Wednesday, May 08, 2013
Japanica Grill in Troy
The owner of the now-closed Miyako in Guilderland has opened a new restaurant in Troy, Japanica Grill. Read more at: Yelp - Japanica Grill.
Friday, May 04, 2012
West Boca Restaurant Reviews
Now that I've moved to West Boca Raton, I've been writing reviews of restaurants here on our West Boca News website.
There are a wide variety of restaurants in the area, including types common to Albany like Italian and Japanese, but also more tropical and Latino choices not common to upstate New York.
The reviews are here: West Boca Restaurant Reviews
There are a wide variety of restaurants in the area, including types common to Albany like Italian and Japanese, but also more tropical and Latino choices not common to upstate New York.
The reviews are here: West Boca Restaurant Reviews
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Great Escape Lodge - Hotel and Indoor Water Park near Lake George
We did something a little different this weekend. We went to the Great Escape Lodge near Lake George for a night (and a good chunk of two days). We got there in time for lunch at Johnny Rockets, which is in the hotel and was by far the best meal we had there.
Overall our experience was hit and miss. The big hit, and main attraction, is the indoor water park. There's a kiddie pool area with small slides and fun fountains. The lazy river is impressive and quite pleasant. Upstairs there's a structure with all kinds of fun for kids, including a huge bucket that dumps all over everything every few minutes. They also have a "flow rider" where you can ride a boogie board against a current. And there are some large tube slides that start about 4 floors up and go outside the building and back in. Very cool.
It was a lot of fun, especially for the kids. Our children had a good time, and the place was filled with other kids who were obviously enjoying it. Even in the rest of the hotel, we would frequently see kids of all ages roaming the hallways and other areas in an extreme state of happiness. So, despite the criticisms that follow, if you want to take your kids somewhere fun this is a great place to do it.
It is very noisy inside the water park. That seems to be common for indoor water parks so I think you just have to accept that. Something about the acoustics of splashing water and walls I guess.
Having said that, there are glaring flaws that annoy adults. Service at the hotel's restaurants (excluding Johnny Rockets) was horrible. We tried to have dinner at the "Tall Tales Tavern." We waited ten minutes for a table, even though we could see empty tables inside. Then someone from inside walked out, complaining that they'd been sitting at their table for 15 minutes and hadn't been served at all. So everyone waiting left.
Instead we had dinner at the nearby Sweet Basil which was pretty good. They had early bird specials until 7 pm, which include a salad bar with decent variety.
Service was also slow at the "Birch Bark Grill" inside the water park. Waiting 15 minutes to get a soft pretzel just seems silly. The line was not long. It was just slow. There was only one person working the cash register, and he had to do the drinks and hand out the food.
We go to the outdoor park a few times a year, and slow service is a consistent problem at the "restaurants" there too. It's hard to tell from the outside, but it seems like they fail to staff adequately. But this applies only to the restaurants. The water park itself had plenty of people working. Similarly, our visits to the outdoor resort and water park have always been enjoyable except for the food.
I should mention the room. It was large and included two queen beds and a fold-out couch. I'm not sure that's really room for 6, as they claim, but it was ample space for our family of four. The couch is a big plus. On the down side, the TV was small for the size of the room. We paid about $300 for the night, and at that price I expect a 42" flat screen.
The room's heater/air conditioner was also below par. In modern hotels, you choose a temperature on a digital panel and it constantly adjusts the operation to keep the temperature near constant. Not at the Great Escape Lodge, where you choose hot or cold (with low, medium or high fan settings) and adjust a knob for how hot or cold. So first it gets too hot, and then you turn it off and it gets too cold. It was very warm when we went to sleep so we turned it off. Then in the middle of the night I woke up freezing and had to turn it back on. And we were too warm in the morning.
Our final meal was typically inconsistent. We went back to Tall Tales for the buffet breakfast. We did get seated right away, but the room is too small and we kept getting jostled as other patrons tried to get to their tables. The food was not just good, but very good, despite a limited selection. The eggs and bacon, in particular, were excellent. Then there was the glaring flaw - no milk. $15.99 for adults and $10.99 for kids, and no milk? C'mon man!
I do have some practical suggestions if the Six Flags folks read this. First and foremost, keep doing what you're doing in the water park. Maybe a few more tubes for the lazy river and find a few more places for chairs, but if that's all I can find to criticize, you're doing really well on this.
For the Tall Tales Tavern, start by making it bigger. You should be able to expand the space somehow. The section overlooking the water park is too noisy, so maybe you can glass it in? Or use sound-deadening technology? I did a quick search, so here's a gratuitous plug for E-Noise Control. And if you could do that for seating areas in the park too, that wouldn't hurt.
The hallway outside the restaurant seems unnecessary, so kick that wall to the stairway. And take the space where the breakfast buffet and expand the walls around that.
Add more staff to Tall Tales and Birch Bark. Considering how much you charge, you'll make more money by serving quicker and not losing customers. Three other families walked away from dinner when we did, costing you hundreds of dollars as well as damaging your reputation. It didn't seem to be the quality of the staff. They all seemed nice and helpful when we could get them. It's a numbers issue.
One other thing - the resort didn't do enough to help guests find what else is available in the area. We called downstairs to ask about ice skating and the front desk wasn't sure. I called the place they suggested and it didn't seem to be open. West Mountain and Lake George are both pretty close. The resort should work with them and other area facilities to give guests more options.
Again, despite the criticisms, the Great Escape Lodge delivered on what really mattered. Our kids had a great time. And we were happy they did. With all the flaws, we'd do it again.
--Update--
Since writing this, I realized that one of my kids left a pillow at the resort. We called the resort, they found it, and are sending it to our house for the cost of the postage, about $8. So the housekeeping staff and lost-and-found folks scored bonus points.
Overall our experience was hit and miss. The big hit, and main attraction, is the indoor water park. There's a kiddie pool area with small slides and fun fountains. The lazy river is impressive and quite pleasant. Upstairs there's a structure with all kinds of fun for kids, including a huge bucket that dumps all over everything every few minutes. They also have a "flow rider" where you can ride a boogie board against a current. And there are some large tube slides that start about 4 floors up and go outside the building and back in. Very cool.
It was a lot of fun, especially for the kids. Our children had a good time, and the place was filled with other kids who were obviously enjoying it. Even in the rest of the hotel, we would frequently see kids of all ages roaming the hallways and other areas in an extreme state of happiness. So, despite the criticisms that follow, if you want to take your kids somewhere fun this is a great place to do it.
It is very noisy inside the water park. That seems to be common for indoor water parks so I think you just have to accept that. Something about the acoustics of splashing water and walls I guess.
Having said that, there are glaring flaws that annoy adults. Service at the hotel's restaurants (excluding Johnny Rockets) was horrible. We tried to have dinner at the "Tall Tales Tavern." We waited ten minutes for a table, even though we could see empty tables inside. Then someone from inside walked out, complaining that they'd been sitting at their table for 15 minutes and hadn't been served at all. So everyone waiting left.
Instead we had dinner at the nearby Sweet Basil which was pretty good. They had early bird specials until 7 pm, which include a salad bar with decent variety.
Service was also slow at the "Birch Bark Grill" inside the water park. Waiting 15 minutes to get a soft pretzel just seems silly. The line was not long. It was just slow. There was only one person working the cash register, and he had to do the drinks and hand out the food.
We go to the outdoor park a few times a year, and slow service is a consistent problem at the "restaurants" there too. It's hard to tell from the outside, but it seems like they fail to staff adequately. But this applies only to the restaurants. The water park itself had plenty of people working. Similarly, our visits to the outdoor resort and water park have always been enjoyable except for the food.
I should mention the room. It was large and included two queen beds and a fold-out couch. I'm not sure that's really room for 6, as they claim, but it was ample space for our family of four. The couch is a big plus. On the down side, the TV was small for the size of the room. We paid about $300 for the night, and at that price I expect a 42" flat screen.
The room's heater/air conditioner was also below par. In modern hotels, you choose a temperature on a digital panel and it constantly adjusts the operation to keep the temperature near constant. Not at the Great Escape Lodge, where you choose hot or cold (with low, medium or high fan settings) and adjust a knob for how hot or cold. So first it gets too hot, and then you turn it off and it gets too cold. It was very warm when we went to sleep so we turned it off. Then in the middle of the night I woke up freezing and had to turn it back on. And we were too warm in the morning.
Our final meal was typically inconsistent. We went back to Tall Tales for the buffet breakfast. We did get seated right away, but the room is too small and we kept getting jostled as other patrons tried to get to their tables. The food was not just good, but very good, despite a limited selection. The eggs and bacon, in particular, were excellent. Then there was the glaring flaw - no milk. $15.99 for adults and $10.99 for kids, and no milk? C'mon man!
I do have some practical suggestions if the Six Flags folks read this. First and foremost, keep doing what you're doing in the water park. Maybe a few more tubes for the lazy river and find a few more places for chairs, but if that's all I can find to criticize, you're doing really well on this.
For the Tall Tales Tavern, start by making it bigger. You should be able to expand the space somehow. The section overlooking the water park is too noisy, so maybe you can glass it in? Or use sound-deadening technology? I did a quick search, so here's a gratuitous plug for E-Noise Control. And if you could do that for seating areas in the park too, that wouldn't hurt.
The hallway outside the restaurant seems unnecessary, so kick that wall to the stairway. And take the space where the breakfast buffet and expand the walls around that.
Add more staff to Tall Tales and Birch Bark. Considering how much you charge, you'll make more money by serving quicker and not losing customers. Three other families walked away from dinner when we did, costing you hundreds of dollars as well as damaging your reputation. It didn't seem to be the quality of the staff. They all seemed nice and helpful when we could get them. It's a numbers issue.
One other thing - the resort didn't do enough to help guests find what else is available in the area. We called downstairs to ask about ice skating and the front desk wasn't sure. I called the place they suggested and it didn't seem to be open. West Mountain and Lake George are both pretty close. The resort should work with them and other area facilities to give guests more options.
Again, despite the criticisms, the Great Escape Lodge delivered on what really mattered. Our kids had a great time. And we were happy they did. With all the flaws, we'd do it again.
--Update--
Since writing this, I realized that one of my kids left a pillow at the resort. We called the resort, they found it, and are sending it to our house for the cost of the postage, about $8. So the housekeeping staff and lost-and-found folks scored bonus points.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
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.
So, there is now an Albany Lawyer page on Thumbtack.com.
Friday, November 19, 2010
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
Buy it: Comeback Love
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
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
Or on YouTube: Republican vs. Democrat.
The version that will air on TV is: New York: Republican vs. Democrat
Thursday, July 29, 2010
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!
-----------
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.
----
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'.
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!
-----------
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.
----
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'.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
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
See more about the campaign at http://wredlich.com/ny
Monday, March 29, 2010
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.
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.
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