seebee wrote:

EvanstonFoodGuy wrote:Wow the things people will do just to save 5 bucks.

I saved 5 bucks a bunch of times and just gutted and redesigned my kitchen this year. 5 bucks is a lot of money to me. I work for it. It adds up VERY quickly.

I'm currently saving 5 bucks a bunch of times to buy a lake house in a liitle town somewhere north of Green Bay.
I've already saved 5 bucks enough times to gut and redesign my master bathroom, and also to re-stucco the house this year. Those stucco companies sure do charge 5 bucks a bunch of times for their services.

Don't bother justifying yourself to pointless comments that contribute absolutely nothing to the topic at hand. A deal was offered, you took advantage of the deal, end of story. Nothing wrong with that!

If I hadn't been slammed by client b.s. at work yesterday, I probably would have gotten in that long line...standing outside playing iPhone games on a beautiful day beats sitting in the office staring at a computer monitor anytime.

ycl1688 wrote:the frustration part is two persons physically present in the store, each holding a coupon, why would they bother to check the names, at the time of purchase they did not run out of supplies.

That is a puzzlement! Two people, two coupons should be no problem.

Sounds like they were having some type of issues. Freaking out or something.

Khaopaat wrote:Don't bother justifying yourself to pointless comments that contribute absolutely nothing to the topic at hand. A deal was offered, you took advantage of the deal, end of story. Nothing wrong with that!

Sometimes, the comments are far too hilarious to pass up tho.

EvanstonFG - Yes, I was kinda being snarky, but I know exactly what you meant, and I agree. I passed up the long lines and went to a joint with no line at all. I had a car, and both were within a few blocks of each other. I have a feeling those lines would have been much shorter if Free Gyros Day was in January. I bet a decent amt of those ppl probably just needed any excuse to stand around outside on a 70 degree sunny day.

I remember an old conversation I had with a woman who had just arrived in America from Russia (in the 70's) and we were discussing some of the differences between the countries.

She mentioned that in Russia, you would have to stand in line to get almost everything and once you made it there would be slim pickings. While in line she would see her friends, they would chat, get caught up with the local gossip and generally have a good time.

Once in America, there were no lines and no shortage of things to buy. She missed the chance to connect with friends and to to do that she would almost have to make an appointment.

I always think about this when I am in a line and take the chance to listen to and chat with the fellow line-r-uppers and almost always come away with something positive.

Panther in the Den wrote:I remember an old conversation I had with a woman who had just arrived in America from Russia (in the 70's) and we were discussing some of the differences between the countries.

She mentioned that in Russia, you would have to stand in line to get almost everything and once you made it there would be slim pickings. While in line she would see her friends, they would chat, get caught up with the local gossip and generally have a good time.

Once in America, there were no lines and no shortage of things to buy. She missed the chance to connect with friends and to to do that she would almost have to make an appointment.

I always think about this when I am in a line and take the chance to listen to and chat with the fellow line-r-uppers and almost always come away with something positive.

you are absolutely right. yet with this country known as 'nation of strangers', sometimes standing in this kind of food line, people are nasty even they unintentionaly push you, they do not apologize.

ycl1688 wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:I remember an old conversation I had with a woman who had just arrived in America from Russia (in the 70's) and we were discussing some of the differences between the countries.

She mentioned that in Russia, you would have to stand in line to get almost everything and once you made it there would be slim pickings. While in line she would see her friends, they would chat, get caught up with the local gossip and generally have a good time.

Once in America, there were no lines and no shortage of things to buy. She missed the chance to connect with friends and to to do that she would almost have to make an appointment.

I always think about this when I am in a line and take the chance to listen to and chat with the fellow line-r-uppers and almost always come away with something positive.

you are absolutely right. yet with this country known as 'nation of strangers', sometimes standing in this kind of food line, people are nasty even they unintentionally push you, they do not apologize.

I did not have that experience yesterday. Everybody was happy with getting a free gyros and there was no pushing and nobody was nasty. Just a bunch of strangers chatting and enjoying a nice day.

Panther in the Den wrote:She mentioned that in Russia, you would have to stand in line to get almost everything and once you made it there would be slim pickings. While in line she would see her friends, they would chat, get caught up with the local gossip and generally have a good time.

Once in America, there were no lines and no shortage of things to buy. She missed the chance to connect with friends and to to do that she would almost have to make an appointment.

What a country!

We tried to get into Ariston yesterday, but the line was so long we opted to come back another day and pay for our gyros sandwiches. Even unemployed, I couldn't see waiting that long for a gyros. I had a coupon for free guacamole at our local Mexican place, so we went there instead. It cost us more than Ariston, but the food was good, we ran into friends there and we were home before we would have even received our free gyros sandwiches.

Suzy

cilantro wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:She mentioned that in Russia, you would have to stand in line to get almost everything and once you made it there would be slim pickings. While in line she would see her friends, they would chat, get caught up with the local gossip and generally have a good time.

Once in America, there were no lines and no shortage of things to buy. She missed the chance to connect with friends and to to do that she would almost have to make an appointment.

What a country!

Hi,

I saw those lines in the USSR. If any line was observed, people would jump in first, find out what they were in line for. If it wasn't interesting, they would just as quickly leave. If they believed it was useful or better yet, could be bartered or resold, they stayed.

While gossip was one form of entertainment. Many people were reading books or newspapers. There were just as many who simply stood there glumly.

What I observed was a greater interdependence than I witness here. In the USSR, people often had excess rubles, because there wasn't a lot of attractive consumables. Imported televisions, jeans and boom boxes, these were items purchased via personal channels, because it wasn't freely available in the shop. When you did make the right connection, it was just as much an exchange of services and opportunities as cash.

I once helped one of our workers get a home telephone in exchange for a boom box. The entire building was wired for telephone service, but only an invalid had active phone service. Everyone else was on a list with no known date it would be installed. The bell in this person's had to be muted to keep the neighbors unaware.

One thing is quite vivid in my mind about that time: carefully considering every word that came out of my mouth. The KGB was real, alive and just random enough to keep people on their toes. I was never fully at ease while there.

Regards,

pigOut wrote:WORST GYRO EVER.

No I'm sorry, I have to disagree. After going to The Works at Clark & Lake and being told there were no more gyros, my coworker and I were still in a gyro mood, so we looked for a place on the way back to work. After having found one and placed our order, I noticed, disturbingly, that there were no spits visible anywhere in the shop.

What they in fact had was mushy pre-cut gyro meat that they stuck in a plastic bowl and microwaved for a minute, then stuck inside a cold pocket pita with mushy tomatoes, mushy lettuce, and bland tzaziki. By the time I realized the horror I was going to face, it was too late. Nasty, gross, and I actually paid for it to boot. I don't know why I bothered to eat it, except I was hungry and getting cranky. Truly awful stuff. Don't try the schwerma or falafel either, unless you like yours nuked and mushy.

Brian's Juice Bar and Deli
80 E Lake St
Chicago IL 60601
312-332-3435

Vinny wrote:

pigOut wrote:WORST GYRO EVER.

No I'm sorry, I have to disagree.

So in summary, never order a gyro at a juice bar.

Words to live by, if you ask me.

I drove by Mangi's at 4:00 and the line was out the door and down the block. I kept going. Time is money. I wouldn't wait that long for the messiah to return.

According to the Trib on Thursday:

The number:
82,000.

Number of online coupons downloaded for Chicago-based Kronos Products' "Free Gyros Day" on Tuesday, according to marketing firm Stoga Communications.

Since we didn't get our fix, we happened by Portofino's Pizzeria in Evanston and picked up a regular gyro by accident (not bad, cut a bit thicker than usual) and the owner said that they called him the day after to ask if he wanted to participate next year. He was a little nonplussed to find out that he hadn't been informed for this year. However, it's clear that they plan to expand.

tarte tatin wrote:According to the Trib on Thursday:

The number:
82,000.

Number of online coupons downloaded for Chicago-based Kronos Products' "Free Gyros Day" on Tuesday, according to marketing firm Stoga Communications.

I'm wondering how many were redeemed? I downloaded two, didn't use either.

Postscript -- I went back to Photo's on Friday with the coupon that the manager had signed Tuesday when they had run out. He told me I had to come in the day after the original free gyros day, that the coupon was "over." I said they'd never mentioned that when he gave me the "rain check" and rather than get into an argument, I left. Probably not to return. Had spaghetti at Salerno's.

JoeIf,

I wrote to gyros manufacture about photo's, no reply yet. Will not return to Photo's ever again.

I just got the following e-mail from Kronos, in response to my call and e-mail regarding the shortage of supplies delievered to Felony Franks (per the owner):

RE: Kronos Prooducts Info Request
Thursday, September 10, 2009 12:54 PM
From: "requests" <requests@kronosproducts.com>

Dear Katharine,

Thank you for emailing us about "Kronos free Gyros Day". We received an
overwhelming response from gyros lovers such as you-in fact 80,000
coupons were downloaded for redemption. We are sorry your restaurateur
was unable to redeem your coupon, but, this promotion was available
while supplies lasted. We are planning to do this type of promotion
again or something similar in the future and encourage your
participation.

Thank you for your interest in Kronos and our products.

Best Regards,

Kronos Marketing Dept.
1-800-621-0099

Well, no. We will very likely NOT participate in future promotions after seeing how they botched this one.

Still, I guess I am glad they responded in some fashion.

I just got a request to take a survey about my Gyros Day experiences via e-mail, which prompted a discussion with a colleague about the pronunciation of the item in question. This may have been covered here before, including by me, since this sticks in my craw.

My family says "Kee-ros" (hard 'g,' true 's' sound at the end, accent on the first syllable).

My colleague from NYC says HEE-rows, practically "heroes."

My best friend says "JY-rose," like the first part of gyroscope, which sounds the most Superfan to me but at the same time could the most right.

When you're saying "Free Gyros Day" to yourself in your head, how are you saying it? (Other than "pain in the ass" for those that couldn't mitigate "stand in queue" with "free")?

YEE-roh, although usually in my head it's year-ohs

gleam wrote:YEE-roh, although usually in my head it's year-ohs

Don't forget to roll the R.

Panther in the Den wrote:

gleam wrote:YEE-roh, although usually in my head it's year-ohs

Don't forget to roll the R.

Extra phlegm helps.

gleam wrote:YEE-roh, although usually in my head it's year-ohs

Yep. That is the correct pronunciation as far as I know.

Here's a thread from a few years ago on Chowhound addressing pronunciation of "gyros" (I've always used the yee-ros pronunciation myself.

Note that while this NYT article states the pronunciation is yee-ros, the narrator of the video linked in the sidebar on the left says jai-ros (as in gyroscope).

I'm also a YEAR-ose person as well, but if I'm with a crew of guy friends talking trash, I'll call it a JAI-ro as in GYRO scope.

BUT, if I might continue on the theme at hand:

I used to work with a VERY Greek lady. First name was Maria, and her last name had serveral O's and U's in it (and I think some were next to each other!) Anyway, I distinctly remember her ordering a gyros for lunch with us one time, and she asked me to get a side of extra tzatziki sauce for her. Except, get this, she pronounced it:

"CHAHTCH-kuh."

It took me a few seconds to figure out what she had just said. Anyone familiar with this one? In all my years, I had never heard it pronounced that way before, but it's not a word that comes up in every day convo. I had always heard, and pronounced it tza-TZEE-kee.

It's baaack.
http://triblocal.com/Tinley_Park/detail/213187.html

A lot fewer suburban locations. Photos (Mt Prospect) is notably absent.

JoelF wrote:A lot fewer suburban locations. Photos (Mt Prospect) is notably absent.

If it's anything like last year's clusterfuck, I'll be absent, too. Maybe I'll go get a gyros tomorrow.

I've never understood the draw of these types of events. What's a gyros cost -- 5 or 6 bucks? I'd rather just pay for one on a day on which I'm in the mood for one and not waste my time waiting in line for something like this. I can always make more money. I can never make more time.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:I've never understood the draw of these types of events. What's a gyros cost -- 5 or 6 bucks? I'd rather just pay for one on a day on which I'm in the mood for one and not waste my time waiting in line for something like this. I can always make more money. I can never make more time.

=R=

Hear hear. If I walked up to someone and said, "hey, stand here in the hot sun for 2 hours and I'll buy you a gyro", he'd probably tell me to get bent. Frame that same situation as "FREE GYRO DAY!!!" and that same person happily sweat his ass off in line & stare at his Blackberry for 2 hours, eagerly anticipating his "free lunch".

Also, assuming this person makes $40,000/year, and assuming 2,080 hours per fiscal year, those 2 hours spent waiting for a "free" $6 gyro actually cost him approximately $38.50.