If something can go wrong, it will happen to me. AU registration took about 2 hrs to get straightened out. Badge didn't print, when they finaaly got one printed I wasn't listed for the things I do: Subscribe, Feedback Community, Customer Council, Testing, nada zip except AUGI. The kiosks would not accept my login - an absolute MUST when it comes time to do class surveys, because they enter you in a drawing for a free pass for next year!
And of course, all the registration minions do their job correctly by assuming that we all lie about that stuff. But that should not be taken as meaning that they aren't helpful and nice. Or deserve nice back. Anyway, we finally got it all worked out, and I have the appropriate con badge and series of ribbons attached. Thanks, Bob. (I think it was Bob. I'm awful with names, sorry, but thanks for all the help.)
I got my bag and my mouse. Itty bitty travel mouse, and it works. In fact, it's a pretty good combo with this HP Mini. The bag is very nice, but sorry gang, it is not a good con bag - no strap. A must when standing in a reception or the hallway with drink, food, and bag! I suspect I will use it regularly, but have Pillow work her magic adding straps.
Speaking of food!! My Friday night's dinner was, of course, a repeat of last year's fabulous treat at the Burger Bar. The Rossini Burger: Kobe beef, fois gras, truffles, a wonderful truffle sauce that goes well on the burger OR the fries, and one of their cute and VERY tasty dessert burgers. This year I had my sister and her fiance along, giving Sharon her first taste of the original Kobe Wagyu, while her intended had the American Wagyu.
The Burger Bar gets my hearty endorsement, and they excell at pleasing your tastebuds whether you spend ten bucks or a hundred.
Then last night I hit Stripsteak. Awesomely good. But you aren't going to go there and spend ten bucks. For two, you will probably go over a hundred. Maybe even for one, and you CAN go far beyond, alone. They offer some great prime steaks, American Kobe*, and the real thing. No listed price for the true Kobe, just an abbreviation for market price. Meaning, of course, that if you have to ask...
Stripsteak also has some appetizers that are an adventure. I had the crispy duck thigh with a duck egg placed atop a frisee salad with a touch of fenell. They also list Kobe Shabu-Shabu and Kobe Tartare, and I was told that both are a bit of a theatrical production. A nice surprise was a triple treat of french fries, 3 little baskets each spiced differently, with 3 dipping sauces. not mentioned that I noticed on the menu - just brought out and presented with flair. Otherwise I went for a rather ordinary rib eye - except it wasn't ordinary, it was mighty tasty and the leftover part was absolutely delicious later - cold. So was the truffled mac and cheese side dish with brocolli, excellent hot; the test of a really good M&C is whether it tastes good cold.
Service at both places rates high with me. I don't like to treat servers as servants. I treat them as pros and friends, and that seemed to work well either place.
So there's our traditional (twice) AU food review, and it's time to go downstairs and get some more! Tomorrow the action starts ramping up big. A lot today, actually - people have been rolling in all day, and seeing each other again after a year is one of the treats that make up AU. Those you miss in the halls & casino turn up in registration and the wifi area, including several co-workers and the AUGI gang, and friends among the Autodesk crew. More people & action tomorrow, and still AU won't be actually started! Tuesday the mad machine takes off.
More tomorrow, I hope. We'll see how I come through the blogger's social (yes, I was invited! Thank you Sean and the crew. Assuming there is a crew? I sometimes think Sean takes on too much stuff himself.)
Ta...
*Properly, and legally in France, referred to as American Wagyu, Kobe refers to the place in Japan - kind of like sparkling wine shouldn't be called champaigne unless it comes from the Champaigne region in France. But the Japanese don't really abide by that "rule" themselves, nor regarding "Scotch."
They fouled up my registration (and a co-workers) at first also, we had to go back and get the extra badges also. Thought it was isolated though.
The Border Grill was pretty good and good prices.
Posted by: R.K. McSwain | 12/07/2010 at 08:16 AM