Restaurant Review: Pizza Hut - Wingstreet

214 E Route 59
Nanuet, NY 10954
(845) 624 - 2203

Fast Food
Price: $ 3 - $20
Dine In, Take Out, Order Online

Pizza Hut was closed the last time I past through Nanuet a month ago but a colleague of mine told me that it had reopened and was now re-branded as Pizza Hut - WingStreet. So I went there yesterday to try out the new joint.

The place is typically the Pizza Hut style chain store - red roof with brick walls. What I notice that the place was packed for lunch. And maybe that was a bad thing. I stood on the waiting area for at least 10 minutes without any of the servers coming to assist me. The only time they came was when a family came into the door. Now, I cannot blame the servers either since I notice that there was only three of them for the entire place and I guess they are getting overwhelmed by the number of clientele they had for lunch. I also notice that the manager is also getting overwhelmed by the number of takeout orders they had. Could this mean that the kitchen wasn't well staffed?

I finally got seated and the server asked me what I want to drink. I ordered my drink as she handed me the menu. She brought my soda but instead of asking if I was ready, she decided to walk away and take care of another table. Anyway, she came back and finally took my order. I ordered the $5 lunch special which is composed of a one-topping personal pizza, side-salad or breadsticks and soda, and 8 pcs breaded Buffalo Mild Wings.

Sure took awhile for my order to come since I finished my soda and had it refilled before my 3 breadsticks came. The breadsticks were excellent, it was crisp on the outside with the taste of cheese and soft on the inside. And the serving was quite large and it came with a marinara sauce which was delicious. Halfway through my second breadstick, my server came to asked me what kind of wings I ordered again. Which was odd since the kitchen and servers usually know what each table ordered. Anyway, my wings came after I finished my second breadstick.

The wings were not that great. The breadcrumbs were already falling off the minute I pick up a wing. And most of the wings were undercooked that the bones still had a color to them. I should have return the wings but it was already tough to get the attention of the servers and I might end up staying longer that I want to.

My personal mushroom pizza was the last item to be brought out. The pizza was warm while the crust was crisp but it seems like they were running low on mushrooms. The mushrooms were so tiny and too wilted probably from being in the oven too much.

Finally after I finished my meal, I didn't know if I was supposed to go to the cashier to pay for my meal or I was suppose to wait for my server to come back.

I'm pretty disappointed with this place. I know that they just reopened but that's not an excuse for having lousy food and lousy service. There is definitely a lot of things for them to improved on and they better do it soon or they will just lose more of their clientele and end up permanently closing the place down.

Pizza Hut WingStreet's website
Rockland County's website

Taking a break.. once in awhile

We tend to let work control our lives. Its the truth - from the time we wake up until we go to sleep, our minds just think about work. Even if we try to do something else, our mind is still glued to work.

Its pretty understandable why we would think about work with the current state of the economy.  We are all afraid that if we don't put too much effort on our jobs that we would be let go by the company. The ripple effect of losing a job is tremendous especially if family is involved.

But thinking and working all the time is not good for your body, mind and spirit. And you end up hurting yourself more. You feel tired which means you will be either cranky or just don't have the energy to do anything at the end of the night. You feel like you are out of touch with your family and friends especially when they are out having fun and you are at work because you decided to work late at night.

I was too dedicated to work that I haven't gone to a vacation for the past five years. At first, I was feeling fine because I feel like I am accomplishing a lot of my tasks and projects. And I was getting all the accolades that I could get. But after awhile, I could feel that my body was slowing down, my brain wasn't as sharp as it use to and I was getting stressed more and more that it was greatly affecting my health.

So I finally took a vacation and came back with a clear mind and eagerness to work again. And I feel more lighter in the sense the my brain has recharge itself (even though the place I went wasn't really for relaxing) and ready to go back to work. And my body does not feel as heavy as it use too.

So take a break - it will do you good - not only for your mind but also your spirit.

Book Review: I, Alex Cross

I, Alex Cross is the 16th book in the Alex Cross series by novelist James Patterson. If you have not read any of the Alex Cross series, here is a short bio. Alex Cross is retired Washington DC Police and F.B.I. forensic psychologist who now works as a private investigator and government consultant.  He lives in DC and has a Ph.D. in psychology from Johns Hopkins University (Remember though that the character is fictional).

Anyway, in this book, Alex Cross was celebrating his birthday with his family when he was given a bad news. His niece, Caroline, was found brutally murdered. Vowing to solve the murder of his beloved relative, he set on quest to give justice to whoever murdered his niece. Little did he know the he would soon be enveloped in a cloud of fantasy and violence that led to the murderer known as Zeus, who has all the connections to the White House.

This novel was enjoyable to read. The book has a mix of intrigue, romance and family values. Chapters were not long which made it enjoyable to read since it is straight to the point. What makes it more enjoyable is the tempo of the book going from a fast action sequence to a slow but calming scene. The setting, even though the book is fictional, is real with mostly around the Washington, DC area. The only setback with this novel is the abrupt ending. You will find out what I mean once you read the book.

Title: I, Alex Cross
Author: James Patterson
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 374 pages + 11 pages preview of Witch and Wizard

Publish Date: November, 2009
Media Type: Hardcover, Audiobook
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 0316018783

James Patterson's website

Restaurant Review: Sushi Bada

214 Route 59
Suffern, NY 10901
(845) 533 - 4178

Japanese
Price: $1.95 - $130
Dine In, Take Out

Sushi Bada is a relatively newcomer to the county already filled with Japanese restaurants. But don't that prevent you from going and trying out their dishes. As there tag line states - A New Age Fusion Restaurant.


Sushi Bada is located in Suffern, near the exit to 287. Its sits between a dry cleaning place and the well-known - among locals - Sutter's Mill. I decided to try it out today since I was around the vicinity. The exterior is simple but the interior was inviting. Japanese themed products decorate the place with wooden table and chairs that could sit from 2 to 10. Pretty sure they could they could host bigger parties. The hostess/waitress was friendly and, I'm guessing, the owner, was accommodating - even given me a suggestion on what to order.  The menu is pretty extensive from soup and salad to udon and uramaki. Overall, there are 197 dishes to choose from not including the nine (9) Bada Fiesta Specials, five (5) Desserts and 19 Lunch Specials.

So I ordered Shrimp Tempura Udon ($16.95) and the Maki Combo ($9.95) from the lunch menu. The host/owner came over and suggested that for another dollar, I could go for the special - order three different rolls for $10.95. I thought it was a good deal so I went for Spicy Tuna, Spicy Scallop and Eel Roll - all Uramakis.

The first thing they brought to the table was the House Salad with ginger dressing. The presentation was good but the dressing really didn't have much kicked to it like those of other Japanese restaurants around the county. After I finished my salad, they brought out the rolls. The Spicy Tuna and Eel Roll were placed parallel to each other with the Spicy Scallop on their left moving away - sort of like a half arrow - in a nice white ceramic dish. The Spicy Tuna which was made of tuna, masago (capelin roe), scallion and spicy sauce - was tasty with the roe complimenting the tuna and the sauce. The Eel Roll was crunchy with the avocado tasting fresh. And the Spicy Scallop was just sumptuous - the scallop was fresh and complimented pretty well by the spicy crab mix. Maybe I should have ended my meal right there and then.

They brought out my Shrimp Tempura Udon. The presentation was a bit different from the other place I have been to. The udon was served in a traditional Japanese bowl but the Shrimp tempura was left on the side keeping it crunchy. Also, they brought along a small Shichimi jar, a seven flavor chili pepper, to add more kicked if you want. The noodle was al dente, the vegetables were crunchy and tasty and the soup was just delicious especially when I added some Shichimi on it.

The prices are typical of a Japanese restaurant - a bit expensive but definitely worth it. They have lunch specials that are fairly price ($9.95 - 13.95). So if you are in the area, drop by and enjoy some Japanese cuisines.

Suffern's website
Rockland County's website