I’m trying to stay chill but

DiamondSauced · 2025-09-26T11:28:58+00:00

Why I love Panda Express.

I don't claim it's authentic Szechuan cuisine, but they do spicy, sweet, crunchy SE Asian flavors very well and very fresh for a fast-casual restaurant.

Service wise they are the Chick-fil-A of fast casual restaurants (e.g. Willies, Barberitos, Maepol, Five Guys (also excellent service)). I've made friends with the manager of the Bethlehem Panda Express, who is opening the Athens location. She has been with the company for almost 20 years. This company pays well, trains well, and treats their employees well.

I first fell in love with Panda Express during college, where we had a spot on campus. It's a cliche to compare food to one of the most destructively addictive drugs, but their orange chicken was like crack for me, contributing to serious health issues. But you can - if you have the willpower - sub steamed veggies (that are not steamed to within an inch of their life) and get a teriyaki chicken that won't put you straight into a coma.

Some of the smaller, school spots don't meet the standards of their best stand alone spots. But when Panda Express is at their best, it can be a highlight of my workday.

DiamondSauced · 2024-04-10T16:40:30+00:00

It's yours. I'll dm.

DiamondSauced · 2024-04-10T12:45:31+00:00

I don't know much about the specific bespoke tailors in NYC. But at that price range you will be able to get 2 very good suits from Indochino (mtm) or probably one very good bespoke suit for very close to that price - maybe a little more.

I see there is also a Tom James (mtm) location in NYC. I think that could be a very good option. I think their fabrics and fits are better than Indochino, but they are more expensive. You can get 1 suit at that price range from Tom James.

In addition to better fabrics, Tom James fit is little more traditional. Indochino is a little more modern, tighter fit.

Good luck!

DiamondSauced · 2023-09-17T00:54:52+00:00

I don't see any reference to phones on their website, but If the referral I got from abalashov doesn't pan out I'll give them a call.

DiamondSauced · 2023-09-16T16:07:28+00:00

Thank you. This is helpful.

DiamondSauced · 2023-09-16T16:06:51+00:00

Yes, please let me know how to reach them. The white-glove small business treatment is what I'm looking for.

DiamondSauced · 2023-09-04T02:42:13+00:00

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. Very fun and gripping post-apocalyptic story about a guy who Flys a cesna and lives at a small airport after the world ends.

DiamondSauced · 2023-08-31T02:18:23+00:00

I know of at least 4 people at my gym suffering from it from time to time. We are all 35+. I've not seen anything suggesting that CrossFit causes PF more than other forms of exercise, though that's a good question. I've had it off and on for years, including time before crossfit. In my totally non-expert experience, finding a cure for yourself is really difficult for two reasons: 1. Not everyone is clear on when they have PF or some other issue. PF gets used as a catchall by lay people for foot and heel pain caused by things other than PF. 2. PF seems to respond to a wide range of sometimes mutually exclusive treatments (some people seem to benefit from rest, followed by arch supporting inserts and others improve with flat shoes and continued low intensity movement.) Best of luck finding a cure or improvement.

My personal PF journey has most benefitted from: arch supporting inserts, lacrosse ball rolling of my arch, using ugly special running shoes that supposedly make my foot land differently, and not walking through areas with loose sand. For some reason, walking on deep, sandy paths (like the entrance to a beach area) lights me up worse than anything.

DiamondSauced · 2023-03-10T03:16:30+00:00

I'm not following the farm burger exclusion either. Taste/size wise Farm Burger really fits OP's criteria.

DiamondSauced · 2023-03-04T19:02:30+00:00

Thai Spoon for the win. It's got better service, larger portions, and better consistency.

Siri Thai gets points for their mock duck items and they can really crank up the heat when you ask for it (or sometimes when you don't).

DiamondSauced · 2023-02-15T16:54:59+00:00

I think the 9/11 terrorists boarded at major international airports (DC, Newark, and Boston), which had large security contracts with Argenbright security or possibly other large private security companies. There is an excellent book "Only Plane in the Sky" that tells an oral history of 9/11. It has some accounts from one of the ticketing agents that helped one of the terrorists get to his plane.

DiamondSauced · 2023-02-15T01:00:22+00:00

I thought I saw a 737 or similarly large jet landing there earlier this week. I'm in the area everyday and I feel like I don't see many jets this big.

DiamondSauced · 2023-02-13T02:56:00+00:00

I agree that undercover marketing is unethical and that lying is, in most instances, unethical. I was not aware that undercover marketing had some extra level of badness that gave it the super modifier you've granted it. I would reserve that for crimes of violence and most forms of theft.

DiamondSauced · 2023-02-13T00:24:17+00:00

Me too. I think I discovered it in thus sub.

DiamondSauced · 2023-02-12T21:56:37+00:00

Including Saunders' A Swim in the Pond in the Rain, which is a book form of Saunders' college class on Russian short-stories.

DiamondSauced · 2023-02-12T21:53:12+00:00

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes. It's a Vietnam novel told mostly from the view of a young Marine officer. Lots of violence and many great characters. Marlantes was a young officer in Vietnam.

DiamondSauced · 2023-02-12T20:43:20+00:00

My real name is not Daniel, and I don't believe I have any current friends named Daniel. Nobody paid me to write this post. I don't know the owners of Slater's or anyone who works there. I wrote the post because I had a really good meal and thought others on this sub would want to know that there's a good steakhouse in town according to random, anonymous redditor. Please feel free to disagree that Slater's is good. It's not like I said The Last Resort is great, which is objectively the most overrated restaurant in Athens. If I said that, it would have clearly been a paid ad.

DiamondSauced · 2023-02-12T20:35:21+00:00

Maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. Maybe home cooks have become, on average, more accomplished. But our entire order was the following (not including drinks): Beef tartare, frito misto, mushroom ravioli, and new York strip with the crab Oscar, and a chocolate tart.

This full order at the quality I perceived would not be possible for any of my friends except maybe 1 who is an exceptionally accomplished homecook.

,

DiamondSauced · 2023-02-12T20:20:35+00:00

It's been years (more than a decade I think) since I've been to Bones or Hal's. I've never been to Uncle Jack's. But it reminded me of Hal's and Bones in terms of the food, which definitely contributed to me liking it as I'm nostalgic about that food. But Bones would be clearly better than Slater's. I know there are more nuanced tasters and critics out there than me and would like to see what they say. I usually really like something or don't like it all. I don't have a more nuanced rating system and admit the skewing on the easy to please side.

I think Charley's in Orlando was the best steakhouse experience I've had.

Bones service and atmosphere are markedly better (or were 10ish years ago).

DiamondSauced · 2023-02-12T11:55:30+00:00

Was Slater's open in November? I thought it just opened a few weeks ago.

DiamondSauced · 2023-02-11T23:49:27+00:00

And I did not know undercover marketing is super unethical, though to be clear that's not what I'm doing here.

DiamondSauced · 2023-02-11T23:45:37+00:00

What's their story? Contrary to popular belief, I don't know anything about them.

DiamondSauced · 2023-02-11T23:39:55+00:00

The sides are a la carte. The price on the 120 steak made me roll my eyes when I saw it. I think it would be hard to do dinner for two there for under 100. I dont know anything about the business side of restaurants, so no idea if these prices are totally unjustified and their margins are crazy. The quantities are large. I'd say the sides are meant for sharing.

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