Backyard Life Blog

Make it easy to do business with you!

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Raun Lauterbach

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I don’t rant a whole lot. I generally think people should be allowed to do as they please as long as it doesn’t infringe on the rights of others. This also means people should be allowed to run their businesses as they see fit and let the market sort it all out. I have a suggestion to those in the hospitality industry — make it easy to do business with you and you’ll probably get more business.

What brought this on? I was trying to book a room at a bed and breakfast for Labor Day weekend. I searched the area we wanted to visit and came across an attractive option. Their online calendar showed they had a room available. I sent an email this morning asking if it was still available for Saturday and Sunday nights. They responded with:

We hold our guest rooms in a Friday/Saturday combination only (single night stays are available Sundays through Thursdays) Yes, due to a cancellation the [room] is available Friday, Saturday and Sunday (September 2, 3 & 4).

I understand their preference for Friday/Saturday bookings and I’m quite certain that, even though it is less than 2 weeks until the Labor Day weekend, they will fill that room.

I read their entire website to find out if it was the right place for us to stay and didn’t come across anything stating their preference for Friday/Saturday bookings. If they had stated that, I wouldn’t have wasted my time or theirs. Beyond that, I hoped they would make an exception, given that is is a holiday weekend and that we are so close to the actual reservation date.

They continued, in their email, to sell the features of their establishment. They told me I can’t stay there on the days I requested, but still felt the need to promote themselves. They ended it on this note:

We hope you will be able to arrange a visit to [city] and a stay with us. Please call us at [phone] if you wish to make a reservation. We look forward to hearing from you.

Were they not paying attention? I was trying to arrange a visit and stay with them on days they have available. They chose to not allow us to stay with them on those given dates.

If you want to have my business, please act like it. If you have certain policies that are not the norm, please post them. There are plenty of other places in town that would be more than happy to have some of my money in exchange for a pleasant weekend.

Have you ever had a rough time trying to make a reservation? I’d like to hear about it. Hopefully, I’m not alone in this.

Posted in Raun's Blog | Tagged bed and breakfast, business, hospitality, rant, reservations | 4 Comments

Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett — It’s 5 O’clock Somewhere

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Raun Lauterbach

Posted in Concert Series | Tagged 5 o'clock, alan, buffett, concert, it's, jackson, jimmy, series, somewhere | Leave a comment

NateDogs Hot Dog Cart Review

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Raun Lauterbach

Let me start off by saying this review will be a little bit different than others I have done. I had the distinct privilege of spending almost 2 hours with Nate Beck of Natedogs Hot Dog Cart and we got to talk about a lot of things, not just food related. He’s a really interesting and personable guy. He’s married and a father of 5 little girls, who are his pride and joy.

NateDogs!

Nate first announced his plan to start a hot dog cart operation in January, 2011 with a goal to be open for business in the spring. He ordered a custom cart with options that allow him to create the work of art that is the NateDog along with the occasional special dog.

I met Nate near the Saint Paul Farmers Market on a Saturday morning. He was offering a special “breakfast” hot dog called the Sunnyside Up Dog, which is a classic Natedog carmelized onions, homemade mustard and a fried egg on top. I figured, “when in Rome…” and ordered one. It was a really nice breakfast sandwich and makes me reconsider what meat can be served for breakfast. It was really nice that the egg was a organic and from free range chickens from Callister Farm, which has a booth at the Farmers Market.

Sunnyside Up Dog

NateDogs uses offers wieners and brats from Pastures a Plenty Farm that are made from pork that contains no growth hormones, nitrates or nitrites. You won’t find a higher quality hotdog in the Twin Cities. Nate has the brats cased in the same casing as the classic NateDog to appease many of his female customers who like the flavor of bratwurst but aren’t interested in that large of a sausage.

Me (with dog) and Nate sharing a laugh. I did say he's a very personable guy, right?

Another thing that makes NateDogs unique is the fact that he makes his own condiments. On the day we met, he was offering a mustard made from Surly Furious beer and it was really good. He makes his own sour kraut and caramelized onions. On occasion, there are special condiment offerings, like bacon jam or ketchup made from Minnesota wines. Be sure to follow @Nate_dogs on Twitter to be in the loop when he’s offering specials.

NateDogs offers the usual hotdog cart beverages — Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, bottled water, but you should skip those in favor of Spring Grove Sodas. Step back in time and pop the cap off of a real soda. It’s made by mixing flavor concentrates with pure cane sugar and water — no high fructose corn syrup here. Nate offers several different flavors to suit any taste.

Spring Grove Soda made from pure cane sugar

Prices are very reasonable at NateDogs. A classic NateDog or the Brat Dog are both $3. Spring Grove Sodas (in glass bottles) go for $2.50. Ask about combo deals and you can save a little cash.

NateDogs is also one of the few carts that takes credit/debit cards in case you don’t happen to have any cash.

I think Nate looks a little like Adam Savage from Mythbusters. Anyone else see the resemblance?

To learn more about NateDogs, visit the website at http://www.NateDogs.com. Follow NateDogs on Facebook here. If nothing else, follow on Twitter to find out current locations and specials.

Posted in Backyard Living, Lifestyle, Travelogue | Tagged beck, brat, cart, food truck, hot dog, nate, natedogs, pork, review | Leave a comment

Travelogue — Stockholm, WI

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Raun Lauterbach

If you want to take a day trip or need a weekend getaway, Stockholm WI might be what the doctor ordered. It is a small village on the shores of Lake Pepin on the Mississippi River in Southeastern Wisconsin. It takes about an hour and a half to get there from the Twin Cities, but it is a beautiful drive on a 2 lane highway with pictureque views.

About Stockholm, WI

In 1851 Eric Peterson, a Swedish immigrant, set foot in the area of Stockholm, climbed the bluffs and took in the view of Lake Pepin. Within 5 years, the area was surveyed and platted. The main industries were fishing and clamming. The clam shells were used for years to make buttons. Due to overfishing, the fishing industry died and other materials were being used to make buttons. The village languished for several decades before a renaissance in the 1970’s when artists moved to town and restored the buildings and opened galleries and stores. People laughed when this town of about 100 people said they were going to put on an art festival. This festival, which still exists, draws thousands of people to Stockholm for the 1 day event.

Stockholm is a Thriving Artist Community

Today, Stockholm is still that quaint artists town. There are galleries offering paintings, photographs, jewelry and pottery. We stopped in to Stockholm Pottery and Mercantile and perused their offerings. Liz and I both really enjoy pottery, especially when it is designed to be used everyday. Diane Millner, the artist who owns this shop, specializes in just that.

Liz picked out this vase from Stockholm Pottery and Mercantile.

Dining Options

Be sure to stop in to Stockholm Pie Company for some of the best pie in the state of Wisconsin. There are many different flavors available and you can wash it down with a nice hot cup of coffee. See my review of the Stockholm Pie Company here!

Peanut Butter Fudge Pie from Stockholm Pie Company

Need more than a slice of pie to satisfy your hunger? You can order a pot pie or a savory pie or you can go across the street to Gelly’s Pub for their Friday Night Fish Fry or Saturday night smoked ribs. In the mood for something a little more refined? Try the Bogus Creek Cafe and Bakery.

Municipal Ammenities

After your slice of pie, pick up a Stockholm Walking Tour brochure a couple of doors down and learn the history of the town and it’s buildings. It’s amazing how many of the buildings that make up the town are not where they were originally built. It is a very compact town so the tour doesn’t have to take a really long time. Just about every building has a story.

All around town, you’ll see blue bikes sitting in bike racks. They are free to use to move around town. You can go from the shore of Lake Pepin all the way up the hills to the Maiden Rock Winery and Cidery.

Blue Bikes

The fact that Stockholm offers public restrooms is not to be overlooked. The simple convenience of it shows that no detail was overlooked when it comes to hospitality.

The town operates a campground on the shore of Lake Pepin. There are several RV and Camper sites as well as a dedicated tent area. There is a playground and boat launch. The rates are very reasonable — $12/day for tents and $15/day for RVs. The campground is only a block from the main drag, so it’s very convenient to go into town. For more information on camping in Stockholm, click here.

Stockholm has a well developed Merchant Association with a nice website. Visit http://www.stockholmwisconsin.com/index.php to stay up to date on events in the area.

Next time you’re in the mood for a day trip, please consider following the Great River Road and be sure to stop in Stockholm.