Dear Editor:Living in Downey for more than 40 years, my one pleasure was going over to Marie Callender's on Florence Avenue and have something to eat with pie a la mode for dessert. For the last few months, however, I have noticed that something has changed. The food doesn't taste the same anymore. I've taken my dad and my husband with me, and they agree. I ordered the spaghetti with shrimps. The shrimps did not taste fresh. I tried to bite into the second shrimp. It tasted nasty. I told the waitress that the shrimp was not good. Another time with the same group, my dad and I ordered the "hamburger special" that was advertised on TV. One bite into the bugrger, both my dad and I could taste that these were not the burgers we were used to. I left the burger on the plate. I ordered the pie with vanilla ice cream. How could that be wrong, right? Wrong. The vanilla ice cream had ice chunks in it. In all the years eating in that establishment, I have never had that happen. What has changed? The management? The owner? Is someone trying to make a few bucks more by serving inferior food? I have noticed that the place is nearly empty, as is the parking lot. What a disappointment! Does anyone know what the story is at Marie Callender's? -- Veronica Martinez, Downey

********** Published: April 21, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 1