As reported by the Post-Crescent, Kimberly-Clark Corp. was justed named among the Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2011 by Savoy Magazine. Factors considered in making this award included management philosophy, communication, career opportunities and diversity outreach. I spent 13 years at Kimberly-Clark and have to agree with that assessment. I found a wonderful climate and many terrific opportunities inside that company. May they continue to do well. Congrats, Kimberly-Clark!

Kimberly-Clark, of course, is one of the largest employers in the Fox Valley.

Labels: careers, jobs

A sidebar on digitally printed labels in Food and Beverage Packaging magazine highlights Carmella's bottled marinara sauce and describes the work for Directions, Inc. in creating the high-end label. Interesting to see the technology and design choices that went into the label for their product.

The article, which I ran into just through the course of my reading related to green packaging and innovation topics for work, reminds me of the great food Carmella's offers. One of Appleton's finest places. Yes, I'm hungry as I write this....

The Appleton Blog welcomes Green Gecko, a high-end grocer and deli, to the Appleton scene. Green Gecko is in the City Center Mall at the very heart of Appleton on College Avenue. Enter from College Avenue and they are on your left, a prominent location. Looks like a great place for imported cheeses, good meats, and many delicacies. I've seen Green Gecko in Madison--not sure if they have other outlets in the State. I hope they do well. Good food is never out of style.

Parted ways with the Black and Tan Grille tonight on a slightly disappointing note. Took my wife there for what I hoped would be a special night out, the first time there in several years. The signature Black and Tan steak was tender, yes, but with little flavor. Ditto for my rack of lamb--there ought to be some kind of seasoning on it, in my view. Neither had the basic flavor I get when grilling meat even on a simple gas grill, not to mention what ought to be added with a little seasoning. Probably due to my lack of sophistication when it comes to red meat, of course.

Both dishes were rather cold. Mine was cold enough that I sent it back--it really wasn't very palatable at just slightly above room temperature. OK, it was medium rare, so it can't be flaming hot throughout--but it can be warm. I had just taken a little bite from two or three of the pieces of meat on my plate and expected to see all of my meal brought back after a few seconds of reheating. But after a surprisingly long wait, I received only a fraction of my meal back in a small bowl. The sections of lamb that I had sampled were apparently discarded. My three or four pieces of lamb were now replaced with one small, pristine piece.

The small bowl of hot au gratin potatoes was gone--I hadn't finished it (the tastiest part of the meal, frankly, and the only thing that was actually hot). The person who brought the food to my table said he had "refired" the vegetables also, but everything was still on the cold side. The veggies seemed cold, and the meat only marginally warmer. Instead of the large slightly warm plate my food had been on, it was now piled into a small, cold bowl. This was really surprising. I just stared at it in surprise for a while and tried to figure out what they were thinking. What happened to my food?

It was hard to cut the remaining food in the highly curved little bowl it was in, so I had to put it on the bread plate, but the whole thing made me frustrated that I had chosen to go there. The manager came by, astutely noticing I hadn't eaten much of the scraps they returned. I didn't want to complain but he probed. I finally asked what happened to the rest of the meal, though I wasn't really interested in having more uninteresting food at that point. I didn't want to say much about it--simply a misunderstanding, a little mistake, no big deal, but when you visit a place for the first time or the first time in years, that one experience is pretty much the only deal. Too bad.

Fortunately, they deducted the price of my lamb from the bill. I had about 3 bites of it. Didn't take it out on the waiter, who was fairly good, but I'm still just really surprised at how a classy place can fall so flat. at least this time.

While there, I learned that this will be the last week of the Black and Tan Grille. They are changing to an Italian restaurant, something "Vita," keeping the current chef. I hope they do well--and keep the food warm, please. They could also improve the decor. It's nice, but too dark, and the fully exposed 50W bulb right over the table is a poor illumination choice. Like the meat, it lacked appeal. I hope it's better when the lights come up on the new place. Italian? Sounds good to me. Let's give them a chance.

By the way, I got a nastygram recently decrying my taste in steak, arguing that I'm hopeless if I like a low-class place like Texas Roadhouse. So, to redeem myself, I tried some red meat at one of Appleton's classier establishments tonight. Sorry, but I would have been much better fed and happier at Texas Roadhouse. Yes, I know it's not the top end of steak, but it's always palatable, warm, and has a touch of flavor. I also like Lombardi's for steak, when someone else is paying. Sometimes less expensive places offer pretty darn good food without a lot of pretense. Bennigan's is another place like that. Yes, I like their food and have enjoyed my couple of visits there.

Labels: restaurants, review, steak

UPDATE: We have an instant winner: Ben Miller of Appleton. Way to go, Ben!


Apparently my latest mystery photo contest was too difficult, so I'm offering some clues and relaxing the rules. Now you will win instantly if you can identify just 4 of the photos. You have until April 15.

Here are some scattered clues: Bowling is featured. "RK" comes from a short word in downtown Menasha. A furniture store is shown. Spock's home. Good place for kids in Appleton. Downtown mural.

Win the prizes and get your answers in.