I'm kind of a spelling nazi. If a business is going to advertise, I expect the grammar and spelling to be correct. How hard is it, since virtually everyone has spell check these days?
Here's a fine example:
These folks paid a pretty penny to have their ad printed in a full-color. two-sided, heavy, glossy cardstock insert that went out in the advo mailer to my neighborhood. One wrong word makes a good looking ad look pretty stupid.
See, here:
Okay, maybe you can't hit spellcheck when lettering your sign. How about a dictionary?
Here's my proposed slogan (sorry, it's bad, really bad): Sit a spell and get your nails done in the DQ Drive-Thru window. (Get it, "spell" from your sand "witch"?)
We just ate at Mi Cocina Mexican Restaurant. It's an unassuming little place at the corner of Bellevue and Windemere in Littleton, CO. When we arrived, the dining room was packed. We were seated quickly, and brought a basket of crisp and hot homemade chips, and salsa with just enough bite to get your attention.
Husband's fajita special came out on a sizzling platter, and he ate every scrap, except for the freshly made guac, which he generously shoveled my way. I had the chile relleno plate. The rellenos were crisp, the sauce was generous, and the beans and rice, which were good on their own, were great for sopping up the remainders of the sauce with the last of the chips. It was so good, I wanted to lick the plate. (But I didn't, just in case you're wondering.)
The prices are very reasonable: $7.95 for the special, $7.50 for my meal. We have added them to our list of favorites. Maybe we'll see you there sometime soon.
We went for the Afternoon Tea and found it overpriced and ordinary. The tea was good, however, when I asked for more hot water, they threw some tea bags in the pot of a different flavor than what I had originally ordered, and never made it back to our table so I could get that error corrected. I found out afterwards that other patrons were able to sample several teas. We were not offered other flavors, however, maybe the switcheroo was intentional(?). Doubt it.
The quantity of pastries with the tea was pretty sparse. Another table (of 4) had tray upon tray delivered to their table. We (table of 3) had to ask for more pastries, and instead of bringing a new tray, she acted like we were asking for something out of the ordinary, asked what we wanted, and then brought some out on a plate and transferred them to the dirty tray we just emptied. That was a very poor presentation. It felt as is she was making a point.
Other than the multi-level tray, and dainty portions, everything was no different than service at any neighborhood cafe. For nearly $20 a head, we all expected something elegant, and were disappointed. The atmosphere is stark, and the portions are small. If you are determined to go there, order from the menu, at $6-7 per person. You'll get more food, and the same service, for half the price of the afternoon tea. We won't be back.
Watch how resistant people are, until one person decides to give it a try. Then, everyone wants in. We need more of these random acts of kindness. Every day.
I've been patronizing Twin Dragon Restaurant in Denver for about 13 years. Long enough to know what is on their menu, and what each of my favorite dishes is. Even when their prices went up and up, and their portions shrank smaller and smaller, we stuck with them. It was nice. Predictable. The owners would say hello when we walked in. It was like we were family.
So much has changed. Now begins the rant.
About 2 months ago, we picked up some takeout. Husband's food appeared to have been cooked twice. His Sesame Chicken was hard. Not crispy. Hard. My Broccoli with Garlic Sauce looked and tasted like the broccoli was several days past its freshness date. We ended up throwing away more than we ate.
Okay, anyone can have a bad night. Two weeks later, we gave them another shot. I like spicy food, so I ordered Family Style Tofu. It was so hot, I could barely eat it. Even mixing in tons of rice, there were so many peppers in it, I couldn't taste anything but hot. Husband, ever the optimist, decided to try the Sesame Chicken again. He didn't get what he ordered. It was something else entirely, and flavorless at that. Deciding they must have a new chef, we vowed to never eat there again.
Then we got to jonesing for Chinese. Dishes from Twin Dragon that we knew and loved. So we broke down and got takeout again. And it was good. Amazingly good. We were happy. Our favorite restaurant regained its rank.
So tonight, I took daughter and her boyfriend there for dinner. I ordered Bean curd with Black Mushrooms. Another one of my favorites. Not only did they serve me something other than what I ordered, they argued that it was Bean Curd with Black Mushrooms, because, "see: there's the tofu, and there is a mushroom."
When you order a dish, you expect its name to describe the food. It should have been primarily tofu and mushrooms, as it had been in the past, and is at every other Chinese restaurant where I've ever eaten. I got Bean Curd all right, but there was the equivalent of 1 1/2 mushrooms in the entire dish. Yes, anything over a total of one is plural, therefore 1 1/2 mushrooms qualifies as mushrooms.
When I explained that the dish wasn't what I ordered, they took it back to the kitchen, mixed in some brown sauce and brought it back. When I said, "No, that's not what I ordered, but I'll go ahead and take it, anyway," she brought the owner to the table, who evidently didn't know what the dish was supposed to look like, because she argued that it was what I ordered. No, it was Buddah's delight, plus brown sauce.
If I had been hungry for Buddah's Delight, I would have been happy. But I didn't, so I wasn't. Especially when they claimed the dish in front of me was actually what I ordered.
Come on, how much does it cost to go back and prepare the correct dish? I'll tell you what it cost this time: a lifetime customer. Yep, three strikes and you're out.
Final burn: NO apology. No credit for the wrong dish on the ticket. Nothing.
Normal is seriously overrated. Give me something different, unusual, and yes, weird. Weird is more exciting, or at the very least, more interesting and noteworthy. But is it Weird Enough for comment? I'll let you know.
About Me
Name: babbsela
Location: Littleton, Colorado, United States
The award I treasure most is for Second Place in the Fifth Grade Spelling Bee at Naranca Elementary. I got second place instead of first because I hesitated when I spelled my word, and didn't listen to my gut. My gut had the right spelling. That's an important life lesson that has stuck with me ever since.
Okay, maybe you can't hit spellcheck when lettering your sign. How about a dictionary?
