NomX3 » Beer

Elephant and Castle

Mike Langford — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:37:23 +0000

Location: Elephant & Castle – 161 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA

Join the NomX3 group on Tweetworks to get your Noms on with us and other foodie, techie, rant prone peeps.

Mike ordered Haddock, Halibut and Cod (yes, all three) and a London Pride Pale Ale.
Jeff ordered the Yorkshire Pudding with Roast Beef – essentially a roast beef sandwich on Yorkshire pudding. He also sucked down a tasty Black Velvet – a layered pint of hard cider and Guinness. He also nommed on Bread Pudding to wrap up the meal.

Huge thanks to our camera man Gradon Tripp whose voice you hear from off camera. Gradon also ordered some food this show and went with the Bangers and Mash.

Conversation Topics

LIFESTYLE – Authenticity in Restaurants – How the entire dining experience, especially when you make a choice to dine in a themed or authentic-style restaurant, hinges on the ability of the staff and the entire company to pull off authenticity. Elephant & Castle do it with their selection of food and beer. They also have malt vinegar on hand for folks to put on their fries. And they employ a good number of staff who have real British and Irish accents. It lends to the meal when your memory can be boosted with a few authentic touches.
TECHNOLOGY – Marketing the Multi-Location Restaurant – An amazing challenge faced by some restaurants is marketing their multiple locations while staying in touch with their local clientele. How can you run a special in one market and not have it in another? How can you have Facebook presences in multiple cities? Stuff like coordinating messaging and menus and events is very difficult and we peek inside E&C’s method to tame this madness.
RANT – World Cup Soccer – Can there be a more boring game? Why isn’t there a winner in every game? What’s with the amount of time – is it random? Ties are normal. Mike feels that this sport and the entire spectacle is idiocy! He also hates that there’s no key to the teams in the scoreboard. Tell viewers who has what color uniform.

During this Episode NomX3 Ate With

Not Your Average Joe’s

Mike Langford — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:36:19 +0000

Location: Not Your Average Joe’s – Medford - at Station Landing at Wellington Circle – 501 Fellsway, Medford, MA

Connect with Not Your Average Joe’s via Twitter (@NYAJoes).

Join the Foodies group on Tweetworks to get your Noms on with other people who love to talk about food.

Mike ordered the Lamb Kabob.
Jeff went off the rails and ordered a Cobb Salad. He was eating lighter because he had demolished all of Joe’s Ahi Tuna Wontons earlier in the evening…. DELICIOUS!
We also ordered some lighter, summer beers to accompany the meal. Krunkin’ in the afternoon. Yes, Jeff had the Blueberry!
And we were honored to get a pop-in from Rob Mondavi of Folio Wines. He stopped by to taste Jeff’s beer and talk about wine, conversation and friends. Look for Mike and Jeff in Napa, California SOON!

Conversation Topics

Restaurants and Technology- How the places we go to most are doing things right – and wrong – when it comes to using technology. Reaching out to customers is just the tip of the iceberg, how about ordering via iPad or taking a satisfaction survey on an iPod Touch? Having a Twitter account is far different from using that account to engage customers. And what about Textaurant and other firms that are giving customers better ways to connect with the places they like to dine at most? There’s a lot to talk about and learn when using technology to run a restaurant!
When is Lunch NOT Lunch? - Mike is freaked out by the concept of having breakfast food for dinner. But it doesn’t stop there. He’s also against mixing designated foods at the wrong meal time. Jeff was too astonished to bring up Lupper or Brunch, but had the wherewithall to share his love of breakfast at any time of day or night. Also mentioned was the time-honored practice of going to Denny’s or iHop at 3AM to have breakfast after a night of boozing.
RANT! LITTER - Mike went off again on the madness of people throwing trash out of their windows and how the world’s biggest litter producer is probably Dunkin Donuts. Mike believes that Dunkin Donuts is responsible for the downfall of society and the non-beautification of the globe because their cups are all over the place. Jeff contended that if Dunk’s wasn’t so successful, there’d be less of their litter around. Catch 22!

During this Episode NomX3 Ate With…You should join us for lunch soon!)

Turner Fisheries

Mike Langford — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 18:39:01 +0000

Location: Turner Fisheries – Boston - at the Westin Copley Place, 10 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA

Connect with Turner Fisheries via Twitter (@TurnerFisheries).

Join the Foodies group on Tweetworks to get your Noms on with other people who love to talk about food.

Mike ordered the Clam Chowder and the classic Lobster Roll.
Jeff also ordered the Chowder, but then he went wild and ordered the Make-Your-Own Panini. Cheese, Pretzel Bread, a mix of fresh meats…. DELICIOUS!
We also ordered some lighter, summer beers to accompany the meal. Krunkin’ in the afternoon.

Huge thanks to our editor Brian Schwartz who made this episode possible.

Conversation Topics

First Adopters- Not the folks who are early adopters, like the people who rush to the store to see items after they’re released to evaluate and then jump on the bandwagon. No, FIRST adopters are the people who are paving the way for the rest of the world by subjecting themselves to the errors, bad hardware and software and possible glitches that are in many products before the general release. These are the folks who need technology and need it now. About 50% of NomX Nation falls into this category!
Birthdays and Getting Older - We’re not nearly as young as we once were, but we still maintain a belief that we can move the same way we did when we were younger. Mike has a tweaked neck, Jeff has a bad back – these guys are old. Getting older stinks, and trying to perform your daily activities when you get decrepit is really hard.
RANT! Road and Refuse Rage - Jeff and Mike tell stories about bad drivers they’ve encountered and the madness of people throwing trash out of their windows. Mike believes that Dunkin Donuts is responsible for the downfall of society and the non-beautification of the globe because their cups are all over the place. Every year there should be a driver’s test – EVERY SINGLE YEAR!!
Sustainability at Turners - A side topic we covered was the way in which Turner Fisheries runs their restaurant. They do it right by using sustainable fish and seafood and also the dining area. No tablecloths in the place anymore to save on laundry and more. Good stuff.

During this Episode NomX3 Ate With…(by the way, I THINK most of these people were there, but we may have added some names by mistake. It only means we want you to join us for lunch soon!)

Piccadilly Pub

Mike Langford — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:41:13 +0000

Location: Piccadilly Pub – 11 Robert Toner Blvd, North Attleboro, MA

Join the NomX3 group on Tweetworks to get your Noms on with us and other foodie, techie, rant prone peeps.

Conversation Topics

iPhone vs Android – The battle has only just begun. We discuss the pros and cons and our reasons for choosing either the iPhone or an Android powered device. Are you an iPhone or Android fan?
Netflix On Demand – Streaming, on demand services like Netflix and Hulu are rapidly changing the way we consume entertainment.
Have a Hot Dog on the Menu – Pay attention to your customer’s needs. Is it really that hard to have a hot dog on the menu?

During this Episode NomX3 Ate With

BelchingMonkey Drinks Bad Beer for a Cause

Mike Langford — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:48:12 +0000

Location: Donohue’s Bar – 87 Bigelow Avenue, Watertown, MA

Connect with Donohue’s on Twitter at @Donohues or on Facebook.

Join the Foodies group on Tweetworks to get your Noms on with other people who love to talk about food.

Mike ordered the Cuban Sandwich with Miller High Life, a Budweiser and a Bass Ale.
Jeff ordered the Red Raider Sandwich with an Miller Chill, a Narragansett and a Hoegaarden .
BelchingMonkey (aka SchneiderMike) ordered a buger with a Bud Light Lime, a Michelob Ultra Pomegranate Raspberry and a Redhook Long Hammer IPA.

Conversation Topics

1. Technology of Beer – Let’s talk a bit about the technology of beer making.

2. Movember – We are letting our Mo grow to raise money for a cure for prostate cancer.

3. Social Brewers - Which beer makers are using social media engagement to its fullest?

4. Rant! The Drinking Age – If you are old enough to die for your country, serve as a public official or vote you should be able to choose to have a beer.

As Mike Langford and Jeff Cutler have determined, it’s far better to eat lunch out with friends than it is to sit at your desk and eat a yogurt. That’s the premise behind NomX3 – Let’s Do Lunch! Our voyage into Donohue’s was at the behest of Mike Schneider whose own show – Belching Monkey – deals with a different type of eating. The eating of beer. He thought it would be great to put Jeff Cutler and Mike Langford in front of a camera – wearing silly mustaches* – talking about beer. We thought it would be fun to cover our lifestyle, technology and rant with a beer fiend and humanitarian like Mike Schneider. So it all worked out. Here’s the episode. *The Mustaches. As you’ve seen if you’ve watched the show during the month of November, we’re sporting mustaches for charity. In honor and support of Movember, Mike and I are now mustachioed and manly. We’re raising money to help in the search for a cure for Testicular and Prostate Cancer. Learn more here. Through the course of a foggy afternoon – foggy because of the beer – we had excellent sandwiches (look for a future episode of LUNCH at Donohue’s in 2010), great conversation and beers from the 1970s and 1980s. That’s right, High Life, Bud, Naragansett, etc. They all made the cut and they all made us talk. Aside from the classic beer, we had a great studio audience for this show including Bobbie Carlton, Kelly Kassa, Steve Garfield, Todd Randolph and others. They helped keep us honest with questions tossed in about the beer and some great comments about their lunch choices. What’s my take-away? That lunch at Donohue’s is a deal. The beer was cheap and the food was good. Next time we’re there we’ll detail the menu and really go to taste town on the place. Want us to visit your favorite hangout? Shoot us a tweet or an email or leave a comment right here on the blog. Thanks!

Ted’s Montana Grill

Mike Langford — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:50:33 +0000

Location: Ted’s Montana Grill – 400 Union Street, Westborough, MA 01581

Be sure to connect with the Ted’s Montana Grill on Twitter: @TedMontanaGrill

Join the Foodies group on Tweetworks to get your Noms on with other people who love to talk about food.

Conversation Topics

1. Events – Leveraging social media to put on a successful event, like this one.

Be sure to check out Chris Brogan’s post “How to Market an Offline Event Online” as he mentions many of the things we covered in this episode plus a few we missed.
We also included our good friends Thomas Edwards (@URWingman) and Mike Schneider (@SchneiderMike and @BelchingMonkey) in our big event. These two guys are “crushing it!”

2. Rant! Answer the social media phone! – Too many companies have social media identities but fail to interact with customers.

Mike calls out Skype, a service he loves and uses daily, for their failure to answer his and other customers questions via social media channels (including Skype’s own forum).
Jeff hails Comcast as an example of a company doing it right.
Lauren Vargas, of Radian6, wrote post titled “Who should respond to brand mentions?” which offers a quick high level intro to how companies should listen and engage.

3. Halloween – How has trick or treating changed since you were a kid?

Special thanks to Chad Northrup for manning the camera while getting his noms on with a Ted’s burger.

Bison…or as I pronounce it BIZON…is a unique taste. Just as our conversations over lunch are unique and touch on technology, social media, lifestyle topics and a rant, our food choices run the gamut.

Ted Turner wasn’t able to be on hand for our filming at Ted’s Montana Grill, but the staff there performed as if all the lights of the TBS cameras were on them. Big name company means big sky food. Big Sky is Montana and Montana means bison. See our burgers during the show.

I liked the burger. Never let it be said that Jeff Cutler won’t try different dishes. I might wimp out and not eat hot sauce, but I’ll definitely try beef.

Most memorable part of the lunch? I was cheered on…or maybe it was my co-host who was cheered by his youngest child. Lunch is for the entire family!

NomX3 is a family video show. Never forget that. Ted’s Montana Grill? Nom Nom Nom. And two more Noms – for a total of five out of five. Great show.

Gari Fusion

Mike Langford — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:31:59 +0000

Location: GARI Japanese Fusion Restaurant – 187 Harvard Street, Brookline MA 02446

Be sure to connect with the Gari Fusion on Twitter: @GariFusion

Join the Foodies group on Tweetworks to get your Noms on with other people who love to talk about food.

Conversation Topics

1. Jeff Brings a Mystery Gift for Mike – It’s not the big crunkastic beer stein he wanted but still awesome.

2. Free Has a Price – The culture of free has a downside. Are people’s expectations out of whack?

3. Bogarting – Jeff loves this term.

4. Going In Sick – Why do people insist on going to work, or sending kids to school, when they are sick?

Cafe 47

Mike Langford — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:08:19 +0000

Location: Cafe 47 – 47 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115

Be sure to connect with the Cafe 47 on Twitter: @Cafe47

Thanks to Selina McCusker for suggesting Cafe 47, the service and food were amazing.

Join the Foodies group on Tweetworks to get your Noms on with other people who love to talk about food.

Conversation Topics

1. Buttered Sandwiches and David Hasselhoff – Things Germans Love

2. The App Store – Apple has an unusual amount of control over what software you use on your iPhone. BuzzBall!!!!

3. Sleep Cycles – When your sleep gets all messed up. Babies and Jeff Cutler have no respect for other people’s need for a good night sleep.

4. Fat Kids, SUVs and Curbside Pick Up – Why aren’t kids walking to school or even a bus stop anymore? WHY? WHY? WHY?

Sponsor:

BuzzBallGame – This new iPhone game is sweeping the nation. Created by Jeff Cutler and Howard Nager, this game is a ton of fun. If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch be sure to stop by the App Store today and pick up your copy of Buzz Ball.

Note: NomX3 is not responsible for you getting all frustrated by Buzz Ball and throwing your iPhone out the window. The game is addictive like crack and maddening as heck. Deal with it.

Props to:

Perkett PR: Create buzz. Be heard. Get noticed.

Huge thanks to Christine Perkett, Jeff Glasson and the entire Perkett PR team (including Crazy Cat Lady Lisa Dilg) for their support and amazing camera work. They made us look like pros.

Henrietta’s Table at The Charles Hotel

Mike Langford — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:02:20 +0000

Location: Henrietta’s Table – The Charles Hotel, One Bennett Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

Be sure to connect with the Charles Hotel on Twitter: @CharlesHotel

Chef Peter Davis’s book “Fresh & Honest: Food from the Farms of New England and the Kitchen of Henrietta’s Table.” is available in the Charles Hotel Gift Shop or on Amazon.com. We met the Chef and read his book, put both of those things on your list.

Conversation Topics

1. Jeff’s Wardrobe – Jeff takes our bromance to a new level by dressing for a romantic occasion.

2. Personal Time Zones – People who seem to operate in their own time space continuum.

3. Belching Monkey – Our good friend SchneiderMike has started a new show called BelchingMonkey and he’ll be review the beers we drinking on NomX3.

4. Stupid People – How do you deal with stupid people? Especially when your children are around.

5. Where You At? – FourSquare and other location based services are starting to gain wider adoption.

Sponsor

Tweetworks is an interactive search engine for conversations. We make it easier for people, and businesses, to find and participate in conversations that match their interests and business needs. Tweetworks brings context and relevancy to the real-time, conversational web.

Be sure to join the Foodies group on Tweetworks to get your Noms on with other people who love to talk about food.

Eastern Standard

Mike Langford — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:18:54 +0000

Location: Eastern Standard – 528 Commonwealth Ave, Kenmore Square, Boston, MA 022215

You can follow @ESBoston on Twitter or check out their Facebook page for specials and new additions to the menu.

Conversation Topics

1. Rules of the Road - Let’s have a little refresher course on driving rules and etiquette shall we?

2. Kevin James and/or Cannolis - Note: If you see Kevin James, ask him to join us for lunch. And bring cannolis.

3. Here Come The Oysters! - Watch Mike try oysters. Very interesting. The Maldonado helped… a lot!

4. Social Media for B2B Companies - So you sell to the Fortune 500, you should still be using social media.

5. Cats Are Takers - Jeff sent his cats on a “spaycation” and then cat rants ensue.