End of September Gossip on the Eastside

Club Vertigo in Bellevue, Washington- delayed... again.

But have no fear, it's pretty much ready to go. What it's waiting for are extra sprinklers to be installed. After receiving a private tour of the club, I'll have to warn all my friends... dress nicely and don't expect this to be "Club Venom of the Eastside." It's aiming for an older demographic and is more like a really upscale lounge with a dance floor. Don't expect loud techno or rap music to be playing. I think it'll be great for those of us who are getting a little older, but are tired of the same old bar scene. I can't wait.


Extreme Makeover Home Edition in Kirkland, Washington... again.

So rumor has it that Ty Pennington has been out and about in downtown Kirkland. Which makes sense since they're working on the house at 10203 - 116th Ave NE in Kirkland this week. Go check it out! Maybe you'll get on TV. It would be interesting to watch a house go up in 7 days.


Jones Soda

I love Jones Soda. It's no secret. Any spare money I have, I use it to buy shares of Jones Soda (JSDA). And the stock has always been good to me. This week, they came out with flavors to honor the Seattle Seahawks. Those flavors include Dirt, Perspiration, Sports Cream, Natural Field Turf, and Sweet Victory Soda. They're available in limited quantities. I haven't tried any of them yet, but I'll probably find it at QFC.


Joeys in Bellevue - No more

Over the past 2 months, I've been going to Joeys Restaurant in Bellevue quite a bit (just check out all the pictures on FlickR). But, thanks to a combination of things, I doubt I'll go back anytime soon.

It sucks when a company doesn't understand their clientèle. Joeys obviously has several things going for them. The location there on 8th and Bellevue Way just cannot be beat. Everyone knows where it is, and is always willing to "at least" meet up there, before we go elsewhere. The ambiance is good, not too loud, not boring... and the drinks are good. And, having gone there so much, my friends and I had become regulars there so the service was always the best it could be.

But come on... the food, quite frankly, is very bad for the price you pay. The prices are ridiculous; for everything. The "drink special" on a Corona is $3.75. I have no idea what it normally is. And there's absolutely no Happy Hour (well, there sorta is, but it's not advertised and it's like a $1.00 off a $9 drink). Any other bar in the area has better specials. I looked past all this before... but lately, it's been their management that's been bugging the hell out of me.

You would think they'd offer more incentives (happy hour, new items on the menu, and otherwise)... especially since it looks like their popularity is dwindling. I remember it used to be standing room only in the lounge there (this was over a year ago now). Now, friends would rather go elsewhere in Bellevue and I can't really blame them. And with Vertigo opening soon, I think we'll spend a lot more time at the new club.

And here are two specific reasons why their management really gets to me.

1st. We get people to go there on a Sunday, to watch some football in the lounge. During week 1 of this season, they turned the sound on for us and everyone had a good time watching the game, having lunch, and having a beer. However, the following 2 weeks, they refused to turn on the sound for the game. Even though the lounge was pretty full of people in "Seahawks" jerseys and OBVIOUSLY we all showed up to watch the game.

We find out from a server that the management wants the sound turned off because, "We're not a sports bar," they said.

Well, Joeys. I've got news for you. When 20 to 30 people show up at 1 PM on a Sunday in football jerseys, you ARE a sports bar for those 3 hours. Figure it out. How difficult is it to turn SOUND on for 3 hours? Come on!!! We're going to the Taphouse instead.

And 2nd, I don't know what's happening to their "really good" servers, but I don't see them anymore. Either the turnover is ridiculous, or the good servers are scheduled for lunch. Rumor has it that (when I went in on Thursday), one of our favorite servers was fired. If this is indeed the case... well, then there's ABSOLUTELY no reason for us to go back. She treated us as close friends and we always had fun being served by her. And we didn't mind paying $300 / $400 tabs on overpriced drinks because we were always having a great time there with all our friends. Often times with 20 to 30 people showing up.

So if this is indeed the case, Joeys, then please consider myself, Scotty, Stephen, Dustin, Lynette, Trisha, Mitch, Bethany, Min, Bec, Nate, Leigh, Jay, Vorun, Bob, Tony, Hyun, Mike, Fanny, Jeff, Annie, Jim, Grace, Taylor, and all our friends who have been coming in several times a week for the past couple months... "former" customers of yours. We may come in, get maybe one drink... but we certainly won't be gathering there en masse, having meals there, and won't be going in for Sunday game days either... unless something changes significantly.

BTW, what the heck happened to Sherman? He was great.

Anyway, there's my gossip and rant for the month.

Newest acquisition - The Lodge At Mt Rainier

Recently, I purchased the Lodge at Mt Rainier, located in Ashford, Washington. I thought it'd be a great opportunity for my dad to run a business in a setting that he loves (he loves being outdoors, camping, and being close to Mt Rainier). It's best described at a resort or hotel, although not in the traditional sense.

The 16+ acre property includes various cabins and lodges that can be rented out for various occasions. Typically, the smaller buildings are rented out by couples or families on a nightly basis. However, there have been occasions where wedding parties and corporations have rented out the entire complex for a period of time. The larger lodges can accommodate up to 20-25 people in each building.

The website for the Lodge is www.rainierlodge.com.