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Observations & Findings

My Amazon Go Review: 7-Eleven killer?

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It wasn’t long ago Amazon Go opened their first fleet of cashless, automated stores boasting the absence of lines and checkouts… forever. I happened to be in San Francisco looking for food and walking by, Amazon Go caught my attention to pop in. Here are my raw unfiltered thoughts.

Products

This is where the two sees the most differences. Both sell similar packaged drinks and snacks, but the main differences lie in their ready to eat meals. You can say Amazon Go is a little more niche placing an emphasis on gourmet, healthy, international-friendly foods from local kitchens. They also carry meal kits for those wanting to skip the grocery stores. On the other hand, 7-Elevens are packed with iconic, American foods such as hot dogs, pizza, wings, and Slurpees. It’s pretty clear what demographics these stores are targeting. This one is more of a personal choice so objectively, it’s a wash. Tied.

Prices

I’m not overly price sensitive especially when I need to purchase something out of urgency or convenience so I will have to say the price differences did not jump at me immediately. Obviously these are convenient store prices, hence paying a little extra compared to a Walmart. The prices also reflect the products itself. For instance, a sandwich made of mass produced ham and cheddar cheese will obviously be cheaper than one with lamb kebabs and feta. As mentioned earlier, some of the products are different. I ‘m going to consider this one a wash, but if you have contrary beliefs, please comment and let me know.

Customer Service, or lack of?

When you walk in, immediately, there is a greeter to assist you with any questions. There was another person sitting down in the dining area dressed in all black. Til’ this day I’m not sure what his position was but I’ll guess a hybrid of security and manager: too helpful and friendly to be security, yet too casual to be a manager. It’s not yet known whether Amazon plans on going staffless but based on the current number of personnel, it’s going to be a wash here between the 7-Eleven and Amazon Go customer service. It’s not like people go into these convenient stores expecting white glove service which leads to the next point.

Speediness

Everything sounds cool right? Well, not exactly. You have to download their Amazon Go app to enter. I’ll admit it was a tedious process having to search the app, download, and then remember my Amazon password. In theory, if you already downloaded the application then speed goes to Amazon Go. I don’t even think it’s arguable. You literally can walk in, grab, and go. There is no false advertising here. Speediness goes to Amazon Go.

Cleanliness

Not really much to discuss here. Both places are well maintained and spotless clean. I will say that presentation-wise, Amazon Go does a great job stocking and merchandising their inventory. Because of the ceiling high shelves, it gives this impression of a fully stocked store as opposed to the Gondola Shelving used in the 7-Eleven stores. Kudos to the Amazon Go design team. I digress, in terms of cleanliness it’s a tie here.

Amenities

What? No Amazon Lockers and what about Red Box? Most 7-Elevens are also open 24 hours a day. 7-Eleven gets this one purely for more amenities. Amazon Go has a dining area though. Again, different markets, different needs. Amenities goes to 7-Eleven.

Note: One can argue whether a cashless feature is an amenity or not. Look up: Philadelphia, the first city to ban cashless businesses. I recognize the pros and cons but the fact is that it limits people. By going cashless, it’s Amazon’s way of saying they prefer a certain customer base, their base.

So will it Replace 7-Elevens?

Sneaky, sneaky. Amazon, always picking fights. First battling it out against department stores, then again on the US Postal Service, groceries, and now convenient stores. You see where this is going right? World Domination.

Amazon isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. They plan to open thousands more by 2021. It’s yet to be determined if Amazon Go has a place in our society but I will say it’s worth checking out. Amazon has always evolved with the changing times and I expect the stores to do the same.

Ultimately, the way Amazon Go currently stands today, I don’t think it can replace 7-Eleven but rather, co-exist together. After some quick analysis, it’s pretty clear these two are targeting different markets. Amazon Go for your corporate on the go commuter and 7-Eleven for the general mass.

2 Restaurants in San Jose you should visit and why

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Restaurants to visit San Jose Feature Image

One thing about me is I enjoy finding hidden gems. I think most people follow the same protocol when it comes to selecting new restaurants. If it’s not word of mouth from a trusted source, then you know you’re going to Yelp for reviews, pictures, and distance. I’m no different.

As you all know I’ve recently moved to the Bay Area. I had to get acclimated pretty quick. Afterall, I’m the type that favors routine and rhythm for my day’s work. Lunch, to me, can be annoying especially when all cylinders are clicking. The worst thing is when I’m hearing the wild animal known as my stomach growling and doing circus tricks to get satiated. And when it’s loud enough the neighbors hear, then I deserve every dirty look at that point. So I go on Yelp and as I’m searching, two restaurants stuck out the most. They are what I coin as the Restaurant Unicorns.

The San Jose Restaurant Unicorn(s)

As far as I’m concerned, The Restaurant Unicorn most likely despises cold weather and Boston accents so much they’ve migrated far, far away because I haven’t seen any back in Bawwwwston. Let me tell you the requirements for such a feat and why it’s rare:

Out of 3778 Restaurants in San Jose, only 2 restaurants have 5 stars with 150+ Reviewers.

Sure there were other 5 Star Restaurants (I counted 26) but most of them had under 50 reviews which doesn’t hold much weight since most of the time they’re written by friends and family. I also checked for fake reviews, you and I both know what they look like, and most of them appear legit. Factoring in the number of Yelp Elites reviewing the spots, it’s pretty clear to me these restaurants are serious. Let’s identify these two restaurants.

1.) ACHILLES, 2521 Newhall St. Santa Clara, CA 95050

5 Star Yelp Image of Achilles
As of 3/5/19

Named as Yelp’s 9th best place to eat in the US, Achilles has been one of my favorite go-to spots for lunch. This is a fast casual, Build Your Own (BYO) Middle Eastern Restaurant. When you walk in, it’s easy to see why as you are greeted and the workers seem to look like they give a 5h!t. It’s clean, fully staffed, and most importantly the owner is there. Always at the cash register with a smile and asking how your day is. I can name only a handful of restaurants that does this. The food has got be one the Bay Area’s best value. For lunch, the number one feature I look for is the variety of ingredients and how well balanced the food groups are between veggies, grains, and proteins. This one knocks it out of the park.

One of the biggest draws is their menu. Step 2 Add Complimentary Items is what makes Achilles stand out. I sometimes go HAM and tell them I want everything, afterall I’m just a poor kid from Boston. Can you spare me some change?

Image by Mathew C. via Yelp

Not sure what to order? I was when I first went in. Don’t worry I got you. My go-to order is:

  1. Plate – half rice, half salad.
  2. Hummus, Mixed Greens, Onions, Cucumbers, Cole Slaw, Spicy Sauce, Achilles Spread.
  3. Always go with the ACHILLES Chicken*

*Always order the Achilles Chicken which, fun fact, has been marinated in 16 different spices. One bite in and you can really taste it.

2.) Snack Corner, 70 Saratoga Ave. Santa Clara, CA 95051

5 Star Yelp Image of Snack Corner
*As of 3/5/19
Image by Phil I. via Yelp

Snack Corner may not have 600 reviews but they’ve got some mileage having been around since 2016 which makes their 5 star review pretty remarkable, withstanding the test of time. I suspect they’ve been winning customers one at a time in good old organic fashion. I mean, you don’t see a website nor any kind of marketing and there’s not even a sign for customers to locate this place. I’ve concluded that the marketing has been spread through word of mouth evident in their Yelp reviews.

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Eat your omega-3s! 🐟

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Snack Corner serves mainly Japanese, Korean bento style boxes and maki rolls. These boxes are made fresh with an assortment of sides such as salad, pickled veggies, and croquette made with the kind of care you’d expect from a friend. I say that because when you walk in you’ll meet the owner, cook, cashier, and server who happen to be one person. Yep, the owner does it all and as you wait for the food, it’s almost like you’ve been invited to a buddy’s house for dinner, conversing and watching your meal made.

You can’t go wrong with any of the bento boxes as you get to sample a little bit of everything. The prices may seem high initially but once you factor in the fresh ingredients, the made to order service, and the likeability of the owner you’ll understand why the price is set that way. Seriously, come down and you’ll understand the rave reviews. It’s literally a one man show.

In Conclusion

They’re not fancy, both small and found in somewhat odd locations. They’re not crazy expensive and the owners run the business during all hours of operation and beyond. A large chunk of their life is dedicated to their craft and it shows in the food.

Although, it’s yet to be determined whether these restaurants can maintain its illustrious 5 star rating (I’m rooting for them), as most end up dropping their scores thanks in part to articles like this that raises the expectations for readers but in reality, I’m telling you to be mindful. Eat with your heart and not your brain.

And if you were to use your brain, think about the value in each meal. Think of what you’re really getting at that price point. Can you find a restaurant that matches the price? These are not restaurants owned by a boardroom of investors, they’re family owned. They have heart and if you’re a struggling restaurant owner, these 2 restaurants are a good place to start for note keeping. If you’re a food venture, look no further.

If I missed any other unicorn restaurants, comment below and I’ll be more than happy to make a visit! For real time check-ins and reviews follow me on my Yelp.

#chowyoulater

Boston vs San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants

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Boston vs San Francisco

Why am I even comparing Boston and San Francisco (Boston vs San Francisco) is what you’re probably wondering. Well, the most obvious is because I’ve relocated and secondly, I found them sharing more commonalities than differences. For instance, both are on the coast featuring breath taking beaches, tech companies, high costs of living, and ridiculous amounts of traffic. Yes, that’s a thing. Boston was recently awarded the the worst traffic in the US. With so many similarities you’d think they were long lost twins like the Benedict Brothers. In addition, I want to say I feel like a part of history being amongst the groups of people to have made the westward journey circa 1849. I’m gonna strike gold one day dammit!

Besides the most obvious (like weather), I’ve been able to observe and experience nuances between the two cities. You’d be shocked to find how detail oriented I am. Let’s be real though, I’m not here to discuss the differences in PH values of water, the CO2 in air quality, or coastal sediment levels. I’ll spare you the micro hyper details. I’m here to discuss FOOD! 

Taken from my reviewing format, I’ll go over the differences I’ve found in Food, Service, and Cleanliness.

i. Boston vs San Francisco: Restaurant Foods

The Bay Area has one of the most diverse populations in the states. Naturally, with so much competition restaurants will bring out their best. With rent being so high and other factors playing a key role into a restaurant’s success, it’s not difficult to see why San Francisco is really a city like no other and in a class by itself when it comes to small businesses. These restaurants staying around longer are really the crème of the crop.

The Unicorn of Restaurants

I hate to refer to Yelp for reliable statistics but I’ve seen a few 5 star restaurants in the area. You can check out an article on that coming soon (link to be added). In all of my years in Boston, I have yet to find what I’ll coin the Unicorn Restaurant where one has 5 stars from over 100 reviews. It just doesn’t happen. Here in the Bay Area, there were a few unicorn sightings.

Ahhhhhh Sebastian

I’ve also began grocery shopping to fatten my kitchen and right away, I saw a difference in the variety of produce. Let’s make it fair and compare HMarts to HMarts, Whole Foods to Whole Foods, and Safeway (CA’s Grocer) to Star Market (MA’s Grocer)*. When walking in, immediately you will see the differences in groceries. There is just so much more the bay area has to offer. I saw fruits and veggies I’ve never heard of in my life. Like what the hell is Pummelo and Romanesco Broccoli??? And don’t even get me started with the Seafood Section of HMart. When I walked into the San Jose location I thought I saw a massacre of the Finding Nemo and Little Mermaid cast (I think Sebastian deserved better Disney!). For dry goods, cheese, and anything else its about the same on both coasts. Variety of produce goes to SF.

Dancing Noodles though

Next, I have to comment on the diversity of cuisines. Boston has the Italian Restaurants, Breweries, Pubs, Icecream, Pizza, and Seafood Shacks on lock. I’m going to be bias and say no other city can come close to those groups of foods. But the Bay area has, oh, so many Asian foods from Chinese province specific cuisines (like dancing noodles) I’ve never heard of to the more common favorites like ramen, pho, and sushi. Add in Hawaiian and Filipino Cuisines you rarely see in Boston and I think I’d have to go with the bay.

Warping packages?

With rising costs of rent and labor, the prices in the Bay area will jump and strangle you. Some of these restaurants have to find questionable, I mean, creative ways to keep costs down. From package warping to portion shrinking it’s really a shame such a beautiful city has to resort to this. I get it, that’s a whole ‘nother conversation above our powers. It is what it is! Pound for pound and ounces to ounces the dollar in Boston gets you a little more. This one’s easy. Boston takes this one.

*In case you’re wondering, Albertson’s owns both Safeway and Star Market. If you’ve ever walked into both, they are eerily similar from the layout to the dry foods carried.

ii. Boston vs San Francisco: Restaurant Service

Maybe it’s the sun or the avocados grown here but man people are a lot more friendly. I can’t tell you how many small talks I’ve had with strangers from the checkout line at Ikea to conversations at the urinal. People are just nicer here. I can’t say all my experiences have been pleasant but for the most part, staff is extra friendly and attentive. If you’ve ever walked into an In-N-Out Burger, you’ll know exactly what I’m referring to. Compare that with a place like Boston’s UBurger… Let’s just say adding an F in front of the U is more fitting. To be fair, FU in Bostonese is “Hey man, I love you, how can I help you?” It’s a term of endearment.

Despite the friendly service, I will say it comes with a small drawback. Service can be slow in San Fran. Not as slow as some of the Southern states but slower compared to anything in the East Coast. Where I come from, it’s common to be rushed by the restaurant as they want you out the door to cut the waiting times. People are hangry and cold, I get it! If you’ve ever been to a Dunkin Donuts, one glance at the line will tell you that everyone not only owns a watch but love staring at it. The slogan is “America Runs on Dunkin”, they don’t walk. Boston gets this one for promptness.

iii. Boston vs San Francisco: Restaurant Cleanliness

I know, this one’s not fair but we’re having a battle between the two areas. When you’re in a city of 4 seasons and a large majority travel on foot, over years and maybe decades, restaurants and establishments will lose their shine no matter how maintained it is. Think of all the yellow colored snow getting dragged into these restaurants! Throw in winter fatigue, sprinkle in a little bit of seasonal depression, and you’ll understand why there’s a Boston Mob. On the other hand, San Francisco has a poop epidemic. Go figure! Restaurant cleanliness goes to San Francisco by a slight margin.

Let’s Review: Boston vs San Francisco Breakdown

Boston vs San Francisco Restaurant Breakdown

There you have it. We made it! The score is a lot closer than it looks, I promise. Hopefully I didn’t offend my fellow Bostonians to the point of never coming back. Boston will always be my home. There is no place like it. I’ve earned my stars and stripes surviving years of frozen temperatures and horrendous drivers. These are my honest opinions (keyword: opinion) as someone born and raised in New England. Afterall, the geography may change but the spirit will always be around. You can take the boy out d Havahd Yahd but you can’t take d Havahd Yahd out the boy and Boston sports will always be greater than __________ (insert any city here). Are we cool now? And San Francisco, you’re all right with me 🙂

If you have any recommendations or places you want me to try. Feel free to leave some comments and I’ll give you my two cents on the matter.

Every Bay I’m Hustlin’

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Every Bay I'm Hustlin'

From the Bay State to the Bay Area. Every Bay has it’s day? All Bay, every bay! YOBO, You Only Bay Once!

I can keep going with these expressions all day and the longer I go, the cheesier it gets. Don’t tempt me. Trust me, just don’t. Nevertheless, you’re probably wondering where I’ve been. My blog’s been quiet, like unusually silent. There hasn’t been a review since December 2018.

One Cold Boston Day
My last memory of Boston. The view from my window.

First, let me address the rumors.

No, I did not die from this year’s winter nor was I kidnapped by a gang of spice-deprived sasquatches. Now that I got that off my chest, the correct answer is that I’ve moved from the mean, cobblestone streets of Boston to the always sunny “hella” blocks of Silicon Valley. In other words, in the last month I’ve made one of the most difficult moves by the modern man, migrating from the one coast to another. Let me walk you through the workload:

  • Liquidating my former apartment. I have new found respect for defunct(ing) companies like Brookstone and Toys R Us. I just thought it was a matter of throwing crap away and selling things at dirt cheap prices.
  • Shipping my car out. That wasn’t the hardest part. The most difficult was finding the right carrier. After word got out, millions of them started flooding my inbox. Let’s not forget to mention the anxiety associated with not knowing whether, Olivia (my car’s name), was going to arrive in one piece or not.
  • Saying my byes to friends and family. I was born and raised in New England so you know the quality of these ties are just a tad deeper than Tom from MySpace. Sorry Tom!
  • Packing up. I had to dig deep, like so deep Marie Kondo visited my nightmares, I mean, dreams. She told me, exactly, what ought to spark joy for me to throw into my suitcases.
  • Trying not to be homeless. In other words, trying to find a roof over my head and not having to worry about dropping soap in the showers or having to battle any trolls for a good spot under the bridge.

Mind you, while all the above was going on I had to balance work, survive another harsh New England weather, and attend the usual year end festivities.

And finally

On move-out day, mother nature decided to be a little dramatic and froze Boston to an arctic 4 degrees FML Fahrenheit. I was fortunate I didn’t bust my behind, loading the car. You should have seen the look of my face when I landed and saw this.

Sierra Vista
Ahhh, God’s land. One of the perks moving to Norcal.

Since Arrival…

I would be making you all proud of me. I’ve been eating out way more than I should and the scale hasn’t been nice ever since. Not having the ability to cook will do that afterall, which means some great things to come for this blog. The past weeks, I’ve been Kobayashi eating everything in site. The variety of cuisines here never ends and there are new cuisines for me to tackle which reminds me. Since I am no longer physically in Boston, Chowyoulater will shift gears and focus on the San Francisco Bay Area. I can’t wait to show you the best places to eat!

In the next few days

I will post my food adventures in the Bay Area. Reviews will come much later. I will need time to adjust to the Bay Area’s dining experience since it isn’t fair to compare. Afterall, I built this blog to be an honest guide for locals and visitors. I will always abide by my rating system. In the meantime, check on my Yelp Page and Instagram for my most up to date outings. Til then,

#chowyoulater

-Rich