Matthew "Slenderita" D.'s Profile

Oh to be young and naive again.  Pass by Starbucks and head down the street to Baked and Wired.  Starbucks pales like an albino in comparison.

I've been a customer of Studio One for almost three years and I've got nothing but love for this business.  They take great pride in their work and go above and beyond to accommodate my budget and schedule.  Because they are always responsive, honest and reliable, I no longer seek out competitive bids for screen printing projects -- an approach I rarely take when working with vendors.  

But perhaps more memorable than their flawless service and high-quality product is Studio One's owner, Forrest Mullikin.  The guy has a shockingly genuine gift for making you feel like his best friend from birth.  Though we've never met face to face, I'm fully convinced Forrest pisses Prozac because he is the happiest person I've ever encountered...and its infectious.  Which might explain the top notch service at Studio One.

Oh Washington DC! Like a battered spouse, I want to believe you're going to change.  I want to believe you're outgrowing your love affair with popped-collar polos and pleated pants from Macy's but then you go and prove me wrong with silly, silly comparisons of Barbour to London Fog and Brooks Brothers.  So why can't I quit you?  

Sure, London Fog makes jackets but so does Ed Hardy.  And yes, like Barbour, Brooks Brothers sells clothing...but so does Super K-Mart.  Does that mean the brands are interchangeable?  Absolutely not.  So when you read how an unhappy reviewer and self-proclaimed connoisseur of fine men's fashion plans to take his Barbour business to Brooks Brothers, ask yourself "what would Matt do?" (WWMD).  The answer is simple: I'd laugh...and then probably cry a little.  

The truth of the matter is Barbour makes fantastic outerwear for both men and women.  Their smart British fashion and timeless style completely justify the investment (jackets run from $300 to $1000+ for the limited-edition Tokito line).  And like a quality handbag, watch or pair of shoes, a Barbour jacket can make its owner look chic in everything from a business suit to a sweat suit.  I recommend starting with the International jacket (I have it navy) but don't get discouraged if it doesn't work.  Keep trying different styles because Barbour jackets look different on your back than they do on the rack.  

Lastly, I'm sorry to read that another Yelper had less-than-stellar service at Barbour.  I suspect that he is the exception.  I've been shopping there since they opened and have had nothing but positive experiences.  Heck, I now know the employees by name and pop in occasionally just to chat with Jana, the manager.  She is not only a warm and wonderful person but she fills the friend void for solo shoppers.  I value her honest feedback when I try on clothing and depend on her approval to make a purchase.    

Check out Barbour.  Say "hello" to Jana.  Thank me later.

If you can overlook the superbly cheesy brand, Dirty Martini (I refer to it as D.M. because otherwise it hurts) is actually a great alternative to the Dupont business lunch circuit.  The menu is fairly extensive and eclectic but much lighter than Mortons, The Palm, Panache etc.  D.M. has great supper club-like booths that make it easy to converse with your guests.  The staff has always been quite friendly and their prices are surprisingly reasonable.  I have only been to happy hour there once and it wasn't exactly my scene ...but D.M. day side has my blessing.  

* If you're unsure what to order, go for the turkey reuben but swap the standard fries for sweet potato fries.  You won't be disappointed.

Tardy for the Party.  If the new Bullfeathers was a "Real Housewife" it would be Kim Zolciak of Bravo's Atlanta franchise.  It's tacky, unreliable, unapologetic and worst of all - tardy for the party.  I was recently referred to the new management of this old Capitol Hill haunt while searching for a venue to host a happy hour with apps and open bar for 150-200 people (a blessing for a bar that hadn't even opened...or installed its doors yet).    

It started out okay... On Thursday January 13th I met with one of the partners who I'll refer to as "Messica Julroy" in order to protect her privacy.  Messica was pleasant enough as she showed me around the renovated space. She explained that the menu wasn't yet finalized and she'd have to crunch some numbers before she could provide me with a contract but conveyed her excitement to work together and assured me that they would take care of my client.  Moments after I walked out the door I received an email stating that she'd send me a contract and menu in a few days.  

"Great!" I took the opportunity to sell my client on the venue and start my graphic designer on the event invitation...  

Wednesday January 19th (a week later): "Hey Messica, Any updates?  We need to have an agreement in place in order to send out invites.  We were planning to do that this week.  Thanks."

No response.

Friday January 21st: "Hi Messica, I'm still waiting to hear from you re: contract/agreement for the event on February 10th but am beginning to get nervous...."

No response. So I called and tried another email.

"I thought I'd try this email too. See below. I also passed your info to XXX at X Advocacy and XXX at the X Coalition who were both interested in doing events with you guys. I'm not sure what happened or if you're not receiving my emails for some reason but I'd appreciate a response."

Still no response.  

Finally on Sunday, January 23rd Messica replies:
"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting, we are so overwhelmed with opening right now it is hard to keep track. I really don't want this to reflect how we will handle business in the future, and I am still looking forward to booking events, but the timing turned out to be very difficult.  To be clear, I would still like to hold this event, but I haven't had the time to come up with a proposal for you.  If you are still interested in our location I will be happy to work with you on a final plan."

I sent a sympathetic response but stressed the urgency of the situation, explaining that I absolutely had to have a contract in hand by 11 am Tuesday when I was meeting with my client. She replied immediately and said "I'll get it to you in a few hours.  

Tuesday 11am: Nothing.

Tuesday 4pm: I booked a different venue.  

At 11.50 PM, the following Thusday Messica replied to say  that if I still wanted to host my party at Bullfeathers, she finally had some time to figure it out.  I responded with some choice words.  Then two weeks later I heard a similar horror story from a friend who hosted an alumni happy hour through Messica at Bullfeathers.  

This place and its sloppy management are  a GIANT FAIL!

Dr. Dean Dornic has been my eye doctor for 28 years...okay, so he is my father - a fact that might discount my endorsement but really should not.

Because I lived with him, I know that any free second of Dr. Dornic's life - outside of being a husband and father of three, was and is dedicated to ophthalmology, research and continuing education.  I have never met anyone more passionate about their profession than my father.  He lives, breathes and loves being a doctor and cares for his patients more than any doctor I've ever seen.  

It should speak volumes that I live 5 hours aways and have great vision insurance but would NEVER see another OD or MD for my eye care.  Many of my friends from Raleigh and as far as New York City feel the same way - they all agree that he is worth the wait and many of them travel home with me just to get their vision check-ups and/or LASIK.  

Visit him in Cary or Smithfield - I can guarantee you will never want to "see" a different ophthalmologist after seeing my father.

The Juicy store leaves me feeling parched - thirsty for creativity and quality.  The selection is dry at best.  Their clothes are expensive billboards for their company logo.  

The store is attractive but the clothing is not.  That is, unless you enjoy looking like a washed-up pop star, stripper or a cougar.  They have a nack for taking fairly sensible clothing and ruining it with bedazzled slang...often located on the ass or chest.  

Not sure how long this store will make it in Gtown as anything worth buying from their line can be found down the street at CO-OP.

I'm a Lulunatic.  I Lulu love it.  Comfy, supportive and stylish.  Lululemon Athletica is one of my dealers.  They fuel my addiction for designer lounge wear.  

I began purchasing their pricey pieces in NYC and was delighted to see their stores pop up in DC over the past year.  My only beef is selection.  

"Lulu, if you can hear me...I need more selection in DC.  Black and grey are not going to cut it.  We aren't all lawyers in DC.  Send us some color and new styles."

In DC I'd give this a lower rating but for Raleigh this place is fantastic.  Unlike some of the other reviewers, I actually had dinner and stuck around for the Lounge/Club action after.  First off, Solas is not a nightclub.  If you are going "clubbing," don't go there.  It has much more of a South Beach vibe i.e. Sky Bar at the Shore Club.  The roof deck and verandas are proof that the owners & designers thought through the layout and maximized their resources because there is plenty of outdoor space.  The "scene," whether you love or loathe it is no fault of the restaurant.  Its your city...sorry, it was Raleigh.  

You can't expect Solas to import chic guests from exotic cities just to disguise your geo-social surroundings.  That said, the crowd was fine - a nice mix of ages, races and gender.  

Now to the food!  
The food was great - the sweet potato gnocchi was stellar, mojitos delicious and the entrees were all well above average.  Our server was thoughtful and attentive without hovering and the ambiance was comfortable yet elegant.  

Don't go there with a chip on your shoulder or an inferiority complex and I assure you that you'll have a nice time.  Have dinner first and you'll enjoy an inventive and delicious meal.

Okay...so Eddie is gone.  I believe he is now at M&T.  His replacement Juan is tres terrible!  He is rude and condescending...very unwilling to help or answer questions and is incapable of following through on his promises.  Sorry to all that may have inquired due to my rave review.  Guess it is true that a company is only as good as the represenattive you work with - I miss Eddie and will likely track him down at his new bank.