Really Right

Author: Johnnie Does

  • Johnnie Does San Francisco

    Johnnie Does San Francisco

    By Johnnie Does

    San Francisco, it’s been referred to as cutting edge, a dump, liberal bastion, Bagdad by the Bay, home of Michael Savage, and pretty much everything that you can name, so the Blog Father deployed intern “Johnnie Does” to report back on a myriad of topics. The following is his report.

    While making my final descent across the Golden Gate Bridge (it’s more of a red-orange not gold but I digress), I saw a sign advertising the bridge toll of $12. Like any other proud American, I was ready to pay said toll for the right to enter San Francisco from this historic structure but to my dismay there was no attendant in the toll booth! I passed through; fearing the worst. Would I get a ticket? Was I now a criminal? A fugitive on the run even? Would I make it out of the City alive? My passenger assuaged my fears saying they are going to send you a bill via snail mail for the $12, they got rid of the toll takers years ago. Whoa! That’s Weird! Liberal San Francisco actually shrinking government payroll? Or was this an Amazon.com esque agreement where these bills are delivered at an extra cost to Joe Taxpayer? Maybe a third-party billing service owned by the nephew of a local bigwig? I couldn’t dwell on this; I had a job to do. I was finally here, and I needed to complete my mission; cranking out decent content for this blog.

    Photo via Facebook

    I found a parking lot right near Fisherman’s Wharf. I was a little offended this wasn’t really anyone’s wharf; especially, considering this city believes anyone can use any place as a bathroom. Maybe if this was private there would be standards, public ownership means anything goes, talk about hypocrisy. I realized I had inadvertently selected a labor union’s parking lot, and at the rate of $20 a day I figured I did my part to re-fill their coffers which took a big hit following the Supreme Court’s Janus decision.

    I then set off on my journey toward Golden Gate Park. It was a short walk, if by short, I mean the kill radius of a thermo-nuclear weapon, but I finally made it. The homeless issue had been reported on by a couple of real news stations, so I wanted to get a firsthand perspective on this. What I saw would stun everyone except maybe resident pantywaist Darrell Steinberg (idiot-Sacramento). Homeless people had taken over the park!

    Darrell Steinberg

    Literally every part of this once magnificent landmark was covered in trash, tents, sleeping bags, propane stoves, five-gallon buckets of…. (well, let’s call it human waste). I thought this was supposedly a tourist area. Really? Again, whoa, that’s weird! I needed to get answers, so I interviewed several characters inhabiting the park. The first, “Chief poo slinger” (no relation to “The Chief” correspondent on this blog by the way) claimed that the part of the park which he was residing in was actually his, given to him by God. Not sure I ever read that passage in the Bible, maybe it appears in Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s Authorized Version?

    Jeremiah Wright
    no internet photo of him holding a Jewish or Christian Bible exists

    Pressed for answers, he and his counterparts; Jack Meoff, and fellow sister, Coke Meup, relented and answer several tough questions. None wanted to leave the park under any circumstances claiming they had a right to life under the Constitution, I agreed. None wanted to live in a state or city sponsored shelter, saying they didn’t want to give up drinking or doing narcotics. This is understandable, many a homeless person these days just wants money for said alcohol or narcotics. In a sense, they had formed a pack or herd mentality, and as a group, they took over what was once a proud tourist destination.

    Golden Gate Park–site where woman gave birth 12/13/2012

    The homeless were ever present on the Embarcadero and the entire walk to Pier 39 and other tourist traps. The odd part here, was a security force shooed them off whenever one wandered into the tourist areas. I saw this firsthand several times. So, I interviewed one of the guards. He was actually quite a good interview! He said the businesses and landlord hired them to make sure the area is welcoming for visitors because the wharf is a worldwide tourist destination. I agreed but stated that the sidewalks were dirty and grimy and could use a re-vamp…more on this later. But the security force was very good at making sure the homeless knew that until after midnight, they weren’t welcome. Further on my journey, I encountered a worker in a yellow fluorescent vest picking up what I thought was trash…it was human feces.

    San Francisco Poop Patrol

    Apparently, San Francisco has an “open door policy” meaning you can open the back door and relieve yourself wherever you wanted, and these “poop troops” were employed to clean it up…. WEIRD! Similar poop troop squads are deployed all over the city. They even keep a log of where they pick up all the “logs.”

    Gross and upsetting, more on this later.

    Both when I stopped to grab a bite for lunch and later for dinner, I was able to chat with the employees and managers alike. The attitude from the employees was that the homeless have overrun the place…. but it’s San Francisco and we have a “love all, serve all” attitude. Generally, they seemed happy, as the minimum wage is higher here than most places, and they have healthcare to boot! Yes, added on as a line item to my bill was a 5% tax to pay for worker healthcare mandated by San Francisco. That was somewhat unsettling as my ticket for Fish n Chips came to over $20 after tax, tip, and healthcare costs were passed conveniently on to me–the customer.

    Talking to the managers gave me a fresh prospective on the homeless situation. They lamented the rising rents and minimum wage increases. These economic factors put continuously upward pressure on costs and as such are passed on to the customer. They spoke of the nightmare of trying to hire people, and constant turnover due to rising costs. Like the employees, they didn’t seem to have much animosity toward the homeless.

    I walked down the Embarcadero toward the ballpark where the San Francisco Giants play. On my walk, I encountered more of the same homeless people littering the streets. These ones took a far more aggressive pan handling tone than any others I had encountered. Harassing of patrons was not even frowned upon by law enforcement.

    photo: SF Chronicle

    I went into a couple of small businesses specifically to ask the owners what they thought of the situation. Predictably the business owners were fed up, the homeless create a blight, and while it’s easy for Pope Francis to say we need to take and provide for all these folks, the detriment on businesses is telling. The business owners lamented the lack of police support. The proliferation of homeless, coupled with the role-back and decriminalization of many things in the County, made business ownership in their part of the city difficult. A couple of business owners even said they would support a tax to build housing for the homeless, even knowing it won’t alleviate the problem. All in all, it painted a bleak picture of any prospect of a turnaround. I guess the City/County of San Francisco doesn’t care about the cleanliness or appearance of its streets but are more than willing to put a tax on the ballot.

    Finally, I had a chance to speak to several police officers in the city. Their responses will blow you away! This is a very unhappy bunch, essentially nothing is a crime in The City anymore. Sure major violence is, but the DA has made so many crimes non-priority that enforcement is nil. It’s almost a lawless area. The police have been ordered to do nothing about public intoxication, urinating in public, or aggressive homeless people. It has created a culture of anything goes, and as a result tourism is declining. While I am sure the pay and benefits are great, it must be surreal to have gone through the academy and take an oath to uphold the laws of the land only to see them being decriminalized and make you a bystander.

    Final Thoughts
    It was an okay, but very average trip to San Francisco. Golden Gate Park is overrun with homeless, the City has an app showing where the “poop troop” has picked up a log, and sadly the entire city is covered.

    Poop Patrol map

    The streets are dirty, the smell of human waste is everywhere, apathy has set in amongst the employees and police, and business owners are talking up supporting a tax to throw more money at the problem. The seafood was good but very overpriced due to high labor and benefit costs, I don’t think I will visit again anytime soon. It has become overrun by homeless and unless you visit the tourist traps it’s just not a fun experience. The politicians and local leaders don’t seem to care either as the only answer in their eyes is throw more money at the problem. Sadly more and more homeless have migrated to the city knowing full well they can get away with far more in San Francisco than any other surrounding area. I cannot say I would recommend a visit.

  • Johnnie Does Applebee’s

    Johnnie Does Applebee’s

    I know what you’re thinking, chain restaurant? Has Johnnie gone soft on us? He literally put a store out of business…. rest in peace Side Burn BBQ. However, we saw a commercial for loaded queso fajitas and were intrigued. We found a $5 off coupon in a local newspaper, which conveniently doubles as flooring for a pet’s cage! Here is the review.

    Ambiance: It’s a chain so it’s hard to quantify it, but no hostess during the height of lunch hour is a bad look. I seated myself at the high-top table near the bar and was predictably ignored by the wait staff and bartender (it’s her serving area) for about 15 minutes. They had very loud music blaring on the sound system which didn’t make for the greatest experience but at last I was helped. I ordered the loaded queso shrimp fajitas, and a water. The waitress informed me she was also the manager; I respect the hustle and won’t downgrade too many points here. Nevertheless, prior to helping me, she was seated at the bar eating lunch…. whoa that’s weird! Why are employees eating at the peak time that they should be waiting on customers? Well, like the Col Sanders ad or any hands-on manager you see on T.V., at least she eats the food produced in her kitchen! Generally, the place seemed very disorganized, with patrons approaching any crew member to ask if they could cash them out, or place and order etc. Possibly the worst and making it a lower grade was a crew member (female) bent over to pick up food scraps near the bar revealing, well let’s just say the secret is no more, Victoria! 3.2/5 on the ambiance, not bad for a chain, but man they need some work.

    Menu: Again, it’s a chain so they serve a little bit of everything, burgers, steaks, fish, apps, chicken, it runs the gamut. After finally placing my order, I’m waiting about 10 minutes to score the fajitas. I’m hoping they were worth it. They came out of the kitchen piping hot very similar to a Chevy’s. They did not disappoint!

    Loaded queso shrimp fajitas

    A large sizzling plate with Spanish rice, peppers, onions, a bunch of shrimp, cilantro and a separate plate with 3 tortillas (not enough) pico de gallo, and cheese, accompanied by some guacamole that Johnnie is heavily allergic to, and asked to BE LEFT OFF!!!!! However, this was awesome! I felt it was a very good deal at $11 after the coupon, but its normally $16 and for lunch that hits a high price point, again understanding it’s a franchise store and increased labor costs, I’d say it’s a solid 4.2/5

    Overall: Again it’s a chain, so it is what it is, I don’t know if I would take a date their but it’s a decent place, and at the end of the day it’s like any other place; you know what you’re getting and that is saying something. It has its flaws, but at least they don’t season with Franks Red Hot. 3.7/5. I got my check paid and handed over said coupon. It took about 10 minutes to get a manager to override the system to accept it, so it was like paying with EBT at a local store for food…. oh well.

    Johnnie Does

  • Johnnie Does: Ariana

    Johnnie Does: Ariana

    Before you ask, get your mind out of the gutter. Ariana’s is the name of a family owned Mediterranean food joint, located on Center Parkway near United Artist theatres. It’s very similar to Sal’s which we tried about 3 weeks ago. Seems Johnnie is on a Mediterranean kick. Everyone loves a little competition, and Johnnie knew he had to check this joint out.

    Ariana Gyros & Kabobs
    8785 Center Pkwy Ste B160, Sacramento

    Ambiance: Again, it’s a kind of fast casual vibe, you order at the counter, they also sell spices by the jar…kinda cool touch. They have a sign saying they prefer cash, understandable, but it gives off a non-sales tax paying vibe as no receipt was given even when requested. They recently re-decorated the place and it looked great. Nice Greek/Afghan feel with pleasant booths, tables, and they had a refrigerated unit holding extra sauces and spices that was self-serve. I felt welcomed and the place had a nice crowd for lunch. 4.2/5.

    Menu: Pretty much verbatim of Sal’s: gyros, kabob plate, bowls, great selection. Oh, prices were cheaper than Sal’s. I went with a spicy chicken gyro bowl.

    Ariana spicy chicken gyro bowl

    As seen in the photo it had a generous portion of chicken, basmati rice, lettuce, onion, tomato, cucumber, and homemade tzatziki sauce on it, served in a porcelain bowl. Wow, what a bowl, ton of food under $10. The spice was right on point, it was the definition of awesome. 4.7/5 (Blogger note: a new discovered item revealed later.)

    Overall: Can’t go wrong here. Ariana’s is a family owned joint, well kept, great food. I was going to go 4.5 overall. But then I got hit with this dump. Another customer asked what spices they used to spice the “spicy” chicken……they said Frank’s Redhot. Yeah like this very bottle that I keep in my very Anglo kitchen.

    Frank’s Redhot photo from Johnnie’s Anglo kitchen

    So, you have no legitimate spices? I have to wonder if the homemade Tzatziki is from a bottle too? The rice? The lettuce? Get outta here, you frauds! No wonder the kitchen is hidden and serving sizes are plentiful! 0.0/5

    Take a lap! No one pulls the wool over Johnnie Does…. Why do you serve up fraud food!

    Johnnie Does


    Editor’s Note: I’ve never seen Johnnie so down on a restaurant, ever the ones driven out of business by his reviews. (Yes, that really happened.) Apparently, the Redhot in question is not the candy sold in my youth nor the busty Irish girl in the other high school math class, but the offending item is an off the shelf sauce from his local Walmart. Johnnie, my friend, you did say this was a family restaurant and you’re mad they use family ingredients? Have you considered that you were stepping out to try to spice up your life and then learned that the spice you really needed and desired was at home all along?

    Editors Note 09/16/2019: Johnnie Does has revisited Ariana’s. His new review is here.

  • Conversations with the Naïve “Charter School Edition”

    Conversations with the Naïve “Charter School Edition”

    In this week’s edition, we spoke to a charter school leader regarding the future of charter schools in California.

    Charter school expert

    If you’re not aware, charter schools are kind of a hybrid, they get all their funding from the state just not as much per student as traditional public schools. The teachers are not union, but get CalSTRS (California State Teachers’ Retirement System) pensions. Charters are in demand and frequently have a lottery to determine admission. Charters have been popping up all over the country as an alternative to poor performing public schools; usually in the inner-city with high numbers of people of color. To say traditional public schools hate charter schools is putting it lightly. As a result they have been under siege in California. No less than four bills are floating around the capital trying to limit/reduce the number of charter schools in this state. One bill wants a permanent cap on the number of charter schools in the state, with new schools allowed to open only after one closes, so no growth.

    I had a conversation on this subject with an executive at a group of six charter schools in the Sacramento area and to call this person naïve is an understatement. Here are a few examples that this person didn’t perceive as threats to charter schools.

    1. This person had no idea that there was even a movement in the legislature to restrict or limit charter schools, let alone a series of bills for this express purpose working their way towards the governor as we spoke. Please keep in mind that the livelihoods of this person and their employees are at stake here.
    2. The state has tightened their grip on local schools with such mandates as serving hot meals for breakfast and lunch; however, charters have no facilities or capabilities to comply. The person that I spoke with is under the belief that the traditional districts are willingly going to pick up the stack in this area since they have a good working relationship. Such wishful optimism is literally sticking your head in the sand. At some point, charters will be forced under the authority and control of traditional districts. In this particular case, they have charter schools operating in areas governed by three different traditional districts. While the EGUSD (Elk Grove Unified School District) is doing decent financially, Sacramento City Unified is a complete dumpster fire. If you don’t think Sac City isn’t gunning for your state per capita money then you are very naïve.
    3. This person speaks about the curriculum being different from traditional public schools….this is disingenuous at best and an outright lie at worst. The state dictates the curriculum (he who has the gold, makes the rules) and if you don’t teach it….well, you’ll pay for it. Ask the Blog Father, he knows someone who is a teacher at a public school, not teaching the curriculum gets you “axed the question.”

    Adding insult to injury, this person is completely aloof to what public schools can “offer.” A cynical view is that basically the only difference between traditional public schools and charter schools is about $7K in teacher pay. This naïve person scoffed at the notion of teachers leaving charters for public schools over money because get this…. “they drank the Kool-Aid.” (Bonus: this person had no clue where the drink the Kool-Aid saying came from.) On the one hand, such a comment is calling their staff mindless drones incapable of thinking for themselves, yet also thinking they are superior for working at a charter?

    I think a drill to unionize charter schools is in play and will be seen in the next few years. I foresee a scenario in which the state’s education apparatus becomes more hostile to charter schools and uses the power of the budget to compel them to merge with existing districts or else…

    Controlling benefits and linking them to union membership is the reason why you will never see a mass exodus from the CTA. Teachers get no benefits or legal representation without union membership. If charters were denied these benefits without union membership, their teachers would jump ship in a heartbeat.

    The problem here is this, this charter group is banking on Fortune Charter schools (led by a black lady) carrying their water. This group didn’t even know about a charter school protest being held at the capital literally a stone’s throw away from one of their schools! Leaving Fortune to fend for themselves!

    Margaret Fortune–Charter School leader
    (not interviewee of this post)

    Turns out this group, like many other charters, would prefer not to “stir the pot or speak up.” Problem is they are likely going to be legislated right out of existence in California. The CTA (Communist California Teachers Association) is very strong and a huge player in this state, they want charters gone and charters seem to have no interest in speaking up or defending themselves.

    Unions equate charter schools with corporate greed

    I could throw in a, they came for the gypsies first, then the Pols, then the Russians, … but I won’t stoop to that level; since I’m a Trump supporter, it would be racist.

    Hopefully the charter schools don’t get whacked, but I can’t think of many reasons to keep them around, as this group of schools have been accused of grade inflation.

    Johnnie Does

  • Johnnie Does Bonchon

    Johnnie Does Bonchon

    As promised, we visited Bonchon located in Elk Grove for this week’s food review. Hope you enjoy.

    Bonchon is a new concept to both the area and to the United States, as they are Korean owned and known for their fried chicken, and Asian fusion cuisine menu. The stores are franchised so you could see some variation depending on where you visit. They are growing rapidly in the US and the fad seems to be resonating with the people, so Johnnie had to try it out!

    Ambiance: This place gives off a fast-casual order at the counter vibe; however, that is not the case. They do a ton of takeout/carry-out business so the cash register up front is a little misleading. The place is very small maybe the size of 2 Subway stores. They have a small bar/counter area and the rest of the place is for seating. The kitchen is hidden from view, only a small window where the food is handed to the servers makes for very little transparency. This is definitely a hipster type joint and played to a younger freer spirit type crowd. 3/5 for the ambiance because it was so small the waiting area essentially spilled over outside the store, which makes things seem a little awkward.

    Food: The place is a Korean food joint so menu items include friend chicken, bulgogi beef, and other entrees which were on full display on the menu.

    The Korean fusion part is they offer fried rice, and tacos as well as chicken strips, etc. Like any other review, I visited the place twice. I will say they offer quite a bit in terms of variety, chicken katsu, biminbap, everything looked good, but Johnnie Does wants to try what you are known for, so I went fried chicken. You can choose from 3 different flavors; spicy, soy garlic, and sweet crunch; I went half and half with soy garlic and spicy. I was very impressed. For $9.95 my food also came with a side so I went French fries…at a Korean joint….I know. The chicken was outstanding, they double fry it, then rather than spin or dunk the chicken they paint the sauce on it, getting great coverage and not allowing waste. Total 4.8/5 on the chicken.

    The fries were also very tasty and I would recommend again. The tacos were my other entrée of choice later in the week, for about $10 you got 3 tacos in spicy chicken flavor, it’s a $1 more for beef. I will say this, the tacos were very spicy, if you don’t like spicy avoid. I’m talking like there should almost be a warning about how spicy, the spicy chicken strips were tasty and I guess I didn’t remember them being as spicy. 3.1/5 for the tacos. Overall 4.3 between the chicken strips and the fries bringing the score up.

    Overall: Bonchon was awesome! I would for sure have a disclaimer about how hot spicy is….however a few friends of mine remarked Korean food is very spicy by nature and everyone knows that. I guess Johnnie Does needs to avoid the salsa bar and get out more often! Some idiosyncrasies about the place: they are closed Tuesdays…. very random day of the week to be closed. Additionally, they open for lunch, then close, then re-open for dinner, I have to believe this has to deal with the rising cost of minimum wage and helps keep the cost down. However, price points were great especially for lunch, and I would definitely recommend this place to anyone, however I would not take a date here as it can be very noisy. 4.5/5 for Bonchon Elk Grove.

    Know a place you want Johnnie Does to review? Put it in the comment section!

    PS Maybe change the name? Bonchon kind of sounds like a medical issue requiring a shot of penicillin or is it just Johnnie Does liking the salsa bar a little too much?

    Johnnie Does

  • Johnnie Does: Sal’s Kabob and Gyro House

    Johnnie Does: Sal’s Kabob and Gyro House

    Greetings, I decided to keep it local and hit up a Kabob and Gyro place just down the road from my office this week. Here is my review!

    Sal’s is a local small family owned business who recently opened a second store in Roseville, which is a strange trend I’m seeing in the family owned business area these days. Why have 2 stores over an hour apart? They serve traditional Greek food; kabob plates, gyros, shawarma wraps, and even have a burger on the menu. I visited the place twice just to get a true feel for the food and service, as the Yelp reviews are inconsistent.

    Ambiance: This is a no frills, small business. They have a counter, you can see the entire kitchen similar to a Chipotle and can see the lamb and steak roasting on a spit. Seating is very limited; call it maybe 30 people could sit between inside and outside. 3.5/5 It’s a low budget Greek place so I can’t go too low, the family works there so it’s not a bunch of hired help.

    Food: So, I had the Lamb Kabob plate, it came with rice, vegetables and lamb. I thought it was decent. I ordered my plate medium spicy. At $13 after tax, it seemed a little high for lunch. Later in the week I came back, ordered a chicken Gyro medium spicy, with fries and a coke. It came to about $10 and I thought that was a decent price point. The gal behind the counter pointed to a refrigerator filled with cans of coke and said go ahead and grab one…I wasn’t in the mood for a can of soda so I passed. I guess I should have been more attentive, fountain drinks are king and have a lower cost for your business by the way. I received my gyro after about 10 minutes, but no fries, I was told they were making them fresh. The Gyro was great! Chicken perfect and spiced wonderfully, the salad was good and the tzatziki sauce was awesome…a home run. I wolfed it down…poor thing didn’t stand a chance against me…still no fries. I was ready to walk out as I was irritated at this point, because obviously I was being ignored, other people who ordered did subsequently receive their frozen potatoes thrown into a fryer and called done. She finally brought mine out and they were soggy and cold. I ate them anyway, and well, they were forgettable. 3/5

    Overall: I try to support small business and this one could be good with a little better service and a soda machine. I understand in this era that cutting costs is a thing, but a can of coke and fries for an extra $3 is out of touch; especially considering the fries were cold when brought out. The Gyro was amazing and I’m going to order it again, and for $6.99 the price is great! The only other commentary I will add is the location is not easy to access so service needs to be at a premium! 3.25/5

    We’re going Korean and headed to Bonchon next!

    “Johnnie Does”

  • Johnnie Does Yard House

    Johnnie Does Yard House

    I visited a fairly new establishment downtown about a month back, it is called Yard House.

    First some background, Yard House was bought by Darden Restaurants (owner of Oliver Garden, Longhorn Steaks etc.) back in 2012 as a small regional chain in the Northeast and has been expanding ever since. Yard House is an American sports bar type establishment, and has a claim to fame of offering over 100 beers on tap at all its locations. I decided to check it out, what follows is my review.

    Ambiance: Yard House is very similar to BJ’s Restaurant and Brew House in a sense they are both large open air establishments. Yard House has very tall beer glasses almost appearing like a bong on its doors…more on this later. There is a very large bar area, very large seating area, featuring booths and tables as well as a fairly large sized outdoor patio, covered and with ample heat lamps. The restaurant was fairly dark, not sure if it was because it was late (8 pm) or if this is done to set a mood. Hundreds of TV’s donned the walls in various corners of the store, all were set to music videos, and the accompanying music was being piped in via a surround system…it was a little loud. I assume if a game was on, or football Sunday, this place would be rocking. They had all kinds of random pictures on the walls, it is definitely a place one could hang out while sampling all 100 beers. 4.5/5; half a point deducted for having a picture of “The Chief” on the wall, apparently they wanted The Chief to do the food review not Johnnie Does!

    Yard House wall features a likeness of “The Chief”

    Food: Yard House has a menu that rivals Cheesecake Factory or BJ’s. In a sense, there is definitely something for everyone; however, I also view this as a downfall. The menu basically was typical bar food like fried mac n cheese or nachos, to regular items like burgers, wings and pizza to high end items like steak, salmon, and sea food pasta. While I am sure this works great as far as something for everyone, it is very intimidating, and how many people instead of “trading up” for an expensive dish, decide to “trade down” for cheaper dishes? The wings were great, and my burger was perfect; however, the mac n cheese sticks were cold. I think this is due to the extensive menu and trying to have cooks make all of said food. 4.2/5

    Yard House serving beer your way

    Drinks: I tried 3 beers–they have a sampler platter you can buy for a nominal fee; that essentially amounts to wine tasting. I liked this since it’s hard to find something you like off a list of over 100 beers. I found one I liked and ordered a half yard….it’s the same size glass donning the doors on your way in!

    Yard House beer bong

    A large amount of beer and while I finished it, I did not need 1 more that is for sure. Great selection, cool glasses, I would say 5/5.

    Overall: The service was awesome; I really liked the beer selection, and cool ambiance of the place. Only couple quibbles I have are the extensive menu, which I think hurts food quality control, and stock keeping must be a doozy, and the place just seems too similar to other restaurant’s in the same competing space. I found it very similar to a BJ’s or Cheesecake Factory or Buffalo Wild Wings and the lack of differentiation makes it a place that can get “lost in the shuffle of other chains” such as Applebee’s, Chili’s, Outback or Friday’s. I just wish there was something different that made me want to return. That being said 4.5/5

    I would most definitely return.

  • Conversations with the Naïve III

    Conversations with the Naïve III

    Wow, do we have a great one this week, coming live from Safeway in Elk Grove on a Thursday at noon.

    While traversing the aisles of said grocery store, I was grabbed by an older lady, around 70. On occasion the thought of being grabbed by an older woman may have its appeal but this was no such encounter. This gal looked at me and said, “You look smart. I need to axe you a question.”
    I said, “Your first strike is assuming I’m smart but go ahead, just don’t axe me.”
    She looked at the pharmacist and said, “He looks smart right?” The pharmacist nodded in approval. The lady said to me, “Can you believe the shots for the flu are not free here?”
    My response was, “Well, this is a business so I wouldn’t expect them to give something away for free.” She looked at me in total disbelief. I added, “Corporations are in the business of making money and I’m not quite sure why she thought it should be provided at no cost to her.” She looked like her mind was in a total pretzel, so I said to her, “Well by no means should I be considered a census of the store. Feel free to poll other shoppers here. Take care and good luck with your free-for-all.” Her last remark was she is going to Kaiser because they give out shots for free.

    Holy smokes! There is a lot to unpack here but to keep it simple, this lady should probably not be upright, let alone free to terrorize our shopping centers! It reminds me of a store concept that went out of business by Panera called “Pay What You Think its Worth.” Yes, that same Panera, the group thinkers, thought, well people would pay more to subsidize the people who didn’t want to pay at all, and viola…wrong.

    Panera Bread is closing up its last pay-what-you-can cafe in Boston, admitting that the experiment aimed to combat hunger was “no longer viable.”

    Link: Panera Bread pay-what-you-can test ‘no longer viable’; last cafe closes in Boston

    This lady, I mean, what the hell? Why would you get a shot for free? …Safeway doesn’t even advertise that. By the way this lady didn’t have a cart or basket so obviously she came for the free stuff only. This lady wants people to give, give, give, and she has zero intention of opening her purse! Say what you want about evil corporations, greed, and the like, but Safeway, through parent company Albertson’s employs thousands of people and is a source of their livelihood. Why would they just give things away, no strings attached? Sorry Robert Kraft, before you get too excited, the items with no strings attached here are groceries and shots.

    People are completely unreal these days. The sad thing is, here in California, she likely found quite a few people to agree with her that it should be free. This type of thinking from her generation (Baby Boomers) has destroyed what is left of America. First they bankrupted Social Security and put Medicare on a very unsustainable tilt. Now they think everything should be free, but I’m sure the string attached is raising taxes on the working folks (err, the rich)…because they can afford it.

    To people like this lady, corporations are evil, and should be driven out of business. Her ilk pay no attention to the number of people employed by said Evil Corporations. This person thinks Kaiser gives out shots for free; mind you….I guess she never became aware of Medicare or health insurance or well, just common sense? Sadly, the latter is in short supply these days.

    Now her generation and their likeminded offspring want Medicare for all.

    Free stuff for everyone. Isn’t that what our country is, “the land of the free?” The hidden secret is they want everyone paying in to keep the Ponzi going till after they expire then who cares. Perfect example, I pay $420 a month for healthcare. Imagine if the federal/state government got that action every month instead of Anthem Blue Cross?

    Enough facts and logic, I would hate to confuse the naïve any further. Hopefully this lady didn’t have time to put out the bat signal in reference to the free shots because I guarantee you that 90-Day Guy and his ilk would have broken every land-speed record to get to their local Safeway.

  • Johnnie Does Firehouse Subs

    Johnnie Does Firehouse Subs

    Recently, I found myself at a chain restaurant called Firehouse Subs. I have visited this location twice, both unannounced. Here is my full report and experience.

    The Firehouse Subs location that I visited was on Truxel Road in north Sacramento County. Upon walking in, a crew leader or watchperson calls out “12, 10…3..2..1”…..and every employee yells “Welcome to Firehouse.” This greeting is a copycat of Moe’s Southwest Restaurant. Frankly it is too much; especially since it’s called out each time someone walks in. When you dine at a chain restaurant and this kind of racket is breaking out every few minutes or someone is having a birthday and the siren goes off every ten minutes, its overkill. Stop copying the concept…. find something new.

    Once you enter the place, you’ll notice that the décor is awesome. It’s all firehouse and emergency service: photos and gear like hoses and ladders. It looks like a firehouse!

    Also donning the walls were copies of checks donated to the local firefighters and county sheriff departments; really nice touch. The employees were all gracious and dressed in shirts giving credit to their favorite sub…. pretty cool if you ask me. For the ambiance, décor etc. solid 4/5, just change the welcome to firehouse thing.

    The menu board is semi-intimidating because some of the sandwiches have a firehouse/exotic name. Just to name a couple: Hook & Ladder, Engineer, and Firehouse Hero. Other subs have a standard/traditional name like turkey, bacon ranch, or meatball. The sub’s veggies can all be modified; you can even add/subtract things for no additional charge, unlike Togo’s or Subway where there is a fee.

    All subs are served hot on toasted bread and warmed meat via a steamer but can also be ordered cold. The subs come in small 4”, medium 6”, and large 8” size, I ordered the medium both times and was satisfied. On my first visit, I ordered the Hook and Ladder which is turkey, ham, and Monterey jack cheese, which I was told comes “fully involved” meaning I get a pickle on the side in addition to my sandwich…nice touch.

    You order, swipe, and take a seat, and your food is brought out to you in a neat little firehouse basket.

    I devoured my sandwich, it never stood a chance. The sandwich was perfectly cooked, and the perfect temperature…..again, it never stood a chance. I found the warm bun and meat paired with cool veggies and mayo was right on point. The other visit I ordered the Firehouse Cajun Chicken which was cut chicken, cooked with Cajun spices, on a sub with hot peppers, onions and homemade Cajun mustard…..WOW, I loved it!!!!! 5/5 no question asked. Firehouse also offers soups, chili, chips, and soda, like most other sandwich places, I have yet to try the signature chili. There is also a hot sauce bar with roughly 30 hot sauce bottles all ranked 1-10, great touch. I tried several, came away impressed!

    As far as price goes, the medium size subs are $8.99 which after tax puts you right around $10 which is the sweet spot for lunch. The price is a little more than a cheap Subway but less than a Togo’s and the flavor makes it very worthwhile. They offer a daily special like every other chain, have a rewards club, and have seasonal specials like the Cajun chicken sub for $5.55. 5/5 on price, very affordable and great value.

    Overall solid 14/15

    Bloggers note: On the 2nd trip to Firehouse, the regional manager from corporate was there, and I have to say it was a fairly awkward visit with him there. It was too bad really. I get it it’s a franchised operation and quality assurance must be made; however, this guy looked like Chuck “The Shermanator” Sherman from American Pie.

    It was awkward. He did the strangest stuff during the lunch rush like pulling the ice dispenser in front the soda machine, taking photos and storing it on his iPad, or grabbing and squeezing every bag of chips…really weird. Firehouse needs to clean this up…. other than that, I love the place.

    Yardhouse is next….

  • Conversations with the Naïve II

    Conversations with the Naïve II

    This took record time but in our second installment we already have a repeat offender. 90 Day Calendar Guy appears to want the title of most naïve person alive. This one is painful but here goes….

    90 Day Calendar Guy talks himself up like he is some kind of savant when it comes to purchasing items online through various platforms like EBay, and Amazon.

    He recently bought a Spigen case for his iPhone off EBay, and it showed up in the office today via USPS mail. I have never seen a grown man rip open an envelope so quickly, one would have thought it was A Publishers Clearing House check for life…it was a stupid cell phone case!

    Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol–how Boomers got rich before the lottery was legal

    He put it on his iPhone and then sadness, the “parts that cover the volume and power buttons on the phone were hardened rubber, not flexible rubber.” He called me over, and was perplexed. This was real Spigen so how could it be defective? I told him, “That’s not real, it’s a cheap knockoff.” He rebutted saying, “Why does it say Spigen then?” I guess no one on earth is allowed to use that word except the manufacturer? Naivety folks….big time naivety.

    Spigen Case

    Even worse, I asked him where he bought it from. He said he wanted to keep the money local so it was a local buyer. (For those who wanted to know return address was Zhandou, China.) I asked him how much money he saved and he replied about $5…. Yes folks, for the price of $5 in gas you can drive to about 10 cell phone accessory stores within minutes of our office! Oh and he would have acquired a real Spigen case, not a cheap knock off.

    He took the case off, and tried to play it off as nothing. I taunted him with, “Hey you saved $5 though…keep it big picture.” I told him to file a complaint with EBay. His response…the guy had all 5 star reviews. (Yes moron, all from people like you who thought you saved a pant load) He logged into his account on EBay and said the seller had his account suspended by EBay…shocker, really stunned by that outcome!

    Here is what makes this all that much funnier, he then took everything I said and called it his own for the rest of the day. Saying Trump needs to crack down on the Chinese for copyright infringement…..yes counterfeit Spigen cases seems like a good one for some international court. Then he said its EBay’s fault for allowing a counterfeit seller….again how can they possibly guarantee authenticity? Unbelievable.

    Here is the issue, he needs to get his blinders off in regard to price… The man will literally run through traffic to catch a nickel rolling out of his wallet. It is hard to watch, but at the same time you get what you pay for. Anyone should have a spidey sense that goes off telling them something is not right, why is this product being sold cheaply?

    Spidey Sense — that little voice in your head that tells you something bad is about to happen

    Why is someone from China shipping to USA for free? The truth is the product was likely a cheap knockoff not counterfeit, and dude you bit the hook so hard you were the world’s easiest catch! You have never learned a lesson. You have also replaced your flat screen TV 3 times. I have had my flat screen longer then all 3 of yours have lasted… The reason, you are enamored with saving a dollar. You are the poster child for penny wise and pound foolish. Again this person spends hours of his time watching TV and searching the Internet….not a great look. Buyer beware! With the advent of the internet, the scammers can now take their game to untold heights, and they will continue to get away with it. But hey look at the bright side, you saved a couple bucks!!!!!!!

    Unreal, but naïve people are out there among us, and some will never learn their lesson.