EAT – Piccolo Mondo Italian Restaurant Arlington, TX
This cute upscale restaurant is a short 10 minutes drive from the Dallas airport, and is totally worth checking out. With a baby grand in the bar area and a raised dining area, the atmosphere is sophisticated and charming. One would expect a pricey menu, but other than the lobster, average prices were in the $16-$22 area.
Although we were tempted by the endless selection of appitizers, our table of four went with salads. The house salad with crumbled blue cheese and a light balsamic dressing, kick started the meal perfectly. I went for the italian favorite, lasagna, while others had eggplant parm and spinach stuffed ravioli. The red sauce was great! And I’m picky about my red sauce. Get a side order of garlic bread, it also was incredible. We all were stuffed and happy when leaving.
I guess I wouldn’t normally write a review for just another italian restaurant, but the background of the grand piano, wonderful service, easy location, and great food put this on my list. Over all rating – A+
When traveling, it seems I would forget my head if it wasn’t tied on!
Last week I was in lovely Mobile, AL for a couple days to visit a client and some consultants. I had to switch hotels the second night to be closer to the airport in the morning. When I was getting ready for bed that evening, I realized I forgot to check the bathroom of the previous hotel before checking out, and had left all my bathroom supplies there. I had nothing. I had left my toothbrush, toothpaste, brush, contact solutions, deodorant, razor, shaving cream….everything at the other hotel.
I started to think about all the items I have forgotten over the last year or so. It adds up to a considerable amount of money. All because I am rushing and not taking a few minutes to make sure I’ve gotten everything. Here is the breakdown:
Hotels – I have forgotten 2 phone chargers ($30 each), 2 polo shirts ($80 each), all the bathroom supplies mentioned ($50), and a pair of dress pants ($80). I guess some key areas to look before leaving your room include the closet, dresser drawers, the desk, nightstand, and obviously…the bathroom. Total loss year to date – $340
Airplane – In the last year I have gone through two Bose headsets ($300 each), an iPad ($150), an iTouch ($300), and a couple DVDs ($50). I left them all in the seat pocket…rushing to get off the plane without checking. I had a consultant call me just a few weeks ago who had left their laptop on the plane. That cost him $800 out of his own pocket. My total loss year to date – $1100
Rental Car – The need to hurry through security to only sit in the Delta lounge has continued to cost me some serious money. So far this year I’ve gone through 3 car phone chargers ($30 each) and 2 GPS ($150 each). Somehow I’ve managed to leave these items sitting right on the front passenger seat and didn’t even bother to look. One trip I left my wallet, but luckily that was recovered. Total loss year to date – $390
My total loss year to date is around $1,830!! All because I can’t check around for just a few minutes before rushing off. I think I’ll start using chords to attach this stuff to my waist. I just bought an iPad a few months ago; I don’t take my eyes of it when I’m on a plane. Forgetting a toothbrush is one thing…but I’m hoping to hang on to my other travel toys moving forward.
FLY – PAN AM, a true flying experience…on tv
The new show, PAN AM, certainly appeals to the frequent flyer’s of today, and their envy for the “good old days.” I couldn’t stop admiring the plush seats in both first class and in coach. I couldn’t take my eyes off the booth type seat in 4D with the family (and cheating husband). Everyone was certainly jealous of the couple being offered a bottle of champagne…even if ended up going to the English spy. The bottom line, I’m hooked on this show just for it’s nostalgic view into true customer service.
From the very beginning this new series focused on the luxury of the customers experience on Pan Am. Check out security. No lines, simple little x-ray machines with no real scrutinizing of the luggage. Real martini’s served in real martini glasses. And did you see the kid visiting the captain! I love the guy holding on to his huge briefcase during take off on his lap. I was surprised no one was smoking, but it was only the first episode. Finally, did you notice the food! Oh, the good old days.
OK, so they didn’t have loyalty programs yet, so my experience would have been a bit different. And the show obviously is working up to have ‘off the plane’ drama. I don’t care…I’m hooked, and if you fly, you need to check this show out!
EAT – Two Great Steak Houses in Madison, WI (while at UGM)
This was my 11th year visiting Madison, WI for Epic’s User Group Meeting. Epic is located in Verona, just 20 miles from downtown Madison. Every year I look forward to the trip for one reason…steak! (working a booth for 10 hours a day is not really that fun, trust me). I know cheese comes to most peoples minds when they think of Wisconsin, but trust me…cheese is good…on everything, including steak!
My first evening at Madison I took a colleague to the Capitol ChartHouse. Located at the Hilton Monona Terrace on East Wilson. The Monona Terrace is right on the lake, but unfortunately the establishment is on the front side of the building, so no nice view. However, a wonderful walk on the lake after your meal is a must.
This steak and seafood restaurant knows how to cater to hungry conference going mobs. Menu includes a wide selection of steaks and fish. Everything from ribeye to pork chop and salmon to Alaskan crab legs. Who would think seafood in Madison? Well they insist it is flown in fresh daily. So I had a bit of filet and a bit of shrimp. Both were awesome! The steak melted in your mouth like cheese…but without the cholesterol. The shrimp were like mini steaks, with the cholesterol. We shared a side of carrots and aspargus that were grilled perfectly. Everything is a la carte here, but the sides are big enough to share. For dessert, creme brulee in three different flavors (vanilla, chocolate, and caramel). Pricey for Madison at $48 per person average. Great service, great food, and perfect location gives this place a solid A grade.
My second evening I had decided to take my group of consultants out for a nice dinner. I had preselected Johnny Delmonico’s Steakhouse and made a reservation for five people weeks in advance. The problem with choosing a nice place is not knowing what everyone would like to eat. I certainly had no idea of the challenges that we were going to face this evening, as one person was a total vegetarian and another was on a no carb no electro”something” diet. This was going to be fun.
Well I started by ordering the table an order of shrimp cocktail and their famous calamari (lightly breaded, stir fried in oil, peppers, and garlic). When that arrived, a third member of the table announced they don’t eat seafood. I can’t win. The good news was everyone did find something they wanted on the menu except my vegaterian fried. I felt terrible. She ordered a side of mac-n-cheese for her meal. Well, this is Wisconsin…so I’m sure they have really good mac-n-cheese.
I had an 6 ounce petite tenderloin topped with Alaskan king crab meat, hollandaise sauce, and asparagus. It was absolutely amazing. Others enjoyed blackened ribeye, New York Strip, and Lamb chops. Everyone truly seemed to enjoy their dinner despite the inital concerns I had with dietery restrictions.
The menu is much more well rounded Capitol Grill was. With chicken, short-ribs, lamb, pasta, and lobster…there is truly something here, for most. Great service by a waiter named Doug, we liked him immediately, and a comfortable atmosphere gives this steak house an A+.
POINTS – It’s time to select your Delta 2012 Medallion Choice Benefit
If you’ve earned Platinum or Diamond Medallion® status for 2012, it is that time of year again. Time to select your choice benefit.
Delta offers four different selections for Medallion Choice Benefits. Platinum members get to select one, while Diamond get to select two.
You will have until February 28, 2013 to make your selection.
I went the miles. You can always use the miles to get gift cards later, and they have many more options (Macy’s, Best Buy, Home Depot, etc) on their website for 5,000 miles per $50.
EAT – Timberline Steaks and Grille at Denver International Airport
This seems to be THE place to eat while in terminal C at the Denver Airport. A line out the door, but very efficient hostess makes the wait go quick. Really a great place with a great food.
The menu has everything from hamburgers to steaks to salads. In fact, they have a huge salad selection. The steaks are a bit pricey ($30), but are huge. I had an Baby Organic Spinach Salas with crumbled bleu chesses, fresh strawberries, toasted almonds and a balsamic glaze. For $14, I thought it was a great deal and a really good.
They also have a smoking lounge, with no line at all. The air filter system is really good and they serve the full menu in this seperate section. I strongly recommend stopping by. I heard their steak chili is amazing, so I’ll be having that next time for sure.
Sleep – My San Diego “Blackout” experience at Marriott Mission Valley
After just two weeks ago, in Boston, sitting through a hurricane, and last week in New Orleans experiencing floods and a tropical storm, I assumed the lights going out at the office yesterday was a minor inconvenience that would last 30 minutes or so. I mean, who could be so unlucky to have three weeks in a row of some kind of disaster. I use the word “disaster” loosely obviously. I guess I am that unlucky, as this wasn’t a simple issue with the building…but a 20 hour total blackout effecting millions of people.
A group of us decided to stick it out in our new office in San Diego. I had traveled all this way from Boston, and others from Texas and LA, to meet and get some serious planning work done. We decided to work on our agenda items as we watched our laptop batteries slowly drain and our cell phones go blank. We did get a lot of work done, but eventually we all had to leave and decide what to do.
One of my fellow colleagues decided to drive to LAX and catch a red eye flight to Texas. She was lucky, she could get out. I had to go back to a hotel with no power, on the 17th floor, with no food and a dead laptop. I had imagined an evening of sitting in the dark and trying to read with my lighter. After driving for almost an hour to go 5 miles, I was surprised at what I found.
Fortunately for me, The Marriott Mission Valley was prepared for this. They had an emergency generator keeping the bar open, with lights, one TV, and a lot of people. $5 for a beer and $5 for a ham and cheese sub. I had hit the jackpot. I had assumed I was going to my dark room with a left over bagel I had taken from the office and a couple bottles of water. Instead, I watched the Green Bay Packers game and had a great time meeting other fellow travelers stuck with no place to go.
They had only one elevator working, so there was a long line…but better than tackling the stairs. The hallways did have the flood lights on, so it was easy to find my room. I also was surprised the keys worked with no issue. Once in my room I was excited to see my iPad still had 80% battery. I watched a movie and relaxed before lying down and turning the lights out…oh never mind, they already were out.
I woke up at 6:30 and was surprised to have the power back on. I was able to recharge everything and get another day in without further inconvenience. I was shocked at how well everyone here at the hotel handled the mob, and thankful I had a full stomach, a safe place to stay, and fun people to hang out with.
I’m off to Denver next week…so be warned if you going to be there. Can you say mid September snow storm?
FLY – Don’t always count on Elite or First Class Lines
We all hate security lines. I actually teach new hires how to tackle these lines, using the movie “Up in the Air” as a direct reference (if you haven’t seen this movie, rent it now). One thing that I used to depend on is Elite lines to get through security quickly. All of a sudden, they seem to be disappearing or closing really early.
Did you know that Reagan closes their first class line at 6pm? I found that out the hard way yesterday after seeing only a couple people in that line, went to grab a burrito and came back to be told it was closed. Did you know Orlando doesn’t have a first class or Elite line? They have CLEAR…about the only airport that does (we’ll discuss that program another time). How about Seattle…they close their first class line at 8pm. Boston has Elite but it merges has only one full body scanner so the lines merge. Cincinnati, this is my favorite, CVG merges their first class line with the line for people with strollers! I kid you not. Don’t they know business suites and diapers don’t go well together? Jeez…the outrage!
There seems to be trend here, airports cater to day time travelers not evening. So this week’s valuable discovery for me…don’t count on an express entry line to bypass security. It may or may not be available.
EAT – Of all the places in New Orleans, Yo Mama’s! stood out…
Usually all you hear about is the gumbo, oysters, or jambalaya while visiting New Orleans…what about hamburgers? I don’t care for fried food, and the popular Po’Boys down here are just huge subs filled with fried…anything. Not my thing. Fortunate for me, a friend and I ran into Yo Mama’s this week.
A small place with about 4 booths and a long bar. They have a great beer selection. I started with Abita Amber, which I totally love while down in the south. The staff was very pleasant and welcoming. Not exactly a fancy place, as you’ll find down here in the French Quarter…either they are really high end or really simple. Dripping ceilings can be expected almost anywhere that doesn’t have a table cloth down.
The menu isn’t huge, the food on the menu is. Hamburgers topped with everything you can think of…including a peanut butter hamburger. The burgers are 3/4 pound giants with more toppings then you can put your mouth around. The side options included side salad, potato salad, fries, baked potato, or Mac-n-cheese. If you can eat a huge hamburger and a side, I would suggest the baked potato. They looked wonderful as they passed by. I tried the Mac-n-cheese, sort of bland. They also have several other sandwiches to choose from on the menu.
So after spending four days in New Orleans I’m really ready to go home. A quick stop at Cafe Du Monde for a beignet…oh my, that is a totally different review (and an absolute must if visiting New Orleans).
Drive – Should I Fly or Drive?
How many miles are you willing to drive? Sometimes a 4-6 hour drive is faster than flying. I just wrapped up a trip to Mobile, Alabama this week for work followed with a weekend in New Orleans. Originally the trip had me stopping in Franklin, Mississippi…but Hurricane Irene had different plans for me. I had made the decision to cut down on flights and drive from New Orleans to Franklin to Mobile and back again, about 12 hours of driving. With Franklin out of the picture, it was a 4 hour drive each way.
A couple things to keep in mind when deciding… One way car rentals can get really expensive. If you rent a car in one city and drop off in another, you pay for miles. If you rent a car and drive 1000 miles but bring it back to the same location, you are not charged miles. I’ve driven from Madison, WI to Cincinnati, OH. Same price as an plane ticket, but about 2 hours faster than flying.
I always think about security lines, possible delays, connections, and travel from airport to destination when considering driving. A 4-5 hour drive, like my drive from Indianapolis to Cleveland last month, makes a lot more sense to me.
Bring your phone charges and head piece, as it is illegal to talk on a cell phone without a head piece in many states. Sit back and enjoy the lovely scenery as you drive from LA to Phoenix or Boston to Buffalo…you’ll be happy you are in control of your own departure and arrival times.
Click on my image below for my Professional Profile
consultant-tips.blog 
Comments