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Trendy New Dessert Stores: Good or Bad For Our Budget?

By on September 17, 2010

cupcake I think Kansas City is a little late on the trend, but self-serve frozen yogurt stores and cupcake shops are popping up everywhere these days!

I can count 3 new froyo stores that I can walk to and at least 2 new cupcake stores within a two minute drive from where I live.  Kansas City is fairly spread out, so if there are that many opening up in my area, I’m sure there are tons of new ones all over the city.

When I returned from Dallas last Sunday morning, Lloyd and I decided to go out for lunch to catch up on our weekend apart.  After lunch, we walked around the adjoining shopping area for awhile and came across a new cupcake shop.  I’ve actually never been to a cupcake shop, but I know they’re all the rage right now (Food Network even has an entire show dedicated to the miniature treats!).  I was overwhelmed with nauseating cuteness upon entering the little shop and was immediately hooked.  Lloyd and I split a vanilla cupcake with chocolate icing that they packaged up for us in this adorable pink miniature box that was the perfect size for our new little bundle of joy sweet treat.

The cupcake set us back just three dollars.  Here are my thoughts in no particular order on that price:

  • I could probably make an entire box of cupcakes for less than 3 dollars. 
  • Then again, we were also paying for the experience. 
  • Any Duncan Hines cupcake I would have thrown together probably wouldn’t have tasted as good.
  • Desserts that we sometimes purchase in restaurants after dinner are usually much more expensive – somewhere in the $5-7 range.

Overall, I think we’ll probably add these new cupcake shops to our list of mini-dates that we sometimes go on.  I’ve also hinted to Lloyd that if he happened to bring me a perfectly packaged cupcake as a surprise or after a bad day or for no reason at all, it would probably win him some mega-points. ;)

But enough about cupcakes, let’s move on to FroYo!  Self-serve frozen yogurt is also a new thing in Kansas City, but I’m pretty sure it’s been on the coasts for several years now.  I love it!  I can get an ice cream fix for just a couple dollops of froyo.  Plus, whatever little froyo concoction that I come up with usually only cost about $1.50  I purposely make them smaller because 1) I don’t need very much and 2) it’s much cheaper that way.  In my opinion, a buck and a half is a pretty good deal for a cold, sweet treat any night of the week.  Especially considering a scoop or a shake at bigger chains can easily cost 3 or 4 dollars.

Have you noticed new and trendy dessert stores popping up in your area?  What do you think about the new trend?

Categories: Dining Out, Dollars, Entertainment11 Comments

Open Letter To Chipotle

By on August 10, 2010

Dear Chipotle:

Below are a few of my suggestions for your dining establishment.  Please take them into consideration because I think they could make the dining experience at your restaurant that much more enjoyable.

  1. Price By Weight: You see, I could care less how much worthless white rice you fill my bowl with.  On the other hand, I do care how much deliciously marinated chicken you decide to let me have.  Sometimes I get generous helpings, other times I get spoonfuls so measly I have to politely ask for more and usually always get a grumble or two from your hard-working bowl/burrito preparers.  It’s okay; I don’t take it personally.  But on to the point:  please consider pricing your meat by weight.  I am aware it is the most expensive ingredient in your masterpieces and you should be paid fairly for such savory protein.  For the other goodies, allow us addicts to add double beans, half rice, light on the lettuce, extra salsa, etcetera, etcetera as we like for a set fee – say two or three dollars?  This process change will allow us consumers to create an epic burrito/bowl concoction that we’ve only lusted for in our dreams.  Please help us make it a reality.
  2. First-Time Visitor Line: Do us all a favor and create a segregated line for first-time visitors.  Trust me, it’s for the best for all Chipotle customers.  Chipotle virgins always arrive nervous and flustered as it is.  Do I want a burrito or a bowl?  Or a soft taco?  (It’s disgraceful to order a soft taco at Chipotle.)  What’s barbacoa?  Black or pinto? (Go black, you’ll never go back.)  Do I ask for the rice?? I think I want chicken, but maybe I should try steak???  You get the idea.  They’re confused and who can blame them?  We were all uncertain first-timers at some point.  On the other hand, seasoned burrito lovers know exactly what they want and can rattle it off without a second thought and don’t you dare short me on my side of guacamole!  Seriously, consider the second line.  Don’t think of it as discrimination, think of it more as initiation.
  3. Self-Serve: As an addendum to item number 1, please consider letting us serve ourselves.  As mentioned in item number 2, we know we want exactly 21 nuggets of chicken – no more, no less.  Take the stress off your bowl assembly line and allow the real experts to create the works of art.  Then, train leftover assembly line workers as extra cooks.  You’ll need a much higher rate of chicken turnover now that your operations are going to be more efficient than ever.  It’ll work.  I’ve gotta feeling.

I hope that you’ll take my suggestions into consideration.  I have spent many hours deep in thought over my own bowls pondering the items above.  They come from heart because I only want what’s best for you and me.

Sincerely,

Chicken Burrito Bowl With Extra Black Beans And Less White Rice Lover

Categories: Dining Out12 Comments

Swearing Off McDonald’s For Life!

By on June 9, 2010

If you follow me on twitter, you may have noticed my repeated tweets about how sick I was over the past couple days from eating McDonald’s breakfast.  Here is the offender in question:

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Yeah, it may look appetizing in that pic, but it’s not so appetizing after what I’ve experienced over the past couple of days.

Here’s how things shook out after I ate the overpriced breakfast sandwich ($2.50 – really?) on Monday morning:

  • Ate the sandwich but almost immediately knew something was off, as evidenced by this tweet.
  • Felt generally disgusted and off for the rest of the morning.
  • Around 12:30, was visited by the lovely nausea rollercoaster.
  • Rode that ride for about 3 hours.
  • After about 3 hours, I felt all the blood leave my face and knew it was go time.
  • Getting sick at work is probably one of the top ten worst experiences that I’ve ever had in my life.
  • High point of the day was when Lloyd was able to drive me home since I could barely function at that point.
  • Arrived home where I spent the next 3 hours in the bathroom.  NOT primping.
  • This is where it gets good: after the bathroom experience is over (thank you, Lord), something inhabits my muscles causing extreme pain from my back and shoulders to my calves and feet.  Yep, top to bottom extreme muscle pain.  WTF?  I’ve had aches with the flu before, but with this I felt liked I’d been drilled by an 18-wheeler semi about 10 times and lived to tell about it.
  • Fever of 101.5.  Oh, joy.
  • Unable to sleep due to extreme pain.  Unable to take Tylenol due to fear of spending more time in the bathroom.
  • Even though I’ve clearly – very thoroughly – emptied my insides, my stomach insists on cramping like I’ve got 10 periods going on.  Trying to sip as much water/Gatorade as physically possible to prevent dehydration which I can feel creeping on due the dull ache coming from my kidneys.
  • Everything starts to mysteriously subside around noon the day after.  What I’m left with is a weakness so bad it takes effort to just stand up and nausea that forces me to give up eating completely. 
  • That brings us up to date and I’m still enjoying those last two side effects of nausea and weakness.
  • I had some soup last night and rode the nausea rollercoaster for the rest of the night.  So, yep, still not eating.

PROS:

  • I’ve lost 4 pounds.

CONS:

  • See above.
  • I’m out $2.50

What McDonald’s Has To Say:

I called up ‘ole McDonald’s today to inform them of this tragic incident.

The manager on duty took my name and information and repeatedly asked me if I had gone to the doctor.  I repeatedly told her “no”.  I am sure she was insinuating that her precious breakfast sandwiches were not the culprit of my sickness and instead I had some sort of summer stomach flu that goes around all too often.  Yes, the stomach flu could be an option.  But, I felt 100% fine before the damn Bacon, Egg, and Cheese biscuit.  In fact, I went for a 3 mile run that morning and was feeling fantastic after that.  Almost immediately after I ingested the bacteria-laced sandwich was when I started to feel like I was going to die.

So, back to the McDonald’s manager.  She tells me that she’s never dealt with this type of situation before (which is odd, because so many people I’ve talked to about mysituation have said they’ve experienced something similar from the restaurant) and told me to hold on while she consulted with her Mickey D’s posse.

Well, apparently, McDonald’s doesn’t have a” “Hold” button on their phone because I managed to hear a couple juicy sound bites from the posse’s infinite wisdom.

  • “Did she go to the doctor?” (again, NO!)
  • “Then, how does she know that she’s sick?” (Seriously?!!)

After the brilliant advice that the manager’s posse bestowed unto her, she returned back to me on the phone.

She told me that she’d have to send my information to the corporate office and that they’d call me back soon with some more questions (I’m assuming along the lines of “have you been to the doctor?”).

Lessons Learned:

  • Never visit McDonald’s ever, ever, EVER again.  Or any fast food establishment for that matter.  (Chipotle does not count.)
  • Since I’ve just cut my 1-2X per year visit to McDonald’s down to 0X per year, I just saved myself $5.  Which over the course of my lifetime might add up to about $350.  And if I invest that little nugget into high-yield savings accounts, well, then who knows what the future could hold for me!

Categories: Dining Out, Fail, Life, Opinion22 Comments