Jessica "Jess.my.pet" M.'s Profile

Thompson's recently changed its name to The Mailroom Store -- but it's still the same great people & the same great service with a smile!

I'm hard-pressed to praise this place without mirroring earlier reviews. I've always had a positive experience in this little shop: the people are friendly and very helpful, and it seems whenever i go there I get free samples: cat food, treats, anything that happens to be handy. It makes me suspect that Jerry has charmed all his pet food providers, he has such a stockpile of samples!!

In fact, I was just there this afternoon. As I was hauling my selections to the counter, he handed me two 1.7 oz. sample-bags of cat food, saying "Here, your kitty might like these," then he paused for a second, "your cat's not a big kitty, is it, not overweight?" "Nope," I said. "Good, try this out," he says, handing me the bags.

I thanked him, and turned to his daughter who was running the register. While I was putting away my card, I looked down into my tote bag, which I had laid on the counter to receive the big old bag of IAMS I'd chosen, plus several cans of Weruva. I noticed he'd slipped several more sample bags in there.

Thanks again, Jerry, you sly fellow ....

Incidentally, the Weruva canned cat foods were 50 cents cheaper than I'd seen at stores in Manhattan. Can't beat that!

Sean and I took an afternoon stroll today, and our meandering homeward route happened to pass by the Square Root Cafe: a place we had both often seen, but had never entered. We were hankering for a cup of coffee, so we went inside, but once we had a look at the menu, we decided that we had to try the food! As a general note: they don't take credit/debit cards, but there are a few ATMs nearby, so I dashed over to one after we had placed our order.

They have a nice selection of American-fare, with comfort food such as Mac-n-Cheese, and standard breakfast favorites like waffles and omelets, and enough clever twists to the standard menu to make things interesting, e.g. Green Eggs and Ham!!

YES!! GREEN EGGS AND HAM!!!!

Being a Seussophile (I think I just made that word up, I call dibs on it, and think the OED should reference me in the entry for the word when it is entered--as it surely will be--in a few years' time in that illustrious lexicon of the English language.) ....

Anyway.

Being a Seussophile--which, incidentally, I just googled and discovered I did *not* invent the word ... imagine my disappointment--I was delighted at the prospect of finally finding out what Sam-I-Am has been crowing about all these years. The greenness of the eggs was accomplished by scrambling them with pesto, then serving this delightful concoction on top of ham slices, and the whole thing ensconced upon a hearty slice of grilled bread. This was then garnished with shredded Parmesan, resulting in quite a tasty treat. The only thing I would have changed about this creation was the bread: it seemed too ... bready ... by which I mean the thickness of the slice of bread left me wishing there was more eggs and ham to balance things out. On the side I enjoyed a nice green salad with some delicious home-fried potatoes! I don't know what they used to spice these potatoes up, but it was delicious--I didn't even want to reach for the ketchup.

Sean had the "Big Breakfast" which includes eggs, bacon, toast, salad (with breakfast? Yes, you can!), and a Belgian Waffle topped with bananas, whipped cream, raisins and maple syrup. All this, for $8.50!!! He was very happy with his meal, and said that, for the price, it was the best breakfast deal he had discovered so far in the area with respect to the amount-of-yummy-food-to-price-ratio. My breakfast was $8.00, which I felt was quite reasonable, too.

The coffee, as others have noted, was delicious!! I hate it when you get a mug and you can just tell it's been on the burner for 3 hours ... this was definitely not the case with our coffee! Yum yum! You might also consider stopping by after 5 pm, as they have daily "$5 at 5" specials!

The atmosphere of the place was just the sort I adore: eclectic, nostalgic, interesting, and artsy ... but not overdone. It felt natural, like the coolness had developed organically rather than in some kind of rarefied contrived designer vision of what eclectic-nostalgia and interesting-arstiness should be. They had cool things everywhere ... I could have spent hours poking around in their goodies (heh) but I'm sure Sean would have left me there by myself had I tried. They even had ROCK-EM-SOCK-EM ROBOTS FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!! I asked Sean if he wanted to play, but he said no. For all his brazen smart-assery on the web, he sure does have this shy spot about acting like a dork in public. Good thing I do enough acting like a dork in public for the both of us. They had one of those Fisher Price barns there, the kind where you pull open the door and it goes "MoooOOOooOH!!!" sounding rather like an asthmatic cow getting sucker-punched. There was a delightful juke box in the corner with REAL RECORDS in it, not CDs, ya know, actual real 45s! I'm not sure if it works, but it didn't matter to me too much; I was very happy with the Johnny Cash album they were playing.

Finally, the service was friendly; we felt very welcome, but not hovered-over ... which I hate. Overly-attentive hover-wait-staff makes me itch. How can I enjoy my meal when someone's coming up every 2 minutes asking me questions about how my food is?!? I don't like to talk with my mouth full!! When we paid, the woman at the counter--presumedly the owner or manager--asked how we had enjoyed our food, and also was kind enough to ask if it was our first visit there. Upon finding out it was, she was very pleasant and invited us to come again--now that I think about it--she had even stopped by the table earlier to ask Sean if he wanted the log-in key for the cafe's wifi. She noticed he was on his iPhone. It is that kind of attention and thoughtfulness that will bring us back again!

We both wish we had decided to try this place out sooner!

I am a huge fan of diners, and as such, I become unreasonably excited whenever I happen upon a new one. I was doubly excited by the prospect of the Tick Tock Diner because, a) It has "Diner" in the name!! I love diners!! Diners = grease, eggs, bacon, toast, coffee, and love, and b) being the nerd I am, I was charmed by the name "Tick Tock" because it made me think of a winsome recurring clockwork-character named Tik Tok from the Oz books by L. Frank Baum ... which has nothing to do, really, with diners, but that's what I thought of ... but I digress.

Ahem ... where was I?

Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that instead of being greeted by adorable copper, roly-poly clockwork men and being embraced in true diner charm, I encountered a sterile, stark atmosphere of lusterless chrome and soulless fifties kitsch. Add to this the apparent indifference of our waiter and the bland construction and presentation of our food, the whole experience added up to "Meh."

A diner isn't a diner simply because you have some chrome and retro-items scattered about; a diner isn't made by tossing in a few booths and having a black and white-checkered floor; a diner isn't a diner because it offers comfort food and all-day breakfast. No, No, I say! I diner has to have soul ... and that is what this place certainly lacks. Shame on the Tick Tock Diner for dashing my hopes and dreams ... for shame!

You may well be wondering, since I'm so full of opinions, how do I define a diner? As with anything worth knowing, the definitive diner is hard to describe; complicated in its simplicity, deepened by character and history, the diner is always greater than the square footage of its linoleum. To make myself even more incomprehensible, and to mutilate a line from Shakespeare: A diner by any other name would be still be a great place to eat! In other words, a true diner might not even necessarily call itself a diner; furthermore, that which calls itself a diner might well be an eatery in wolf's clothing.

Excuse me while I get a spatula to unstick all my metaphors from the bowels of my verbal Cuisinart; I think I just broke the machine.

A real diner has a sense of history, and while it most certainly will offer the classic comfort-foods and anytime-breakfast, and it very likely will sport some kind of vinyl booth-action, and maybe even a mirrored wall, it will also, like a well-seasoned cast-iron pan, have an unmistakeable patina of character. It will have a history, either etched into its table-tops, or memorialized in walls full of photographs of favorite customers and special events, maybe even a bowling-trophy. It will have the first dollar-bill ever made by the owner taped to the wall by the register, and there will actually be employees there who remember the day it was placed there. The wait-staff will be whip-sharp, terrifyingly efficient, tenderly attentive to your coffee cup, and they will remember your name.

The Tick Tock Diner is not a diner in that sense of the word. And it made me sad, so very sad.

However, as I'm sure the Tick Tock Diner was not placed on this earth for the sole purpose of making me happy, I suppose I will get to the actual review-part of this entry.

On the plus side, they did offer a wide variety of things, and a lot of it looked good; on the negative side, the things we got (he, an Angus burger with bacon, of course, and I, a teriyaki burger with little crunchy onion thingies on it) were just kind of ... meh. They weren't bad, and we certainly got the food quickly enough, but our waiter darted in so quickly with the stuff that I wondered for a minute if they had had the burgers waiting in the back ... if they knew we were coming. But had they known we were coming, I'm sure they would have put on a fresh batch of fries, because the ones we had tasted like they'd been sitting under a warmer for a while. Also, he seemed to have a habit of zipping away from the table before we were quite sure we were done with our orders ... and he didn't even ask if I wanted dessert ... which I would have, had he reminded me: they had key lime pie on the menu.

So, while the Tick Tock Diner wasn't a horrible place to eat, and while I can certainly see the appeal of its location--there were a lot of patrons who parked their luggage next to their tables, ready for the next leg of their journey--it just didn't stand out as anything spectacular, and it sure isn't worthy of being called "diner."

I have mixed feelings about Le Toukouleur. On the one hand, I enjoyed the atmosphere: the funky art and window paintings, the dark leather and wood of the furniture, the lighted candles on every table -- in spite of the fact that we were the only ones there. On the other hand, the food was a bit disappointing, but judging from everyone else's reviews, perhaps we came on a bad day.

For appetizers, my hubby had the Calamari (spelled Calamary on their menu) while I tried the Zonzon, which is described as an avacado & shrimp cocktail served with Terra chips. While Sean said the calamari wasn't bad, it wasn't anything special. The Zonzon, however, was a disappointment; it was also the main reason I wondered if we had caught them on a bad day.

When you notice that, after receiving your order, someone from the kitchen darts quickly out the front door to the tiny store across the street, then comes back bearing a tiny brown paper bag, and then you receive your appetizer a few minutes later and the promised Terra chips look suspiciously like the contents of a *snack-size* bag of Sun Chips, well, let's just say the situation smacked of unpreparedness. Also, the appetizer itself was nothing to write home about--unless it is to write to your Granny who hails from the Gore-May-Lutheran-Pot-Luck-School-o-Cookery that suggests dousing chopped up veggies in French Dressing and serving it on a bed of Sun Chips makes for a terrific last-minute snack. Sorry, guys, I was unimpressed.

For the main course, Sean chose the Steak TK, while I had the Burger Touba darousalam (if you can't tell by now, we are both big fans of red meat). Again, the dishes didn't quite seem to match the menu and seemed sort of thrown together at the last minute. The biggest disappointment for me was the apparent lack of granny-smith apple slaw that was supposed to come with the Burger. I was looking forward to that, but it never materialized. We did get some yummy olives and bread, so perhaps that was another substitute. The burger itself was quite tasty, and the sweet-potato fries were good. Sean's steak was nice, too, but the whole meal was not anything extra-ordinary.

Interestingly, the drinks were the highlight of the dining experience for us. The fruit juices came in surprising, yummy and ENORMOUS servings. I had something with orange and ginger, and Sean chose another selection. We both loved our choices and drank them ALL UP--in spite of the fact they were served in glasses so large they made you feel like a 7-year-old. The drinks were a pleasant and tasty surprise, which made the $5 price a little easier to swallow. (Oh, the puns! I kill myself with my puns! I guess someone has to love them!)  

Actually, glancing over Kate G.'s review, it sounds like we had similar experiences. Perhaps there are better days of the week to go than others? We went on a Tuesday night (I think) and had an experience that, while not terrible, did not make us particularly inclined to return for a second try.

To end on a positive note, I did love the music they played ... and the leather bench-seating was quite comfy, though I imagine that if the place was more crowded my reclusive-dear-god-don't-make-me-interact-with-str angers-self would have been more on edge. Also, like Kate G., I loved the restroom. it was very plush. That, and the decor definitely suggests someone put a lot of love into the place. That always gets extra points from me; I'm a sucker for evidence of detail-oriented-type-A-personalities, being one myself.

I was actually kind of disappointed with the food, having read such glowing reviews from other Yelp people. I don't think we'll go back again; New York and Brooklyn have so many other intriguing places to tempt our tastebuds.

However, I wouldn't tell someone to *not* go check it out. Places, like people, can have off days, and I'm willing to concede we caught Le Toukouleur on an off day. Hope your experience will be better than ours!

My husband and I went here for his birthday. Sean loves a good steak, and I love the funny noises he makes when he is enjoying a good steak. DeStefano's did not disappoint. I had a good impression of this place even before having dinner for two reasons: 1) Their *really* nice web-page, and 2) an option to make reservations online.

Their web-page was a key factor in my choice of dining here rather than somewhere else. They not only have their menu online (including prices), but they have photos and reviews, mission statement, and even an announcements section where they talk about menu items they have added per customer suggestions. Another nice thing on their web-site is their price fix menu--ideal for people who want a superb full-course-meal experience but who are also on a budget. Their price fix menus are available on select days and offer a more limited range of items: but, you get an appetizer, the main course, as well as a dessert, all for a reasonable flat rate. The wine, gratuity, etc. are, of course, extra, but it is still a great deal.

I loved having the option to make reservations online. It was nice to not have to call in order to make reservations: sometimes that can be hectic, if the person taking the reservation is busy with prep-work or speaking with other customers. What was even better is, when we wound up having to move our reservation back an hour the web-site made it very easy to do. Nice!

We both chose from the price fix menu, and we were not disappointed. Sean had a bean soup appetizer, the hangar steak, and something chocolaty for dessert; I had the asparagus bundles, the chicken cordon bleu, and hazelnut gelato. We were also able to sample another special appetizer: scallops with candied pecans wrapped in BACON!! Oh, my dears, let me tell you those were heavenly.

Sean said the bean soup was really tasty, but the highlight of the meal was, appropriately, the main course. Sean's hangar steak was fabulous and cooked to perfection--he likes it rare. He said what he really enjoyed was how the flavors of the different flavor rubs involved in preparation presented themselves in a kind of sequence of flavors, i.e. the sweetness of the pomegranate, the slight spiciness of the paprika, then the savory steak taste. He was making his "Om nom nom nom good steak" noises and not talking much otherwise, so I knew he was happy. The dessert, too, was just as delicious -- I wish I could remember for certain what it was -- I think it was either a tiramisu or a special-of-the-day parfait. I do remember it involved chocolate and some kind of berries, and that it was delicious!

I had the asparagus bundles for my appetizer, and honestly: I would have been perfectly happy just eating those for my entire meal. Lots and lots and lots of asparagus and bacon ... oh my goodness ... they were tasty. The asparagus was perfect!! Just firm enough with a slight crunch, not at all stringy or mushy as poorly prepared asparagus can be. And bacon: how can you go wrong with bacon? Answer: you CAN'T. Yes, it was that good. For my main course I chose the chicken cordon bleu, which was fine, but not the best I've ever had. In retrospect, I should have known better: you don't go to a steakhouse and order chicken, for crying out loud. The chicken was a tiny bit dry, like it had perhaps been in the freezer too long. The breading was a tad heavy, and the ham and cheese in the middle was negligible. Over all this was poured a gravy that didn't seem to exactly match. It was still quite good, don't get me wrong, it just wasn't the fabulous entree that Sean experienced. In fact, I considered giving 4 stars instead of 5 because of the chicken, BUT, like I said: you don't order chicken at a steakhouse. Ya just don't! And so, believing that, and judging from the quality of the rest of the food we had, I'm just chalking up my so-so-chicken to the chef having a foul (fowl) day. (Sorry I can rarely resist a pun)

After the main course I chose the hazelnut gelato - which was absolutely amazing! It might have been a special dessert, because I don't currently see it on their menu, but if they offer it: take it! It was delicious!

I wish I could remember the name of the wine we had, it was delicious, and was a recommendation of the manager.

Finally: the decor is classic-Brooklyn charming. Loved the old photos on the walls. Loved the cozy atmosphere! It's a great date-place, lovely, but unpretentious.

DeStefano's Steakhouse is not to be missed!!

This Business is CLOSED as of ??? -- took us a while to figure this out, however.

Can someone out there in Yelp-ville inform me as to if there's a "closed" notification system for Yelp?

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UPDATE - this business is no longer closed per another review posted by jonathan h. (who I do not know) - FYI

One of my favorite places for breakfast in Anchorage!

These folks make outstanding omelettes, and their Hawaiian French Toast is to *die* for! The atmosphere is kitschy - nice old pleather-upholstered booths and ancient chandeliers. The back wall is lined in mirrors, making this small/medium-sized restaurant feel more spacious than it is. It even has a small diner counter where the regulars will sit and happily chat with the wait staff.  

The service is excellent: even when it's busy, you never feel ignored. The wait staff will shoot you a quick smile to let you know they haven't forgotten about you, and they are not stingy with the coffee! I love that, in particular, because I am a coffee fiend!!

They've a great variety of choices, too. If you're looking for good old-fashioned American diner-style food for breakfast (eggs, toast, pancakes, even grits and biscuits and gravy; or for lunch (a nice selection of hot and cold sandwiches and burgers, too!) this is the place for you.

Be sure to check out the wall full of body-building photos!! It's a kick!