APPLEBEE’S: SHOUT-OUT TO SUBURBIA

I couldn’t help not think of suburbia when heading into the Applebee’s at The Shops at SkyView Center (commonly, just “SkyView”). After all, I was raised in a state that has fifty-five Applebee’s locations.* 

As with many New Jersey malls, this Applebee’s stands at one of the lower-traffic entrances, poised to soak in natural lighting seeping in through three glass barriers. Fifteen small Panasonic flat screens were scattered throughout the six seating areas (not including bar section). 

For those who aren’t in the mood to watch sports, there’s always the complimentary, unlimited (and fast!) Wi-Fi. True to suburban form, Beyoncé, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, and even Spice Girls fought for attention over the sound system.

There are a few noteworthy quirks about Skyview’s Applebee’s. First, most of the wait staff is at least bilingual. I noticed entire orders being placed in español rather than inglés (thanks for readying Flushing Food to eavesdrop, high school Spanish teachers!).** Second, the décor includes some Flushing mainstays, plus a fabric dragon overhead:

Area-specific graphics.

Area-specific creature?

For food, we got real suburban. Flushing Food started out with an $4.99 Caesar salad with croutons, lettuce and heavy dressing:

Run-of-the-mill Caesar.

Salad made us feel really adventurous, so we demanded $12.99 wings with hot sauce and bleu cheese:

May Flushing Food suggest: double-checking with SkyView Guest Services for any VIP discounts/monthly specials, not just at Applebee’s, but for all the “exercise” (read: shopping) you’ll do afterwards.

* Prolly still not enough for the nation's most densely-populated state. 

** Especialmente Señora Devito (jubilada) y Señora Kazala (Holmdel High School).

Media credits: Helen Y.

Gadget: Nikon® Coolpix™ AW110  

Software: Fotor