Starbucks vs. Chris Allred

How can anyone hate Starbucks? These coffee joints are everywhere, and they are successful; but what about the food? They had this lemon pound cake that was delicious, and so I broke it down and improved it (in my humble opinion), but now they changed it and it is no longer what it was. The new version is not as good as the original and so now I believe that my lemon cake is far superior…the race of taste is not even close. The only judge, other than myself, to this realization was Kari and she is pretty honest (brutally and humbling sometimes). So unless Starbucks chimes in…I WIN!

Starbucks Restaurant Review

 How can anyone hate Starbucks, unless you’re against big business of course?
These coffee joints are everywhere, and they are successful; but what about the food? They had this lemon pound cake that was delicious, but now they have changed it and it is no longer what it was. I am no longer a fan of that particular item. Most everything else is good, but not recommended. I go there for the atmosphere and the coffee, and since I was taught by a fantastic barista on how to order my drink properly; I have not had any issues or confusion.
Millions of people worldwide cannot be wrong, and so I recommend Starbucks as a place to go to hang out and drink coffee; not so much the food.

Burgerville Restaurant Review Update

Check out this update and other reviews on eatery joints that I have been to lately at: http://chrisallreddesign.com/reviews/restaurant-reviews

Update:
 I went back to Burgerville for a free milkshake that I received on my Burgerville loyalty card. So since they pulled me in with a free item I thought that I would try these seasonal onion rings that they have been boasting about. First thought wow (not in a good way) because these onion rings cost over a dollar per ring, and so I spent just under $4 for 3 rings. When they arrived it was a different story because these onion rings were huge; I mean gigantic. Plus they were beautiful, cooked to a golden brown, and the onions were soft; easy to break apart (no utensils) with the breading staying intact.
The first bite said it all…THESE SUCK! It goes to show that looks are not everything, because they were tasteless. I am not talking about under seasoned because there was no seasoning; the only actual flavor was from the grease as they were greasy, but even that was a light taste. The most surprising part is that the onions were flavorless; I have never heard or tasted a flavorless onion in my life…until today.
My recommendation is that Burgerville needs to stay out of the onion ring business and leave cooking to the big kids. I suggest if you want to throw your money away, give it to me instead and save yourself the disappointment.

Butterflied Honey Soy Glazed Chicken

A Week In Food # 1

Last week we had some lovely delicious eats, and here are some of the highlights:

Beautifully simple tacos; Orange Rosemary Polenta Cake; mini Lemon Cakes that beat that coffee joint’s cake; butterflied Honey Soy Glazed Chicken; homemade Drop Biscuits with bacon gravy, bacon scrambled eggs and gorgeous potatoes ; Poulet Au Paprika (Paprika Chicken) with silky mashed potatoes; and BBQ Chicken and Rice Pocket Pies.

 

Loko Boy Productions

Awe in the rough beauty of the newest Chris Allred Design company logo. “Loko Boy Productions” is a Chris Allred Design company and the artwork was brought to life by one of the most talented people on the face of the Earth. Ladies and gentlemen, please put our hands together and your fingers on the “like” button for Mr. Geoff Pratt. Geoff is a true artist that should make other artists cry because their works suck next to his. If you would like to see a few other pictures that Geoff did for me, please see my religious website The Sixth Day at http://thesixthday.org and follow at https://www.facebook.com/thesixthday.org?ref=hl.

Thank you Geoff…I have nothing but love for you!!!

 

Chris Allred - Cooking Show Ep 1

Chris Allred Design is about helping people, and if that means going on camera so that the founder, Chris Allred, can make a fool of himself in this first video shoot, then so be it. This video is about not being embarrassed of things that other people do. The video starts off addressing the excuses Chris has heard in preparation in creating this show, and ends with clips from a partially shot Episode 1. You will notice that there are a lot of things that need to be fixed in continuing with this show, but that is okay; which happens to be Chris’ point that nothing is perfect, and people can relate to the raw humanity of it. Please enjoy!

http://youtu.be/sf8-DV9r62w
 

Killer Burger For Lunch

If I said it once…well you’re about to hear it again if you were listening the first time…Killer Burger is the consistently best burger joint around. Hands down, I have never had anything badly prepared by them at either of their locations.

Kari and I were out, and since we were in the neighborhood and looking to have lunch together, why not fill our bellies with the greatest restaurant burger out there. If anyone disagrees (in my opinion) they either never ate at Killer Burger or are bloody liars.

P.S. Don’t laugh at my photo! It’s hard to look good while eating a ridiculously messy burger and multi-tasking for a picture.

1. Hold burger…check

2. Use napkin to wipe face…check

3. Smile because wife reminds you that you never do, and trying to look tough to scare people doesn’t work because they know you now…check

 

Burger King Restaurant Review

 I like Burger King and it was my go to burger joint for a long time, but times have changed.
BK is not something that you crave or think about, and it is no longer ever my first choice of places to eat.
Burger King gets you with the aroma of backyard grilling, making you want it even if you’re not hungry. That smell is the best form of advertisement, and far better than those stupid commercials with the freaky King that scares kids and adults alike (I hope the person that came up with the King idea was fired and forced to wear that costume forever).
BK has good food for the fast food category, and the flame broiled taste is far better than more popular fast food places. I have had bad luck with their signature Whopper, and so when that smell of deliciousness gets me I go for a basic double cheeseburger; it’s cheap and superior to that MCD joint’s double cheeseburger. I have been eating at BK my entire life, and I will continue doing so.

Red 2 Movie Review

 Red 2 is a good movie with more ups than downs, although it is not quite as memorable as the 1^st one. Byung-hun Lee brings a freshness to the older cast, as Karl Urban did in the part 1. While Byung-hun Lee helps attract the younger action packed generation, and is easy on the eyes; let’s face it, the one-liners and Bruce Willis and company kicking butt is what Red 2 is all about.
Sir Anthony Hopkins re-defined himself as a great actor (if there were any questions) in this film, and his portrayal of his character was an added benefit to this movie. No doubt that they could easily do a spin-off of his character alone.
John Malkovich is great at playing John Malkovich, and he did not disappoint in this movie by bringing himself to the plate. “Mommy just slapped Daddy at the dinner table!”

“I know one thing; women and counter terrorism.”
“That’s two things.”
“No…it’s not grasshopper.”

I give Red 2 two thumbs up, and I recommend seeing this in theaters.

Burgerville Restaurant Review

 Burgerville is a fast food chain that is trying to be more than it is by changing the rules of the fast food game.
First of all they claim quality and the use of local ingredients. How do we as the consumer know this? Because we are being charged higher prices for average food within the same fast food standards. They have also tried to distant themselves from their competition by serving beer, which is new and innovative for a restaurant of this kind.
Is the food good? Yes, and obviously fast food sells. Is it better than other quick eating joints? No! I believe it comes down to convenience and craving when picking any fast food meal. Burgerville is overpriced for what you get, but I do not discredit it, nor do I recommend it. Will I eat there again as I have done many times in the past? Yes, when it is convenient.

Quote

You have a lot to offer…let us help

Chris Allred Design can help get those interesting thoughts out of your head and share them with the world. You have a lot to offer…let us help.

http://chrisallreddesign.com/2011-03-31-04-10-55/idea-generator

http://chrisallreddesign.com/2011-03-31-04-10-55/writing-resources

The Prison In Me

There is this poem on the “Stories Submitted By You” section of chrisallreddesign.com by a very talented individual, who has just gotten better and better over the years. The artist of this work would like to stay anonymous based on personal reasons, but mostly because this poem (circa the year 2000) does not pass today’s quality assurance requirements that the author has. I was sent this poem when it was first written and I have the original and only copy (until now because I am sharing it with the world). This poem is very personal and touching to me, as I understand the subject matter and know the writer (up to this point in time) very well.

To those of you that knew anything about me when I was younger will quickly realize that the anonymous author isn’t so anonymous. I titled the untitled work “The Prison In Me”.

Here is a link for your reading convenience: http://chrisallreddesign.com/menu-styles/stories-submitted-by-you/263-the-prison-in-me

WHO WANTS TO BE FAMOUS?

Well…maybe not famous, but potentially seen by the world. I am creating a small online cooking program in which I feature a home cook in their kitchen making that meal that defines them as a cook. Perhaps it is a recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation, or it’s a new find that your family can’t stop raving about. Plus, you get to be on camera with me.
I know that there are a lot of excited people who would like to participate in this show, but filming is only taking place in the Portland/Vancouver area at this time. Please e-mail your contact information to chrisallred@chrisallreddesign.com This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to get started.

 

Over the Weekend Food Wins #4

Blueberry Scones with large chunky fried potatoes and farm fresh scrambled eggs started the weekend off right. I have to say that I have been thinking about making scones for a while, and my first attempt was rustic deliciousness…yum! However, the fresh eggs from the Smith’s chickens were by far the star. White Chocolate & Macadamia Nut Cookies and Chocolate Hazelnut Peanut Butter Marshmallow Treats gave me another reason to live…“must get off of the couch to get another snack” (I say that jokingly, but they are good).

Epic Food Loss #1

Sunday Roasted Chicken with beautiful veg; everything seemed so right for a Sunday Supper. The idea was good; roasted chicken stuffed with lemon and herbs, roasted vegetables of yellow potatoes and orange carrots, everything cooking together in a big pan. The company was fantastic; my brother, my sister-in-law, and their two beautiful girls joined my beautiful family for a proper sit down family style dinner.

The problem was that I liked the whole idea more than the reality of prep. The Sunday Supper idea came to me that morning, and so we went to the store to pick up what we needed; including two chickens, which were still partially frozen in the middle. No worries because I had a plan. However, I also had another plan for this fun gift idea that also came to me that morning. Came home from the grocery store, put the food away, scooped up the kids, and went to the mall to pick up the main pieces of my gift idea. We should have been in and out within 30 minutes because I knew what I wanted and where to get it; they had 1 of the 2 pieces that I needed. We spent the rest of the morning and all afternoon on an epic adventure that spanned the borders of 2 states to make this vision, or some version of this vision, a reality. In the end, the gift was a success. However, the chicken was not. I should have abandoned the idea because I did not take the time to prep, but I am a stubborn person and that is not me. When the night was through, we took our fill of the chicken, veg, and a couple other sides, but the food was a failure in my eyes. I’m sure there is a moral to the story in there somewhere, but I’m too pissed off to care.

 

Red Robin Restaurant Review

 Red Robin has always been my go to restaurant ever since Kari introduced it to me back in the day.
They have a great atmosphere, a friendly staff, and all you can eat fries. Come on…who doesn’t like all you can eat fries? Even their Root Beer Floats are endless and for about the same price as a normal soft drink (which is it, soda or pop?).
My question is what happened? I know you have to change to stay in the now and in the forefront of the competition; but come on, stop trying to be something that you’re not. Red Robin is never going to be a bistro or some hip little café, or even a fine dining restaurant, and that is what people like about it; or should I say, liked about it. Maybe they’ll go to cloth napkins?
Things I disliked:

1. Smaller portions for the same price.
2. Too much top bun for the burger (the bread to meat ration was way off).
3. Fries in a little metal tin.
4. Over the top fancy plating on colorfully designed plastic plates.
5. The fries were not up to their normal standard; light colored and underdone.

All and all, I’ll go again. The food was good, but sometimes it is more than just good food. Is it still my favorite go to joint? No, and I say that with a saddened disposition.

Pizza Hut Restaurant Review

 All over the free world people know Pizza Hut.
It is what it is, and when you want it…you want it. Pizza is one of those foods that people crave, and the well timed commercials don’t help fight the bulge either. The funny thing with pizza is that people will only want it from a certain place, but then next time the craving hits it will be from somewhere else.
With Pizza Hut you take the good with the bad, and that is expected; at no point do you expect the worst service you’ve ever had, but you also never expect excellent service. I have had two extreme Pizza Hut situations on both ends of their service expectations, one good and one bad.
The first example was at a dine in Pizza Hut restaurant. We were sitting at our table and our waiter was new and visibly nervous. He was a teenager, this was his first job, and we were one of his first customers that he was helping on his own. I’m a very sarcastic person by nature and like to joke around a lot, which did not help the situation or his nervousness. The point being, I was trying to get him to loosen up and enjoy his job. When he brought us our food he asked if we needed anything else; which Kari replied, “Extra napkins but bring a lot because my husband is really messy”.
The kid came back a minute later with a gigantic stack of napkins. He set the pile on the table and pulled the top napkin off. With both hands grasping the napkin, he unfolded it with one strong shake in the air. We had no idea what he was doing, but then he reached over a tucked the unfolded napkin into the top of my shirt creating a bib. It was the greatest restaurant moment in my life and we could have literally died laughing. That experience would be (to Kari and I) exceptional anywhere, but it just happened to be at a Pizza Hut location.
Now let’s look at the opposite end of the spectrum that happened very recently. I ordered pizza online for carryout service. I went to the restaurant to pick up my food, but there was no one there to help me. Let me explain, this is a carry out / delivery location only with no seating. I was the only customer in the building. I could hear the employees talking and laughing in the back, but no one came out to help me. I could see what I believed was my order sitting on the shelf. Ten minutes go by and an employee comes out and apologizes to me for the wait. However, to get to me she has to move numerous carts and racks that were piled up behind the counter. She creates a maze that she can get through, comes up to the counter to help me, and takes my credit card. She then climbs on top of a small cart, stretches out over other carts to swipe my card with the card reader mounted on the wall. She climbs down, gives me my card and receipt to sign, then works her way back through the maze to get my order (the one sitting on the shelf…I knew it!). She worked her way back to me and asked if there was anything else; I was laughing slightly as I was amused. I checked at the pizza, it looked good, still warm, and so I left.
I could only assume that they were cleaning in the back due to all of the carts out front (this is a real small location). Kari tried to convince me to order from a different location because she has been dissatisfied with this Pizza Hut in the past, but it is the one closest to our house and so I won out. Will I order from Pizza Hut again? Yes because when you want it…you want it. Will I order from the same location? No, because customer good service means so much to me and they did not have any.