Food will be Cheaper in 2009

One guarantee is that going to Restaurants should be cheaper as more compete for less. Already we are seeing this in fast food as well as in special "menus" being offered at some of the best places.

So far no signs of any fuel surcharges or even formal reduced prices on regular items even though costs for restaurants have fallen pretty dramatically since the middle of 2008.

Anyway - here is to a good and fine 2009.

Cheers

Reminder VOTE is you are a US Citizen.

This one matters. Get out there and do your duty.

Remember you get free coffee from Starbucks (all day after you have voted) and Ben & Jerrys. 5-8PM

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So what excuse do you have?

Cheers

Sorry haven't done a post in ages

Will write more soon - promise

When to start an airline - maybe now?

Listen to the Professor - he knows what he is talking about

http://iagblog.podomatic.com/entry/2008-06-20T10_13_11-07_00

Some Choices in PHX

I was recently in the Phoenix area and stayed at the Point at Squaw Peak. It is newly renovated and the old girl looks pretty good for her age.

The hotel is often a bargain as it is a mixture of convention and private leisure business. Thus they have times when they need to fill up. For a family vacation it can be a great bargain. This is especially true if you are from somewhat cold in the early part of the year. Air Fares to PHX from US Airways and Southwest ensure a competitive pricing. Contrast this with Tuscon and you can see the difference. It is actually even cheaper to fly to PHX and drive to TUS.

Here are some choices for restaurants:

Lanterra - OK nothing special 3 stars

Hole in the Wall - typical hotel fare - good breakfasts though 3 stars

My Big fat Greek - this is a small chain - great choice good food and great value for the family OPA!!! 4 stars

Grotto - Surprisingly a good find in Old Town Scottsdale. Go for the Pasta. Other items can be expensive. Fun Italian. 4 stars

Old Town Tortilla Factory. A great place for Mexican in Old Town Scottsdale. BOOK!!!
4 Stars.

Sam’s Grill. A great restaurant moderately priced in the upscale mall. The food was very good (and they let you take your dog!!!!) 4 stars.

The Staples - Best of

The Staples:

Pizza Restaurants.

Frankly I am not a fan of pizza restaurants. I hate the smell. If grates on my nerves especially if it’s a restaurant that is either old or not well kept. Also I like making pizza. Clearly not an economic decision but one of enjoyment. But which pizza do I like best? There are many. My favorite pizza restaurant of all time was one in London – the Chicago Pizza Pie Factory. Sadly no more but it introduced me to pizza. Up till that time I thought all pizza was thin and anemic with bad sausage, rancid cheese and bad tomatoes.

Best Pizza from a chain

Papa Murphy’s. I really like that you can see what it is and cook it yourself. I actually like going home and “adding” to it. Its pretty good.
Papa John’s – Also pretty good. Better than some of the others.

Specialist Pizza?

Wolf Gang Puck? No actually not. Frankly the best specialist pizza was in Rome. I don’t even remember the name but I can walk you there. East of the Colloseum. It was just awesome.

Hamburger

I am always on the hunt for a hamburger. There are not that many that are really good. Most of them are WAY too juicy because that is what people assume is wanted. The other way of course is that they are either burned to a crisp or a with the texture of leather. I have actually worked in a Macdonalds in London in the mid 70s. It was a heck of a lot of fun because the kids who worked there were mostly North Americans (Yanks and Canuks) who were earning a few pounds. What we used to do to the meat is of course a dirty secret that the Golden Arches corp would never like us to reveal. However I an tell you that I learned enough about hamburgers in the formula to make reasonable ones and how to cook them. Thus be careful what you teach! I secretly still like a Big Mac. But what I hate is the after taste and the mess. Its just pretty horrible. You think that they would have solved the problem by now. Or maybe that’s the allure. When I was growing up in England – my family once had a party. My father was a world traveler long before people did that sort of thing. His father too was a rover. He wanted to impress many of his friends who were coming by throwing a Barbeque. Unfortuantely in our little village no one had ever heard of a hamburger. The local butcher took it literally. We had a gross (12 dozen to you) HAM burgers – made of processed pork. They were really gross. We threw them all away.


So Best Hamburger?

My favorite hamburger of all time – Cassels in Los Angeles. Long gone – it was in the Mid Wilshire area near where I worked at Foote Cone and Belding/Honig. Or as we used to call it Foot Sore Bleeding and Horny. We used to go there for lunch.

Best Hamburger drive in? BurgerMeister in Seattle. A small chain of few but fun throwbacks to a bygone era. The hamburgers are actually pretty good. The fries are great, the shakes are made with real fruit. THE menu is simple. Its somewhat amusing to see boys and girls serving you and limping from snow boarding accidents they had that day!!!

Best MEAT

Best – I have always liked Smith and Wollinskys – I used to be near one in New York. That was inspiring as to what they could do with meat. However it seems somewhat weird to go to the plastic replicant version of itself in Las Vegas. Especially with that strange golden cow outside.

Best Ice Cream.

I love Ice Cream – it will be my downfall. There are so many good places. I can handle the entire range of them except for Chocolate and Coffee flavours. Best quality - Coldstone. Best flavors... so many! The French do it better than most despite what is said about Italian Gelato.

Etc etc

Restaurants - the grades

Restaurants are funny things. They are driven by factors that most of all sink into the background. We talk about the food but in reality why do we eat out or in… it surely isn’t because we are suffering from hunger – otherwise we would all eat at an all you can eat place.

So we eat for different reasons. – We LIKE the FOOD, We go for the ATMOSPHERE, we like the PEOPLE, we appreciate the WINE, in reality we are going to have a GOOD TIME. So when I go to a restaurant – I usually like to go where other people recommend. I am pretty easy going and I can just about enjoy anything – as long as the experience is shared. So in writing these reviews please bear that in mind. But I have been to restaurants with bad food and still have had a good time. I have been on planes and had reasonable food and a lousy time. If you are super opinionated or you need to be in control – then these reviews are not for you. But if you want to enjoy people and the experience – then I hope these reviews will help you.

How I grade///

I grade according to ultimately whether I had a good time. Individual elements contribute to it.

Grading will be therefore on a 5 star rating scale. This will cover all the elements mentioned.

I cannot promise to do this on a regular basis but will try and cover this on my travels. Frequently I will take a detour and go somewhere special. You will benefit!

Cheers

Timothy

Confirmed - Nationwide has shut down

Efforts will be mounted to restart Nationwide which has a large labor force but prospects look bleak at this point.

The South African HVC was unable to compete with the LCCs in its market - 1Time, Mango and Kulula. Despite making a good run. The delay in resolving the BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) element at a time when cashflow was critical finally crushed the carrier.

Of the 3 LCCs - we believe that Fly Mango (supported by Government funds) with the Orange Planes and Kulula with the lime green ones are well positioned with BEE concluded. 1Time with the red planes is also BEE as required by the aviation charter. However without the support of the ZA government, it has found itself hard pressed with a gas guzzler of a fleet. Still strict adherence to the LCC model is sustaining them.

Fuel Claims Another Victim - Nationwide South Africa Stops Flying

According to reports coming from South Africa - Nationwide Airlines the low cost airline serving Domestic South Africa main markets, Lusaka in Zambia and a 4x a week JNB-LGW service has stopped flying from mid day today.

As yes these reports are not officially confirmed but you cannot reach their call center.

With a largely old fleet the airline has been severely impacted by the fuel price surge. Last year one of their older planes had an interesting mishap when an engine seperated from the aircraft just after takeoff. The airline was grounded for some time until checks were made.

There have been numerous airlines that have shut down in the last 12 months. Fuel cost has been the largest culprit.

So you think you paid too much for that meal?

I love food and the restaurant business is a lot of fun. What I have never really understood is the business model for restaurants. Well here is a little insight.

TAO Las Vegas at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino has been named the highest-grossing independently owned restaurant in the U.S. for the second year running by Restaurants & Institutions magazine: The restaurant reported food and beverage sales totaling $66.6 million in 2007, up 20% from 2006. Tao Las Vegas bested second place finisher, New York's Tavern on the Green, by almost $30 million, and it did so with a dining room that seats 400 -- Tavern on the Green's dining room seats 1,500.

So now you know

Cheers!

The Heavenly Bed... but which one is best - a Critique of Hotel Bedss

Like many travelers I spend a lot of time in hotels and on the road.

The chain hotels have been touting their special beds.

The best bed is a matter of preference. As you cannot have a standard one size fits everyone nor is it economic to offer flexibility. The hotels have tried to tackle the problem a number of ways. Some offer different pillows – all have spent a long time looking at the type of bed that will give the best sleep.
Westin started the ball rolling, touting its Heavenly Bed in 1999, emphasizing that the mattress was created just for the chain. Just for comparison - I HATE cushy squashy beds. I also prefer not to sleep with more than 1 pillow's height. So here are my assessment of some of the top beds. And yours? Let me know.

Marriott - multiple stays – The Marriott Bed - a great bed. Good Passing Grade (P)
Hyatt – Grand Bed – Good Passing Grade (P)
Intercontinental – Not yet. – Individual brands in IHG are not really working on a better bed. Ugh – the last few I have stayed at have not been good
Hilton – The Hilton Serenity Bed – I hate this bed. It is just awful Way to squishy for my taste. (P)
Fairmont – great bed – Good Passing Grade (P only for the linens).
Westin – the best! – Heavenly Bed – While not quite as good as when it started – the few times I have stayed at a Westin – the sleep has been good. This is my pick (P)
Sheraton – The same as the Westin.
Radisson – The Sleep Number Bed – a great bed once you get the hang of it. A Good Passing Grade (P) – although you just missed the special $500 off deal.
Of course many of the beds in Las Vegas are pretty good.
I really like some of the discount brands. Hilton Garden Inn, Hyatt Place are two that come to mind.

(P) means you can buy it!!!!

For a great comparison of beds go to the T&L website (Link below)

So hotels - PLEASE do a good job in this. All travelers from Road Warriors to once a year visit aunt Mabel visitors need a good nights sleep.

Shortly to come - aka Coming Soon

A brand new blog from the private archives of the Professor.

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