Santana Row

I love this place, but can't afford it. A custom designed, make that, designer designed main street for high-end retail and restaurants. Everyone and everything is beautiful. The restaurants are packed, retailers are busy and the 50 something’s are cruising in their Ferrari's. Not a single cigarette butt can be found and life is good under the trees with a $18 Margarita in hand. I asked a restaurateur last week where all the $6 drinks have gone. He politely asked me if I had been out lately!

Okay, here’s my first review.

The Village California Bistro and Wine Bar. This French-wannabe has a great location and a lot of promise. But, management needs more awareness. Details are everything…

• Seated at a table with no salt and pepper shakers
• Caesar salad with no Caesar dressing or Parmesan cheese
• Cold and hard Au Gratin potatoes…this really sucked and I had to return them
• Empty water glasses...frequently
• No lime wedge with my Tanqueray…that’s just wrong!
• A Tanqueray and tonic in a Tom Collins glass...what's up with that?
  
• Forgetful foodserver
  

Dessert was a terrible, pasty attempt at a Keylime something…and $185 for three of us without wine, it's pricey. But, that's Santana Row - pricey.

Okay, I think I was nice while casually reminding her that she forgot…on numerous occasions, basic table service and had zero eye for quality assurance. Then she said "you guys must eat out a lot, huh."

On the plus side, the food was above par (other than the potatoes…my favorite kind and the sole reason I chose this restaurant) and the floor manager was attentive.

I have three words…focus, training and execution.

**
(out of five)

Wanna TalkToSanta™?

Well, who doesn't? Santa is one of life’s certainties. There is no confusion about his gender, his ethnicity, or the fact that he’s heterosexual and always has a white beard. We cannot debate whether he wears a red suit or not. We all know he’s jolly with red cheeks and flies around in a sleigh pulled through the skies by reindeer…and one of them has a red nose. This is well known. No one should mess with this. So, wouldn’t you want to have a conversation with him without sitting on his lap? You will, this fall!

Imagine calling a phone number and a cute little Elf answers and says “hello, who’s calling?” You say “it’s Bob, is Santa there?” The Elf says “hi Bob, sure, Santa’s here. But first, where are you from?” Whoa!!! A talking Elf and I’m having a conversation with this talking Elf? What’s next?

This is very cool. In fact it’s a mash-up of advanced automated speech recognition software and other cool technologies integrated by TALKTIVA Voice Entertainment Network. They have invented a new conversational voice interface that will enable consumers to have conversations with personalities. They are starting with Santa…so stay tuned.

In about a month, I’ll post a phone number so you can try it. So, leave a comment with your email address and you can beta test it…very cute and a great gift idea for any believer.