The Downingtown Diner, an original diner car and home of the Blob, has reopened with new management. This is what a diner should be with actual cooking in the kitchen not just heating up the same premade food from whatever large wholesale distributor they buy their supplies from. The soups are homemade on the premises. The crab cake sandwich was very good little to no filler and fresh crab meat. Mostly standard diner fare but really it's all fabulous comfort food. Parking can be a little tricky but it's definitely worth the walk across the street if the small lot in front is full.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Gone Phishing!!
A couple weeks ago, I saw Phish in Camden, NJ. I have really enjoyed Phish as musicians since the early 1990's. I've never been to a Phish concert. And while I heard rumors and though I had a pretty good idea of what happened at a Phish show. I had no clue.
It truly is a unique experience. The fans are really more diverse than I thought they would be. Young hippies, old hippies, angry hippies, happy hippies, preppy and me and my Hubs that I kinda made go with me. I gave a major side eye to the parents there that brought young children ....under 10 young children. This is PHISH it's just bad parenting at this point to bring them to concert where drug use is open and shared and just breathing the air at the open air venue gets you a serious contact high.
That is something I expected. What I wasn't expecting is the dancing.
Eclectic spastic dancing. I have found my people. I have found the place where I belong dancing. Everyone can envision the episode from Seinfeld where Elaine dances at her corporate party. Well, when I'm dancing, she looks like a graceful ballerina. But, here among the Phish Phans I belong. They do marchy dances. Slow dancing, fast dancing. Shakey shakey dancing. I could fit in here. I can dance freely without judgement. Only acceptance.
And then we met Pete. Pete somehow found himself in our reserved seats. But he quickly became our Show BFF. He was a lot of fun and while he told us he worked for Merrill Lynch or Morgan Stanley ( it's fuzzy to me now) he best investment advice was to keep all of our cash under our mattress it would be safer there than the market right now.
This was what I wasn't expecting and realized why people follow Phish and while they were touring the Grateful Dead. The people you met who accepted you unconditionally and you were instant besties because you enjoy the music.
Because it's really about the music.
It truly is a unique experience. The fans are really more diverse than I thought they would be. Young hippies, old hippies, angry hippies, happy hippies, preppy and me and my Hubs that I kinda made go with me. I gave a major side eye to the parents there that brought young children ....under 10 young children. This is PHISH it's just bad parenting at this point to bring them to concert where drug use is open and shared and just breathing the air at the open air venue gets you a serious contact high.
That is something I expected. What I wasn't expecting is the dancing.
Eclectic spastic dancing. I have found my people. I have found the place where I belong dancing. Everyone can envision the episode from Seinfeld where Elaine dances at her corporate party. Well, when I'm dancing, she looks like a graceful ballerina. But, here among the Phish Phans I belong. They do marchy dances. Slow dancing, fast dancing. Shakey shakey dancing. I could fit in here. I can dance freely without judgement. Only acceptance.
And then we met Pete. Pete somehow found himself in our reserved seats. But he quickly became our Show BFF. He was a lot of fun and while he told us he worked for Merrill Lynch or Morgan Stanley ( it's fuzzy to me now) he best investment advice was to keep all of our cash under our mattress it would be safer there than the market right now.
This was what I wasn't expecting and realized why people follow Phish and while they were touring the Grateful Dead. The people you met who accepted you unconditionally and you were instant besties because you enjoy the music.
Because it's really about the music.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
I love Concerts and I love FREE
Yesterday, I went to the Radio 104.5 Summer Block Party at the Piazza at Schmidt's in Philadelphia. This has to be one of my very favorite venues in the Philadelphia area! The whole pedestrian mall is closed off and there are street vendors in tents selling their jewelery, crafts, art, etc. The Vitacoco crew was handing out coconut water juices to the crowds for FREE to try their amazing drink. This is one of my favorite drinks and I prefer this to sports drinks especially for the kids because their little bodies shouldn't have so much sodium as a sports drink or soda has in it. The coconut water perfectly and quickly hydrates.
The show is all ages, and it is perfectly fine for the children. I saw lots of kids from tots to teens dancing to the tunes of Find Vienna, She Wants Revenge, and Company of Thieves. These bands were awesome! Find Vienna a local crew had a great fun sound and opened up the crowd and got the party going. She Wants Revenge have a darker jazzy hip sound. Hailing from LA they seem really laid back guys but the sounds were punchy and had a hook that if you had never heard them before you were a fan at the end of the show. Personally, My hubs and I hadn't heard of them but were really glad we made the opening bands in stead of blowing them off. We are now fans and it's still early enough to say we knew them before they hit it mainstream. Which won't be long if the sounds of bands like Arcade Fire, Foster for the People and MGMT are the way tides of popularity are going.
The the headliners Company of Thieves. This girl can SING! She is amazing. Lots of energy on stage. Personable and chatty with the crowd but not so chatty that they don't play. The guys on guitar, base, drums and keyboards...they are all so tight and when there were problems with some of the equipment they went on and didn't miss and beat by getting flustered they kept going and laughed it off. They all still look happy to be rock stars and they are getting paid to play!
If any of these bands come by your town you should check them out! And there will be more Summer Block Parties at the Piazza at Schmidt's. First Saturday in July, August and September at 4pm. Come down check them out. Parking is plentiful and close only $10. And paying $10 for parking in Philadelphia isn't that bad, I've seen and paid more before and you won't have to deal with PPA and be on this show!
Till the next event! And maybe I'll see you at the show!
The show is all ages, and it is perfectly fine for the children. I saw lots of kids from tots to teens dancing to the tunes of Find Vienna, She Wants Revenge, and Company of Thieves. These bands were awesome! Find Vienna a local crew had a great fun sound and opened up the crowd and got the party going. She Wants Revenge have a darker jazzy hip sound. Hailing from LA they seem really laid back guys but the sounds were punchy and had a hook that if you had never heard them before you were a fan at the end of the show. Personally, My hubs and I hadn't heard of them but were really glad we made the opening bands in stead of blowing them off. We are now fans and it's still early enough to say we knew them before they hit it mainstream. Which won't be long if the sounds of bands like Arcade Fire, Foster for the People and MGMT are the way tides of popularity are going.
The the headliners Company of Thieves. This girl can SING! She is amazing. Lots of energy on stage. Personable and chatty with the crowd but not so chatty that they don't play. The guys on guitar, base, drums and keyboards...they are all so tight and when there were problems with some of the equipment they went on and didn't miss and beat by getting flustered they kept going and laughed it off. They all still look happy to be rock stars and they are getting paid to play!
If any of these bands come by your town you should check them out! And there will be more Summer Block Parties at the Piazza at Schmidt's. First Saturday in July, August and September at 4pm. Come down check them out. Parking is plentiful and close only $10. And paying $10 for parking in Philadelphia isn't that bad, I've seen and paid more before and you won't have to deal with PPA and be on this show!
Till the next event! And maybe I'll see you at the show!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Don't Forget Your Hat
This Memorial Day Weekend the family and I went to the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair. What a beautiful day! The horses are so well trained and the people watching can't be beat! Dog fashion shows and women's hat competitions. You can definitely see world champions jumping, carriages and beginners little guys and girls on leadlines.
There is shopping, crafters and a midway with a ferris wheel. The show grounds are great for walking around you can get quite close and behind the main ring and see the warm up and practice areas. Also, this year all of the stadium seating is covered, which helps to enjoy the breezes in the shade when the heat gets to be too much.
The show is still going on and will run until June 5th. Parking on the show grounds is running at $10. But you can find parking a few blocks away for $5 and if you don't mind walking the regional rail R5 is also nearby. Devon and the surrounding towns are also cute and trending for shopping and eating.
All in all it's a great family outing!
There is shopping, crafters and a midway with a ferris wheel. The show grounds are great for walking around you can get quite close and behind the main ring and see the warm up and practice areas. Also, this year all of the stadium seating is covered, which helps to enjoy the breezes in the shade when the heat gets to be too much.
The show is still going on and will run until June 5th. Parking on the show grounds is running at $10. But you can find parking a few blocks away for $5 and if you don't mind walking the regional rail R5 is also nearby. Devon and the surrounding towns are also cute and trending for shopping and eating.
All in all it's a great family outing!
Friday, May 27, 2011
I recently found myself, in the city. I went with friends to a party in Philadelphia. We were at the very posh R2L. The views are spectacular. Honestly, if you ever want to realize your city is the most beautiful, view it from the highest point with a fabulous beverage.
My friends and I took the regional rail lines into the city and had a great time. Easy peasy to ride in and walk the city. We stopped at Tir na nOg for a refreshment before we got to the party. I'm not an aficionado of beers but I do enjoy them. Recently, my favorite has been Iambic beers. This pub had a wide assortment of beers both bottled and on tap. They even had a table with 3 or 4 taps in the middle.
We made our way over to the swanky R2L. Absolutely beautiful, I can't say enough about the views. They made our party a signature drink, similar to a tattooed smurf with Sprite and blueberry schnapps. The party was mainly cocktails and appetizers. I found the food inspired and delectable. They had a watermelon and feta salad that was sweet and salty. And of course it's not Philly without cheesesteaks, and they had a cheesesteak bite that was a tiny toast, filet mignon and peppers and cheese a perfect bite. I highly recommend this for a date night!
Since our party was only a cocktail party, my friends and I went back to Tir na nOg for dinner. I had the Philly Burger, provolone cheese and horseradish. I'm not sure how that made it "Philly" but it was fabulous. I do enjoy a great burger! This was an 8 on scale of 1-10. Ten being I would crawl though a desert of broken glass to get another bite.
Unfortunately, while the food was excellent the service was not! The service, some people got forks other had knives, no one had napkins. Drinks weren't checked on, our waitress disappeared for 45 minutes when we told her at the beginning that we wanted to catch a specific train. Guess who missed the train!
Overall, my night was not ruined it was great night with awesome friends.
My friends and I took the regional rail lines into the city and had a great time. Easy peasy to ride in and walk the city. We stopped at Tir na nOg for a refreshment before we got to the party. I'm not an aficionado of beers but I do enjoy them. Recently, my favorite has been Iambic beers. This pub had a wide assortment of beers both bottled and on tap. They even had a table with 3 or 4 taps in the middle.
We made our way over to the swanky R2L. Absolutely beautiful, I can't say enough about the views. They made our party a signature drink, similar to a tattooed smurf with Sprite and blueberry schnapps. The party was mainly cocktails and appetizers. I found the food inspired and delectable. They had a watermelon and feta salad that was sweet and salty. And of course it's not Philly without cheesesteaks, and they had a cheesesteak bite that was a tiny toast, filet mignon and peppers and cheese a perfect bite. I highly recommend this for a date night!
Since our party was only a cocktail party, my friends and I went back to Tir na nOg for dinner. I had the Philly Burger, provolone cheese and horseradish. I'm not sure how that made it "Philly" but it was fabulous. I do enjoy a great burger! This was an 8 on scale of 1-10. Ten being I would crawl though a desert of broken glass to get another bite.
Unfortunately, while the food was excellent the service was not! The service, some people got forks other had knives, no one had napkins. Drinks weren't checked on, our waitress disappeared for 45 minutes when we told her at the beginning that we wanted to catch a specific train. Guess who missed the train!
Overall, my night was not ruined it was great night with awesome friends.
Soooo I've changed
I've decided to change what I mainly write about to mostly reviews and ideas of where to go and what to do based on my personal experiences with my travels. I'm always looking for fun things to do with my family and friends. I am a huge fan of the staycation and being a tourist in my own community. I love to experience local businesses and restaurants. And I would love to continue the support to our independent business by trying to give them the exposure.
So hang with me and let's have an adventure!
So hang with me and let's have an adventure!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Jeers! A shopping exerience review
Last post I gave some reviews to people who when above and beyond to provide a wonderful customer experience. Now I have experienced a rudeness I have never before experienced as a shopper. I was told by a Ross Store Employee that she was not part of customer service and didn't need to stand there and listen to the customer's smart remarks.
I'll back up a bit to give you the full experience. I don't normally shop at Ross, it's not a place I usually think of and they don't normally have anything I like in my size. I only went because I was given a gift card as a Christmas present a few years ago and it still had $50 on it. I was hoping to find maybe a blouse or 2 for work and a new pair of shoes. Again I didn't find anything clothes wise that I liked. I did find a pair of shoes and a nice handbag. My husband found a Faberware 6 inch cleaver for $6.99. I went to the front with my purchases and my husband went to wait outside because he doesn't like crowds and the line wasn't long it just wasn't moving.
They had 2 lanes open. Both were slow, it turned out one was waiting for a manager to respond to get change to finish a transaction. The other was just slow. Now the lady in front of me seemed to have the same idea I had and didn't want to commit to either lane, directly next to each other, until we saw one actually move. The slow lane kept saying that she was open and we could stand in her lane because she was "confusing people" on how the lines worked.
Eventually, the lady in front of me went to the "slow lane" other lane still waiting to even ask for change (10 minutes have elapsed at this time and I was only 3rd in line), the slow lane cashier proceeded to scold the lady about not committing to a lane. The lady gently said she didn't want to chose just yet and she was waiting like at a bank to see which lane opened first before she made her choice. The cashier said "this isn't a bank this is Ross and that's not how it works here" The lady finished her transaction and went and complained to the manager. The cashier started bitching loudly to the other cashier about customer complaining. I said to her quietly, that she was rude to her by assuming she didn't know how a line worked and that both lanes were moving slowly, no one was inconvienced by waiting to choose the open lane. She then went off on me about how she wasn't part of customer service and didn't need to listen to customer's smart remarks.
I told her she was most certainly part of customer service because her service was to ring up my transaction that was part of the sales that was employing her. And possibly if she didn't feel that she should interact with the public maybe she should find a different position. She went on to "school" me about what was and wasn't part of her job and that it was not to listen to stupid customers. At this point I told her to have a very nice day and I went to find a manager.
This store manager could not be found but I found someone who claimed was a manager as well just part of the warehouse management. I told him my experience and that the other customer had also complained about her "special treatment" by this cashier. I truly don't expect much when it comes to helpful service. I don't even expect pleasant. I would prefer to be completely ignored and just have the total pointed at on the register than told that I had smart remarks or that I was a stupid customer.
I still have $9.50 on that gift card. I'm conflicted about if I'll bother using it. On one hand, I hate to waste the money. On the other I really never want to go there again. I will tell anyone who listens Ross Stores they may dress you for less but the cost savings come at the cost of being treated poorly and rudely.
I'll back up a bit to give you the full experience. I don't normally shop at Ross, it's not a place I usually think of and they don't normally have anything I like in my size. I only went because I was given a gift card as a Christmas present a few years ago and it still had $50 on it. I was hoping to find maybe a blouse or 2 for work and a new pair of shoes. Again I didn't find anything clothes wise that I liked. I did find a pair of shoes and a nice handbag. My husband found a Faberware 6 inch cleaver for $6.99. I went to the front with my purchases and my husband went to wait outside because he doesn't like crowds and the line wasn't long it just wasn't moving.
They had 2 lanes open. Both were slow, it turned out one was waiting for a manager to respond to get change to finish a transaction. The other was just slow. Now the lady in front of me seemed to have the same idea I had and didn't want to commit to either lane, directly next to each other, until we saw one actually move. The slow lane kept saying that she was open and we could stand in her lane because she was "confusing people" on how the lines worked.
Eventually, the lady in front of me went to the "slow lane" other lane still waiting to even ask for change (10 minutes have elapsed at this time and I was only 3rd in line), the slow lane cashier proceeded to scold the lady about not committing to a lane. The lady gently said she didn't want to chose just yet and she was waiting like at a bank to see which lane opened first before she made her choice. The cashier said "this isn't a bank this is Ross and that's not how it works here" The lady finished her transaction and went and complained to the manager. The cashier started bitching loudly to the other cashier about customer complaining. I said to her quietly, that she was rude to her by assuming she didn't know how a line worked and that both lanes were moving slowly, no one was inconvienced by waiting to choose the open lane. She then went off on me about how she wasn't part of customer service and didn't need to listen to customer's smart remarks.
I told her she was most certainly part of customer service because her service was to ring up my transaction that was part of the sales that was employing her. And possibly if she didn't feel that she should interact with the public maybe she should find a different position. She went on to "school" me about what was and wasn't part of her job and that it was not to listen to stupid customers. At this point I told her to have a very nice day and I went to find a manager.
This store manager could not be found but I found someone who claimed was a manager as well just part of the warehouse management. I told him my experience and that the other customer had also complained about her "special treatment" by this cashier. I truly don't expect much when it comes to helpful service. I don't even expect pleasant. I would prefer to be completely ignored and just have the total pointed at on the register than told that I had smart remarks or that I was a stupid customer.
I still have $9.50 on that gift card. I'm conflicted about if I'll bother using it. On one hand, I hate to waste the money. On the other I really never want to go there again. I will tell anyone who listens Ross Stores they may dress you for less but the cost savings come at the cost of being treated poorly and rudely.
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