Archive for "Reviews"
Logan’s Birthday Dinner
Posted on July 14, 2012 by Ching under Family, Reviews.
Here are a few pictures from Logan’s birthday dinner at Kobe last night.
We had a wonderful dinner at Kobe. The Cannadys bought our dinner, which I felt bad about. We tried to pay our bill, but Jen quickly snagged it. At least we were still able to use our Groupon so our check was only $16 after gratuity. Neither Brian nor I drank last night so that helped to keep our bill to a minimum. Besides that, I think the prices are Kobe at pretty reasonable. I certainly think the restaurant offers a better value than Sumo. The only downside is that they no longer serve sushi. They offer a variety of appetizers, but no sushi. Maybe there just wasn’t enough demand for it in Derby. Who knows?
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Reasons Why We Love Where We Live
Posted on July 9, 2012 by Ching under Reviews.
Are you new to Wichita? Are you looking for a place to live? If you are, consider Quarters at Cambridge on 21st and Webb. It’s the best place to live in Wichita, hands down. Allow me to list just a few of the reasons why we love living here.
Location. QC is conveniently located within walking distance to both Bradley Fair and Waterfront. It’s also walking distance to Target, Cabela’s, and World Market. There’s lots of great shopping, dining, and walking/biking paths in the area. One of our favorite things to do in the summer time is bike to Bradley Fair (sometimes we drive if we have a big cooler full of drinks and want to bring our lawn chairs) on Thursday nights for the jazz concerts. We also enjoy walking over to Baskin Robbins or Granite City. Makes us feel better about all the calories we consumed because we’re burning some of it by walking home.
The location is close to the finest schools (both public and private), churches, and major employment centers. There are three country clubs nearby, and there’s easy access to downtown and the rest of Wichita via the Northeast expressway.
We also love the apartment community’s proximity to our eye doctor, dentist, massage therapist, hair salon, and, yes, even my gynecologist. Everything is within walking distance. Northeast Wichita, specifically this area, is pretty much our haven. We have everything we need within easy reach.
Amenities. There is a huge clubhouse on the property that is great for parties, complete with full surround sound home theater system. Every now and then, the staff hosts movie nights there. There’s also a well-equipped exercise room that is open 24 hours with special code access. There’s a corporate boardroom and business center for meetings. The mailroom is climate controlled so you don’t have to get soaked picking up your mail when it’s raining or freeze your buns off in the winter. But the best part is the salt water swimming pool, which not many apartment complexes have.
Beautiful and Serene Surroundings. The community is so peaceful and the architecturally designed landscaping is beautiful. There are three lovely ponds on the property. And the common areas are well-maintained. Even the swimming pool area and clubhouse patio has beautiful plants and landscaping.
Security. After hours access is restricted by electronically controlled gates, which helps to keep vendors and solicitors out. There are also security cameras throughout the property. Brian and I even left our front door unlocked overnight one day and didn’t have any problems.
Washer and Dryer. All of the apartments, townhomes, and garden homes are finished with washers and dryers so you don’t have to leave your house to do laundry. No lugging and trekking laundry baskets to the laundromat or community laundry center. That is a great plus.
Several Floor Plans. There are several floor plan options (3 apartment floor plans, 2 townhome floor plans, and 4 different garden home options), all with modern open plan layout so you’re not separated from everyone when you’re cooking. It’s great for entertaining. Some of the units have fireplaces, which is great for those cold winter nights. The townhomes and garden homes have garages. Car ports are also available.
Personally, I like the townhomes the best. The two bedrooms upstairs both have en-suite bathrooms so you pretty much have two master bedrooms, which is perfect for roommate situations. There’s a half bath (water closet) downstairs so your guests don’t have to go upstairs and use you private bathroom.
Great Insulation and Sound-Proofing. Unlike other apartments we’ve lived in, the walls are insulated and sound-proofed really well. Your neighbors have to be really loud in order for you to hear them. Lower utility bills are another added benefit of the good insulation. Speaking of utility bills, all units have a programmable thermostat, which can save you a lot of money when used properly.
Online Resident Portal. I love the online resident portal. You can pay rent electronically so you don’t have to mail it or drop it off at the office. You can preschedule a one-time payment or set up recurring payments. It’s really convenient. The online portal also allows you to submit maintenance requests, so you don’t have to call the office unless it’s absolutely necessary.
House Cleaning Service. They have house cleaning service on staff, so you don’t have to hire a third party cleaning service whose credentials are uncertain. The cleaning service rates are very reasonable also and they do a great job. As an added bonus, you get free carpet and house cleaning whenever you renew your lease (or annually, if you’re crazy like Brian and me and decide to sign a 30-month lease – yes, that’s how much we love this place).
Excellent Customer Service. If you don’t believe me, check the reviews. Quarters at Cambridge is the only place I know in Wichita with a 100% recommendation rating. Customer service was probably the biggest deciding factor for us when we were looking for a place to live a few years ago. All the other things I mentioned above were just icing on the cake. We chose this place based on all the wonderful reviews about how responsive and friendly the employees are, which we experienced for ourselves after moving in. Almost all maintenance issues are resolved either the same day or the next day. At least from our experience.
They’ve taken cared of raising the height of the light fixture above our dining table, replacing burned out lightbulbs, fixing a broken toilet, dusting the ceiling fan in the living room (we have vaulted ceilings), replacing the batteries on our smoke detectors, and even hanging our curtains. They even came out at 11 in the evening to fix the AC when it wasn’t working. I’ve heard horror stories at places where it routinely takes a couple of weeks to get things fixed. Not so here. They do regular preventative maintenance, and respond quickly when repairs are needed.
I used to have to nag Brian for several weeks before he’d take care fixing broken stuff around the house. Now we just pick up the phone or submit a maintenance request through the resident portal and it’s fixed almost immediately. That has really alleviated a lot of strain on our relationship. I no longer have to nag him, and he doesn’t have to resent me for it. LOL.
Did I mention that they give you a birthday card signed by all the staff members and a gift certificate redeemable at Cambridge Market every year on your birthday? The staff is really thoughtful and friendly.
This place is so awesome that most people don’t leave after moving in. They really spoil you. Many people have lived here for five years or more. I know some people who have lived here for a decade. We got to meet some of our neighbors at the pool, at community events, and at the annual summer barbecues hosted by the apartment management. The management does a good job of screening residents so it’s really a community of fabulous people. We’ve yet to meet anyone we didn’t like. Saying that this is the perfect place to live in Wichita is not an exaggeration. Check out Quarters at Cambridge. I promise, you won’t regret it.
P.S. The apartment has a great referral program so if you do decide to move in, please be sure to tell them that the Brubakers referred you. 😉
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Jimmy’s Egg – Blech
Posted on June 29, 2012 by Ching under Food and Drink, Reviews.
We met some friends at Jimmy’s Egg last Sunday. Brian and I used to love the one on 21st Street (the very first Jimmy’s Egg location) when it first opened. They kept screwing up my omelet, though. I would ask for it without cheese and they would keep putting cheese in it. Anyway, we finally quit going.
I think it had been almost two years since we’d been to a Jimmy’s Egg. That is, until last Sunday, when we met Cory, April, and Feifel at the East Harry location. My bacon, ham, sausage, and tomato sans cheese omelet wasn’t bad. At least they pay attention at this location, and leave off the cheese when asked. I liked my cinnamon raisin toast also. It was sliced thicker than my preference. =(
Cory and Brian both got biscuit debris with two eggs on the side. The only difference is Cory asked for his eggs over medium, while Brian always asks for his fried hard. Cory thought the sausage wasn’t cooked. Brian agreed that there was something cold on that plate, but it wasn’t the sausage. He thought it was the gravy. Anyway, the point is, there shouldn’t have been anything cold.
Feifel seemed to enjoy his gigantic chicken fried steak. April didn’t have anything bad to say about her egg white omelet. As for me, I thought the food was just okay. They didn’t really convince me to return. I think I could probably go five years this time without going back. If I want breakfast, I’d sooner go to The Good Egg or Cracker Barrel, or somewhere else with better quality breakfast food.
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MIF Deli – Again
Posted on June 24, 2012 by Ching under Food and Drink, Reviews.
Brian and I found ourselves at MIF Deli again on Friday night. If I could eat there everyday, I would. It’s a shame they’re not open on Sundays.
Everything we’ve tried so far has been absolutely delicious, and there’s so much more to try. You guys do not know what you’re missing out on.
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MIF Deli – So Good You Have to Try It
Posted on June 21, 2012 by Ching under Food and Drink, Reviews.
I’m so glad that the Wichita Eagle finally published my review of MIF Deli because I’ve been dying to tell you guys about it. It’s super awesome! Before we dive into that though, here are some photos to whet your appetite.
I asked Brian to take a couple of bites out of his pita sandwich so we can take a picture of it. Look at all the chicken they put in this thing! They don’t short you on chicken. That’s for sure!
Brian likes to dunk his pita in the tomato soup before taking a bite. I guess it’s better that was or something. Like milk and cookies or donuts and coffee?
Another close up shot of the food. Why? Because we love food porn.
Here’s a close up shot of my curry chicken on pita.
I’m going to eat this as a salad next time because it is super delicious. Anyway, the restaurant is a cozy, little mom and pop joint on Central and Edgemoor, next to McDonald’s. I’m surprised that McDonald’s is still in business, actually. Why on God’s earth you would eat there when you have MIF Deli next door is beyond me.
FourSquare lists MIF Deli as Turkish, which I thought was odd because the owner is actually Lebanese. Then again, Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese food have many similarities. I’m actually not quite sure that my palette is trained enough to tell the subtle nuances between the three. I think the name says it all. MIF stands for Mediterranean International Foods. The restaurant offers Greek and Turkish items. I’m sure many of the menu items that I’m thinking are Greek or Turkish have that Lebanese flair that punches it up a notch.
Brian and I tried the restaurant for the first time after our workout on Saturday. It was really good because I felt like I was eating somewhat healthy and, thus, not thoroughly negating the workout that I had just sweat through. I craved it again the next day but, alas, the restaurant is closed on Sunday.
As you know, Brian and I have hectic schedules throughout the week so the next opportunity to return won’t present itself until this weekend. I have some MIF Deli in my future on Saturday. LOL.
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