Restaurant Review – Folino’s Ristorante

Once I started to feel better after Saturday night’s girls night out fun, I started to crave food…and lots of it. The boyfriend, who is always hungry, suggested we have food delivered, but I needed a big, ice cold diet pepsi with my food. And since I haven’t grocery shopped in approximately one month, the only way I way I was going to get it was by venturing out.

I made myself somewhat presentable, and we walked up to Carson Street. We stopped at Fat Heads – mainly because they have awesome nachos – but the wait was 45 minutes, and that was just unnacceptable for my hunger and thirst state. So, we decided to try a new restaurant – Folino’s Ristorante.

We sat down, and it’s really cute inside with brightly painted walls, big paintings of Italian scenes and jazz music playing in the background. I ordered a diet pepsi (they were already doing well in my book as I prefer pepsi to coke!), and the boyfriend got a miller lite. The diet pepsi was amazingly good. There’s good diet pepsi, and there’s bad diet pepsi – and this was great.

For an appetizer, we had 10 buffalo hot wings – and the boyfriend and I both agreed that we hadn’t had such great wings in a long time. They were the perfect level of spice – hot but not so hot that you could only take one bite before tears started streaming down your face. The homemade ranch dressing was also really good.

I ordered the grilled chicken salad with ranch dressing, and when our waiter brought it out, I couldn’t believe how enormous it was. But, the salad didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The iceberg lettuce reminded me of the bagged lettuce we get from the grocery store – complete with the little carrots included in it. There were only about five french fries on the whole salad, and they weren’t great fries…they kind of tasted like the frozen kind that you make in the oven. The chicken was really good though – soft and very tasty. I ate as much as I could, and there was still a meal’s worth left to bring home.

The boyfriend decided to try the chicken marsala- one of his most favorite dishes. He loved the chicken and mushrooms – I tasted it, and their sauce was rich and delicious. It came with a side of mixed vegetables and pasta. The pasta was not so good. The penne noodles were soft and mushy, and I didn’t care for the bland marinara sauce…and neither did the boyfriend.

My biggest complaint was our waiter…he wasn’t totally terrible, but he wasn’t great either. He didn’t refill my diet pepsi until it had been empty for about five minutes and I asked him for more. He never asked if my boyfriend wanted another beer. That kind of stuff really irritates me…especially when I could see that he was only waiting on one other table.

All in all, it was a good dining out experience…I’d say three stars out of five, mainly because the food was good and the prices weren’t outrageous. Our entire dinner cost about $40.

My degree is useless?

I graduated with a BA in political science in 2002. For the past six years, I have worked in marketing and pr. I’m a decent writer and pretty good at what I do – especially online marketing. I have also taken grad classes in writing and have a 4.0

Recently, my company announced a new job opening for a conference series writer. Since I already do the marketing for the conference series and understand how desperately they need someone who can write to market the conference (marketing copy v technical writing are very, very different and should not be intertwined!), I threw my name into the mix.

I talked to my boss, and she gave me really positive feedback by basically saying, “You’d be perfect for the job. In fact, people have already asked me if I thought you’d be interested.” Plus, I’d still report to the same boss, so it wouldn’t be that big of a change…just a better job, the chance to travel, and the opportunity to really help out this conference series.

HR scheduled the 5 rounds of interviews and added them to my corporate calendar. But, as it turns out, someone at my company really didn’t want me to get that job. Or even interview for it.

The job description states education requirements as: Bachelor’s degree in public relations, corporate communications, marketing communication, journalism, technical communication, English, or equivalent.

Well, my boss’s boss, for a reason I now believe to be he has someone in mind for the job, decided that since my degree is not in English or writing, I should be bullied out of even interviewing for the job. Apparently, he doesn’t understand the definition of “equivalent.”

How it went down was like this (I pieced this together after talking to several people who knew about the situation) – my boss’s boss, who we’ll call Fisher, called my boss into his office. He basically told her that she had to talk me out of interviewing for the job because I was not qualified since I only have a BA in political science. My boss didn’t want to do it, but did it anyway. And let me tell you how fun that was…to sit in a meeting with someone who you have liked and respected for the past 14 months and have her tell you these things about how unqualified I am to write since I was not formally educated in writing. (Funny how part of my job is writing, and they don’t seem to have a problem with that.)

I don’t know if Fisher understands what a political science degree entails, but all I did in college was write – papers, essays, arguments, etc. And to this day, through multiple job searches and interviews, no one else has ever questioned the legitimacy of my degree (which is from a pretty good school, I might add). In fact, it has mostly helped me in my career – successful political science majors are thought to have excellent communication skills and comprehensive and accurate research skills – among other things.

Besides, my degree isn’t the only thing I’ve ever done – but do you think Fisher ever asked me about my prior experience or accomplishments? No.

So, I backed out of interviewing for the job. It was quite the scandal at work for a week or so. The person doing the hiring wanted me for the job. So did the people who the “writer” will work very closely with.

Work can be so political sometimes.

Best Steak in Pittsburgh

I love going out to eat.  And nothing beats a good filet.  However, I will only eat filet if it’s rare.  By rare, I mean barely cooked.  It has to be RED and slightly cold in the center.  You medium to medium-well eaters out there may think that’s gross, but once you go rare, you can never go back.  The only thing that makes a rare steak better?  Side dishes of mashed potatoes and creamed spinach (but if I could only have one, I’d go with the mashed potatoes every time).

The top restaurants in Pittsburgh for filet, as rated by me:

1. The Capital Grille – I had to send my first filet back because it came out more like medium well, but once they got it right, it was so worth the wait.
2. Mortons – Almost as good as the Capital Grille.
3. Mallorca – Even better when it’s with their Sangria.
4. Ibiza – It comes Portugese-style which means with a fried egg on top.  I could do without the egg, but not the meat!
5. Tie – Bruschetta’s and McCormick and Schmick’s

My search isn’t over – if I find steak that deserves to be on this list, I’ll definitely add it!  And, I’m always looking for good recommendations! 

(In the next few weeks, I’ll post about my favorite steak restaurants outside of Pittsburgh.)

Apparently, girls don’t like sports?

I am so glad I didn’t watch Jeopardy! last night. It seems that Alex Trebek still lives in the dark ages and thinks that girls like to sit around and sew or bake stuff. My new work friend Nora was watching though and decided to send an email to Jeopardy’s production staff. I love voicing your opinion at times like these, so I thought I’d post her’s:

To the Production Staff of Jeopardy:

Last night I was enjoying another episode of Jeopardy until the Final
Jeopardy category. When “Heisman Trophy” popped up on the screen,
host Alex Trebek had the ignorance to make a remark implying that both
of the evening’s female contestants grimaced at the idea of a
sports-related question.

I tried to convince myself to let this comment pass as a presumptuous
and uncalled for slip-up, but when Alex returned from commercial
break, he nearly apologized, saying this category may have been
“unfair” for the women. I absolutely cannot imagine the studio
embracing these implied values. Now, I’m not a feminist by any means,
but I don’t see how society can progress from these subservient
mindsets if they’re all over our media. And the man has a daughter.
No wonder the country’s first female presidential contender had a
rough time.

I hope these ill-bred comments will force the studio to evaluate the
messages they are sending to the public.

Productive Day!

I had a productive work day for the first time in awhile.  (Read about the fun I’ve been having in meetings!)  And you know what is the funniest part of my productivity today? It only happened because I left work for three hours and went home. 

My boss is on travel, and since I can’t seem to get a thing done in the office without being interrupted twenty times, I left.  I brought my laptop downstairs, turned on TNT (love Las Vegas, Without a Trace and Law and Order daytime!) and got to work.  I also kept Bruin entertained and made spaghetti sauce for dinner tonight…all at the same time! 

The result?  I got more accomplished in those three hours than I have at work in the past two weeks.  I even got back to the office earlier than I anticipated.  I wanted to just stay home and work, but there was a 4pm meeting I had to go to….

Starbucks Doubleshot on Ice

I’m addicted to Starbucks. It’s not necessarily that they have the best coffee (Dunkin Donuts’ Hazelnut Coffee wins in my book), but Starbucks is right down the street from my office. It provides the perfect procrastination-caffeination combination.

My mornings at work usually start out sometime between 8:30 – 10am (gotta love flexible work hours). Then I find my favorite co-worker, Adele to see if she needs to go to Starbucks. Thankfully, her answer is always yes.

Our walks down the street are just as re-energizing as the coffee…we gossip, we vent, we make each other laugh. Adele is my sounding board at work. She understands work-related frustrations – as petty or small as some of them may be – because she is entwined in this institution, too. It’s also our tradition to read our daily horoscopes while we’re there…mine has been pretty bad lately.

Anyway, my usual Starbucks drink is a triple venti skinny caramel latte, extra hot. It costs me $4.95 a day. So, I’ve been looking for some more economical choices that were still yummy – plain coffee sometimes is a bit boring to me. This morning I tried the new Starbucks Doubleshot on Ice. It’s amazing (I did add four packs of splenda to it, just like I do to any coffee beverage)…and I think I found my new summer coffee drink. And, at less than $3, it makes financial sense, too!

I Guess They’re Just Not That Into Me

Job searching – especially the interview process – is like dating. Actually, it may be worse.

On an interview, you’re being judged on everything –your appearance, the way you answer questions and your qualifications – as soon as you walk in the door. Afterwards, you play the waiting game. Should you call or email? Will it make you look desperate?

There’s a ton of information out there on interviewing tips and what you should do to land the job – how to answer questions, how to dress, how to showcase your weaknesses as strengths, etc. I’ve read things about the amount of makeup you should wear to the books you should say you’re reading. For the most part, I think it’s all bullshit. If you’re not yourself on an interview – or on a date – you’re just misleading people into thinking you’re something you’re not. And, that just leads to future frustrations and breakups.

Since graduating from college, I’ve had three jobs and been on a ton of interviews. I’ve been rejected more times than I care to think about. It hurts every time – it doesn’t matter if I wanted the job or not. It’s never fun to not be wanted by someone – whether they’re a potential employer or boyfriend. And when you’re in the middle of an all out job hunt, you can be rejected by so many different people at the same time. How are you supposed to keep your sanity and stop your confidence from shattering?

Recently, I was approached by a pretty well known company about a management position. It’s a pretty cool feeling to be sought after – this was the first time it had ever happened to me.

I walked into the initial interviews confident and prepared. I left thinking that I nailed both of them and that they’d be crazy not to bring me back for the second round.

The next morning, I sent out my thank you emails and immediately got a response back from the HR rep asking if I had gotten her voicemail from last night. I panicked and wondered how I could have missed her call. But when I checked my voice mail, there was her message asking if I’d be interested in continuing the process.

I was convinced that their quick response meant that they loved me…and that I just needed to be my amazing, professional self during the second round, and the job would be mine.

But that doesn’t mean I didn’t obsess over the preparations. I bought a new black power suit and Guess heels for the occasion. I stressed over what top to wear under my suit and finally decided on a cute yellow belted Bebe blouse. I perfected my portfolio. And, I went over and over interview questions and scenarios in my head.

By the morning of the interview, I was ready to knock their socks further off. And again, I left feeling like I did.

They had told me that they hoped to make a decision in about a week. For the first couple days, I still felt great about things. As it got closer to the one week mark, I started to have a sinking feeling. They had been so quick to call me back last time, and the longer it went without hearing from them, the less confident I started to feel.

Every time my phone rang or I got a new email, I wondered if it would be them. My BlackBerry was attached to my hand. I slept with it. I took it to meetings. I constantly checked my voicemail just in case they had called at the same time as someone else and were thrown right into voicemail.

I also replayed every question and my response; there was not one thing I would change. I stepped up to the plate and brought my A game in the whole process. I tried to convince myself of various different things that would cause so much time to pass without hearing anything – maybe there was a death in a family or a crisis they were dealing with.

I thought about calling them…just to check in, but I didn’t want to appear desperate. They had recruited me; I wanted them to think they needed me more than I needed them.

After two full weeks passed, I knew I wasn’t getting the job. I had really gotten my hopes up. I’m okay with my current job situation, but this would have been a few steps in the right direction for my career…and lately, I’ve been feeling that’s exactly what I need. Plus, it would have been a considerable pay jump. I had convinced myself that this was the perfect job for me.

So, the realization that I wasn’t getting it was not good. I was mad that I hadn’t even gotten a phone call or email to let me know for sure – it allowed the tiniest sliver of hope to creep in that maybe they did still want me. But, I decided that I needed to move on – mostly for my own sanity – and for my friends who were patiently listening to me go on and on about the situation.

I mourned the lost opportunity. I drank a bottle of wine and watched sappy movies. My boyfriend didn’t understand what I was doing. I tried to explain that I was giving myself one night to be upset about it and then I was going to be done. He just looked at me like I was nuts and asked, “Do you really want your career to be writing about hot dogs?”

And to be honest, no I didn’t. But I didn’t want to be rejected either.

Chelsea Handler…Will you be my friend?

I started reading Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea last night. I’m only halfway through it, and it’s amazing. She is one of the funniest people ever. It would be so much fun to hang out with this girl…specifically getting drunk, making fun of people and prank calling!  I think she’d absolutely love my friends, too.

If you haven’t read this book yet, go directly to the bookstore…you will not be disappointed!

Bruin’s First Swim!

We took Bruin to Brad’s parents house today.  I wanted to lay out since it was so gorgeous out.  But, the day quickly became all about Bruin – as took it usually does.  He went for his first swim.  Brad took him out about 10 feet from the steps, I stood on the steps, and the little guy swam over to me…four times!  It was so cute.  He wasn’t a fan of it so much, but it did cool him down. 

He woke us up at 6:20 a.m. this morning (I think it was payback for going out last night), so after his adventurous afternoon, he’s completely wiped out!

Britney Spears Recording New Album!

Usmagazine.com is exclusively reporting that Britney Spears is back in the studio working on a new ablum!

This is fantastic news!  I’m a HUGE Britney fan.  Her last cd, Blackout was awesome, and it really seems like she’s pulling her life together, getting rid of the loser influences (mainly the scumbag Sam Lufti) and in a great position to have a huge comeback! 

I cannot wait!  I only hope there’s a tour that goes along with the new album!!!