»
S
I
D
E
B
A
R
«
My Chow Hall Yelp Review
Feb 6th, 2010 by Tonia

I have internet access. I’ve been eating some things worth writing about.. yet I haven’t had a yelp review since the end of October. This is because, the chow halls I’ve been to can’t really be added as establishments. So, I’ve decided to write my own yelp review of my dining experiences so far. This will be a collective of all the dining halls I’ve been to.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

I would have to rate my overall experience with the dining facilities a 3.5. Not bad considering I am in the middle of nowhere. Maybe it’s the lack of options that makes me so optimistic, but I think otherwise. It’s amazing how you can make things work and find fabulous meals in unthinkable places.

Before we get to the food, here are my likes:

** Remembrance - It’s amazing to me how many people go in and out of this facility every day and the breakfast cooks have my egg order down pat. I automatically have the same thing started for me well before I’m at the front of the line unless I ask. Saves time and makes me awesome.

** TV in the second seating area allows some time to just relax and not focus on where you are or what you are doing. I’ve gotten to watch football, cheesy MTV shows, and even catch a couple episodes of Law & Order and part of one of my favorite movies, The Sweetest Thing.

** Plenty of options.. there are usually at least four different types of lines so you have somewhat of a variety of food to choose from. Additionally the hot sandwich line is open 24/7 :) That comes in handy when you have a long day and cannot make it out of work during chow hall hours.

** Cleanliness - The facility stays pretty clean and staff are always there to clean tables after use and before new customers sit down for a meal.

What are some of my non-food dislikes?

** The line - depending on when you decide to head to a meal you could be waiting 20 minutes before you sit down to eat.. waiting in line to get in.. waiting in line to get food.. waiting to find a seat.. all of this frustrates me

** Not all places have eggs made exactly to order - I have been to facilities where made to order means you can have an omelet, scrambled, or fried eggs with the yolks broken. Sorry kids, no over easy everywhere you go, and I wouldn’t even try to ask for poached.

** Not all choices are equal– this place definitely has its bad days where you have to stick with something plain and basic like a sandwich and a salad… on a day where you didn’t want something so plain at all.

** Ice cream everywhere you look — This is not what I needed for my #SexyBitchOps. Not only is there an ice cream bar most lunch and dinners with tons of baskin robbins ice cream and a toppings bar… but when that doesn’t occur there is a cooler with sherbet bars and these irresistible chocolate caramel bars… dammit!

And now… onto some of my most memorable dishes:

** Curry and Nan - I look forward to curry night every week. It used to be predictable and now it’s not so predictable. I happened to run into it tonight and it made the rest of my day complete. The curry definitely isn’t as spicy as I’d like but it has a decent amount of heat. It’s very authentic as well. I typically get the beef curry on top of steamed rice with some nan and it fills me up for the rest of the day.

** Egg White Omelet - I recently fell in love with the egg white omelet. I add a little bit of mushroom and that’s it. Garnish with some salt and pepper (eggs are really bland here) and it’s good to go. All I need to add with it is some fresh fruit like grapes or pineapple and it’s a healthy and filling start to the day. I am thinking about having this more often when I get home and being creative and adding some broccoli or asparagus to the mix.

** Eggs with Mushrooms - When I don’t have the omelet I get two eggs fried with mushrooms. They are still a little bland and salt/pepper is needed but they are always well cooked (even though presentation varies by cook).

** Salad - The salad options definitely leave things to be desired but overall aren’t too bad. My typical salad is romaine lettuce (all they offer) with chow mein noodles, bean sprouts and either mushrooms or a bit of bacon. I use Caesar dressing.

** Hot Sandwich Bar - Sometimes there is nothing like the hot sandwich bar. This happens to be the place I discovered one of the craziest and best combination ever: cinnamon raisin bagel with pastrami, provolone, pickles, and lettuce. Many different bread and sandwich items to choose from and they can even be toasted if desired.

** Lobster Tail - Yep. You got that right. Occasionally we get lobster tail and consdiering where I’m at… it’s a nice and healthy delicacy to have.

** Quesadillas - One time I had quesadillas to order (this is rare). Chicken, beef and cheese? Delish and filling.

Well that concludes my yelp review of the dining facilities. Hope you enjoyed!

White August Tea - A Must Visit for Anyone in the Valley
Jul 18th, 2009 by Tonia

img00069Today I took a trip to White August Tea with Sami. I can pretty much sum up my enjoyment and new addiction in a few words.

If White August was closer to my home, I’d be broke.

I just finished writing up a review on Yelp. I wasn’t the first, but I was second. It’s already received a compliment. I also gave them a picture since they didn’t have one.

I don’t want to repeat everything I finished writing, but here are a few key points via my Yelp review. You can read the rest of it here.

“Before I even started browsing, one of them (I forget her name unfortunately) asked if she could discuss the store and the history of tea. This was the best part of the time spent there. You can tell they truly love tea, and are knowledgeable and want to share that with their customers to help them make more informed decisions. I’ve been a tea drinker for years and still learned a lot today.

White August bags their own teas and even creates the blend for their own chai. They carry white, green, oolong, black, and royal teas as well as herbal blends and “baby teas” which are more fruity and caffeine free. They have bath teas and great accessories also. All the teas have samples in tins so you can see and smell what you are getting along with reading the description on the bags. The names of some of the teas are awesome and include, but are not limited to, So Jaded, Lady Luck, and Lap Song. Additionally, there is a booklet you can take home with a description of all their items.

I ended up leaving with tons of information, a date to come back to a tea class, a new loose tea cold/hot brewer, and a bag of Mango-Away. Say it enough and you’ll get the name :)”

»  Substance: WordPress   »  Style: Ahren Ahimsa
© Copyright 2008 :: Tonia M. Bartz