My Subway salad review, via Klout Perks gift card

I arrived at the Temecula Subway on Jefferson Road, cross street of Winchester at about 1245pm today. The place was not busy. I was greeted with "hey" by a guy who clearly didn't want to be at work today. I told him I wanted a salad and he did a nice job of making it as I liked. The big issue was when I asked about 'gluten free' salad dressings.

The guy who made my salad had no idea what I was asking. He asked if the cashier knew what I was asking. I had figured at a place that talks about healthy food options the staff would know about allergens. I asked the cashier if the manager was available and could help. In spanish the cashier asked the manager, who was even more clueless and grabbed a fat free ranch and said "here". I asked if any manager on duty spoke english and knew what I was asking and was told no, not much.

I settled for oil and vinegar as a dressing.

Pros: The salad was fresh, cost $3.75, the guy made it ok, the cashier was not to helpful but very nice.

Cons: I couldn't communicate well with the staff in English and the staff had little to NO knowledge of ingredients in menu items or potential allergens.

Verdict: food gets an ok from me, the service was average and the employee knowledge gets an epic fail.

Mmm, purple basil, Jeney used it last night in a sauce...

Mmm, purple basil, Jeney used it last night in a sauce..., a photo by billgould on Flickr.

She made an incredible gluten free pasta pomodoro with some of this particular variety of purple lemon basil. Maybe we can pester her to post the recipe! Tweet her - @Yenej and let her know!

- Bill

My 2 cents; the Local Economy is looking better - G by Guess and MAC Cosmetics to Open at Promenade Temecula

By the looks of the Temecula Mall lately you would think the bad economy is on its way out. I was there just the other day and stores seemed busy, with a lot of people holding bags with purchased goods in them. This is a good sign folks, companies wouldn't be opening if they didn't see long term growth on the horizon. Check the info below.


- Bill

Southern California shopping center adds merchants just in time for the holiday shopping season 

Temecula, Ca – Promenade Temecula continues to capture the nation’s hottest brands by adding G by GuessÒ and MAC Cosmetics to their roster of more than 170 retailers and restaurants. This news comes immediately after an August announcement that an additional ten new retailers  will be opening prior to the 2012 holiday season.. 

G by GuessÒ is the latest brand from denim pioneer GUESS. Created for young, hip and trendy men and women with an eye for the freshest looks and hottest styles, G by Guess offers tops, tees, denim, and accessories specific to the world-wide brand. G by Guess brings an elevated style in casual denim with an emphasis in quality cotton apparel. G by Guess will be located next to Kirkland’s in the upper level Sears’ wing.    

 MAC Cosmetics will open on Promenade Way next to the AppleÒ store. The national cosmetic company offers professional makeup artist-quality cosmetics to the masses. The new location will support an increasingly fashion-forward market who is seeking top brands and high-fashion looks. 

“Adding this level of high-demand, national retail is truly a positive economic indicator for the Temecula Valley,” said Kym Espinosa, director of Marketing at Promenade Temecula. “In today’s fluctuating financial markets, national retailers are very careful in committing to long-term space.The opening of over 50,000 sq. ft prior to this holiday season shows that retailers are enthusiastic about the future of the area and are ready to invest and grow.” 

Promenade Temecula has been a strong shopping destination for more than a decade. With the addition of new retailers, restaurants and entertainment components, the center expects to thrive along with the Temecula Valley. 

For more information regarding Promenade Temecula and a complete listing of all shops and restaurants, call (951) 296-0975 or visitwww.PromenadeTemecula.com.

HAUNTED MUSEUM NIGHTMARE ON MAIN STREET TO BE HELD OCTOBER 27, 28, 29 IN OLD TOWN TEMECULA

I got this press release from my friends over at the Temecula Children's Museum, in my opinion this is worth checking out. The details are below:

Temecula, CA - October 17, 2011 - Award-winning Pennypickle's Workshop, the Temecula Children's Museum and home of wacky inventor Professor Phineas T. Pennypickle, is pleased to announce that the dates of this year's Haunted Museum will be October 27, 28, and 29, 2011. Haunted Museum, the Nightmare on Main Street, promises a terrifying experience for teens and adults. It is not recommended for children under 10. Hours for the Haunted Museum will be Thursday through Saturday, Oct 27-29, from 7-10 p.m. October is Museum Gone Mad month at the Temecula Children's Museum and offers science and scariness for all ages. In addition to normal every day fun, Pennypickle's Workshop will be featuring a non-scary Mad Scientist Party for families on Friday, October 21 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. More information and tickets for these events will be available online at www.pennypickles.org. Due to limited space and high popularity of Museum Gone Mad family friendly events, it is strongly suggested that tickets be purchased early. The Haunted Museum is an annual joint fundraiser for the Friends of the Temecula Children's Museum, Safe Alternatives For Everyone (S.A.F.E.) and the Police Activities League (P.A.L.) program. Funds raised by this effort will be used to support P.A.L. youth programming and innovative science-based programming at Pennypickle's Workshop, the Temecula Children's Museum. Pennypickle's Workshop and the Haunted Museum is located at 42081 Main Street in Old TownTemecula. Additional information can be found at www.hauntedmuseumtemecula.org orwww.pennypickles.org as well as www.safefamiliesca.org. Facebook users can look for "Temecula Children's Museum" or "Haunted Museum" for information.

Jeney and I might audition for this; Come to our free show 1230pm Oct 15 at the Temecula Rod Run

Below is a post about an audition for Temecula Live! - a country music review that benefits Oak Grove School in Murrieta. We are not very country (even if Jeney grew up in Kansas), but we have some tricks up our sleeve for sure. We will see you at the Temecula Rod Run on Oct 15 at 1230pm, we play on the Cafe Bravo stage. The event is free and suitable for the whole family. We (http://www.keenwild.com) will be playing some of our original songs and some cover songs by artists like Adele, Lil Wayne, Linkin Park, Jewel and maybe even Bruno Mars.

Bill

COUNTRY SINGERS, SONGWRITERS AND PEFORMERS WANTEDAuditions Scheduled for Temecula Live! Country Music Review Murrieta, CA (October 11, 2011) – Temecula Live! is Southern California’s only live Country Music Review. This rockin, upbeat, contemporary country music show is scheduled for January 27 & 28, 2012. Producers will hold open auditions on Saturday, October 22^nd from 10am until 2pm at The Merc in Old Town Temecula. Individual performers, bands, comedians and other acts are encouraged to audition.

Participants will need to bring their karaoke music track for the audition. Those picked to perform at the event will perform live with the Ranch Rockers in front of a sold out show in January.

Registered auditions will be considered before walk-ins. The Merc is located at 42051 Main Street, Temecula, CA 92590. Registration information can be found at www.TemeculaLive.org. Proceeds from Temecula Live will benefit the Arts and Autism programs of Oak Grove Center. More information regarding the event and Oak Grove Center can be found at www.oakgrovecenter.org. 

A new house takes time...

One thing no one ever really talks about when you buy a home, is all the energy and time it takes out of your life. As a family we had rented, we didn't want to buy during the housing bubble. So, we buy a house, and we didn't get any house, we got a project. Now don't get me wrong, its a great house, I love it, but it was a bit of a 'fixer-upper'. Not in horrible shape, but it certainly needed some TLC.

Now, a few months in, we are on first name basis with the good folks over at Lowes in Menifee; in every department. We went in with a game plan in place and it has paid off, it also helps to have the help of good people like All American Handyman of Murrieta. Moral of the story is, when buying a home never underestimate the time it will take to 'make it your own' - its always longer than you think.

Bill