No matter what else you come away from a dining experience at Dragon Palace with, you'll definitely remember the very friendly staff! The woman behind the cash register the first three times I went there actually delivered our food to our house this evening, and she was just as pleasant and smiling and outgoing in both roles. I don't remember her name but she's a doll. Very nice!

Oh, and the food's pretty good, too!

I love that there's an Asian restaurant in Williamsport that offers more than just the standard fare that appeals to most Americans (most of which isn't authentic Chinese food!). Adding Vietnamese dishes to the menu was a brilliant idea. I was particularly excited when I first heard about this place because I missed the Vietnamese "fresh spring rolls" (called "Summer Rolls" here) that I had fallen in love with while living in Northern Virginia. I walked in one day, hoping to find them listed, and was thrilled to see that they offer them. They serve them with a sort of hoisin sauce, as opposed to the peanut sauce I was accustomed to, but that was just fine. I'm starting to think that I like Dragon Palace's version better! The rolls are made to order, with lettuce that's crisp and fresh, fluffy white rice noodles, and the largest shrimp I've ever seen in a restaurant in this price range. Those shrimp, alone, would earn many repeat visits from Yours Truly.

Money's a bit tight these days, as I'm sure you're far too aware, but their prices are very reasonable. You get portions that are generous but not obnoxiously oversized. I once asked the cook if I might pay a little extra to get a couple more shrimp in my entree and he said yes. I think it was only about $3.00 and I got 6 more of those nice, big shrimp! Thumbs up and thank you!

Because of financial constraints in my own household, I haven't been able to go back and sample new dishes as much as I'd like. My next jaunt will consist exclusively of Vietnamese selections (I love pho!), and I'm sure I'll enjoy it as much as I have everything else so far.

Whether you're dining in, taking out, or having it delivered, you won't be disappointed!

Dragon Palace Chinese Restaurant
201 Basin St
Williamsport, PA 17701-5360
(570) 601-0312‎

Need a Good Cab Driver?

If you ever find yourself in need of a cab driver in Williamsport, call Billtown Cab at (570) 322-2222, ask for Chuck, and tell them Wendi-With-an-I sent you! He's the best!!!

Real Estate Tidbits!

Meet our real estate agent! His name is Jim Shaible (pronounced "Shy-Blee") and he works for Prudential Hodrick Realty here in Williamsport. You couldn't ask for a better, more accommodating agent. Steve and I are first-time home buyers and, as such, a little scared of what we're about to undertake. We have found Mr. Shaible to be extremely reassuring, forthcoming and informative. Which is always nice when you're about to commit to a hefty little debt like a mortgage, yes? Yes, indeed! I recommend him HIGHLY.

570-329-0275 JRShaible@comcast.net

So, in case you're wondering, yes, we are in the market to become homeowners now instead of renters. And yes, I am EXCEEDINGLY excited about it! We found an absotively GORGEOUS Victorian house for an outrageously low price (a mere $55,000-ish for 1,536 square feet!). You may see more details, should you wish, at http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1119-Market-St_Williamsport_PA_17701_1107788898?mp=1. We're planning to make an offer ASAP, before someone else snatches it up. It'll need some interior cosmetic work but we're prepared to do that; I guarantee that a good paint job will raise its value by at least $10,000. The previous tenants, renters, committed some true atrocities by painting terrible mural-type images on practically every wall in the place. And don't even get me started on the shag-carpet type, fuzzy wallplate on one of the light switches!! AGH!! I'm certain they were on some on interesting mind-altering substances.

Anyway, we'll probably be making our initial offer pretty soon, here. I'll keep y'all posted! Crossed fingers (legs, eyes, etc.) on our behalf will be greatly appreciated.

Lipstick and Freebies!

The gentlemen in my family (my father, my husband and, now, my toddler son) are devotees of one of Williamsport's gems: "For Men Only," or, as my sister jokingly calls it, "The Man-Spa." Located at 230 W 3rd Street ((570) 323-8180), FMO has taken $12-dollar haircuts to new heights. The atmosphere is a delight to the senses (clean, modern, and, for all of you red-blooded, heterosexual males, the staff consists entirely of young, attractive, vivacious young women). Women are warmly welcomed to accompany the men in their lives but, as the shop's name implies, the grooming services are "for men only." (Women WILL be offered a beverage, however - Soda? Beer? Enjoy! There are also plenty of good magazines to enjoy while your man gets his haircut, neck shave and hot towel; I'm partial to the Us Weekly, myself...)

So, as an observer for all this time, I must confess to numerous pangs of jealousy watching my husband being so lavishly pampered at such a great price. Sure, I could go to the local "McHaircut" (I won't name names) and get an acceptable "do" for about $16.00, but then I'd have to contend with crowds and a rather cramped shop, sans perks. Not to mention the impatient shoppers stopping in on the spur of the moment, after they finished schlepping through the adjacent dollar store and K(rap)-Mart. Many's the haircut I've put off, simply to avoid the unpleasantness of it all. Well, no more! We women have our own version of FMO at last! Hooray!

First, the name... It's nice and girly, easy to remember (even for a dingaling like myself), and it gets the point across: welcome to Lipstick! It's immediately next door to FMO, which is nice because you can make a family day of it. The fellas can get their shave-and-a-haircut while the ladies get some well-deserved pampering. Again, the address is 230 West 3rd Street. Call them at (570) 326-7465 (PINK) to make your appointment or just walk on in. They'll be happy to see you!

The decor is a delight. It features white walls with intensely pink accents (tastefully done). Natural lighting and ultra-modern furniture Salon designs with classic ceiling tiles and careful visual notes notes add punch while making the most of the building's vintage features like high ceilings and brick interior walls, lending a feel that is at once sleek and classic. Most importantly, this salon does NOT look like the kind of place where you'll pay rock-bottom prices. Most amazing are the prices - haircuts cost a delicious $12 dollars! They offer a bevy of other services to make clients beautiful and serene. Chemical services (they feature the Redken line of coloring products), permanent waves and straightening are available. Need a mani/pedi? You can have both, or either, in their spacious, pleasantly lit back room. Get that makeover you've been craving with all the cosmetics you wish you had room for in your bathroom, or have your makeup professionally done before your prom, wedding or other special event. They have a wide selection of hair care products from which to choose in their retail line. And, overall, the vibe is pleasant and friendly. There's no ego to be found here; just pleasant confidence!.

More details are soon to follow. Suffice to say that the thing I'm MOST excited about is the soon-to-be impending arrival of a masseuse in a soothing, relaxing room! Woo hoo! Don't quote me on this (yet!) but I'm PRETTY sure that the price of 1/2-hour will be a mere $30 dollars. There's a 1-hour option, too, but I don't recall how much it'll cost. Stay tuned!

By the way, if you're wondering, FMO isn't exclusive to Williamsport. There's also a State College location for all you Penn State students who want to look spiffy. Not sure yet if another Lipstick is in the works but I have to say that, as a woman on a budget, I can only see that as being a good Please, please, PLEASE support this very deserving, non-chain, local enterprise! You won't regret it!

I wish you peace, luster and harmony in our lackluster little community!


Now, on to the freebies... Check out this link from Gizmodo (ideally, visit on a daily basis since the deals change frequently):

Here's an example...


Giveaway of the Day!

Great techie goodies here! Thanks, Steve!!!

I Started my Spring Cleaning and Found a New Blog!

So, here's the thing: I can't afford to go out to eat as often as a good food blog would require but I do seem to spend plenty of money on other things around town.

As such, I've decided to change the focus of the blog. From now on, it's just going to be about my experiences at various Williamsport businesses, be they restaurants, auto mechanics or convenience stores.

Let the shopping commence!

Joey's - A Williamsport Classic

It's my birthday!! Well, if you want to get all technical and stuff about it, my birthday was four days ago (January 5th), but I celebrated the occasion on two separate nights this week: Once, on the 5th, with my hubby and our beautiful son at TGI Friday's, and a second time, just last night, with my beloved cousin and her kids at Joey's Subs. Home of "Ho Made Fries"! (What I want to know is, Where do they keep the Ho's? Are they chained to a deep fryer in the kitchen? Stashed in a room in the basement?)

But I digress...

Joey's, in spite of their lack of good signage, is a groovy little place. And now that I think about it, it isn't so little, really. You'd never know it by looking at the front of the place, but there's an extension in the back of the dining room that's pretty darned big. I've never been there on a Friday or Saturday night (I'm broke and old, with a toddler), but I can see how the place might be pretty rockin'! Someone tell me, please, if they have live music, ever (I don't think they do; they should if they don't already).

Oops. Sorry. Digressing again...

First, let's talk about the food. It's pretty much your standard Williamsport food, and by that I mean subs, pasta and fried stuff. Don't let me make you think that's a bad thing. Those kinds of food can be done badly or well, and Joey's does them well. Their cheesesteaks are super-yummy. The rolls are good - maybe not baked on the premises but they taste like they're local and fresh. Hot sandwiches don't arrive at your table soaked with grease, which is nice. (I want to taste the sub ingredients, not the oil they were cooked in!) The veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, etc.) are fresh; lettuce is crispy and juicy, tomatoes are flavorful. etc. You get LOTS of meat. Subs are available in the classic style or "Cosmo'ed" (which, in Williamsport, means toasted with melted provolone cheese).

And let's talk about those fries, shall we? You can get your normal, run-o'-the-mill fries (yawn) or you can get the ho-made fries. Funny name aside, these babies are the greatest. Even reheated (use a toaster oven, not a microwave, for maximum yumminess)! They taste like they're cooked in peanut oil, or something similarly flavorful. I could be wrong but I think they're made batch-by-batch, rather than made in advance and dumped under a heating lamp, and they aren't salted to the point of inedibility. I like that. You can always add more salt. You can't take it away.

My meal last night consisted of a tuna sub, cosmo-style, and jalapeno poppers. Those poppers were a delight! Not too spicy-hot. They came with marinara sauce by default. I usually get them with ranch dressing but went with the marinara this time and didn't regret it one bit; this was some great sauce! The perfect balance of tangy and sweet... I look forward to my next batch!

There are two different sides to Joey's: The dining side (this includes that back area I mentioned before) and the take-out side. I (and many others) do have a complaint about the take-out side. Mind you, the service is great and friendly. They have a wide selection of domestic and imported beers from which to choose (Limit: Two six-packs per visit - weird, yes, but it's a state law; you can buy two six-packs, leave to put them in your car, walk back in to buy more, and repeat as many times as you feel necessary). You can purchase anything that's on the menu, too. The problem is that you CAN'T use any form of plastic to pay for your carryout purchases. You can sit down and use a credit card to pay for THAT, but takeout is a cash-only situation. And that's for beer AND food.

I'm sure they have their reason(s), but it's a huge inconvenience and it's caused me to take my business elsewhere on NUMEROUS occasions. Sorry, folks! I know I'm not alone in saying that I hardly ever use cash anymore - it's rare that I even HAVE any, in fact - and if I can't use my handy, dandy Visa check card someplace, I'm probably going to go somewhere else. Speaking as someone who'd be an otherwise frequent and loyal customer, I'm requesting that the management at Joey's reconsider this policy.

That's my only complaint, though, really. The food's fantastic. The waitresses are nice. The service is quick and the restaurant is smoke-free (nice, especially when you want to take the kids). Aside from that little credit/check card issue, they have my endorsement! They get two Happy Girls (and that'll change to three if they ever switch to accepting CC's for takeout). Enjoy!





July 25, 2009 - UPDATE!

I'm happy to report that the carry-out side of Joey's is now accepting credit cards! Woo hoo! Welcome to the 20th and 21st centuries, guys! I can't make the aforementioned changes to my ratings system, though, since I'm posting this from my laptop and don't have the images on this hard drive. Just imagine another little face there for now and I'll add the third one whenever I get around to it.

B21, We Hardly Knew Ye...

Well, it's been a solid couple of months now since I first saw the windows and door of my beloved B21 covered in paper. I hoped that it was concealing, perhaps, a remodeling job or something similar but it appears to be a permanent closing. Strange, though, the signs are still in place... It's as if Coco pulled a hasty disappearing act!

B21, I bid you adieu.

(By the way, if it turns out that I'm wrong and they reopen their doors to the public, I'll happily and swiftly issue a retraction.)

My One "Social Issues" Post

First, I have to say that I am ABSOLUTELY THRILLED with the results of our recent Presidential election! As a Mommy, as a Student and as an American, I have become SO concerned (and frequently despondent) about the way things are going in our wonderful country lately. Congratulations to our new President-elect, Barack Obama!!! It was quite moving to have been a part of this historic and inspiring event! I really do feel a sense of hope again.

One of the things that weighs rather heavily on my mind is the cost and availability of health care. I have a number of health issues to address and I'm going to be uninsured in a couple of weeks (eek!). My husband has none. My son HAD Medicaid but he's not eligible for it now that Steve makes a couple-hundred dollars too much per month. We're waiting for the CHIP coverage to take effect. VERY nervewracking... Even when cost isn't an issue, I know there are lots of people out there being denied coverage for the stupidest of reasons...

This can't continue! Not here in the United States! We have to mobilize and do something, my friends. I suppose if there's any organization out there that we can all put our trust in, it's the AARP, and I like their "Divided We Fail" campaign. I'd like to encourage all of you to take a peek at the personalized video on their website and then sign the electronic petition to our new Prez.

www.dividedwefail.org

And on that note, I'm back to writing about food! Which reminds me, I'm hungry. Time to eat!

Completely Off-Topic... Palm OS versus Vista Angst!

One of my biggest idiosyncrasies is my obsessive desire to be on time (or, preferably, early) for all of my appointments. Oh, and to actually REMEMBER my appointments...! I'm a particularly forgetful lass these days. Hey, I have a lot going on! As such, I find it necessary to keep no fewer than four calendars: One hangs on my wall, in front of my desk; one is a pocket-sized number that I carry in my purse; one is the calendar in my Microsoft Outlook; last, but not least, I have my Tungsten E PDA.

Here's my latest gripe: My Tungsten isn't very Vista-compliant. I received it as a Christmas gift 4 years ago, when XP was the norm. I could sync without a hitch. Then I got my current desktop computer, which runs Vista. The Palm Desktop OS wasn't syncing properly, so I did a little research and found a download for a Vista-compatible version. Downloaded it, ran it, no problem. I thought...

It didn't come with an installer/uninstaller feature! I'm one of those fools who loves to download nifty little apps to her handheld. You know, the ones that promise to make your life simpler and more productive by counting your calories, organizing your shopping lists, tracking your expenses, etc. They're usually cute for about a week and then I decide they're not all they were cracked up to be. Time to go! This wasn't a problem with the Palm desktop software that came with it, on the disc, but the Vista version has no means of removing the suckers! I didn't realize this until I had downloaded and installed about five of them, four of which I am determined must go now.

I suppose I could do a hard reset and start from scratch, but I don't want this to be my only option until I can afford to buy a newer PDA.

Does anyone out there know of a solution to this little conundrum?

Meanwhile, I still await any news of B21's fate. At this point, I think it's simpler to assume that they're closed down permanently. The doors and windows are still papered up. I'm sorry to see it go. They had a good thing going for a while there. Wishing much luck to the proprietors... It's hard to get a unique business of quality off the ground in this town, and I imagine it's doubly difficult in today's rough economy. Which is a perfect segway for me to remind you all to GET OUT THERE AND VOTE FOR CHANGE!!! Just four more days till we make history! (In case you're not "getting it," yes, I'm an Obama supporter.)

OK, well, I'd best get ready to start handing out candy to all the little ghouls and goblins. Happy Halloween to all of you! Stay tuned for more posts, coming soon. Hopefully, they'll be food-related!

B21, Where Art Thou??

As I was toodling down Washington Boulevard today, I glanced to my left and noticed something odd. The view through B21's windows and door is completely obscured by paper. I wasn't in a position to stop and investigate further (had to get my Mini-Me home for lunch and a nap), but all of the usual signage appears to still be in place. I can only hope that Williamsport's nicest small-scale purveyor of eclectic beers, unique food and live Irish music is on hiatus. Redecorating, perhaps? (Not that it needed to be done...)

If anyone knows what Coco and the gang are up to over there, please let me know and I'll alert the masses. Thank you!