Restaurant Reviews : Mill Town Café and Mackinaw's

Hello!

I absolutely LOVE going out to eat for breakfast on the weekends. The hardest part is finding good places in the area - sad but true!

Here are 2 that I really enjoy:

Mackinaws - East Green Bay:

(click on the above link to visit Mackinaw's website)

I heard their advertisements on the radio for a few weeks. They have been pushing their Sunday Breakfast / Brunch Buffet. My biggest issue in trying this out was that I have NEVER been impressed with the food or service at Mackinaw's. I have tried several different dishes and just never walked away thinking, "Wow! What a great meal!".

That being said, I thought I would at least TRY their Sunday Buffet. A small group of us went around noon - it made me more than a little nervous that there were not many cars in the lot. We were seated immediately and saw the big dry-erase board as we walked in: "Sunday Buffet $10.99". We were seated and a friendly waitress greeted us and invited us to walk by the buffet to decide if that was our choice or if we were going to order from the menu.

Impressive Selections:

* Scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage and all the typical basic items

* Breakfast enchiladas. They looked good and tasted even better!

* Omelet bar - made to order!

* Lunch items such as mashed potatoes, prime rib (carved to order), chicken and more

* Salad bar - great looking lettuce!

* Fruit Bar

I ate WAY too much, but wanted to try as many items as I could! Everything was excellent. The waitress checked on us, regularly, and the omelet chefs were very accommodating and friendly.

Some in our group mentioned that the dessert section was weak, but everyone gave the experience 2 big thumbs up! We will definitely go again and I would recommend it to all of you.

MillTown Café - East Green Bay:

803 Klaus Street (take University to Quincy, north to Klaus - can't miss it!)

This is by FAR my favorite breakfast spot in Green Bay! I go at least twice each month and love it.

The atmosphere is the stereotypical diner layout: Small and cozy - there are even the little round stools by the counter, just as you would expect. The staff is comprised of very friendly peeps and the owners are always around - usually making wise cracks with the regulars. The place is perfectly outdated, which gives it that "diner feel" and extremely clean.

The menu provides many options that would satisfy just about anyone. My two favorites are the Mexican Omelet and the Western Omelet. Both are made with fresh ingredients - and the eggs are always perfectly cooked. The coffee is hot and tastes great. Upon request, the server will bring you homemade jam for your toast. Yeah, it is awesome!

The prices are very reasonable, as expected. They even have a frequent client card you can use to get your 10th meal free. You almost feel bad even USING it with the prices being so reasonable!

They do not have a website, but stop in and check it out. If a lady wearing an apron walks out of the kitchen comes up to talk to you (that's Bonnie, the owner) tell her Todd and Robb from Shenanigan's sent you in. She will probably smile and make some remark that will make you laugh! ;)

Thanks for reading! More to come soon!

Cheers!

Robb

A couple bar reviews - some quick hits!

Hello!

Here are a few brief bar reviews:

Firehouse:

Let's face it.....that place just hasn't been the same since Becky left to work at Shenanigan's, right? The new owners are currently struggling and the staff turnover has been high. I have noticed the hours have been shrinking and rarely see much of a crowd when I drive by. Personally, the lack of TV's always turned me off to the place. The bar clearly has an *image* and it is decked out appropriately for that image - it is now just lacking some key faces to give it that draw a bar needs.

Cranky Ape (formerly Liar's Club):

As many of you know, Liar's Club went down due to some.....well, let's say "mishandling of cash and tax dollars". A new owner has come in. He has several other bars outside of Green Bay and surely has the experience to make this little bar work. Nothing really changed, inside. The stripper poles are gone, but it is basically the same bar with new faces. The crowd is younger (lower 20's age), but you still find a few middle-agers lingering. The music selection is good and not too loud. The owner could have done more with the Cranky Ape theme, internally, but it works with the minimal effort he gave. Overall, there is nothing too exciting about the place that would draw me back to it. The bartenders weren't super hot or super friendly - it is just another bar.

Cock N Bull:

I won't go on my rant about the things that turn me off about this bar - most of you already know. The deck was a MAJOR investment for Daryl (owner). Rumors are it ran near $250k due to the type of deck, furnishings, tv built into the brick wall and a high expense for major electrical changes going into the building. It makes sense to have a party deck - especially with the upcoming smoking ban. The biggest issue now is that nobody is ever ON the deck. Clearly, it hasn't been the draw that was expected. With no bartender, outside, and no cocktail waitress, I am not a bit surprised. My visit there 2 weeks ago was typical: Music too loud, men's toilet over-flowing with ....well...you don't want those details, overpriced drinks and not a thing to draw me in except Ashley and Cindy (great and good looking bartenders!).

Bomb Shelter:

This bar was purchased just over a year ago by Richie Sinclair and Howie (of Highland Howie's). It doesn't make a killing, but since they have other bars that share Administration costs, it doesn't need to make too much to be a little profitable. The bar is rather small and run down, but the concept is pretty creative. The wall decor is consistent with the name and having 100 different *bomb* shot recipes on the wall is a catchy idea. The service is always good and most of the time the bartender is a hottie! Their staff turnover has been high, lately, but that can be expected from a bar that isn't always busy. I have never had a bad experience at this bar, but the crowd that hangs there doesn't draw me to visit more than once or twice each month.

That's it for today! Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments, here, or on Facebook.

I am still compiling a mailing list to send you notifications that a new blog is posted. Please send an e-mail to jalapeno.mail@gmail.com and you will be added.

(no spam or junk mail....ONLY new blog notifications. You have my word!)

Cheers!

Robb

Willi's and Ricky T's [bar reviews]

Hello!

Here are 2 quick bar reviews for you.

Ricky T's - Green Bay, WI:

This bar is located on Riverside Drive right near the Allouez Ave. intersection. It has been several different bar names over the years, but is now owned by Rick (aka Ricky). Sorry, I didn't catch his last name.

Ricky seems like a good dude! We (Shenanigan's Tues dart team) shot at Ricky T's a few weeks back. The bar is small....like REALLY small and the dart boards are in the back room. The back room fits 8 comfortably.....15 UNcomfortably, we found. Food is served with a very simple bar-food menu of everything you would expect. Prices are reasonable for food and for drinks. The staff and regulars are .....how do I put this....not "trendy", by any means. The staff was friendly and helpful, certainly, but it isn't the kind of place you would order anything other than a beer or a simple mixer. Some areas seemed a bit cluttered and unfinished, yet the place (including the restrooms) were clean. They just built a pretty sweet outdoor seating/patio area. It is all screened in - clearly they are ready for the 2010 smoking ban! I would not consider this a "dive bar" - it definitely was a step above that ranking.

Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, but I personally prefer a place with more room, better sound system and a more young and trendy clientelle.

Willi's Bar a Grill - DePere, WI:

Owners:

Dave Williquette

Michelle Williquette (Dave's daughter)

Matt Williquette (Dave's son)

Willi's is located across the street from the Brown County Fair Grounds in a property shared with a BP Gas Station. The bar isn't very big, but it is super clean and a full menu is available. There are a handful of older regulars, but on key nights you will find a mass of younger peeps loading up the jukebox and pounding shots.

The menu is bigger than you would expect. The burgers are great! I can't think of a better burger in town, actually! The soups are different each day (booyah and chili....oh yeah!) and there is a different meal special each day. The Friday fish will surprise you with price and quality! The menu is the same for lunch and dinner and the prices are also the same.

The staff is always super friendly and respectful whether you are there alone to just have a quiet drink to wind down of if you want to shake dice and scream at one of the 4 flat screen TV's as your favorite sports team is getting their butts kicked!

You will find a full selection of gambling machines and there are always pools and contests to participate - especially NASCAR! Recently, an outdoor drinking area was built. This was to compliment the 2 new horseshoe pits, behind the bar. Pretty cool! Leagues run a few days each week and everyone is encouraged to play at anytime! The outside drinking area will be key to accomodating smokers in 2010 after the smoking ban takes place.

Whether you are looking for a simple meal for lunch or dinner or looking to party it up on ANY night - I highly recommend Willi's. You WILL be satisfied!

By the way, there is a huge outdoor bash (Customer Appreciation Weekend) coming up August 21 - 23. DJ on Friday (Joel and Robb) and Lumpy's Karaoke on Saturday Night! Huge tent outside and prizes and events all weekend. Stop in!

Thank you for reading! There are a TON of reviews I have to share and promise to try hard to get them to you asap! Please comment here or on Facebook - the feedback is appreciated!

Cheers!

Robb

Panera vs. Atlanta Bread Company

Hello!

This is the first of several upcoming blogs providing reviews of area bars and restaurants.

As many of you know, I eat out a lot....like a REAL lot! Normally I would review only 1 restaurant at a time, but I recently had great experiences at 2 places that are similar. Perhaps you have tried them or maybe thought about - here is my take!

Panera - Oneida Street in Ashwaubenon:

First, it is almost always busy - especially lunch time. That is good! The place is very clean and somewhat trendy. Well lit and quality furniture. The order counter is staffed with friendly people who do a great job of greeting you and will offer suggestions on soups and sandwiches. After placing your order, they ask for your name and you make your drink and find a table. Your name is called over a P.A. when it is ready.

Being provided real silverwear and having your soup in a glass bowl is a nice touch. Every soup experience has been great! You can order a full or 1/2 sandwich (awesome) and the sandwiches are not small. Free refills on beverages, fresh lemons for your iced tea and additional silverwear at the beverage stand makes the experience terrific.

There is an outside patio area - just a few tables. It is right at the main entrance, which isn't attractive to me.

Overall, it is a great place and the food is fresh and tasty with several healthy options. The prices are good. 1/2 sandwich and soup is about $7.00.

Atlanta Bread Company - West Mason Street in Green Bay:

There are many similarities to Panera - same basic food concept. There are some key differences. One is the atmosphere of the restaurant. It is more inviting and cozy than Panera. There is a sitting area with big leather couches and chairs and the booths are large with high backs and comfortable padding. The order process is the same, but someone actually brings your food to you. Nice touch! The beverage area is much larger and in a better location than Panera's choice to put it back in a corner with high traffic behind the pick-up area. There are several condiments and more beverage choices. Being an iced tea fan, I was thrilled at 3 flavor choices of fresh brewed tea! The condiments were all individually displayed - not all crammed together on a little table.

The one thing that was rather unimpressive was when I went to the restroom and a door to the back room was open. I really didn't need to see that area of boxes, mop buckets and supplies. Also, at the entry area to the restrooms, I nearly tripped over a broom and other items - should have been properly stowed out of site, in my opinion.

Pricing was slightly more than Panera, but the overall quality of food and dishware was better. The staff was very friendly and took our dishes when we were done - little step up from bussing the table, myself, as with Panera. Overall, it was a great experience and I will go again.

Thanks for reading I look forward to your comments - either here or on Facebook!

Cheers!

Robb

Cube Life 13mar09

Hello!

I have been keeping notes on little insights to my *Cube Life* that I find interesting and humorous. My last blog with these had tons of feedback!

For those of you whom have never worked in this atmosphere, I am telling you.....it is very different! The entire energy is different, the attitudes of people are different....not necessarily good/bad/better/worse....just totally different.

THE COMMON AREA FRIDGES:
Our location has about 100 employees. The break room is nice, actually. 2 microwaves, industrial coffee machine (weakest taste on Earth!), filtered water, a few vending machine and 2 pretty basic refrigerators.
Both are COMPLETELY packed with the most random food and bev items you could ever imagine! What I don't get is that they are full 24/7! Take a look at 8am or 5pm and there isn't room for a snack pack. Some take the time to *sharpie* their water bottles or items. There are the fancy Thermos brand lunch buckets and then the standard Wal-Mart bags full of random items.
When you peruse the fridge, you get a feel for the balance of the healthy eaters vs. the junk monsters.
The best is 11:45 am when there is a scramble of 10-12 employees all bumping into each other and fighting for microwave-time.

MY BADGE AND ME:
In typical big-office fashion, we all have the belt-clip rectangle plastic badges / door keys. My picture hasn't come in yet, so it is blank, but pretty much everyone has their pic on their card key. Not many actually clip their badge to their pants, actually. I do, but that is because if I don't I KNOW I will lose it!
When I arrive in the morning, I already have it clipped to me. It is on this clip with a cord that comes out - spring loaded. Sweet, because you can just grab it, use it and it retracts right back to your belt - out of the way.
The bad part is that sometimes if I am in a hurry to get in the door (hands are full or I am just damn cold!) I pull the cord quick in order to waive the card in front of the door sensor.....then I, without thinking, simply let go of the card key. The cord retracts really fast and the damn plastic key slaps me straight in the nuts! F! What a great way to start the damn day! Ouch.

REAR VIEW MIRRORS:
Each cube is laid out so that the employee faces the corner of the cube and, therefore, has their back to the cube's *entrance*. I can express to you, enough, how much I do NOT like this setup. I have ALWAYS arranged my desk, at each previous job, to face OUT. I am totally paranoid about people walking up behind me - freaks me out BIG time! Anyway, apparently I am not the only one who feels this way. Several employees have mounted little mirrors on the cubicle walls or on top of their computers so that they can see people coming. One dude has an ACTUAL concave rear-view mirror! ...somewhat over the top, if you ask me.
The problem is that it is kind of freaky as the person walking by! Think about it....you are walking back to your desk after going to grab some water and you walk through the little cubicle hallways and EVERYONE'S back is to you. However, as you walk by and look into a person's cube, your eyes catch the mirror....AND THEY ARE LOOKING RIGHT BACK AT YOU! AAAAAAAHHHH! Seriously, it is freaky, Dude! All you see is the back of their head and then their EYES looking at you. Not cool. No WONDER why so many people just stare at the floor as they shuffle from point A to B!
I have to add that there IS a conspiracy theory by some staff that the purpose of the mirrors is to know when someone is coming so that they can close a window that has non-work activity. These people sure love their Solitaire! Cracks me up when I catch them!

MY PARANOIA:
I confess that I totally am paranoid about little things in CubeVille:
1) Is someone going to do me like that ESPN commercial when dude took Labron James's chair? I would totally lose it....seriously! Whenever I see a broken chair in the conference room I freak that someone is going to punk me and take my chair. It JUST started conforming to my fat ass - please don't F with me!
2) Leaving water bottles on my desk: Can't do it. I am totally paranoid someone is going to spit or piss in ANYTHING I would leave, overnight. If I leave it, I throw it away.
3) Money and personal items: No locks on the drawers means someone WILL snoop and WILL steal my shit! No way - never leaving ANYTHING of value over $1. You want my green tea bags? Fine. Take 'em. I thought about bringing in my own keyboard and mouse, but there is no way it would last a week, I fear. I even take home my leather binder and fancy pen, each night. Beyond that, I leave the standard issue pens out in the open as a decoy to the good stuff in my drawer.
In addition, I KNOW something will disappear and I will have to go on a rant. It will be my stapler (yes, it IS a Swingline) or my calculator or something I will just happen to need that day.

That's enough for today...I have more, and they keep coming! ;)

See you at Shenanigan's on St. Patty's Day!

Cheers!

Robb

Response to BHO's speech Feb 24, 2009

Hello, all!

I have had several people ask me why I didn't post a blog following BHO's speech, last week. The main reason why is because I thought it was a joke of a speech and it frustrated me. There was very little detail to his words and such vague promises I had no idea what the topic was! The part that came out clear was that he was going to spend a LOT of U.S. tax dollars as his plan to fix the economy. Sad.

Simple. Building a bigger Government is not the answer. That model has failed over and over. That plan will NOT help stimulate the economy, will NOT create private sector business and job growth and will surely only make the weak weaker.

There are some readers who give me a hard time about my sources of information - often I am accused of simply regurgitating what is reported by Fox News. Not true at all. I dig into several sources for information and have shared those sources with you, in the past. It is true that my opinion about CNN and MSNBC is that it is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE for those 2 networks to conduct an unbiased interview. However, I do force my self (eyes burning and ears bleeding) to spend some time watching interviews on those networks as much as I can stand to.

This brings me to an interview on CNN with John McCain commenting on BHO's speech on Feb 24, 2009 and providing his take on the stimulus plan.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2009/02/25/am.mccain.obama.speech.cnn?iref=videosearch

John McCain tried to give an excellent interview, but of course the dumb reporter kept trying to interrupt him - that is because John McCain was making a great point and the Liberal CNN Producer had to blow it up before YOU as viewers actually starting getting proper insight to what is really going on.

Points that I hope stuck with you:
1) BHO promising to end earmarks, but the next DAY he had a bill in front of him w/ over 9,000 of them. Apparently his Liberal buddies think they have exemption?
2) McCain's comments on the math of spending and yet claiming to have a goal of cutting the deficit in half during his term. Uhhhhhh....how?
3) Who is this plan helping and who is it hurting?

Let me be clear that I am not hoping for failure of this plan. I must point out that now that the plan has been passed, BHO now OWNS this economic state. He was able to persuade a majority of Senators and Congress members to join him in creating this plan with their agenda. Because BHO and the Liberal members excluded the GOP, most Republicans voted against it. They made the right choice by not voting for legislation they had no say in and legislation they didn't believe in!

What has been the result so far? Well....nothing. Nothing is changing. What is worse is that there are no indicators of potential growth. Roger is going to ask for proof....this one is easy. Look at the Stock Market. Regular daily drops of 200 points or more. Another indicator? BHO's approval rating is now down to near 50% in many polls and has been on a continual slide since the innaguration.

Why would BHO, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, Harry Reid and the rest of these high profile Liberals continue to back a bad plan? If history says it is wrong, why are they doing it? If it isn't going to help, why did it pass and why is it moving forward? What is their ultimate agenda? To these questions I am torn. Either these *leaders* are completely clueless and have motivations that are clouding their judgement so bad they don't realize that the plan is horrible. Or, there is a power trip going on with the Liberal movement. If the plan goes as predicted - creating bigger government and making millions more Americans dependent on the governement for their livelihood - the Liberal politicians have more relevence and longer tenure. It is evil, it is bad and it is dangerous for America. I can't believe I almost hope these leaders are simply clueless.

Stay educated, everyone!

Cheers!

Robb

My weekend (play and hotel review!) 22feb09

Hello!

This weekend, a big group of us (14) went to Appleton to see the play "Wicked".

What is "Wicked"? Many chicks know, but it is a play based on the Wizard of Oz. Some call it a "pre-quel" to the Wizard of Oz, but it is actually more a different perspective - kind of a *Behind The Music* of the movie. It goes into the relationships of the witches, their histories and the people around them prior to the visit of Dorothy and Toto. I won't divulge too much to ruin it for you, but I definitely was entertained! Great performance by the actors and the whole concept is very creative! The show was entertaining to watch and had more humor than I expected. Next time the show comes around, I highly recommend you check it out!

Before the show, we all checked in at the CopperLeaf hotel in downtown Appleton. I have heard good things about this hotel and was looking forward to the experience! Well.....very rough start. The *deal* that was posted on their website turned into quite the mess. The deal promised some extra goodies (wine and such) that the hotel called and pulled out of the deal AFTER the reservations were made. Big mess, but a few of us were able to negotiate getting the deal back in the package. Shady! When we checked in, it sucked that we had to park in the ramp, walk out side through the snow, the down steps (with baggage) to the front desk, then to the room. Poor design. The rooms were ok, but nothing special, in my mind.

So our group all met in the lower level of the hotel which is The Black & Tan restaurant (same owners as here in GB). The bar was clearly overwhelmed and the staff looked to be in a panic from the start. Weak. They set us up at 2 separate tables but all seemed fine - not sure why they couldn't fit 14 people at connected tables? We ordered and I was rather disappointed in my steak that was $36.95. For that price, I shouldn't have 25% fat and grizzle. That was after the food took about 30 mins longer than it should have, so we had to rush from dinner to the PAC for the play. Unneccessary stress!

After the play, we rocked at some of the cool bars within walking distance on College Ave. Cool places! We hit Chadwicks, which was cool. Brick walls - narrow similar to Brewbaker's. No ceiling fans. Odd? Well, no smoke, remember? That was actually nice! We also hit The Durty Leprechaun. Very cool little (dive) Irish bar. Well, it was cool until we realized that 20% the peeps *worshipped the rainbow*, if you know what I mean! It was fine, but seeing our friends get hit on (and grinded on!) by same sex randoms became a bit bothersome after awhile.

Overall...great experience! We all had fun and I would definitely do it, again - just not the same hotel and maybe less time at the Irish Bar! ;)

Cheers!

Robb

www.thejalapenoblog.com
jalapeno.mail@gmail.com

Hi!

As many of you know, I am now working for a company in Ashwaubenon that is a big company compared to my past career experiences. This is the first job where I am in a cubicle in a *team* atmosphere. There are about 100 people in my building that are grouped into several departments. My particular team is 15 members.

It is interesting how this *Cubicle Life* is so much different than working for smaller companies. The mentality of the staff, in general, is very new and strange to me. The focus of people ranges from 125% motivated to "if I am really quiet, they may forget I am here!". The range of personalities and type of people is damn interesting!

Basic motion:
Most days, it seems like everyone in the building is moving in slow motion. Nobody walks briskly and for the most part they look like zombies moving from point A to point B. Expressionless and somewhat dead behind the eyes. I walk around pretty quick, most of the time, and I get dirty looks for nearly running over people who suddenly POP out of their cubicle or are coming at me around a corner. In our area, there are printers and fax machines every 25 feet - kind of cool, actually! It is funny that nobody really goes very far - the farthest you will see them walk to is the breakroom (opposite corner of the bldg from my desk).

Smoking:
I am really surprised how many people smoke who work there. My team, alone, is about 80% smokers. Bldg wide, for example, at 8am you can find 8-10 people standing outside the breakroom having a puff. I truly think that most of these people smoke JUST so they can take 10 min breaks a few times each day. There are a few that work there that are social / drinking smokers that don't even bother smoking during the day. Again, interesting to see the routines of people in this setting!

Phones:
Most phones are designed for headsets only - no handsets. A percentage have purchased their own cordless units (I am one). It is strange seeing all these people in their cubicles with *tethers* to phones - reminds me of Sci-Fi movies, really! For me, the phones become rather annoying because there is no central *receptionist*, therefore we are constantly getting calls for other reps and have to transfer transfer transfer - 1/2 in our office, 1/2 to the Rochester, NY office. "They" know when you phone is not active, so you have to stay ON whenever possible. The tracking of incoming and outgoing calls is very interesting! Recently, they implemented a system that they can record your calls - but you don't know it. On top of that, now they can also see what is on your computer screen while you are on that call. Talk about the *eye in the sky* !

Group Activities:
This gets very annoying for me. Someone is always organizing some little celebration for some stupid reason. One day each month, for instance, they have a *food day* and that is the birthday celebrations for the month. Yeah, I never participate. Recently, a co-worker sent around an e-mail that had a spreadsheet showing everyone's birthday grouped by month. My name was on the list with the wrong date. I kindly replied, "The date is wrong, but could you just remove me from the list, please". Oh boy....big time office drama! She replies with something like, "I was instructed to organize this list from our Manager....blah blah." Damn. So, I forwarded the msg to the Mgr (cc the chick, of course) with, "I hate to be difficult, but am requesting to be excluded from the birthday list. As a previous victim of indentity theft, my DOB is personal and private to me. Thank you for your understanding." It is true, actually! Yeah, no list for Robb.

There are so many other points I could go on about Cubicle Life. I will save them for later updates to go with single-incidents that amuse me (or frustrate me!).

Cheers!

Robb
jalapeno.mail@gmail.com

My first blogspot blog!

Hello, readers!

I will now begin re-posting blogs that I write on MySpace to:
www.thejalapenoblog.blogspot.com

Please send an e-mail to jalapeno.mail@gmail.com and you will be added to the notification list!

Thanks for reading!

Cheers!

Robb