Being a web developer is a great career if you don’t mind long hours and cold coffee. It lets us use our imaginations and creativity as much as we like and get paid for it. It’s important to try new methods and ideas, as well as embrace new technologies as they mature. It’s way too easy to build the same old sites with the same navigation or functionality day after day, but that’s not what we’re about.
The RT Design Group is successful because we don’t follow the crowd. We don’t design cookie cutter sites, or use templates to create. We use what we have and let our imaginations get the better of us. We way “why not?” instead of “why?” and that pays dividends.
Major Naples Web Design Companies
There is a definite balance that needs to be struck between a design idea and practicality though. It’s all very well having a killer design, but if it’s difficult to navigate or find anything it’s a failure. Whatever the concept, the function has to win over form and the main job of a web developer is to balance the two.
It sometimes hurts when the design you are so enthusiastic about won’t work because it breaks usability rules. You have to put yourself in the shoes of the end user and consider how they would use the site and navigate their way round it. Ask any developer or artist who has had to compromise on a concept or abandon it because it doesn’t work. They will tell you it isn’t easy, but it is necessary in order for the client and the end user to get what they need.
It sounds pretty straightforward when you think about it. After all we aren’t designing something for ourselves, or even our client. We are designing for the end user who will actually be using the site in the real world. It’s hard sometimes, because when you put a lot of time, sweat and tears into something you become fond of it and think of it as yours.
Being a Naples web developer, and working a lot with local people and businesses allows us to build relationships with them. It also makes it more personal, and drives us to do a good job for them.
This makes the whole process that little bit harder. Especially when it comes to form over function. In the end, however good the artwork or design might be, it has to fit the brief. It also has to fit the brand of the client and the needs of the users. The user must be able to navigate everything easily and the client must be able to update it just as simply.
So while the design is important, and something we at The RT Design Group are very good at. It is second to function. The whole point of a website is to provide the visitor with exactly what they need, exactly when they need it. All other considerations come second.
My husband and I decided to dine at Adobe Cantina and Salsa several weekends ago while we were in the Hammond, LA area on some personal business. The restaurant is owned by the same people who own La Carrata's in Baton Rouge, so we knew the restaurant would have good food and service!
Adobe Cantina and Salsa is a Mexican restaurant offering authentic Mexican food and a full service bar. This location has a beautiful patio area with about 20 tables for dining among lots of live plants and outdoor fountains. It was simply gorgeous and if the temperature wasn't 90 degrees, we would have opted to dine outdoors. However, we chose the dining room, which was also decorated with a Mexican flair and had cool air conditioning blowing.
Location Reviewed
Adobe Cantina and Salsa
1905 W. Thomas
Hammond, LA.
Adobe Cantina's Dining Atmosphere
The dining room at Adobe Cantina and Salsa is in one large room with the bar to the rear of the dining room. All of the tables are a dark wood with a high gloss finish. The walls are decorated with Mexican artwork. I also noticed a shelf along the wall leading to the restrooms that contained unusual items such as an antique cash register and sewing machine. I thought this to be an interesting choice for deco for this type of restaurant and didn't exactly know why they were chose as part of the décor.
I was pleased to find a full menu available and pleasantly surprised to find lunch specials on a Saturday! There were numerous choices but I settled on an enchilada/taco combination. It was served with beans and Mexican rice as the typical side dishes. This plate was only $6.99 on the special lunch menu. My husband made his own selection by making his own combination choices. He chose 3 beef tacos and selected his preferred toppings. His dish came with beans and Mexican rice also. This selection was $7.99.
Food
We were served with complimentary chips and salsa which I found to be much better than the average fare at most Mexican establishments. The chips were fresh, served hot and had a bit of a kick (as in spice) cooked in them. The salsa was also delightful. It was spicy with all the fresh ingredients chopped up finely. The flavor was great! It had just enough spices to make you go “hummm” but not set your mouth on fire.
We both enjoyed our selections of food. I noticed that the food was prepared and served nicely on our plates. It had a fresh taste and you could definitely tell it wasn't a dish that had been nuked in the microwave or previously frozen. Another bonus was the blend of cheeses used as the topping on the beans, which was also present on the tacos and enchiladas.
Our entrees were equally as good as the chips and salsa! The tacos were 3/4 of the way filled with beef and topped with lettuce, tomatoes and a cheese blend spilling over the top of the taco shell. My enchilada was also good but I found it to be small in size as compared to what is served in other Mexican restaurants.
Atmosphere
Adobe Cantina and Salsa is a great place to go and hang out, drink margaritas, or have dinner with family and/or friends. The restaurant is kid-friendly and has boosters and highchairs available. They also have several choices on the menu for vegetarians.
The dining room is large and well decorated. They have numerous high definition big screen TV's in the room. It would be a great place to park yourself at the bar and watch a sporting event or just enjoy a drink or two with friends. Adobe Cantina and Salsa plays Spanish music both inside the dining room and on the patio. We found it to be very enjoyable and not so loud to where you couldn't hear other people at your table.
The waiters/waitresses here are all of the Mexican culture here. Our waiter was very attentive and provided very good service. The dining room was very clean, except for the table near us, where a family with several small children were seated. The kids had more food on the floor than on the table or in their stomachs.
Margaritas
I had one margarita (top shelf) while waiting for my meal. It was very good and worth the $6.00 for a medium size. In fact, this size is normally a large in many restaurants.
Overall Recommendation
I will certainly return to the Adobe Cantina and Salsa the next time I am in the Hammond, LA area. The food, service and atmosphere were all first class! Cheers!