New Orleans To Go - Cincinnati - Great Business!

I dump too much. I also write too little. Still have a pending update on several brilliant restaurant experiences.

But let's forget all of that for now - except the brilliant restaurants! A week or two ago (okay, February - I don't write enough), Mrs. Shambles, Irish Dancer, and I were out west of 75 off of 275 and found this place. Aah, this place.

It's called New Orleans To Go and - damn - it's authentic.

The gentleman who owns it is not from New Orleans. But his wife is. The cook is. His mother-in-law is. There are probably 25 seats in the place, but if you're going in for a sit-down, it's as comfortable as home.

A large menu on the wall lines up your options, including the recently-added cocktail list. Prices generally range from $5 to $15 for your meals, depending on the complexity and girth.

So aside from all the logistics, how is it? It's fricking amazing.

I had the 1/2 & 1/2 po boy (oysters and shrimp) with everything, which means lettuce, tomato, mayo. Mrs Shambles had the special Shrimp Etouffee. Irish Dancer had some fried shrimp as she was picky that evening.

Did I mention amazing? My po boy was hot, fresh, delicious, and served with both speed and personality by the owner himself, as were all our plates. Mrs. Shambles said she's never had an etouffee as tasty. And Irish Dancer actually asked if she could have another order. Mrs. Shambles and I both stopped short and took some of our meal home - just so we could experience it again the next day.

All in all, with taste, price, personality, and comfort, this is a serious 5/5. It's not white cloth napkin, but places that feel like home never are.

Keep it up!

Tycoon Harry's: Quality Men's Grooming

Good Business! Good Business! Good Business!

As promised, All Business, Good & Bad will be dealing not just with poor businesses or disappointing customer service, but experiences that require superlatives.



The first of these is Tycoon Harry's in Mariemont (Cincinnati), Ohio. As you can see from that graphic, it says "Grooming for Men." That's right: Tycoon Harry's is a full-service Men's Salon.

Yes, I am straight. In today's modern world, men are finally starting to turn from their stressful lives to find that they, too, deserve some pampering, need some pampering; a barber just doesn't do it any more. Which is exactly what went through my mind when I decided I needed to cut a couple inches cut of my mop, face clients like a respectable member of society, and basically get all "clean cut" for "The Man."

The Owner, Jennifer, was my stylist, and greeted me warmly and took me right on time for my appointment. I didn't have a very clear image - or preference - on what I wanted the cut to look like, so after some discussion on the purpose of my drastic change, I left it in her capable hands. I was not disappointed.

The first step was to get rid of a good bit of my hair (incidentally, there was another gentleman there at the same time as I was getting even more hair cut off than I was), so right to the chair for the chopping. Conversation, which can sometimes be so automated or even unbearable, was gentle and genuine throughout the process. After the primary cut, we went over to the basin and I got an excellent wash and conditioning with Crew's Green Tea line, and - damn! - let's just say when I have some more expendable income, I'm going back for that product.

After the wash and conditioning, I struggled to stay awake as a steaming towel warmed my face and blocked out everything else. The following brief neck and shoulder massage relaxed me even further. Jennifer led me - at this point, putty - back to the cutting chair where she fine-tuned my cut and trimmed my apparently-advancing eyebrows. When we were completed there, because I was having a rough week or she was pushing for overwhelming impression, I was offered a sample manicure. Jessica and I chatted with each other while she tended to my cuticles, filed, and buffed to a high shine. The full treatment includes a hand/arm massage.

When I was done, I was wonderfully relaxed and in a much happier state of mind. And the whole treatment cost me only the $25 for the haircut. Except for the manicure, all the extra pampering in included in the price. I left a decent tip for both ladies and walked out the door simply feeling better about being alive.

Seriously, for any men rolling their eyes at me right now: a little pampering, a little time to allow someone else to take control and take your mind off the world can change your outlook for days. Days.

The women at Tycoon Harry's deserve every accolade available to male pampering. They offer a full range of services from the basic cut and coloring to manicures, pedicures, facials, and waxing. All prices are listed on their site. The environment is clean, professional, and relaxing.

Bottom Line: As opposed to not thinking about where I'm going to get my next haircut, I am very much looking forward to returning to Tycoon Harry's and wondering only if I'll be adding a full manicure or a facial next time.

Proactiv Solution - Good and Bad

About 4 weeks ago, I ordered the 3-piece Proactiv Solution comprising of the cleanser, astringent, and lotion. As a man of slightly over 30, I realized several years ago that when they told us in high school that skin problems usually drop off for men around 20 that they were fucking lying. I'm by no means a pizza face, but have always had a couple small blemishes on a regular basis. Time to make them go away.

The Good
Proactiv Solution is amazing! After a little fine-tuning (I only use it once a day and add supplementary moisturizer to avoid excessive dryness), my skin is perfect and has been so for over a week. Not a spot or blemish or hint of such. Yay!

The Bad


Note to Proactiv: If your product bleaches fabric, you might want to mention that someplace other than in the absurdly small print under the directions label that's virtually impossible to remove, let alone read. I lost 2 shirts and a towel in the first couple days.

The Ugly
Today I noticed my bank account was overdrawn. Why? You guessed it: Proactiv took it upon themselves to - without notification - ship me more product and charge my card which is attached to my account.

When I signed up, there was no language or any warning that I was joining a recurring subscription. When I called customer service, they explained that "it says on the internet" that I was creating an account and that constituted a membership.

Okay, maybe, but I have a membership to half a dozen email newsletters; I have a membership to Web MD; I have a membership to Technorati. These things cost me nothing. The point I'm making is that in the world of quick internet sign-ups, the word "membership" can and often does mean nothing more than "now you have a login to our site and we might sell your email address."

There is nothing implicit or explicit in the meaning of the word to imply that they would charge me automatically for more product. And genuine give-a-shit-ness for the customer would at least warrant a notification email, a reminder that: hey, in a week, we're going to send that automatic shipment you signed up for whether or not you knew that for sure. Heck, they even allow you to manage exactly how long you would like between shipments.

Because of this, the statement must be made: Proactiv Solution engages in misleading and shady consumer practices. Be aware that your "membership" implies automatic shipments and charges without so much as a fart in your direction. No warning. No email. No regard. And it bleaches your clothes.

The Verdict
Proactiv Solution probably makes tons of money due to its shady practices, and I think that's what pisses me off the most. They don't need to. They have an amazing product that does exactly what they say it does: clears up blemished skin to near or at perfection.

So I'll write an official complaint to customer service. I'll point them to this blog. But I'll keep using the product, probably even keep the shipment they have in transit. Why not? It's an amazing product.

But Proactiv: why all the shady?

UPDATE: Since my primary post, I've received some great comments on the post. I've also seen a huge improvement in my red cheeks. A little background: I have keretosis pilaris rubri facii. The first two words mean that I get clogged-pore bumps on my upper arms and thighs. The second two words mean that it's the form of the skin disorder that causes ruddy cheeks. I've had noticeably red cheeks since I was a child and only now - at 32 - has Proactiv anti-flushed them to match the rest of my skin. A minor miracle.

Coming soon: Does Proactiv work on my arms? Watch out non-white clothing!

TGI Friday's Menu/Portion Shenanigans

Monday evening, my family and I went out to TGI Friday's, the Cincinnati/Hyde Park, OH location. The food was excellent and the Guinness (although somewhat flat) was $2 for some 12-14 ounces. Delicious.

Let's let the complaint letter do the talking:

While we usually have a very pleasant experience at TGI Friday's, this past Monday my wife, daughter, and I were quite disappointed in both a menu issue and how it was handled. My wife ordered the Cajun Shrimp and Pasta, pointing to the menu entry on the page with the salads. That entry was listed at $8.99. When the bill came, the meal was listed at $12.99. When questioned about the discrepancy, our waitress simply said "Well, I didn't know you wanted that size." We did not speak with the manager because this is a national/menu issue as well as one of poor service.

I appreciate that you are trying to help America get over its need for absurd portion sizes with your "Right Size" options, but from this angle, it looks more like a gimmick. The same food at different portions (and costs) appears on different pages. When ordering, the waitress did not even pause to ask which size was being ordered. And when we questioned her, the correct answer: "I apologize; allow me to correct that because I forgot to ask which size you wanted," did not even pass through her mind. Is this how you train your staff?

This is not a new game where a restaurant might get confused on how this new-fangled idea of smaller food might work: Both Applebee's and Olive Garden offer half and full portions, listed on the same page, and their servers always ask. Friday's has executed in a way that can only appear manipulative.

Aside from the menu and service issues, you also have a problem on your website. On this contact sheet, I cannot click ANY of the required fields to enter information. If I did not have the web savvy to tab through all the fields until it cycled through the browser and back to the page, I would not have been able to send this email. But, when combined with the above issues, one must question whether or not this is simply a purposeful deception.

If you so desire, you may view a copy of this communication at http://poorshowing.blogspot.com/2007/06/tgi-fridays-menuportion-shenanigans.html along with any updates or responses I might receive from you.

Thank you for your time,
Ricky Shambles

We were horribly disappointed and the intertubes trickery only compounded it. Luckily, with a new town we have much more to experience and explore than the regular chain restaurants. While comforting at some level, the ability to get the same food the same way wherever you go stinks of mundaneness. Where's the adventure in that?

As always, updates from corporate will be posted here.

6/14 UPDATE:
I just received a call from TGI Friday's Corporate! The woman on the phone didn't really introduce herself, but said she was from Corporate and wanted to address the email I sent into the company. I went over the story again, clarifying that it was the organization of the menu compounded with the misunderstanding and inaction of the server that made it a poor experience. She apologized, making sure that I understood that that was not the way the server should have handled the situation and wishing a manager had been brought in to correct it. She also wanted to make sure that the food was in good order: it was fine. Wait, no: It was up to the quality that we've come to expect while dining at TGI Friday's.

She said that they are going to send a letter of apology along with vouchers that can be used at any of their locations, as well as pass the concerns and suggestions on to upper management.

Yay! TGI Friday's gets a Quick Response Award which directly tips the scales (with vouchers) to an I'll Be Back Award.

Good show, TGI Friday's.