Review Bunker is a review blog where the goal is simply to review everything. Below are the latest reviews. In the About section you can read more about this blog and it's author. Comments are always appreciated, so if you've got something to say, please feel free!
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Archive for March, 2008
Tonight we decided to check out a newer restaurant near our house here in Fort Collins called Maya Cove. The Maya Cove website (which could definitely use a facelift) describes the restaurant as contemporary Caribbean/American cuisine in a relaxing Island atmosphere - I would say that this is a quite accurate description of the place, except that it also features a bar. The menu is diverse, with a range of sandwiches to steaks and pastas, most with a slight tropical spin. The atmosphere is very laid back, with a selection of wooden barstool-height tables and relaxed patio furniture to sit in, as well as tropical decorations and signs on the walls. The atmosphere was almost too relaxed, seeming more like a bar and grill than a sit-down restaurant. The food on the other hand was delicious and diverse, and definitely gave Maya Cove back some of it’s true restaurant credit. The Island atmosphere is successfully implemented, but some of the decor seemed a bit cheap.
To start out, we shared an artichoke dip appetizer ($8), which was pretty tasty. The dip came with freshly-fried tortilla chips that were very crunchy, as well as fresh vegetables. The dip didn’t stand out as anything unique, but tasted good. We ran out of chips well before the dip was gone, unfortunately. Crystal ordered a french dip sandwich ($8) for her entree, which was served with french fries and a pickle wedge. She enjoyed the french dip, citing it’s quality meat, and she particularly liked the french fries. I ordered a Buffalo Shrimp Po’Boy sandwich ($10), which contained 4 buffalo-sauce-dipped tiger shrimp of pretty decent size on a sandwich with lettuce, ranch, and tomatoes. The tomatoes were fresh and juicy, as were the shrimp. The sandwich as a whole was delicious, but very messy to eat (shrimp kept flying out of my sandwich, and my hands were nearly constantly covered in either buffalo sauce or ranch dressing). I had never had shrimp on a sandwich before this Maya Cove offering, and I was pleasantly surprised at the result. They also serve fish tacos, something I haven’t been brave enough to try in the past, but might have to return to Maya Cove for in the future. My sandwich was also served with french fries and a pickle wedge. We unfortunately didn’t sample any of the tropical drinks being offered on the drink menu this time around. We also didn’t have any desert, as they didn’t seem to offer any.
Our service was great, which wasn’t a surprise, as there were very few customers around. The bar area had a few patrons, hanging out to watch hockey and basketball, but our server, Chris, had enough time to check on us multiple times, as well as tend the bar, and keep everyone happy. He seemed to really enjoy hanging out at the restaurant, and knew many of the coming and going customers by name. I definitely enjoyed the friendly and relaxed atmosphere created by the staff and other customers - maybe a true extension of Caribbean ambiance?
Overall, we were a bit surprised by the atmosphere of Maya Cove, but we enjoyed the relaxed feel, as well as the food. The pricing wasn’t cheap, but couldn’t be considered expensive either, and I was happy with the variety of choices on the menu. The great service and friendly staff definitely made us feel welcome. I recommend Maya Cove Restaurant to anyone looking for a unique dining experience in Fort Collins.
Maya Cove Restaurant (Fort Collins, CO): 
4/5
4/5
Have you eaten at Maya Cove? What do you think about their menu choices on their website?
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Blog #1
tenForty
http://tenforty.blogspot.com/
First Impressions: Without reading the text, I was able to pin this as a travel blog, that’s definitely good. I didn’t pick up on the missionary vibe that does come through in the text, but I am not sure if that is necessary for a first impression. Scrolling down the post history, I am already feeling the clutter in the sidebar. I certainly sense a color theme working here, which does well for a cohesive blog experience.
Aesthetics: The header is a bit amateur, but it definitely gives the right message. I like the variety of pictures in the header and posts, they add a lot to the content and feel of the blog. I definitely like the “about” box in the sidebar. I’m not sure that the shoutbox adds too much to the blog feel, shouldn’t comments take care of this community need? I like the “I have been to” box. I am not sure that I like all of the table of contents stuff, but I guess it’s a more unique way to set up a blog archive. There are a lot of extra buttons and banners that are probably unnecessary here as well.
Content: Travels blogs are inherently interesting, so I likely can’t say a whole lot about how to improve your content. Continue in your travels, and you definitely have a guaranteed unique blog topic, when you combine the religious aspect into the mix. I like what I see for sure, and I encourage you to continue.
Overall: I like it, and I see a bright future for you. Maybe fix a few quirks in navigation, and a more professional look, and you will be doing wonderfully.
Blog #2
Life in Black and White
http://meghamathur.blogspot.com/
First Impressions: There is a lot going on above the fold. I am a bit overwhelmed at first glance. The picture of the miserable man definitely draws my attention. This is a very simple template, possibly too simple to showcase the content.
Aesthetics: The sidebar certainly has way more clutter than is necessary. I highly doubt that the google translator is the most important feature that new visitors should find - maybe replace this with a search box? I would recommend removing most if not all of the badges and awards, and if possible move them to a new “awards and badges” page or something. I would love to see the “About Me” higher up in the sidebar, or linked as a separate page. I am not sure what the significance is of all of the photos, but they definitely clutter up things as well.
I would recommend a new header which actually fills the top of the blog theme. I would also recommend a new theme, if possible, the current is too plain for the content.
Content: With headings like “Meaning of Life” and “Shades of Life” I am not sure that I am qualified to review the content of this blog, but it seems well written either way. I am always glad to see a blog that isn’t focused on marketing and advertising these days, and the content here seems nicely varied and involved enough to entertain. The fact that you have been blogging for close to a year also makes me confident that you know what’s best for your content, so I’ll leave it at that.
Overall: Not bad - definitely needs a facelift, and would benefit greatly from a move to wordpress, although the post history is tough to move over, or leave behind - maybe make the best of it by getting a good theme and a matching header. Some sidebar spring cleaning is certainly in order. Keep up the good writing.
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My good friend Andy from Station Atomica! has once again written an awesome guest review for Review Bunker - make sure to stop by his blog to check out more from Andy, after the review. If you are interested in writing a guest review for Review Bunker, please visit the contribute page.
The Canker Sore Diaries
Here’s a news flash: Canker Sores Hurt and I Would Rather Not Have Them. However, the universe is a cruel, spiteful place and has seen fit to endow me with an almost super-heroic ability to develop and maintain canker sores the way the X-Men’s Wolverine heals wounds. As soon as one disappears, another starts up in an endless struggle to make me cry like a pansy when I go to a Mexican restaurant.
For those familiar with canker sores, you have my sympathies. For those not, try to imagine a tiny gremlin (like in the movies but smaller) who lives in the back of your throat. This gremlin will lay fairly dormant all day until you have the audacity to try to eat. As long as you can eat food without having it actually touch your mouth you should be fine, but woe unto he who actually attempts to chew his food. Now in this scenario, the gremlin will pull out the cutest of tiny shotguns and start to open fire on your lips, gums, and the insides of your cheeks. This is what canker sores are like.
Now if this was a canker sore review I would stop here and say that canker sores get 0/5 stars. But this is a toothpaste review, so why the hell am I blathering on about canker sores? Well, Squigle Enamel Saver (the toothpaste) claims to be specially formulated to reduce canker sore formation.
Squigle Enamel Saver Toothpaste Review
Squigle Enamel Saver bills itself as “mouth friendly,” meaning that it contains no harsh abrasives, detergents, or other unsavory substances that correlate to canker sore formation. After over a year of constant use I am ready to present my (highly unscientific and totally anecdotal) findings to the public: Squigle Enamel Saver Toothpaste kicks ass!
A little over a year ago, my battle with canker sores was nearing defeat. I estimate that I had at least one canker sore about 50% of the time, and that is ridiculous. Out of sheer desperation I researched canker sores online for a cause and possible treatments. Surprisingly there doesn’t seem to be many straight answers to these problems. Canker sore research is virgin turf it seems, but what little information there was pointed toward several causes, many out of my control or unavoidable. The exception was the ingredients in my toothpaste. This is where Squigle Enamel Saver comes in.
At first blush, the product comes off as one designed for hippies to use after a snack of granola and bamboo fronds. Phrases like, “Free of artificial preservatives,” and “No animal testing” adorn the electric blue packaging. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and despite misgivings I also feel when in the homeopathic section of my local Whole Foods I decided to order a tube (for the low, low price of $7.25 plus shipping).
More than a year has passed, and the change has been dramatic. My canker sore count has nosedived, and in fact I have only had two or three small episodes in the last year. I don’t care if it is unreasonably priced, this stuff has my vote for mayor, governor, and president if a dental product could hold office. For me, Squigle Enamel Saver Toothpaste worked extremely well.
As for the other concerns one has when selecting toothpaste, Squigle Enamel Saver stacks up quite nicely. What I mean to say is that it cleans my teeth well and doesn’t taste like a trucker’s armpit drippings. It also touts something called Xylitol all over the place too, which as near as I can figure out has decent plaque and cavity fighting ability due to being a sugar alcohol or some crap. Kinda like fake sugar that bacteria go nuts over but die because they don’t get the energy they need from it.
Squigle Enamel Saver might be expensive and have ugly packaging, but it gets the job done and has improved my quality of life about as much as a tube of toothpaste could ever hope to. My only gripe is having to order it online, as that is the only way to get a hold of the stuff. Recommended.
Thanks again, Andy for the review. Look for more guest reviews from Andy in the future!
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