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Whew, what happened to this place??? Where is everyone? I guess brawling over at Topix...
Anyway, some quick restaurant reviews like the subject line promises:
Asuka: Still needs to sort out their spotty service. Went there for lunch, service was poor, waitress[es] (more about this in a second) was/were AWOL, wasn't busy. Look, I've worked in restaurants. If it's not busy and waitstaff are nowhere to be found, there's no excuse. And here's another thing: Why is it that some restaurants are OK with sending out different waitstaff to wait on the same table? Just who is the person assigned to that table? How are we supposed to know exactly? And that just makes it worse if I practically have to fire a flare gun to get someone's attention — knowing that more than one person is waiting on our table. Food = good, but hey, if I'm going to spend $50+ for lunch for two PLUS tip (!), I expect something more than Service With A Scowl, which is the frozen _expression_ one woman had. I can get that from any surly teenager at any fastfood joint you'd care to name and for one fifth the damage to my wallet. I almost always tip well. Not this time. Don't think I'll be back either.
Hayashi: Still very consistently good and very attentive service, and that's for a Japanese buffet! Great prices too. Look, this is how it's done. Watch and learn. And in this down economy, this is the sort of service that's going to lift an establishment such as this above the others in a crowded marketplace that's also shrinking by the day.
Nacho's: Good Mexican fare, nice atmosphere, kind of iffy service. Perfunctorily attentive, but it's definitely, "OK. Thank you. Get out."
Baja Burrito: In Berry Hill. Funky, tres cool atmo like those college kid free newspaper reviewers say in "real" restaurant reviews. I like too that they have a good selection of hot sauces: Cholula, El Yucateco, etc. Again, consistently good food, consistently crowded, so that tells you something. It's just that on several visits, it's various stages of filthy. Last time we were there, the garbage and debris on the floor, messy seats and uncleaned tables looked almost like something in one of those Omega Man post-apocalyptic wasteland movies with garbage and whatnot swirling around... I'm not kidding. Place was well-staffed, kids cutting up behind the counter, even one kid had time enough to wipe a part of a table with his forearm and sit down for a nice relaxing meal. Hey, take a load off there son. No, it's OK. Don't get up. You just relax. This place will clean itself.
La Hacienda: We've gone over this place more than once here. Consistently A-1 tops in service, host and waitstaff are always smiling, always very attentive, very solicitous and helpful, food is very good as well. That's what keeps us coming back. This is how it's done.
Joey's House of Pizza: Man, this is GOOD... SOMEONE gets it right finally!!! Go there. All I need to say.
Snappy Tomato Pizza: May surprise some by saying this is also good. Sauce is great, prices are definitely right, service very good, owner very personable. That makes a difference. Just wish they had a real pizza oven, but still is pretty darn good.
Olive Garden: Housewives love it. ("I LOVE the never-ending salad bowl!!!" is one of the usual quotes.) As I'd noted before, very busy, vehicles circle the crammed parking lot every night like agitated sharks. That tells you something, I suppose. You make your own call on this one.
Bombay Bistro: New Indian place on Carothers Parkway. Has a lot of promise. Stopped in for a lunch buffet, which has an insanely cheap price for the amount of food one might sample. Was told that they put out the good stuff later in the week (we were there on a Monday or Tuesday). Thought what I had was very good, so I want to come back and see what the "good stuff" is. Was also told that they vary the lunch buffet items, so I'll be back on the chance that I might sample some vindaloo and tikka masala. Stay tuned on this one.
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