EG + Zappos = <3

Hello my little baby sized cowboy boot socks,

Before I begin today's juicy post, I thought it would be appropriate to take a moment and remind you where I was (perhaps, with many of you) last year on this date... I was wearing five layers and two pairs of gloves and standing on the frozen National Mall for the "We Are One" concert kicking off a weekend of Inauguration events. In case you:

• Weren't there...
• Were there but can't seem to remember the events of January 18 because you were so cold...
• Were there and had such a good time, you want to relive the experience...

...you can enjoy MY recap of the 2009 Inauguration weekend festivities through my throw back blog post, Obamaland Diaries. (I am happy to reenact the Obama call and response next time I see you, if you wish.)

Okay, so now that you've enjoyed my amateur videography skills, you are ready to hear about the real subject of today's post.

I really really love Zappos.com. I tell you this for several reasons...

Efficient and Pleasant
I am an almost exclusively online shopper. And I find a quick trip to Zappos.com during my lunch break to be a very efficient and pleasant shopping experience. And I know you online shopping naysayers are sitting there shaking your heads about the value of "trying things on." Well, that brings me to my second point...

FREE Round Trip Shipping
The free shipping and handling (this includes return shipping) that Zappos offers makes returns super easy. So, why not just try shoes on in the comfort of your home (and perhaps with the outfit you've purchased them to go with) and if they don't fit, just send 'em back. Zappos is so quick with the refund credits on your credit card...often there is no record of the purchase on your card at all. As if the purchase never happened. POOF.

Searchability and Selection
When you're searching for something specific (perhaps a brown sling back in a black tie appropriate fabric), Zappos makes the sorting of their vast selection easy and quick. This also goes for wide widths too (I was blessed with wide feet which means that those cute flats you suggested I get from Banana Republic may fit my pinky toe and that's about it...).

And did you know that Zappos also sells clothing and purses and accessories? I found my most favorite handbag (please don't say "purse," makes me feel uncomfortable, in the same category as the word "panties") on Zappos and get so many compliments on it (including a compliment from mom of Julie F., Sara F., who even ended up buying the bag in black for herself! Best!). I felt comfortable buying it on Zappos because the site featured the cutest little video of one of their employees wearing the bag and showing off its features. (One of the features is the "strap garage" as my friend Greg M. calls it. This means that there is a shoulder strap that can be hooked on the underside of the bag and it turns into a tote with shorter straps. FANCY PANTS.)

Customer Service
The customer service that Zappos provides is unmatched. They call themselves "a service company that happens to sell shoes" and I believe it. I have two examples of their remarkable customer service:

One sad day, I received a beautiful pair of black wide calf boots in the mail from Zappos (this was not the sad part of the day). I wore them to photograph my friends Hanaa and Rali getting engaged (where one photo was snapped as evidence of this miracle purchase) and when I returned home, I noticed that all three of the decorative covered buttons at the top of the boots had fallen off. I told you it was a sad day. So I typed a quick e-mail to my friends at Zappos customer service. The response I got was so quick and thorough. It read...

Hello Emily,

Thank you for contacting the Zappos.com Customer Loyalty Team. I hope you are having a wonderful day so far. I am very sorry to hear about the Ros Hommerson boots you received. This is not indicative of the high quality of service and products we strive to provide our customers.

You are more than welcome to return the boots for a full refund. For your convenience, I've taken the liberty of emailing you a free UPS return label. Please keep in mind that you will receive two emails regarding your return; one will be the return confirmation and the other will have the label as a PDF attachment...

...Now that you are a VIP member you will now receive expedited credits for your return (within 4 days of us receiving the item in the warehouse)! Once your order has been refunded, depending on your bank or credit card company, it may take up to 2-10 business days for the credit to post.

Below is a coupon code for $25.00 off of your next order with Zappos.com:

g783df029qsZ

You can use this coupon on your next order at Zappos.com anytime within the next 90 days...

Please accept this as an apology for any inconvenience, and do not hesitate to contact us if there is anything we can do to be of further assistance. We are available 24/7 for your convenience.

We are constantly striving to improve our service. If there is anything more we can do for you, or if we could improve your experience, please do not hesitate to let us know. We are always here for you - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We are a service company that just happens to sell...shoes, bags, clothing, and accessories. 1-800-ZAPPOS-1 (1-800-927-7671) or 702-943-7677.

Thank you,

Mary T.
Customer Loyalty Representative
Zappos.com
Powered by Service!

Thank you Mary T.! I think my favorite part of the e-mail was that the PDF of the return shipping label was already waiting for me in my in-box by the time I got back to it. And the $25 coupon was just an extra amazing bonus.

The second moment that Zappos customer service wowed me happened only a few weeks ago. I ordered a new pair of brown Dansko clogs (I inherited a pair of these amazingly comfortable shoes from Jill S. about two years ago and it was time for me to actually purchase a pair of my own). According to the UPS website, the clogs had been delivered to my apartment building at 11:33 AM on December 31. Alas, several days went by and the shoes had yet to surface. I e-mailed my apartment building e-mail list, questioned my roommates...nothing. So I waited a few more days.

I was worried about calling Zappos because, the truth is, the box was most likely dropped off and someone (who was perhaps in need of a pair of free and comfortable Dansko clogs) swiped 'em from my building's lobby (uncool). And this is so not Zappos' problem--they did their job. And UPS did too. But I called Zappos anyway, and explained the situation. And without any arm twisting or raising my voice or anything, the customer service representative I spoke with had a new pair of clogs being shipped to my office. No problem! The shoes arrived in two days and I was a happy camper.

So there you have it. Stop by Zappos.com and have a look around...then report back on your success stories! I hope to (one day) make it down to Louisville, KY with my friend Shira G. who grew up there...right around the corner from the Zappos OUTLET. Obviously that experience will be very well documented.

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I can be bought.

I can be bought.

I am not proud of it, but when it comes to changing my opinion about a new swanky restaurant on 14th street that had not once, not twice, but three times been too cool to find a table for me (read: was too popular to even have a reservation available on three separate occasions of trying to get in there), I can be bought with a seat at the chef's counter and complimentary crispy polenta balls.

I was all prepared to write Birch and Barley off as a restaurant that was just too cool for me. I don't stay up late, rarely wear uncomfortable shoes (except for the new purple suede platform pumps I have been schlepping around DC in my bag to change into when I arrive at my destination), and don't like spicy food. I don't believe restaurants should be so exclusive that I can't even get a reservation. But then I gave B&B a fourth try--with Beth K. and Neil S. in tow. And the lovely host told us that the chef's counter was available. As we sat down, a complimentary plate of crispy polenta balls was placed in front of us...and with that, B&B began making its way into my heart.

Our meal was fantastic. I think the combination of Neil (who is sometimes even more enthusiastic about things like a seat at the chef's counter than me), the excellent beer list (and Beth K.'s ability to always successfully advise on good beer choices), and really delicious food made the evening so memorable.

Bread "Basket"
The best part of the food at B&B was the selection of breads, butter, and a really tangy and grainy mustard we enjoyed before our appetizers were served. (I am highly skeptical of mustard, especially yellow mustard. Yellow mustard is a sandwich deal breaker in my opinion. But this mustard was so grainy and good. Nowhere near yellow mustard, and therefore spectacular.) The soft pretzel component of this course was just so good...especially with the light wheat beer I was drinking (BK, do you remember what it was called because I don't). It is clear that B&B's pastry chef (Tiffany MacIsaac) knows what she's doing. While we dined, we watched Tiffany individually wrap small squares of house made caramel (which we later learned were made with bacon fat...up there with the chocolate covered bacon from CoCo Sala) on the other side of the chef's counter. And at the end of our meal, even got a chance to sample one...


Entree
I had the port glazed fig flatbread and the beet salad (who doesn't LOVE a beet salad?). The salad had caramelized pistachios in it which added a lovely crunch. We watched as the flatbread pizzas were made directly in front of us--so when mine arrived I felt like we were already best friends. The gorgonzola, prosciutto, and figs that topped my pizza were the best salty/sweet combination a chef's counter diner could ask for.

New Friend + Gluten Free Pizza
Because we were sitting within three feet of the chef making the pizzas, I obviously tried to strike up a conversation. I would have liked a little less pizza making and a little more chatting (but then again he was working so I can't blame him for minimizing the chit chat time). During our (brief) conversation, I did learn the following things:

1) He was from New Jersey and spent two years as a student at GW (hail to the buff and blue!)
2) After deciding GW wasn't the place for him, he transferred to the Art Institute in (pardon the expression) "Rosslyn"
3) B&B has many gluten free options on their menu...and some of the flatbread pizzas can be made gluten free and are very popular menu items

I asked our waiter for more information about this gluten free situation and she told me that the "gluten free community has a very strong web presence and when a restaurant serves something that is delicious and gluten free, news spreads fast." I obviously thought of fellow food blogger (and former Hillel employee), Sarah G., who writes about her gluten free culinary adventures at Gluten-Free Grazer. I made sure to document the preparation of the gluten free pizza and frantically send Sarah a twitter message giving her a play-by-play of the discovery.


Dessert Decisions
The dessert choice was really challenging. After our amazing bread basket moment, I knew the desserts were going to be memorable and I wanted to make an informed decision. So I asked to see the dessert menu before ordering my entree (this is why I like to research restaurant menus before I arrive--I like to know the dessert options when choosing what else I will order because these decisions are so closely related and often influence each other). Sadly, I can't find the B&B dessert menu on their website, but I ended up ordering something that contained three of the house made bacon caramel items, a house made marshmallow, and an updated take on the hostess cupcake. It was good (not as good as the soft pretzel/mustard combo--but VERY good). Neil chose a sticky toffee pudding and poached pear which was excellent.

So, Birch and Barley, you have really made a place for yourself in my heart (and in my stomach, and now on my blog). I look forward to returning to B&B's upstairs bar, Churchkey, on a weekday evening when I know it won't be super crowded. I happen to know they serve fried mac and cheese cubes...

ALSO: B&B and Churchkey are both owned by the Neighborhood Restaurant Group which also owns Buzz Bakery (a key stop on my hypothetical cupcake crawl) and Tallula (where I just went for Restaurant Week on Friday). Keep your eyes peeled for another post about how the NRG is basically taking over my life...

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You Gotta Have (Work) Friends

When I graduated from college, I remember feeling nervous about how I would make new friends now that my days of keg parties and all nighters were over. (NOTE: I never actually pulled an all nighter and first hosted a keg party after college had ended.) If only 26-year-old Emily could have been in touch with 22-year-old Emily to allay my fears. Not only did I meet some of my best friends during my first job after college (cue comments from Hillel friends here), but I made some really fantastic friends during my second job after college, too.

This is where Beth S. comes in. On my first day at the job I currently have, I remember meeting Beth and deciding we could possibly be friends. I was still unsure how I would survive without sharing cubicle walls with Reuben P., Julie F., and Abbey O. (who was then Abbey G.) and the prospect of a new work friend was very exciting and reassuring. On day three of the job, as we dined on Juice Joint wraps in our office conference room, I remember thinking to myself, "I am so lucky that Beth works here! And that skirt she is wearing is really fabulous. We are definitely going to be friends." I forget when we went from colleagues to colleagues AND friends (perhaps it was the time we were eating ice cream cones and some of my ice cream dripped inside my blackberry and I made her swear she wouldn't tell our IT person if/when the blackberry stopped working as a result)...

I feel confident in saying we are actually friends now (and no longer colleagues which makes me sad). Do you ever stop to think how much time you spend with your co-workers? It is your work friends who you need to reinforce good outfit choices (they see your full range of outfits so they are the best judges of your personal style) and help you navigate challenging or sometimes scary professional interactions. And if you, like me, have your Zappos.com purchases shipped to your office (remind me to tell you about how amazing Zappos is another time), you really need your work friends there as you open the box to share in the joy that is a new pair of shoes.

Not only are Beth and I now actually friends (ice cream in blackberry incident behind us), but Beth got married (I got to go to the wedding which was AMAZING--I'll never forget the cookie table) and her lovely husband is my friend too (hi Chris!). It gets better...As I got to know Beth and Chris, I had a feeling that they would get along really well with my sister. Their mutual love of Vermont (Chris is from Vermont and Rebecca's favorite state is Vermont), tartan (Chris wore a kilt with his family's tartan on it at his wedding, Rebecca aced the unit on tartans in 2nd grade), good beer (please note the "Drink Vermont Beer" bottle opener featured on Beth and Chris's fridge), local food (especially Shelburne Farms), and raw milk cheese were the first conversation topics I brainstormed.

When the four of us actually spent time together, the friendship blossomed immediately. And now the relationship has reached a place where Beth and Rebecca G. actually have plans to make cheese, independent of me (a time when all friendship match makers must step back and simply bask in the joy of their excellent work)! I will, however, happily sample the cheese.



Fast forward to December 2009. Beth, Chris, Rebecca G., and I have frequent dinners together! And at our last dinner, we dined on some delicious home made pasta with lamb and lots of garlic. Beth is a FANTASTIC cook and one of my favorite things about working with her was hearing about the delicious things she had cooked for dinner the night before--and now that we no longer work together, I am honored to experience her fantastic dinners on occasion. And when that is not possible and I need my Beth food fix, I just visit her blog (Miss Mango Hands)... Here is Beth's post about our meal together.

You may ask, "What does Miss Mango Hands have to do with delicious food and well-dressed Vermont loving friends?" Well, Beth and Chris are big Phish fans (they even followed the band on tour to several cities this fall) and the title of the blog is a quote from a Phish song (which we even listened to while dining)! I just made the roasted vegetable pizza that Beth featured on her blog for a dinner party I hosted last night and it was highly successful. When tomatoes are back in season, I will surely make it again.

So, thanks to Beth for proving that good friends can be made once college ends... and for correcting my grammatical errors in a kind but thorough way, being my shoe purchase cheerleader, fashion inspiration, and one of the most excellent cooks and food bloggers I know.

PS--Please note how cute Beth's yellow dress is in the beer photo! Apparently it is from Shake Your Booty on 18th Street and not even featured on the designer's website...just goes to show what an excellent shopper Beth is!

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EmilyGoodstein.com

Last year, I tried to convince all my family members to buy the domain names corresponding with their real names. I was met with varied responses ("But maybe I should plan for the future and just buy RebeccaPitt.com now?") but nobody actually took my advice. Obviously I have owned EmilyGoodstein.com for over a year... and just this weekend decided to put it to good use!

With the help of a fancy little website called Wix, EmilyGoodstein.com will serve as my photography home on the web. Have no fear, Wild and Crazy Pearl will still be going strong (I have so much to say, so many products to review, so many restaurants to try!) and I hope to make a bit more of a formal link between the two (just like my photography mentor, Susan S., does on her website).

So, stop reading this and jump on over to EmilyGoodstein.com and let me know what you think of it! It is still VERY MUCH in the development phase so check back often for updates...

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The Nordstrom of Lowcountry Cuisine

I have sat down to write this blog post about six times. At first I couldn't figure out why I was having so much trouble writing about Eatonville. Had I lost my blog touch? Was my brain so turned off from my two week vacation out from behind a computer I could no longer write witty posts about fried chicken and sweet tea?

Then it dawned on me (as I opened the Blogger window for what feels like the millionth time): Eatonville is just plain good. I have no dramatic story about how hard it was to get a table (Pizzera Paradiso in DuPont Circle, I am talking about you...) or how overpriced it was. I've never dined there after a really significant happening, and (as far as I know) it is not one of Obama's favorites so it was never on my radar for that reason.



It is, however, conveniently located close to my friends Jill and Amir S.'s apartment so it serves as one of our go to places when we're looking for a place to meet for dinner. It is also fun, pretty (the decor is supposed to look like a front porch), and really very delicious. It doesn't take itself too seriously and I've never had a problem getting a reservation. The prices are reasonable and the service is dependable. I also really love lowcountry cuisine and have never met a restaurant serving fried chicken and greens that I didn't enjoy. Lastly, the tables at Eatonville are not too close together (a problem at several DC establishments including Kramer's). Overall, I feel like Eatonville is just a user friendly dining experience. Sort of like the Nordstrom of lowcountry cuisine.

If you know me in real life, you know that usually I am pretty quick to decide if I like something (err, someone) or not. This skill comes in very handy most of the time, but occasionally does not serve me very well. So, when I tell you I was prepared to dislike Eatonville but have now decided it is one of my favorite U Street dining establishments, you should appreciate how significant that statement is.

I was hesitant to try Eatonville as it is owned by the same people that own Busboys and Poets and I don't love it there.* Before I walked into the calming dining room at 14th and T and spotted the fried chicken on the menu, I assumed that Eatonville would be plagued by the same mediocre food as Busboys. But it is not. And after my first meal there my opinion was quickly changed...

My last visit to Eatonville was for brunch. I was with several friends, a few from out of town, so I decided to e-mail them after our meal and ask for some thoughts on the experience.

In the words of fellow blogger and future lawyer/social worker, Tovah P....

W and CP: What did you eat?
Tov: I had the Mac n Cheese side dish and the yellow beet salad.
W and CP: What did you think of what you ordered?
The Mac n Cheese was delicious and filling and was the right amount of food to go with the salad. It could have benefited from a little smokey-ness though. The beet salad was good, although it had more lettuce than I expected --I thought it would be more beet-y.
W and CP: What was your favorite non-food related aspect of our experience?
I really liked the mason jar glasses.

According to travel writing Brooklyn resident Carolyn G....

W and CP: What did you eat?
Car: Texas Toast.
W and CP: What did you think of what you ordered?
Car: I liked it but it didn't blow my mind. It was just french toast with berry compote (I don't know if it was a compote but something of that nature) on top.
W and CP: If you could change anything about your dish, what would you change?
Car: I don't think I'd change anything about my dish, I just think I would order something different. For example, I tried Tovah's mac 'n cheese which was incredible. I should have ordered the eggs benny which was my other choice if I was going to go with savory instead of sweet. Or your fried chicken looked pretty great. Next time, I guess.
W and CP: What was your favorite non-food related aspect of our experience?
Car: All of the natural light.

And finally, in the words of Ohioan turned New Yorker and my new friend Nick H...

W and CP: What did you eat?

Nickster: I had the Fish and Grits (Catfish with jalapeno-cheddar grits, collard greens and tomato butter...I looked it up, my memory isn't that good) and an Arnold Palmer in a mason jar.

W and CP: What did you think of what you ordered?
Nickster: I was quite pleased with my selection. The fish was light and fluffy which was good considering the time of the day. I wasn't looking for anything heavy before noon while the grits had more of a hearty substance that really reminded me of the "breakfast" part of "brunch." I was expecting more heat from the jalapenos but they were very understated. I didn't know that the sauce on my plate was technically a "tomato butter" but it was good at highlighting both the fish and the grits.

W and CP: If you could change anything about your dish, what would you change?
In a perfect world, I'd probably have more fish and less grits but that isn't their fault, it just has to do with my insatiable hunger (or me just being greedy) and the grits would've had more flavor. But once again, they can't exactly be blamed for this because I traditionally eat my food far spicier than most.

W and CP: What was your favorite non-food related aspect of our experience?
Nickster: For my favorite part not associated with my meal, I'd have to say it was the table on the "porch" complete with rocking chairs...quaint...ridiculous...and exactly what I wanted to see at 11 am for some unknown reason (I do think that it'd be important to note the late opening time).

Nick also noted this about Eatonville, "It seemed to have a nice, bright, eclectic atmosphere and the space itself was quite large. I thought the waiter was helpful but I assume that happens when you sit down to eat with four lovely ladies because my service never tends to be that good." (Ha! I had to include that part because it is just too hilarious.)

Unlike my usual posts that just feature my opinions and very little information on what anyone else thought of an eatery, you now have a very well rounded picture of the Eatonville experience. If you choose to dine there, make sure to try the sweet tea (as Nick mentioned, it will be served in a Mason Jar which obviously makes it taste better) and the fried chicken (which comes with the most lemony and delicious greens). See you on the fake out front porch!

*Don't scold me for this in the comments section, I know many people really like Busboys but I find the food mediocre and always have trouble when restaurants serve food that requires a knife and fork yet seat you at an "alternative" ottoman and coffee table set-up. Don't get me wrong, Busboys is a good option for a coffee or after work drink, and I have actually worked with their very friendly staff when researching spaces for a private events....but I try to suggest somewhere else when the option to dine there presents itself.

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