Mike M.'s Profile

Thai VP earns points for being directly across from my office. But it also serves the best Pad See Ew around, the metric I judge all Thai restaurants. Nice atmosphere, the staff is very friendly, and they make delicious homemade coconut ice cream as a complimentary desert.

Unfortunately, it can be had to find, and impossible to spot driving by. But I hope the word spreads how great it is!

Mandarin Crispy Chicken. Probably one of the safest dishes on the menu, but also fantastic. It is a little spicy, a lot sweet and completely delicious. Also a big fan of their Hot Garlic Chicken.

The lunch prices are very cheap... $6.99-$7.99 for an entrée, rice and soup. Service is inconsistent... sometimes you have your food within minutes of seating, other times you wait 20 minutes to place our order, all regardless how busy they happen to be at the time. But if you aren't in a hurry, the best Szechuan around.

Had a perfectly fine stay here. Friendly staff, clean facilities, comfortable beds.  

I used a coupon for a specific room type, but after checking in, the sudden arrival of another guest required a different room with two beds. They gave us a new room honoring the original coupon (which wasn't suppose to apply to a two bed room), no questions asked. The type of service you appreciate. I would certainly stay here again.

Side discovery... roll-away beds are now banned as a health hazard?

Sure, you go to Daniel's expecting a fantastic steak. And that is exactly what you get. But the jaw dropping moments start long before the steak arrives.

The night pretty much played out like this. Wow, this is a fast elevator. Wow, check out that view. Wow, this bread is awesome! Wow, these teriyaki filet mignon steak strip appetizers are incredible! Wow, our waiter somehow learned our names and kept them straight all night (party of 7). Wow, that is a big steak (20oz Daniel's Delmonico). Wow, this steak is delicious. And finally... wow, look at that bill!

Not exactly the type of place you put on the weekly rotation (although happy hour drinks and appetizers could remain affordable), it is definitely a go-to place for special occasions.

Every Wednesday after 6pm is $5 steak and fries. Coincidentally, you will find me there just about every Wednesday after 6pm eating steak and fries.

The quality of the steaks is hit or miss. Sometimes it is a fantastic, perfectly cooked steak, other times it can be barely edible. Sometimes you can tell it was rushed (burnt on the outside, barely cooked on the inside). But for $5

Despite the random steak quality, the service stays consistently good, very friendly, although they usually seem a bit hurried. I also enjoy the atmosphere of both the dining room and the bar.

So as a place to have some cheap steak and beers after work, it's hard to beat.

Having sampled chicken teriyaki from just about every teriyaki shop in a 10 mile radius, I would say their chicken teriyaki is good, but on par with what you can find elsewhere.  However, two things make I Love Teriyaki a bit special. First is the complimentary soup. And second, they have a chicken teriyaki lunch special which includes egg rolls (which is a surprising rarity). The friendly service is also appreciated.

I would have to agree with Adine L. for the summary: A good solid teriyaki place. Definitely one of my top teriyaki picks.

I was looking for a cheap hotel in Miami to spend a night before flying out the next day. Hoping to spend less than $100, it looked like a cheap motel in the shadow of the airport was my only option.

Then I found an off-beat travel site offering a room at the Conrad Miami for $90, which otherwise was going for $300. 5 star hotel downtown, or a 2 star motel next to the airport. I made my reservation immediately.

Then a little concern came in. Despite setting my preferences for non-smoking, my reservation stated it was a smoking room. They said it was the only room available at my rate. And they wouldn't accept my HHonors account because it was not a "qualifying stay". But I was getting a great deal so I wasn't about to complain.

Then my vacation came and got in from the Bahamas at 8am. Check-in isn't until 2pm, but I was hoping I could have them hold my luggage until it was time to check-in. But I was expecting to be treated like a second-class citizen after the smoking room + no rewards treatment.

So I arrived 6 hours early, and asked if they could hold on to the luggage. Their response? Snobbery? Laughter? Nope.

"Actually, we upgraded you to a one bedroom suite on the 28th floor. It is ready for you, here are your keys."

Really? Felt like Christmas morning! The suite was fantastic, amazing views, very clean and modern. By far the best hotel room I have ever stayed in. And it was only $90.

Growing up in Olympia, long before the age of Subway and Quiznos, if you wanted a great sub, you went to Meconi's. Thankfully, driving to Olympia is no longer required because Jimmy John's is around and just as eager to satisfy.

The Turkey Tom is my favorite. Nothing strange, just a comfortable and excellent turkey sandwich. Sometimes bean sprouts make all the difference. The fresh bread also tasted great.

Service is incredibly fast, they are often handing your sandwich to you  before you finish filling your drink. The only downside is that seating is very limited, especially for how popular they are at lunchtime. They have a handful of tables inside and no outdoor seating. However, weather permitting, you could always walk across the street to Bellevue Park.

With Jimmy John's in the lunch rotation, Subway isn't even a consideration.

I like KFC... just not a huge fan of this KFC. But my office's unnatural, undying craving for fried chicken and biscuits brings us back week after week.

The food is standard KFC, no surprises there. I always get either the famous bowl or the three piece strips meal. Quality always meets expectations.

However, the facilities are pretty gross. There are usually 5 or 6 large black flies buzzing around and the smell of garbage comes and goes.

If there was another KFC near the office, we would probably go there. But we put up with the place to feed our KFC addiction.

It is about time I learned how the rear differential works in a car!

Tons of things to interact with. Check out the blood pumping through your own eyes! Learn how to tell if someone is lying! Make bubbles! Hammer on an xylophone! Push kids out of the way so you can poke the strange goo too!

Be a kid again, check this place out.