Wow!! Last Friday we went out to eat at Zinn Bistro 2020 East and 33rd South in Salt Lake. It was awesome. The restaurant came highly recommended by my brother, Chris, the restaurant connoisseur himself. He did warn us about the customer service though. Read the following reviews here: http://utah.citysearch.com/review/35829139
Zinn Bistro is very unique in that the hours that it operates are very limited and from what my wife tells me they will only take you if you have reservations.
My wife called to make the reservations and they make you leave a message and then they will get back with you to confirm. There aren't that many tables in the restaurant which is kind of nice. It makes for a warm and cozy atmosphere. I think that they are only open for lunch on weekdays and dinner on Friday and Saturday nights from 6:00 pm to 8:30pm.
Everything at Zinn Bistro is homemade. My brother tells me that the restaurant is ran by a mother and her 2 or 3 daughters. To start off they bring you the menu and their selection of sweet breads. Their rolls are awesome. They taste almost like cream puffs without the cream. We were a little hesitant to ask for seconds on the bread/rolls because I didn't know if it was acceptable. We had been warned about the service and frankly I was a little nervous to ask for seconds.
There aren't very many items on the menu to choose from, which was refreshing! 5 to 6 appetizers and 5 to 6 entrees. For an appetizer we ordered the chips and artichoke dip. The chips that they bring to you are a soft homemade chip and the dip is amazing. To be honest I could have eaten the appetizer all night long.
My brother told me to order the meatloaf so that's what I did. I was a little bit shocked that a restaurant would serve meatloaf...because, really, who likes meatloaf? But I went with my brother's recommendation and boy was I glad that I did. Zinn knows how to cook meatloaf. What a pleasant surprise!!! The meatloaf itself was fantastic! And they put a sauce on top of it that well let's just say "addicting". My dish came with mash potatoes and green beans. It was perfect!
For dessert we shared their bread pudding. It was covered in caramel and ice cream and had the perfect texture and flavor. My wife and I found ourselves fighting over who got the last bite.
Zinn Bistro was a memorable experience! The servers there are not going to try to impress you. Why? Because they don't have to!!! The quality of the food allows them to be as cold as they want towards you because they know you'll come back just for the food. And if you don't there are others who will. Don't worry, your server will keep your water full and make sure that you get your food etc but just don't expect them to smile and be friendly, because they won't.
The food at Zinn Bistro far exceeded my expectations! The price was extremely fair and the service was, let's just say, "unique". You absolutely have to go try Zinn Bistro. Don't waste your money at another restaurant until you've tried the Zinn!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
The Cheesecake Factory
Today I ate lunch at The Cheesecake Factory in Salt Lake. It opened a few weeks back and it is the big thing right now. In fact on weekend nights there's usually about a 4 hour wait to get in.
We started off with a variety of appetizers like calamari, avocado eggrolls, and chips with guacamole and salsa. I could have just ate the appetizers for lunch and I would have been just fine. Their avocado eggrolls rocked!!! Calamari was good and the chips with guac and salsa was great! Again, when you go there get the avocado eggrolls!!
I ordered a dish called "bang, bang chicken and shrimp". It's a Thai dish! It was okay, not fantastic, just okay.
Now to the Cheesecake....the whole reason you go to The Cheesecake Factory! I got the Original Cheesecake with Strawberrys on it. It was awesome!
If you've never been to The Cheesecake Factory to eat then you have to try it. The only problem that I had was trying to decide what to order because of the hundreds of items on the menu!
We started off with a variety of appetizers like calamari, avocado eggrolls, and chips with guacamole and salsa. I could have just ate the appetizers for lunch and I would have been just fine. Their avocado eggrolls rocked!!! Calamari was good and the chips with guac and salsa was great! Again, when you go there get the avocado eggrolls!!
I ordered a dish called "bang, bang chicken and shrimp". It's a Thai dish! It was okay, not fantastic, just okay.
Now to the Cheesecake....the whole reason you go to The Cheesecake Factory! I got the Original Cheesecake with Strawberrys on it. It was awesome!
If you've never been to The Cheesecake Factory to eat then you have to try it. The only problem that I had was trying to decide what to order because of the hundreds of items on the menu!
Monday, November 26, 2007
Carrabba's Restaurant
I just wanted to give a quick "shout out" to one of my newest favorite Italian Restaurants: Carrabba's. We went there a few weeks back and they really took care of us.
If you eat out a lot like we do then you understand that even the best restaurants can have an "off" night. Well this particular night was an off night at Carrabba's. Something about my wife's Chicken Marsala just didn't taste right so I complained. I've arrived at a point in my life where if I don't like the food at a restaurant I will definitely let them hear about it!
I have to give Carrabba's in Orem two thumbs up in the customer service arena. After complaining about the dish it didn't take long at all until the Manager was at our table addressing our concerns and making us feel like we were his number one priority that night. He had the kitchen make another dish (on the house) for my wife which was delicious and threw in a free dessert for us to take on the road. What I really appreciated about the whole experience was the attitude that the Manager had. It's nice to see that there are restaurants that understand what "great" customer service is!!
If you eat out a lot like we do then you understand that even the best restaurants can have an "off" night. Well this particular night was an off night at Carrabba's. Something about my wife's Chicken Marsala just didn't taste right so I complained. I've arrived at a point in my life where if I don't like the food at a restaurant I will definitely let them hear about it!
I have to give Carrabba's in Orem two thumbs up in the customer service arena. After complaining about the dish it didn't take long at all until the Manager was at our table addressing our concerns and making us feel like we were his number one priority that night. He had the kitchen make another dish (on the house) for my wife which was delicious and threw in a free dessert for us to take on the road. What I really appreciated about the whole experience was the attitude that the Manager had. It's nice to see that there are restaurants that understand what "great" customer service is!!
The Tipping Point
If you want to read a fascinating book then read the The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
by Malcolm Gladwell. I just finished it for the second time.
What is the Tipping Point?? "It is that magic moment when and idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate."
If you like learning about the psychology of word of mouth marketing and selling then you'll love this book!! I highly recommend it!
by Malcolm Gladwell. I just finished it for the second time.What is the Tipping Point?? "It is that magic moment when and idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate."
If you like learning about the psychology of word of mouth marketing and selling then you'll love this book!! I highly recommend it!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Rule #1
I started a new book this past week called Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week!
. It's a book about investing in the stock market. The author is Phil Town who is a former River Guide who's made millions investing in stocks. He's a frequent guest on CNBC's "The Millionaire Inside". Oh by the way did I tell you that I'm a CNBC addict!
The actual "Rule #1" was set by the world's greatest investor, Warren Buffett. According to Buffett, "There are only two rules of investing: Rule #1: Don't lose money...and Rule #2: Don't forget Rule #1."
Phil Town's objective is to help you get at least a 15% return on your money and teach you how to do it yourself! I'm into it about 70 pages and so far it's been a great read!
. It's a book about investing in the stock market. The author is Phil Town who is a former River Guide who's made millions investing in stocks. He's a frequent guest on CNBC's "The Millionaire Inside". Oh by the way did I tell you that I'm a CNBC addict!The actual "Rule #1" was set by the world's greatest investor, Warren Buffett. According to Buffett, "There are only two rules of investing: Rule #1: Don't lose money...and Rule #2: Don't forget Rule #1."
Phil Town's objective is to help you get at least a 15% return on your money and teach you how to do it yourself! I'm into it about 70 pages and so far it's been a great read!
Thaifoon
Friday night we went and ate Thai food at Thaifoon at Salt Lake's Gateway Mall. Here's the link http://www.thaifoon.com. Maybe I was just in a bad mood or maybe it was the screw that was in our rice but I was mildly disappointed with the food that night!
Here's the bad part! When they brought our rice out there was a metal screw in it. Apparently a screw had fallen out of their rice cooker and directly into our rice. Luckily it was on top of the rice and easily noticeable. I would have been ticked if I would have bitten into a metal screw (after just barely having a root canal) or worse if my pregnant wife would have swallowed it (she has enough trouble keeping her food down during this pregnancy)!! Anyway I easily spotted it and we got some new rice. No harm, no foul! Right?
We started off with their lettuce wraps. PF Chang's are better! At least the last time I ate there they were. My wife had the "Evil Princess Jungle Chicken Curry" which I thought was burnt. She thought that it was great but then again she was pretty hungry. I had the "honey walnut shrimp" dish which was awesome. I will forgive Thaifoon for the screw incident, however it might be a while before I go back because I still have that "burnt" taste in my mouth.
Anyway I would still recommend Thaifoon to everyone just because we've eaten there many times and this it the first small fiasco. Try the curry that I mentioned above. It's usually pretty tasty! The service there is relatively good and the manager did come over and apologize for the "screw incident" and didn't charge us for the lettuce wraps which is notable. Here's the bottom line! If you've never had Thai food you have to try it and Thaifoon is a great place to start!
Here's the bad part! When they brought our rice out there was a metal screw in it. Apparently a screw had fallen out of their rice cooker and directly into our rice. Luckily it was on top of the rice and easily noticeable. I would have been ticked if I would have bitten into a metal screw (after just barely having a root canal) or worse if my pregnant wife would have swallowed it (she has enough trouble keeping her food down during this pregnancy)!! Anyway I easily spotted it and we got some new rice. No harm, no foul! Right?
We started off with their lettuce wraps. PF Chang's are better! At least the last time I ate there they were. My wife had the "Evil Princess Jungle Chicken Curry" which I thought was burnt. She thought that it was great but then again she was pretty hungry. I had the "honey walnut shrimp" dish which was awesome. I will forgive Thaifoon for the screw incident, however it might be a while before I go back because I still have that "burnt" taste in my mouth.
Anyway I would still recommend Thaifoon to everyone just because we've eaten there many times and this it the first small fiasco. Try the curry that I mentioned above. It's usually pretty tasty! The service there is relatively good and the manager did come over and apologize for the "screw incident" and didn't charge us for the lettuce wraps which is notable. Here's the bottom line! If you've never had Thai food you have to try it and Thaifoon is a great place to start!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
The Ranches Golf Club
The Ranches Golf Club in Eagle Mountain, Utah is my home course. Here's the link http://www.theranchesgolfclub.com/
The Ranches Golf Course to put it mildly is a "killer". It's a "killer" in two ways. First of all it is a "killer" golf course meaning that it is a fantastic course with a couple of exceptions. And secondly it will "kill your golf score" if you don't hit the ball straight!
The Course
The course is a par 72 links style course that is 7085 yards long from the black tees. The fairways are fairly narrow with very little room for error off the tee. The rough isn't so bad...it's the weeds (I believe they call it "heather grass" in England) that you have to avoid. You have the short grass (good), the rough (not bad) and the weeds (you'll never find your ball!) That's why it's tough to score well at the ranches....if you don't hit the ball straight you probably won't find your ball and will have to take a penalty!
The Greens are tough when they are rolling fast. Most of the greens at the Ranches have quite a bit of break to them. What I find especially true on this course is that speed is more important than aim on these greens. If you misjudge the speed you'll be in for a lot of 3-putts. When the course is in nice shape you won't find many greens that roll as consistent as the Ranches'.
The par 5s are where you can score on this course. Particularly #1, #7, and #13. They are all reachable in two if you hit a good tee shot...or if your a great wedge player you can always lay up and birdie them as well! There are very few par 4s that are birdie holes. #3, #6, and #14 are your best chance for birdie on the 4s. The par 3s are long and difficult. Check this out...#5 and #12 are about 225 yards from the tips. Par is a great score on all of the par 3s.
Amenities
Overall...Not bad! Not extremely good either!
They do have a restaurant in the clubhouse. To tell you the truth I've only eaten there one time. I had a cheeseburger..from what I remember it was okay. They used to have an Australian chef that ran the restaurant...he may still be there...I haven't paid too much attention lately. Nice guy though....he let me borrow his jacket once.
The clubhouse isn't all that great! When I say that it isn't all that great what I mean is that it's kind of small. They have done a very nice job with the limited space that they have. Hey, they have a couch and a nice TV that always has ESPN on so what more could you ask for!! I was told a while back that they were going to build a really nice big clubhouse when the course got more established but that could have been just a rumor.
The bathrooms are nice...the sinks especially...they are those automatic ones that you don't have to touch anything and they give you plenty of space to wash your hands. They have the cool, "self foaming"soap too! And the bathroom is always clean which is always a bonus. Okay I'm writing way too much about the john. But who cares!! Can't a man appreciate a nice clean bathroom!
Oh by the way they do have a great outdoor patio to host lunches after golf tournaments. The staff is also very friendly!
Jay's Recommendation
I would recommend that anyone having more than a 12 handicap only play The Ranches once a year because you'll lose so many balls that you can't afford to play more than once. Everybody else should play it at least once a month to see what it's like to play a "real man's course." The course is a challenge and the greens are great! Just remember to please repair your ball marks!!
My "Air Swing"
Howdy! This is my very first real blog post and to tell you the truth I'm stoked. I guarantee that because I am a perfectionist it'll probably take me a good hour to get this posted. Anyway I'll get right to it....I wanted to create a blog where I could give my opinion on basically everything so here it is.
First of all let me say that I am a complete and utter golf "addict"!! Just ask my wife. It drives...correction... it used to drive her nuts that I would walk around swinging my arms as if I was swinging a golf club. I call it my "air swing"! It's all part of my golf practice. Anyway if you see someone in the mall or grocery store swinging their arms practicing their golf swing that person is probably me. It is especially effective if there are mirrors around so you can see all angles of your "air swing". Try it sometime and I guarantee that you will lower your handicap!
Here's another tip that I learned from my favorite golf book in the world: Faldo A Swing for Life: How to Play The Faldo Way
. If you want to work on your balance put your feet very close together and practice hitting balls off a tee with a 7 iron!
Well it only took about 2 hours to get this posted...not so bad for a rookie!
My addiction and my "air swing"!
First of all let me say that I am a complete and utter golf "addict"!! Just ask my wife. It drives...correction... it used to drive her nuts that I would walk around swinging my arms as if I was swinging a golf club. I call it my "air swing"! It's all part of my golf practice. Anyway if you see someone in the mall or grocery store swinging their arms practicing their golf swing that person is probably me. It is especially effective if there are mirrors around so you can see all angles of your "air swing". Try it sometime and I guarantee that you will lower your handicap!
Here's another tip that I learned from my favorite golf book in the world: Faldo A Swing for Life: How to Play The Faldo Way
. If you want to work on your balance put your feet very close together and practice hitting balls off a tee with a 7 iron!Well it only took about 2 hours to get this posted...not so bad for a rookie!
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