Indian Customer Service -- the Tata Indicom Way

Tata Indicom
Tata Teleservices (M) Ltd
Ispat House, B G Kher Marg
Worli, Mumbai

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Those of you who have never done business in India may enjoy this quick story. Those of you who have or are doing business in India will empathize. We recently ordered telephone service from Tata Indicom, an Indian provider of wireless telephones. We needed the number quickly since we had people waiting to receive and utilize the phones. We were promised 48 hour turnaround.

Our orders were considered complete over two weeks ago, during the third week of July, and since that time we have been calling several times a day to inquire as to their whereabouts. Every day we are told, in essence, that the phones are to arrive, and every day, there is some reason the phones have not. Last Friday, we were told the phones did not arrive "because the rains were heavy," a few days prior to that we were told that the "go down" (the common Indian term for warehouse or distribution center) was flooded, while today were were informed that additional paperwork needed to be completed. Amitava Das, MK's Vice President for India, Amitabh Devendra, MK's Strategic Advisor for India, and Jacob Purackal, MK's Senior Manager for India have all been involved in the hunt for the Tata phones, consuming nearly a hundred hours of corporate time. As of today, August 6, 2007, no phones.

Earlier today, we were told by Dinesh Yadav, the "Sales Executive" at Tata Indicom that someone needed to be at my residential address to sign and deliver additional paperwork. Having had people waiting at my apartment for Tata in the past, we offered to travel from the office to the apartment on the condition that the phones be ready and waiting for us. Mr. Yadav refused, stating that surely the phones would be delivered after this latest round of document requests and wondering why we doubted his assertions. We decided to speak with Mr. Yadav's supervisor, Sachin Kulekar a "Manager" at Tata Indicom, who informed us that he did not care that we very dissatisfied with Tata and needed help. In effect, we were informed that customer satisfaction and prompt delivery of promised products was no longer part of Tata Indicom's mission.

So, if you are considering telephone service in the Mumbai area, and receiving a phone number and phone equipment is important to you, consider avoiding Tata Indicom. While Tata products and services are still considering reliable in India, Tata Indicom and its Mumbai sales and service operation failed more completely than any other service provider I have dealt with in recent memory. Timely and reliable service remains a scarce commodity here in India -- Tata Indicom's failures, coming from a well respected Indian conglomerate, while perhaps not unexpected, were truly disappointing nonetheless.

We are off to Reliance, a competitor, to see if we fare any better. Stay tuned.

Pet Friendly Hotels - New York City

Bringing the pooch along for a short jaunt to the City can be a challenge. While some hotels are beginning to realize that pets need homes too when they travel with their humans, many hotels still do not allow them. So, to help enable pet travel, I have started compiling a list of hotels that accept dogs in New York. This list is not complete (I will add to it as I verify more hotels) -- it is merely a resource to guide you as you travel to New York with your four legged best friend.

Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Times Square
1033 Avenue of the Americas
New York , NY 10018
Phone: 1-212-768-0007
Fax: 1-212-938-0180

Pets are welcome -- there is a $100 cleaning fee per stay for the pet. Let the front desk know upon check-in that you have a pet. No special reservation is needed. (Based on 7/21/2007 call)

Austrian Airlines - Business Class - Kurt Waldheim's Pride

Austrian Airlines - Service To Make Kurt Waldheim Proud

Business Class – New York – Vienna – Mumbai

John F. Kennedy Airport
Bldg 56 Terminal 1
Jamaica NY 11430

800-843-0002

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I started writing this post several months ago. The long overdue death of Austrian President Kurt Waldheim reminded me to finish my tribute to Austrian Airlines Business Class. Kurt Waldheim, you may remember, was the Nazi sympathizer and soldier who hid his past to become UN Secretary General in the 70s. Even after his past as a Nazi soldier was revealed in the 1980s, a willing Austria elected this spectacle of a man to be its President. Austrians apparently had little desire to be told that a Nazi should not be the leader of a modern country.

My earliest memory of business class travel was with my parents when I was a child. I remember that we were traveling to San Francisco to attend a conference a training seminar in Sausalito. At the time, my dad was the President of Das Consulting, Inc., an engineering software company that developed structural engineering software to analyze buildings, bridges and structures of all types. How my father – the man whose inability to program a VCR still baffles me – theorized, calculated, programmed and developed a complex mathematically based computer program that saves engineers hundreds of hours in their quest to develop and design bolder and safer structures remains, to this day, a mystery. My bewilderment notwithstanding, I digress.

My memory of my family’s United Airlines business class experience, though over twenty years ago, reminds me of what the promise of aviation – and that of refined air travel once was. Justin Shull, a dear friend of mine, now himself a pilot for Continental Airlines Express, told me a few years ago that bringing the romanticism of air travel back to the industry was one of his long term career goals. While any romanticism of air travel has left the world of economy or coach class travel quite some time ago, at least in the United States and much of Europe, I held hope that long haul carriers would justify the significant premium that business class travel bears over coach by providing an atmosphere that was welcoming and enticing.

Alas, my hopes of finding that atmosphere on Austrian Airlines were dashed each time I flew the airline over the past few months. I originally decided to fly Austrian because it is part of the Star Alliance, a network of airlines associated with United Airlines and Lufthansa. I had recently switched to the Star Alliance because the hundreds of thousands of Northwest/KLM miles I still have in my account are virtually useless. If you plan to travel on the miles you earn on Northwest and KLM, be prepared to book one year in advance, and even then, be prepared to pay for your flight. Better not to have miles than to not be able to use the ones you earn, I think. My dad has had much better luck redeeming miles on United (Star Alliance), so I decided to make the switch myself. Austrian’s business class to India from the US, was available for around $4,000, a decent price compared to other options at the time. My first flight on Austrian was actually operated by Lauda, an aging affiliate airline which is part of the Austrian family. The seats on my first flight, from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, were cramped and old. Proving that even lackluster airlines have some standouts, my first flight on Austrian was actually bearable because of the decent service. Alas, subsequent flights would not be so commendable.

To be honest, it is not that the equipment that Austrian runs between New York and Mumbai is awful. With the exception of the Lauda operated flight (which I was led to believe was an exception), the airline uses mostly reconfigured Boeing 767 planes for the New York – Vienna – Mumbai route. The seats come in two varieties: some are the Austrian “pod” design seats that have a partial cocoon encompassing each seat and good seat adjustment controls and decent room around each seat, while the older design is a more standard seat.

The food, too, was decent. The fare on the New York to Vienna route was European, with an excellent assortment of breads, fruits and cheeses. Being Austrian, an extensive list of coffees is also available on each flight. The flight from Vienna to Mumbai had some Indian fare, which was unspectacular but decent.

The downfall for Austrian, in my opinion, is the service. Service can best be described as arrogant. Hospitality – with the exception of the Lauda flight – was hard to find, and especially hard to find if you weren’t white. On my last flight with Austrian, from Vienna to New York, I remember recalling how bad I was treated compared to other white passengers near me. Alas, a smile and a drink offering to a European passenger in the seat in front of me because a scowl and stern statement when the flight attendant came to me. Those who were not rude were actively indifferent to my needs. I noticed the same treatment being afforded the other person of color a few rows from me.

While I can’t say that Austrian is the worst in any single category, the level of service – and in particular, the disparity in service based on one’s background or race – makes it an unworthy carrier for my travel dollar. Kurt Waldheim would have been proud.

Kingfisher Airlines - Business Class - Puffery in the Skies

Kingfisher Airlines Limited
Kingfisher House,
Western Express Highway. Vile Parle (E)
Mumbai 400057
Tel: 022 2626 2200
Fax: 022 5502 0625

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I have not traditionally written airline reviews. There are many reasons for this, but primarily because most US airlines are some version of awful. Jetblue, in my opinion, now stands out in this regard because it is generally both the low cost carrier on any particular route and the service leader. Last week's meltdown in Jetblue's service levels, on account of severe weather, notwithstanding. Until about a decade ago, the same could have been said about airlines in India. Only one domestic carrier, Indian Airlines, dominated the Indian skies. Old planes, sloppy food and poor service dominated the sector. This changed with the advent of Jet Airways. Jet brought new planes, impeccable service, and on-time performance to a country where bad airplane service had been the norm for years.

The advent of Jet Airways in India ushered in a new era of air transport. Jet Airways changed the current landscape in Indian aviation. More recently, with the explosive growth of the Indian middle class and the large class of young and financial empowered Indian, airlines such as Kingfisher, Go Air, Air Deccan, and SpiceJet have ushered a new era of low cost flight options to the Indian skies. Kingfisher, in economy class, is in the middle of the pack for fares but promises to offer passengers a spectacular flight experience. Dr. Vijay Mallya, the flamboyant chairman of the airline and owner of United Breweries, the company that brews and sells Kingfisher beer, a popular Indian ale, invites passengers to fly the "Good Times" aboard his airline. The reference is unmistakably to enjoying his beers and women (he calls his flight attendants "flying models"). The irony is that Indian civil air regulations prohibit the consumption of alcohol on all domestic flights!

I flew Kingfisher quite a few times when it first launched. The planes were brand new, the generally attractive female flight attendants were well dressed in Kingfisher red skirts and jackets, and the service levels were high, both on the ground and in the air. The seats, on the other hand, were lackluster. To keep rates low, Kingfisher crammed in as many rows as it could. The result was a claustrophobic feel when seated. Reclining one's seat meant causing someone behind a shocking loss of personal space.

Kingfisher recently added a large business class cabin, called Kingfirst. Molinaro Koger's Assistant Vice President for India, Pranav R. Bhakta, and I decided to try this new service. We had booked ourselves in economy (Kingfisher Class, as the airline calls it) but paid personally to upgrade our seats. We flew on flight 309 from Mumbai to Delhi . The seats themselves are spacious and there is substantial room between rows (quite rare and nice on a domestic flight). Most business class features except for lie-flat and massage options were available on the chairs. The video display units were seemingly designed by prison inmates who sought to chuckle at the free world's inability to extract the units from storage. The following short review is excerpted from a letter I wrote to Dr. Mallya, the chairman of the airline. The video clip that plays ad nauseam on the airline, shows Dr. Mallya inviting personal comments on service to which he promises personal responses. Ahh, promises... Dr. Mallya's form response to my letter -- sigh -- is also attached.

Kingfisher gets high marks for the space given to their business class guests. Much else remains (food quality, drink selection, maintenance of equipment, attention to detail), however, before it can truly be called a first-rate business class service.

LETTER EXCERPTS

I must admit some disappointment with our experience on Kingfisher. While I do believe that the airline has done a great job with the airline in general, we were especially disappointed by our experiences in your business class cabin. First, neither my nor my traveling companion's video display units worked. We were offered the option to move to other seats. Upon inspection, we found that some other seats had malfunctioning or non-functioning units as well. Not wanting to be bothered with hunting for an operating display and having work to do, I decided not to move.

Our experience with your meal service was not much better. We recently arrived in Mumbai on Austrian Airways business class. While I have never been a huge fan of Western European airlines' meal services, our experiences on Austrian were quite exemplary for food. The food was well prepared, well presented and generally very palatable. While the lack of wine or beer service while in-flight is disappointing here in India, that is not something Kingfisher or any other carrier can do anything about at the moment. My food experiences on Kingfisher early last year -- prior to the launch of your Kingfisher First service -- were generally positive. When we arrived on board for flight 309, neither Pranav nor I had eaten lunch and were quite ready for a meal. I had told Pranav that my food experienced on Kingfisher had been positive and that we could expect decent fare. However, the meals we ordered and received, a salmon preparation as I recall, was thoroughly unappetizing. It arrived as if it had just been taken out of a frozen food container, reheated, then slathered with a red gravy of some sort. It did not taste different than its appearance would dictate.

I had a few other general comments that I won't your time recounting. I did not email you to list a litany of complaints. Again, I fully support the mission of your airline and your vision in effectuating it. Kingfisher has been part of a revolution in Indian air travel, one that promotes and enhances many aspects of life in India, including the hospitality industry of which I am a part. Rather, I thought I would share the experiences of two fairly seasoned travelers. We are perhaps the more demanding air travelers -- but when we are satisfied, we also become brand apostles who talk about our experiences, experiences that others make purchase decisions based upon.

Thank you for taking the time to review my comments. I hope you will take them in the constructive manner in which they were intended.

KINGFISHER FORM RESPONSE

Dear Abhijeet,

Thank you for your gracious e-mail of 22 February, giving me feedback on your experience of Kingfisher First, when you and your colleague Mr. Bhakta, flew IT 309 from Mumbai to Delhi. I have invited feedback from guests who fly Kingfisher Airlines as I firmly believe that firsthand feedback is the true indicator of the performance of my airline; I therefore appreciate the time and trouble you have taken to send me your inputs and your suggestions.

Abhijeet, I have created Kingfisher First specially for my guests with developed tastes and a desire for the very best in life. I have put in a lot of time and energy to transform an air journey into a superlative flying experience, so that you can enjoy the finest flying experience in the Indian skies. However, I am concerned to learn that your First experience was not all that it could have been and I do regret that you were disappointed.

I also appreciate your suggestions on the areas of our service that need attention.

Please accept my apologies that the video display unit at your seat was inoperative, and you were therefore unable to enjoy this feature of our service. I also note your feedback on the quality of food served on your flight, and regret that we were unable to meet your expectations here as well. We care about the quality of food we serve on our flights, and constantly strive to achieve consistency in this area of our service. We believe that our guests have every right to expect the highest standard of catering at all times; we also pay close attention to what our Guests tell us. I have therefore shared your feedback with our caterers to ensure our guests have a truly gourmet experience when they fly with us.

I agree that consistent levels of service have to be provided to all our guests on Kingfisher First and I apologise that we have been found wanting in this area. I know that there is a need for continuous improvement in the quality of product and service offered at every level, and I welcome your inputs. Please rest assured that I will also put in place the necessary corrective actions to ensure that my guests on Kingfisher First enjoy a truly superlative experience on board as well as on the ground.

Once again, thank you for your good wishes, and for your genuine interest in the success of Kingfisher Airlines. I look forward to welcoming you on board the “Good Times” again.

Cheers !

Dr. Vijay Mallya, MP
Chairman & CEO
Kingfisher Airlines Ltd.,
A UB Group Company

A revised history: Otto Frank and the Dixie Chicks

A friend of mine recently sent me a copy of a New York Times editorial, dated February 13, 2007 entitled "The Courage of Others’ Convictions." (Incidentally, I attended a Dixie Chicks concert with this friend, Ellen Downes, at her request, last year). The editorial discussed how the music industry's Grammy awards to the Dixie Chicks came several years late. I share the editors beliefs that the Dixie Chicks faced an unusually un-American barrage of hatred for exercising their rights to free speech and expression. The industry's award makes me think of another period in our collective history that bears remembering: the Holocaust and the revision of history that followed.

It has always been clear that history is written by the victors. These victors are often those who never had the courage to be leaders, but rather rode waves of convenience and popularity. I was reading a New York Times article about the recent discovery of a file containing Otto Frank's increasingly desperate letters to his American friends trying to get his family out of Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation. Otto Frank, of course, was the father of Anne Frank, whose diary has informed generations of the individual and personal tragedies that formed together to form the tragedy of the Holocaust. The file, owned by the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research remained buried in a warehouse in Jersey until a recent clerical error led to its discovery.

In the file, Frank writes to Nathan Straus, the director of the federal housing authority at the time, and a personal friend of Eleanor Roosevelt and son of the co-owner of the Macy’s department store asking for any possible assistance to help his family reach America. If there was anyone in the world who should have been able to help, it would have been someone like Straus. He was, after all, an American, and a well connected one at that. We Americans, of course, are proud to take credit as the victors in WWII. Yet, as Frank's letters painfully demonstrate, Americans were rather complicit in failing to prevent the deaths of so many Jews during that period. Getting into the United States -- because of the State Department's polices at the time -- became a insurmountable hurdle for the people who most needed the lifeline that America might have provided. The State Department regulations changed constantly, often contradicting policies promulgated only days before. It seems clear that all of the obstacles were designed towards stemming the flow of refugees from Europe during that period.

The story, as we all know, did not end well. Near the end of the file, there was a note that “Mrs. Edith Frank died; daughters are still missing.” In the last entry in the file, a letter from a friend of Otto Frank informs that “Otto Frank said he wants to stay in Amsterdam” and no longer wants to come to the United States. Of course, after the war ended, Americans were pronounced the benevolent victors who wiped the scourge of Nazi terror from Europe. No doubt Americans deserved the praise, but the history is not that simple.

The Dixie Chicks have now received delayed recognition of the ordeal they faced after criticizing President Bush and his misguided Iraq war policy. The music industry will surely now claim the courage that the Dixie Chicks displayed for themselves, and perhaps, even belatedly, they should. But, much like Americans after WWII, the story is not a simple one. Had the United States been more open to the plight of European Jews during WWII, our history may in fact have been much different. Perhaps, even, millions of lives saved. Similarly, had the music industry -- and even our country -- been more receptive to dissent during our rush into Iraq, our history may well have been different. The horrors of WWII and the Holocaust are slowly beginning to fade from our collective memories, those from Iraq are now just beginning.

Both Otto Frank and the Dixie Chicks should remind us all that sticking to our principles and values, while seemingly impossible at times, remains the surest way to protect those ideals we cherish the most. Alas, the history that is written is never that simple.

P.S. As I write this, the genocide in Darfur continues. Please consider joining me in making a generous contribution to the effort to save lives there. You can contribute by clicking on the link below. Please consider doing so. http://www.SaveDarfur.org/Donate

Golden Parnassus Hotel - Cancun, Mexico

Blvd. Kukulkán Km. 14.5 Retorno
San Miguelito No. 37 Zona Hotelera
Cancún Q.Roo 77500
Tel: 52 (998) 848-7550

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Have you ever been stuck doing something that you can't believe you are still stuck doing? I recently returned from a seven night trip to Cancun Mexico that felt a bit like that. While the weather was nice and the company was engaging, the all-inclusive hotel we had chosen was a bust. I had never stayed at an all-inclusive resort. At such places, one need do very little except get up at some point in the day, eat, and sleep. All activities, food, and drinks are included in the package price.

At first blush, this all-inclusive concept seems appealing. Our total package was approximately $1,400 a person for checking in December 29th and staying for seven nights. We chose the Golden Parnassus through Costco Travel (which botched part of the reservation) partly because the reviews of the resort on tripadvisor.com were overwhelmingly positive. I quickly realized that while tripadvisor may provide fairly up to date information, you never really know who the reviewers are and what their tastes may dictate.

We arrived at the Golden Parnassus using the airport transfers provided by Costco Travel as part of our package. Upon arrival, we learned that the hotel had been overbooked by approximately 50 rooms. We were seated at the lobby bar and given tropical tasting drinks as we waited for a hotel reception staff member to check us in -- or tell us that our rooms were not available. As we waited, we watched other would-be guests be told that their rooms were not available and that they would be accommodated elsewhere. One accommodation which was provided to some was at the Great Parnassus Hotel, a new sister property for the Golden Parnassus which is not yet complete.

As a side note, a friend of ours who booked directly at the Great Parnassus through orbitz arrived there the same day we arrived at the Golden Parnassus to find rooms with incomplete bathrooms, non-working toilets, no air conditioning and other maladies. After switching rooms four times, he gave up. On the morning of his departure from Cancun, the shower in his fifth room failed to produce any water, a downgrade from the cold-only showers he had been taking for most of his trip.

While we did not learn of our friend's plight at the time of check-in, I was in no mood to be redirected to another property and I informed a somewhat frazzled front desk agent of that feeling. After all was settled, we did indeed have three rooms available. We were given all-inclusive bracelets to wear for the duration of our stay. Anyone wearing the bracelets we were given were subject to the same malaise that would confront us during our stay.

Say Cheese! The cheeseburger is the best meal option at the Golden Parnassus.

For food, the Golden Parnassus has several restaurants. They are, in no particular order: Pier 12, an awful seafood restaurant where the fish tastes much like meat from a four legged creature, simulating a strange hybrid which I shall from now on term "mish"; Sumo, a Japanese style restaurant which did its best to simulate the feel of a sushi joint; Old Barn, a steak house which served decent cuts of meat but chose to deep fry each and every appetizer; Paradise, the buffet style restaurant which served breakfast and lunch and offered some respite from the other restaurants by offering cook-to-order stations where one can direct cooks to prepare a variety of items; Shangri-La, the "internationally inspired" restaurant with a rotating menu picked from around the world; and The Breeze Snack Shack which was open from 11am to 6am every day and offered steak sandwiches, burgers, fries, wings, and plenty of cheese sauce only a bored cardiologist could love. Room service is 24 hours and offers choices from all of the restaurants.

We ate most our our meals at Breeze and Paradise. We ate at all of the the other restaurants once, with the exception of Shangri-La, which we visited twice having noted that the menu was supposed to change daily; alas, it did not. The chef at Shangri-La was the only one that really took the time to decorate dishes with garnishes and flavors that could be described as somehwta interesting. While food and cuisine remain items of personal taste, I can't help but bemoan the lack of any tasty or creative food options at the entire resort (with perhaps the slight exception for the Shangri-La). The best items were were able to find were the cheese burgers from the grill. We ate plenty of them. If you consider restaurants like Cracker Barrel, Denny's, and Ruby Tuesdays good and fine cuisine, the Golden Parnassus will not disappoint you. If you aspire for more, you would be better off dining elsewhere. Burger King may indeed be an upgrade.

If you think that unlimited drinks might be the redemption for all-inclusive, think again. The resort advertises "domestic and international" drinks. While the meaning of that is still unclear, as best I can discern it means that the alcohol utilizes was produced in Mexico (domestic) and a factory in, let's say, East Timor (international). The only "recognizable" and branded alcohols were Smirnoff Vodka and Bacardi Anejo dark rum. Forget about Grey Goose, which may only show up as an appetizer on the menu at Shangri-La. A week of all-inclusive alcohol may convince the somewhat discerning consumer to give Mormonism a go. Of course, if you go for quantity over quality and find your medicine cabinet an acceptable source for alcohol, you may not be disappointed at this resort.

If only the view was everything... A view of the ocean from one of our rooms.

Our rooms were acceptable but unexceptional. The Golden Room had a four person hot tub and an ocean view. The ocean view was stunning -- the waves off the Atlantic provided soothing comfort and the beautiful beaches were a sight for sore eyes. The standard rooms faced the lagoon and did not fare nearly as well. The hotel is an interior corridor set-up but because of the many openings throughout the building, there is a occasional musty feel that is hard to shake. Housekeeping only performed a very cursory cleaning evidenced by the ants that appeared in one of our rooms to feast on the drops of soda and beer that had been spilled the night before. Housekeeping was much more thorough at throwing away many of the covers from my toiletries and shaver; a most unwelcome surprise when I was packing to come home.

Amenities were equally lackluster. The hot tub alongside the pool is broken, and even a conversation with the General Manager yielded only a vague commitment that the repairs would be completed within a month or so. A resort without a large hot tub is a novelty, and we were the luckless recipients of it.

Perhaps if a brand that cared about its reputation were to offer an all-inclusive product, I would consider it again. A Westin all-inclusive, I would predict, may have a chance at glory. The Golden Parnassus, nestled between the attractive Le Meridien hotel and the Ritz Carlton Cancun (both not all inclusive resorts), should be torn down and redeveloped as a proper resort. Anything else runs roughshod over the beautiful ocean views and makes a mockery of all of the living creatures that cease their existence to provide ingredients for the various "restaurants" located within.

Save yourself the grief: pay for your food and drink and avoid the all-inclusive headache that is the Golden Parnassus.

Miel - Brasserie Provençale - Boston, MA

InterContinental Boston
510 Atlantic Avenue
Boston, MA 02110
617-747-1000
www.intercontinentalboston.com

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Having worked in the hospitality business for a few years, first as a lawyer and now as an advisor and broker, I must admit that I can be fussy to a fault. I see so many hotels in my travels, and too often they miss the mark for reasons that can easily be remedied. The InterContinental Boston, Boston's newest four star hotel boasts of having Boston's only 24 hour brasserie serving cuisine from Provence. That, by itself, deserves praise. Why Bostonians, who are leaders in so many areas, have failed to shed the provincial attitudes regarding when one must eat or drink still baffles me. And I'm a Bostonian.

Because Goulston's offices are at 400 Atlantic, I work only a few minutes walking distance from Miel. While I was not at the firm at the time, when Goulston & Storrs moved to this stretch of Atlantic Avenue, nobody else was around. Neither Don Chiofaro's International Place or Rowe's Wharf and the Boston Harbor Hotel stood at the time. Options for doing almost anything else but the law were limited on the waterfront in those days. The directors at Goulston decided that internalizing dining would be important to being able to keep attorneys and staff happy during the workday. Today, dining options abound in the area (though great options are still rare). Miel is the newest entry -- and I felt compelled to try it. Try it, I did. Several times, in fact.

In the restaurant business, the first several months of operations can be a disaster. Diners often wait for significant period of time while other diners chomp on their meals. Food is often not presented as ordered, or lacks key ingredients. Restaurants, like toddlers, need time to adjust to the world. They require the tender loving care of their owners and managers to nurture them as they go from launch to maturity. I am always amazed that even the most mature organizations require this gestation period. During a hotel conference held in Las Vegas last year, my cousin Arun and I visited Steve Wynn's new creation during its first few weeks of operation. At the time, the service and food were so poor at at least two of the dining spots that I wondered out loud whether $3 billion was insufficient to establish a decent food and beverage operation. Alas, even Wynn suffered from the infancy syndrome. While I have not yet returned to Wynn, I have heard that conditions have improved significantly. I suspect that Miel will see similar improvements.

Not surprisingly, Miel is a better restaurant by day than it is at night. During the day, important looking people (presumably many of whom are indeed important) dine at most of the thirty or so tables at the restaurant. The daytime lunch crowd is active and the constant buzz of conversation reassures diners that others have placed faith in the talents of the chef. Alas, the eerie silence at night offers no such reassurance.

In fact, the food and service quality vary greatly based upon when you dine. During my various trips to Miel, my fellow diners and I have ordered the following dishes: the Burger Trilogy, which consists of three slider-sized "burgers" including a kobe beef patty topped with foie gras, lobster and tuna niçoise along with a variety of friend potato products (crisps, in Miel-speak); the Chicken Club Sandwich, which consists of three layers of bacon, chicken, tomato and egg on a selection of breads; the Angus Beef Burger, a ten ounce ground angus burger on baked brioche; the Caesar Salad; the Artisinal Cheese Selection; the Cêpe and Eggplant Cannelloni; the Poached Peaches; the Roasted Lobster in olive oil; and the Gruyère Onion Soup.

Since I no longer can consume lobster due to a food allergy, I had a friend try the lobster burger. The Burger Trilogy sounds good in concept but fails to execute upon expectations. At $18, I am expecting something better than ordinary. Having ordered the trilogy after midnight once, I vowed never to repeat the activity. During the day, the kobe beef patty was relatively tasty, especially topped with foie gras. At night however, the burger seemed to have suffered from consumption anticipation and had wilted. Dry and cold, it lost its pedigree and had become a lukewarm burger from Arby's. The potato products that accompanied the burgers were cold when served at night. I asked my waiter to remedy that, which he did promptly. The tuna (and lobster from what I have been told) was dry and lacked taste. The Caesar is rather enjoyable during the day, while at night it suffers from the Kobe patty's fate -- too much time waiting for a patron. The Angus Burger was acceptable but unexciting at all times.

Miel is open 24 hours a day. While I am thankful that a 3:00am urge to have a bit no longer requires a trip down Kneeland street, Miel needs some tweeking before it can live up to the five star InterContinental billing. While the food during the day is fresher and more interesting, the service at night -- especially after midnight -- is significantly more attentive. My favorite night waiter, from Lebanon, though new to food service in Boston, is friendly and delightful. By contrast, lunch or daytime dining at Miel occasionally involves a dip in the Bay of Inattentive Service. I look forward to reviewing Miel once it has its sea legs. Stay turned.

Indique - Washington, DC

3512 -14 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20008
(202) 244-6600
http://www.indique.com/

A-
There was a time that you could walk into this Cleveland Park Indian spot and get a table and a great Indian meal without a reservation or long wait. Unfortunately, much has changed in a few years time. Fortunately, however, it's only the "no reservations needed" bit that's changed. The food and, to a very slightly lesser extent, the service, is still strong.

Indique bills itself as the restaurant that offers "Unique Indian Flavors." While unique is perhaps a lofty aspiration, Indique delivers most of what it promises. To start, the physical layout of the restaurant is nifty. No matter where I seem to be seated, there's always seems to be a decent amount to see around and yet a bit of serenity that allows me to enjoy the company I'm with. I first went to Indique shortly after it opened. My girlfriend at the time used to live in the neighborhood and she mentioned a spot she had wanted to try. So we went, and soon we had become big Indique fans. I lived in Boston -- so she quickly became a regular while I remained a fan from afar. At the time, and for a bit thereafter, we thought we had discovered our little secret -- an undiscovered spot with tasty and well prepared food at reasonable prices. Apparently, the secret's now out of the bag.

On this particular trip, a few weeks ago, I went to Indique with my parents. We drove from Frederick, Maryland, where my dad has now relocated to. Having driven there, we were quite happy with the presence of the valet service, which was reasonably priced and quite prompt. We arrived late at the restaurant and were told that our reservations were just about to be canceled. Luckily, they were not.

We skipped the appetizers because mom, dad, and I had eaten a fairly large lunch only a few hours before. Indique's entrees, unlike many Indian restaurants, are not served family style for sharing. They are served on large square plates with large individual portions of food with rice, lentils, and other accompaniments, which can vary by dish. We decided to be difficult and attempt to share each dish. The size of the dishes were less than cooperative, but the waiters did their best to make everything fit.


As our first dish, mom ordered the Chicken Chettinad (shown above). The menu proudly states that this chicken is "not for the faint hearted" and that it is an "authentic preparation with toasted telecherry peppercorns, served with grilled tomato and lemon rice." While I am quite sure the dish did not rise to a level sufficient to alarm those who are faint of heart, the Chettinad was quite flavorful and aromatic. We all enjoyed it.

Our second dish, which has been described by several Indique fans as "crack" (without any implication that crack is actually good, tasty or otherwise) was the Baingan Bhartha which, is roasted eggplant cooked with onions and tomatoes. The eggplant, or baingun (which in Bengali literally translates to "without anything good or nutritional"), was, as advertised, excellent.

We rounded out our dinner with a Chicken Tikka Makhani (literally translated as butter chicken). The tikka makhani has become somewhat ubiquitous in Indian restaurants. Indique's version was flavorful and tasty. Indian diners dining at Indian restaurants -- especially those of an earlier generation (like my parents) can be very hard critics to please (always asking, "could we have done better at home?"). Despite the rigor of the inspection, my parents and I agreed that the overall dining experience at Indique was splendid. From distinct dishes to attentive service, Indique is a must visit in the Cleveland Park area. Let me know what you think if you are ever there!

Bin 26 Enoteca - Boston, MA

26 Charles St
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 723-5939
www.bin26.com

B
Beacon Hill has never been my favorite neighborhood for food. Depending upon where in the neighborhood you go, and on what part of the week you happen to go there, parking, the lines , and service can be annoying -- or at least a challenge to be overcome. So, when I hear that my good friend and colleague, Pat Mitchell, had chosen Bin 26 for a small gathering and dinner, I brought my predisposition against Beacon Hill with me.

I must admit being pleasantly surprised. Bin 26 Enoteca is a new arrival on the Boston restaurant scene, having replaced Torch, at the same location. Torch was never all that impressive -- the layout and cuisine never quite worked for me. Bin 26 Enoteca is much different. "Enoteca" has been translated a few different ways -- the most common definition seems to be a special wine "library" or a place for people to meet to taste wine. From the outside, this "library" of sorts seems small. As you enter, you realize that the brother and sister team that created this place (more on that below) were actually pretty creative about using space. The layout is creative, with plenty of neat seating areas. The ambiance of the place is busy yet not noisy. Exciting yet soothing at the same time. The wine library concept is never far from view -- check out corkscrew coat hooks, for example.

We were seated in a seating section in the back -- which was a bit sheltered from the main area, which was only a few steps away. The shelter made the table feel more intimate while still allowing the hint of activity around the corner to be present.

Bin 26 is the latest creation of Babak and Azita Bina (-Seibel) -- who are the folks behind Lala Rokh, the long standing Beacon Hill haunt. I personally think the Enoteca is more creative. The food was simple, yet intriguing. The service was attentive -- if just a tad bit off. Our waiter was friendly, however, which made up for the few points of minor awkwardness. The wine list was interesting -- though only one port, a ten year Tawny, seemed to be available the evening we were there.

Either the (a) email links that are shown on the restaurant's web site don't work, or (b) the folks who read the emails really don't care to respond. Having not brought a menu with me after my meal, a few weeks ago, I had asked by email for a copy of the menu at Bin 26 so that I would be better able to present it on my blog. No response to this day.

Until I can grab a menu to further document our meals, you'll just have to navigate the menu on your own. Bon appetite!

The Fireplace Restaurant - Brookline, MA

1634 Beacon Street
Brookline, MA 02446.
(617) 975-1900
http://fireplacerest.com/

B+
I dined at the Fireplace Restaurant in Brookline and found it to be a good spot for a nice meal. The restaurant is located at the corner of Beacon and Washington street and has an interesting and inviting exterior facade. Fireplace is certified as a "Green Restaurant" which means that it has committed to be environmentally friendly and make at least four environmental changes a year. I'm no expert on the green movement in general, but it all sounds good. Green certification aside, Fireplace gives the impression that it focuses on locally sourced produce and meats.

Calling itself a "New England Grill," the Fireplace has a menu that you would expect to see at a mid-to-upscale American restaurant, but with some interesting twists. The menu has the usual calamari and Caesar, but also offers a "Vegetarian Steak Frites" which is a portabella "steak " prepared with garlic puree and blue cheese. I wasn't in the mood to be teased by a fake steak, so I didn't try it. What I did sample was quite good. Our cheerful waitress offered us a list of specials. One such special, a salad with apples, caramelized pecans and blue cheese, which we ordered, was both refreshing and fulfilling. I also tried the "Rhode Island Style" fried calamari that was served with lemon aioli and a marinara sauce. I found the calamari to be quite boring, though I had a sufficient enough quantity of the fried products to suggest otherwise. My major contention with the calamari was that it wasn't what had been advertised. Rhode Island style calamari, generally speaking, is spicy and sauteed with peppers of some sort (often Calabrese or spicy cherry peppers). The calamari served by the Fireplace had no peppers and didn't contain any hint of spice. Disappointing.

The miss on the calamari was quickly forgotten as the the entrees were quite good. I sampled from two entrees, which had both been recommended by our waitress. The first was the pan seared duck breast which came coated with a blackberry glaze and was served alongside duck confit and green beans. I asked that the carrot mashed potatoes that were advertised be replaced with crispy french fries. The waitress and chef cheerfully complied. The second entree, the "Samuel Adams Marinated Pork Porterhouse" came served over a corn polenta with garlic spinach. The pork was fantastic -- well flavored, and with excellent accompaniments. I found it to be the signature dish.

The cocktails we ordered were pricey -- $10 for martinis and $9 for assorted other cocktails. The blueberry martini, which had been recommended, wasn't a very palatable drinks -- it came served with tiny bits of ice, much like a slushie -- not my favorite. The blueberry mojita was better, but not spectacular. After trying two of the signature cocktails, I finally settled on a Grey Goose and soda and found satisfaction in simplicity.

If you're in the neighborhood, and in the mood for pleasant service and good food, the Fireplace is a good option. Check times, because the kitchen closes at varying hours during the week -- from an early 10pm to 11pm on some nights.

Underbar - Boston, MA

275 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 292-7122
http://www.underbarboston.com/

Underbar is perhaps one of Boston better dance clubs. The sound system, when installed in 2005, was reputed to be one of the better sound systems in town. I'd have to say that the sound is clean and powerful -- and contributes to a hot sound scene when the DJ is on queue. I've been to Underbar a dozen or so times -- and like it, but only to a point. Here are a few of my likes and dislikes:

Likes
Boston can be a pretty uptight town. Having fun seems antithetical to some of the Puritanical rules and mores that continue to pervade the city. Underbar and establishments like it are part of the push by many of the newer folks in town to change Boston's crusty demeanor. The music and scene are very different from the Boston of old: loud, active, and energetic. The crowd is pretty usually somewhat diverse too (though see a comment below) which adds to the atmosphere. During the World Cup, Underbar decorated the joint with flags from all of the World Cup countries while the go-go dancers, waitresses and bartenders wore shirts with the flags of the same. I've lived in Boston -- on and off -- since I was born here in the early 70s and I must admit that it's pretty cool to see that here in town. Maria, the manager, and Billy, a bartender along the main L-shaped bar at Underbar, round off my list of likes. Maria is always friendly and resolves any problems that arise with reservations, etc. Given the crowds that throng to the Underbar, that's not an easy job.

Dislikes
Staff at the Door / List Coordination
While the door staff and the coordination of VIP guest access are getting better, there's still a long way to go to perfect. Last weekend, I was invited to attend a vendor event at Underbar. The vendor had reserved two tables and invited me along with a few of my friends to their tables. As with all table reservations, the Underbar provides bottle service. At the end of the night, the vendor had spent more than $3,000 on drinks at the two tables for perhaps a total of 12 people. With that kind of pricetag, getting in to Underbar to access those tables shouldn't have been a big deal. My good friend and frequent partner in crime, Raj Banerjee (www.hindoogle.com), was on the list of invited guests for the reserved tables. Despite being on the list and speaking with the bouncers at the doors several times, he waited for over 45 minutes to be let in the door. Raj had sent several text messages to me to ask me to provide assistance, but because I have Cingular (more on that in a subsequent post) cell reception at Underbar was nonexistent at our tables. Because he's a good friend, he stuck around to get in, but given the service level you expect when you host an event, our host and I were quite disappointed in the treatment Raj got. So, if you reserve a table or are hosting an event, make sure you designate a contact person at Underbar who can shepherd people who are on your list in to the tables should they arrive later than the pack.

Space, design and Layout
While part of the charm of the Underbar is its odd shape, that is also a weakness. The space doesn't flow very well -- and at peak crowds, it can be nearly impossible to access places only a few feet away. The design of the space itself -- in terms of interesting things to see is somewhat unimaginative. Layout and design aren't the only gripes I have, however. When you descend down to Underbar from Caprice, on most nights you can't help feeling that you've entered a locker room in which a sauna has gone awry. There is a steamy air about the place that one would think modern ventilation can deal with. Apparently not.

People
While the diversity of the crowd can be a major plus, there are nights where you get an infusion of, for lack of a better term, meatheads. I remember one night when I was with a group at a table that a particularly idiotic meathead wanted to pick a fight. While I can't say race played a role in his desire to pick a fight with me, I can't really find any other reason. He slammed himself into me as I tried to pass his group. Luckily, a much larger friend of mine approached this thug, and alerted him that much like the meathead, my group, too, had some muscle. So sad that these things happen -- but they do. That said, I'm not sure this comment is germane to just Underbar.

For a dance club in town, Underbar is one of your top bets. That's saying a lot about both Underbar and Boston.

Golden Temple - Brookline, MA

1651 Beacon St
Brookline, MA 02445
(617) 277-9722

C-
Dining at the Golden Temple reminds me why I decided to start a blog. Last night, when I had a desire to try to spicy Szechuan food, I automatically thought of Chilli Garden in Medford. Then, I thought to myself, why not try something new. So, I dutifully jumped on google to search for good Chinese food in Boston. Having given up on the Zagat's guide as a consistent source of reviews for almost any kind of cuisine, I decided citysearch and google's own user reviews would point me in the right direction. After a few minutes of searching, I found my winner: Golden Temple in Brookline. According to the citysearch editorial review of the Golden Temple, "legions of gourmands claim there's no better Chinese cuisine in the area." The editors of citysearch added that Golden Temple was a "Brookline institution, serving award-winning Chinese fare." No better in the area? Award winning? Wow. Surely this place is a winner, I thought. (A side question I leave unanswered for now is who grants awards for Chinese food? Is there a ratings agency? If citysearch itself awarded Golden Temple an award would it suffice?)

The users of citysearch, or at least 43 of them as of last night, had given Golden Temple a rating of 9.6 overall, out of a possible 10. While some users commented that the food, was at best, "average" many wrote comments like "Golden Temple is simply the best place for Chinese." Google's own ratings provided similar encouragement, with 4 out of 5 stars given to the Golden Palace. With all of this positive encouragement, it was off to Golden Temple for my group.

We arrived at the restaurant around 10:00pm. Unlike most Boston dining establishments, Golden Temple is open late seven days a week and boasts a full menu and bar during its operating hours. A perfect spot, or so we thought. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a very friendly manager who offered to seat us in either the quiet dining section or the bar/club area. Since the dining area, which was clean, large, and well appointment, was empty, we opted for the bar area which had signs of life. The lights were turned fairly low, so it's hard to assess the decorations with certainty, but somewhere between odd and unusual seems to fit the bill. The assistance of the table candle would be required all evening for ordering and finding food items on the table.

Our waiter appeared fairly quickly after we were seated -- a good start, I thought. We ordered a Golden Temple Bowl and tap water was provided as a default. The drink arrived rather quickly -- the bar, which was visible from our seating area, seemed fairly empty. The waiter returned after a bit to take our food order.

The menu contains a long and assorted offering of Chinese food. While I was hoping to find the spicy Szechuan dishes, because I had lingering memories of the citysearch reviews, I did not exercise the caution I would have otherwise exhibited at seeing such oddities as sweet lemon chicken. The menu itself is many pages (think Cheesecake Factory) and offered a sampling of cuisines from around China. We ordered the Scallion Pancakes, the Crab Rangoon, the Moo shu Pork, and the Kung Pao Pork.

After our waiter left, we pondered about many things -- including the other diners, the lack of lighting and the bizarre music. You see, we were seated in the bar/club area where a DJ spins tunes. On this night, we were treated to an eclectic mix of Barry Manilow, Glen Frey (Heat is On from Beverly Hills Cop), and a full serving of elevator music while we waited. I can't say I expected greatness from the music, but found the selection so amazingly odd since there was a large male stationed at the DJ booth with a laptop and itunes "spinning" the music we were listening to. The music was disappointing at best, mind altering at worst.

Our food arrived in a speedy 35 minutes. Given that there were three other tables occupied by diners, I'm not sure the source of the delay. The restaurant advertises fresh ingredients and no MSG. Perhaps the fresh ingredients promise is delivered upon using a just in time inventory system? Our appetizers were poor at best -- the Scallion Pancakes were heavy and lacked the taste that is usually associated with that specialty. The Crab Rangoon, by contrast, was sweet. I sought to ask our waiter to delivery hot sauce or hot oil, but he had disappeared. I finally flagged down the manager, who had the hot sauce delivered for us rather quickly. The Crab Rangoon was merely edible after the infusion of hot sauce.

Our main courses arrived shortly after our plates were cleared. To my great sadness, the Moo shu pork was delivered with flour tortilla instead of the flour moo shoo wrappers (or pancakes) that normally accompany this dish. While tortillas are more durable than moo shoo pancakes (because they are thicker) the taste, texture and smell of the authentic pancake is critical to a good moo shu experience. Disappointed at first, I labored on to prepare my moo shoo dish. Plenty of moo shu filling was provided as was hoisin sauce. The Moo shu filling itself was acceptable and would have garnered a "B" grade had I judged it on its own. Alas, it was not alone. Having finished the moo shu, I moved on to the Kung Pao Chicken.

The Kung Pao arrived steaming hot with carrots, peanuts, scallions and a generous helping of celery. I usually use the Kung Pao as a barometer of a chef's abilities to produce authentic (or as close to authentic that I can judge) Szechuan (or Sichuan) cuisine. Celery in any Kung Pao dish is a chef's white flag to the diner that he or she can't really do the dish justice. Unfortunately, this dish was as bad as I had feared by this point and on par with the other substandard items we had tasted. According to Wikipedia, "a good westernized version of Kung Pao chicken should not be too oily. The sauce, a contrasting blend of fire and sweetness, should cling to the pieces of chicken and season the vegetables, but not coat the peanuts; there should be no pool of sauce on the bottom of the plate." I agree. This Kung Pao had failed by any meaure.

We left much of the food uneaten on the table. No doggie bag was necessary. I wish I could find something redeeming to say about the Golden Palace -- but except for the friendly manager and the incredibly clean automated bathrooms, I really can't. So, lesson learned: beware of food reviews on citysearch, and don't look for gold at the Golden Temple.

Dumpling Man - New York, NY

100 Saint Marks Pl
New York, NY 10009
Phone: (212) 505-2121
Web: www.dumplingman.com

B
I like dumplings. There's no question in my head that they constitute one of the better forms of comfort foods designed by humans. Unlike pizza (another of my favorite comfort foods), however, dumplings are susceptible to being quite bad if not prepared and served properly. Some dumpling dough shells are not thick enough, other lack tasty fillings, and other just aren't served fresh enough (buffet dumplings, for example, are notoriously bad).

With visions of dumplings dancing in my head, I arrived at Dumpling Man in the East Village. Of course I must marvel at the sustainability of single food type restaurants in New York -- few other places in our suburban world have that luxury (see my related blog entry for Sarita's Mac & Cheese -- or S'MAC). Dumpling Man is a small little take out spot and has has two bar counters with 16 seats. Several members of the staff fold and stuff dumplings in a sushi-bar style area where all of their activities are open for the public to see. The restaurant is bright and clean -- with white and orange coloring. I later learned that the huge Chinese characters on the wall direct patrons to "eat dumplings."

We ordered assorted dumplings -- both steamed and fried, filled with vegetables, pork, chicken, and shrimp. We tossed in the beef dumpling special, which came only steamed, for good measure. We did not order any of the specialty dumplings that came in sauces, from hot to mild, on the theory that the dumplings should be tasted on their own during our first visit. I'll report back on how the other dumplings are in a future post.

The ordering process was easy -- and the male cashier was both polite and helpful, but not overly chatty. He seemed to harbor quiet amusement at the wonder of new patrons gazing into the store for the first time. We spent $ 29 for dumplings, two beers and two drinks for four people.

I was joined at the restaurant by my cousin and two friends, one of whom is up for partnership at a prestigious New York firm. He seemed to relish the beer in his hand as he recounted the stress of the partnership process, which he seemed to be handling quite well. Although he had already eaten, he promised to help us eat our ordered dumplings. Our dumplings arrived in about ten minutes -- enough time to polish off most of a bottle of Tsingtao.

The dumplings were good but not spectacular. They arrived hot -- and perfectly cooked. Dumplings are served in paper trays -- chopsticks and plastic forks were offered as tools. Knives would have been nice -- but they weren't provided in the serve yourself area and I didn't feel like getting up to ask the cashier.

While I prefer a somewhat thicker dough shell than the shell crafted by Dumpling Man, those of you who enjoy a medium thickness shell will surely enjoy the shells here. The ample supply of large bottles of Sriracha sauce added to the flavoring options for the dumplings. Several other dipping sauces were also available, including one called Dumpling Sauce.

My Dumpling Man experience was a good one -- it's a fun spot for a quick, simple -- and very Asian -- bite.

Sarita's Macaroni & Cheese - New York, NY

45 East 12th Street
New York, NY 10003
Phone: 212-358-7912, 212-358-7917
Web: http://smacnyc.com/

B+
In one sentence: what a treat! We went to Sarita's Mac & Cheese on a Saturday early afternoon expecting to find really good macaroni and cheese. Why else would a restaurateur open a place with only one main feature if that feature wasn't absolutely spectacular, was my thought. Alas, Sarita's does not disappoint. I had a difficult time choosing which particular "flavor" of macaroni to sample, but finally settled upon the Masala Macaroni (listed as a special). I love Macaroni and have some expertise on Indian food, so I thought to myself what better dish to try. My friend ordered the "Garden (Lite)" which was advertised as containing cheddar, Parmesan, roasted cauliflower, portobello mushrooms, roasted garlic, broccoli and scallions. The lady at the cash register was friendly and quite helpful. The advertised sizes are Nosh, Major Munch, and Mongo. After being shown the sizes and keeping in mind my healthy appetite, I still chose Nosh, the smallest of the sizes, for $6.75. Perhaps alluding to by gently protruding belly, the lady helping me with my selection kidded me for not ordering a healthier portion -- which to me had seemed far too large.

Upon ordering, we found a spot in the small and somewhat crowded seating area (where, surprisingly, everyone who needed a seat found one) and settled in with our chosen sodas. Our order was delivered to our table by a different but equally friendly member of the restaurant staff. The orders come hot in cast iron skillets with handle protectors and wooden skillet pads. My Masala Macaroni was delicious -- a spicy blend (at least in comparison with non-masala enabled macaroni) of interesting flavors that remained true to the calling of good 'ole mac & cheese. My friend's Garden (Lite) mac & cheese, while still good, was less than captivating. It was a good blend, but lacked the flavor and excitement of the masala.

As we ate, we saw a constant flow of diners -- some, like us, coming to see the fascination of a new New York eatery focusing on the basics. "Is this like the PB&J place? No, that's a different owner."

I would have enjoyed having a greater selection of sides -- chips, fries, or beer and wine are not available. That said, as a spot for a quick and tasty bite, Sarita's is a good choice. Beware of take-out though. The novelty of the cuisine -- and the experience -- is lost when you get foil containers with the same stuff delivered home. I tried it, and promptly lowered my grade of Sarita's (which was an A- to a B+).

Cielo - New York, NY

18 Little West 12th St
(Cross Street: Between Ninth Avenue and Washington Street)
New York, NY 10014, (212) 645-5700

C+
We visited this meat packing district club on Saturday, October 7th. The creative design was interesting -- but the industrial design considerations are lacking at best (I'll explain later). Cielo has a capacity of approximately 250 (give or take). The cover charge that night was $20 (rumor has it that the better looking you are and the more aggressive you want to be with connections, the more likely you are to be comped or VIPed in the door) which we paid for the nearly ten people in our group. Cover charges at clubs are needed to (a) fund the entertainment the club provides for those who don't drink, (b) provide a good dose of revenue for the club, and (c) keep the undesirables out. I'm not a fan of cover charges in general, but most in our group didn't care about the imposition.

Getting back to the design of the place, I must admit some admiration for the integrated lighting tubes in the wall. Alternating white log type lights were placed adjacent to wall pieces that looked like wooden logs. When activated, the lights lit up to the music (see picture). That night, like most, house music was the flavor at Cielo with Tedd Patterson at the musical helm. I found the music somewhat monotonous - and hence the lighting got to me after a while. The industrial design of the place was quite poor. Because of the club's fairly small footprint, the designers placed steps leading down to a recessed dance floor sunken in the center of the club. The problem, of course, is that without step lighting in a very dark club, stairs become tools for mayhem. Two sets of steps -- placed far enough apart to be dangerous -- enhanced the poor industrial design. Worse yet, the path to the exit had large swaths of light colored flooring interrupted by occasional black borders -- the net effect being the perception of additional stairs that never materialized.

Around the perimeter of the central dance floor are reserved tables that are available with bottle service. Because of the tight quarters and abysmal service at the only bar (see below), I'd recommend table service if you must be at Cielo. There is an outside smoking garden in backyard. While I don't smoke, it was ironically refreshing to be amongst the smokers outside -- atleast there people respected personal space in a way unimaginable inside. Needless to say, having not reserved a table, we stood at the bar the entire evening (with two trips to the smoking den).

Design objections aside, my biggest gripe with Cielo was the service. Perhaps because I have grown intolerant of expensive drinks delivered with absolutely no nod to customer service. Our bartender was a guy named Danny. I introduced myself to him and placed our first order. We ordered standard drinks, which were satisfactory (Grey Goose and soda, Jack Daniels and coke, Campari and tonic were the few I remember ordering). My second round was ordered from a female bartender with significant attitude -- despite not being that busy, she had a continual sense of hurry. Her signature move was delivering bottled beers by slamming them onto the bar (which, 90% of the time caused beer to gush out of the bottles that were designed to contain them). At $10+ a drink, service should have been better.

Nightclubs are always designed to be high energy destinations to shake off one's desire to dance and move. I question the need to package any of the requisites of nightclubs with service that isn't welcoming. Perhaps it's just me. Thoughts?

Friends, friendster, and life.

I logged onto friendster today and noticed that a friend had deleted himself as one of my friendster friends. I logged in because I hadn't received a birthday alert from friendster about this particular friend and knowing that it was his birthday, I found it somewhat odd that the friendster computer hadn't spit out its generic blast email reminding me of it. I soon realized that the friendster computer that manages all of this data hadn't messed up at all. Indeed, it was my friend who had chosen to remove himself from my network of friendster friends.

Now, don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong in editing one's list of friends -- in culling the proverbial herd of friends -- either in life or online. But, this particular friend's action prompted me to wonder about our new online frontier. Much like email often fails to afford society the nuance of personal human interaction, our new online world dramatizes what perhaps is otherwise subtle and common human behavior. Take my friend's action to remove himself from my friendster circle: in life, this "removal" would most likely have taken place in the form of distancing oneself gradually -- perhaps not calling or writing as much as one might otherwise. Lacking any other option in the online world, my friend's deletion became a dramatic act. One day he was a friend, the next, he was gone.

I cannot yet opine on whether the lack of nuance that currently exists online is good or otherwise. Perhaps the gradual ebb of a friendship built over time is not desirable. Perhaps the dramatic punctuation that is afforded online is the better route. Or, perhaps, someday, we will have more online tools to simulate the nuance that does exist in real life. Maybe version 10.0 of Friendster will include a "Fade" button. Friendship in decline? Just hit the fade button and your picture will gray our over time, disappearing completely over the period of time you specify. Oh the possibilities...

Welcome!

Welcome to Beej's Blog!

I plan to use this spot to post my thoughts on a variety of things that I either know some thing about or like thinking about in general.

As always, I'd love your feedback and comments!

- Beej