous breakdown) that I had the mixed greens ahead of my entrée, so he took it back and brought me the salad. However, maybe 4 bites into the salad, he comes back, nonchalantly drops the lasagna off on the corner of the table and sneaks away. Perhaps thinking I didn’t see him, or hoping I would just plow through the rest of my salad and be forever grateful that I didn’t have to wait one single second, or put my fork down, or even chew and swallow between plates.
Seriously, grr. That really bothers me, being rushed along while I’m trying to have a meal. Last time I checked, Joe’s Garage wasn’t going for the short order kitchen appeal. Don’t ask me what exactly it is they’re going for, but I’m pretty sure that’s not it.
As I’m eating my entrée, I look over at the kitchen and notice that the chef, too, is enjoying his own dinner. That’s right, he’s got half a burger in one hand and is tossing a salad with the other. Excuse me, but isn’t that some sort of health code violation?
I’m more than slightly annoyed at this point.
Server #1 reappeared looking refreshed after wrestling with suicidal thoughts in the ladies’ room, so I asked her to clear the empty bread basket and plates while I was finishing my lasagna. My friend asked for more water. I didn’t think I needed to ask for more, since my glass was also empty, but apparently I thought wrong. She came back and slid just one glass across the table, in his direction. Yes, I said slid.
I won’t bother talking about the food at Joe’s. Everyone’s been there, multiple times, so we all know how average it is. I won’t hypothesize as to why the place stays in business. It’s right across the street from The Walker, so it’s not going anywhere. I just can’t believe the service sometimes. Most of the time, actually. I mean, it’s a f**king anomaly, how consistently horrible it is.
Holy smokes, the patrons of Betty's Bikes and Buns managed to raise $12,000 in 3 days to keep the Northeast coffee shop open. Makes sense, though. I suppose if Stasiu's was facing eviction, I'd gladly throw down a Benjamin for a beer to help the cause.
So, D'Amico's Campiello has been doing this tour of Italy thing for some time now. Each month, they choose one area of the country and showcase the trademark cuisine from that particular region. Boy, oh boy, was I excited when August came and it was Puglia month! Puglia (or Apulia) produces almost half of Italy's olive oil volume, and the region's cuisine is rich with breads, pastas, tomatoes, olives, garlic, eggplant, red chilies, and bitter greens. Hello, these are all my favorite things to eat. Anyway, in addition to the regular menu, Campiello has a special little menu with the month's specials. How disappointed I was to see only one vegetarian item on the entire little menu. It was a flatbread pizza with olives, grape tomatoes (not my favorite variety), and an obscene amount of kosher salt. See, here's the deal: olives are really salty. Really, there was no need for the additional handful of salt on top of the pizza. A couple of bites were actually inedible. The grape tomatoes (not the most flavorful in the family) weren't doing much as a topping, either.
The regular menu also only has one vegetarian option (not that I was surprised by that), so my entree was a spaghettini tossed with tomato chunks, basil, and, again, way too much frickin' salt. I'm a big girl! I can season my own food.
Which actually brings me to my biggest pet peeve when dining out. I don't know if I've ever mentioned this here before, but I cannot stand it when a server sets my plate down and immediately positions his pepper mill, ready for action. The following exchange always occurs, no exceptions:
"Would you like some fresh cracked pepper on your pasta?"
"I don't know, I haven't tried it yet."
[awkward, confused pause]
"Okay, well, I'll just come back in a minute and check on you."
And you know what? They never come back with that pepper mill. I've been keeping track. It happened again tonight at the Loring Pasta Bar when my mushroom penne arrived. If my dish does need pepper, I'll ask for it. Baby, please, don't get all up in my food before I've even tasted it, and don't fill my ears with the empty promise of your zesty return.
Enough of that.
I got a postcard last week from Bellanotte inviting me to come in now through September 30th for a bottle of Greg Norman Pinot Noir and 2 entrees for just $65.00. Sounds like a fine deal. I've never actually eaten there before; the club-type atmosphere kind of turns me off. Suppose I'll try anything once, though. If you want awesome postcards and monthly email newsletters about local restaurants, join up with Twin Cities Originals. They actually have some pretty sweet member deals, like TCO Tuesdays. Eat at any of the participating restaurants on a Tuesday, and you receive a gift certificate to one of them after your fourth visit.
Just taking a little internet break before I disconnect everything tonight. My apartment's about halfway packed. Not bad.
As if I need more to do, invitations for my high school reunion have to go out this week. And I still don't have a karaoke host. It is mind-boggling the number of companies I've contacted that won't even extend the courtesy of a return phone call. How do these people get business? I did get an email from Arzu (of Grumpy's karaoke fame) last week, but her initial quote to me was $500.00. Ouch. She wrote back to let me know that she's willing to work with my budget, but I haven't gotten back to her yet. For 4 hours of work, I was thinking half that.
I've been reading a lot about the smoking bans lately, in an attempt to get a better idea of changing revenues. I hear a lot of chatter from both sides. Somebody show me some hard numbers.
Some interesting real estate numbers in this Strib story about all the apartment-to-condo conversions. I guess I didn't realize we were running so low on affordable rentals in this city. All the foreclosure investors I know are salivating at the thought of a glitch in the market: banks get flooded with these dumped condos and investors pick them up by the dozens. I've still got a toe or two dipped in the pool, so I guess that's eventually money in my pocket, too. That is, if this bubble pops.
Argh. I'm growing increasingly agitated with the Visuals team at one of my accounts. And you have to be so damn gentle with them or they freak out.
Yes, yes, darling, you do a very pretty job. However, you cannot take every single piece of the same item off the sales floor and put them on a display where customers cannot buy them.
They get so caught up in creating artistic displays that they forget what they're supposed to be doing: increasing sales. Another problem is just a difference in our merchandising styles. After all, the majority of my job is to create displays, as well. But I also have particular directives to follow, and new merchandise always has to be front and forward. Delicate little egos must be swept to the side when the goal is to make the numbers.
Enough of that.
I checked out the Marshall Field's shoe department today. Nothing new, unfortunately. I'm having a hard time finding anything I like for summer (surprise, surprise). I'm awaiting a return phone call from Heavenly Soles regarding a special order request I made on Monday. I'm slightly annoyed that I haven't heard back yet. If I don't hear from her by tomorrow, I'll look elsewhere. I'm so picky about shoes that when I do see something I like, I must have it ASAP.
They're having a tee shirt sale over at Threadless.com. All tees are just $10.00 until June 6th. Original designs in both guys' and girls' sizes.
I was running errands just west of Uptown on Friday, so I stopped at Optiz Outlet on Excelsior Boulevard. I hadn't been there since last fall, and I'm currently looking for some new summer wardrobe pieces. You know, for when we actually get some summery weather. I scored an adorable dress for $5.40 (regular price $54.00), and a cute EDC skirt for $17.70 ($59.00). While standing at the checkout, I noticed a necklace for $6.60 ($22.00) that immediately made me think of Molly, so I got it for her.
When you're hot, you're hot, right? I decided to head to Edina and try my luck at a few other spots. Nothing but disappointment, especially at Len Druskin. I'm officially taking that store off my list of shopping destinations. They used to have all sorts of great labels that you couldn't find most other places. Now it looks like just another teen trend store, complete with chiffon tanks, peasant skirts, and sequined flip flops. Two years ago, I bought a Killah tank top there off the clearance rack, and it's still my favorite summer shirt. But what happened to my favorite labels, and, more importantly, what happened to the clearance section? My final moment of frustration came when I asked a salesperson if they had any shirtdresses. I had been looking for a few minutes but didn't see anything, as the store is a disorganized mess since moving to the Galleria's basement. After repeating my request three times, I finally had to explain to her that a shirtdress was a style of dress having the button-down and collar appearance of a shirt. Not to be confused with the Juicy tube top she was trying to show me, that doubled as a skirt if you pulled it down to your hips. Honey, please.
So, am I just getting old? Probably, but I don't think that's the issue here. Six years ago, somebody turned Len Druskin from a dress shop for older women into a great boutique for hipster fashionistas and the men who love them. Now I just don't see anything unique about the store anymore.
I'm throwing myself back in the stocks for a day because I'm a huge jerk. Here I was yesterday, going on about the different stores in the Twin Cities where you can pick up a unique gift, and I forgot to mention Robot Love. This morning, like a karmic reminder, a friend of mine posted this picture on his blog of all the fun little Robot Love toys he's purchased to date:
And last week, the proprieter of Robot Love stumbled upon my blog and even sent me an email introducing himself and inviting me to stop in the store sometime. And I still forgot to mention the store. So, yeah, I deserve a cold rainy day in the stocks.
Two links and then I'm off to watch some ST: TNG (Star Trek today, punishment tomorrow. Oh, wait... Twins game tomorrow. Stocks Friday. Maybe.):
- Cup-a-Cake: The cupcake travel container of the future.
- Silver Jewelry Club: Free silver jewelry, you pay only shipping and handling. As far as I can tell, there is no gimmick.
Recent Comments