Not just coffee

Archive for June, 2009

These Apps Stir the Juices

Jun 20

Posted by admin in dining out, life, news

Remember when you would walk into a restaurant and say to the server, we’ll just be having apps. Wanna talk double and triple meanings: That sentence now has greater significance in our IPhone universe of possibilities. Yes, Blackberry and Pre users there are applications (apps) , but the range of possibilities is light years behind what Apple has planned for you! Most of these are available on the IPhone and IPod Touch. There are plenty of food apps making their way onto our virtual offices–whole meals, not just appetizers, but sophisticated software applications.

Whether it’s general food news such as where to dine, there’s Zagat To Go ’09 ($9.99). A much cheaper, as in free version, is available with GPS tracking from the Yelp folks. If you want to take your Open Table (free) restaurant reservation concept with you, they make it easy.

Recipes have become the new food app darlings with allrecipes offering the DinnerSpinner App (free), and Whole Foods (free) just deciding to join the mobile client and not be limited to email followers. We’re talking thousands of recipes on these two sites alone; you’ll never starve.

Beverages do not want to be ignored. How about 5800+ Drink & Cocktail Recipes (free)–that should keep you busy for a while. Or sign up for wine writer Natalie MacLean’s mobile version of her popular food and wine pairing info, Nat Decants Food & Wine Matcher ($2.99).

When restaurants put up a sign that says no cellphones please, that is so old world. Now the sign will need to read: No texting. Stop trying to outsmart the server or sommelier. Put away all IPhones. Shut off the apps.iphone

Order an app; virtual or tableside.

Which ones do you like best?

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Stop–Don’t Buy It

Jun 19

Posted by admin in food, news

Here we are ready to go into the weekend, and this notice may change your shopping plans.

Is nothing sacred anymore? We’ve asked that question with almost every food recall, but now, right before Father’s Day, when you want to bake a batch of cookies and fill the house with the sweet aromas of chocolate, few foods fill the bill better than a batch of Toll House Cookies. The refrigerated version of cookie dough has just been recalled in a voluntary recall from Nestle for fear of E. coli. Of course, you can bake from scratch, but these convenience products are truly time lifesavers!

The company has always warned customers that the refrigerated dough is raw and needs to be cooked before it is eaten. Obviously, this is a warning that not everyone understood. All the refrigerated Cookie and Brownie Dough products that are affected are listed on the Nestle and FDA sites.

It’s always a challenge not to taste batter before it goes into the oven. That goes for every raw egg product.

Make a card, decorate it, and sing Happy Father’s Day, but skip the refrigerated cookie aisle. Give everyone their own Ddrumstick_largerumstick!

Everybody will be happier.

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It Feels So Cruel, But

Jun 19

Posted by admin in life, Starbucks

sumatra_smallIt’s impossible to ignore a comment from Starbucks.

It’s been a long year for Starbucks. Everyone has a story about what was and what is. Actually its decline was as much a mirror image of the whole economic nightmare as it was a response to its own growth pattern: The Starbucks on every corner mentality! As the reality of negativity set in, the company started to do the fixes, and there have been many.

Just this week there was another thought that hit the brewing machines: Hey, why don’t we make a fresh pot more frequently. Yikes, we’ll give off the aroma of a real coffee shop. The place will smell like beans–that’s the thinking. That’s the kind of thinking that may actually work if there is a real way to bring customers back to Starbucks. As they have been fleeing, they were going somewhere. It’s the where and the loyalty factor that may determine Starbucks’s future down the road.

The biggest problem, that in many respects is harder to fix, centers around service, consistency, and  training. You can close the shops and train, but when you open, the early evangelical spirit needs to be there. It’s not. The attitude is more of a “NEXT” philosophy than the old days when the message was: I can make you an espresso you’ll remember. It will be like yesterday’s, and tomorrow’s will be just as good. Inconsistency has become the reality. No two cups now ever taste the same or even look the same.

People like Starbucks, but Starbucks has to like itself and return to what worked. Not just a new thought an hour.

I continue to wonder: How often can they reinvent?

Just a double shot, please.

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What A Fun Day: Tales From the Table

Jun 17

Posted by admin in dining out, life

Everywhere I turned today someone seemed to complain about a food issue. It was like the old joke: The food’s no good and the portions are so small! Portion sizes and expensive prices are parallel cousins. To most diners, a little entree shrinking is noticeable. Not that they can necessarily tell the difference between a 7-ounce piece of chicken and a 6-ounce, but that the plate looks just a little different.

It’s true whether “the less” refers to fewer frites with a steak or less lettuce in a salad. Restaurants are working hard ot stay in business. The basic mid-tier, non-chain restaurant seems to be gaining customers from all tiers and surviving nicely. The more expensive destinations are feeling the pain as heard repeatedly from those who still go to The Palm and say the dining room is almost quiet. On the other hand, the noise level at the $16 entree restaurant is bursting. Both are running specials, but only one approach seems to be working!mini_dessert_tn1

At a seafood restaurant if you pay $40 for lobster, you expect to see some on your plate. That’s not what I heard today, and the oddity there is that lobster prices at the wholesale level are way down. Restaurants need to pass those savings along! A few pieces are a taste; not an entree.

Service still remains the biggest complaint. Cut the portion if you need to, but remember to look interested in my order, in its delivery, and in my satisfaction quotient. Hello.

I want to return.

You need to see me again.

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A Little Footnote or Two: Updates

Jun 17

Posted by admin in grocer, health, life, news, shopping

carrots-vitamina-lgIt seems no one wants to be ignored on the antioxidant bandwagon. Look at this latest product that should add to the confusion: Kraft Foods has decided to up the ante in the sugar-free Jello department. Health writers are all over this, and I appreciate the detail and the absurdity of the concept. Are we all that gullible? Now, carrots…

On the Ciao Bella front, I found the product at Target. Sorry for the omission, but the Mango Sorbet should not be omitted.

On the grocery smart scanner input, not all is as it seems. Yes, it is definitely fun to get a free item when the price comes up incorrect on the scanner. It is just  a little confusing when the scanner offers you savings on products that do not match your profile. Let me say do not even approximate a match. Some of the offers today were so not for me that I hope whomever is typing in my card number is having fun. So kinks still need to be worked out, but as for fun, I’m still loving the scan and bag approach.

One final note on the grocers. It seems that tracking is so powerful that your absence from the aisles is actually a positive. I just received a survey questionnaire and 4 separate $5 off coupons from Harris Teeter. They miss me. That’s sweet. They wonder why I haven’t been there in a while. No problem. For the coupon savings, they have me at least 4 more visits. I love being loved; especially with a $20 savings.

Life goes on.

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What's Good for the Goose

Jun 16

Posted by admin in Advertisers, Environment, grocer, health, life

..may not really work for everyone. Trends are like that–they come; they go. No matter how many superfoods, aka, miracle ingredients or products that get special label marketing can survive the reality test. There is no cure-all for life’s realities: Aging and all its precursor cousins. Sure some fruits and vegetables are particularly healthy in and of themselves, but we cannot live on them alone. No matter what. It’s becoming a challenge to separate the wheat from the chaff. Ok enough of that.

Realistically, confusion centers around the importance of antioxidants. It seems if you write high in antioxidants on the label, that almost guarantees high sales! How do these claims get tested? Who monitors reality? My favorite antioxidant claims are on products that are well known antioxidant fighters–fruits already high in antioxidants now jump out of the bins and off the shelves if they have the antioxidant banner.sunsweetantioxidant

What are these antioxidants and can we really get enough or the right amount from food? The foods that are naturally high in antioxidants are the easiest to take. If you’re going to concentrate on antioxidants and its benefits, summer is a wonderful season for you with its own natural bounty of antioxidants: BERRIES. Eat up, enjoy, skip the hype; it’s a natural occurrence. On the vegetable side, gardens are just beginning to produce the ultimate summer joy: TOMATOES. Sure there are numerous other foods high in antioxidants, and many antioxidant health claims may actually bear fruit.

Then there’s the whole beta carotene discussion. The old universe said eat your carrots. Limited explanation followed other than the statement: They’re good for you.  Now they are not just carrots but a food high in the all-important, necessary beta carotene, an important antioxidant. Don’t forget when you visit the farm markets, there are other easy choices: beets, cabbage, and kale, for example.

Then there is the new wonder product, the acai berry.  It seems to be touted everywhere. Unclear what it really does for you. It’s possible that no one knows the real answer, but when a product gets so heavily promoted so quickly, it moves into my suspect category.

Foods that promise can only promise more than they can deliver. Great skin, perfect eyesight, immune boosters, anti-aging, diet loss are just some of the claims that are part of the promise universe. We are looking for too many cure-alls.

What works is the same thing that has always worked: Smart eating. Not overeating.

That I am sure of.

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No Shock; Just Comfort

Jun 15

Posted by admin in Economy, FDA, food, grocer, life, news

Even though there are some signs that indicate we may slowly be emerging from under the dark economic cloud that has reshaped so much of our country, the reality is that consumers have changed their buying habits. We are different, and the hope is we will have learned something that has stickiness.

There is nothing surprising to hear that comfort foods are still the rage. Why not? Well, maybe a little salmonella scare here and there, but peanut butter and  jelly top many lists. There’s protein and multiple beneficial ingredients, and the price is right. It does not mean we deviate from our brand purchasing, but that in some instances we are more careful. Some studies indicate that in cautious times we are less likely to experiment with a new brand, even a much less costly alternative, and stay with an old friend. M&M’s plain chocolate candy was one strong, popular purchasing indicator from this survey of almost 25,000 consumers.

Candy, of course, is about the reward. Why take a chance on something you’re not certain will provide the boost you need? Hershey’s Kisses, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars all scored high. Wonder what this says for all the new Dark Chocolates which every company seems to be touting?

Across the aisles in the packaged meat case, bologna is a major winner. Some attribute its recent and continual spike in sales to a return to the foods of our childhood. They worked then and seem to be playing a similar comfort role. Definitely will need to talk healthy foods. Don’t even want to know how to make bologna!product_logo_reeses

If Mom served what we considered old-fashioned foods such as peanut butter and jelly or bologna sandwiches, we hear the message. It worked then; it works now.

Grocers clearly recognize the new patterns. We see it everywhere. The Wegman family just discussed how shoppers have changed than they were a year ago. The company’s direct price-cutting actions, which greatly impacted their already slim profit margins, earned them new customers and a different approach to marketing their stores. It seems to be working.

Will we return to the shoppers of yesteryear, as in last year?

I hope not. I hope we are smarter now.

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Bag It Up–My Bag, Please

Jun 13

Posted by admin in Environment, grocer, shopping

5b61_1All those times you are a bag short or even minus the recyclable bags which are overheating in the trunk of the car, you’ve been able to put your merchandise in a store paper bag as more places have phased out plastic. Some stores, like Ikea, charge for bags. Some shops even give you a small savings for each bag you bring. 

Change is in the air. A number of states or municipalities have tried to implement bag taxes, and they have gone nowhere.  The District of Columbia wants the belt notch that says first in the nation to implement bag tax. They say all those plastic bags are finding their way into the Anacostia River, and a true cleanup will never occur because of the sheer volume of plastic bags and the ultimate litter debris. 

Many citizens consider the implementation of a bag tax as a lazy solution to an overall River mess. They feel that less fortunate shoppers will be further penalized as their groceries or drugs or whatevers will now cost 5 cents a bag more. A lack of understanding does not create a true cause-effect relationship. Remember these are tough times, and consumers are already paying a heavy burden in helping cities move forward. Implementing this tax will not clean the Anacostia. 

The American Chemistry Council has started a major campaign to help cities and states understand the real environmental issues. They believe progress has been made in people’s awareness of bringing their own bags and recycling plastics. There are no shortage of places to drop off plastic bags. So many new, interesting products are being made from these efforts.

Skip the tax route. Be smart about this. The District does not have to be the FIRST for this type of program. There are better ways to win positive recognition than from this egregious program that solves little. 

It’ll take more than my nickel to solve this particular problem.

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The Shelves Are Alive

Jun 12

Posted by admin in Economy, Environment, grocer, news

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Yes, it’s true. Grocery stores, convenience marts, and even big box retailers have devoted sizable shelf space to 100-calorie boxes of whatevers. If you can make it fattening, the companies seem to say, we can also make it available in a lower calorie count.

Whether it’s chips, cookies, crackers, or candy, the 100-calorie boxes beckon. You name it, and it is probably available in mini-packs. BTW, they’re perfect for lunch boxes, desk drawer indulgences, and road trips. No one, not even Little Debbie Snacks, wants to be left out of the marketing game.

Not all is sweet news. Maybe we are using more paper and increasing our environmental threshold. Or, just maybe, we are overeating. Can you just have one? Personally, I think the gimmick gave you permission to overindulge. It’s just 100-calories, you convincingly said to yourself, as you grabbed a couple bags of Oreos. Sad news there, they didn’t have the filling that made you covet the product in the first place! Then along came Oreo Minicakesters–got ya! They solved that complaint!

Multiple bags. Hmm. Opposite of the original weight-loss approach; rather a weight-gain strategy that seemed to gain hold! 

Not just overeating, but maybe you’re not just adding to your waist but to your budget, too. They are hardly the economical way to shop in this cash-conscious environment. Phil Lempert, who calls himself the Supermarket Guru, has been questioning their longevity. He is quick to point out that Ziploc makes a snack bag size, a perfect container for your own variation of mini-snacks.

If you like nuts, a few of those, please. Add a few raisins, and a piece or two of your favorite dried fruit and you have a personalized trail mix. A million possible examples.

Smart marketing. For those who remain clueless, there’s even a cookbook!

Seriously.

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He Said That!

Jun 11

Posted by admin in dining out, life

Sometimes restaurant experiences are surreal. Like the other night when an appetizer arrived at our table, and we politely said, “that’s not what we ordered.”

Silence. Complete silence, and then the response that still has us shaking our heads: So?

That was what he actually said. So as in so what. Then, the clincher, what do you want me to do?

After I thought maybe he should just do a jig or something, I figured he would guess that he should apologize and excuse himself until he could return with the correct appetizer.

Nope. Didn’t happen. He shuffled. Looked at the floor. Seemed to believe his response was appropriate and looked at us.

Two things could have happened then. We could have admonished him and sent him back to the kitchen for the correct, as in what we ordered, appetizer, or we could just stare back and wait until he came to that conclusion. We’d probably still be at the appetizer course. We opted for keeping the appetizer, as it was something we like, and the other option might have been painful. We wanted to eat, to begin our dinner and to have limited discussions with him.

By the way red pepper dip and tzatziki do not look, sound, or taste the same. We are happy that we like this restaurant’s version of both. We opted for taste over correction!

The shock of his response still resonates. Was it worth discussing with the manager? Not really. That kind of response from a server at a well-known mid-tier restaurant is not something you can take out of him. It’s like a genetic flaw. A reprimand from the manager would, as they say, fall on deaf ears. Maybe he had seen The Absent-Minded Waiter one too many times. (If you haven’t seen it, enjoy the You Tube clip)IMG00418.

We had a good dinner and a clueless waiter. Fortunately since it is a Mediterranean restaurant, courses come out as they are ready, so we saw little more of him which probably saved the evening. 

He definitely needs training, but I’m not convinced his response is that easy to change. When someone doesn’t get it, he doesn’t get it.

I do.

So?

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