Romeo Restaurant Reviews (The Finicky Phantom Diner)

    

I have recently been looking at online restaurant reviews and decided to create my own.  After all, I go out to eat at least once a week with my wife, family or friends.  My opinion counts just as much as all those fancy critics and might even mean more to the regular Tom, Dick or Harriet.

I first Googled  “Restaurant Reviews” and came up with a list of possible suspects. There was Zagat.com, TripAdvisor.com, Yelp.com, Local.com besto.voiceplaces.com, urbanspoon.com, fodors.com, opentable.com, dine.com and many others.  Some review web sites were geared to just local restaurants, business or attractions and other sites were national.

I then read the reviews on the various sites.  Some were easily accessible by the average diner and others you had to join to even get a local opinion or list of businesses.  Some also had reviews from professional reviewers and others from the casual diner.

After reading a few reviews, most zeroed in on a few categories when giving a restaurant critique. These included (service, atmosphere, cleanliness, food, and price). When rating these categories different scales were used like (Five Stars *****), (A,B,C,D), (Good, Fair, Bad), (Low, Medium High), (1 to 4) or (1 to 100).

When trying to define each category I came up with the following definitions.   Atmosphere describes the décor or feel of the place. Cleanliness describes how clean the tables, plates, silverware, floors or bathrooms were.  Service describes how fast you were seated, how quickly the waiter returned with requested items, how they greeted you, how knowledgeable they were about the menu choices. Price describes how reasonable the cost was for the food and service (Low, Medium or High).  Food was the most important category and describes the quality of the food and its presentation. How the food looks, smells and tastes?  Is it over cooked, tender, and fresh?  Does it have a pleasing look and aroma?  Is the quantity just right, too little or supersize.

With all this in mind I decided to post my reviews on YELP.COM since it was easily accessible by the casual reviewer as well as the diner looking for some advice when selecting a restaurant. Yelp reviews restaurants and other businesses both locally and nationally.

Most importantly, if you want to write a review it needs to be done as soon after your dining experience as possible so your opinion is fresh in your mind and meaningful.

When dining with my wife we normally discuss our reactions to the rating categories while we are eating.  However, it is more difficult trying to gather this information when dining with a larger crowd unless everyone contributes they’re opinions in writing.

Recently, I polled my Romeo friends (Retired Old Men Eating Out), for their opinions on the restaurants that we have dined at.  Although I receive a limited response, I would like to thank those who replied and will try to include their opinions in my reviews.

To date,  I have written four reviews and posted them on YELP.com  You can see them there by typing in my name (Mark Ryan) in the Members Search  line or just clicking on the link below ….

http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=seDiKEJ7zJErE-_5HV4VFQ

There is also a short rating found below for those who wish to send me a review or recommendation for a restaurant to try. Thanks in advance for your help.

Comments Always Welcome ……. Markryan82@comcast.net

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Restaurant Review Short Form

Your Name    __________________      Present  Date ____________

Name of Restaurant ______________ Date Dined ________

Rating Score (1-10 with 1= Poor and 10 = Best) Rate the Price = (Low, Medium, High)

Type a number or letter after each category and send the reply by email back to me.

Only respond to the lunch that you attended.

Rate the following categories : Service __ , Food  __ , Atmosphere __ , Price (L,M,H) ___

Name Your Menu Selection and Describe it:

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

Additional Comments:

_______________________________________________


 

Recent reviews by Mark R.

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Yard Cleanup, Mulch and Lawn Prep

It’s that time of year again to cleanup the yard, spread the bark mulch and fertilize the lawn. Spring came early this year by several weeks. On average the daily temperatures have been 10 degrees higher during the month of March which has caused some of the trees to bloom and the ground flowers to pop.

Tulips and crocuses have come out a little earlier as well as the buds on the flowering trees. Unfortunately, last night we had a hard frost which may have killed off some of the flowers. Hopefully, the green leaves will soon replace the buds and the trees will quickly fill in. (The flowers stayed on my trees and are blooming.)

I started to cleanup around the bushes surrounding my house and wondered where all the dry leaves came from. There were tons of dry oak and maple leaves stuffed in all the nooks and crannies behind bushes and in the outside corners of the house. Where did they all come from? I must have raked out a zillion piles last fall and they’re all back again. Of course the wind helps by blowing all the leaves from adjacent house lots right into my yard. It’s like my yard is the neighborhood funnel for all the wind debris.  You can see some photos at the link ….  https://plus.google.com/photos/108806068200291783388/albums/5727349337401685841?authkey=CJyF1pew84HQzAE

I generally rake out all the leaves into piles and then mulch them with my push mower with a rear bagger. I then dump the bagger into a compost pile that makes good soil in a few months. However, you need to add water and green clippings to the compost pile with some lime and turn it a few times to get a good result.

After all the leaves and loose debris are cleaned out, I then cut a clean edge with an edging spade around all the flower beds and bushes before adding a fresh coat of bark mulch.  I like using the brownish hemlock mulch rather than the red-dyed pine mulch.  I normally spread about 6 yards of mulch around the house, bushes, flower gardens and yard trees. As a general rule of thumb a yard of mulch will cover about 100 square feet and three inches thick.  I bought my mulch at Eric’s Greenhouse in Reading, MA for about $47.00 a yard delivered. I then needed some more and picked it up myself with my utility trailer.

At a slow pace, I can generally edge a thirty square foot area, rake it clean and spread the mulch in about one hour. At my age, I only spend about three hours a day working in the yard usually sprinkled with a few rest breaks and drinking plenty of water. For those who may want to count calories, general yard work burns off about 500 calories per hour.

My next chore is to prepare the lawn. During some years there is a lot of dead grass and thatch which needs to be raked out before adding fertilizer. You can do it by hand for small lots or machine if the lawn is larger. I have a half acre lot which is mostly grass so I use the riding lawn mower with a dethatching tool attached.  I generally drag the dethatcher around the yard and allow the tines to pull out all the dead grass. I then use the riding lawnmower with a double bagger and suck up all the debris. I then empty the yard debris into the compost pile.

Lastly, I add the fertilizer to the lawn with a Scotts drop spreader. I have tried different brands of fertilizer and found that they all work about the same. Scotts is usually the most expensive, then Pennington and then Vigoro. This year I bought the Vigoro Fertilizer with Crab Grass Preventer.  The 15,000 square foot bags cost about $45.00 at Home Depot and I use about three bags to cover most of my lawn. I then check the garden hoses for leaks, put in new washers and tighten connections.

I don’t water the lawn much and let mother-nature take care of it most of the time. In Wilmington where I live there is still a water ban where you can only water with a hand held hose before 9 AM and after 5 PM.  As you may remember, I also have a vegetable garden that is watered with a rain barrel drip irrigation system that helps with water conservation.

Comments Always Welcome…..  markryan82@comcast.net

The Best Things In Life Used To Be Free, Almost?

It used to be that you could fish anywhere as long as you had a pole, a line, a hook and a worm.  That has changed over the years and now there is a fee for everything.  Did you know that you now have to have a salt water fishing license?

That’s right. Last year (2011) you were suppose to get a Federal Permit to fish in all United States ocean waters. Who knew?  This year (2012) you need to get a Recreational Saltwater Fishing Permit in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut which all have reciprocal agreements.   If you fish in Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, or Virginia, please be aware there are  new state fishing license and registration requirements. Please check with these states before registering with NOAA. If you meet these state requirements, you are automatically registered with NOAA.

The cost of the Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Permit is only $10.00. For those over 60 the permit is free but you may have to pay a processing charge on the internet.   However, after registering you have to fill out a survey that asks several fishing related questions but also asks how much does a license mean to you and would you be willing to pay more.  Some anglers are then selected by random to give up their license for the year in return for a gift check ranging from $10 to $500.   The full article appeared in the Boston Globe (Friday, 3-2-12)    http://articles.boston.com/2012-03-02/business/31114730_1_recreational-saltwater-fishing-fishing-industry-anglers

For us Romeos who have gone on a deep sea fishing trip there may be some extra fees.  The Boat owner will now have to get a “For Hirer Fishing Permit” that covers his passengers. The passengers will be covered by the boat permit. However, you know that the cost will be passed along.

Although you can a get a Freshwater and Hunting License at your local Town Hall, you can only get the Saltwater License online, by phone or at selected Marine Fisheries Offices.  Go to the Mass. Website below to get further details.  You can also get further info about the Federal Permit at the NOAA website below.

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries – Mass. Permit (Includes Federal Registry)

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/recreationalfishing/rec_permits.htm

National Registry – NOAA Fishery Service – Federal Permit

https://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov/register/

Comments Always Welcome … markryan82@comcast.net

“Man With A Camera” - Go PATS !!!!

I remember watching a TV show in the 1950s called "Man With A Camera"   starring Charles Bronson.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_with_a_Camera.    Bronson was a World War II Vet who freelanced as a photographer in New York City and helped solve crimes with the police.  Bronson was the original secret agent who used all kinds of cameras to capture images. He even had a miniature camera on his necktie, had a phone in his car (1950) and developed film with a darkroom setup in his car trunk. As I watched with excitement, I thought it would certainly be great to have a job like that.

Over the years, I was always interested in photography and started taking pictures at an early age with my father’s Brownie Box Camera …   http://www.pierspettman.co.uk/photography/no2browniemodelf.shtml.  With a burning interest, I joined the Camera Club in school when I was in the 7^th grade and helped take school related photos. We even had a darkroom at school which was set up in an old custodian’s broom closet.

Normally, you would have to bring the exposed film from your camera to a Camera Store to have them develop it for you. Then wait a few days before you could get the pictures back. However, I was able to develop my own film in the school dark room and have pictures back in a few hours.

The film developing process involved several steps that were time critical and light sensitive. Every step of the development process was done in the dark or under a red light. The 120 mm film from my box camera was unrolled from its spool and then put in a developing solution, fixed, washed and hung up to dry. After drying, the negatives were transferred to a positive sheet of white photo paper on a light box or enlarger, developed again in a chemical solution and then hung up to dry usually on a string with clothespins. I was so proud of my film developing process. It was like a miracle in its day and unlike the digital cameras of the present.

Over the years I have purchased all sorts of camera equipment and have experimented with all the various innovations. Each innovation has brought a new joy and excitement to the process of capturing a photo image. The self developing film, the wide angle and telephoto lenses, the sharp focus of 20 mega pixels and now the mini video camcorders have fostered a new excitement for the average photographer.

Recently, I purchased a mini camcorder called the Sony Bloggie Touch. It has a slim design and you can slip it into a shirt pocket. It has a 12 MP lens for sharp still photos and also takes hours of video. I purchased my camera on Amazon.Com for $118.00 but I also saw it at Cosco for $99.00 ($149 minus a $50 rebate).

Although I also own an iPod Touch which takes videos and stills, the Sony Bloggie has a better lens for sharper images and low light situations. Besides, the Bloggie is a dedicated camcorder that has more camera only features.  You can see a demo and review at the following link ….   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqzllb_pJng&feature=related   .

After taking a bunch of stills and videos I can easily download them to my computer with the Bloggie USB doggle and then stored the images on the computer or online at my Picasa Albums account where friends and family can see them. 

You can also have the still photos developed at your local CVS or Walgreens by setting up an online account.  After sending your photos from your computer to Walgreens online you can either pick up the prints at the local store within an hour or have them delivered by mail to your home with 24 hours. You can even print them on your own computer printer with glossy photo paper.

If you feel even more creative you can put the stills and videos together to make a slide show or movie. Most computers now have built in photo software. For those with Apple computers you can use the iMovie Software and for those with PC computers you can use Windows Movie Maker Software.

I have a Toshiba PC computer with Windows Movie Maker and have had a great time creating slide shows and short movies with it. Movie Maker allows you to place a selection of stills and videos together with smooth animations or transitions between the photos. You can also add music, personal narration, titles, credits and captions.  After making your movie you can save it to computer, CD or upload it to YouTube or other online storage sites for others to see.

Using my Windows Movie Maker software, I recently took some stills and photos and made some short movies and then stored them on my Picasa Albums Online account. One movie was a family outing to Lowes Hardware and Making A Toy Wood Plane with my nephew.  You can see it at the link ….
https://picasaweb.google.com/108806068200291783388/PlaneMakingII?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNTsvK_-1oWPSA&feat=directlink

The other home made movie was made after the Patriot’s Football “Disaster Game” advocating the creation of a new football team for next year. In this movie I downloaded some TV commercial videos and Romeo pics and spliced them all together.  Tell me what you think.  Should I pack my bags and move to Hollywood for a new career?   You can see it at the link below …..  
GO PATS !!!!!!
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/T_v56Qgw4JpFxuyV7GamvdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

Comments Always Welcome.  ….. markryan82@comcast.net

The GOMBS Diet

Well it’s that time of year again when we all make those “New Year’s Resolutions” and the “MAGIC” diet is always at the top of the list. I have certainly tried several diets over the years and always loose steam after a few weeks or months. I just don’t have the long term commitment. My motivation drops and my food temptation goes up.
However, I recently saw a program on PBS television advocating the GOMBS Diet by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I listened to the program for a while and it seemed like something that I could do. Plus it was a long term healthy diet that provided essential nutrients and plenty of antioxidants to help fight diseases and add years to your life. You can GOOGLE it on the computer and find several selections that explain the diet. One selection is at the web link below … http://www.health-actually.com/reviews/gombs-dr-joel-fuhrmans-anti-cancer-diet/     Basically, GOMBS stands for (Greens, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries, and Seeds).
Although you can add the separate parts to your regular meals, I have added all the GOMBS items together to make a daily salad. You can see the benefits for each GOMBS ingredient listed below. However, the photo above is my sample GOMBS Salad. I have combined lettuce, onions, mushrooms, bean sprouts, celery, tomato, garbanzo beans, string beans and top it off with a piece American cheese, slices of boiled ham and two tablespoons of vinaigrette dressing . The total is less than 300 calories. You can use other protein rich toppings like tuna or chicken in small portions (2-3 oz.).

• Greens – Green vegetables have lots of different nutrients and systems that put a silicone like slippery coating on the inside of your blood vessels. They activate something inside the blood vessel called the Nrf2 mechanism that prevents plaque from binding to blood vessels and accelerates the rate at which fat melts away from the inside of the blood vessel.

• Onions – In The Medical Journal of Clinical Nutrition a large study in Europe showed people who ate onions regularly showed a 60 to 70% reduction in all major cancers. That would be a reduction in prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer just from the higher consumption of onions. When you cut an onion, the gas that is given off creates disulfides and anti-cancer nutrients that are formed.

• Mushrooms - A Recent study published in the international Journal of Cancer showed women who regularly consumed mushrooms are 64% less likely to develop breast cancer. That was about 10 g of mushrooms daily. That same study showed that the women who ate 10 g of mushrooms and simultaneously consumed green tea had 89% less likely to develop breast cancer.

• Beans and Berries - Beans and berries have high cancer preventive antioxidants levels and promotes healthy brain function.

• Seeds - Raw seeds and nuts contain phytochemicals and fats that help reduce inflammation, help reduce cholesterol, and helps the absorption of other important micronutrients. Dr. Fuhrman suggests having nuts as part of your salad or even making a salad dressing from them.
At my annual physical, my doctor continues to urge me to loose a few pounds and watch my cholesterol. Now I have to take several daily pills to lower my cholesterol and other health issues that all stem from overweight. After a while, the weight piles on. That 5 pounds increase each year doesn’t sound bad, but after 20 years its 100 pounds.

I hate when I look at various weight charts and find that I am in the OBESE range. I imagine myself as a Sumo Wrestler (see above photo). You can calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index) at the web link below and determine your weight category. ….. http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/    You can see that if you input your height and weight you get a BMI number that you can compare to the chart. Anyone (male or female) with a BMI over 30 is considered Obese.

I now weigh 252 pounds and have a BMI of 36.2 (Obese). If I weighed 208 my BMI would be 29.8 (Overweight). If I weighed 172 my BMI would be 24.7 (Normal Weight). Using the BMI calculations, I would have to loose 80 pounds to be at the upper limit of normal weight. That is a lot of weight to loose but it certainly can be done with the proper diet and motivation. Also, keeping the weight off requires staying on a maintenance diet with balanced healthy choices.

One way to help with motivation and stay on a continuous diet is to do it with a friend or family member so you can compare your daily progress and success. Another way to stay motivated is to keep a daily journal and write down everything you eat including your daily exercise routine. Keeping a small notebook journal in your pocket is a constant reminder to stick with healthy choices and stay on task.

Being a gadget person I have found an iPod APP called “MyFitnessPal” that helps me keep track of my diet and adds all the items up to give me a calorie count. It's like my small notebook journal, It’s easy to use and has a list of all the different foods you could eat with an equivalent calorie amount. It also has graphs and charts to show your progress.  I have taken a few photos of my diet calculations using the APP (see photos below).

The first photo below shows my diet for Saturday, January 7, 2012. As you can see for Breakfast I had Cheerios with milk, blueberries and strawberries (Total = 236 cal.). For Lunch I had a GOMBS Salad with lettuce, chicken, ham, cheese, string beans, mushrooms, bean sprouts, onions, yam and salad dressing (Total = 437 cal.). I added the chicken, ham and cheese for protein. For Dinner I had pizza and a GOMBS salad (Total = 935 cal.). My total calorie intake for the day was 1608 calories with 322 cal. remaining for dessert. For my weight and height, my Basal Metabolism is 1930 calories. That is the amount of calories my body needs at rest during the day. You can calculate your BM at the web link … http://calculators.epnet.com/View/Pages/BasalMetabolism.aspx?docid=healthcalculators%2flistofcalculators&CollectionIID=642&DeliveryContext=coe&token=5344349d-8fbc-446e-8ae5-03a924025f8c

In order to loose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your body needs. It has been determined that 3500 cal. is equivalent to one pound of body weight. If you eat 500 calories less than you need per day, in 7 days you will have lost one pound. With daily exercise you can loose even more. As you can see from the bar chart below I have tried to consume about 1000 to 1500 calories per day so that I can loose at least one pound per week. During my first week I have dropped 3 to 4 pounds. This has certainly inspired me to continue. Hopefully, this testimony will motivate you to try the same. However, it is important to eat a balanced diet. You can and should add other nutrient rich foods to your meals but in small portions. An appropriate portion of fish, chicken or red meat is about 4 oz.. That is the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of playing cards. Also, foods with more colors have higher nutrient value. Stay away from too much white food which contain a lot of starch. Good luck.
Comments Welcome : …. Markryan82@comcast.net

           

Playing The Stock Market

I have always been curious about playing the stock market. At first, it seems to be just like gambling or playing the lottery. You have a hunch or a feeling. Or you bet on a horse because it has the same name as your grandmother’s dog.

However, some say that picking the right stocks on the stock market is a bit more scientific. Before buying a stock, you first look at indicators that are signs that a stock will increase in value. Or you read in the newspaper that there are new oil discoveries in the Gulf, so maybe buying oil futures is the way to go. Or you hear that the new Chevrolet all electric car will be using batteries from a company in Massachusetts. Or you read a news article about a truck company in China making new truck motors which get 80 mpg. That’s what my brother-in-law did last year and bought penny stocks in the company which are doing very well.

Unfortunately, the market has been in a free-fall and I have wondered when it will smooth out. Is now the time to buy or should one wait? However, the recent bailout vote in the European Market yesterday caused a rise in the Dow Jones and may be a good sign that a economic recovery is eminent.

To test my theory, I decided to buy some stocks and see what would happen. However, I only used Play Money and bought stocks through a game APP called iTrade (not eTrade) for the Apple iPhone (or iPod). The APP is free and you can get it through the iTunes Store. This APP is not Scotia iTrade on the NYSE which is an official brokerage that uses real money https://www.scotiaitrade.com/pages/home/main.shtm

Once you register on iTrade APP, you are given $100,000 of play money to buy and sell stocks on the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange). You can buy and sell only during the hours that the stock market is open. The APP lists your stocks and shows graphs of the ups and downs.

I decided to use only about $50,000 of the $100,000 play money and bought 6 stocks. You can read news articles provided relative to the companies and try to make decisions based on these indicators. You buy and sell stocks at their actual daily prices and the stocks fluctuate in fake value with the real value of the stock.

During the passed 8 days, my $100,000 has increased in value to $106,014.31 and I have made over $6000.00 in one week. At this rate I could make over $300,000 per year on my stock portfolio. I only wish that it was real. Maybe it’s time to buy real stocks.

You can see a snapshot of my portfolio at the left. It lists my net worth of $106,014.31. I bought six stocks which have fluctuated in value but mostly increased. My stocks are Ford, Sirius Radio, Microsoft, Google, Analog Devices and Home Depot.

You can also see a list of Hot Stocks that iTrade predicts to increase. It might be fun to watch these over the next few weeks to see what happens. Let me know   what Hot Stocks you know about and we can watch them too.

Comments Welcome: markryan82@comcast.net

Weather and Natural Disaster Alert Info

Well, better late than never for this weather blog. Hope you can use some info now or in the future. I have been following the weather for last few days and listening to all the weather alerts just like everyone else. As Hurricane Irene bears down on the northeast, it becomes more and more of a reality and the strike zones have been pin pointed quite accurately along the eastern seaboard. Although it has been decreased to a tropical storm in the Boston area, we could still have torrential rain and high wind gusts and flooding, so be safe and keep alert.
I have been looking on the internet for weather related information and have accumulated a few interesting web sites that maybe helpful now and in the future when other disasters occur. Recently we have experienced earthquakes and now a hurricane unlike what we have seen for 25 years. Just click on the web sites below for further info.

The NOAA web site listed below with the image shown at left top, shows some wind gust possibilities for the Boston area. They predict that the wind gust speed should be at its highest about 2PM on Sunday afternoon and approach 70 mph. The web site is interactive and you can get different kinds of weather maps. It’s a Great resource. Try it.

I also got a great portable radio as a gift once that works with battery, solar and crank up. It can get NOAA weather alerts, FM, AM, and SW. It’s a Voyager Radio and sells for about $49 on Amazon.com.

Safety Tips:

Like everyone else, I have done some preparation for the hurricane and have made a list below for your information.
1. Clear all loose items around the yard that might fly around in the wind and cause damage.
2. Make sure you have an emergency kit with essential supplies in case the lights go out and there is no power for a few days or longer. (first aid kit, tape, flashlight, extra batteries, candles, matches, can food, can opener, water, battery powered radio, sanitation and personal hygiene items, copies of personal documents, extra cash, maps of area, cell phone with charges (home and car), multipurpose tool, medications, medical information, emergency blankets, towels and other personal items.
3. Make an emergency plan with contact phone numbers to reach help or relatives and a place to meet if you are separated from family.
4. Get enough gasoline for the car and emergency generator. There won’t be any after the storm if the electric pumps don’t work.

Reference Web Sites
Voyager Radio at Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Kaito-Electronics-KA500GRN-Voyager-Emergency/dp/B001EUG3II/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314456945&sr=8-1

Emergency Contact Card

http://www.redcross.org/www-files/Documents/pdf/Preparedness/ECCard.pdf

Red Cross Make A Plan

http://www.redcross.org/www-files/Documents/pdf/Preparedness/checklists/Be_Red_Cross_Ready.pdf

Emergency Evacuation Map- Mapquest.com (Draw an evacuation route on the map.)

http://www.mapquest.com/

Hurricane Tracking Map – Saturday 12 noon – (8-27-11)

http://weather.boston.cbslocal.com/tropical/tracking/at201109.html

Graphical Probability Weather Map – National Weather Service -NOAA

http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/graphical/sectors/massachusettsLoop.php#tabs

Comments always welcome:  markryan82@comcast.net