Monday, April 23, 2012

Here's the video guys!



Italy in Alabaster
            For our review, we investigated Joe's Italian, a quaint but locally acclaimed mom and pop restaurant known for its touted authentic cuisine. We visited several times, trying a variety of dishes and recording our experiences, as well as the opinions of others. We based our final opinion on several factors, including atmosphere, service, price, and food quality.
            As for the restaurant itself, it can be found hidden away in a corner of Alabaster. Its looks and location are a bit disappointing from the outside; it more closely resembles a local dollar store than a restaurant. However, the interior is lavishly decorated, showcasing photographs and paintings through the dim lighting that was no doubt meant to inspire a formal experience. Towering slices of cake can be observed in a display near the door as you are led to your table by an extraordinarily friendly waiter. Upon being seated, you are given a small basket of fresh bread to enjoy as you look over your menu. The list contains several Italian dishes, boasting familiar classics among the lesser-known, more difficult to pronounce names. Everything lends itself to an increasingly believable atmosphere of authenticity. However, whether it lives up to the image it builds for itself is another subject entirely; after all, the food will be the most determining factor of quality.
            This video is the culmination of our observations. Through it, we hope to convey our experiences, as well as our final opinions as to whether or not this establishment is truly Italy in Alabaster.

Interview with Perrin

So when I went to Joe's Italian I peer pressured my friend Perrin Windham into coming with me so I could hear about more than just what I ordered and Perrin being the great friend she is, caved to my pressure and tagged along. I sat her down when we got back and asked her a few questions about how she felt about the restaurant and here's the short interview I did with her...


1.      What did you eat?
I had the Lasagna.
2.      Did you like it?
The portion size was great, not so much on the taste. It tasted like Ragu tomato sauce to me.
3.      How did you like the bread that they brought out?
I liked it a lot, it was probably the best thing they had to be honest.
4.      Did you get an appetizer? If so, how was it?
Kind of, I just ordered a salad with my entrée. The salad was good, even though the Italian dressing I got was gross.
5.      How was the price?
It was a little pricey for the quality of the food, my plate alone was almost $15 before the tip.
6.      Would you back again?
Probably, it was pretty good. And I didn’t have a chance to try their desserts which looked awesome.
7.      Overall, would you give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down?
I think they worked enough to earn a thumbs up.




 

Hey guys I uploaded our video in "large" format but it was awfully fuzzy when you full-screened it so I'm going to upload it again in a larger size. Embed code coming soon!

-Rachael

Final Thoughts Towards Everything

Hey Ya'll! I just saw the video and it looks incredible! Props to Racheal :) Also, I just put all of my digital stuff onto the group USB stick and ya'll need to do so also, I am only reminding you because that is part of my job as taskmanager, oh and also make your bullet point lists! :) I think that our group is going to look awesome tomorrow and I'm so glad that I got to be in group 1 because we have all added something special to the project and really have worked well together. Good job group 1 :)

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Hey Guys!

So the video is finished except for the background music which I'll be adding shortly. If you'd like to see the movie don't hesitate to let me know and I'll let you see it! What we need to work on now is getting our group portfolio together. Because all of us spent a lot of time gathering pictures and footage I'm going to put all of our footage on a single USB stick to turn in with our portfolio. Also, it would be wise write on a sheet of paper all of the work that you've done and the journey you've been through during this process since many of us were hesitant to post our every move on the blog. It doesn't have to be long--a bullet-point list would probably do just fine. Again, I really appreciate everyone's hard work and cooperation. I think this project has gone really well!

Remember--tomorrow I need everyone to put all of their footage on the group USB and give me a sheet describing what they've done throughout the project.

Feel free to stop by tonight if you'd like to see the video.

-Rachael

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Hey guys, I'm going to finish the introduction tomorrow, so suggestions are encouraged! I'll post it here/on facebook when it's finished, though, so there will still be room for change.

Are there any other last-minute things we should be working on?

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Hey Guys!

I really appreciate everyone's cooperation and hard work--especially when it came to fitting in our interviews around your guys' schedule. Everyone's interview turned out great and the video is really coming along! I can't upload the video on Youtube yet because I'd have to change the file format of the video but you're more than welcome to stop by to see how it's going.

Also, if you find time we could also use some newscast-type music (like a telegraph going crazy in the background).

But like I said, all is well so far. C: Thanks again for you guys' cooperation!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Introduction draft

Here's the draft for the introduction; if you see any additions that need to be made, just let me know! It's pretty rough, so it will probably change quite a bit before the presentation. I'll be sending it as an attachment on facebook as well.


 For our review, we investigated Joe's Italian, a quaint mom and pop restaurant well-known in the area for its touted authentic cuisine. We visited several times, trying a variety of dishes and recording our experiences, as well as the opinions of others. We based our final opinion on several factors, including atmosphere, service, price, and food quality.
As for the restaurant itself, it can be found hidden away in a corner of Alabaster. Its looks are a bit disapointing from the outside; it more closely resembles a local dollar store than a restaurant. However, the interior is lavishly decorated, showcasing photographs and paintings through the dim lighting that was no doubt meant to inspire a formal experience. Towering slices of cake can be observed in a display near the door. As you are seated, you are given a small basket of fresh bread to enjoy as you look over your menu. The list contains several Italian dishes, boasting familiar classics among the lesser-known, more difficult to pronounce names. Everything lends itself to an increasingly believable atmosphere of authenticity. However, whether it lives up to the image it builds for itself is another subject entirely; after all, the food will be the most determining factor of quality.
This video is the culmination of our observations. Through it, we hope to convey our experiences, as well as our final opinions as to whether or not this establishment is truly Italy in Alabaster.
The interview with Hannah went great !! Remember to dress the part! I know I've said that a million times but I don't want anyone to forget C:


Also--newsroom scene at 3:30 with Molly and 3:45/4:00 interview with Josh.


Please keep searching for music!


Thanks guys!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

At last the script arrives. You should all receive this as an attachment on our Facebook group message.



Script

News Anchor: Hi folks! My name is Molly Hill and welcome to Channel 1 News! Today we have a special investigative report of a restaurant nestled in the heart of Southern Alabama. Located in Alabaster, AL, a quaint little restaurant called Joe’s Italian claims to be an authentic Italian restaurant. At Joe’s they pride themselves on being a family-oriented restaurant with excellent service. But most importantly, they pride themselves by the authenticity and quality of their food. However, our investigative reporter Rachael has a different story. Rachael?

Reporter: Hi, yes, Molly? Molly I’m here at the scene at Joe’s Italian and let me tell you—though his Joe’s Italian may seem like a great way to break the monotony of corporate food chains like Olive Garden and Pizza Hut—it’s certainly no Italy in Alabaster. What you’ll find here instead if your typical Mom and Pop’s restaurant with a fancy Italian atmosphere. Let’s take a look, shall we?

Narration: If you judge a restaurant by its cover you probably wouldn’t think much of Joe’s Italian at first glance. First of all, it’s obscured by a mass subdivision and its outward appearance closely resembles that of an outlet mall. However, inside you’ll find yourself in a whole other country—Italy to be exact. Inside they’ve hung tons of pictures of their family as well quaint little Italian knickknacks and dĂ©cor, which overall create a pleasing Italian atmosphere. Once you sit down you shouldn’t be surprised to find sit-down restaurant prices. A customer at Joe’s can expect to pay anywhere from $5.95 to $22.99 on a single entrĂ©e. Still, what Joe’s may lack in affordability they make up in portion size and excellent service. In fact, you may find that your waiter is just as friendly as your guests and half of your food ends up in a to-go box. So what about their food?

Appetizer: First, Joe’s brings out their standard appetizer, free of charge, which if their bottomless fresh bread and olive oil with herbs. Definitely a nice change from the typical buttered rolls and breadsticks! The fresh and unique appetizer seems to be a hit too! Many people seem to really enjoy the fresh bread, including our expert food critic, Josh Miller.
[Insert Interview: So, Josh what did you think of Joe’s appetizer. Did you enjoy the bread? What did you enjoy most about it?]

Main Course: Just moments after you’re finished with the bread the waiter is sure to promptly bring out your table’s food. Although Joe’s offers many classic Italian dishes from “Pollo Fettuccini alla Panna” to “Cheese Pizza,” we decided to focus on a classic Italian dish that has room for interpretation and originality—the lasagna—otherwise known as “Lasagna Bianca” at Joe’s Italian. After our amazing appetizers, service, and atmosphere our expectations of the main course were high. Yet the lasagna was anything but satisfying. Our next expert food critic, Joseph Woolfork, can tell you more about it.
[Insert interview: So Joseph, you’re a world renowned food critic, is that right? And how did you feel about the lasagna you had at Joe’s? How was it presented, how did it taste, how was the overall quality of this dish? Do you feel that your lasagna was truly authentic Italian? Also, would you recommend the dish to a friend?]

Dessert: After a heaping of filling bread and what’s sure to be a stuffing main course, it’s nearly impossible to imagine you’d still be hungry for more—but just in case you’re still craving that Italian taste—you can always purchase one of Joe’s Italian’s colossal slices of cake. Pretty impressive, huh? If by some miracle you left room for dessert Joe’s cake will certainly fill it up! Not only do they give their customers great portion sizes but the critics agree that this cake is delicious! Our last expert food critic, Hannah Gamble, can tell you more about it.
[Insert Interview: So Hannah, what did you think of the cake in terms of size, portion, and taste? Would you recommend Joe’s Italian cake to a friend?]

Reporter: Still, some viewers may ask, is this really authentic Italian? Well, let’s take a closer look!

Narration:
Atmosphere: While the outward atmosphere was all but uninviting and possibly even a little bit confusing, the inside certainly had its Italian charm. The establishment clearly went out of their way to appear friendly and authentic—after all, those are their restaurant’s values. Our food critics give Joe’s Italian atmosphere a 4/5.
Service: the service was excellent as our waiters were always friendly, quick to refill our drinks, and very helpful when deciding what to order. Overall, the waiters definitely added to the quality of the restaurant and that is why our food critics gave service a 5/5.
Price: As we mentioned before the prices at Joe’s Italian range from about &6 to $24 per entrĂ©e which is typical of any sit-down restaurant. Though these prices might be a little expensive for younger demographics, particularly college students, Joe’s Italian certainly attempts to make up for what it lacks in affordability with great portion sizes and excellent service. Consequently, our food critics give Joe’s Italian prices a 4/5.
Food Authenticity/Quality: Of course, no matter how unique the atmosphere is, or how great the service is, or even how reasonable the prices are—what really matters at Joe’s Italian is the food. Although the appetizers and desserts are certainly delicious the main entrĂ©es seem to fall short. Their main dishes just don’t live up to the “authentic Italian” expectation that the Italian atmosphere sets up for the customer. Joe’s offers many mediocre Italian dishes but perhaps the most disappointing of all was their lasagna, which seemed no more authentic than a lasagna dish at Olive Garden. This realization would not be so disappointing had Joe’s Italian not promised its customers authentic Italian cuisine. Consequently, our expert food critics give Joe’s Italian food a 2/5.

Reporter: So, if you’re looking for a break from corporate Italian food chains, sure, head on over to Joe’s Italian. They’ll be sure to serenade you with their Italian atmosphere and excellent service—but watch out! The food may not be authentic as you’d hope and you may actually find a basil leaf in your lasagna. But have no fear—their king-sized desserts should keep you chewing long enough to keep quiet and forget about all that. Remember folks, though Joe’s Italian may be a nice restaurant experience—it’s no Italy in Alabaster.

News Anchor: Thank you, Rachael. Your investigations always have me on the edge of my seat! Well folks, this concludes our special segment of Joe’s Italian. Tune in next time for a review of…
Also, you guys I absolutely HAVE TO HAVE all of your footage by the end of today!!!!! Please don't forget!!!! ANY PHOTOS/VIDEOS ARE NEEDED!
Also, I just learned that the COMS building has an entire newsroom set-up complete with a green screen that is open to all students. I still want our "on-the-scene scenes" and interviews to be with a natural background but I think it would be a good idea to shoot our newsroom scenes there if possible. I'll be calling (because the weather is so bad) to see if there's a time we can use it tomorrow around three.


Well so far no luck on the coms newsroom hunt! Everyone I've called kept saying I don't know call this other person. And the last person I talked to said to call Bruce --something incoherent-- at this number. Well, Bruce apparently does not like answering his phone or is out at the moment and doesn't have a voicemail. SO, I will try again later and I might actually walk up there (the mass coms building) when it's not raining. But what I did find out is that the room is unavailable at around three because that's when they do Falcon Flicks (which is when Molly said she could do her part). So we might not even use it which will be okay if we can't because I can make a faux newsroom with the supplies that I have. Just let me know what you guys think.


Also, typed-up script coming shortly.
Hey Guys!
I finished the script handwritten I just need to type it out and put it on here. Also, I need all of your video footage and pictures. You can just send them here if you want or email me--whichever is fine. Also, I need Italian music sent to me one way or another. I might also do some of the interviews today even if it's just me and Joseph because I got the script done fairly early. Also, in our newscast we're all "expert food critics" so I suggest that you all look very nice for the interview. For example, I'm going to make Joseph wear an ascot and hold a pipe for his.  I think subtle entrainment like that will go a long way for our audience as well as Rozelle and make it more enjoying to watch our video. Remember, we're no longer college students but characters!! So we should have fun with it!!! Also most of the cakes we talked about are $25 so it'd be nice if we could all chip in $6 or $7 for tip and gas. Also, we could ask Ms. Rutherford if it would be okay to use Hill House's cutlery since this is for an honors english project. If not we'll need to get plastic cutlery from Walmart or somewhere. So just remember:
1. You're an expert food critic not a student so have fun and dress up! C:
2. We need Italian music and all footage sent to me.
3. Someone needs to look into using Hill House's cutlery.
4. We all need to pay Hannah at least by Monday afternoon.

*Also, if anyone has any props or anything (i.e. a microphone, newsroom paraphernalia like an American flag, costume stuff like bow-ties or something, anything that can be used) PLEASE LET ME KNOW and gives to me!! C:


--This is also on our Facebook group message.

Monday, April 16, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhINfUj8fAc

Here is an Olive Garden commercial. I think it is important to emphasize that they claim "when you are here you are family" whereas Joe's just shows you their family and doesn't allow you to feel like their family too.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Olive Garden

These are are a few of the photos that I took on my trip to Olive Garden Friday night. I'll write a short narrative to talk about the contrast in authenticity of Olive Garden and Joe's Italian. 




So I definatley think we should have a in depth group meeting after our Rozelle meeting. I promise to remember to have all my footage when we meet this time. I think that the more we can accomplish Tuesday the better because we are the first group to present next week and i don't know about all of ya'll but i will be out of town this entire weekend ... so yeh. Also, I think it would be funny if a couple of us did a video blog fo rour group video i.e. Emma Stone in Easy A, telling about our experience at Joe's. Can't wait to get going on everything I know it will be amazing :)) I'm going to try to find some good Olive Garden Video's to post tomorrow :) See ya'll soon

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Tuesday meeting

When we meet up on Tuesday, is there anything in particular we should have with us? I know we'll be trying to get some work done after the meeting with Rozelle, so laptops/notebooks/etc would be nice.

I think we should have enough material to really get started; I'm looking forward to it!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Potential Background Music

So I was thinking of things to play while we show pictures/videos/cats/whatever an I think some of these would be cool. Obviously we won't play anything in its entirety but we could clip parts we think are cool sounding. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb-z1ZG7q3o


This is the Tarantella from the Godfather. (Tarantellas tend to sound very stereotypical Italian so feel free to google some cool ones.)






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_mLFHLSULw


"'O sole mio" is a pretty well known Italian song, it means "My own sun" in English. Also, how can we do Italy without some Pavarotti?






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-xsosv6uM0&


You really don't get much more Italian than this. 






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTFUM4Uh_6Y&feature=related


This is Pavarotti doing the aria "Nessn Dorma" which is his most famous aria. This is pretty well known so I think it would be cool to use. Especially starting at about the 2:16 mark in this particular video. Also, try to ignore his crazy facial expressions, he was in character for this.




Any other thoughts? I saw that someone posted "Funiculi, Funicula" and that works too. Let me know! :)

First Impressions of Joe's Italian

Hey everyone!

Sorry for just now posting, there have been some technical (like in the way that forgetting your password is 'technical') issues. For now, I'm going to write about the impression that Joe's Italian gave me and I'll discuss the actual eating in another post to come soon!

When you drive to Joe's Italian, you turn onto Weatherly Club Drive in Alabaster, and it is immediately on the left. The subdivision that is opposite Joe's side of the street is a little offsetting, but may serve to give Joe's a bit more of a "hometown" kind of feel.

The restaurant itself is in a pretty stereotypical strip mall. While the best little restaurants tend to be hidden in small shopping centers like this, Joe's kind of looks like a chain restaurant from the outside. There is a big, gaudy sign above the entrance that says "Joe's Italian" in the color scheme of the Italian flag.

When you go inside, the parade of Italianissimo keeps coming, with dim lighting and decor reminiscent of Olive Garden covering every piece of vacant wall they could find. Several maps of Italy and advertisements for Italian beers galore. The old man and woman wondering around are the, for lack of a better term, mascots of the restaurant. Papa will always tell you to enjoy your dinner and Mamma will always stop by to see how everything is. They act as owners even though the actual owning/business running is done by their sons. Regardless of who has the real power, the old Italian couple was absolutely precious.

The tables are all covered in white tablecloth, and come set with a bottle of their dipping oil for their bread (more on that later), bottles of wine that have a certain just-for-show kind of vibe about them, and a few other assorted space holders (flowers, salt, pepper, etc.)

The wait staff all wore black collared shirts (of their choosing, not a uniform), and tan khakis. My waiter, a young Italian gentleman name Ubaldo, was exceptional. If nothing else, the people at Joe's got their wait staff in the right place. All of them had pleasant demeanors and smiles on their faces despite the busy night. Ubaldo checked in on our table very often and my glass never got more than half empty the entire time. I think it goes without saying that the staff was one of the best things about Joe's.

Overall the overwhelming tackiness of their outward appearance was a bit much and kinda killed the "authentic Italian experience" for me straight out of the gate. While they could have had better decorators, I couldn't have asked for better waiters, and good service always makes tacky decorations easy to look past.
I haven't been able to begin the introduction yet, but now that everyone is starting to put together ideas for the video, I think I'll be able to get on top of that really soon. Hopefully we'll be able to go over what should be included when we meet up on Tuesday!

Speaking of Tuesday, do we just meet up with Mr. Rozelle in the classroom like usual?

Video Outline/Script

Hey Group! 
This is the outline that we made today for our video:
1. We start out in Google Earth (Rachel-didn't know if this was possible, if it's not then that's ok!) But we zoom it in and have a photo of Ramon (the waiter you couldn't understand haha!) And we have someone narrating "This is Ramon. He is a waiter at Joe's Italian Restaurant in Alabaster, Alabama. This our review. Will they succeed in authentic Italian cuisine, or sink with the fishes?"
2. Next we will have some photos of the restaurant and owners (that we can get for ourselves or off the website). We will have someone narrating the basics of the restaurant: where it's located, their background, and their philosopy.
3. The philosophy will launch us into our thesis: how do we define authentic? In this discussion of authenticity there will be a contrast to the "authentic" cuisine of Olive Garden. I'm going to eat there tomorrow night and will be taking pictures and video for this section. I'll upload all of my footage tomorrow night onto this blog. 
4.  Here we will have slideshow of pictures with 2 or 3 of us voicing our opinions about the restaurant. The other 2 or 3 will make "video blogs" (like those in the movie Easy A). 
5. The conclusion will be a random guy (I volunteered my brother; random b/c Dr. Rozelle wanted it to be funny and what is more funny than a random guy??). This guy will be standing in front of Joe's with a hairbrush as a microphone acting like he's a reporter saying "This is "Random Guy" with Group 1 News. Now it's time to make your decision. Joe's Italian: authentic or fake?"


We can change any of this around that we need to, but this is just the outline we came up with today. I figured we could all either submit a video blog or voice clip by Sunday or Monday. 


We also threw around an idea about each pitching in about $6 or $7 to buy a half cake and serve in class. Any other thoughts?

Viral Olive Garden Review

Here's some more information on that viral Olive Garden review I was talking about.  Evidently, the review was written by Marilyn Hagerty, an 85-year old food "critic" for the Grand Forks Herald, a small-town newspaper in North Dakota.

"Long-awaited Olive Garden receives warm welcome"

All kinds of people have weighed in on this event.  Hagerty's son, who is a journalist for The Wall Street Journal, wrote about it, as have people for The Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, and other publications.  Even the cooking and review God Anthony Bourdain has decided to publish the review.

Clearly, Hagerty has captured something important in her review, or are we all just a culture that has devolved into the art of ridiculing other people?  I'm not sure.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Hey guys, so I'm looking at our time schedule and we really need to finish the script by the end of this weekend. I'll gladly help with any ideas and be a part of the brainstorming process of how to develop our narrative but I can't write it myself and do the video--that'll just be too much. That being said, I would suggest our writers get together sometime this week and/or weekend and knock it out. That way I have at least a week to put everything together (including getting last minute footage we need) as well as editing. Maybe the writers and I should get together and actually meet (Friday, perhaps?) so we're all on the same page in terms of our direction. I'll gladly bring anything written that I have as well as any ideas I've been thinking on. But like I said we really need to have that done by the end of this weekend so we have enough time to make a quality video. Let me know what you guys think and what your schedules look like and I'll gladly try to find a time where we can all meet. Sorry I won't be in class tomorrow my job is really getting in the way of things right now. Still, hopefully this script/narrative can be something you guys discuss tomorrow in class. I'll try to stay in contact via text as well. See you guys soon!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Mickey Blue Eyes

This is a clip from the movie Mickey Blue Eyes. It's about this guy who falls in love with a girl that is from an Italian mobster family in New York. Not only is the film funny but I thought it might have something to offer with the authenticity vibe we're looking for! If not, this clip is still good for laughs! :)

Andrea Bocelli

I found this video tonight and thought the song sounded sort of cheesy-Italian like we talked about today as using for background music. I happen to know that it's also the tune used by Olive Garden for their birthday song!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Hi everyone! We're supposed to go back to Joe's on Tuesday sometime after our meeting, right? I just want to make sure I have everything straight.

We might want to figure out what we want to accomplish before we go so we don't have to make another trip. I'm not sure if we're interviewing people, but if we are, we might want to write down some questions, too.
Hey guys! So I totally missed the iMovie tutorial on Thursday. I took some medication and slept right through it! Don't panic yet though! I went to see Batista on Friday and he took me to the guy who does the tutorial. It was actually pretty fortunate because it only took us 15 minutes to do the tutorial (instead of two hours) because I already knew some of the basics. Overall it went really well. I don't think I'll have any issues editing the video. Also, when was our group outing again?

Friday, April 6, 2012

Lunch At Joe's

Today (Friday the 6th) I went and had lunch with my mom at Joe's. It was definitely one of the most frustrating experiences I've had at this restaurant. We tried to use a coupon but kept finding these little kinks, like we had to order 2 drinks and then we couldn't order pizza at lunch time and get the discount, petty little things. It was very frustrating. The food was good though, as expected, so we let the lousy service slide. 

My First Experience at Joe's

Stephen (my bf) and I went to Joe's Wednesday night and we loved it! The service was good, the food was delicious, and the prices were reasonable :) I took more pictures than just the one I posted here but I figured it would be better just to wait to upload them on Rachael's Mac and we can use whichever one's we like as a group :) I'm looking forward to our pre-production meeting followed by our group outing to Joe's! Don't forget to post two things before the end of the week and keep up with the tasks you signed yourself up to!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

I've only been to Joe's once so far, but Rachel and I took quite a few pictures. I just wanted to say that if anyone needs the pictures for whatever reason, I should be able to send them to you by the end of the day.

I guess tomorrow we can figure out where to go from here, so I'll see you then!
So, so far I've been to Joe's twice -- once for dessert and once for dinner. Both times I got a lot of video footage and a bunch of pictures (some of which Sabrina has). I also snagged a few to-go menus to mull over. Hopefully we can discuss what we think Joe's Italian's "thesis" is and develop our accordingly. See you guys tomorrow!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Selling Italian Culture

There are certain trademarks in advertising that are sure to show up when Italian food/experience is being sold to Americans.  Take a look at this Subway ad as an example:

 
  

I wonder if there's anything comparable going on at Joe's Italian?  Does it make all the difference that the owners are actually Italian Americans?  Notice how they represent their story in the resturaunt.

Planned Visit

I will be going to Joe's Italian on Friday for lunch (I know a few of you have gone for dinner so I'll just be getting a different viewpoint of things). I've been several times before and already have some favorites, so it will be an adventure to go in with an objective viewpoint!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Blog Created!

Hey Ya'll :)

So excited for this group and this project! Hope I can figure out how to add all of you soon... ha.

Molly

P.S. http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl (directions)

http://www.joesitalianalabaster.com/#!__main/menu/vstc7=dinner-menu (website)