Hyatt Place
(Riverside, CA) – February 2015
Because of the good experiences I had on
my previous visits, I made sure to book here when I was going to be in the area
again. The cost to park is a little extra, but it’s really not too bad when you
consider the lot is set aside for guests only (not a public lot). If you’re
going to be here more than a couple days, the cost could add up, but it’s
convenient. I was greeted with a friendly smile at the front desk, and an issue
at check-in was quickly resolved. An error had appeared on my reservation which
placed me in a handicap-accessible room. Since that wasn’t something I needed,
I asked to be moved to a room which didn’t have that feature (in order to free
it up for someone who did need it).
Every room I’ve stayed here has been
similar to the ones before. This was nice not to have an adjoining room, and
enjoy a king bed this time. Previous visits had given me a view of the pool
area, but this time I got to see the street. The lounge area was convenient to
put my suitcase on. On my previous visit, the Director of Sales (Donna) had
left a cookie and card addressed to me specifically in the room as a nice
gesture. Because of the room swap I did, the front desk mentioned the treats
from Donna would have to be dropped over later.
As my stay here isn’t very long, I haven’t
had the opportunity to take advantage of the outdoor pool or the exercise room.
The bed was comfortable, the room clean, and I was again satisfied with the
quality. The only suggestion I have is the breakfast having some more protein
items available. Between the French toast, muffins, and cereal, there’s a lot
of bread items, and there’s a decent selection of fruit. I just wonder if some
scrambled eggs could be added just to give some variety. That’s my only
quibble, and not something which would keep me from returning here. This has
become my preferred hotel when I stay in the Riverside
area.
**********************
Java Bakery Café
(Lake Forest, CA)
While looking for a place to have lunch
before meeting my client, I drove around the area and chanced upon this place.
The “grand opening” sign visible from the road meant this was an opportunity to
try something new, in more ways than one. Located in the corner of a strip
center, not only was there decent amounts of parking, but the building design
allowed for some outdoor seating in a shaded area.
There was quite a large selection of soup
and sandwich options on the menu, and well as a number of coffee variations. I
ordered a BBQ chicken pinani, with chips and a fountain beverage, and ate
outside on the patio. BBQ things tend to be a little messy, which I knew going
in, but it was not overly so. The sandwich was very good, and made a perfect
filling quick lunch.
The layout of the building made the
interior long and narrow, and the interior seats were spaced along that. It
made it a little congested between those ordering, those picking up, and those
moving through to other parts of the establishment. There was only a single
bathroom for the patrons, which was in use the entire time I was there. I
would’ve liked to have been able to wash my hands after
eating.
From the location near a residential area,
and the variety on the menu, I can envision this as doing good business all the
time. The next time I’m in the area, I look forward to coming back
here.
*************************
Flame Broiler
(Redlands, CA) – February 2015
Work brings me out to this area, and there
isn’t too many places nearby to go for lunch. With the road construction on
Alabama Street (which has been going on for months), it makes it difficult to go
anywhere for a “quick lunch.” This was within a short walk from my client’s job
site, and we were able to walk there quicker than we would’ve been able to drive
there. Hard to tell if this construction has impacted business at
all.
I went for the chicken bowl (without
veggies), and loaded it up with the “special sauce.” That basically turned the
plain brown rice to something with a teriyaki glaze which actually made it taste
a lot better. As far as a lunch meal goes, it was filling, and that’s what it
needed to be.
****************************
Jimmy
John’s (Costa Mesa, CA) – February 2015
The reason for going here was because it
was next to my client’s location, and I didn’t have to cross many busy lanes of
traffic to get here. This place advertises themselves as “being fast,” which
comes from having a pretty limited menu and allowing very little variation on
the orders. Whatever sandwich you get will be absolutely no different than the
person in line behind you that orders the same thing.
I asked for the roast beef sub. It came
with provolone cheese and covered in mayo, and no opportunity to swap for a
different dressing or type of cheese. Overall the sandwich was okay and
satisfied the lunch hunger, but being able to customize a sandwich is what sets
other sub shops above this one.
*** 30 ***
No comments:
Post a Comment