Efes Restaurant
Posted on July 3, 2015 by Ching under Food and Drink, Reviews, Travel.
Darcy and I ended up at Efes on our first night in New Jersey because we didn’t want to be too far from the train station. We walked up and down the street and didn’t really find anything that appealed to us. Efes looked quaint and promising.
The naan and the sauces were good. Service was super slow, though. I was really thirsty and I think she only refilled my water once. I had to ask for a water refill and had to wait a really long time.
The hummus and falafel were good but neither Darcy nor I liked our entree, which was a bummer because it was one of the house specialties and came highly recommend by our server. We should have known she was clueless.
The description made it sound yummy and the server’s recommendation sold us. We both got the chicken dish, which Darcy describes sweet and sour chicken without the sweetness. It had a very pronounced sourness to it. Maybe we just don’t know our Turkish foods.
I wish that I would have ordered the salmon dish instead. It was that or the chicken dish. However, the chicken dish was a house specialty and our server told us it was her favorite and very popular. Usually, the house specialties are a good bet. Oh, well.
Maybe we just ordered the wrong thing because the restaurant is rated pretty well on Zagat. So disappointing.
The poor service didn’t help matters any. Our server never came unless we tried to get her attention. And, I really, really needed some water to tone down the sour flavor of the sauce. Darcy recommended just having more bread. I wanted my water, darn it!
The best part was the upside down “wash your hands” flyer in the restroom. The person who posted it couldn’t be bothered to make sure it was right side up. Seriously. You had one job! I had to take a picture.
Maybe this restaurant was good at one point but I’m guessing it’s been a long time since anyone who works there really cared.
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Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport
Posted on June 30, 2015 by Ching under Travel.
I had to travel for work last week. It was my first time flying out of the Wichita airport since they started operating out of the new terminal. Grandma wanted to see some pictures of the new airport. Here you go, grandma!
There’s more food options now. There’s even a Dunkin’ Donuts. Don’t get too excited, though. It’s not as good as a real Dunkin’.
Here’s a short video clip of the new airport.
The new airport is awesome. Brian and I were impressed. We even like the new, four-level parking garage because it has neat feature that tells you how many spaces are left on each level. Although, I couldn’t help but wonder how soon our community will outgrow it. When we were there last week, the first three levels were completely full. Only the rooftop level had spaces available.
Inside it’s very modern. Brian always wants to be early for our flights. Now that we have a nice, shiny, new airport, I won’t mind getting there early and having to wait at the gate. Maybe. LOL. I’ll probably still mind but won’t mind it as much.
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Moreland & Arbuckle at Bartlett Arboretum
Posted on June 28, 2015 by Ching under Family, Things to Do.
Last Sunday was a busy day for us. Brian helped his mom and dad sort through what they could take to Oklahoma. They didn’t have room for everything in their car so his mom will take the rest home on her next visit in a few weeks.
I dropped off a Father’s Day present for my dad who lives in Derby. I hung out with my family until it was time to head to my Sunday afternoon Zumba class at Andover YMCA. After Zumba I had to skedaddle. Took a quick shower so we could head to Bartlett Arboretum to celebrate Father’s Day with David and Donna.
We initially planned to taking Bebot but our new cooler was too big to fit in the trunk filled with folding chairs so we ended up taking two vehicles. Brian and his dad were in Bebot. Donna and I were in Alex. I hate driving in general and I hate driving to unfamiliar places even worse. Brian’s GPS decided to go berserk and I was totally stressed out. About an hour later, we miraculously found our way to Bartlett Arboretum safely and unscathed. Thank you, Jesus!
It was a beautiful day for an outdoor concert. Bartlett Arboretum is so magnificent, I couldn’t stay upset. The stress and frustration soon lifted away as we sat enjoying the music. I’d never seen or heard Moreland & Arbuckle before but I really enjoyed their performance. The parts we got to watch anyway, since we arrived at the end of the first set. (In addition to getting lost and taking a long time to get there, we actually misread the web site info. We thought the concert started at 5 PM rather than 4 PM. Oops!)
At least now we know how to get there and we know what to expect. It’s so beautiful there. Brian and I hope to return for another concert or maybe even attend the Winfield Warm Up in September or the Ecofest in October. There’s not any info yet about these two events on the Bartlett Arboretum web site but they’re both listed on the Tree House Concerts page so I’m penciling them in.
If you’ve never been to Bartlett Arboretum, I highly recommend it. It’s so peaceful and beautiful, and it’s not even that far away (about 40 minutes from our place, without getting lost). Here’s a little documentary about the century-old landmark in Belle Plaine. After watching this, I’m positive you’ll want to schedule a visit.
See you at one of the concerts!
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Belated Anniversary Treat for Mom and Dad
Posted on June 28, 2015 by Ching under Family, Food and Drink.
During last weekend’s visit, we treated Donna and David to our favorite steak place — Cy’s Hoof & Horn Supper Club in Sedgwick. It’s a long ways from our home in Southeast Wichita but totally worth the drive. They have the best chicken fried steak I’ve ever had and it’s a huge portion. It’s more than enough for two people to share.
Of course, I ordered the chicken fried steak because it’s my favorite thing on the menu. Donna ordered the same. David had the prime rib special.
Brian wanted to try one of Cy’s legendary burgers but, after he told them to take everything out of it, it wasn’t so impressive. LOL.
He said the onion rings were good, though.
The homemade dessert that night was banana walnut cake with ice cream.
I’m not sure what was going on that night. Maybe they were just super busy. The food was good but not has good as we’ve had it there. The service was slow and my mashed potatoes were on the cold side. Though I wished that it was hotter, I didn’t say anything. I hope that mom and dad enjoyed the dinner despite the service shortcomings.
Belated happy anniversary, Mom and Dad B!
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Celebration Continued at Freddy’s
Posted on June 28, 2015 by Ching under Family.
After my Zumba class last Saturday, I met Brian, David, Donna, and grandma at Freddy’s Frozen Custard. It’s our most favorite burger joint.
They had spent the morning going through grandma’s storage unit.
Brian’s parents don’t get to visit very often so we made the most of this last visit. It was a productive visit. They were able to complete a lot of things on the “to do” list. The only down side that since it also happened to be Brian and grandma’s birthday month, we did a lot of eating out. I feel like I gained 10 pounds over the weekend.
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