Albany Lawyer on Thumbtack

Trying out a new website for advertising our services. I got an e-mail about it and their website has references to articles in the media about their site that make them seem a little more credible.

So, there is now an Albany Lawyer page on Thumbtack.com.

Comeback Love

I rarely read fiction, but I read a book by my local friend Peter Golden. It's great! Loved it!

Buy it: Comeback Love

Republican vs. Democrat

Our new campaign ad:



Or on YouTube: Republican vs. Democrat.

The version that will air on TV is: New York: Republican vs. Democrat

Dewey's Diner in Albany - Not Good

I had a Seinfeld moment this morning. I stopped at Dewey's Diner on Fuller Road in Albany. The food was okay. I had an omelette. It was a little more expensive than I expected, but that's not the issue.

The total was $7. I put two singles on the counter as a tip and was putting the other single in with my cash when I dropped two $50 bills. As they neared the floor they suddenly swooshed under the counter. I got down to look and there was an open duct - no grate over it. The money was gone.

I asked the waitress where the duct goes. She said it doesn't go anywhere. I asked to speak to the owner. She said she is a part-owner and there's nothing that can be done.

The anger started boiling up inside me, but I had the sense to get out of there. I was worried I might be taken over by a Costanza-like rage and do something really stupid.

I did take the $2 tip back.

Dewey's Diner - Not recommended!
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Update (8/2/2010): I thought this story was over, but someone named Marty associated with Dewey's Diner called me today. To his credit, he was going to write me a check for $100 to make up for the loss. But he kept tellng me how I rushed to judgment by writing this blog post, and that I should go over to the diner and apologize.

When he first called I was going to delete it, but he kept digging into me telling me how I was wrong and I should apologize. That anger boiled over again - Serenity Now!!!!

My suggestion that they should put grates over the ducts didn't seem worthwhile to him. Also, he kept telling me I'm out of touch with regular working people because I think $7 for an omelette is a bit expensive in a diner that looks like a cheap dive (inside and out). Apparently that's because I'm a lawyer. And he's going to tell people not to vote for me.

I'm not wrong and I'm not out of touch. Regular people get angry when they lose $100 for no good reason. And regular people don't like being told they're wrong when they're not wrong. I'm also a small business owner. I know if you screw up and your customer gets hurt, you don't tell the customer to apologize. Keep your $100 Marty.

By the way, I checked two diners I go to more frequently. An omelette with home fries and toast varies, but most of them are about $5.50. Not only was $107 a lot to pay for an omelette, but even $7 is overpriced.
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Since this post is getting so many comments, I checked something else out:
The County inspection record.

There is a persistent "hazard" in their inspection reports:
"Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans"

They've been cited for problems with ventilation and ductwork five times in a row, dating back to January of 2007.

Marty - You might want to do something about the ductwork. Just sayin'.

LeBron James: Parody

Here's our campaign's new video, a parody of the LeBron James Decision:



See more about the campaign at http://wredlich.com/ny

Guilderland Restaurant Inspections

Found an interesting page today: Guilderland restaurant inspections. I had looked up one place and gotten a bad impression. But now looking at this list, it seems like most restaurants get tagged. That might say more about the inspection process than it does about the restaurants.

Akanomi in Guilderland

Akanomi is a relatively new Japanese restaurant in Guilderland. We had our first experience last week and were pleased. Key highlights - free delivery, decent food, and reasonable prices.

I have to confess a bias for Japanese restaurants run by Japanese people. For the best authentic Japanese food around here, you're limited to Miyako, Yoshi Sushi, and Mari's.

Akanomi does not appear to be run by Japanese. I called and asked a question - the conversation I heard in the background was definitely not in Japanese. Also, the name sounds good to someone who doesn't know better, but I don't think it's really a Japanese word. It doesn't show up in any of my dictionaries, though it could be a person's name. Including Pad Thai on the menu is also very non-Japanese.

But on to what really matters: the food was not only good, but interesting. I ordered the Kitsune Udon. The soup was gently sweet. They did a really good job on the flavor. We had a few other items. The shumai (shrimp dumplings) were nothing special, and the sauce was not what I'd expect. The gyoza (pork dumplings) were good, but a little heavy on the black pepper. Same with the noodles -- so much black pepper our kids wouldn't eat them (but I liked them).

The Alaska roll was good and I ordered a special roll, Crazy Tuna. Certainly not a traditional item, but an interesting combination including "Pepper Tuna" and it worked. They also have a "Amazing Tuna," which I might try soon.

We did not have a menu when we ordered. They don't have it online - hopefully they'll correct that soon. We now have a couple. One interesting set of choices - they have Japanese curry dishes. You don't see that a lot around here so I'll have to try that next time.

Overall the prices seem the same or a little lower than some of the other Japanese places in the area. Hibachi Filet is $19, for example.

Moon and River Cafe in Schenectady

As part of my vegetarian kick, we went to Moon and River Cafe in Schenectady a few days ago.

Moon & River is at 115 South Ferry, just north of the intersection with Liberty and on the edge of the Stockade district. It has a broad array of vegetarian options (including some vegan), plus a few dishes with meat.

The inside is almost too small, and yet we felt comfortable. The interior design has a definite granola feel and fits well with the experience. They seem to have a lot of live music, and we enjoyed the band that played during our visit.

As for the food, I had the Mideast Peace Platter. It had good hummus, feta, olives, peppers and more, with pita of course. I also had the Avocado salad, which was seasoned well with a touch of salt and a pleasant dressing (might have been lime).

My wife had the Guaco Burrito - beans, cheese and salsa with avocado. Not huge but it was fresh and she liked it.

She had a soy-milk smoothie with chocolate and banana, and I had a chocolate milkshake. Both were okay, not over-the-top fantastic but good.

We closed with pie. Chocolate for her, blueberry for me. Both desserts were great.

Prices were very reasonable. You can get a decent meal here for under $10, and it would be a challenge to spend $20. That's saying a lot for quality vegetarian food with live music included.