Geoff B.'s Profile

After a very negative adventure with Crowfoot Village Honda, I have nothing but good things to say about my dealing with Sunridge Mazda.  The salesman was firm but fair, and didn't seem pushy at all.  My favourite thing about my car-buying experience was that I didn't have a closer come in and try to push up the cost or ignore the concessions I had negotiated.  It was salesman, business manager, done.

They even managed to pull some strings (or at least they made it seem that way) to get my car in the exact colour I wanted from another dealership -- all before the week was up.

After driving my car for about a week now, I am extremely happy with my purchase.  Mazda will certainly be a front-runner the next time I need to buy a car.

I just tried Calypso's last night.  The flaming cheese appetizer was very greasy, and the appetizer portions were very small.  However, the calamari and roasted potatoes were fantastic -- some of the best I've had.  The server had a great sense of humour and was willing to accommodate our party for the two small children.  There were no belly dancers or smashing plates to disrupt our conversation, which has to be worth at least half a star!

I would definitely come back here again.

I tried this place on a recommendation from a friend.  Parking is convenient (at least at 7 pm on a Monday) and free, and the service was fairly quick.  I don't know if I can agree with Paul's review -- the portion sizes were some of the largest I've had at a Greek restaurant.  Tzatziki came by the tub, rather than by the teaspoon like most places.  The "side order" of rice was a heaping 12" plateful, and each meal came with five roasted potato halves (most places are one or two).

Speaking of huge portions: the belly dancer came out while we were there.  It would have been somewhat less uncomfortable with her two portions near my face had my wife not been there with me, but at least my son got to enjoy the view.

I wouldn't call this the best Greek restaurant I've tried in the Calgary area, but it is certainly one I would frequent again.

P.S. - The tzatziki is about as garlicky as it gets.  You've been warned.

As others have mentioned, the food was really good.  The prices seemed on par with other reputable sushi places in Calgary.  I was here with my mom (thanks for buying!) and son, and when I asked the waiter for an orange juice for him, she said, "it's on tap, so it isn't very good."  Points for honesty, I guess.

It is convenient to get to if you're coming from outside of downtown, and the parking is decent for downtown (but it's Calgary, so it still sucks and costs too much), but it wouldn't be my first choice for sushi.

With my current car now over 300,000 km and blowing blue smoke, I decided it was time for a new one.  Since I had good luck with my Civic up until about 5 days ago, I decided to stick with a good thing.  I searched online and found a two year old Civic EX-L that fit the bill perfectly: it had under 10,000 km, it had one previous owner, it was a nice colour, and it was one of the top trims (which means it came with most of the amenities that I probably couldn't afford if I bought new, which I convinced myself I would never do).  I phoned the dealership and set up an appointment for a test drive on Monday.  This was Saturday morning.

On Monday, I got a voicemail from another salesman (we'll call him "Joe") that said the car I wanted was sold, but that there was another one there that was available.  I looked up the stock number, and it was black (which I didn't want) and had 15,000 additional km on it.  Oh, and it was a "bargain" at $600 more!

I emailed the original salesman and told him since the car sold, I wouldn't be coming in for a test drive (it's just under an hour from my house to the dealership).  He phoned me about an hour later and nonchalantly told me that he had sold the car on Saturday night, but not to worry because there was an "identical" one there for me.  I told him no, it wasn't identical.  I didn't want black and it had way more kilometers on it.  He said he would keep his eye out and if something came in he would call me.

I don't care that he sold the car when I had an appointment to test it (and unless it stunk like a teenager's feet smothered with unrefrigerated Brie, I had every intention of buying it), because that's just business.  What I care about is that this guy was knowingly pulling a bait-and-switch on me.  He knew -- for three days -- that this car was unavailable for me, but never told me so I would still come in.  I don't appreciate being swindled or lead on.

Remember the voicemail from "Joe"?  He apologized that the car was still showing as available on the web site, and that it was only there because it sold "late Saturday night".  It is now "late Monday night" and the car is still listed on their site as available.  Classy.  (Edit on 2/15/2012: It's now Wednesday night, and the car is still showing as available on the Crowfoot Village Honda web site.)

I have since taken my business to Mazda, where I bought a brand new car because of the fuel economy on the 2012 engine (with the amount I drive, the fuel savings will easily offset the savings I would have obtained from a car that had depreciated 2-3 years).

Well played, Honda!

If you're within 20 km of Coombs, you have to see this place.  It is quirky, it has unique foods and collectables, and there are goats on the roof.  The market has sure expanded around this place (it's become a strip mall, of sorts), and all those businesses owe a tithe to Old Country Market for that success.

I think the other reviews say it all, so just add me in as another fan of Goats on the Roof (which I thought was its name until 30 seconds ago).

If you have kids aged 3-12, you're going to have to go here if you're in Orlando.  Beware -- the kid rides all have huge line-ups (just like the adult rides), except the lines are not air-conditioned (you're out in the hot sun).

Make sure to get a Pineapple Float by the Tiki Room.

If you can put the huge line-ups out of your mind and just let yourself enjoy the experience, you'll have a good time.  Watch out for the traffic directors when setting up for a parade -- they certainly don't have the Disney spirit!

Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain are my "must-do" rides.  My son's favourite ride was the People Mover, but he's not quite two and when the alternative is a stroller, I guess I would like it, too.

Unlike Disneyland, where you have the choice between two parks, Disney World is spread over hundreds of acres of land at six different parks.  This means getting a bus from your "resort" to each one, with a park certainly taking up a day if you try to see it all.

Animal Kingdom was one of the parks we saw later in our visit.  After a solid week with a Humidex in the mid-40s, it was getting tough to be outside.  We found Animal Kingdom to be one of the hotter parks; there seemed to be a lot of concrete/asphalt out in the open sun -- especially the walk from the bus drop-off zone to the front gate.

Definitely go on Expedition Everest (and use the single rider line -- thank you, Disney!).  Also, as you exit, there is a little cappuccino bar; they serve a Strawberry fruit smoothie that is amazing!

Tasty coffee here and it's in an excellent location -- I like not having to go downtown to get a good latte.  Just like the Calgary location that introduced me to Artigiano, there was a great atmosphere, helpful staff, and a great drink.

This place packs so much awesome into their food, they simply can't stay open more than a few hours per day!

The poutine is the best I've ever had, and the burgers are incredible --made to order and perfectly juicy.  The milkshake was good, but Peter's milkshakes are better.

Thankfully, I live nowhere near Rocky's Burger Bus, because I if I did I would always be eating here.  And since the calories in poutine rivals the redline of a tachometer, my heart thanks me.