Disappointing Day

The days of good service and taking care of the customer has been buried along with the time capsule back at my high school graduation. That was in 1992. What has happened to actually getting good service these days? What is considered good service?

Well, perhaps my standards are too high, but I would like to think they are pretty basic. I don't mind waiting to be seated at a restaurant that serves great food. I do believe that once you are seated, preferably at a dry table, your napkin and silverware should already be there. The server should be at your table within 5 minutes upon being seated or at least acknowledge your presence if the restaurant is super busy. The server should greet you with their name and ask for your drink order or any appetizers at arrival. After delivering the drinks, usually an order is taken. I believe that servers should smile, be personable and genuine. Why not have small talk while I am mulling over the menu. What would you recommend?

I also believe that servers should be prompt on refills and should check in with the diner several times throughout the meal to make sure all is well. Most of all, the restaurant should be fully staffed to the server can handle the tables given. Quality of service always beats out quantity.

Today, I had brunch at Jimmy's Egg at Central and Tyler. It's fairly new here and I knew the line would be a little long. I was okay with that. What I was not okay with was the 10 minutes it took before anyone even came by, the 30 minutes it took to get silverware on the table and just the time it took to get in, get our food and leave. We were there for an hour and a half. For brunch. The server was cross. You could tell she did not want to be there. She messed up my friend's order, but we dared not say anything for fear we would have to wait another half hour to get it resolved. It was just a sad, sad experience.

The food at Jimmy's Egg was good, but the entire experience made me not want to go back. I don't understand why the restaurant does not have more help. Our server had 5 tables, all with more than 4 people with the exception of ours. No wonder she was in a bad mood. The host was the dirty table clean up guy. He greeted each patron in his dirty apron. We sat right behind him. He happened to be clearing a table next to us when I asked him if he could get us some silverware. I wanted to stir the cream and sugar in my coffee. He walked literally 3 ft. away from us, grabbed a stir spoon from the silverware cart where a server was wrapping silverware and brought it to our table. He then told us that we needed to ask our server for the silverware when she came by. Huh?

Normally, I would just write about how good the food is and describe the restaurant. I was so upset with this place, I just wanted to get through it. I decided to relax before posting about it because I did not want to be unfair and write something down out of anger. Unfortunately, I will be telling my friends about this restaurant and the very poor service we received. Too bad for them. Them meaning the restaurant - Jimmy's Egg.

What's Your Story?

I absolutely love food. The problem with my love for food is that it's hard for me to dibble and dabble with bits and bites. I like actual meals and not the finger food plating you get in some French restaurants. Give me a plateful. Make sure it is flavorful and it has a story behind it. All food has a story behind it, whether it's where it comes from, how it is prepared, who prepared it, ordered it and ate it. The story is what I am most after. You find the story as you eat that plateful of food.

What's your story?

A Is For Asparagus

You would think by now that asparagus would be a common vegetable in most homes. Still not so. There are a lot of people out there who still don't know much about the vegetable. I mean, it's long, spiky and let's not forget GREEN. Oh, the horror! A very green vegetable.

I remember the first time I ever ate asparagus. It was 1988 and I was eating dinner at the home of my middle school basketball coach. Her name is Mrs. Quinn. She and her husband were firm believers of dinner at the table with the whole family and cooking wholesome meals. Growing up in a Korean/American home, I was familiar with home cooked meals, but not the kind the Quinns prepared. Mr. Quinn brought home some asparagus. If I remember correctly, he got them somewhere near a river? Anyway, I can't remember the story, but I do remember that delicious asparagus. It was the first time I had ever eaten it. They steamed it and served it with a dollop of butter on top. It was one of the best vegetables I can remember trying and liking as a teenager.

Many people have tried asparagus and are not afraid to cook it. Some buy the frozen or canned variety. But if you really want to know about the soul of the food you are eating, you have to buy it fresh. Perhaps even eat it raw. For some reason, raw vegetables scare people. People think you need to cook food to death, boil or fry the crap out of it. Not so, especially with fresh vegetables. Today I am going to prepare fresh asparagus. YES! FRESH! Baby steps here... we are going to throw them on the grill. Perfect for summer time!

I went to my local grocer today and bought some fresh asparagus for this very post. I want to show and tell people how easy and delicious asparagus can be. For dinner, we had grilled chicken legs, marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil and rosemary. To accompany the chicken, the asparagus was grilled with sweet Vidalia onions. The asparagus and onions are tossed/brushed with good olive oil, salt and pepper added. I bought one of those handy vented trays for the grill because skinny vegetables like asparagus can fall through easily. The vented trays let in the heat and holds the vegetables perfectly when grilling. We also had a small baked potato with a dollop of butter and fresh ground pepper.

Grilling asparagus is quite easy and can introduce new flavors to your family. You can also make little bundles wrapped in bacon and put those on the grill. It is a versatile vegetable and quite tasty! Yummy!

The Best Service Evah!

While I was in Lawrence working this past week, I was able to meet my brother for dinner. He lives in Lenexa and drove down to see me. We always try to meet up for dinner whenever I am close enough to do so. We have always been close and we have a great relationship.

Our restaurant of choice came from a co-worker. I wrote a review on Urbanspoon. Here it is below:


'My brother and I met at Longhorn Steakhouse while I was in town. It came recommended from a co-worker, so we both set our Garmins and headed toward dinner. The Longhorn Steakhouse was moderately busy but we were seated right away. Walking in, you notice the Western motif. The atmosphere was totally relaxed and the restaurant had a delightful ambiance.

Our server, Devananda P, was just simply outstanding. First of all, his name is quite unique. So was the service. My brother and I were amazed at how well versed he was with the menu, describing every entree and side with mouthwatering charisma. Why can't every server be that good?

I finally decided on the 7 oz. Longhorn Salmon - $14.79. It is 'A salmon fillet flown in fresh, hand-cut and prepared LongHorn style using our secret bourbon marinade. Served over seasoned rice with your choice of side and salad. ' I chose a house salad with thousand island dressing and the fresh seasonal veggies. Warm home style bread is brought out before the meal with butter. I paired this delicious western meal with an iced tea - $2.29.

My brother opted for the 8 oz. Renegade Top Sirloin - $13.49 with an addition of a Parmesan crust topping - $1 more. He loved it.Our meal was very good, but most of all the service was impeccable. If you have a chance to go to the Longhorn Steakhouse in Lawrence, KS, ask for Devandanda P. You won't be disappointed. Best service EVAH!'

I was able to compliment the service we received to management. Hopefully, they passed it on. It was a great evening and I am happy I was able to share it with my little brother.

Who Doesn't Like Pork Fat?

To round out my version of the Taste of Omaha, I leave you with one more restaurant. We visited Leo's Diner on 6055 Maple Street. What can I say, it was fabulous! I was able to get a parking space right by the front door. As we sat and drank our coffee - $1.25, we looked over the simple menu of deliciousness! I decided to go with the Fantasy Island. This dish has hash browns topped with biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, green pepper, onions and tomatoes - $7.50. We also got an order of bacon - $2.50. The bacon was some of the best I have had! If you go to Leo's and try nothing but the bacon, you will be a loyal customer for life. Who doesn't like pork fat? Our server, Roxann, was over the top! She was super friendly and joined our conversation. She allowed me to take a picture of the restaurant! That's her in the picture.

Omaha was a lot of fun, mostly because I was able to visit and dine in places we don't have here in Wichita. The visit made me want to visit some local favorites here at home. Can't wait!

Mmm, mmm Good!

While I was in Omaha this past week, I met up with my dear friend Dale. He's the guy who had dinner with me here. We met this morning around 10 am at Wheatfields on Pacific.

Wheatfields is an eatery and bakery. Breakfast is served all day and night. One interesting tidbit about the place is that it has the neatest names for items on their menu. From the Eggstacy Sandwich and My Big Fat Greek Scramble to Crepes Aphrodite and After the Spa, these dishes have a name that catches any eye.

Upon arriving, I was seated right away in one of the back booths. There was no line today, perhaps because of the weather or because people were at the Taste of Omaha. Usually, the place is packed. After reviewing the menu for at least 15 minutes and gulping down a delicious cup of coffee, I decided to order the kielbasa and eggs. The dish has two scrambled eggs and a large Polish kielbasa sausage. It is served with their yummy ciabatta toast with Bumbleberry Jam and hash browns - $10.99.

The eggs were scrambled and had an addition of pepper jack cheese on them (I couldn't resist). The kielbasa sausage had a crackling skin and very flavorful inside. It was cooked perfectly. The toasted ciabatta bread with tasty bumbleberry jam is always a favorite of mine and the hash browns were a buttery golden brown. Totally a divine breakfast!

Alejandro was our server and he was simply outstanding. He took care of our every need and was super attentive. Wheatfields has excellent service and the people are so friendly.

Upon leaving, I stopped to look at their fresh baked items and couldn't resist buying a pumpkin spice loaf - $4 and an almond pound loaf. Their fresh baked goods are delicious and affordable! Total win-win today!

It was a great way to finish my stay in Omaha. Although I did not get to tour the Taste of Omaha, I was able to visit many great local restaurants and eateries. With the help of my dear friends, the atmosphere was fantastic and I can't wait to come back!

Meatball Dinner

Well, it's been awhile since I have done a dinner post. Tonight it was my mini meat loaf (my meatballs) made with 80% Sterling Silver Ground Chuck and a variety of lovely seasonings including garlic, onion, salt, pepper and parsley. The garlic mashed potatoes have a little dollop of butter on them. Yummy! Let's not forget about the steamed cauliflower showered with my Italian oregano from my herb garden.

Dinner was great. I did notice when taking the picture how much white there is. Sorry about that. I don't pay attention to that stuff cuz' I'm not trying to impress anyone here on the blog.

Back to dinner... when I cook for my family it usually includes a protein, starch and at least one vegetable. Sometimes dessert will follow later, if time allows. The boys are on their own tonight for dessert. Sorry!

Well, gotta read up on my favorite food blogs now. Oh and by the way... I have a lurker that comes by this blog from Wassau, Wisconsin. Care to make yourself public?

Later...