Hilton @ StL Ballpark

Let it be known that Nick and I celebrated our "1 year" anniversary together (which, to be honest I don't think that "dating" anniversaries are that super important... it's the marriage ones that really matter but, until I start racking those up dating anniversaries will do.)in Saint Louis for 2 nights of rest and relaxation. Being the super shopper that I am I poked around on the internet(s) for the best deals. I had almost decided on the Hyatt Regency in Union Station when I browsed Hotwire.com for some deals.

For just $54 a night I booked a four star hotel in downtown St.Louis. The deal with hotwire that makes it almost sketchy is that they do not show you what you are paying for. This is their way of keeping people from going directly to the source. I crossed my fingers and hoped that we would wind up with something better than a Days Inn (which, isn't a bad hotel by any means but, seeing as how we were in a "celebrating" mood we wanted something a little more classy). As luck would have it the Hilton at the Ballpark was what we wound up with.

Nick's first impression of the room was that it wasn't as big as he had expected it to be. He said that because it is a "luxury" hotel that he had thought the rooms would be larger. I thought the room was a nice size. It was very spacious, about 2 times the size of the room at Hotel Allegro (wonderful hotel in Chicago that Carolyn and I stayed at for NYE 2005-06). The shower was great, bed was very comfortable, and there was a Starbucks in the lobby which made it easy to grab breakfast in the morning. The best part was the view. We were only on the 4th floor but our view looked out towards Keener plaza, the old court house, and the arch. Below is a picture of what our room would have been like had we been on the other side of the building.



Our stay was great, not just because of the comfy hotel, but because we spent time with our great friends in St.Louis. The Hilton at the Ballpark is a place that I would stay again but probably when I visit Saint Louis after I move to a warmer climate.

Naked: Green Machine

Ok, so I have to admit, Green Machine is one of my most favorite drinks. Not only is it scrumptious but it also happens to be good for you. For those of you not in the know about Naked fruit drinks its this great beverage that shows all of the exact ingredients along the side (I know you are thinking "yeah, umm they all do it", WRONG) for example:

Green Machine
2 Apples
1/2 Kiwi Fruit
1/2 Banana
1/2 Pineapple
1/2 Mango
1300mg Spirulina
400mg Chlorella
100mg Green Tea
100mg Broccoli
100mg Spinach
50mg Blue Green Algae
50mg Garlic
50mg Echinacea
75mg Barley Grass
75mg Wheat Grass

The pineapple covers up the wheat grass and other things that might have you thinking "gross". Most people will be turned off by the look of the smoothie but, it's just plain and simple DELICIOUS!

Banquet Frozen Mac n Cheese Dinner

Today for lunch i brought with me some frozen mac and cheese. The fact that it is frozen is probably where i started off down the wrong path... well, actually i kind of like frozen mac and cheese as a snack. This brand however, isn't my usual choice.

First off i can't really complain about the price. For only a dollar it was a cheap solution for lunch at work. I could have made something at home and paid less than a dollar over all... but that's a completely off subject tangent. The noodles were soggy or just too soft in general... its not very cheese its just salty... salty yellow sauce. not my idea of a good meal.

i could have bought a couple cans of soup for my dollar. it would have been a better idea than the Banquet Mac and Cheese.

Fitz's hmmm not what i remembered

Let me preface this review with a little back story. I used to work for Fitz's back in 2000 before i attended Mizzou. I loved the food and the root beer. I also loved the atmosphere of the Fitz's in the U-City Loop (i worked at the one that was closed down in Chesterfield... oh and U-City is in Saint Louis, MO for those of you that don't know.). So with that being said i decided Fitz's would be a nice place to go for dinner on Friday with my friends Chris and Sara, my parents, and my boyfriend Nick.

We wound up with a pretty nice little table on the patio. The soft strums of an acoustic guitar flowed through the air. The atmosphere was excellent, with the exception of the loud obnoxious guy who was talking about his political views (not really Fitz's fault). The wait service was very slow maybe due to the full house... but if they had better hostesses then maybe that would resolve the issue. (coming from a retired server i realize that its the hostesses duty to seat the table in a manner that is good both for the server and the customer.. meaning that the customer will be well taken care of and that the server isn't too stressed)

Nick, my parents, and i ordered some of their home made sodas. Nick's first mug of root beer was half empty... or half full depending on how you like to think about things.. needless to say it was gone in maybe two gulps. Our server just couldn't keep up with the massive amounts of beverages we were consuming... oh wait.. we only had maybe 2 refills.

The food... pretty much everyone had the same opinion. It was bland and not that great. Chris ordered some veggie pasta thing... i could smell it across the table from him and this was not in a good way.

Another thing, we didn't get silverware until after our food had been delivered. Complete rookie mistake and not acceptable. My dad had the gumbo which, looked ok to me. He said, "this gumbo is more like a soup". According to wikipedia "The dish named gumbo usually consists of two components, rice and broth, and is usually made in large batches." I know his wasn't served with rice but i suppose that doesn't really matter because some types aren't served with rice.

In the end it seems like Fitz's has lost of charm. I used to love the place and now i find that is just isn't what it used to be.

Thai Kitchen

It was a swing and a miss with Thai Kitchen today. I can't say that the food was terrible but it was just ho hum. I ordered the pad thai chicken mild. It was pretty bland (probably my own fault for ordering it mild), dry, and sticky. Nick had a similar experience with his lunch which he described as "not good". The special was a choice between 4 entrees. You got to pick 2 and it came with rice and a spring roll for $5.99

The last time i went to Thai Kitchen Nick LOVED his food. I on the other hand (notorious for my stomach troubles) liked my food but hated the aftermath. Which, is why i ordered my pad thai lite on the spices.

I would have to say the next time I go will be over dinner. It just seemed like there was such a rush on everything. There only seemed to be one waiter who was running around like mad. The special was precooked basically just not as fresh as it could have been. So, dinner it is for Thai Kitchen.

Mrs Freshley's Powdered Donuts

This morning 2 of my coworkers and I went around the corner to the "No Gas” Gas Station to grab some munchies for breakfast. I went with the classic powdered donuts, some cheez its, and a Sunkist soda (I figure it’s the closest thing to orange juice in soda form).

My big mistake was the donuts. I bit into one after a sip of Sunkist and immediately the powdered sugar taste was off and the inside part tasted like wood. I felt like I was eating a soft piece of powdery wood! Just to be on the safe side I took another bite thinking that maybe the soda had affected my taste buds... nope the second bite was worse!

I still feel the donut in my stomach well, half of it anyway. I decided maybe my mouth is just messed up so, I offered a donut to my coworker Dave. He agreed with me on the wood like flavor of these powdered donuts.

Basically, if you enjoy the flavor of wood or if you happen to be related to a beaver then you might enjoy these donuts. Otherwise, I would steer clear!