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I have always been pleasantly impressed by the relaxed, friendly staff at this store. (even when I've come here to pick up some leafy green trimmings for my guinea pig, in the past).
Basically...
I have always been pleasantly impressed by the relaxed, friendly staff at this store. (even when I've come here to pick up some leafy green trimmings for my guinea pig, in the past).
Basically everything you need (in other words, a nice selection), prices maybe a little higher than elsewhere...one's not overwhelmed by a dozen choices of something pretty rudimentary. No interminable aisles (think of the Harvard Market QFC) a block long.
You can actually find things here without spending 5-10 minutes looking for just one item.
I am always surprised that places like this treat you as a human being, while expensive veterinarian offices (for whatever reason) make it ever so clear that they are a business and only a business ("and would you please either make an office appointment or leave" attitude). I attribute that to a propensity on the part of many owners of vet clinics to want to be on a par with whom they judge to be their peers in the bio-tech and information technology fields, i.e., get into the country club.
Though the new Safeway next door is glitzier in some ways, this store is much more on a human scale. That Safeway is still an airplane-hangar (in conception and scale), efficient, friendly, but one feels like one is on a conveyor belt as soon as one steps in.
No desire absolutely to do anything but get in, get
one's stuff, and get out as soon as possible--unless you're the kind of person who finds wandering around/shopping in an airport a gratifying experience). The Big S with its inside face-lift is big, cold, and impersonal (the staff are pretty nice though).
And one recent Sunday, in the midst of all the great hub-a-dub, the cashier forget to give me the cash I requested when I used my debit card--I was so anxious to get of there and there was a surfeit of activity going all around me...
Actually, the Metropolitan Market (former Larry's Market) down the hill is much clunkier than this one--cavernous in comparison.
Am adamantly opposed to building a 6-story QFC (with apartments above). Why don't they tear down the tick-tacky 7-11 down the street instead?
From the NYT (May 6, 2007) by Craig Smith :
"Yes, life ([in France] is expensive: a web of protectionist regulations has kept a lid on the ability to save money at discount stores and restaurant chains. But that has also kept neighborhood bistros and bakers and cheese shops and charcuteries in business far longer than in most other developed economies, creating a rich fabric of daily life that everyone loves. It is one reason France draws more tourists than any other country each year."
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Seattle is very fortunate to have three major theaters that have achieved national prominence (the others being Seattle Rep and ACT). In a world where increasingly everything is "virtual" but not...
Seattle is very fortunate to have three major theaters that have achieved national prominence (the others being Seattle Rep and ACT). In a world where increasingly everything is "virtual" but not very real, it is indeed refreshing to have the "real thing"--live theater--of this calibre.
Intiman was awarded with the Regional Theater Tony Award in June of this year, and it was richly deserved.
Many, many fine productions have been staged here, including the world premieres of "The Light in the Piazza" and "The Kentucky Cycle" (which won the Pulitzer Prize 15 years ago; its author Robert Shenkhan now lives in Seattke).
Among the fine plays staged here include "Homebody/Kabul" by Tony Kushner (this was not long after 9/11, "Nickel and Dimed,"
"Dying Gaul," "How I Learned How to Drive," and Ionesco's "The Chairs."
The artistic director Barlett Sher is a rising star in the American theater and has already received two nominations for Best Director, for his Broadway stagings of "Light in the Piazza" and the revival last season of the Clifford Odets' classic of "Awake and Sing"--all the while being artistic director of Intiman!
He has put together a mixture of classics ("Glass Menagerie," Hellman's "Little Foxes," Shakespeare, commedia dell'arte, Chekhov's "Three Sisters," etc.), recent Broadway imports, as well as new works. Currently the Intiman is devoting much of its programming to "an American Cycle."
Most of the plays are staged in a steeply pitched arc leading from a hemispherical proscenium. The main floor and mezzanine have high ceilings and an airy openness that are somewhat atypical (compared to Seattle Rep or ACT, for instance), more Lincoln Center than one would expect. A nice courtyard fronts the theater and in the summer box meals can be ordered in advance.
There are usually several special events associated with each the run of each play. For instance, I saw here Adam Guettel, the composer (he graced the front cover of NY Times Magazine during the two-month run of "Piazza"), Speight Jenkins (Seattle Opera), and Victoria Clark (who went on to bring the role to Broadway and won a Tony for Best Actress, as predicted in The Stranger two years before the actual Broadway run) in a round-table discussion.
Here's to hoping he'll stay here for a long while. His compatriot Daniel Sullivan, long-time artistic director of Seattle Rep, went on to become a major Broadway director with a Tony for "Proof" and last season's staging of "Three Days of Rain" with Julia Roberts.
For those with a serious interest in theater-- literature in general--Intiman has become a wonderful cultural mainstay in Seattle.
And for those under $25, the $10 tickets are an outstanding bargain. There are very few movie flicks out there, in my opinion, that warrant paying the same $10 for a comparable experience.
But after all, theater is theater, one the oldest forms of the performing arts, deeply embedded in the collective cultural experience of humanity.
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This former Women's Century Club was the first or second art film house to open in Seattle, a distinction it shares with the Grand Illusion in the U. District). (My sister was one of the first...
This former Women's Century Club was the first or second art film house to open in Seattle, a distinction it shares with the Grand Illusion in the U. District). (My sister was one of the first ushers here before she matriculated at Brown; she loved working there).
The Harvard Exit opened in ca. 1970. It was purchased eventually by the Landmark Theatre group but still operates mostly the way it has since its inception, with the addition of another movie screen.
In some ways comparable is the Seven Gables (also in the U. District), but I find the screen similar to a long train car: viewing movies there is like sitting in a tunnel and watching images flickering at the far end,,,
It is probably my favorite movie theater in Seattle for several reasons:
(1) the wonderful "living-room" style lobby with its early-mid 20th c. furniture and furnishings, all comfy; large windows with Venetian blinds, looking out across Roy to the the D.A.R. and Anhalt cottages.
Most movie theaters do NOT have a lobby/parlor of this kind. Once the movie gets out, YOU get out, too, simply because there is NOWHERE to linger--unless your idea of a good place to talk about the movie and to relax is to be next or across from a wall of pinball machines.
(2) the quality programming (which currently includes the film version of "The History Boys" and "The Queen," both outstanding British releases.
One of the first and most memorable movie moments when I saw Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Conformist" with Jean Louis-Trintignant and Dominque Sanda when it opened the flood of art house, foreign film that began at that time (at least for me) and led to the independent films that seem to carved a large niche of movie-going today.
I can't count the number of fine films I have seen here that would never have been shown at the multiplex.
The only regret that I have is that the refreshment stand has been moved from the entrance lobby into the living room, as the staff tends to be pretty obstreperous and not really aware that others might not share their sense of humor. That said, I enjoy spending a half an hour after a movie is over on a rainy afternoon and enjoying some moments of serenity--it sure beats Starbuck's for atmosphere, in my opinion.
Let's hope, perhaps against all odds, that the building is not demolished soon and a 6-story retail-with-condos-above or a multiplex cinema doesn't take its place.
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I can only comment on the lunch buffet, which I have had over the years. It's pretty good, especially now that Banjara's on the top of the hill has closed. The green salad was especially good...
I can only comment on the lunch buffet, which I have had over the years. It's pretty good, especially now that Banjara's on the top of the hill has closed. The green salad was especially good compared to Chutney's Indian counterparts. The QA location has a better buffet than the other two locations on Capitol Hill and in Wallingford.
Subdued, pleasant decor. A haven of tranquility in the middle of the bustle of lower Queen Anne. Good, attentive service.
Would give four stars but I have had dinner there only once.
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These are some of the nicest staff in town--young, friendly, very hard-working.
Not inexpensive by any means, but a treat is in order from time to time. And certainly better for you than...
These are some of the nicest staff in town--young, friendly, very hard-working.
Not inexpensive by any means, but a treat is in order from time to time. And certainly better for you than Baskin-Robbins (are they still around?).
Clean, efficient, cheerful, family-oriented.
Unlike the First Hill location, loud deafening music will NOT blast you out of the store.
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I wish I could be more all-over positive about this store, but I honestly cannot give it four stars.
At least as the Queen Anne store, I didn't feel that all the employees took much initiative or...
I wish I could be more all-over positive about this store, but I honestly cannot give it four stars.
At least as the Queen Anne store, I didn't feel that all the employees took much initiative or interest in my concerns and questions. In fact, two of them just seemed very matter-of-fact and didn't go beyond just answering the question in an acceptable but rather perfunctory manner.
Actually, I felt the clerks at the Madison Valley store were much more helpful and friendly (and I don't know why that is).
For instance, it would have been nice when I asked the store clerks (I think I asked two of them (just to be sure), if if they had a certain brand of cat food to have not just gotten a "No, we don't. Never heard of it," our web-site (which is actually a nice one) lists the brands of cat food we carry.
* On the other hand, one of the people working there was helpful (and friendly) in trying to help me decide "how far"each bottle would go. For all I knew at the time, the 4 oz. bottle could have lasted two weeks, the largest bottle 4 months....
But no one (except the owner--and this was THREE weeks after the purchase and finally a personal e-mail) seemed to know that fish oil OXIDIZES (with exposure to air) pretty quickly, is highly perishable, and hence should be used up within a month or two, which was the most important thing to know. And the pump doesn't close very easily, if at all, after one squirt.
When one is thinking of buying omega-3 salmon oil for one's beloved animal friend, it would be nice if someone--at a pet "boutique"!--would point this out AT THE BEGINNING! Basically, I was left to try to figure out all these things on my own, aside from the comment, "this is one of our best-sellers," and"this can be used for cats. It's the same thing (whatever the size of bottle or the label."
The reason one would go to a pet supply store like this is that one would expect the staff to be provide useful information so as to be able to make good choices--something that one certainly would not necessarily get at a chain pet store.
They DID allow me to exchange the bottle for one with a later expiration date, but this was not ultimately of very much use, as what's important is when the bottle is opened (from that time on, the salmon oil starts to degrade). And they graciously allowed me to exchange it for the smallest size (appropriate for a feline).
I spent some time agonizing about what size bottle to buy, and I am loathe to buy lots of small bottles of anything, a waste of packaging, a shopping visit,
and money (akin to buying 1/2 oz. bags of potato chips when one really ought to just go for the 14 oz. bag)
The actual reason for the smaller size bottle(s), I believe now, is that if you have a small dog or cat, your pet will be able to use up the whole bottle before the contents "go bad." It doesn't make sense to get a large bottle, obviously, if it's going to go bad before you've used most of it. You'll just have to throw the rest out and go out and buy a new bottle.
The big bottle must be for if you have a 75# dog or several dogs...otherwise it would go bad pretty quickly.
The stores inside are nice, not airplane-hangar-like (think of Petco), more neighborhood-friendly indeed.
It is overwhelming in this era of Petcos and Petsmarts (dozens of choices), and with so much confusing, contradictory information, and I think stores such as this one ought to improve their knowledge of the basics.
It's not as if they have 500 different products, like Petco, to have to be knowledgeable about.
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Had a good meal with family here about two weeks ago. Very good experience, though we sat in the smaller room on the left, where some of the staff were eating (and talking very loudly).
I...
Had a good meal with family here about two weeks ago. Very good experience, though we sat in the smaller room on the left, where some of the staff were eating (and talking very loudly).
I wasn't expecting it to be this good but almost every dish was excellent including the long green beans in garlic sauce, the crispy skin chicken, mussels).
Not a cavernous restaurant, as some of the Chinese restaurants in the ID tend to be (think China Gate or House of Hong).
Cantonese cuisine, one of the few restaurants specializing in seafood in the I.D., but they have other non-seafood dishes as well.
Very reasonably priced, high quality, ample portions.
Maybe should get 5 stars...
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The staff (with an occasional exception) here works hard to provide top-notch (helpful, knowledgeable) service, which is a very pleasant surprise, as I wouldn't expect a store this size to be this...
The staff (with an occasional exception) here works hard to provide top-notch (helpful, knowledgeable) service, which is a very pleasant surprise, as I wouldn't expect a store this size to be this way. (Compare a place like Target, Fred Meyer, etc., where the people are too busy and too few to really stop and answer anything but the most rudimentary questions).
Very wide--actually TOO wide (what about taking a cue from Trader Joe's?)-- selection of household items on two floors. I have bought a few "turkeys," so it would be nice if they limited their enormous stock to the best of the bunch, so to speak, thus making selection easier.
I have bought sets of Calphalon cookware, fleece blankets and a special "professional grooming" brush for my cat (it worked well the first time I used it to do a deep brushing), large Rubbermaid-type storage containers, massage machines, and so forth, here.
You don't have to go out to Northgate, Fred Meyer, etc. It's all right here downtown, which is a boon to those of us who live and work close to downtown. Also, it seems a lot more "relaxed" than similar cavernous places which begin to resemble gargantuan beehives of human consumption activity.
20% off coupons land in your mailbox all the time and and are a good deal. No problems with returns or exchanges. Extra cashiers appear quickly when there are customers waiting in line.
In case you think coupons are passe, read this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/29/business/29coupons.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
They also have a very liberal exchange/return policy, and at times, minus the receipt, I have returned items, usually for store exchange, quite a while after it was purchased. No arm-twisting, no questions...
They do their best to provide pleasant service and keep your patronage. I appreciate this a lot.
So, in other words, despite my basic anti-corporate bent, I'll have to admit, some of the bigger stores have some pretty good service (my Safeway on Queen Anne is another AMAZING example).
Ditto Trader Joe's: those people work their tales off! And go out of their way to be helpful and agreeable, without "attitude."
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I have to confess several things:
(1) I love Chinese food
(2) Have a very hearty appetite (work out 6x a week at the gym)
(3) Don't like cooking
(4) Believe in good value, hard work, thrift,...
I have to confess several things:
(1) I love Chinese food
(2) Have a very hearty appetite (work out 6x a week at the gym)
(3) Don't like cooking
(4) Believe in good value, hard work, thrift, and so forth
(5) Am a guy
(6) Don't like to spend time looking at a menu and having to decide
(7) Like to dress casually when I go out to eat
So, this place is fine in my opinion. Granted, it may not be fine Chinese cuisine--difficult to find outside of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong anyway--but holy cow! It's a great deal!
And though it doesn't hold a candle to the really good Chinese buffets to be found in a small Midwestern university town, where I did my graduate work--as unlikely as that might appear to be--it is one of the VERY FEW Chinese buffets in the Seattle area, as well.
No waiting around (unless it's a weekend evening and there's a crowd) or having to think about which dishes to order (and having to narrow the list down to two or three).
If you don't like a particular dish, or if it has been sitting out on the warming plate longer than you'd prefer, get the dish next to it! Also, they're CONSTANTLY bring out steaming, piping hot dishes from the kitchen (at least when I've been there).
The best Chinese food I've ever had in Seattle was at a small restaurant in the I.D. that is no more, the Top Gun. But the food here is still pretty good (and I'm Chinese-American to boot).
There are very few Chinese buffets in Seattle (there were more in the small city where I went to graduate school in the Midwest), so at present, this is the best of the lot.
There must be at least three long aisles with food on either side....that must be at least 50 different dishes PLUS a Japanese counter PLUS dessert(s) PLUS a cook-to-order stir-fry counter.
If only this place were closer in (to Seattle, I mean), I would go here all the time...
Caveat (as of 2-17-06) Don't go in the middle of the afternoon, as the number of freshly stir-fried dishes is much less, and the quality, as well. I got stomach flu a few hours after eating here, and though I'm not 100% sure it was from the restaurant, I'll have to admit the hygiene in the restrooms could be improved a lot.
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