The Critical Consumer

Warning: If you have a sensitive stomach, do not drink this drink on an empty stomach. I made that mistake this morning and I about threw up.

After reviewing McDougal’s, it only seems fair to review the Rivergate location of Buffalo Wild Wings. I don’t have pictures, but they’ve been around long enough that their website is pretty complete. We dine there pretty much every time we go to Rivergate.

I like it because of the variety and atmosphere. It really is in a different realm from McDougal’s. You could fit that whole restaurant into the bar area of BWW and even the bar has more TVs than in the whole space at McD’s. But its a national chain, so its understandable that its run as a major dining establishment.

They recently tried to offer sit-down service, but I don’t think that’s worked very well. We just order from the counter, and then take our buzzer to a table. When it vibrates and flashes, we hold it high and they bring our food. Not a bad idea, except when its really busy. That’s, actually, when everything pleasant about this place turns for the worst. When its busy. The music and TVs are very, very loud. Loud enough you cannot even hear the person across the table. The smoke is usually quite abrasive, even if you’re not in the bar, but I don’t believe there is any non-smoking section.

The serving issue is a little bit confusing. You pay at the counter, but when you receive your food, a server introduces themself and says to ask them if you need anything. That would usually imply that they are now your server and deserve/depend on a tip at the end of the meal. That poses a quandry, because if they depend on the tip, but you don’t need them again, you probably won’t tip them. Which sucks for them. It would be nice to know if they make an hourly wage that is suitable without tips. It makes for somewhat of an uncomfortable exchange.

Overall, its a fun place. There is a wide variety of food that centers around the wings, but many options for those of us who don’t prefer to eat meat off the bone. It is comparably priced for similar foods, and the atmosphere is enjoyable if you go at the right time. Of course, if you are looking for a wild sports fest, you can find that there too.

I go to Brueggers mostly for convenience since they are on my way to work. I can’t say I’d choose to go there if there was also a Star Bagel or an Einstein Bagel nearby.

My main gripe, now having had an egg bagel from Einstein, is that the egg patties from Bruegger’s are TINY. Okay, they’re not “tiny” because they do cover most of the bagel, but they are skinny and flat. The are premade little patties and that just screams “chain store”, which I usually try to avoid. They don’t have veggie egg patties (with the veggies inside like an omelet) and almost every other bagel store I’ve been to does offer that.

Some good things though, they do always have a good selection of bagels. I’ve never been there when they are out of my favorite type and they usually have a few “hot” bagels just out of the baker. They also have a good selection of cream cheeses, including light flavors. I prefer the Light Garlic and Herb, but you probably want to stay away from me after I eat it. Nothing like morning garlic breath!

The service is usually mediocre. The people are nice enough, but they certainly don’t go out of their way to make it a happy morning. The people at the checkout station usually act like they’d rather be doing ANYTHING else, so don’t expect a smile with your receipt.

On one of my recent road trips, I rented a Chevy Equinox, which is considered to be a mid-size SUV. I was very impressed, first of all, that it was a rental car. It had leather seats, wood trim, and a moon/sun roof (I never know the difference between the two. It opened up and slid back). Other amenities were the AWD, XM radio built in, CD player, Cruise control, volume control on the steering wheel, numerous information displays, and a gas “range” counter (so you know how many miles you can drive before you are totally out of gas).

Now, if I have any complaints, the first would be the gas. I know I chose to drive an SUV so I should’ve been prepared to pay the price of gas, but that 16 gallon tank cost me about $150 in gas. Ouch!

My other complaint, well, its not really a complaint, but it was kind of an annoyance in that I was driving a rental car and didn’t have enough time to get used to it, is that the window controls are all on the center console. It took me about 5 minutes to find them at first. I was sitting in the car rental lot thinking, “Surely there are automatic window controls”, but I couldn’t see them. I even tried saying “window” out loud, just in case it was voice activated. No, I didn’t, but that would’ve been funny. Anyway, more than once, I put down the wrong window because I hit the control for the back window instead of the driver side. I can see the benefit of having the controls there if you have the car long enough to get used to it, but for me, it was just a bit confusing.

Cargo space was very nice, except that the back seats, which do fold down, don’t fold down flat. So you have the back cargo area, then you have a raised portion with the flattened seats. I don’t see much purpose in that. Especially when there was space under the seats. It seems like they should’ve easily slid into that space.

It also took me a little time to figure out the remote control lock device, but that’s only because the car came with two of them and only one worked. I didn’t realize that for a while, I just thought I wasn’t hitting the buttons in the correct order.

Overall, I was very impressed with this car. It rode well, I never felt unsafe, and I had a really good time driving it.

From the first moment you see McDougal’s you know it is a cool place. The large deck is creatively adorned with license plates from all over the US and makes for a colorful presentation. On the warm summer nights, they put up a large covering and provide deck-diners with misters to keep things cool.

The inside is just as festive is outside, with big screen TV’s to top it off. In addition to the license plates that continue inside, there’s a multitude of pictures (of patrons mostly, I’m guessing) and dollar bills with fun notes written on them. I took some photos with my Blackberry. As you can see, it has a very “college” feel.

Last night, St. Patrick’s Day, was the second time I’ve been to McDougal’s Village Tavern (no website, but they’re working on it) after a co-worker recommended it to me. They consider themselves a chicken-finger joint, but they have salads, wings, and sandwiches too. The really impressive part is that they make grilled chicken fingers, which seems somewhat of an oxymoron to me, but I’ve been told my view of chicken fingers is a bit sheltered. I just always thought they had to be fried.

Anyway, you can choose from about 6 different sauces to dip your fingers in, or you can have them tossed in the sauce for you. Everything is made fresh when you order it (including the hand-cut fries) so it is all very fresh, but does take a little time, especially when there is a crowd. Last night we showed up near the end of the Vanderbilt basketball tournament game (did I mention they have big screen TV’s showing the tournament games?) so things were a little busy. It took about 10 minutes to get my wings. The other day, I ordered a grilled chicken salad and a co-worker ordered the small chicken finger basket. Both were quite delicious.

As I mentioned above, they do not have a website yet, so I snagged a copy of the menu and scanned it in. I thought it would be worth posting here. You can see the pdf here. They also serve draft beer.
I have a feeling I’ll be going to this place more often in the summertime.

Atmosphere: A- (its a little overwhelming)
Service: B
Food Quality: B
Food Value for the money: B- (I did find it a little pricey for a chicken salad)
Food Presentation: B (everything is served in paper or styrafoam boxes or baskets)
Drink Selection: A- (pretty good for such a small place)

Overall Score: B

I’ve been wanting to rave about Baja Fresh for a while, but I’ve had nothing to compare it to. Well, tonight I decided to try Qdoba just to spice things up a bit and, man, I don’t think I’ll ever choose them over BF again. I used to be kind of anti-Baja Fresh, since Nashville has Baja Burrito and used to have Chez Jose, both fresh-mex establishments with similar appeal. Being a national chain, I naturally tried to avoid Baja Fresh until absolutely necessary (read: “until I was too lazy to drive to Baja Burrito”). So anyway, I promised a comparison, so here it is:

More to come….

Let me start by saying, I fricking love these things. After writing my review of REI, I figured I should go ahead and write a review on a product called “Superfeet”, some insoles I purchased at REI a couple months ago.

I’ve always had problems with my knees. Due to genetics, due to careless treatment as a child (meaning I played soccer with gusto and skiied my heart out….not that someone hit me with a bat in my knees…but you probably weren’t thinking that anyway), and due to repeated abuse by running on pavement. About a year ago, I saw an orthopedic surgeon told me I should try “Superfeet” insoles, even though I’d tried prescription orthodics for years.

After a short period of adjustment, I saw an immediate difference, especially when I was playing soccer or running. No knee pain, no foot pain, just pure enjoyment. Well, minus the bruises from being slammed into on the soccer field. Anyway, I just recently tried wearing them at work, in my dress boots, and found that they made the day much more bearable and I don’t spend the whole day thinking about ripping the boots off my feet the second I get home.

I wrote them a while ago about how much I loved their product and they actually asked me to send in some pictures cause they wanted to use my story on their promotional stuff. I thought it was cool, but couldn’t find a picture I was willing to send in.

Streak free, my ass. I don’t know what magic you have to work to make these wipes produce a streak free clean, but it sure isn’t spelled out on the tube. I used them earlier today on the windows on my car, and they left horrible streaks everywhere. I had to follow them up with a polishing cloth (just what I had on hand……probably not the only think I could’ve used) to buff the window and get ride of the spots and streaks.

I will give them one thing. They last for quite a few windows. They were still moist after doing all the windows down one side of my car. But who cares if I have to follow up with something else? I might as well use glass cleaner and paper towels.

Or as my husband thinks of it, “Outdoor Enthusiast’s Paradise”. We frequent the store on Franklin Rd. in Brentwood and it is always a pleasant experience. I’d say its one of the better retail experiences out there, right down to the parking. It’s easy to find and there’s always plenty of parking right outside the front door. Which is important if you end up buying a kayak or bicycle. But, I digress.

I say it is one of the better retail experiences out there because there are enough people on the floor to answer all of your questions AND they are knowledgeable about the products. That’s tough when you are working with specialty equipment like hiking packs, tents, climbing equipment, and even climbing shoes. The only downside to having so many people on the floor is that you get asked over and over if you need anything, if you are finding everything alright, and if you are a member. However, everyone there is so relaxed and nice, you don’t feel pressured or anxious when you see a team member coming toward you. My suggestion is that members receive some sort of t-shirt or pendant or pin or something that says “Yes, I am a member” so they don’t get asked a bazillion times during one shopping trip.

Once you become a member, which costs $12 or $15, you get a 20% off coupon, start earning dividends on every purchase, and you have discounted access to their rental equipment. At the end of each year, you get a store credit check for a certain percentage of your purchases throughout the year. I can’t think of another retail store that does that.

And you can’t beat their return policy. You can return anything, anytime, for any reason. Unconditional. You can buy a tent, take it on a camping trip and decide it just wasn’t roomy enough, or you didn’t like the color, or it didn’t have enough privacy, whatever. You can take it back, used and dirty, and get your money back (it may be store credit so don’t quote me on that).

The store itself is well-organized, clean, bright, and always put together. They have packs, tents, and other gear out on display so you can test them out before you buy them (and with that return policy, you could buy something without testing it and still feel good about it). The team members are easy to recognize and you don’t have to hunt them down.

The only downside to such a cool store is the depressed feeling you get when you leave without buying something for your next camping trip. Or when you leave and realize you don’t have a next camping trip to look forward to. But don’t despair, you can always check out their activities board for upcoming events.

REI isn’t just a retail store, its an experience. And this is coming from the person who usually just accompanies her husband while he shops there, with no real vested interest in the quality of product, customer satisfaction, or overall retail experience.

I have reviewed this restaurant in my head so many times, I feel like its all been said before, but it continues to change over the years, so I continue. This popular college favorite is located above Cheeseburger Charley’s on 21st Avenue, just across from Vanderbilt University, thus explaining its predominantly young adult patronage. On warm days, you can sit out on the balcony, overlooking the parking lot, people watching and enjoying the nice weather. Heck, even last night at 62 degrees, they had a full balcony.

For the first time in all the years I’ve been coming to Med Cuisine, there were three, that’s right three people working the restaurant. On a Wednesday night! Usually we’re lucky if there are 2 servers, but most often there is just one person working the whole dining room and balcony. Their menu has changed a little, so by the time we were ready to order, we’d been asked by all three servers if we were ready to order. I have to say, I’d rather have too much attention, than not enough.

The dining room is nothing too impressive, its main accent being a large mural on the far wall as you enter and then a few middle eastern trinkets on the walls. In a restaurant like this, less is more, as was evident with my trip to Horn of Africa mentioned below. I’d rather see a distinct theme, even if its somewhat subtle.

If you have a thing against middle eastern music that consists mostly of one woman performing similar sounding songs all night, then the music might really annoy you. I’ve learned to tune it out, but sometimes it’s just loud enough that you can’t block it out and it can really get on my nerves.

We’ve always been pleased with the value of the food at Med Cuisine. The portions are generous and everything is always fresh. There are plenty of selections for vegetarians and meat lovers alike and you can get a large platter for about $10. Pita bread is served with every meal, so you don’t have to worry about ordering it, which is nice. Sometimes it can be a little stale, but they usually try to keep it warm.

If you’re up for this sort of thing, you can stick around for a Hookah, a smoking water-pipe that comes in a variety of dessert flavors. If you’re ever in the restaurant when someone is enjoying one, it fills the room with a nice, non-offensive scent, much different from traditional smoking devices. Not to mention it just looks cool and you become the center of attention if you order one. I have still yet to try it.

Alright, here are the scores:
Atmosphere: B-
Service: B+
Food Quality: A
Food Value for the money: A
Food Presentation: A- (nothing fancy)
Drink Selection: B (at least the fountain drinks come with free refills)

Overall Score: B+