(No) Love & (All) War in Texas

www.loveandwarintexas.com
Plano, Texas

You go in. You are skeptical. But, the friends meeting you have the utmost confidence in their dining choice for the evening. And then, it all begins to unravel.

First, the seemingly friendly waitress is impossible to find. Momentary relapse of glimmering hope when yummy appetizer arrives. Back to the disarray that is quickly becoming the tone of evening. Second, enough time passes that we begin to decorate our table for Christmas 2011. Third, owner/general manager arrives of his own accord to "introduce" himself and deliver our entrees partnered with our salads. Lovely. Fourth, steak cooked incorrectly, could have predicted that one.

I could go on and number all of the evenings' incidents but you have other things to do. Let's just say the food was marginal, the waitress would never come back to take drink orders, the owner/general manager who seemed so concerned initially had to be asked over again at the end of our meal and we had to ask for him four times. He was enjoying his own beverage in the bar. Awesome. When we did nicely explain that the time was the biggest concern of the evening, the only thing he offered was a free round. Not enough friend. Then he proceeded to take twenty measly dollars off of our $150 bill. Yikes sir, you aren't going to make it, let's just get this out there.

In conclusion, stay away from Love & War in Texas. Unless you like slow service, sub par food, and weird surroundings. In that case, I can't help you.

Goodfellas Woodfired Pizza

Plano, TX
(Just South of 121 on Preston; on the EAST side of Preston)

NYC has its charms. And its reputations. Maybe you haven't heard about the curt personalities rumored to dominate the Eastern seaboard. It's not necessarily true but it is the word on the street.

Good news, the people at Goodfellas Woodfired Pizza in Plano take that rumor to the next level! Not only is the service atrocious, the pizza is sub-par at best. My mom was in town and we took the boys there for lunch at an off time, 2pm. The hostess was fine, not overly friendly but not overly rude either. The waitress, whose name we were never given, was distracted, inept, and without any sense of urgency. You would think in an area dominated by restaurants and being one of two tables with customers in the restaurant, we would be treated a little better. Not so much. The owner himself was tossing pizzas which seemed like a good sign. After being told we couldn't have bread for my one year old, flighty-mc-flighterson waitress lady brought some out like she was doing us some kind of favor.

Aside from the terrible service, the pizza itself was mediocre. There are many other places in the Metroplex that serve a better piece of pie. Better crust, better ingredients, better everything. So, needless to say, save yourself the trip and skip Goodfellas. If all of that didn't convince you then walking out of the restaurant, the owner was walking in and looked right at us without a thank you or good day. Too bad for you buddy, we're out.

The Sweatshirt & Jeans Test

Note to Colorado friends: This does not apply to you since the entire state populace lives permanently in above outfit description. Please disregard.

Try this. Throw on your jeans and a sweatshirt and head to your favorite shopping center, the non-ghetto kind. Willow Bend and the Galleria are great but if you're really up for it, head over to Northpark Center.

I guarantee what you will find 80% of the time is a lack of customer service. GUARANTEED. Why you ask? Because the hourly retail workers (which is only a derogatory term when said individuals behave as follows) are sure you can't and won't buy anything. Not only that, they have been trained to think it's acceptable to act like they are better than the paying customer.
And who have they been trained by? YOU. That's right. By continuing to shop there, continuing not to say anything, and continuing to be over the top nice to the sales associate in hopes they acknowledge you, you have said their behavior is OK.

Normally there are exceptions to the rule. Stores like Nordstrom have a reputation to be un-Neimans-like but recently, I have found that not to be the case. The Nordstrom at the Galleria is beginning to bare an ugly resemblance to the Neimans at Northpark. Yikes people. Just like I am happy to tell you how wonderful the sales associate at Michaels (Park & Plano Pkwy) was this evening, I will no longer hesitate to challenge you to change what is acceptable behavior from people who are there because you are spending money with them. Do not diminish the importance of being friendly, always, and never snooty, but do not continue to enable this embarrassment in retail.

As the valued customer, you have the right to spend your money where it is deserved AND to wear what you want while doing so. As the employee who wants a job with a company that has not gone under due to lack of sales, you have the responsibility to earn your customers' business and never make assumptions about people based on their appearance. That older gentleman in overalls did just in fact pay cash for a new Lincoln... you just never know.

Another lost art, apparently.

Where I grew up in Colorado there were two choices for grocery shopping. Just two. Both were statewide companies, even nationwide under parent names at that point, and maybe a mom & pop joint here and there. Being that my mom is one of the great American housewives, I have many memories of going grocery shopping. Things I don't remember about those trips are having trouble finding a time when somebody would sack our groceries for us or being able to consistently find good produce that didn't break the bank.

We have fallen on sad times. I live smack dab next to a Tom Thumb. I mean, I could walk there if I lived in a place where people did such things. Amazingly enough, in the three years we've lived here, the staff there has been the same which is saying something. Their day time produce staff is beyond friendly and genuinely so. The store manager must never go home because he is always there as all. All fine and dandy.

What's NOT fine and dandy people is the following. No matter what time of day or night, it is near impossible to get somebody to sack your groceries for you. The self checkout thing is not the best when shopping with two children and $150 worth of groceries which automatically exempts you from the express line. The only other one open. (*Note: the express line is always operated by a woman who was definitely alive when God was a boy, no kidding.)

Before you have an opportunity to sack your own stuff, please be leery of the produce department at this Tom Thumb. Don't let the nice staff distract you from your goal! I have a little tally going and the last THIRTEEN times I was in this store for produce at least TWO different produce sections had moldy items in them. I mentioned it, very discreetly, to my least favorite produce gal (the guys there are much friendlier) and she just said, "OK". Not thank you, not sorry, nothing! She didn't care because at the end of her shift, she gets to clock out, and take home a paycheck every two weeks. No ownership! Ok, I feel better.

I want to be able to run into Tom Thumb for last minute items and whimsical recipe ingredients that I hadn't planned on. They have lost my regular business at this location forever. It will be an emergency if I go there. Unfortunately the one stop shopping thing is not happening for me. I now visit Target for some items and then a separate trip to Central Market for others. Ugh. So Mr Tom Thumb, while I want to give you my business, you have made it perfectly clear you do not want it. So hello vinegar category for you. Spend your money wisely ladies, eventually if we all do, they'll catch on.

Steinmart; I should know better

Steinmart
Belt Line Rd & Preston

Before you judge me for even going into Steinmart, know that I like to find fabulous gifts at random places. Not that that excuses it, but just so you know.

It makes me sad to write my first "Vinegar" entry. I don't know why. I know there is poor customer service out there, but I'm always hoping for the best, thinking each day is a new day in the world of the gracious consumer. Long story short, I went to Steinmart with my five year old to find a dear friend a birthday gift. My five year old is an excellent shopping companion and since my hubby was home, we left his one year old brother with Dad! Quality time just the two of us, jamming out to his play list in the car, in search of a fab gift for my friend.

Steinmart was the third place we went into and even though it was Friday afternoon, it wasn't that busy. Despite not being greeted at the door, which didn't surprise me, I had high hopes of finding something. Through the women's department we were completely ignored but one sales associate, then another in accessories, and by the time we got to the home department I was done. My guy was being a champ, staying right by me and using his best manners. Then in a tight spot in the home department, an associate squeezed by us and we BOTH said "excuse me" and she said NOTHING!!! As much as I wanted to, I said nothing. I told my son, in a louder voice, that he had excellent manners and isn't it sad that not everyone does?

I did find the gift and even though I didn't want to give them any money, we were short on time. So, I paid the checkout gal, who was friendly enough, and left. It has really bothered me all weekend but I figure this was the best I could do. Put it out there so none of you give them your hard earned money. And if you're thinking, Austin, I don't EVER shop at Steinmart, then you were right all along.