Since 1970

So 4:30 a.m. comes and (surprisingly) D’arcy and I are out on the road. We packed sandwiches and some fruit the night before, so no fun lunch posts to blog. I’m terrible with directions but surprisingly, D’arcy and I arrived into New York around a mere 12 hours later. After a long drive, it was time to get some real food in our tummies! Will decided to take D’arcy and I to his favorite pizza place in New York, “Little Vincent’s” located in Huntington, Long Island.

There were a lot of cool shops on the way to Vincent’s (even just from where we parked!) but my mind was set on pizza and we didn’t bother dilly dallying or window shopping. Our stomach’s were growling and Will led us to this little pizza place place.

I was immediately surprised by the size of this place. There was a long counter where a line was already forming (good sign) with the ovens in sight. There were maybe 6 small tables and the walls had very little decor other than the cheap plastic hanging plants. Most of the tables were full, so I snagged a booth in the back while Will and D’arcy went to the counter to order.

Will & D'arcy reach the front of the line

I was waiting less than 10 minutes at the table, but the longer I sat there, the more people filled in the restaurant. Before you know it there were all sorts of people in line: families (including kids in strollers), adults, teenagers, couples, and a policeman who called me out as an “outsider,” As I’m sitting here snapping pics, he says “so you’re a tourist?” and that’s when I tell him about this awesome food blog I write…

Will bought 3 pieces for D’arcy and I to split, 2 for himself and a soda (had to stick with the NY lingo). After the fact I asked Will what the price was per slice, he said he wasn’t sure (I don’t even think it was listed anywhere?) but that it was around $14-$15 bucks.

Will brings over the pizza on white paper plates and after being up for close to 20 hours, I immediately perked up. I’m normally not a cheese only pizza person, but will assured me this was the only way to go – the classic!

I of course picked the bubble piece – ever since I was a little kid I’d always try to pick the piece with the biggest bubble – and this was the perfect slice!

Little Vincent's Pizza in Huntington, Long Island NY

I took a napkin and dabbed off some of the grease (trying to be somewhat healthy, I guess?) before I began to dig in. This pizza was “butter in my mouth” and the sauce was what made it exceptional! It was more of a sweet tomato cream sauce rather than the regular spicy sauce I’m used to.

Normally my favorite part of the pizza is the crust (I love carbs – the Italian in me) and prefer thick doughy crusts – it’s like an extra breadstick!  This crust was thin and crispy, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Most of the time pizza is heavy, greasy and I feel really stuffed after, food-coma style. But after eating a piece in a half of Little Vincent’s pizza, I felt great! My stomach wasn’t turning and I didn’t resort straight back to the couch.

I’m not even a big pizza person, but if I lived in Long Island I don’t think I could pass this place without stopping in to get a slice! You could tell this pizza was baked to order with 100% natural, fresh ingredients. I was beyond satisfied with the taste and quality of Little Vincent’s pizza. The place was cozy, it was Italian owned (okay so I’m biased), the food was great with good service (not the quickest – but I can understand the high demand!) and they even gave me a free magnet. Definitely one of the top pizza places I’ve been to! If you’re in Long Island, go to Little Vincent’s Pizza!

Grade: A

Pumped.

Little Vincent’s Pizza – Since 1970

329 New York Avenue

Corner of Main Street

(631) 423-9620

Now I’m always willing to try something new, so I figured I’d give this opera thing a shot. Who doesn’t like getting snazzy and going downtown for a night out? Oh and my favorite part… a great dinner!

Zia & her Polenta and Eggplant Torre

Zia had made reservations at Angelina’s Bistro in Detroit, located at 1565 Broadway right across from the Detroit Opera House. We were meeting my aunt’s friends, Tom and Teresa, at the restaurant at 5:30. Surprise Surprise we were late, as Zia tends to be, but Tom and Teresa were understanding as they always are. Angelina’s was pretty packed on a Sunday, and the volume was at a comfortable level. The tables were very close together, which made me feel a little crowded at first. 

Teresa & Tom at Angelina's

Tom decided on the Whitefish (Herb Pine Nut Crusted Lake Superior Whitefish / Cous Cous / Spinach / Feta Cheese / Basil Oil  21) and Teresa the steak special. The menu didn’t blow my mind away but there were a good amount of options. Most of the dishes were rather basic except what Zia ordered (Polenta and Eggplant Torre / Grilled Portobello / Goat Cheese/ Arugula / Balsamic Reduction 13.5). My Nonna makes the best polenta so I wanted to put it to the test, but when Zia decided on it (and I never get the same thing as someone else) I had to move on.

Angelina's Half Roasted Amish Chicken

I was debating between the Gnocchi (All Night Tomatoes / Cippolini Onions / Asparagus / Garlic / Extra Virgin Olive Oil  15) and  the Half Roasted Amish Chicken (Italian BBQ Sauce / Mashed Red Skin Potato / Broccolini  18). After considering how heavy pasta is and that I’d be sitting for three hours in a fitted dress, I decided to go with the chicken. 

The portion of chicken was very large, two well sized pieces, along with (my favorite) mashed potatoes and broccoli. The “Italian BBQ Sauce” was essentially regular BBQ sauce–well I couldn’t tell the difference anyway. The chicken was moist and well cooked, the potatoes were tasty but nothing out of the ordinary. I only finished one piece of the chicken because, as always, I had to save room for dessert. Overall I’d give my dish a B+, it was good, but I don’t think I’d get it again.

Tom, Teresa, and Zia all enjoyed their meals, look for their comments below on their review of Angelina’s. 

We ordered the Apple Tart  (michigan apples / calvados / caramel sauce / vanilla ice cream 7) and the Chocolate-Amaretti Cake (crushed almonds / chocolate sauce / whipped cream 7) to split between the 4 of us. This was by far the my favorite part of the meal The apple tart was baked fresh and I love the warm & cool sensation. The chocolate cake was extremely rich and moist, a chocolate lover’s dream.

Grade: B+

Angelina’s Bistro – 1565 Broadway – Detroit MI – 48226

Apple Tart

This picture does not do it justice! What was left after we devoured it... The Chocolate-Amaretti Cake

Bellagio Conservatory

We walked through the conservatory at night, which has impressive themes presented in nature. I don’t have much of a green thumb, yet I was easily entertained walking through what seemed like a flower exhibit. These flowers are selected individually from all over the world, and the 140 expert horticulturalists arrange the ponds, gazebos, and water features uniquely for each season. I was blown away by the attention to detail and the artistry of the conservatory; every nook and cranny was crafted with the same amount of time as the overarching enormous butterflies and flowers of this spring wonderland.

The Cafe Bellagio was nice, but the decor was nothing exquisite. Some seating allow you to look out at the conservatory, but we sat at an average location in the middle. The menu was pretty large, including all types of soups, salads, and sandwiches, as well as entrees. I played it safe and ordered the salmon, one of my favorite kinds of fish. I remember it being somewhat reasonably priced, around $20. The dish came with fingerling potatoes and spinach with an eroglu sauce I believe, and it was pretty good. Better than the salmon at Eiffel Tower Restaurant, and that was one of their specialties! (Check out my post about my unforgettable – ha! - night in Paris)

Salmon from Cafe Bellagio

The salmon was cooked well and a pretty decent size for the price. I liked how I could dip my potatoes/salmon in the sauce for a little extra flavoring. Spinach is one of my favorite vegetables to compliment salmon, and I was pleased by the taste of the overall dish. The entree didn’t hit it out of the park, but I was by no means disappointed.

So now the good stuff comes.. DESSERT! Everyone was “full,” but the judge could tell that I was aching for more. I told him about my blog (why the hell else would I be taking pictures of every dish that comes my way?) and he knew I loved dessert. Lauren wasn’t feeling anything chocolate, so we settled on the carrot cake.

And what a choice it was! One of the most interesting presentations I’ve seen for carrot cake, this dessert had a thin piece of what looked like white chocolate on top, and the fancy cream cheese filling looked like it was designed with a cake frosting funnel. This was relatively reasonably priced as well, I think around $10.

Carrot Cake from Cafe Bellagio

I ate the majority of the carrot cake (SURPRISE!) and would say this was one of the top carrot cakes I’ve had. I’m not a huge fan, but the crunchy topping made it fun to eat and it was definitely an “upscale” carrot cake.

After blabbing about food all night, the Judge told me he had to show us one more place that I would surely enjoy. He took us to the chocolate store inside the hotel, and VOILA! Heaven.

There is a chocolate fountain that is atleast 6 feet tall, and the chocolate store sells luxury desserts and chocolates. Too bad I already stuffed by face with the carrot cake, otherwise I would have spent quite some time, and quite a lot of money, trying all of the delicious desserts. Everything looked amazing, and I had to pull myself away before I put myself in the sugar-coma that was inevitable.

Entree/Dessert Grade: B

The Happiest Girl in the World

View of the Bellagio fountain show from the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris, Las Vegas

Our window seat and view

My mom told me if I went to one good dinner in Vegas, make it to the Eiffel Tower Restaurant at Paris. She said she’d “never had a bad meal” and while it was a little overpriced, the view was spectacular and well worth the bill. My best friend, Lauren, and I decided to forget about our future debt and splurge on one great meal in the city.

Eiffel Tower Restaurant Kitchen

The Paris, as the name suggests, is themed around the city of Paris, France. Upon entering the hotel, walking on cobble stone streets, I look up and around and see painted blue skies made to look and feel as though you are in the city. The stump of the 540-foot-tall replica of the Eiffel Tower is centrally located on the main floor, with an elevator to the restaurant located at the top. When the elevator doors opened, you walk out to see the kitchen and everyone furiously cooking. It was a pretty cool set up to walk into the resturaunt and see the chefs at work, and the focus on the cooking itself made me think this place was going to give me the best meal of my life.

We went to the bar and our bartender, JR Starkus, suggested we try his famous Chocolate Martini. I agreed before he could finish saying ‘tini’ since chocolate is my favorite substance on this earth. I had never had a chocolate martini and was surprised by JR’s chemistry skills. The drink was mixed with chocolate shavings and the glass was lined in chocolate syrup. I was in heaven. While they were $18 a pop, I figured it was well worth the money, considering this was the ONLY drink I bought in Vegas.

JR Starkus' famous Chocolate Martini

We were placed at a window seat where we were across the street from the Bellagio where we could see the fountain shows at night. This is noted as being the very best view of Vegas at night – the strip, the lights, etc.

The menu was simple and overpriced, but we had positive thoughts considering my mom had so highly recommended this place. We looked at the appetizers and thought we’d start off with some scallops. Our waiter looked at us and said, “Would you like one order or two? There are only2 scallops per order.”

Now, splurging or not, we weren’t going to drop $26 on two scallops. We passed and decided to save our appetite for dinner.

We asked our waiter for suggestions, and he told us the filet is so good “he cut it with a butter knife,” and told us it was one of the best things on the menu. We were debating between the specialty “Slow Roasted Filet of Atlantic Salmon, Pinot Noir Sauce” ($36) and the “Char Broiled Filet Mignon” with the Lemon Parsley Butter (about $60), so we decided to get both and split them. Everything is a la carte, so we each ordered a side of their mashed potatoes, also recommended by the waiter.

We met this couple from Vancouver who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. They told us the waiter tried to screw them out of some bottle of scotch, something about charging them for something they didn’t ask for… we were getting skeptical.

Cold and tough $60 filet. HMPH.

So our food comes, and it looks good–plain (almost nothing on the plate),  but nonetheless we’re excited for this “buttery filet.” We were just going to cut both entrees directly in half, and when I go to cut the filet I’m literally holding on to the table with one hand as I saw this piece of meat. And it was cold. And the mashed potatoes were cold. We couldn’t believe it.

We call our waiter over and tell him our food isn’t hot, so he takes my fork, stabs it into the two pieces of meat off of our plates and puts it on a bread plate. Is he seriously going to re-heat this stuff? He comes back 5 minutes later, after we’ve been venting to each other about how poor the customer service was and complaining that had this been the couple next to us, he would have been bending over backwards to make a new filet. The same piece of meat is re-heated, placed back together with a dollop of the lemon parsley butter on top. And the mashed potatoes were re-heated (I could see the same scoop from my fork).

Slow Roasted Salmon

We tried to enjoy it, but we couldn’t. The $60 filet was one of the WORST I’ve ever had. I could use a butter knife? When hell freezes over. The salmon was decent, but definitely nothing to write home about. And nothing that should be considered a “house specialty.” The waiter comes over again and asks us how it the second time around, as if a re-heated piece of meat was going to taste good or something. We told him it was tough, cold, and tasteless. NOW he decides to offer us a second filet. No thanks. We have had it up to here with this place, and quite frankly we’re disgusted that they tried to charge $60 for a filet, and then have the audacity to serve it cold.

We tell him we don’t want to wait any longer, to take the filet off the bill and forget about it. Now he’s apologizing saying he “wishes there was something he could do.” Well buddy, what you could have done is made us a new filet when we told you ours was cold instead of poking my entree and attempting to re-heat it to save a few bucks. Needless to say, we were fed up.

But not fed up enough to pass on dessert. Do I ever? I ordered the creme brulee hoping this meal would end on a good note. The presentation was great and the creme brulee was tasty. I’ve had better/worse creme brulee, but I wasn’t complaining.

Creme Brulee at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, Las Vegas

At this point we get the bill and both orders of mashed potatoes and the filet are taken off the bill, as we had figured. That would have been the DAY that I pay for such an awful meal. Lucky for us, the salmon was decent, the creme brulee better than average, and hey, we had a great chocolate martini.

Paris, I will never return to your restaurant unless to have a chocolate martini made by JR. While the atmosphere is great, the food is subpar. This restaurant is overpriced and has failed to live up to its reputation.

Eiffel Tower Restaurant: C-

view from the 28th floor

We booked a room at the MGM and ended up getting an upgrade to the top floor! The view from our hotel was spectacular, and the beds had the best body pillows I’ve ever slept with. I actually contemplating taking one for the road, but I realized the pillow was a bit larger than me and would be fairly obvious had I tried to bring it home.

So, to the good stuff. The clubs were amazing, the architecture of the hotels and all of the resturaunts are exceptional. I took over 500 pictures on this trip! Thank you to my friends for being patient when I stopped every 5 seconds to snap one.
We ended up getting 2 free tickets to Cirque de Solei through booking with Expedia, and we booked tickets to Mystere for Monday night. But before a great show, of course we needed a great meal. We initially had reservations for Sushi at Treasure Island, but to save time we decided to pick a restaurant in our hotel instead.

We found Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant at the MGM and the design immediately caught my eye. The “free smells” were enough to lure us in, we made a reservation and an hour later we were ready to chow. The menu for the most part was pretty “normal,” the courses weren’t out of the ordinary or anything really unique.  The one item that was a little different–well of course I ordered it!

The “Autumn Squash Soup with Apple-Cranberry Compote and Cardamom Creme Fraiche” for $12 struck me as an early decision and I had my appetizer picked out. I didnt even know what the last 3 words meant but I figured I’d give it a shot. The soup comes out and I’m pumped, it looks amazing and the presentation was unique. The “Creme Fraiche” is a thick and smooth heavy cream with a wonderfully rich and velvety texture (the white stuff on the soup). It did soften the bitterness of taste of the squash.The “Apple-Cranberry Compote” was almost like a scone with baby cranberries inside… I tried to get a clear picture of the compote itself because it added such a great texture to the soup. It added an element of “fun-ness” to  the soup if you well, and this was a great way to start a meal.

Autumn Squash Soup at Wolfgang Puck

So as I’ve mentioned before, I never make a decision on food in under 30 minutes. It is a very rare occasion when I don’t ask the waitress what she recommends, and debate between 2, 3, sometimes 4 entrees I just can’t decide on. Since our Cirque De Solei show started at 7, I knew I couldn’t dilly dally around and had to make a quick decision.

I am not one to order chicken at restaurants, I don’t know why I guess I just usually don’t see chicken entrees as “unique” or something I’d love to try. Our waiter, however, recommended the “Organic Chicken with Garlic Potatoe Puree and Honey Glazed Carrots.” It did sound good, and for $28 I wasn’t exactly breaking the bank, so I figured I’d give it a shot.

I was so impressed by the soup that I was eager and anxious to critique this chicken dish. My tongue nearly fell out of my mouth when the plate was placed in front of me. The chicken looked (and tasted) moist, simply cooked to perfection. The mashed potatoes were a little more whipped than I ususally prefer, but I have to admit they were some of the best mashed potatoes I’ve had in my life. My mom’s are pretty darn good too. The vegetables were also impressive: the peapods were fresh, light and had the perfect crunch; the glazed carrots complimented the home-cooked flavor of the dish.

There were 2 pieces of chicken, one light and one dark, more than enough for me to split with someone else.  and While prefer dark meat for fear of white meat being dry, both pieces were exceptionally well cooked.

I enjoyed my dinner so much I went back to Wolfgang Puck–this was the lunch before the plane ride, however, so my pocketbook only allowed for a side of mashed potatoes.  A+ for Puck.

I signed up for the NMDL class because I wanted to know what all this “new media” was about. Well I learned what it was about, and then some.

In a nutshell, I’ve learned:

• how to use wordpress, and BLOG! My goal is to try to blog weekly (at least) and to maybe have someone read it other than my professor (Hi Derek.)
• Google tools! As if Google doesn’t do enough! Google AdWords, Google Calendar, Google Documents.. all great to know and I’m happy to know how to use them
• the importance of social networking sites…Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Digg, Stumble! (I am SO addicted it’s sad, but I recommend you jump on board) – how to brand yourself! I’m going to work on trying to make my Twitter account a little more personal, and create an “online brand” for myself.
• FREE PR! (Wouldn’t you like to know?)

This class would be a great pre-req for any Marketing/Advertising/PR/Business/ANY major! And a whole more more informational that than bologna CSE 101 MSU makes you take might I add (I know how to use Excel and Microsoft Word, thanks.) I enjoyed the “independence” of the class, but at the same time it helped me having “due dates” and assignments so I actually would blog and learn about the different tools available on the internet.

On the first day of class, I sat there with a “HUH?” look on my face as Derek talked about Digg, WordPress, and SEO. Now that I have my “New Media Driver’s License”  (Hey Derek, wouldn’t it be fun to take pictures on 3/21 and put them on our certificates?) I feel comfortable talking to others about social media. Thanks for a great semester Derek, I will recommend your class to every student I know!

Now, I’m off to bed and leaving at 5am for Vegas. Ready for the city of sin to live up my last spring break.. DON’T WORRY… I’ll be safe! And eat lots of good food.

Goodnight

Troppo Restaurant in Lansing, Mich.

This small restaurant is decorated in dark wood and rich colors and gives off a very sophisticated vibe. We were casual dressed in jeans and sweaters, and while I didn’t feel out of place, I could have easily worn a dress and felt fine. Will is a somewhat plain eater–no creamy white things, all American boy–so I was a little worried about what we’d decide to split for an appetizer. The Stuffed Butternut Squash immediately caught my eye, “Baked Squash Cup with Israeli Couscous, Spinach, Gorgonzola and Pistachois, $8.95″ This was calling my name in every way possible! I pretty much love every ingredient, and pistachios are my all time fave nut. Will wasn’t feelin it, so he got the sausage and meatballs (borrrrrring…)

Butternut Squash Cup

The Butternut Squash was absolutley delightful. The texture was amazing! The cous cous are a little bit bigger in size  so its almost like mini little pasta balls. The butternut squash is sweet, and the mixture with the blue-cheese adds a little tartness (don’t think I’m using the right description) for an wonderful blend of sweetness and … The waiter said I had a large portion (the cooks must have seen me) and I saved half to take home to save room for all the rest of the food we would be ordering. I convinced Will to try a “bite,” but he wasn’t feeling it. Hey, I tried.

The sausage & meatballs weren’t bad either, except since I’m 50% Italian and used to my grandmother and mom making homemade everything Italian, I wasn’t blown away. The description on the menu reads, “Hot Italian Sausage, Homemade Meatballs and Roasted Peppers tossed with Marinara served with Warm Bread and Whipped Ricotta-Mascarpone, $9.95″ They could’ve worked on the presentation, in my opinion. Will thought his meatballs were better You can’t even compare the squash to the meatballs, in my opinion. Meatballs: B

The flavor of the butternut squash was so exquisite and a creation that I had never tasted before. A+

Sausage & Meatballs

Next up was the entrees, while in all honesty I could have just eaten the Butternut Squash Cup for a meal (I’m thinking a great lunch place to venture to sometime soon at work…hmmm.) I was torn between the Seared Duck Breast (seared Duck Breast cooked to your liking with Grand Mariner, Warm Figs and Dried Apricots served with Risotto and Fresh Vegetables, $19.95) and the Swordfish. Of cousre I asked the waiter, and he recommended the swordfish over the duck. Even though I was near full, I was so pumped to get our entrees and excited to be trying out a new resturaunt.

The “creme brulee coffee crusted swordfish with vanilla bean pinapple chutney, cinnamon risotto and toasted almonds, $18.95″ came at the perfect time, once my stomach was beginning to settle and ready for round 2.

Swordfish

The swordfish tasted a little too blackened for my liking, but overall it was good. The cinnamon risotto was rather plain in taste, but I felt like they literally scraped a cinnamon stick over the risotto. Cinnamon risotto was definitely one for the books.

The piece of swordfish was a pretty good size, and the mixture of flavors of the cinnamon risotto with the pinapple chutney was nice. I ate about half and saved the rest for the next day–I got a full days worth of meals out of all of my takeouts.. score for a poor college kid!

Will enjoyed his Filet a la troppo, “served with Zip Sauce and Gorgonzola Whipped Potatoes. $29.95″ and while he asked for it medium and it came more medium rare, it was a great cut of meat and the gorgonzola mashed potatoes were superb.

Filet a La Troppo

As if I hadn’t stuffed my face enough, if you know anything about me it’s that I always, always, always, always, save room for dessert.

Will eye-balled a server bringing out some some cannolis right when we walked in, but we didn’t see them on the dessert menu. I could have gotten just about anything on the all chocolate dessert menu, but when we inquired about the cannolis (one of my FAVORITE desserts) our waiter he told us that they did have them as a special today.

The cannolis were filled with a chocolate cream that had a hint of raspberry. Will couldn’t taste the raspberry, but I sure could! These chocolate raspberry cannolis were another “first time” for me, and I will definitely search for this kind next time I’m pickin out cannolis.

Canoli Special

Overall this dinner was FAB-U-LOUS!!! I ate enough for 2 (easily),  and Will & I had a great time celebrating our friendship & our birthdays (corny, I know.)

Thanks Will, my favorite New Yorker!

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I’ve been reading David Meerman Scott’s “New Rules of Marketing and PR” for my New Media Driver’s License class and couldn’t be happier with the assigned text. This book has been published in 22 languages and is crucial for any professional entering the PR and Marketing fields. As Bob Dylan said, times, they are a changin!

No doubt the Internet has affected the way we do things, but how about how we market our business and target our audiences? Meerman Scott’s book is a go-to-guide for any professional looking to understand social media. Meerman Scott focuses on blogging, podcasts, Wikis and RSS feeds, as well as explaining how the Internet has changed traditional marketing forever.

To generate PR for Mr. Scott and his book, I “stumbled upon” Meerman Scott’s website, as well as created a free press release at PR.com. I’m still waiting for the release to be confirmed.

Looking forward to blogging about my delectable dinner last night… soon to come!

There’s no denying it, we’re in a recession. Jobs aren’t plentiful to say the least, and upperclassmen are worried about how to get a leg up in the competition. I’m graduating in May and I know that I’m constantly trying to do things to make myself stand out from the rest. And by rest I mean the other tens of thousand college graduates looking for work come May.

Last week the Advertising, Retailing and Public Relations Department at MSU put on “Kohl’s Inspirational Day,” an event to boost graduating and job-seeking students. A number of professionals stopped in the different advertising classes and gave their two cents on how to succeed. Among other things, you guessed it, know about social media and blog (it’s a writing sample that will pop up as soon as an employer Googles you.)

New Media Driver’s License has taught me more about social media in the past 6 weeks than I learned being addicted to Facebook for 4 years! There is so much to learn about social media between SEO, social network sites and blogging; it is clear social media is changing the way business does business. Just take a look at Obama’s success with his Social Media platform. We have never seen a President use the Internet in such a way with such measurable results. There were over 6.5 million online donations to his campaign, 2 million profiles created on My.BarackObama.com, and over 5 million supporters on other social networking and multimedia sharing sites.

As David Bullock said, now that you have seen power of social and internet marketing, what actions will you take to learn and use these available tools and concepts to successfully promote your brand and help your business/company?

I strongly recommend you check out the course web page and take advantage of this opportunity.

SEO is, in lamens terms, the process of increasing the amount of visitors to a Web site by ranking high in the search results of a search engine. So how do you increase your number of visitors? By improving internal and external aspects in order to increase the traffic the site receives from search engines.

So the concept is simple. When you use Google, Yahoo, AskJeeves or MSN, you type in what you’re looking for in the search box. Search queries, the words that users type into the search box, carry lots and lots and lots of value. Search queries contain terms and phrases best suited to your site. The higher a Web site ranks in the results of a search, the greater the chance that that site will be visited by a user.

My New Media Driver’s license professor, Derek Mehreban, has posted an SEO Guide Basics post which will help you understand SEO.  SEO, in a nutshell, is refining your keywords and content so your website promoting your company/product/service is more likely to be found by the people who want to find it, what a concept!

Another word press blogger has created a great post about SEO for Dummies which is sure to get you started.  Effectively using SEO by getting more users to your website can help just about anyone get their message out there. It’s all about producing relevant content for your audience, and creating the right links/keywords/etc. to increase your website’s performance.

Search Engine Optomization could make a pretty cool amusement park ride though… imagine an indoor ride with 3d glasses where you’re searching for clues about how to solve a crisis: how to drive traffic to your website!