Cinners

Image from Cinners Website

There's a new food spot opening in Chicago on Friday and by the looks of the website, it looks like a good time! Cinners is described as "chili parlour and cocktail lounge". The menu is simple but unique. I can't wait to try to Cinner Dip: cream cheese, Cincinnati Chili, onions, and shredded mild cheddar cheese served with tortilla chips. I'm used to being served that dip at parties with canned chili so it will be a nice change. I love the combination of chili and cocktails, there's something old school and kinda off about it, but still, it tempts me in ways I cannot describe. The prices seem reasonable and the drinks sound unique. Am I the only person who's getting sick of going to different restaurants and seeing the same ingredients in drinks except their names are different?

Cinners is located at 4757 N. Talman in Chicago 60625 from 4pm to around 2am 7 days a week.

Who wants to go for the grand opening on Friday?!?!

Sangria

Image: Hostess with the Mostess

Hostess with the Mostess has a great Sangria recipe up on their site. I am a huge fan of Sangria and this one definitely sounds like a good one.

I had some sangria at Sangria in Chicago a few months back. They have a few kinds to choose from but I could hardly tell the difference between them. But they do have a lot of flavors of mojitos and a fabulous manchego cheese plate.

I guess I'm still longing for the first sangria I ever had at Emilio's in Wheaton, IL probably about 5 years ago. Maybe it was so good because I was underage (I was with my family at a family party and for the record, I'm not a fan of underage drinking). I remember the food being great and the atmosphere was lovely but it was the sangria I remember most. And now, I'm craving it.

Wasting my time, in the waiting line- Zero 7

"If this were my career, I'd have to throw myself in front of a train"- Jim Halpert

I think I just had an epiphany (or as Michael Scott would say "epiphrary"). I was doing my daily blog check and one of my favorite blogs that I aspire to be like, http://galadarling.com, had an entry on how she got to where she is (I know, I'm referring to the blog and the writer as if they are one, get over it). In this post, she had a link to an article that made so much sense to me.

I'm 23 years old and I'm burnt out on the work world. I've been out of school for a little over a year and already I'm ready to retire... but not so fast, I don't have any money. Let's trace back my work history, shall we?

When I was 15, I started working at the rectory of my church. It was 2 blocks away so I walked there before I got my license. I'd only work at few hours a week and the pay was ok for what i was doing. Basically my job was to answer the phone and greet visitors. The occasional homeless person would insist on coming in when I was there alone so a frantic call home would be made and sometimes, a 911 call. Other than that, the job was cushy. I did my homework, watched tv on a tiny portable tv, and listened to the radio (I can only imagine the fun I would have had if I had a modern laptop back then). There were quite a few times when I would curl up on the floor and nap- seriously! I usually wore pajama pants and comfy clothes so working at 9am meant it was time to go back to sleep. I worked there on and off until I was about 20.

When I was a freshman in college, my Mom told me to try applying at a pizza place. This was not a neighborhood joint- it was a world famous Chicago pizza, uh, joint. I worked there for a little over 2 years. I made some awesome friends there who I could commiserate with about how suckie our managers were and how horrible it was to not be 21, HA. I found out someone less qualified than me, who frankly, did not speak very good English, and who was only working at the restaurant for a few months, was making more money than I was. One day, Tarah and I visited our manager's office to ask for evaluations and hopefully raises. We were basically shot down which caused me to break out into a speech about how "I've tried to help you out in so many ways over the year. I've gone out of my way and this is how you repay me?" to which the owner/manager responded saying "Well if that's how you feel, then maybe you should go work somewhere else". We left and I was upset to say it nicely. I worked again that evening and spoke with another manager who supported me in my decision to think it over but most likely stop working there. A few days later the owner/manager tried to apologize to me and I told him I put a lot of thought into it and that I know this is how things were always going to be and that tonight was my last night. He said that if I was sure then I could just go home- sweet! A saturday night off!

While working at that lovely restaurant, the maitre'd from a popular, fine dining restaurant down the street came in one night to book a private party. One the night of his party, he was super nice to me and even went as far as tipping me when he left. I jokingly said "wow, I don't get tipped here, maybe I should come work for you". He told me to come by and apply. I did while I was still working at the pizza place but there were no openings available. A few months later, Vince called me to see if I was still interested. I thought, "yes! here's my chance out". He continued to say that nothing had opened up but he just wanted to make sure I was still interested. About a week after I was fired/quit the pizza place, Vince called again- there was a job available! Yes! I went in to "observe"- I liked it, they liked me. I was hired on as a hostess. This is the job I left for a year and a half, and am now back working at. This is also the job I had when I made some really dumb decisions but that's another story for a whole other blog.

College graduation was sneaking up on me and every class I went into was greeted with more stories about who has a great new job waiting for them after college. I really felt the pressure. I responded to a listing on craigslist for a telemarketing position with some restaurant website- it was a desperate attempt at a job. They called and said I would be more qualified for an outside sales position they had available. Interview, training in L.A., company trip to Vegas, and about 9 months of work and once again, I was burned out. I had a boss who basically told me at our christmas party that one of the main reasons I was hired was because i was "hot". I didn't want a job like that. There were plenty of other reasons for leaving as well, but I knew I wasn't going to last too much longer. I sat down with my boss in a starbucks one day and explained to him that I think I'm going to take a new job as a marketing account executive with someone who he introduced me to.

The marketing job was ok. It was me and this other woman who started her own company. Here's the deal with a marketing job: it has to be full time with full time pay or it's just not worth it for me because my brain is going 24/7 with ideas. This was full time with not even part time pay so I needed to find something else.

I applied for a restaurant manager job just to kinda see if I was offered the job and how much they thought I was worth. Well I was worth a lot more than what I was making so I took the job. Moved to Arizona for what was supposed to be 6 weeks but ended up being 4 weeks. Came back, helped train the staff for the new restaurant, and started to realize that 70+ hours a week was not a life. I had 2 days off a week, if I was lucky, and all I wanted to do was sleep. It wasn't a life and I decided to call it quits. I got so much experience out of that job so even though I really did not like it the majority of the time, I learned a lot and made so many friends.

So here I am. I quit the manager job about 3 months ago and am working as a hostess. I also have another marketing job with a local restaurant, which I LOVE and am working with them on a new business venture. While I'm not making a lot of money, I'm happy. I like my job for the most part. Our manager is a moron- I work more hours than he does and I could easily do his job. The great thing about this job is that I have time to do what I like doing. I have time to cook and make things. I haven't felt this great in a long time.

I don't want to be another drone working in an office. I really don't want to work for anyone. I want to be my own boss. If a friend wants to go to dinner, I want to be able to go to dinner. If I'm not feeling good, I want to lay in bed all day. I don't want to hear that I can't have pink hair or I can't wear what I want to wear. I don't want anybody telling me to get a job. I would love to make money on my own terms and I know I can do it. I have no problem taking chances and making mistakes. I can and will do what I want to do.

I'm selling stuff on Etsy. I ordered business cards. 2008 is going to be a good year. I know it.


Here's some songs from my "positive reinforcement" playlist:

in the waiting line- zero 7
hello tomorrow- zebrahead
i'm moving on- rascal flatts
move along- all american rejects
better part of me- house of fools
all i really want- alanis morrisette
18 wheeler- pink
a praise chorus- jimmy eat world
something real- american hi-fi
nobody's fool- avril lavigne
everyday- bon jovi
true to your heart- 98 degrees and stevie wonder

Restaurant Rant

I love the restaurant industry, well most of it. I love going out to dinner. I really don't like the type of people who tend to work in the restaurant industry (drunks, criminals, drug addicts). Food tends to be my passion so a bad restaurant experience tends to leave a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended). A bad server, host, or bartender can ruin an experience.

But I've also encountered quite a few disgruntled customers in my day. You know, the ones who come in looking for a problem so they can get something free. As a restaurant employee, you're usually told to "leave your problems at the door", too bad the guests couldn't do the same. Here's some of my stories:

-Some regulars at the restaurant I work at came in over the weekend and ordered grey goose martinis. The bartender made multiple martinis with grey goose and each time they were sent back by the table, who said "she's not pouring grey goose". I don't know how many glasses of grey goose were wasted but I know it's not the cheapest vodka. The problem was finally resolved after a new bottle of grey goose was opened and poured tableside.

-A few weeks ago we were really busy- our wait was 2+ hours for a table. A woman came in and asked for a table for 4 and was told of our wait time. She immediately threw a fit "YOUR WEBSITE SAYS YOU DON'T REQUIRE RESERVATIONS... I CALLED AND WAS TOLD YOU DON'T NEED RESERVATIONS". This lady made a scene in front of our packed bar and walked away extremely angry. The maitre'd was able to get her to return and she showed us the print out of "our" website. I looked at in and almost laughed out loud. She was looking at dinesite.com. If you don't know it by now, you should never trust a website other than a restaurant's official website- and even then it can be sketchy. The maitre'd tried to make her happy by telling her a table would be leaving soon and he would bump her up to the front of the line (we had quite a few reservations waiting and about 8 people on our wait list) but that would not make her happy. She left while ranting that we need to change our website. HA! You need to learn how to use the internet.

-A man came in and immediately asked "is your valet allowed to block off both lots out front?". We have it in our lease that our valet gets both front lots to use. Then he asked "well where can i self park then?", we told him that he can park in the back or in the parking garage. "well that's not what your valet told me, he said i'd have to go over to XXXXX and park". I later found out that the valets tell guests this because there is the possibility of getting a ticket or towed when you park in the back or the garage when you don't sign in with security for the building. So we apologized for the man's inconvenience of having to pay $5 for valet parking. He then requests a table for 2. We let him know that the dining room will be opening in about a half hour but he can sit at a booth in the lounge until then and get drinks and possibly an appetizer (our lounge opens at 4 but the dining room doesn't open till 5 because the staff needs to set all the tables- this is fine dining we're talking about, not Burger King). The man exclaimed "I want a nice table in the dining room for my mother and I to enjoy our dinner at". We explained to him that we could get him a table in the dining room shortly. "I don't understand what the difference is if I sit here or over there". We told him the staff was not ready for tables in the dining room. "Unbelievable, you know if I owned a restaurant I would want to make sure that all my guests are happy" and then he walked off. We kinda stood there in shock for a few seconds. Why do some guests refuse to follow the rules? Are you really that impatient and important that you have to give us a hard time?


I could go on and on but those are a few of my most recent stories. I guess the moral of this post is just to remember that when you go out to eat, try to understand what is going on behind the scenes and be a little more understanding. It could be your server's first day. The kitchen may be short handed because someone had to leave for a family emergency. In a restaurant and in our everyday lives, we need to be careful with how quickly we respond to a situation because you never know what's going on in another person's life. Your server may be moving a little slowly today because it's their first shift back after their grandfather's death- so it makes them feel really good when you start yelling at them because you got a regular coke instead of a diet.

I'll end my post with one more tidbit. When it comes to tipping, remember your server is probably only making a few dollars an hour so be a bit generous. Anything below 18% means the service was not too good, 18-20% means the service was good, and about 20% means the service was really good. I hope this post made some of my fellow restaurant employee friends laugh and made everyone else learn a thing or 2 about what goes on inside our heads.

Maki Sushi, Park Ridge, IL

Tarah and I had dinner at Maki Sushi in Park Ridge on Wednesday night. We were seated at a cute table near the window and began to browse the menu. Tarah declared what she liked "California and spicy tuna rolls"... BORING! ;-) I started naming things on the menu and describing the sauces so Tarah was open to trying some new things.

We started off with Gyu-Negi Ma- thinly sliced beef rolled with asparagus and green onions served with sweet garlic soy sauce and french fries. I love beef and asparagus rolls and these did not disappoint and the french fries were tasty too; they came stacked like a box in the middle of the plate.

Of course we ordered a cali roll, spicy tuna roll, and 2 pieces of salmon (or sake) nigiri. The adventurous sushi for Tarah was a Hot Volcano Roll- shrimp tempura, crabstick, avocado, coated with tempura and deep fried and then topped with spicy mayo & Maam's Choice- spicy tuna, cream cheese, lightly battered in tempura and deep fried served with ponzu sauce. We also got a japanese pumpkin roll which was similar to a sweet potato tempura roll.

The appetizer was delicious and the rolls were tasty! My favorite was the hot volcano roll. I also enjoyed a pear martini with my meal and it was unbelievable. I don't think I've ever had a pear martini before so this was a treat. I decided to save room for dessert but was sad to learn that the Tres Leche cake was 86d so I decided on the Berry Bread. I asked the server if it was like bread pudding and she said yes. It was actually more like a little cake soaked in raspberry syrup and topped with more syrup, whipped cream and fresh blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. I can probably call this one of the best desserts I have ever had to top off one of the best meals I've had in a long time.

It was so nice to find a sushi restaurant close to home. The variety of sushi was great and the decor was a nice change of pace. This isn't your typical sushi restaurant- the decor is modern and the music is light rock. I can't wait to return and try some other rolls as well as one of their fruity smoothies. If you live in the area, you have to check out Maki Sushi for a delicious meal from beginning to end.

Old Town Tortilla Factory

I read about this place before I visited Scottsdale and finally dined there about 2 weeks into my month long stay. The Poblano Mariscos was excellent! It could quite possibly be the greatest dinner I've ever had.

I went back a few nights later with my boyfriend who was visiting me and again I ordered the same dish. The fresh tortillas are different nightly and come with different spreads.

My only problem was that I ordered a french martini that was not so good. The server asked me what was in a french martini. I didn't know if he was inquiring for himself or the bartender. I listed the ingredients to the best of my knowledge (I'm not bartender). I'm guessing he rattled off the list to the bartender and he poured accordingly. My first sip was pure vodka. I gave the drink 3rd and 4th chances to redeem itself but I had no such luck. I wanted to send it back but thought it would embarrass my boyfriend so I simply ordered a virgin peach margarita. It was sooooo good! As was his margarita (we're not tequila fans but this was a great margarita). As for the fate of the french martini, I convinced my boyfriend to drink it and after a few sips, he too agreed that it was not good. When the bill came, it was marked as a "smirnoff martini"- NOOOOOO! They butchered my beloved, but the food is sooooooo great, I'd be back in a heartbeat.