Help Wanted, Help Found

Yesterday the hubby and I headed to Uptown Kitchen for breakfast. It is such an inviting place to eat with fresh food and lots of healthy options. We don't choose the healthy options, but we are glad they are there. The host was a pleasant guy who didn't offer us a highchair even though we had our baby with us in an infant carrier. It was no big deal to us, I made myself at home and went to get one. He saw me do this as he hustled through the kitchen running food and smiled sheepishly. I was so happy to be out to breakfast that I really didn't mind, but someone else might. Our server was Alyssa, though I am probably not spelling it right (I'm sorry!). She was an almost perfect waitress. Alyssa was warm, friendly and thorough. She was elegant and professional and smiled a genuine smile. I really appreciated how polished she was but I did get the feeling that she was this way with everyone every time. That is of course an excellent quality in customer service,...

We checked out the new restaurant by the airport for you! (I know, another food review...I swear this isn't a food critic blog hiding inside a customer service blog) I want to share our wonderful experience at Times Square Restaurant on Lincolnway across from the South Bend airport. You can see their menu via their other location under "Bravo Cafe" here . The first thing I noticed was they had environmentally savvy florescent bulbs in their outdoor lighting...you know the twisty kind we are all supposed to be buying. I also really liked the landscaping outside of the restaurant. It is unlikely you spend a lot of time hanging out on Lincolnway but it isn't the nicest part of town from a curb appeal standpoint. Their bright flowers, borders and raised beds make a difference. Everyone was "opening week nice" so we started off well. They didn't have highchairs which was kind of odd for a family restaurant but they are getting some soon. It was fine, o...

A restaurant by any other name, or even the same name, just isn't as sweet. The Riverfront Cafe used to be a place with fabulously mouthwatering food and a happy eclectic atmosphere. When it closed down a few years ago everyone I knew in Niles was disappointed. When it reopened under new owners about a year ago we were elated. Now we are back to disappointed again. According to our receipt our server's name tonight was Jennifer, but I am not certain she said her name. Poor Jennifer; she was a sweet young girl without an ounce of spark and only minimal wait service training from my estimation. I would love to work with the waitstaff there and help them enjoy their work. I wish someone had spent time with Jennifer, she has potential to be a great server and to really enjoy her job. If she was awesome I'll bet just her repeat customers alone could bump up business at this struggling cafe. I wanted her to enjoy taking care of us, I wanted to have a great time at the re...