Our Feedback Matters

Jim and I had dinner last night with his “soon-to-be” boss Rodney and our good friend Dennis at Italianni’s Bonifacio High Street. For some reason, the service was slow as molasses. We already finished the second helping of foccacia but still, our entrees were nowhere in sight. Good thing we were enjoying each other’s stories or else, we would have raged hell! Kidding! After ages of sitting tight, they finally served what we ordered. The Sicilian Salad was worth the wait! The Frito Misto, a platter of hand-battered fish fillet, prawns, meat-stuffed tomato and zucchinis (with cheese mornay, tomato and caesar dips) was good despite the small serving portion. We were disappointed with the Rigatoni Bolognese though... the sauce was a li’l bit watery and the pasta not so al dente. When Joyla, our server, approached and asked us our verdict about the food, we voiced out how we weren’t that satisfied and how we hated the sluggish service. Talking about giving solicited opinions... we were given on the house New York Cheesecake to make up for any inconvenience. To add, the parking ticket gave us 500 bucks discount. Amazing how things balance out... and how I realize that customer feedback is really an art form! By the way, the cheesecake still rocks!

Texas Roadhouse Experience

Recently opened in Bonifacio High Street at the Fort, we couldn’t resist trying the Texas Roadhouse Grill. We’re very pleased we did. Atmosphere-wise, the place oozed with that Western flair... cowboy decors, country ornaments, the works. The place was a little crowded though due to the high number of diners in a very limited space. As we munched on crunchy roasted goobers while waiting to be seated inside, we studied the menu and decided to try the Roadhouse Lite Salad. It was very good! Almost the same as the Italianni’s Sicilian Salad, it’s a fusion of crisp lettuce, ripe mangoes, grapes and bleu cheese, smothered with red wine Dijon dressing. I like the hint of sweetness brought about by the candied walnuts. For the entree, it was a touch decision choosing between Baby Back Ribs, Shrimp & Salmon Skewers and Cheesesteak Sandwich. But I opted to try the Sheriff’s Fish and Chips... hand-battered and deep-fried fish fillet strips, served with fries and corn on the cob. It was so good and very filling! I even had another serving of the tangy dipping sauce. Jimmy ordered Ma Barker’s Chicken Platter... grilled marinated chicken breast over a bed of Texas rice, fresh veggies and corn on the cob. The dish looked so delectable. Gelo had Parmesan Crusted Fish Fillet, topped with creamy Alfredo and Marinara sauces. So yummy! We had an awesome feast. There were so much to choose from the roster of dishes, from fajitas to steaks, to seafoood and fireside favorites. I commend Texas Roadhouse for being kid friendly, too. Kid’s meals are available for 12 years and below. Not bad at all, considering kids may not be able to finish their huge serving portions. To cap the night, we had the decadent Cowboy Chocolate cake... oozing with richness and tooth-aching delight. We also shared Mighty Oreo Mud Pie... layers of chocolate and coffee ice cream atop crushed Oreo cookie crust, coupled with Snickers candy pieces in between every bite. Heavenly! Our server was ultra regardful to our every need. Food and drinks were provided promptly. Overall, Texas Roadhouse Grill: delicious food, nice atmosphere, gratifying service, reasonable prices, worth it!

The Package

I was starting to believe that the postal system here in our country totally sucks... I’ve been waiting for more than a month for the package my folks sent me. Sigh. But yesterday, the pessimism in me suddenly flickered when I saw the claim stub inside my mailbox! Yay! After work, I finally got the parcel. What did I get? 2 pairs of shorts, some boxer shorts and a bottle of Tylenol! What made me more elated were the pictures included. These were taken during their stay at a beach resort in St. George (14-hour drive from Fort Lauderdale). Really nice photos! Oh how I miss them! After seeing how happy they were, I couldn’t help but say “Thank God!”.

Lomofied Me!

Gian told me he has a lomofied picture of moi in his Flickr account. I asked myself... what the heck is lomofied? Hahaha! I learned that lomography (the root word for lomified) gives emphasis to casual, snapshot photography... with photo attributes such as very drenched colors, blurring and alternative film processing, among others. Now I got a grip of what a lomofied picture is. I like it. Very candid and artistic. Thanks Gian! I have another photo for uploading in my internet accounts!

Pass The Cheer

I can smell Christmas from a distance. The Ayala Avenue is well lit-up with Christmas glow... Yuletide songs are being played in every nook... the atmosphere is very luminous and merry! And one thing which made me more excited was the Starbucks Pass The Cheer 2007 card I just got this afternoon. It’s the time of tradition when donations will be given to SparkHope project (a partnership between Unicef and Starbucks). To add, a cool 2008 planner will be given once you complete all the stickers. I guess I better charge up with more caffeine starting today!

Oh I love the holidays. It always reminds me of spreading kindness among family, friends and colleagues... also to those in need, too.

Scary and Sweet

As planned, JImmy, Gelo and I watched the movie “30 days of Night” at Trinoma. The movie stars Josh Hartnett as the sheriff of Barrow, the northernmost town of Alaska. For 30 days of winter, the sun doesn’t shine... and that’s the time when a group of vampires attacked. With no form of communication like phone and internet, all of the residents were helpless and frightened as the hungry bloodsuckers devour every human being they see. This movie is a far cry from other vampire horror movies. It is so intense and gripping! We were at the edge of our seats every freaking scene! Good job to the people behind the film. It was worth watching!

After almost wetting our pants, we headed back to Makati to join Dave, Cholo and Chris for dinner at Giligan’s Glorietta. We were so hungry we ordered 2 servings of pork sisig, a big dish of grilled stuff (squid, tuna belly, liempo and chicken bbq), 1/2 garlic chicken and 3 platters of rice! Yum yum! Almost bursting out of fullness, we still had room for... DESSERT! We indulged ourselves with some splits and parfaits @Iceberg’s. Yum yum again! What better way to end the scary night with some sweetness. :-P

Weekend Madness

Hurray to weekends off! Yesterday was the start of my new work shift sked... a hard-earned 7:30am to 4:30pm. Oh my! Waking up not too early and not too late, just like going to school before... I’m so loving it! Anyway, yesterday was uber fun. Jimmy, Gelo and I hanged out at the Fort and, as usual, gratified our cravings with malling and food (esp. my sugar desire for Krispy Kreme New York
Cheesecake!). Then, we went to Music 21 along Jupiter for some much-needed “belting”. Singing “Angels Brought Me Here” at the start set me at ease. I can say all of us inside that room can carry a tune! What can I say? We love singing our hearts’ content! Definitely, videoke is a form of “escape” from the harsh reality of life. With singing, one’s problems are temporarily forgotten... as if we have our own sweet world. And with friends around, who would dare say you sing like William Hung?! :-)

Happiness

I stumbled upon a YouTube link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKKjqzkGo3o) posted by my friend Carl in his YM status message... it’s a video clip of “Happiness” from You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. It’s the average day in the life of Snoopy’s best friend. This song is the highlight of the Broadway show, when the gathered friends sing a little about their individual thoughts of happiness. I sooo love it! Indeed, simple things in life can make someone happy... and that includes me.

A Different Halloween

This Halloween season’s totally different from the previous years. I used to go home to Laguna, celebrate my Dad’s birthday on the 30th, bond with the family 'til Nov. 1 ends. Since my folks are already away and I have work, I ended up staying here in Makati. Not bad for a change. Last night, I got to spend time with Gelo, Arci and Emil over sumptuous dinner at TGI Friday’s Glorietta. We didn’t bump into cute, little kids clad in their trick or treat fancy clothing... but we did bump into 1 cute TGIF personnel attired in a Voltes V costume. :-)
All Saints’ Day is about to end. Good thing I didn’t go home since traffic, I heard, was horrendous heading south. I just spent time at the Dad’s merienda buffet with JImmy, Gelo and Emil. Burp! This was pretty relaxing as compared to the hustle and bustle at the cemetery. Hmmm ... I think I’m gonna get used to this every year. :-)