Reviews by Matt

Matt says "Craft Steak delivers on food, wine and ambiance!" about Craft Steak - Las Vegas, NV

Matt — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:47:21 GMT

Last night I went to Craft Steak in Vegas at the MGM Grand. I am a big fan of Tom Colicchio who is the owner of Craft and arguably one of the most famous celebrity chefs since his role as the head judge on Bravo's Top Chef. Tom is known for his attention to detail and fresh ingredients. I have been to Craft in NYC and just fell in love with the wide assortment of fresh vegetables and family style approach.

I was not disapointed with my experience at Craft Steak in Vegas. We orderd the 12 oz Kobe Skirt Steak and the assortment of mushrooms, roasted asparagus and a great avocado salad (pics to the right) and buffalo mozerella to start out with. The steak was really amazing: tender, flavorful and overall mouth watering. I had a margarita to start with, followed by the Resiling (which was a little tangy but ultimately very nice) and then the Zifnandel with the entree. I finished it off with a butterscotch pudding (pics to the right) and a nice port.

HEAVEN!!! If you are...

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Matt says "The Posse Foundation identifies and builds tomorrow's leaders " about The Posse Foundation

Matt — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:43:38 GMT

The Posse Foundation identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes. Posse's partner colleges and universities award Posse Scholars four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships. These Scholars graduate at a rate of 90 percent and make a visible difference on campus and throughout their professional careers.

About a year ago I got involved with a not for profit organization called The Posse Foundation that is headquartered in New York but also has a Chicago Chapter. The Posse Foundation was inspired by the simple insight that scholarship students from inner city schools often have a hard time college because they do not have the same support system that other kids do. Posse seeks to address this issue through a unique process that identifies through nomination 2,000+ kids throughout a city (in this case Chicago) and then puts them through a variety of very interesting and...

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Matt says "The KindleDX is even better than the original Kindle" about Amazon Kindle DX

Matt — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:21:45 GMT

I have owned a Kindle since it originally came out but only used it a few times while on vacation. Then recently a friend bought me the Kindle DX as a present and I have to say, I like it much better than the original Kindle. The largest display really helps me feel like it is more like a book than the smaller format did. I also really like how it displays the percentage completion. I find that to be an excellent motivator to keep reading.

The display is great and very easy on the eyes. I have also been using black leather cover and a itty bitty book light both of which really enhance the experience.

For anyone who is on the edge about the Kindle DX, I highly recommend it!

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Matt says "Terra Gusto on Armitage has really excellent food but...." about Terra Gusto - Chicago, IL

Matt — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:59:54 GMT

We live a few blocks from the new Terra Gusto in Lincoln Park. We have been to their other location. In fact, I have written a reviewof it! So we took the kids last night. The food was fantastic. Really a step above most good Italian restaurants that we go to. That said there were some issues. The restaurant was very cold when we got there and they said they it would warm up because of the open kitchen but the first 15 minutes were a bit bone chilling. The restaurant is very small and sat close to the door which made it a bit worse. The waiter was knowledgable but honestly he rubbed me the wrong way. He was a bit abrubt and condescending. And their timing on bringing dishes was terrible. Even when they told us the meat entrees would come 5 minutes after the pasta course, it was more like 15 minutes. And a pet peeve of mine, I wanted the glass of red wine brought at the same time as the pasta and he forgot and I had to remind him. And then he brought my coffee...

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Matt says "I could not put The Lost Symbol down. A total page turner" about The Lost Symbol

Matt — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:30:29 GMT

I don't get many chances to read for fun and when I do I will often pick up a non fiction book. However, several years ago I read Dan Brown's Davinci Code and absolutely loved it. Could not put it down. Then I read Angels and Demons and thought that was even better. So, when I recently was given an Amazon Kindle DX and I downloaded The Lost Symbol to see if my love affair with Dan Brown's story telling would continue.

I have to say, I found The Lost Symbol to be totally engrossing and a great read. I drove my family crazy for a few days because I could not put it down and get sneaking away to read a few more chapters. I suppose the criticism in the other reviews is valid, but call me simple minded. I found it an engrossing page turner and would recommend it to anyone who likes this genre of fiction.

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Matt says "Matt Damon was brillant in The Informant!" about The Informant!

Matt — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:25:15 GMT

The Informant! is a funny, wry, witty movie about a quirky high level employee at ADM who turned in his employer for price fixing. Although The Informant! is loosely based on a true story the really appealing and funny part of the movie is narration of the main character as he talks to himself and what he ultimately does. My wife didn't think the movie deserved the critical acclaim that it has received, but I personally found it funny and it made me chuckle.

Matt Damon played the role perfectly. He put on 30 pounds for the role and played it perfectly.

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Matt says "Julie & Julia is a fun, inspiring and endearing must see film" about "Julie & Julia"

Matt — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 04:14:21 GMT

Just saw this Julie & Julia tonight. I thought it was great. I remember reading the blog years ago and I am a bit of an aspiring cook so how could I not be excited to see Julie & Julia!?

Not to cop out, but as I sat down to read this review I saw GreatMartin's review and thought he really did a nice job of summing up the movie.

So, I am off to buy the book which our friend said was even better than the movie.

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Matt says "Tocco has great food, fun decor and one horrible waitress " about Tocco Chicago - Chicago, IL

Matt — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:25:01 GMT

My wife and I are big fans of Follia which is owned by this great flamboyant fashion maven named Bruno. When he opened Tocco as the more casual accessible version of Folia we had to go. We have now been twice and I will have to say the food is very good, the decor is totally Bruno but our last visit their was beyond horrible because our waitress was so beyond bad.

I would strongly recommend to Bruno that he let Becca go. We arrived at 5pm and did not get our pizza and calzone until 6pm. Our kids were going out of their minds. Our waitress barely cared and did nothing to make the situation better. Then she brought a skunked glass of wine and never came back to check to make sure it was OK. Near the end of the meal when she finally came by I told her it was bad, and it was clearly too late to do anything about it. Then again, she had no intention of trying. Then my wife, who had called ahead and asked for a cake as a surprise with a special message was mortified when Becca...

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Matt says "Google Tasks is a hidden gem that will make your life easier" about Google Tasks

Matt — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:56:49 GMT

For years I have had a list making ritual. Each day I would sit down and make a list of what I needed to get done. Through out the day I would cross off what I got done and add new items. Then the next day I would use that old list to create a new list. And now after years of repeating this process I have found a better tool that is a marriage of the web and a mobile app that suits me perfectly. That tool is Google Tasks.

Google Tasks is a very simple list making tool that is part of Gmail and also works perfectly with the iPhone. I keep a small window open on my desktop all day with my list of to dos and I keep the Google Tasks button on my main iPhone screen. They synch automatically and have made it possible for me to have one electronic version of my task list that is always with me and easy to add to whenever I remember a new task I need to complete. I also like how it allows you to create several custom lists, clear completed tasks and look at a history of...

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Matt says "The Earth Box has been fun and "fruitful" for the entire family!" about EarthBox Garden Kit in Terra Cotta

Matt — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:17:36 GMT

I grew up weeding a huge garden when I lived in Western North Carolina. I logged about four hours a day weeding (listening to Eye of the Tiger of course!) and I have to say I never thought I would be drawn back to starting a small garden of my own one day. What can I say?! Now 30 years later, I live in the city of Chicago and find myself missing the smells and tastes of a vegetable garden. Problem is we have a 25 x 40 back yard that has lots of small animals running through and is pretty shady so it did not really seem like an option to plant a small test garden back there.

So, after reading one day about the Earth Box, I looked online at their web site and decided I would take the leap. That was about six weeks ago, so roughly early June. I ordered four of them (ultimately from Amazon) in a set along with a trellis for the tomatoes. They sent the boxes and the fertilizer and dolmite and I purchased the 2 cubic feet of planting soil for each box. We bought seedlings...

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Matt says "This Scotts Mower was easy to put together a works like a charm" about 20" Scotts Classic Push Reel Mower

Matt — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 19:21:09 GMT

I bought the Scotts 20 inch push mower today at Home Depot. I originally went to buy an electric or gas mower but they were $300+ and our lawn is so small I went for this cheaper and more environmentally friendly choice.

The mower was easy to put together and did a nice job mowing our 25 x 40 lawn. We had sod planted about 4 weeks ago so I had let the lawn grow pretty long to give it a chance to set down some roots. I appreciated the fact that I could raise the mower up all the way to 4 inches or lower it down to 1.5 inches. The Scotts model just below this one did not go as high as this one.

I previously was using a ten year old push mower that had just gotten too dull to do a good job on the lawn. In fact last year it ripped up our sod because it was so dull.

I would recommend this Scotts push mower to those who have a small lawn, like the idea of not adding to noise and pollution and who don't think their lawn needs to look like the greens at Torrey Pine.

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Matt says "Lost City of Z - a gripping story about an Amazon explorer " about David Grann - The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon

Matt — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:00:11 GMT

The Lost City of Z is a fascinating account of Col. Percy Fawcett, one of the last and most famous "individualist" explorers who helped to map the Amazon and became fatally obsessed with finding conclusive evidence of a sophisticated and large civilization in the Amazon jungle which he referred to as The Lost City of Z.

I started reading this book at my wife's suggestion. She went to college with the author, David Grann. I continued reading it because it was educational, fascinating, and very well written. The story of Col Fawcett is told by the author both as a well researched piece of investigative journalism and as a personal story of discovery and exploration when Dave ventured into the Amazon himself to retrace the last and fateful journey of Col Fawcett and his son.

You will learn about all manners of insects, animals and conditions that plagued explorers who ventured into the Amazon. You will come to appreciate and get a sense for the sense of the times in the early 1900s...

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Matt says "David Burke's Primehouse - best steaks in Chicago?" about David Burke's Primehouse - Chicago, IL

Matt — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:57:48 GMT

A recent issue of Chicago Magazine rated David Burke's Primehouse as one of the top 20 steak houses in Chicago. I like my steak but I would not call my self a steak connesiur. However, I do love popovers and the magazine showed a picture of a pretty amazing popover. And my eight year old loves popovers and steak and we owed him a celebration dinner so Davd Burke's it was!

We had very nice dinner and I will likely go back one day. However, I did not fall in love with the restaurant. Here are my observations.

The popovers were indeed amazing. The best I have ever had and I have had many.

The beet salad was very nice. Not to die for but very nice.

Th 55 day aged New York Strip was very good. I split it with my son. Don't get me wrong. It was a very good steak. However I would say I have had better but that might be function of what I was drinking, who was with etc. It was a good steak. If you are a steak fanatic you will have to judge for yourself if it is the best...

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Matt says "Schwa - when mere food becomes an experience" about Schwa - Chicago, IL

Matt — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:33:28 GMT

There are roughly three levels of restaurants. The first is run of the mil ordinary food that satisfies your hunger but does not delight your senses. The second is the product of well trained chefs, fresh ingredients and thoughtful preparation. The third, and very rare, is when food moves to a level of a an experience and is the product of sheer brilliance fused with a manic and creative mind and passion. I am happy to report that Schwa is just such a rare and wonderful restaurant. As a someone who loves eating out and appreciates the magic that chefs can perform in the kitchen, I can honestly say that the magicians in the kitchen at Schwa are among the most creative and interesting in the city of Chicago. I would put Schwa in the same rare tier as Alinea and Avec.

In someways that have nothing to do with the amazingly creative food, Schwa will surprise you. It is on the 1400 block of Ashland Ave in Chicago, just across from a tire dealer that has fake palm trees out...

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Matt says "American Heritage Fireplace helped make our winter a bit warmer!" about American Heritage Fireplace & Accessories - - Chicago, IL

Matt — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:29:21 GMT

American Heritage Fireplace installs "gas logs" that sit in a traditional fireplace, look like wood, but are lit by gas. I will have to say I am a purist when it comes to fires. I love the smell of wood and the sound of crackling. There is nothing better to me than sitting near a warm fire on a cold winter day. However, our four year old has asthma and we have been advised that burning wood in the house could irritate his condition. For that reason, I finally broke down and had American Heritage Fireplace install some fake logs. We ordered the logset called Rocky Mountain Prehistoric logs. The logs look burnt and there is even a fuzzy material at the bottom that looks like ash. They actually look much better than I thought they would.

The best part is the kids love them. We use the fire even more now because we can turn it off and leave the house quickly. They read by the fire and really enjoy the whole experience.

The folks from American Heritage Fireplace were responsive,...

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Matt says "Crytsal Overhead Door is reliable and fair" about Crystal Overhead Door - - Chicago, IL

Matt — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:18:08 GMT

Over the years we have used Crystal Overhead Door several times when our electric garage door opener has broken down for different reasons. They have always been reliable and quick to follow up and honest in their dealings with us. The last visit was to fix some broken sensors and cost $55 total.

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Matt says "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will stick with you" about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Matt — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 22:44:00 GMT

I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button last night in the theater and have to say I am still thinking about it 24 hours later. The other reviewers are right that it is long but does a great job of keeping your interest. Brad Pitt was impressive in his range and depth. I am not a big pop culture guy so I don't really have a love hate relationship with him like many people do.

The whole idea of being born as an old person with a young mind and then "aging in reverse" is a fascinating and intriguing basis of a thought provoking movie. It is fun to watch Benjamin experience life in reverse and the effect that it has on those people around him. So if you are up for a movie that is a bit out of the ordinary but thought provoking, than I would highly recommend The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
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Matt says "The Vita Mix is a work horse of a blender - our best yet!" about Vita-Mix 5200 Blender

Matt — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 22:24:28 GMT

About two years ago I started making a fruit smoothie every morning. Frozen strawberries, a banana, orange juice, yogurt, and flax seed (and more recently blue berries). Unfortunately I found that our standard Kitchen Aid blender was not up to the task. It simply could not handle the frozen strawberries. I would fight with it by starting and stopping and tilting the blender but I eventually became frustrated. So I did a bit of research and found the Breville Blender which even had a special smoothie setting. I was happy with this blender for several months but it seemed to lose its initial effectiveness over time. The seals started leaking, the blades seemed to get duller and I got frustrated. So, you can imagine my delight when my brother in law offered up his Vita Mix. They just weren't using it and I was all too happy to take it home for a spin.

Well, that was about eight weeks ago. I am happy to report that I am a very happy user of the Vita Mix. It is without a doubt......

Matt says "VBRO.com has some great properties at all price ranges" about Vacation Rental By Owner

Matt — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:49:23 GMT

We recently used VBRO.com to find a great property in a prime resort in Mexico. The site is well designed and easy to use. The family that we dealt with was very responsive and trustworthy. All around a good experience.

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Matt says "The Bose in ear headphones live up to the Bose name" about Bose - In-ear headphones

Matt — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:31:16 GMT

I have had these Bose in-ear phones for the last year. I wear them every day on the elliptical and use them regularly as I travel and at the office. They are comfortable and provide great sound. A huge improvement over the ear phones that come with the iPhone....