Review: 5th Street Bistro (Anacortes)

The 5th Street Bistro is located in The Majestic Inn and Spa in Anacortes and is a restaurant / bar that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I have been a regular at this establishment for the past fifteen months and I have probably been one of the most frequent visitors during this time. Therefore I believe my review is fair and just and reflects the changing nature of the restaurant.

When I first started visiting the 5th Street Bistro (March 2012) its menu was varied with plenty of choices for one and all. The Happy Hour was exceptional, the wine list adequate, and the main menu diverse. The bar and restaurant were also staffed with happy and skilled servers.

Wind forward fifteen months (June 2013) and there has been an almost 100% change in everything. The bar and wait staff has seen nearly everybody replaced (left to seek pastures new). Now that in itself is not necessarily bad, but in a small town like Anacortes where most places still employ the same staff as last year, it is most unusual and there has to be an underlying reason for it. Then there is the chef. In the fifteen months I have been there, the 5th Street Bistro is on its third chef. Enough said about staffing.

So, onto the food. There was a time about six months ago when I despaired of the menu. Suddenly it went from being a nice northwestern-themed hotel menu to a southern-based 'grits-insprired' offering. The Happy Hour became an Unhappy Hour, with everything suddenly going up drastically in price (with the hours shortened to boot). The 5th Street Bistro was pricing itself out of the market and also offering food that the local clientele did not want. Unfortunately this also came at a time when the restaurant was undergoing a complete redecoration and was closed / relocated for almost three weeks. Business suffered and something obviously had to be done.

Recently a new chef has been hired and the Happy Hour menu has been reworked. Prices have been lowered slightly and new items added. A few of the older, original, items have also been added back. I am told the main menu is also due for a complete overhaul along the same lines.

So what about quality? The 5th Street Bistro suffers because of itself. It is the only restaurant in Anacortes that is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night Happy Hour. And it does that with few menu changes and a diverse array of kitchen staff who have seen several chefs and cooks come and go. It is no little wonder that the quality of the food from hour to hour and day to day is, at best, inconsistent. I have seen two dishes go out side by side looking completely different even though the customers ordered the same exact thing.

Please simplify! Treat each dining period as a separate event. Make breakfast breakfast and lunch lunch. Change the menu, simplify it, educate the kitchen staff, keep everything consistent. Then for dinner, bring on the A-Team (oh, and for heaven's sake get rid of those abysmal 'home fries' - they are never cooked correctly, and go cold in two minutes).

Wow! I'm writing a lot and I haven't even covered half the topics I wanted to. Other suggestions? Employ a dining room manager (or two - one for AM/early PM and one for late PM) and have them actually run the dining room and bar. Let them make decisions about who gets which tables, ensure sidework gets done, food is to quality, and when servers get phased, etc. Management in this area is sadly lacking. Lastly, change it up a little from time to time -  guest beer taps, cocktails of the day, new wines. The list is obvious. Again, a proper manager could make this happen.

I like the 5th Street Bistro. It's a friendly place. It serves mostly good food and has mostly good service. But it could be great with just a few minor tweaks. I look forward to the next fifteen months.

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Ryann Reviews - A Touching Story

I was delighted to read a small article about my fantasy novella, Ryann, last week. The review comes from author Robyn Leatherman's blog, in an article entitled: AtoZ Challenge Day 18: R is for Ryann by Paul Dorset. Why not click the link and take a look at Robyn's wonderful blog?

To quote a very small piece of the article:

"Chapter 3 is where I was brought to tears out of my grief over losing a character I felt attached to. In this scene, a young slave girl (a sclava) is pleading with a younger sclava friend of hers not to pass on and leave her alone, and it left me in literal tears."

Readers' comments about books I've written always touch me in some way or another. Many, many thanks!

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Book Review: The Concubine's Gift (By K. Ford K.)

I was recently asked if I would read and review a book by fellow author, K. Ford. K.. The book is The Concubine's Gift and can be found at Amazon as a paperback and an ebook, and at Barnes & Noble as a paperback.


Disclaimers: I was not paid in any way for the review and the views are mine and mine alone.


The Concubine's Gift (By K. Ford K.)

Imagine a tree-fenced, old country garden that holds a multitude of unknown treasures inside waiting to be discovered. You open the gate and take a peek. Then you step onto the path and take a wander around, peeking behind bushes here and looking into flower beds there. There are just so many little things to see.

The Concubine’s Gift reminded me of such a garden. The book is a journey of discovery set in a small Nevada town, seen through the eyes of a sexually inhibited woman in her late-thirties, Bernice Babbitt.

The reason I use the analogy of the garden is that, to me, it just seemed that way. This isn’t a serial book, where one thing leads to the next; it’s more of a journey. Of course there’s an ending, and of course there’s a beginning; it’s just that what happens in between could really happen in almost any order.

K. Ford K. narrates the story in a homey, old-fashioned kind of way. It’s apple pie and home baking. It was a little like having a naughty bedtime story read to you; one that is full of ‘by the way’ and ‘incidentally.’ Stories branch into others and meander for a while before they return to the main path. And as you wander that path with Bernice you discover just why the book is named what it is.

For the most part, I enjoyed the read. The story itself is well written although I was hoping for a little more plot and a few more surprises. From early on I had a good idea where it was all going. Like I say, it was a pleasant walk through a tree-fenced, old country garden. And one that was filled with many sexual small-town secrets.

As a final note I have to add that the ebook had several formatting problems that I am told are being addressed. This made reading the book difficult at times and took away from its enjoyment.

Rating: 3 Stars (of 5)

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - A Review

A tale of two movies...

Today I went to watch the new American version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and was shocked at the movie.

The movie is rated 'R' and it deserves that rating for its graphic portrayal of rape and torture. Several people even walked out of the movie theater during one of the more brutal scenes. So, did that make it a good movie? Was the director trying to tell the audience something?

To answer that I re-watched the original Swedish version of the same movie (also rated 'R'), which debuted a couple of years ago. I remembered enjoying that earlier movie very much and although I remembered there was some nudity in it (not a lot), I didn't remember as many graphic scenes that shocked me. I was correct. Two very different movies based on exactly the same book. So what were the main differences? (And no plot spoilers, so don't worry).

The original Swedish movie portrayed Lisbeth as a deeply troubled yet very intelligent woman, who also happened to be a dropout from society. In this version you never knew quite where you stood with the character and you certainly never came to feel emotionally tied to her. There was always a certain intrigue about her and you wondered just what made her the way she was. Towards the end of the movie that question was mostly answered. The newly released American movie portrayed Lisbeth as someone that the audience should feel sympathy for from the beginning and as the story progressed you wanted her to get together with Mikael, the main protagonist. As for Mikael, the Swedish movie portrayed him as an independent and resourceful person (even though he had some trouble driving a car), yet the American movie had Lisbeth being the really smart one, working out nearly everything on her own.

Several elements of the plot were changed between the two movies as well. Some elements were so changed that I had to question which movie was closer to the book? Alas, I haven't read the book yet (I'm going to have to now), and so I cannot comment on that directly. I did read, however, that the director of the American movie (or the screenwriter) changed several things to make a more aesthetically pleasing movie (and ending). Therefore I am guessing that the Swedish version is a little more similar to the book.

And overall? How did I rate the two movies? They were both over two hours in length (that's a good thing). They were both very dark (also good). They were both very well acted and moved along at a good pace. Both movies had the main climax about thirty minutes before the actual end and then spent the rest of the movie explaining various elements of the plot (different in each movie). If I had only seen one movie (and not the other) I would certainly have enjoyed either one. The American movie shocked me more (as I said) and certainly appeared more geared to a mainstream US audience than the Swedish movie. Generally I like European movies (they usually are very different than American movies) and this one proved no exception. The Swedish version kept me guessing more than the American one; it had more suspense and was creepier in ways that weren't as graphic. So, although I know the American movie will be a big hit, my casting vote comes down on the side of the original Swedish one.

But either way - go watch the movie. You're in for a wonderful ride...

Majestic Inn & Spa, Anacortes WA

My wife and I went on a mini-vacation this past weekend and so I thought I'd write a review of a couple of the places where we stayed. It may be useful to some of you in the future.

Majestic Inn & Spa

Room: We stayed in a basic Queen room with en-suite bathroom. Both the room and the bathroom were on the smaller size, but nonetheless functional and well appointed. The style of the hotel is very much retro and the fixtures and fittings try to keep to this styling. There was no in-room coffee-maker and the TV was on the smaller size. Having said that, the bed was very comfortable and the bathroom had a great shower and very soft towels. We were fortunate enough to have a room on the 4th floor and the view of downtown Anacortes and the San Juans was wonderful.

Restaurant: We had dinner in the full-service bar / restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel. There is a Happy Hour every day from 4pm to 6pm and the food offerings were very good. There is a limited selection of wines by the glass, so if wine is your thing, be prepared. Portion sizes are excellent and several Happy Hour items offer upgrades to add salmon or chicken for an extra $2. Very worthwhile! Breakfast however was a different story. The lukewarm coffee complimented the stale English Muffins and Bagels very well. Okay, it was a Monday morning, but the food should still have been fresh. The continental breakfast was disappointing.

Overall: The hotel is priced at the higher end of the market, and we paid around $150 for a room for one night. Having said that, the hotel lives up to its marketing and all the staff were very friendly and helpful. There didn’t appear to be any major corners that were cut to bring you a very enjoyable experience. This hotel is an excellent location to stay if you are a first time visitor to Anacortes.

Review - Medallion Hotel, Arlington WA

My wife and I went on a mini-vacation this past weekend and so I thought I'd write a review of a couple of the places where we stayed. It may be useful to some of you in the future.

Medallion Hotel, Arlington WA

Room: A good sized room with a King bed and a nice sized bathroom. The centerpiece is the 40+ inch flat screen TV with full HD picture. The bed was very comfortable and there were all the standard facilities you would expect. I can never understand why these hotels don’t provide better in-room coffee-making facilities though. No wireless Internet – just a wired link, so there is some upgrading for the business community that needs to take place here.

Restaurant: We visited the full service bar, The Lounge, and sampled from their Happy Hour menu. The food was of a standard you would expect, nothing special, but not disappointing. There were a lot of people stopping by on their way to the nearby casino, so expect a mixed crowd of visitors at the weekend. The morning breakfast buffet provided both a hot and cold selection (better than a lot of hotels) that was mass produced and included most of the popular staples. The hot food was warm (not hot) and only one half of the toaster worked. Finally, the breakfast area was situated directly opposite the entry doors that meant every time someone left the hotel, all the breakfast patrons shivered. At least the coffee was warming.

Overall: Very good value for money for a room that only cost $99 for the night. Yes, there are many improvements that could be made and several things that could see some attention, but the hotel was clean and comfortable and better than a lot of others for the price bracket. If you are a weekday business visitor to the area, or someone passing through at the weekend, then you won’t be disappointed. Just understand exactly what you are getting for your money.

Book Review: Premeditated by Ryan Hunter

Disclaimer: I reviewed this book at a request from the author. I received nothing in return for the review and the comments are my opinions and mine alone.

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PREMEDITATED By Ryan Hunter

Plotting murder began as a game until the first killing took place, bringing seventeen-year old Jenna Adamson to the realization that playing God isn’t a game at all.

Convicted of murder, Jenna escapes to stop the other murders, murders she claims were planned in a game of revenge. Unable to stop the killings alone, Jenna enlists the help of her ex-boyfriend, entrenching him in a conspiracy that could cost him his future.

As the two evade police and stumble into crime scenes, Jenna fears the day the identity of the real killer is unveiled. She knows the truth could steal away more than her freedom.

Premeditated has been described as "Powerful, creepy and slightly disturbing."

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Minimal Plot Spoilers… Murder is a nasty affair. Serial murders, far worse. The premise of this story is that seventeen year-old Jenna Adamson has been convicted of a murder she didn’t commit and so escapes from jail to put things right. To further complicate things, she actually confessed to the murder, knew all the intricate details and was serving time for it. But putting things right, as I say, is foremost in her mind. Somehow Jenna believes that by escaping from jail she can stop a whole series of murders from happening. And what is more she is going to involve her ex-boyfriend in her plan, against his will. What could possibly go wrong?

Tambri is a police detective determined to stop Jenna and return her to jail, if only she can track her down and capture her again. But Jenna proves very elusive and the only clues Tambri receives are the frequent letters that Jenna writes her, mostly describing the next murder that will occur. Of course, these letters only help to convince Tambri that Jenna is, in fact, the real murderer.

It becomes a race against time as Jenna tries to stop the pre-planned murders from happening and clear herself and her ex-boyfriend, Skyler, in the process. And did I mention earlier, what could possibly go wrong? Things do not go quite according to Jenna’s plan and a non-stop cat and mouse game begins with Tambri and the police, before the ultimate confrontation with the real killer.

The book moved along at a good pace and on the whole kept me engaged with the story. There were a few good plot twists, but generally the reader knows where it’s all headed after the first few chapters. The book was well constructed and the style, language, grammar and editing were better than most Indie Authors. My major critique of the book involves the back-story of the main characters Jenna, Skyler and Tambri. I never ever felt completely vested in the characters and cared 100% for how things turned out. As I say, the story was well written, but I was left trying to understand what exactly drove the characters to do the things they did. Of course things were sort of explained towards the end of the novel, but by then it was too late and only served to be more of an anticlimax.

In summary the book was a solid read and kept me interested enough to want to finish it. “Powerful, creepy, slightly disturbing”? Certainly it was slightly disturbing and a little creepy in places, but it did not strike me as a powerful book. If you’re looking to read something fairly light by a new Indie Author, give it a go. I look forward to reading the next book by Ryan Hunter and seeing how her writing matures.