Archive for the 'Shopping' Category
No More $280 Burritos in the West End
Kyle and I live near some very good restaurants on Farmington Avenue in the West End of Hartford; Tisane, Ichiban, Abyssinian, and Monte Alban.
A few months ago we met some friends for dinner at Monte Alban. Because we were running late and it was cold outside, I whined my way into convincing Kyle to drive us there, rather than making the .4 mile walk. There was no close street parking available, so we parked way in the back of the “Kinko’s lot” on Farmington Avenue, at the corner of Kenyon and Farmington.
The lot was essentially empty, it was after 6:30pm, and we thought everything was fine. Apparently we missed the “We will tow you with no exceptions” signs that were posted on the side of the building, not anywhere near where we parked.
We went into Monte Alban and enjoyed our dinner, which took about an hour. Then we proceeded back to the parking lot and the following dialogue went like this…
Amy: Hey, where’s the car? Didn’t we park right there? [pointing to empty parking space]
Kyle: Huh, the car doesn’t appear to be here. [scratching head]
Amy: Was the car stolen?!?!? [twitching and flailing starts]
Kyle: Calm down, calm down. I think we were towed. Yep, hey look, it says on the building that they’ll tow you. [starts rummaging for cell phone to call faded number on sign]
Amy: Towed? Towed where? Towed why? This lot is completely empty and no one is parked here! [voice getting shriller, flailing increasing]
Kyle: [speaking with towing company] Do you have our car? It’s a BlahBlah, license plate Blah. Okay, well where do we pick it up? Berlin. How much will that cost? $280, cash only. When can I get it?
Amy: Berlin? Why is the car in Berlin? $280?!? Are you kidding me?!?! [cursing starts, time to be spent in purgatory greatly increasing]
Long story short: we walk home, drive to the far reaches of Berlin, wait a half hour to meet some guy at a completely shady location, pay him $280 in cash (IRS audit anyone?), and drive home. Amy is in the doghouse for being “lazy” and making it the most expensive burrito dinner ever. [Although I later heard from another friend that they once had a $280 beer at Tisane due to the same unfortunate circumstances]
So why am I telling you about this? The parking situation for these four popular restaurants has recently improved. Some proactive West End residents worked with the property manager of the “Kinko’s lot” to secure some after hours parking spots for these restaurants.
You can now park in one of these 27 yellow-lined spots at the back of the parking lot…
Just make sure you follow these rules…
Seriously, follow the rules. If you park in a non-yellow lined space and leave that lot for other business, you will be towed. All the way to Berlin. So they can charge you $4 a mile for the towing. Am I still bitter? Nah…
A Cheesecake Factory Preview
Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in a waitstaff training exercise at the new Cheesecake Factory restaurant located in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square shopping area. The restaurant will officially open for dinner on Thursday, November 1 at 5:00pm.
I’ve eaten at Cheesecake Factories in the Boston, DC, and Denver areas before (the last time being about a year and a half ago) and the West Hartford establishment carries along the traditional decor and menu options. For the training exercise, we were only able to try certain appetizer and meal selections, which was fine because lunch was free and it was a learning experience for the staff. The food was the same quality that I’d experienced at other locations. The waitstaff is still learning and has a few more days of training to tweak things before they officially open on Thursday.
If you’ve never been to a Cheesecake Factory, here are my suggestions…
1. You should go, at least once, just to experience it. The menu is quite extensive and you will be able to find something you’ll enjoy. You may even be overwhelmed by the number of selections available.
2. The amount of food they give you is tremendous, but it’s also not cheap. Appetizers are priced from $8 and up. Dinners start around $10 a plate, most average around $15-$20. Desserts start at $7 (most of the cheesecake is $7 a slice).
3. The food is good, but if you’re not careful you will end up with a big belly ache when you leave. My husband and I typically split an appetizer, main dinner, and piece of cheesecake and that seems to work. It also helps the wallet.
4. The cheesecake really is fantastic and they have a seemingly endless number of options. If you like fruity cheesecake, they have it. If you like chocolate cheesecake, they have it. If you like candy cheesecake, they have it. So, just have a piece of cheesecake!
Crate & Barrel- A Friend's Review
This is my friend Grant. He is a West Hartford resident and likes the whole Blue Back Square concept. A lot. So, when Grant approached me about being a guest writer and reviewing the new Crate & Barrel at Blue Back Square, I said “Sweet! I can take a day off!” And without further ado, here are Grant’s ramblings…
The newest addition to West Hartford Center has arrived…say hello to Crate & Barrel. As one of the anchor tenants of the highly anticipated Blue Back Square, Crate & Barrel opened last week amidst much fan-fair and excitement. For those of you expecting a small retail shop similar to Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware, perhaps typical for a smaller metropolitan area, be prepared to be pleasantly disappointed. Crate & Barrel’s West Hartford store is every bit as impressive as their New York and Boston locations. The West Hartford store has approximately 22 thousand square feet of show space and another 10 thousand square feet of warehouse space. The store has a Madison Avenue feel complete with multiple levels, escalators, and elevators.
If you like high quality, stylized furniture with both a contemporary and traditional feel you will be in heaven at Crate & Barrel’s West Hartford store. The upper level is dedicated to fine furniture and fabrics, while the lower level contains housewares and some less expensive ready-to-assemble furniture.
From a pricing standpoint, Crate & Barrel is in line with Restoration Hardware and perhaps slightly more expensive than Pottery Barn. I was really impressed by the store’s layout with high ceilings and great lighting. Architecturally it is very impressive and bodes of great things to come for the rest of Blue Back Square. So, if you’re ready to update the living room, Crate & Barrel’s West Hartford store is well worth a look.
……….
Thanks Grant! And what Grant doesn’t know is that next Monday I get to go to a sneak preview lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. I’m helping to test out the wait staff with a group of other agents from my office. Be on the lookout for my inside report before it officially opens…
Outdoor Fun at Cabela's in East Hartford
I, personally, am not much of an outdoor sportsperson. My father, on the other hand, is a different story. So I guess it shouldn’t have surprised me when my parents called on Wednesday evening to ask if they could come down from Vermont and stay over Thursday evening. You see, the “soft opening” of the new Cabela’s superstore in East Hartford was today. My father has been eagerly anticipating this day since the project was revealed a few years ago.
Well, today my father was like a kid in a candy store with the unveiling of the new Cabela’s. Here are some pictures from the event and our takeaways…
1. (Dad)- The employees really know their stuff. He asked specific questions about fishing gear and was able to get a knowledgeable response, including specific suggestions on good local places to try out the tackle and rods. This was a pleasant surprise and different than what you would find at most “superstore” shops.
2. (Dad)- There appeared to be more merchandise for sale, but still a good number of “animal displays” to admire. While this might be upsetting to the vegetarians, it sure seemed to keep the little kids entertained.
3. (Amy)- The clothing sizes of Cabela-branded items seemed to be very erratic, at least for women.
4. (Amy)- If you’re a single woman, this is probably the best possible place to meet men. I would say I was outnumbered 7-to-1 in the men to women ratio. If you can actually get their attention away from the bow and arrows and camping gear is another issue…
5. (Amy)- Even if you don’t participate in fishing, hunting, shooting, or camping, I would still suggest you cross the bridge and take a trip to East Hartford. Cabela’s is definitely an “experience” store and I would recommend that you allow about an hour to just wander around, even if you have no plans of buying anything. There are lots of amazing things to look at, a restaurant to try if you like game, and even a homemade fudge shop. Who can turn down homemade fudge?
I don’t really know when the Grand Opening will be, but it’s open now, so go take a gander.
Not really sure what airplanes have to do with Cabela’s…
Awwww, hugging bears, how cute! Oh wait, they’re fighting?
I’m noticing a fighting theme…
Fun at the Canton Barn
I’m always looking for new adventures to share and this weekend I found a great one in Canton. Every Saturday evening, the Canton Barn holds antique auctions, starting at 7:30pm. Now, this isn’t some high-brow, snooty affair. It’s downright low key and a darn good time.
The item preview begins at 5:00pm. Grab a pillow at the back of the room to hold your seat. Then get a slice of homemade pie (they usually have 8-9 different flavor selections) and wait for the fun to begin.
Richard Wacht, owner and auctioneer, does a great job quickly moving through items, in language everyone can understand. None of the garbled, fast-tongued guess-speak that usually is associated with auctioneers. If you want to bid on something, you just raise your hand during the bidding and throw your hat in the ring. Runners on the stage will acknowledge your bids and it goes back and forth until the highest bidder wins. Your name is taken down and you pay with cash or check at the end of the auction (no credit cards accepted).
Here are a couple of observations…
1. The majority of the crowd (about 100 people) appeared to be “regulars” and known by the staff. As first time visitors, and about 20 years younger than most of the patrons, we felt welcomed and comfortable with participating in the bidding action.
2. Several items went for, what I would consider, super deals. There were several items that had a “Pottery Barn flair” that went for well less than what they would cost at an actual Pottery Barn store. It was easy to feel losers remorse when you didn’t participate in bidding on an item because you felt it would go for far more than it did. I missed out on a nice dresser that went for $35 and a beautiful settee that sold for $40 because I assumed the bids would go much higher. They didn’t, so I lost out on those pieces. Fortunately there are unique things available each week.
3. There were collectibles and large pieces of furniture. If you look to collect certain items, or just need to furnish certain rooms of your house, you can find it at the Barn.
4. Buying a piece of pie was a good investment. My tummy thanked me.
5. Showing up to preview items around 6:45-7:00pm should allow enough time. We got there a little too early and had too much time to kill.
The hubby and I had a fun evening and will probably now make this a regular event. It easily beats staying home and watching a movie on the couch. Over the next couple of weeks I’m going to check out the Hartford-area auctions to see how they compare. Stay tuned…
