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Joe Consumer

In the past year or so I’ve found myself becoming a consumer advocate with my primary focus on food. This is mainly because as I grow older and versed in the world of marketing and sales, I value my dollar and want what I pay for. I’m also the type of guy who would want someone to tell me if I had spinach in my teeth or if my capri pants made my hips look too big.

I’ve been relatively soft spoken in the past, now I’m inquisitive and willing to offer my two cents. I like to think that feedback is appreciated. I value the feedback I get from my own customers. Most of the time it’s something I don’t want to hear, but what better way to learn?

Adrian and I went to HEB on Sunday. I bought in to the point of sale cola cooler (which is very rare). The reason I bought in was because of the new Dr. Pepper bottle. I opened the cooler and reached for their new product and quickly realized it was a diet drink. I recently saw someone drinking a Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper and thought “Wow – I want to try one of those”

HEB didn’t have Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper in their POS on Sunday. I e-mailed the people at Dr. Pepper on Monday night and told them that some of us aren’t on a diet and ended up buying HEB’s house brand. I’m waiting to hear back from the folks at Dr. Pepper.

Earlier this year Elise and I had a horrible dining experience at Austin’s popular Chez Zee. I sincerely and politely filled out a comment card detailing our dinner outing. Never heard a word from Chez Zee and because of that I tell our friends not to eat there.

Elise recently had a frustrating experience at a neighborhood Thundercloud Subs store. Just today we received a friendly apology letter and a voucher for a free sandwich. When I think submarine sandwich, Thundercloud would ordinarily be the last on my list, but because of their quick response to a customer complaint, I’d entertain the notion of giving them another try (the voucher being obvious enticement).

We had chips and salsa the other night with dinner. I hadn’t had good ol’ chips and salsa in a while and quickly remembered why: our last lunch at Texadelphia. Here’s the e-mail I sent to Texadelphia this evening:

My wife and I (used to) enjoy eating at Texadelphia.

Our last visit was to the store on Brodie Ln. in Austin. Your sandwiches have always been great and if we support a chain, we would prefer to support a chain that started locally. On this last visit (I think it was in early March of this year), the chips and salsa left a bad taste in our mouths. Pun intended.

I think serving chips and salsa is a fantastic idea – very Texas. The chips and salsa we had were absolutely terrible. The chips tasted as good as wet cardboard. They were dry, semi-stale and tasted cheap. The salsa tasted like the cheapest generic brand mixed with watered down tomato paste. You guys are unique – I think you should have unique chips and salsa. Why not your own salsa recipe? If what we were served is your recipe, then Cysco and US Food Service have you beat by a long shot.

I think I’m safe in assuming that the chips and salsa hadn’t been left out or contaminated. What we tasted that day was the result of too many corners being cut.

I think you should represent Texas with your novel side of chips and salsa. Offer a variety… chipotle, habanero, cilantro, peach, roasted garlic, sun dried tomato, black beans, corn, carrot… big, bold flavors with fresh ingredients. Or perhaps partner with a local purveyor who specializes in salsas.

Maybe fry your own chips or find a new vendor that offers a better, if not premium chip product. With your current product, I’d rather drive down the street and settle for a boring burger with fries.

That being said, I’d be interested in hearing back from Texadelphia if there are any plans to change or expand upon the chips and salsa side concept.

We’d love to have a nice lunch at Texadelphia again but would feel weird sneaking in our own bag of chips.

Given my current record, I’m not expecting to hear back from Texadelphia.

I wrote to Chick Fil A this evening. Not because of a bad experience… I just had to question their old marketing tactic:

was driving to my Tae Kwon Do class this evening via HWY 620 in SW Austin, TX and saw an employee in a cow suit wearing a sandwich board. This Chick Fil A store is located on a Texas highway with the speed limit set at either 55 or 65 mph (I don’t remember which). Most of us drive somewhere around 70-75 mph past this store.

I saw the same cow an hour later on my way home from class. I jovially waved. The cow was there, bouncing, waving and probably thinking: “Hopefully I’ll look back on this job one day and laugh.” The cow waved back.

I’ve seen this cow outside of the restaurant a few times. It’s mildly amusing to see a person in a cow suit with an unreadable sandwich board or a posterboard-sized banner but honestly, it’s not getting me in the door. Yes, this advertising worked because it stuck out in mind enough to write to Chick Fil A, but I’m not going to seek a franchise tomorrow for lunch. Instead, I’m still going to wonder: “Does this kind of marketing still work?” How many years have I seen cows painting backwards letters on billboards? How many more minimum wagers are going to have to put on the suit and bounce on the roadsides? How many people are going to drive by, laugh and stop at Wendy’s for dinner instead?

I must note that I’m not some sort of humanitarian advocate. High school kids wearing a mascot suit for a chicken sandwich fast food joint is funny, but again, I’m going to stop at the grocery store on my way home instead of Chick Fil A. I’d rather have something new, fresh and homemade.

My main question is: Does this marketing strategy still work effectively for Chick Fil A? I love advertising and will buy in when the ad is clever and appeals to me. Beating a dead horse with a cow on the side of the road makes me think burgers or a newer, fresher product.

I’ve loved Chick Fil A since I was a kid. It was such a treat when my mom and I would go to the mall in Houston and we would have Chick Fil A for lunch in the food court. Your original sandwich is on my list of all-time comfort foods.

What are my options as a loyal consumer now? The cows are worn leather. Chains have bought into the low carb frenzy and that campaign is getting old (there are some of us who aren’t obese overconsumers). I look to the local guy now for fun, original and foolproof ideas.

I would like to hear your thoughts.

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The Feds

I spent most of the day dredging through our files at the office in a search for corporate website and legal documentation. One of our customers was paid a visit by the FDA. Now I’m having to learn the role of paralegal.

I’m having to deal with so much red tape and BS right now. I’m also in the process of trying to hire two new employees. It’s only Monday and I’m already wound down.

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Breakfast with Elise, Godfather Club

Elise worked on Friday night and I fully engaged myself in killing covenant soldiers.

Elise and I had a breakfast date early Saturday morning. We had the best fruit kolaches at Lone Star Kolaches on North Lamar. Unfortunately the pigs in a blanket weren’t as good as those of the Czech Stop in West, TX. Elise and I had a nice chat with Massey, the owner, and made her aware of the ad that drew us to her shop.

We drove home and then parted ways. Elise met with Kim to go over wedding stuff for Brad and Kim’s wedding. I ran errands around town to get ready for the Godfather Club meeting. After Elise’s and Kim’s meeting was over, Elise and Christine went to get pedicures. I’ll never understand pedicures – or women for that matter. Why to they concern themselves with things like haircuts, pedicures, shoes and something known only to them as Aveda when there are more important things like 300 GB hard drives, 500 HP muscle cars and granules that you can spread throughout your yard that makes fire ants boil in their own digestive juices.

I stopped by NTB to get a tire patched on the Expedition. I sat in the waiting room for 30 minutes. I looked through the bay window a few times and couldn’t see my truck. I walked out to the parking lot to see the truck still parked. I told the guy who helped me to give me my keys…

Josh: “This is ridiculous. What was taking so long?”

NTB kid: “I don’t know, sir. I guess the guys in the back were just farting around.”

So I left them to play with their farts and drove to the flea market in Oak Hill and found a one man operation who patched my tire in ten minutes and only charged me $17 – versus NTB who charges closer to $30.

Later that evening I drove over to Pluckers on campus and picked up 100 hot wings for meeting (I’m strategically refering to this as a meeting instead of a party hence forth). I hadn’t been on the UT campus in a long, long time. There was activity all about. Young studious minds walking and bicycling here to there. All young, vibrant faces that made me feel old and out of the loop. I decided to not let myself feel too old because I was, in fact, cool. I had four sacks full of “Fire in the Hole” hot wings and an important meeting to host.

I got home. John came over shortly after. Adrian was next. Then Marc. Victor. Tommy. And then Kirk. We all ate hot wings, drank beer, watched Ultimate Fighting Championship, discussed business and finally a series of competitions that awarded some great gifts such as a Chipotle gift certificate, a Dale Earnhardt wall clock and matching beach towel, a shower mirror/radio/CD player and the grand prize: a new iPod shuffle. Congrats to Tommy for winning the shuffle!

While the guys were meeting, Lanessa, Holly, Stewart and Elise went downtown to do a little bar hopping. Apparently they chose the wrong night to go to 6th Street. UT hosted the Texas Relays and every college track athelete in the nation was in Austin and wanting to party downtown on Saturday night as well. They got stuck in a parking garage as everyone was trying to leave downtown at the end of the night.

Elise didn’t get home until 5 a.m. She and the crew were stuck in traffic for two and a half hours in the early a.m.

The guys retired relatively early. Adrian and Victor stayed the night at our place. Victor left around 7 a.m. I woke up shortly after. Adrian woke up around 9. He and I watched “Road Trip” and then channel surfed for another hour or so. Elise rose from slumber around noon. Adrian and I drove to HEB where I bought goods for our steak sandwich late lunch – jerk seasoned with a chipotle and cilantro mayo.

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I get it

I felt like saying thanks last night… I wrote Jeff Blank an e-mail and told him how he has inspired me. It was awesome to receive a response from him so quickly.

I was telling Elise last night after I sent this e-mail to Jeff that being a chef has to be such a rewarding job. I think of it not much unlike being a doctor. There is a finite balance among art and science. There are so many rewards and so many failures.

I’d love to be a chef.

On Apr 8, 2005, at 7:35 AM, Jeff Blank wrote:

Josh,
What a tribute ….Thank you…I will pass this on to Robert. It is rewarding to know that our love for food & cooking is understood & appreciated. It makes the effort all worth it. Thanks for “getting it”

COOK FEARLESSLY

Jeff

P.S. The new book will be out this June

—–Original Message—–
From: Josh Janicek
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 9:47 PM
To: jeffreyblank@something.com
Subject: Thank you!!!

Jeff,

I received an e-mail announcement for the cooking class on April 17th. I wish I could attend but will be out of town that weekend.

I also wanted to say thank you for the wonderful class you held at your house back in January. That Sunday afternoon was one of the best days of my life!

I used to work at the Austin Country Club as a banquet captain. After a few months I buddied up with the chefs (back then it was Jim McNeil, Jim Sicher and Ron Cook). I showed an interest in the back of the house and helped out whenever I could. I never officially ‘worked’ in the kitchen but I made sure to bug the hell out of them… “what is that? what’s in that sauce? how did you cook that?”

I would get home late at night after working a banquet and be so inspired. I began trying out my own ‘culinary endeavors’ shortly thereafter. I screwed up A LOT of meals trying to play chef. That was six years ago. Since then I’ve become a lot more comfortable in trying new things in the kitchen.

A few years ago I took my wife to Hudson’s on the Bend to celebrate her getting a new job. It was our first time at the restaurant and we both absolutely loved the food, service and atmosphere. My wife bought me the ‘Cooking Fearlessly’ cookbook and a gift certificate to your cooking class for my birthday a year later. That was one of the best gifts I’ve ever received.

Since then we’ve been back to the restaurant many times and have loved every meal.

After many sliced fingers, burned food, broken plates, fires, jalapeno oil in the eye, etc. etc., I really enjoy cooking and, more importantly, enjoy cooking fearlessly – and I don’t think I’m too shabby for an amateur!!

Again, thanks for the many great meals and, more importantly, the inspiration!

Best regards,

Josh Janicek

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Hudson\’s April cooking class

Chef Blank is having a cooking class at his house on Sunday, April 17th. I want to go so badly. I’m going to have to limit myself to once a year.

If you’re in the Austin area, I can’t emphasize how awesome an experience it is to attend one of these cooking classes. Click here to sign up. It’ll put you back $125 so forego paying your utility and phone bill this month if you have to!!

    – Buffalo Quail Riding Jalapeno Cheese Grits –
    Pecan Wood Smoked Buffalo Quail riding atop Spicy Jalapeno Bleu Cheese Grits

    – Toasted Pecan Coriander Crusted Goat Cheese Salad –
    Candied Pecan Crusted Goat Cheese atop Mixed Field Greens with Blackberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

    – Hot and Crunchy Ruby Trout –
    Hot and Crunchy Ruby Trout Swimming in a Pool of Mango Habanero Aioli Splashed with Ancho Sauce Chillin next to Toasted Pearl Cous Cous

    – Flaming Burro Bananas –
    Flaming Bananas in a Spiced Tuaca Fire Drizzled over Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

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Thundercloud Subs and Stormy Customer Service

So you know that rule about receiving bad service? If you have good service you tell one person, but if you have bad service you tell six. Well, I’m going to tell everyone who reads our website (and I’m pretty sure it’s a lot more than six) that I had bad service at Thundercloud Subs. I got home from work tonight and Josh had printed out a flyer from their website that someone had sent him via email today. Apparently they’re running a 30th Anniversary sale and everyday for a month they have a sandwich on special. Today’s sandwich was Roast Beef and Avocado for $2.99. Regular price is $5.19. The “special” is supposed to be the price the sandwich was when they first opened thirty years ago. Now those of you that know me know how I love a good sale, deal or coupon so it didn’t take much to convince me that we should get dinner from Thundercloud. A side note to this is that Josh was the one to suggest we get dinner from there. He doesn’t ordinarily like Thundercloud (ask him about it), but I do. Since I rarely dine out without Josh (eating at El Arroyo doesn’t count) I thought this would be a great opportunity to reintroduce Thundercloud to him.

I arrived at the store and walked in with a family of four. They politely motioned for me to go in front of them and when I told the clerk I’d like the special she quickly responded, “Oh. Didn’t you see the sign on the door? We’re out of the special.”

Since the door was held open for me I did not see the sign so I stepped aside to call Josh for his alternative choice. I got back in line as the family of four was finishing their order just in time to hear the employee making the sandwiches tell the employee at the register, “Don’t sell anymore avocado. We’re out of it.”

Shoot. Strike two. The sandwich I always get is the Veggie Delite…it comes with avocado. That’s okay. I’m willing to try something new so I make a choice for Josh and a new one for myself. I get back up to the counter and ask the employee if they will substitute something comparable for the price of the special. Before I could finish my sentence she blurted out, “No. It’s only while supplies last.”

I debate a moment and realize I don’t really feel like ordering two meals full price…that whole bate-and-switch thing came to mind. Get them in the door for a special and then tell them you’re out of it, but you have something else that’s more expensive available.

I step back again, look over my flyer and realize nowhere on it does it say “only while supplies last.” I walk back to the counter and say to the employee, “I’m sorry. I don’t see anywhere on here where it says only while supplies last.”

She halfway rolls her eyes and says, “It says it on the door. It’s not my rule. That’s just how it is.”

I tell her, “I understand that, but since I drove all the way here only to be disappointed could they not make one exception by substituting one sandwich?”

Again she shook her head and made more excuses of how she just works there and she has no clout and it’s her manager’s rules, blah, blah, blah. I interrupted her and said, “Since they are his rules may I speak with your manager?” “He’s not here.” “May I speak with the manager on duty?”

Again rolling her eyes she took out a piece of paper and proceeded to write down a phone number. “There isn’t one here, but you can call the corporate office and they will take care of it.”

I took the paper, walked outside to check the sign on the door and called the number. By-the-way, nowhere on the door was there a sign that said “only while supplies last.” The office was closed for the day so I left a message. I told them I work in the food industry and know what good customer service is and didn’t feel the situation was handled well. I also told them I thought their advertisement wasn’t very good/misleading. I then told them that if someone would like to resolve the situation they could call me at my daytime number. I hope someone does call because I’d like to hear their reaction when I answer the phone, “El Arroyo Catering.” It’s not that I wasn’t willing to pay an extra $3.00 for a sandwich, or that I had a huge problem with having to change my selection, it was the way I was treated and the unwillingness to satisfy my needs. So I’ll wait to see if I receive a phone call from the main office tomorrow. I know if it was my boss who received the phone call he would make every effort to satisfy the customer and rectify the situation. We’ll see if Thundercloud has the same perspective.

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Half of a caterpillar

Last night I went to the grocery store to buy ingredients for my Arrabiata Alfredo Pie. I picked up a jar of pepperoncinis as I figured they’d go great with the pasta pie. I love pepperoncinis – always have, always will. They make for great pickle spit.

I was instantly reminded of a time when my next door neighbor ordered Papa John’s pizza one afternoon. When you order pizza from Papa John’s, you receive two pepperoncini peppers. I had a great next door neighbor when I was a living in my one bedroom bachelor pad back at the Bristol Method. Her name was Christy and we became really good friends.

Christy called me one afternoon and asked if I wanted to go in on a pizza order from Papa John’s. I said “thanks but no thanks, I just ate lunch.”

The next thing I remember was a scream from next door. Then the phone rang. Christy was still screaming on the phone… “Josh, help… come over, quick!” I thought she’d seen a ghost, cut off her finger or found Bob Saget in her bathroom.

Being the good neighbor that I was, I quickly ran next door and barged through the front door, ready to battle Bob Saget. I heard Christy coughing in the bathroom. I saw an open box of pizza on the living room floor. I ran to the bathroom to find my neighbor in a fit of laughter and tears.

She told me to go into the living room and look inside the pizza box. I opened said box and looked for Bob Saget. He wasn’t there. Christy came into the room and held in front of me a bitten into pepperoncini pepper.

There it was, what Christy had freaked out about – a half eaten caterpillar. My neighbor ate half of a caterpillar! After I was done laughing, I called Papa John’s on her behalf and made a formal complaint. Christy received a free large supreme pizza voucher.

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Arrabiata Alfredo Pie

Last night I felt the need to cook comfort food. I threw a twist on classic fettucini alfredo.

    Arrabiata Alfredo Pie

    Sauce
    1 part butter
    3 parts heavy cream

    Melt butter in pot, add cream, bring to a boil and reduce heat.

    Extras
    Few cloves garlic, crushed & chopped
    Fistfull of fresh basil, chiffonade
    Mushrooms, sliced
    Prosciutto, slided
    Mozzerella & Provalone cheese, grated
    Parmesan cheese
    Crushed red pepper
    1 egg, beaten

    Cook fettuccini, drain and cool.
    Add all of your extras into pot with pasta. Stir in sauce. Add Parmesan cheese to the point where it seems just like Alfredo. Throw in a few fist fulls of mozzerella and provalone (these are all exact measurements, by the way).

    Put ingredients in a buttered baking dish and cook at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

    Cut and serve like a pie. If you really want to make it healthy, drizzle some additional alfredo sauce over the top. Clos du Bois is a great wine accompaniment.

Gooey, creamy, cheesy, tasty, artery-clogging Italian comfort food.


Arrabiata Alfredo Pie

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Giss\’s, Quail and friends

Elise and I went to Giss’s Cafe for dinner on Friday night. We had read a good review by Dale Rice and wanted to support a neighborhood restaurant. We met the owner, he asked us how our dinner was and we didn’t have the heart to say “Ehhhh…”

I had the fried catfish and Elise had the chicken pot pie. The service was great and since Giss’s Cafe is in the process of getting their liquor license, Elise was treated to a free glass of wine (if you don’t have a license, you can serve booze for free!). My catfish was okay. I’m used Friday night catfish fries at Crossroads Tavern back home. Elise’s pot pie was very bland.

After dinner we drove over to Hollywood Video and picked up “Closer” and “The Incredibles”. Both were awesome movies.

Elise and I worked in the yard Saturday morning before Elise had to go to work. Shortly before returning from work, I prepped stuffed quail for our dinner.

Prepping stuffed quail

    Smoked Stuffed Texas Quail with an Ancho Ginger Honey Sauce on top of Texas Wild Rice and Pumpkin Seeds

    Quail
    Stuff quail with venison and pork sausage and cilantro, wrap quail in two strips of bacon.
    Smoke quail on grill until internal temperature is 170 degrees.

    Sauce
    Sautee onions, carrots and garlic until carmelized.
    Add 1.5 C. veal stock (my new best friend)
    Soy sauce
    Ginger
    Add reconstitituted ancho, sandia and chipotle peppers
    Cilantro
    Blend in blender or use boat motor
    Add honey to desired sweetness

    Smoked Stuffed Texas Quail

Elise and I went to meet Adrian and Holly at the Lucky Lounge for a couple drinks.

After deciding we didn’t want to spend too much money and yell over one another, we drove out to Kirk and Lanessa’s where we raised hell and had a shocking good time.

The change in time made for Elise and I getting home at almost 4 a.m. Elise had to work today so I slept in and mowed the yard.

Another fun weekend that blew by too quickly.