August 30, 2012 -- On the recommendation of AP (remember him from San Diego? He's terrorizing Andover too!), he said that I needed to try On the Bone at the Wyndham Hotel. With anticipation of yet another stellar meal, a coworker of mine, let's call him Papa Jim, and I visited the restaurant a couple of weeks ago. Well, let's just say I didn't share AP's enthusiasm.
First off, I can say that we didn't have very long to wait for a table. Now I know Tuesday night isn't a big dinner night, but me and Papa Jim arrived around 7:00 PM and there was NO ONE in the restaurant! Needless to say, we were seated immediately. After sitting and ordering our drinks, we both turned our attention to the menu. The prices are ridiculous and this is coming from someone whose company is paying for meals! We both had to calculate how much we could spend (and our per diem is generous) before ordering.
Being known for its steaks (it's not called On the Bone for nothing!), I figured a good steak was in order. I ended up getting a NY Strip steak for $29 and Papa Jim ordered a scallops dish. The waitress first brought us our salads, which were probably the best part of the meal. The salads for cripe's sake! The bread that was brought to our table was hard and not to my liking. Finally, the main entrees arrived.
My steak was fine, but it had too much fat and grizzle for a $29 piece of meat. It was OK, but for the price and reputation I expected spectacular. Nope. The vegetables were fine but the baked potato was hard and not fluffy. Again, this might sound knit picky, but when you spend over $45 for a meal, it better be good. I was very disappointed. Even Papa Jim's meal was below average and overpriced.
AP, I know you liked the place, but I can't justify the cost. Too expensive, even for per diem. Maybe that's why there was no one in the place. I'm all for giving second chances to places, but the only reason why I would give On the Bone another chance is because someone else is paying for it. Sorry.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Food: Sushi Restaurants, Andover, MA
August 30, 2012 -- If you had read any of my San Diego posts, you know that I love sushi. With that in mind, I set out to find sushi restaurants that can compete with their West Coast brothers. Not an easy task to live up to, since sushi arrived and thrived on the other coast before coming here.
My first sushi bar I visited was Mootone Fine Japanese Cuisine. I went with two co-workers, Donna and Sue, and we had a great time. I still believe that sushi places in La Jolla and San Diego were better, but I did like the California rolls and rainbow rolls, as well the Beef Negima. Not bad, but still below SD.
The next week I visited Kyoto Japanese Restaurant. This place had sushi and traditional Japanese and Chinese food. It also had a hibachi area if you wanted to partake in that arena. My coworker enjoyed the beef teriyaki and I had my traditional rainbow rolls. I liked this place better than Mootone, just because of their wider menu. Still nothing compared to La Jolla!
The last place I've tried is Thyme Japanese Cuisine and I really like this place! From what I gather it's a new place in town with a sushi bar, restaurant, and hibachi. The sushi is fantastic, the atmosphere nice, and the wait staff very attentive. Plus, it's just around the corner from the Merrimack Valley YMCA, so I can easily get there after my workouts. And, don't let this get around, it rivals my West Coast sushi joints!
Be sure to check out these places if you're in the Andover area and are looking for good sushi. Enjoy!
My first sushi bar I visited was Mootone Fine Japanese Cuisine. I went with two co-workers, Donna and Sue, and we had a great time. I still believe that sushi places in La Jolla and San Diego were better, but I did like the California rolls and rainbow rolls, as well the Beef Negima. Not bad, but still below SD.
The next week I visited Kyoto Japanese Restaurant. This place had sushi and traditional Japanese and Chinese food. It also had a hibachi area if you wanted to partake in that arena. My coworker enjoyed the beef teriyaki and I had my traditional rainbow rolls. I liked this place better than Mootone, just because of their wider menu. Still nothing compared to La Jolla!
The last place I've tried is Thyme Japanese Cuisine and I really like this place! From what I gather it's a new place in town with a sushi bar, restaurant, and hibachi. The sushi is fantastic, the atmosphere nice, and the wait staff very attentive. Plus, it's just around the corner from the Merrimack Valley YMCA, so I can easily get there after my workouts. And, don't let this get around, it rivals my West Coast sushi joints!
Be sure to check out these places if you're in the Andover area and are looking for good sushi. Enjoy!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Food: Longhorn Steakhouse, Tewksbury, MA
August 29, 2012 -- I don't usually blog about chain restaurants but I have to put my two cents worth for the Longhorn Steakhouse in Tewksbury, MA. I drive to work early Monday morning, work all day, and go to the Merrimack Valley YMCA after that, so by the time the workout's over I'm starving! The Longhorn Steakhouse is right next to the Residence Inn where I stay, so it's the easy choice for dinner. The steaks are always good as well as the seafood dishes. I've had the filet mignon, prime rib, salmon, trout, you name it! All the dishes have been great and I have no complaints. Sara, the bartender, is starting to notice that I'm a regular, even though she did just come back from a honeymoon in Aruba -- and still recognized me. I must have a face you can't forget! :)
If you're working up in the Andover/Tewksbury area, I'd give the Longhorn Steakhouse a try. The place does get pretty busy around dinnertime since there are a lot of local businesses in the area, and the bar is smaller than I'd like, so be sure to give yourself some extra time. See you there!
If you're working up in the Andover/Tewksbury area, I'd give the Longhorn Steakhouse a try. The place does get pretty busy around dinnertime since there are a lot of local businesses in the area, and the bar is smaller than I'd like, so be sure to give yourself some extra time. See you there!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Sports: The Red Sox Reset
August 28, 2012 -- You knew I had to weigh in on the happenings in Boston after the mega-deal went down this weekend. To be honest, I think this is a good deal for both sides. The Dodgers, fresh with billions of dollars to spend (or so it seems) have put together even more pieces to their championship puzzle. The Red Sox relieved themselves of about $260 million of unproductive salary. Now, let's see what happens.
In my opinion, Ben Cherrington is blowing up Theo Epstein's vision in Boston. Hey, don't blame John Lackey, Adrian Gonzalez, Dice-K, and Carl Crawford for taking the Sox' money -- I would have too! Now, Ben is putting his stamp on what should be his club, though one could argue that the ownership group (i.e. Larry Lucchino) calls the shots. However, after last season's epic collapse and this year's unproductive start, it seems that ownership is giving Ben a chance to start over and clearing salary space is the first step. As for the prospects Boston received in return for the big name stars, time will tell. As with most prospects, not all of them reach the big leagues and become stars, but this situation is different. Don't get me wrong, if Boston couldn't find a way to clear so much salary space, then this deal would make no sense. Just don't expect miracles to happen until 2014. And don't expect Bobby Valentine to be around much longer after the season; he wasn't on Ben's short list if you recall and the GM will want to work with HIS handpicked manager and staff. (Jason Varitek maybe ...)
As for LA, well they remind me of another favorite team of mine, the Washington Redskins. Dan Snyder acquired the Skins several years back and he immediately went into a free agency buying frenzy. Bruce Smith and Deion Sanders happily took the money Mr. Snyder offered, but the franchise went nowhere. Sure there was a lot of fanfare and tickets were sold, but the team never advanced in the playoffs very far and have become a cellar dweller way too often. Only until they smarted up, traded three first rounders and a second rounder for Robert Griffin III (RG3) do they have a chance to succeed (sounds like a reboot of Boston proportions.)
Can the same happen in Los Angeles? The new ownership group invested over $2 billion dollars to acquire the club and they are determined to make a big splash, to rejuvenate the franchise, and bring the fans back to the ballpark. In one tumultuous season, the Dodgers have traded for Hanley Ramirez, Joe Blanton, Shane Victorino, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, and Carl Crawford (forgive me if I missed anyone!) We're talking mega-millions here folks! Their desire is obviously to win now and with this team they should at the very least make some noise in the playoffs. But as history tells us, nothing is for certain. What should worry the fans is what's going to happen a couple of years down the road when these bloated contracts hinder the club to go after more players and rebuild, which all teams need to do in time. Unless, of course, they "have a plan." I'm not sold on that idea, other than the win now scenario I just mentioned.
At the very least, this trade has given baseball something new to talk about, a new "Evil Empire" on the West Coast, and a very interesting post season to be.
In my opinion, Ben Cherrington is blowing up Theo Epstein's vision in Boston. Hey, don't blame John Lackey, Adrian Gonzalez, Dice-K, and Carl Crawford for taking the Sox' money -- I would have too! Now, Ben is putting his stamp on what should be his club, though one could argue that the ownership group (i.e. Larry Lucchino) calls the shots. However, after last season's epic collapse and this year's unproductive start, it seems that ownership is giving Ben a chance to start over and clearing salary space is the first step. As for the prospects Boston received in return for the big name stars, time will tell. As with most prospects, not all of them reach the big leagues and become stars, but this situation is different. Don't get me wrong, if Boston couldn't find a way to clear so much salary space, then this deal would make no sense. Just don't expect miracles to happen until 2014. And don't expect Bobby Valentine to be around much longer after the season; he wasn't on Ben's short list if you recall and the GM will want to work with HIS handpicked manager and staff. (Jason Varitek maybe ...)
As for LA, well they remind me of another favorite team of mine, the Washington Redskins. Dan Snyder acquired the Skins several years back and he immediately went into a free agency buying frenzy. Bruce Smith and Deion Sanders happily took the money Mr. Snyder offered, but the franchise went nowhere. Sure there was a lot of fanfare and tickets were sold, but the team never advanced in the playoffs very far and have become a cellar dweller way too often. Only until they smarted up, traded three first rounders and a second rounder for Robert Griffin III (RG3) do they have a chance to succeed (sounds like a reboot of Boston proportions.)
Can the same happen in Los Angeles? The new ownership group invested over $2 billion dollars to acquire the club and they are determined to make a big splash, to rejuvenate the franchise, and bring the fans back to the ballpark. In one tumultuous season, the Dodgers have traded for Hanley Ramirez, Joe Blanton, Shane Victorino, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, and Carl Crawford (forgive me if I missed anyone!) We're talking mega-millions here folks! Their desire is obviously to win now and with this team they should at the very least make some noise in the playoffs. But as history tells us, nothing is for certain. What should worry the fans is what's going to happen a couple of years down the road when these bloated contracts hinder the club to go after more players and rebuild, which all teams need to do in time. Unless, of course, they "have a plan." I'm not sold on that idea, other than the win now scenario I just mentioned.
At the very least, this trade has given baseball something new to talk about, a new "Evil Empire" on the West Coast, and a very interesting post season to be.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Fitness: Merrimack Valley YMCA, Andover/North Andover, MA
August 22, 2012 -- Being on travel again, I knew I needed to find myself another new fitness regiment. That said, I looked about the Andover area for a YMCA and was pleased to find the Merrimack Valley YMCA of Andover/North Andover. I have utilized their reciprocal program with my home YMCA of Newport County, RI, and all has worked well. Now, I will admit that I will always feel that the Newport County YMCA is the nicest Y I've been to, but I'll agree that I'm biased. So, if I rate that Y and A and use that as my benchmark, then the Merrimack Valley YMCA of Andover/North Andover is a solid B. In comparison, I'd rate the La Jolla YMCA an A-, so this place is pretty good.
There's plenty of fitness machines, a free weight room, group exercise classes, spinning, yoga, pool, basketball court, decent locker room, and a lot less elderly people than in La Jolla! My only gripes are that their equipment is a bit dated and could definitely use an overhaul, and that there are no running routes that can come close to Newport, RI. However, I'll be starting a new TRX Training routine when their next session begins on 9/4. Next week they're making upgrades to the facilities, so maybe their rating will go up to a B+!
All in all, I'm very satisfied with the place, it's a short drive from work and my hotel, and I get my much-needed workout every day. Couldn't be happier!
There's plenty of fitness machines, a free weight room, group exercise classes, spinning, yoga, pool, basketball court, decent locker room, and a lot less elderly people than in La Jolla! My only gripes are that their equipment is a bit dated and could definitely use an overhaul, and that there are no running routes that can come close to Newport, RI. However, I'll be starting a new TRX Training routine when their next session begins on 9/4. Next week they're making upgrades to the facilities, so maybe their rating will go up to a B+!
All in all, I'm very satisfied with the place, it's a short drive from work and my hotel, and I get my much-needed workout every day. Couldn't be happier!
Lodging: Marriott Hotels, Andover, MA
August 22, 2012 -- Well I've been working up in the Andover area for the better have of five weeks and I'm starting to know my way around. The first thing I needed to do was to find a place to stay and being a Marriott Rewards member I looked for the right Marriott hotel. The first week I stayed was the Courtyard Marriott in Andover, MA. Not a bad place, but a little out of the way of everything. Knowing that, I looked for something a little better for my subsequent weeks.
Not too far from where I'd be working is the Residence Inn in Tewksbury, MA. This place is far better! The rooms have a kitchen, living area, two flat screen HD TVs, and bedroom with a king size bed that's separated from the rest of the living quarters by sliding doors. And if you know me, you know that I get acquainted with the right people. Victoria Ashworth, Marriott's Director of Sales, was kind enough to book me for the next eight work weeks, in the same room! It's like my home away from home! If you need to go on travel or if you're looking for a place to stay north of Boston, give this place a try.
Not too far from where I'd be working is the Residence Inn in Tewksbury, MA. This place is far better! The rooms have a kitchen, living area, two flat screen HD TVs, and bedroom with a king size bed that's separated from the rest of the living quarters by sliding doors. And if you know me, you know that I get acquainted with the right people. Victoria Ashworth, Marriott's Director of Sales, was kind enough to book me for the next eight work weeks, in the same room! It's like my home away from home! If you need to go on travel or if you're looking for a place to stay north of Boston, give this place a try.
Friday, August 17, 2012
NEWS: Reports from Andover, MA
August 17, 2012 -- With my blogs about San Diego finally behind me, I can now start blogging about my latest work assignment area, Andover, MA. Over the next couple of months I'll be writing about places I've seen and visited in hopes of helping those out that might be heading to this area for work or pleasure. Check in from time to time, I'm sure I'll have plenty to say!
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