Followup-Restaurant Review-Free Lunch & Mad Mex

Yesterday I got my 'Free Lunch' courtesy of the folks at Mad Mex in Willow Grove.  If you read my previous post, you know that Mad Mex is a Cal-Mex casual restaurant with locations in Columbus, Ohio, Philadelphia, State College and now Willow Grove PA. 

On arriving it was obvious that the construction wasn't quite finished but this didn't stop the hoards of diners who wanted their 'free lunch.'  Particularly pleasant was the open sided bar and dining areas.  The walls are 3/4 windows that open up so it looks like you're outdoors.  This makes the restaurant look more spacious and less crowded that if the walls were closed in.  The graphics and art around the restaurant are unique to say the least...fine as long as you're sober, but I sure wouldn't want to look at the back wall of the bar if I'd had one too many Big Azz Margaritas!  The sleek green cactus that is on the Mad Mex signage as well as on their glassware is appealing to the eye.  The one trick with all the metal artwork around this restaurant is going to be keeping all the cutouts in it dust free!  We were seated in a corner and the artwork there was already dusty. 

Food & Drinks--after all, this is why you really come to a restaurant right?  First of all, drinks.  The Dos Equis was served with a slice of lime that had been pre-squeezed into my husband's beer. Also the beer didn't have a head. I was the designated driver and was hoping to have a virgin Margarita--no such thing--so if you don't want alcohol to drink you have to rely on soda or iced tea.  I chose a simple iced tea--may I suggest you choose soda or plain water? The tea was served hot with four melting ice cubes.  Even an additional glass full of ice didn't cool it down sufficiently and the flavor was disappointing. Refills were slow or non-existent.

Food-Our appetizer was nachos, they were well executed but if you're counting calories...choose a salad instead! Nachos had plenty of cheese, lots of meat and the serving was plenty for three or four.  The nachos arrived hot and ready to eat--lot of jalapenos, so if you're not a pepper fan ask for them on the side. But what are nachos without peppers?

Our main course was shrimp fajitas.  Plenty of onion and peppers under the skewers of  a dozen jumbo shrimp.  The shrimp were flavorful, well seasoned but a little tough. Maybe a little less grill time? Plenty of lettuce, tomato, cheese, guacamole and sour cream served on the side and four soft tortillas to wrap it all up.  Messy to eat...but they gave us plenty of extra napkins.  So a little less grill time on the shrimp and I'd order it again.

Desserts: Skip desserts at Mad Mex.  Our waiter forgot to tell us that desserts were sized for two--so we were overwhelmed with the amount of dessert.  I tried the brownie and ice cream--generic, an odd menu item for a Mexican restaurant.  My husband tried the fried ice cream.  I think they forgot to fry it.  It was rock hard and doughy.  If it's meant to be that way for sure avoid the desserts! By the time you get to dessert you will have fillled up on appetizers and your main course anyway.

Service: The hostess was pleasant and seated us promptly.  She was polite and gave us information about Mad Mex when we said we hadn't been to one of their restaurants before.  Our waiter was obviously new to waiting tables but working on it.  To be fair, waiting tables when you first start takes nerves of steel!  He's getting there.  He was well versed on menu items and remembered to tell us about the specials and made suggestions.  He brought food promptly but was slow or non-existent on drink delivery. He got confused and asked if we wanted dessert after our appetizer however he obviously meant well.  He'll get there.  The management stopped at our table to say hello and welcome us to the restaurant.  I'm always happy to see management on the floor in a restaurant, it makes it look like they care!

Costs: OK, so today's lunch was free other than our 20% tip.  But our check would have been around $60.  Would I pay $60 for lunch or for the food I had? Nope. It was okay but not outstanding. But since it's preview days I'll give it a chance another time and hope for improvement.  The food was plentiful but too much for lunch--we didn't eat dinner that night, we were still full.  But the price point was high for lunch.  If you're going for lunch my advice is to stick with lighter choices, skip appetizer and desserts or just have an appetizer to share for lunch. 

Pluses: Decor was interesting, graphics on menus/glassware/signage attractive.  Open air walls in the dining room and bar made the restaurant appear larger and since we had a 70 degree day outside, perfect for open air dining.  Would head back just to enjoy the quasi-outdoor dining experience.  The menu and the servers have potential, they need to grow into each other, but the potential is there.  Management was actively involved and the hostess professional. 

Recommendation: Mad Mex Willow Grove's preview day didn't show off the skills of their kitchen and waitstaff to the best advantage, but give them a month or two and I suspect the service will become seamless and the kitchen staff will have mastered every item on the menu. Meanwhile it's worth a visit to try out the Gobblerito--which the people at the table next to us were enthusiastically consuming. 

**This writer was compensated by the restaurant by receiving a 'free lunch' and beverage in exchange for writing about the restaurant and promoting it via social media sites.  The opinions are those of the author and not influenced by the restaurant or PR firm representing them. 

Momma Wants A New Set of Wheels! (Well Tires Anyway!)

I have to admit, I HATE replacing and changing my own tires. In fact it's probably been ten years since I had to do it last. It's not that I don't know how to do it (I taught my husband), or that I can't do it, it's that nothing is worse than getting down on the ground and trying to get a tire off that's been put on by someone at the gas station! Their equipment beats my upper body strength any day! So you can imagine my glee at discovering TireVan! A company that comes to your home or office and replaces your tires, no muss, no fuss, no grease on your clothes.  At my advanced age (LOL) I've learned one very important lesson - sometimes it's better to let the experts do the job, even if I do know how to do it.

Are you facing the demoralizing task of sitting around while you replace the tires on your car? Or have a flat in your driveway, realize you need your tire replaced and REALLY don't want to change it yourself. Who wants to have to put that 'donut' tire on and then schlep down to the gas station or local tire store to get the work done? And that's if they can make time for you.  And waiting all day for your roadside assistance to show up isn't any bargain either. (The last time I called mine it took them 5 hours to show up, and then they'd left a tool they needed back at the station! Arrggh! Never again!) Never waste time sitting around twiddling your thumbs while you wait for it to 'BE YOUR TURN'.  No more sitting in smokey waiting rooms with televisions blaring soap operas and stocked with out of date magazines.  Instead call TireVan.  TireVan's customer service experts help you choose your tire/or tires and schedule a time for them to come to YOU with everything they need to install the tires on your car.  Best of all, you don't have to be there for them to do the work. 

WOW! No more wasting PTO time (personal/vacation/sick time) to take off from work or ruining a weekend while you get your tires replaced.  Face it, we ALL have something better to do! TireVan can come to your office, your home or almost anywhere you designate. Expert technicians arrive in a TireVan with everything needed to professionally install tires on the spot. They'll come to your workplace, your home or even the mall!  A small amount of level, paved space around your car is needed to complete the installation. It takes under an hour to mount, balance, and install four tires. TireVans technicians are highly trained and use only the best equipment. Installation and tires are fully guaranteed. 

TireVan serves the Washington DC metro & Philadelphia metro areas. They guarantee their prices are the lowest around. 

Is This You?

Is this you? Do you want it to be? I've always vacillated back and forth between would I rather be that hell on wheels woman 'the devil' fears or do I want to be the woman everyone says nice things about.  After all, sometimes NICE is sooo boring... but then again... 

Of course my husband who loves nothing better than to sleep in on a weekend probably says 'oh no, she's up!' all the time!  I admit, I'm a neurotic early bird.  If it's 5AM and I'm not up it's an unusual day.  And it throws the rest of my day off if I sleep in.  Not only that, much to my husband's dismay I am HAPPY early in the morning! BEFORE coffee!  Are you a day person or night person? Slug a bed or up and moving early? And does the devil say "OH NO SHE'S UP" when YOUR feet hit the floor?

Willow Grove Goes Mad for Mad Mex!

Yes, Willow Grove and the surrounding towns are all about to go mad for Mad Mex! Opening a new location in Willow Grove, the Cal-Mex restaurant, Mad Mex is offering a free lunch or dinner for up to four people to their facebook fans! Head over to their facebook page and check out their wall for info on how to score a free pass to check out Mad Mex Willow Grove on its very first day of service, Tuesday, November 8, 2011.  Reservation are available for both lunch (11am - 2pm) or dinner (5pm-10pm). 

If you've never been to Mad Mex before be sure to try one of their Bad Azz Margaritas!  So so good!  I love the mango but there are lots to choose from.  Mad Mex serves Cal Mex food --they're known for it being funky and fresh (but alas, they didn't want any of the squirrel meat I wanted to give them, I figured squirrel enchiladas would have been REALLY MAD).  But after a few margaritas you'll have the confidence to defeat ANY BAD AZZ Squirrel!  But they DO have a special November treat known as the Gobblerito. 

What is a Gobblerito? You guessed it...a turkey burrito.  But not just ANY turkey burrito, no, this one has turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and corn with spices and some obligatory black beans! (Oh yes, and a side of cranberry sauce! What else?)

But whether you're looking for an unusual burrito or a spicy delicious and fresh traditional burrito Max Mex is the place to go! For other locations see their web page.  So far Mad Mex is only in Ohio and Pennsylvania, so if you live in another state it's either time for a road trip or a raft of letters to Mad Mex corporate about why they should open a Mad Mex in your hometown.  Oh yes, and if you're writing letters would you ask them why they don't have a Squirrelito? Someone must want all these squirrels in my backyard!

**The author will be compensated for writing about their opinion of Mad Mex by receiving the aforementioned 'free lunch/and or dinner'. All opinions are the authors' own and are an honest appraisal of the product or location or deal available. And the author doesn't REALLY hunt squirrels, kill them or do them any harm so no letters from PETA please! The squirrel portion of this post is meant to be tongue in cheek just in case you missed the point!

Dancing for Old Ladies -- Life Lessons From Dance Class

One of the greatest life lessons was learned in dance class.  No, I wasn't one of those cute little five year olds in dance class, I was a chunky seventeen year old!  Classified by two of those cute little things as 'an old lady,' at 17!

Dance class...seemed impossible.  But together with my sister and two of her friends I braved the class.  My overweight body clad in unattractive tights and a leotard, the view was... well use your imagination!  Picture Rosie O'Donnell in tights (or don't, it might freak you out!).  But that was me.  Round, out of shape, and obviously not the top candidate for doing plies and splits.  And certainly not surrounded by walls of mirrors!

But it was a challenge.  And never one to back down from a challenge I signed up and kept on going.  As the teacher urged us on to kick higher, jump higher, and try new things, she's rap out 'IF YOU FALL, FALL REACHING!' 

I can no longer do those jumps or plies, but I did learn a life lesson from her.  Her mantra 'If you fall, fall reaching' has carried me through times I thought I just couldn't do it! It was just too hard. 

So if you're facing what feels like an insurmountable problem, remember the mantra--IF YOU FALL, FALL REACHING!--Better to have tried and fallen than never to have tried at all.  We learn from both our successes in life and our failures.  I may not have turned into a great dancer but I did learn the power of perseverance in anything I attempt.  It is the journey, not the destination that counts.  And if the journey stretches you, it's a journey worth taking.

Squirrels and Winning

Capt.Jack Squirrel after defeating Capt. Jack Sparrow -- How did he do it? He said 'it's all about focus.'  (photo link)

This battle between Harold and the squirrel went on for at least the 10 years I was his neighbor. I wanted to tell Harold that his attempts were futile and that he would never win this ‘War of the Feeder’; but I didn’t say anything. I just watched. It was cheap entertainment.

As this was happening, I started thinking about how unfair the match up was between a man and a squirrel. I didn't feel sorry for the squirrel...I felt sorry for Harold. Although Harold was stronger and smarter than the squirrel, he lacked the one quality that would guarantee him victory, focus.

You see Harold thinks about ways of preventing the squirrel from getting the food on occasion, when he has time. The squirrel on the other hand has its mind on getting that food 24 hours a day. The squirrel’s very survival depends on it. Survival brings about, not just focus but an intense focus on solving a problem by removing an obstacle. Unless Harold shows that same level of 24 hour commitment and intensity, I have my money on the squirrel every time.

Success is not about who is stronger. Success is not about who has more money. Success is not about who has a better GPA. Success is about who is more focused and committed to achieving their objectives. You, the reader, can compete with any person no matter who they may be. The only thing you have to do is commit yourself to focusing in on the very subject that interests you. When you focus in on one thing, like the squirrel, all of your mind’s resources are directed at attaining your objective and obtaining your rewards. With focus, you begin to take in more information quickly because you’re interested in learning, you want know everything. You are consumed by your focus to succeed!

Harold was not an expert in stopping squirrels; it was a task that needed to be done and he attended to it when he had time. The squirrel on the other hand became an expert at bypassing obstacles and solving problems because he focused all its attention on obtaining the end goal, food.

In today’s market, too many people want to be generalist (i.e., good at a lot of things or jack of all trades but master of none). But the market DOES NOT REWARD generalists, they REWARD experts. The market wants people who are good at doing a particular task; an expert. You want job security? Become an expert in your field of expertise. How do you become an expert? Like the squirrel, you focus.

Harold was 92 and died the year we moved from Minnesota.  I don’t know how long Harold fought the ‘War of the Feeder’ but as I drove off on the last day I looked back and saw a squirrel scurrying around the front lawn still trying to get to the bird feeder that still hung from the tree. Harold was gone but the squirrel was still around, still strategizing and still focused. The squirrel had won!

 

 

The above article is by  Victor Antonio G., top Hispanic motivational speaker and author of “The LOGIC of Success”. Copyright © 2004 by Victor Antonio G. All rights reserved. This article MAY be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, as long as the author’s name, website and email address are included as part of the article’s body. All inquiries, including information on electronic licensing, should be directed to Victor Antonio G.,  http://www.thelogicofsuccess.com/business-motivational-speaker-winning.htm.

 

 

Victor Antonio's "Logic of Success" truly hit home.  FOCUS...it's all about FOCUS.  I think of many of the successful people I know and their focus is the key to their success.  They forget all the extraneous things and people and focus on their goal.  Find your goal, focus with committment and intensity.  You'll be a winner.

Mighty Mom To Save The Day!

As my daughters were growing up our house was often a hive of activity--their friends were always here! If I had a quarter for every times I heard the phrase "Can I ask you for some Mom advice?"  I'd be the Warren Buffett of Blogdom!

I guess I just looked approachable--like I'd answer their questions, no matter what they were! I gave getting boyfriend advice, breaking up with boyfriend advice (and the gamut of questions in between!).  Today every time one of them is with me and we see a SEPTA bus (the local mass transit here) go by, the girls chime in "boys are like buses, another one comes along every ten minutes,"--advice they obviously heard from me all the time! I gave kids an ear when they needed it.  I didn't rat them out, but to this day I give thanks none of them came to me with problems that made me feel like I HAD to talk to their parents.

One of my daughter's friends told me I was "MIGHTY MOM!" I laughed, and wondered if I could put that on a resume to get a job to fill in those 'blank' years when I was home raising children! After all I do have 'super powers' although they are probably only powers another mom would appreciate.

I have the ability to sooth a child or teen who is in tears, negotiate arguments between crying teenage girls, cook dozens of cupcakes at the last minute for bake sales or food for parties; locate missing school bags, homework, sports equipment etc; run girl scout troops, help rodents deliver babies, run school fund raisers and the list goes on and on.  Yes, my suburban life has groomed me (and other moms like me) for life at the top in any corporation.

As I read this I think, hmmm...soothe people who are upset and negotiate arguments, obviously the government needs me in the Middle East.  Face it, half of a mother's job is crisis management! As for my cooking skills...the Food Network is really missing out on my skill sets; find missing items--I could be a PI or part of the police department (I can see it now "Carly's Mom, PI."  Look to your laurels Magnum!) I could run troops--the armed forces obviously needs my skills.  Delivering rodents, well I think I'll leave that skill off, someone just might offer me a permanent job in hamster labor and delivery or worse yet rat L&D ych! 

Yes, as a mom we all learn skill sets that are valuable--the trick is to generalize them into a marketable skills.  So my advice to other moms?  Keep being mighty and stay strong. Possibly your most important job is imparting to your daughters that women CAN be strong at work and at home or wherever they want to be.  It's all about CHOICE. 

Inspiration and drawing from The Toymaker, Whose Journal is chock full of maxims for living life creatively complete with her fabulous drawings.  If you haven't seen her books , available on Amazon and from other booksellers take a look, great Christmas gifts!