Having owned and operated my own bakery for over 20 years i consider myself sort of a food guy. Thought i'd throw in on this one. I am gonna be critical here but first thing i want to remind anybody who has complaints about the garden's food service is that you must first understand what a monumental undertaking it is to crank out food for 20 thousand people, say, oh, twice a week. It is complex, there is a ton of waste, (hmmm maybe there actually is a ton!), it all has to be done in the most sanitary of conditions, there is scheduling for cooks, sellers, management, janitorial, yikes! And most of these folks are part timers, many have other jobs, turnover is high, its just by definition a nightmare to pull off. The potential rewards are great, but it's a science, and if you don't have fantastic managers, and staff, you could lose a ton of money. thats why the prices are so high. well, that, and the fact that they would like to make some money at it.
A couple of years ago, i noticed the peanuts i bought near our seats in 306 were rancid, since, well, being a baker, i can smell rancid nuts a mile away. dont ask me why i kept buying them, but i finally blew, and wrote to the blazers about it. they were responsive and generous with me, and i am happy to report the peanuts are now good. i refuse to take credit for the improvement, because it's probably more likely that my letter and attitude was the source of some good chortles at the ticket office where i lodged my complaint, 3 or 4 thirty somethings gathered in a cubicle to ridicule the peanut guy's letter of complaint, but suffice it to say, whatever happened, i care not, for the peanuts are now much more fresh, and i am grateful. (it's mostly my wife marie who insists i have become the laughing stock of the blazers front office)
so i say take a minute to write to the blazers about your wish for better food, on every floor, and then, when you see they have tried something, like say, fresh made salads, then buy one, even if they are $12.50!
Myself, I'm wishing for a freshly made Caesar Salad booth, topped with fresh grilled chicken slices, where they make the salad right there, like they do in the buffet, maybe on the first floor so i can pick one up before i go to my seat upstairs. Or how about a gourmet burger booth, where they cook the meat right there, medium rare, a mushroom topped one, a jalapeno topped one, tillamook cheese, that's what i'm talkin' about. Charge me accordingly! It's more work, yep, but i think these portland people who love their blazers anew also know good food, and a franchise with an up and coming team and a rockin' rose garden on game nights can only benefit, in the big picture of blazer mania, with some great new killer food options. Sittin there with my medium rare jalapeno cheeseburger, chin drippin', watching the pregame, i'd be totally fired up even before tip off! Kudos for the elephant garlic fires, thats a step in the right direction!
