Razzle's Travels

Cowgirl Creamery Sidekick - San Francisco Ferry Building

2010-09-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

I love cheese, this is no secret. So when I found out Cowgirl Creamery was opening the much anticipated extension to their Ferry Building location today, I had to be there. The menu is limited, but everything sounds amazing.

I'm only halfway through my lunch, but had to get this up immediately.

I ordered the Cabot Clothbound Cheddar cheese toastie ($6.75). With carmelized onions and supposedly maple mustard. Of course on quality Acme bread from next door. You get two slices of bread, open faced with yum yum yummy melted cheese. The mustard though, is more spicey brown mustard than reminiscent of any maple flavor. And I have to admit I was intrigued by the idea of maple mustard. It comes with a small side of mache with a vinigrette that is delicious!

I have dessert, imploring me to eat my toastie faster. Chocolate mousse panna cotta ($3.00). Serving size - small. Imagine a slightly larger size of those take home containers you put ketchup or mustard in at a burger place. Update: I've now taken my first three bites of dessert. It is unbelievably thick and rich and if the portion size was any larger it would go to waste. Well, not really I love chocolate as much as I love cheese, but my waistline would not forgive me.

They are also open in the morning for breakfast a menu which contains Bambinis, Gougeres (yes that will be my breakfast tomorrow) and yogurt bowls (which look delicious and are a good size for $3.75).

Update: Tried the Bambini with Mt. Tam and Ham (and mustard)($5.00), the bread is soft and to die for delicious, as are the fillings. I do love the Mt. Tam so pretty much anything it is on I am guaranteed to love. The only thing that could have made this better as a breakfast item if it was served slightly warm, and had an egg involved.
I had a savory Gougeres as well, that was less awesome. But to be fair, I am not a fan of the cheese that's in it to begin with. The puff pastry it was in didn't do much for me either.

A lady who had ordered the other cheese toastie - Bellweather Crescenza with herbs and summer peppers and a salad did have to send her salad back, they had forgotten the eggplant. Another girl after me wasn't overwhelmed by the flavor of her egg cream, but admitted she'd never had one before and didn't know quite what to expect. On second thought, she declared it a nice light chocolate drink.

They are fully staffed and it does look a bit crowded back there, but given the touristy location, how busy the store gets, and the lunch hour it is necessary. The kitchen is a bit slow, but I'm chalking this up to first day kinks. Hopefully in a week or two things will be running smoother and faster.

The woodwork, by the pick up counter is beautiful. There are parts that look like they were just taken off of a tree trunk and planted right there.

Sue Conley and Peggy Smith were there today, checking out their newest outpost, and both of them kindly came over and asked what I was ordering and re-assured me that it was being prepared. Sue had one of the mozzarella plates with heirloom tomatoes and basil and it looked divine! Prices on that range are $8.50 and $10.75 depending on the mozzarella choice.

Had the Buratta with heirloom tomatoes, olive oil and basil for lunch on Friday, they left off the basil, which was a bummer, since I'm sure that would have made it way more delicious than it already was. The tomatoes were slightly salted with a course salt, which I loved! The Buratta was creamy and smooth and will be the only option I ever get on this plate. I did ask to taste the cheeses, and it seemed to irk the girl behind the counter, she gave me tastes of the buffalo and cow mozzarellas, but did not want to let me taste the ricotta or buratta. Well, I'd like to know what my options are before I order(plus I'd seen them letting someone else try them on Wed). She did let me taste the buratta finally, and good thing, or else I would have just gotten another item off the menu, the other cheeses were not as tasty. There are a couple slices of Acme bread and some olives spread around as well, and the bed of mache that the cheese lays on.
I also got an order of the Wagon Wheel over potatoes ($7.50), with some yummy pickles sprinkled about. Amazingly good, I wish there had been more potatoes in there!

If you love cheese, and want a reasonably priced lunch option (at least for the Ferry Building) head on over.

Phone (415) 392-4000

Holiday Inn Express - El Paso

2010-03-17T15:24:00.001-07:00

There isn't much in the way of hotels in El Paso. Not downtown at least. I do have to say if staying in a hotel the Holiday Inn Express isn't a bad way to spend a night or two.
There's free breakfast, not just continental, but warm foods too.
Free shuttle to and from the airport, and within a couple mile radius if you don't rent a car and need to get someplace.
The rates are decent, there are some restaurant options nearby, and the front desk staff is very nice.
Also, one or two nights a week the manager has a happy hour special. Free Mexican food snacking, which can double as dinner!
The rooms are spacious, pretty standard furnishings. It must cater more to business travelers than actual tourists.The beds are comfortable, but beware if you are sensitive to scented laundry detergent. I came back to my room the second day and it reeked of something flowery. I gave it some time thinking it would go away, but when I sat on the bed I realized it was the sheets and blankets. Called housekeeping, they said it was the detergent they used. Strange, since it hadn't smelled the night before, had they not changed the sheets then? But the manager came up and verified it was the detergent. Housekeeping came up, changed the linens again and this time it didn't smell. Apparently they keep a batch of unscented detergent linens somewhere.
They had a raindrop shower head which I loved, pretty high end for this type of hotel. But the bath towels were thin and not so soft. That's to be expected though in a non-4 star.

If you are brave enough to wander over to Juarez, it's a very close drive to the border and is actually even walkable from the hotel

Dynamo Coffee and Donuts - San Francisco

2010-03-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

With a name like Dynamo, I expected donuts with a punch or a kick. This is a little storefront in the Mission, just grab and go. No seating, no milling about.
We went with bacon donuts in mind, but they were out. So I ended up with a Huckleberry Meyer Lemon, because it had a bright pink glaze and a Chocolate Rose, because it had a rosewater glaze and I'm a sucker for anything with rosewater in it.
$3 each.

By the time I'd gotten home with my bag of donuts, the pink glaze was mostly melted to the top of the bag. But the donut was soft, so very melt in my mouth soft. THIS is what a donut that is made fresh daily tastes like. There were tiny huckleberries in the donut, but to be honest, I didn't taste much of anything. It mostly just tasted like a sugar donut. But the soft meltiness of it made me just gobble it up.

The chocolate rose on the other hand, I took that one bite you see there. The rest of that one went in the trash. The guy at the counter said it was a very sweet donut, but it wasn't. It was bitter. I'm guessing that means bittersweet chocolate was used to make it, but whatever sweetness the rosewater was supposed to impart on it, didn't take.

Next time, I need to remember to get there earlier in the day, while they still have bacon donuts.

2760 24th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110-4263
(415) 920-1978

Papalote - Crushing Bobby Flay's Gringo Burrito

2010-03-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

I don't usually take food advice from Bobby Flay, but after watching Throwdown on Monday night I had to go to Papalote. The burrito they made on the show made my mouth water. Bobby's made me laugh, it was not a burrito, and certainly not by Mission standards.

So a friend and I trekked out to Valencia and 24th and were met with long lines and a very busy dining area. Ah yes, seems that the exposure did them well. It's a small place, with three or four employees working the kitchen. The meat is being grilled constantly, so your burrito meat is freshly cooked. I got a carne asada super burrito. Nice upsell by the cashier on that one. Burrito $9, bottle of Crystal Geyser still water? $2.25!! As my friend said "that's movie theater prices"! Yeah, next time, must remember to get water at a bodega down the street for 50 cents. I really did want the Triple Threat they made on the show (steak, chicken and shrimp), but it's $20! I won't be getting that anytime soon.

Although, the shrimp that were on the grill looked damn tasty, I might have to get that next time.

We ordered and then took our numbers to the dining area where we were seated. Almost immediately two bowls of chips and salsa were at out table. Nom, nom, nom, this salsa was spicey! Like super spicey, and yet I couldn't stop eating it. The salsa was what they used on the show on the burrito, but our burritos did not have it in them.
I wish they had.

So then the burrito made it's appearance. Not kidding, it was as big as my forearm! I wish I'd had my camera so I could prove that to you.
It was good, really good. Not overwhelming on the guac and sourcream, so I could still taste everything else in it. And I ate half very quickly. My friend had the chili verde one, she loved it, so much that she ate the whole thing! Interestingly, she didn't think there was rice in hers, since it didn't fill her up like burritos with rice usually do. So they were light on the rice, meaning? More room for meat! I bagged the rest and called it dinner.

Despite being such a busy place, they weren't constantly hovering offering to take our plates and push us out the door, so that was nice. I think it's a bit overpriced for the area, given that there are a million taquerias in the area. So this won't go down as one of my cheap eats places. Is it the bestest burrito I've ever had? No, it's not. But it is a damn good burrito.

Somerset - Rockridge

2010-03-01T17:53:00.000-08:00

This was my second visit to Somerset. My first was for dinner last year, we sat outside in the garden, it was busy, and the food was delicious. Today I was craving carbonara, and so took my mom out to lunch. There were only 3 other tables seated and perhaps that should have been my warning. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. Mom ordered the warm spinach salad, it promised mushrooms, egg, apples, a bacon-cider vinagrette and onion rings. At $10.50, for a place that touts itself as home-cooking I expected a decent sized salad. Because home-cooking doesn't mean small portions. But this salad was small. And lacked any flavor. I got my carbonara. Now, at $16.50, I expect a good-sized bowl of pasta. Pasta is cheap, and really frozen peas and bacon don't add a huge cost. I finished my entree in 7 bites. And I don't take enormous bites. So $30 later, our meals were done in less time than it took to make them. Maybe it's a lunch thing? Maybe it's just gone downhill, but I won't be back.

Rick and Ann's - Home Cookin' Done Right

2010-02-28T10:24:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe I've never written about my most favorite East Bay restaurant, Rick and Ann's. Tucked away on a small street in the Oakland Hills, next to the Claremont Resort and Sp a, you can easily miss it if you are driving by.
You can find me here fairly often, maybe that's why I don't want you to know about it, because it is amazing!
Brunch is everyday until 2:30, so yes, you can get your fix of breakfast foods until the middle of the afternoon. As a testament to how good it is, there is always a wait on weekends. And worth it.
Last weekend I went at 8:30, a daring hour for me in the morning, but was seated immediately. They opened at 8 and had yet to set up the outside seating, so there were a few people waiting for that. The previous weekend my cousin from Toronto was visiting, and we ended up going at 10:15, there were tons of people standing outside, and we were quoted an hour wait. No problem, there's Peet's next door for coffee, the weather was outstanding, and it's not like you are standing on a busy street corner. There are a couple other stores on the street so you can browse cute stuff if you want. 15 minutes later we were called in. What? That never happens! Apparently there was a huge party coming in and so they wanted to sit all the smaller parties first.

Now, I have two absolutely favorite dishes here. And if you go, you have to try at least one. They both take longer to make than anything else on the menu, so I generally try and order as soon as I sit, while my companions take the time to read the menu.
First, I love french toast. In all shapes, sizes and toppings. But their challah french toast is sublime. Why? Because it uses the challah, and is dipped in orange-cardomom batter, so with every bite, there's a bit of the orange flavor. YUM!
Secondly, the potato pancakes. Smothered in cheese. Served with sour cream and applesauce on the side. Need I say more? Ok one more word, this is the perfect breakfast appetizer for your entire table. Order it.
You also might know that I don't usually order egg dishes while dining out, but sometimes I make an exception for the bacon, greens, and cheese omlette. It's wrapped in bacon!!! How could I not.
They also have specials that vary daily, and are always amazing, at least according to my fellow diners that have ordered them.
And for you light breakfast eaters? Or true Berkeley types? How about some of Rick's granola atop some yogurt? I haven't tried it, but I'll bet it's good. Gluten or wheat free? For you there's the orange flour pancakes, which I will admit, I've tasted, and loved.
And if you are coming in later, and want a sandwich and are vegetarian? My mom approved of the portabello sandwich. Because as you can see it's not just a slice of mushroom on bread, done half-heartedly. This is full-of flavor, so much that even a raging carnivore (and mushroom hater) like myself liked it! Eggplant, pesto, provolone, spinach and the shroom.

Dinner, ah yes, dinner time. I've never had much of a wait for dinner, I suppose I go mid-week when things are quieter. But this is the mom's cooking, that mom never made me.
The mac and cheese always makes my mouth water, rich and creamy and some spinach on the side for that healthy factor. If you are a fan of the non-boxed mac and cheeses, this is for you.

Meatloaf is another dinner item that was never on my table as a child, so I don't know how to make it. Rather, playing with ground beef creeps me out, and so I just order it out. Ann knows a good meatloaf recipe when she sees it. Maybe the secret is in the quality of the meat they use!

I'm going to also nominate Rick and Ann's for one of my cheap eats places, because for the most part breakfast is under $10, unless you opt for one of the specials, and dinner, hovers around $15. Both bargains in this era of high priced home cookin'.

Checkers Hotel - Downtown LA

2010-02-23T19:26:00.000-08:00

Another business trip, this time to wonderful downtown Los Angeles. I want to say nice things about the Checkers, really I do. It came highly recommended, cost plenty, and the whole art deco boutique vibe called to me. Even though it is a Hilton.
I will say the beds are very comfortable.
But service? Leads a lot to be desired.
I was there for a week, it's not a huge hotel, and I interacted with the same guy at the front desk enough times that I would hope he would remember which guest I was.
Upon walking in, I was ignored for about 10 minutes while the 2 people behind the desk chatted about something that was clearly more important than their customer standing there.
The room I was given had a lovely view of a wall, from all angles.

And was small, possibly the smallest and narrowest room they had. The desk was in a weird position between the bed and the TV.

Also, see that light that is in the headboard? Would you believe there was no off switch anywhere? And when I called downstairs to ask them how to turn it off they didn't know! I finally found the cord and unplugged it.

However, had the most old school bathroom I had seen. The great old marble walls and floors, and the vanity seat! I loved it, this is what I was expecting from the hotel.

This simply would not do for a week. Called downstairs and requested a room that at least got some light. I was told to go back down, turn in my keys and get another key. Really? The hotel wasn't that busy and they could afford to send someone upstairs with a key so I wouldn't have to drag my suitcase all over the place again.

This room was better, at least semi-views of the high-rise buildings downtown. If I craned my neck enough

There was more space in the room, which when staying for a week does help not feel clausterphobic, especially as I would be working in the room a lot.

My final evening at the hotel, my brother came to stay, so I requested a room with two beds
THIS is the holy grail of rooms, spacious, amazing views, and a double headed shower!

The hotel has a rooftop pool, which was another draw. Unfortunately, it was closed the week I was there. Which was a bummer, as I was hoping for some night time rooftop hanging out.
The one downside to this last room, was that it was on the top floor, and for some reason despite the roof being closed, was very very loud. I don't know what exactly was going on above me, but had I wanted to sleep, instead of go out, it would have bothered me.

The front door men were great when it came to getting cabs and directions. And while I was staying there there was a movie or commercial or somesuch being filmed across the street at the entrance to the Biltmore.

Mijita - Ferry Building Mexican

2010-02-13T20:12:00.000-08:00

I have to say, having had lots of Mexican in San Francisco, I was disappointed with Mijita. Sure, it's the Ferry Building and they cater to tourists who don't really want authentic anything, but mild Mexican isn't really my idea of a great lunch.

There is a good side to it, it's cheap and fairly quick. The lines move quickly, you can watch them making food if you stand outside in the window, so you know there are no skanky kitchen activities going on.

If the weather is nice you can sit outside in their reserved seating area, instead of on the dock with birds flying overhead.

I did have the first fish taco of my life here. And I will say, that it didn't gross me out. A fear I'd always had of fish tacos. Although, the breading on the fish? Came off before I even took a bite. So what I had was fried stuff on top of my fish. Smothered in some sort of coleslaw like thing.

Will I go back? Probably not, unless I am hungry and walking by. I'd much rather hop on Muni and head to the Mission for authentic Mexican.

Huynh - Vietnamese in the Creek

2009-09-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

I've been craving decent Vietnamese food for the past few months, ever since reading A Cook's Tour for bookclub. That was the only chapter that literally had me salivating. So after having disappointing Vietnamese in Oregon, a post for a later time, I was glad to be back in the Bay Area where my all time favorite, Tu Lan, resides.

Alas, today I was in the suburban East Bay and so my choices were limited. We headed out to Downtown Walnut Creek and hit Huynh for lunch. We walked in around 1 pm and the restaurant was more than half full, mostly business lunch types, but also a couple of women friends having lunch and catching up and a couple Persian men discussing thier families. The decor is great, greenish bamboo wallpaper, dark woods, a glass (?) wall with green trees painted on it, and a beautiful wine wall in the bar that I would like to incorporate into my imaginary house one day.

I suspect the two people who worked there were the owners, she would take orders and refill water glasses, he would bring out the food. But you didn't get the feel of a typical mom and pop ethnic restaurant, it was definitely a step above. Tablecloths, plastic chopsticks, and with every serving of food, new plates were laid out. Cute square plates at that, made me want to go shopping at Pier 1.

We ordered the imperial rolls ($7 for 3) and they were every bit as flavorful as imperial rolls should be. There was a side of pickled jicama, carrots, and lettuce that we nibbled on. Our neighboring table had ordered the spring rolls and they were HUGE! I'd have problems fitting that in my mouth. Next time, I'm ordering those.
My companion ordered the chicken curry with yellow rice ($9). I'm not sure what the yellow rice is, maybe a curry rice? I don't think it's saffron. It was delicious, full of flavor, but not overly spicy. There were carrots and potatoes and plenty of sauce. Not to shabby on the chicken portion either for lunch, although I would hope for dinner it would be a slightly larger portion.
I ordered the Brown Rice Clay Pot ($11). I couldn't finish all of it, it was filled with zucchini, green beans, mushrooms, onion, chicken and shrimp. Initially, I didn't think it had much flavor but as I dug deeper into the pot the sweetness of the rice and veggie mixture started to come out. Delicious.

Does it beat Tu Lan? For atmosphere and cleanliness absolutely! I'd say it's a tie for tastiness and obviously slightly higher in price, but this is the Creek and priciness is a given. It is certainly better than the Walnut Creek outpost of Le Cheval and I will be returning.

Chow SF - Home cooking in the Castro

2009-05-15T21:30:00.001-07:00

Last night I met a good friend for dinner in the Castro. My default comfort food spot there is Home, which is conveniently across Market from Chow, but he insisted on Chow, which led me to believe there is a hot waiter there or just a better gay scene.
I'd eaten at the one in Lafayette before and left with a stomache ache and completely disappointed, because how hard is it to get spaghetti right?
But as this is the city and competition is stiffer I'd hoped for a better result.
I was not disappointed.

I had the short ribs which come in 3 sizes, small through large. I asked how many ribs per serving size and was told it was by weight, although not what the specific weights were. I opted for medium, he got a large. Our food was on the table less than 4 minutes later. Took me by surprise, but I was hungry and dug in.

My medium was two pieces, and left me still wanting more food. His large seemed substantially bigger, and for $2 more well worth it. The meat was tender, fell off the bone easily and was delicious. The mashed potatoes could have been more sizable, and althought they were supposedly mushroom flavored I saw nor tasted the funghi in my potatoes.

I got the chocolate cake for dessert, it was warm and I didn't share. But it was very dense and with the chocolate sauce on top, very rich. But just mediocre in flavor.

Service was quick, the restaurant was busy and it was considerably better than it's suburban outpost. But next time I'm sticking to Home and it's awesome mac and cheese or pot roast.

Fe's Bed and Breakfast - Tule Lake, CA

2008-08-31T10:13:00.000-07:00

On a road trip from Central Oregon to Carson City, NV we decided to spend the night midway which landed us in the border town of Tule Lake, CA. We decided to stay at Fe's B&B and couldn't have chosen a more hospitable place.
We arrived late, at 10 pm, and noticed how small Tulelake was. Most the bars on Main Street had signs welcoming bikers, which seemed strange, but I guess welcoming if you were a biker. Fe's is a very short drive off the highway, which made it convenient when traveling to parts unknown at night. As soon as we pulled up Fe came out to meet us. She showed us inside her 2 story, 4 bedroom bed and breakfast and it was amazingly full for the night!
We had the only room on the first floor, perfect for families traveling with a child, since it had a twin bed in addition to the queen bed. The only downside of this room is that the two bathrooms are upstairs. None of the rooms have private baths, but that wasn't a problem even though Fe's was full. The room was spacious in B&B terms, and had DISH Satellite TV. So our night was spent watching the Olympics in bed. The other guests were all watching Olympics in the common room. Something about Fe's feels like you are staying at your aunt's house. It might be the decor, it's very comforting, and unlike staying in a chain hotel it's not bland predictable.
In the morning, breakfast was served at two tables, one for 6 and one for 4. We met Bob briefly, and then he was off to give a lava bed tour. That and hunting seem to be the big draw in Tulelake, almost everyone was there to see the lava beds. Breakfast was generous. An omlette with mushrooms, peppers and cheese, english muffins, canadian bacon (or ham?), home fries, coffee, orange juice, and fresh fruit bowls.
We had a lovely talk with Fe about the area, and how they started thier b&b. It's been there for 8 years, since Fe came over from the Philippenes. She is a very energetic and lovely hostess. I'm used to staying in places where the hosts generally shy away from the guests and this was a refreshing change. After breakfast we started on the rest of our drive to NV.
Contact info: 877-478-0184
660 Main Street
Tule Lake, CA 96134

Hilton Portland - My default hotel

2008-07-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

When I need to stay in downtown Portland on the cheap I go to Priceline and bid on a 3 star hotel. I have yet to get anywhere but the Hilton. Usually hovering somewhere around $110 a night, this weekend I hit the jackpot and got it for $64 (going rate was $149 at the hotel).

In the five times I've stayed here, this was the first time they accomodated my request for a room with a king bed. So those are the pics you see.

Room sizes completely vary, this king room was the smallest room I've been in, I've also had corner doubles that were enormous and a couple other doubles that were average size and a very small double. So if you get a room that is small and you are staying with someone, you might want to try asking if they have another room available.

The beds aren't super comfy like some of the other Hiltons I've stayed at, but also not uncomfortable by any means. I chalk it up to the older status of the hotel.

It is an older hotel, decor wise, but very centrally located and I can walk anywhere downtown or in the Pearl relatively quickly. There is a Max station located a couple blocks down in Pioneer Square and the Streetcar runs a few blocks over on 10th. Shopping galore is also a couple blocks away, Nordstrom, a huge Banana Republic and also the mall.

It is also generally a very busy hotel! This is the one time I've checked in and not come across large groups of people and parties in the lobby.

There is a fitness center, which they charge $10 a day to use, and internet is also at a charge, like all other Hiltons. Parking is $25 a day, but there is a lot across 6th Street that charges $15 for overnight parking if you just need a place to stash the car while you sleep.

Another odd thing I came across charge-wise, I left my rings in the bathroom and realized it when it was too late to turn around and go back. I called and security confirmed they were in the bathroom. They offered to mail it back to me, but would need a credit card to charge it to. Otherwise they will hold on to them for 60 days. I didn't understand why they wouldn't just mail them to me in an envelope and not charge me, but it just seemed part of the small fees for everything nature of the chain.

I've eaten at the 921 Bistro a few times, and it is reasonably priced and the food is fairly good. Great if you get in late at night and just want a quick bite to eat before bed. But if you have time and want really good food you are just a walk from tons of restaurants. For breakfast it's good if you want a quick bite before a meeting, but if you have time you need to go to Mother's instead.

Overall, it's a good bargain if you are in town and need a centrally located place to stay.

Cocoon Urban Day Spa - Manis and Pedis

2008-07-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

So when my best girlfriend suggested we go after work one day to treat our little toes, I tried to find somewhere that was a midway point for both of us. Enter Cocoon Urban Day Spa in the SoMa part of town. Location is a few uphill blocks away from most of the financial district, but if you are lazy like me you take a cab.

It's a bit hard to find from the street, as the building didn't have an easily noticable sign, and shares a space with a restaurant. The space is on the second floor, and is also part yoga studio.

The manicure/pedicure room is huge! and has windows on two sides, so full of light. While you can occassionally hear the traffic from the street below, for the most part you forget that you are right downtown.
They had brownies and strawberries for us to snack on, and for the ladies that came in after 5 pm they offered champagne. It might have been because we were using a coupon? Coupons on thier website are pretty good, they are limited by time of day but that just gives you an excuse to cut out of work early!

Service was great, they were running late, but the ladies that worked on us were all very nice and sociable and did a great job. Even when I smashed my nails upon paying. We got the ultimate mani/pedi combo, which for some reason I thought included paraffin, but instead just had warm booties and mittens. Still very relaxing and a good way to spend an afternoon.

They have one person doing your nails while the other does your toes, so it's efficient and you don't have to sit around and wait too much. And so you know it's sanitary they also use metal bowls for the pedicure water and not the sometimes unclean plastic tubs most places do. However, they do still have massage chairs. It would be a great place to go with a group of girlfriends for an afternoon of treatments.

I haven't gone back to try any of thier other treatments, but it seemed they only had a couple treatment rooms. And the space that seemed to be the yoga studio seemed a bit small. Maybe they have small classes.

I will definitely return for another treatment soon! Oh and you cannot tip on your credit card, so make sure to take cash for tips (otherwise you have to pay the atm fee downstairs).

Location: 330 first street, second floor
san francisco, ca 94105
415.777.0100

Burgers and Shakes Oh My! - Taylors Automatic Refresher

2008-05-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

So I had reservations at Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc one night, we were headed up to Napa to shop for the day and it seemed like a delightful idea to stop and get some fancy food time in. But, as I pulled up the menu for that evening, nothing appealed to me. And so reservation cancelled and a new mission is upon us. We had passed a new outpost of Taylor's Automatic Refresher along the way, and since I love me some tasty burgers and thick shakes that was where dinner would be!

The line here was considerably shorter than I've ever seen at the Ferry Building outpost, I suspect it is because this is a very new location in what seems to be a new part of downtown Napa.

But let's get on to the food shall we? I got a cheeseburger and fries. Classic. I think the key to thier burgers, is really the bun. Look at that thing, it's just perfect.

The tasty continues with thier yummy good quality meat, cheese, and of course special sauce thing.

My companion got a patty melt, and the sweet potato fries. But she mixed it up a bit and asked them to leave off the chili powder and instead give it the garlic coating. She is BRILLIANT! They were possibly the best sweet potato fries I've ever had.

She did love her patty melt as well, and it even caused a man to pause at our table and ask what she was eating. He apparently had never seen one before.

I do love that thier condiments come in little pastic containers with lids. They were sturdy containers and for some reason just struck me as really adorable. Thier plastic drink cups are made from recyclable materials and they have recycling bins next to the trash as well. Yeay for being green!

A little bit of Rock n Roll - Jupiter Hotel - Portland

2008-05-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

The Jupiter is what I'm going to refer to as Rock n' Roll hotel. It is home to the Doug Fir Lounge, a small venue with live indie bands, food, and obviously a bar. Located nearby is also Union Jack's a strip bar. So, on a Saturday night, you can only imagine that it is crowded, loud, and full of partiers. We arrived late (1 am) and the hotel parking was full, so park on a residential side street and pray for no ticket in the morning. I didn't really see any signs clearly marking the hotel, so it's a good thing my companion had stayed there before!

There's lots of outdoor seating, and I swear I saw a firepit, but I may have been a bit tipsy. I suspect this used to be a Travelodge or a Howard Johnson's type hotel, that was just updated to be kinda cool kinda funky. We ended up in one of the Lobu rooms.

This means a queen platform bed with a light comforter and blanket, no artwork, a small table with two chairs and a tv. The bed however, is comfortable and the towels soft.

Very minimalistic, and very small. There is chalk in the room, and until the morning I didn't realize it was for the room door that is painted with chalkboard paint. Cool!

The bathroom also follows the minimalist approach, fun vinyl shower curtain, small sink. Very basic.

The only, and biggest complaint I have about the Jupiter is the super thin walls. We had been placed between two rooms that were for one group of friends. So there was lots of going back and forth between the two rooms, standing in front of our room and having conversations about who was drunker than who, and who could kick a cops ass. Other conversations revolved around which strip club was better (Mary's is apparently more "accomodating"). I couldn't decide if it was a bunch of frat boys, or a bachelor party.

So if you want a romantic night away, I wouldn't recommend staying here for a relaxing quiet night. I would however recommend it for a girls or boys night out partying late. Or if you want to have really loud sex and want people to hear.

The lobby has apples and coffee in the morning, and the Doug Fir apparently serves a decent breakfast starting early in the morning for those of you who don't plan on going to bed.

Salt House - San Francisco

2008-04-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

The Salt House opened a while back, but I finally had a chance to grab lunch there this week. I am a huge fan of Town Hall, the partner's other restaurant a couple blocks away and have eaten many a satisfied meal there.
I arrived very late for lunch, so my friends had already eaten bunches of oysters, and 3 dishes of thier pickled vegetables. Apparently those were quite good! We did get another dish for the table, but the two of them inhaled it before I got a chance.
Since I was late I had my friends order for me. They ordered the chicken. Which as the waitress informed them is a salad, even though it is on the entree portion of the menu, and doesn't use the word salad in the name or description.
When the waitress brought it to the table I could see why. It was possibly half a roast chicken and not greasy at all, with perfectly crisp skin. It laid across a mixture of baby spinach, radishes, and the thickest, meatiest, chunks of bacon I've ever seen. Sprinkled with finely chopped egg and tossed with a dressing that I couldn't identify but wasn't heavy or oily. There were some crimini mushrooms in there as well, that didn't distract me enough to realize I was eating them.
I rarely order salads, but this is one I would certainly get again.
One of my friends is a vegan, and there was nothing on the menu for her. However, the kitchen threw a dish together for her with vegetables and some salsa verde. It was colorful and smelled amazing! She said it tasted as good as it smelled.
Our other friend got a rueben turkey sandwich on rye, with some red relish and a side of very yummy chips. He didn't share the sandwich with me, so that speaks as to how tasty it must have been.
Despite being full, we had to have dessert. I got a molten chocolate cake with chip whip and mint-chip ice cream. I was slightly disappointed with the amount of ice-cream on the plate. Literally a teaspoon size. Which Mr. Turkey Sandwich picked up with one spoon and swallowed in one bite! I guess it was good......
There was a drizzle of mint oil on the plate and while the melty, yet not warm chocolate cake didn't have any mint flavoring, swiping it along the mint oil gave it a very very minty flavor. The chip whip was a clever mix of homemade cream with teeny tiny chocolate chips thrown in.
The other dessert at the table was mango pudding with forbidden rice and cream. I had a couple bites of this, and it was so rich and mangoey! I love when I can taste the freshness of the fruit in dishes. It reminded me of mango sticky rice but ten times better.

My favorite little thing to love about the restaurant are the glass milk bottles they leave at the table with water. They have a very cute pirate type of design on the bottle that made me want to put it in my purse and take it home. However, if you want ice water here you must ask for it, the water they bring to the table is room temperature.

I have to admit I like the ambience of Salt House better than Town Hall. My one complaint about Town Hall is the acoustics. No matter where you sit, it reverberates with all the conversations going on in the restaurant. Salt House has the same high ceiling space, but it wasn't loud. Decorated to fit with the loft style of the SOMA location and with an open kitchen, it was very airy and yet welcoming at the same time.

Location: 545 Mission Street, between 1st and 2nd across from Golden Gate Law School.

Tutweiler Hotel - A Hilton in Birmingham

2008-02-09T17:59:00.000-08:00

When I was told I was heading to Birmingham, I was none to excited. I'd never really had a desire to go to the South in the summer months, I remembered lots of humidity from my childhood in Georgia.

It was suggested I stay at the Tutweiler, and so I booked my room with the hesitation that it was a Hampton Inn.

Oh was I ever wrong.

I got in late after some major airline snafus at about 1 am. The lobby of the hotel is absolutely gorgeous. It was not your run of the mill Hampton Inn.

The front desk greeted me without seeming tired or annoyed that they were at work so late. They suggested a few places that would still deliver dinner at that late hour.

This was the cornerstone of my stay here. Just how friendly and accomodating every staff member I came across was. This is southern hospitality at it's finest.

The room was a bit on the small side, but extremely clean, renovated, and comfortable. Incidentaly a suite was only $20 more and as I found out the following day would have been well worth it. Everyone else in my party had chosen to upgrade and they raved about the suites.

One thing that was odd about my room was the height of everything. It was as if my room was designed for a tall person. Now, I'm 5'2, so I am a bit on the shorter side, but I felt like I needed a step stool for the bed.

A bed wich was very comfortable I might add.

There was also a plasma tv in the room, quite sleek and a dvd player and cable.

So I crawled into the high bed, turned on the tv and went to sleep.

My shower also was created for the tall people. The showerhead was so high I couldn't reach it by standing on my tiptoes. And as there was no bathtub I couldn't stand on the edges to adjust the showerhead either.

Otherwise, there was nice marble flooring, a granite vanity and good towels.

In the morning there is a free breakfast upstairs. Along with the typical croissants, muffins, cereals and fruit there were also hot dishes everyday. The sausage, biscuits and gravy stick solidly in my mind.

Oh and there's always warm cookies to be had atop the piano in the lounge.

Lunch was at the hotel restaurant Icon. This is not southern dining. It's very California sleek and healthy. The salad portions were good and quite yummy.

All in all, I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again. A fabulous hotel, with a wonderful staff.

Hilton Pearl River - NY

2008-02-07T16:44:00.001-08:00

The Pearl River Hilton seems to be in a part of NY/NJ that really has no other hotels around. So thier rates can be as high as they want them to be.

We stayed here for 2 nights for a family wedding, and had a block of about 20 rooms. The regular rate for the Thurs/Friday we were staying was $189/night. Our wedding rate was a bit lower.

When you enter the hotel, you are immediately impressed by the lobby. I suspect in any season other than the winter the grounds would be green and lush and impressive as well. The website makes it seem like an extremely fancy and nice hotel.

Now, when a room costs close to $200/night, outside of Manhattan and in an area that doesn't seem to really have much of a draw I expect it to be a fairly nice room.

This was at best a 3* room. The bathroom was small, and the tiles on the floor cracked, the shower was designed in a way that the entire bathroom floor was soaked by the time you got done with your shower. The rooms on the 2nd floor smelled musty, our rooms on the 4th floor fared better in that aspect.

The rooms were large, but the furniture and bedding nothing special. However, the beds were VERY comfy. I do like that about Hiltons.
Internet was $5/day, which is cheap as other Hiltons I've stayed at charged $9.95 or more.

We had breakfast at La Maisonette, the one restaurant the hotel has, other meals we drove into Nyack to eat. Breakfast has 2 buffet options. The cold buffet, which seems to be a glorified continental breakfast for $9, the hot buffet which included eggs and bacon goodness that was $13.

Overall, if in the area again I would have to see if there is another hotel, because for the room rate it wasn't worth it.

Myers & Chang - Fancy Asian in the South End

2008-02-03T09:34:00.001-08:00

For my birthday this year a few friends and I hit up the buzz of the South End, Myers & Chang. The pedigree of the chefs promises great things, although I am not entirely certain of the decision to not offer a dessert menu when Ms. Chang is known for her pastry skills.

The night started off very poorly with us being quoted a 45 min wait, which turned into an hour and half. There's really no excuse for this, as numerous people who arrived after us without reservations were seated before us. We were a party of 4, it's not incredibly hard to wait for 2 tables of 2 to be empty to seat 4. Plus a party of 4 that arrived after us was seated before us (because one member of the party was pregnant?). They lost many points for the poor handling of this, and for the lame excuses of it will be just a few more minutes.
I wanted to leave, as there are plenty of great restaurants in the area, but my companion K was determined to eat the food there since we had waited already.

Once we turned that corner and were seated the rest of the experience was all positive. Our server was funny and friendly and full of suggestions of what is good "my fault is that I am honest and will tell you what not to get".

The food arrived super fast (as in under 10 minutes), which again, confused me as to why we had such a long wait.

We started with crispy spring rolls ($5) which were filled with chives, bamboo and shitake mushrooms. I didn't taste the mushrooms at all, it was much heavier on the chives and bamboo. Good, standard fare.

We also had the scallion pancakes ($7), K liked them so much we ordered them again later in the meal. These aren't your typical scallion pancakes, they are doughy, an almost foccaccia type of dough lightly sprinkled with scallions. Very yummy, and very filling.
Tiger's Tears ($10). Oh my the yum! If you like beef, and spicy THIS is the dish for you! It's a salad, so it's cold, but the beef is so tender and flavorful and citrusy and just mouth on fire good! The basil and tri-color bell peppers were fresh and crunchy and delicious, and the khao koor (some sort of rice like thing) added a bit more crunch. Although I wasn't a huge fan of the lack of flavor of that ingredient.
Our waiter recommended we have a couple of the dumplings. So we opted for the lemony shrimp ($13), which were interesting yet not particularly memorable or flavorful. Next time, I'll skip this.
The girls also tried mama chang's pork and chive dumplings ($11), I think they all liked them. I had a tiny bite, but not being a huge fan of pork, didn't like these much either.

We had to try something from the middle page of the menu as well and so C asked for the Nirvana Chicken ($9) served over white rice. I loved this dish! It had to be the incredibly strong star anise smell and flavor that did it. One tender thigh and a good smokey flavor.

Onto the noodle portion of the menu, first up we have the Dan Dan Noodle Salad ($7). The waiter commented that this was a heavy dish, but I didn't think so. The peanut sauce was tasty, and the cucumbers added a clean fresh flavor to the dish. K apparently got a bite that had all the sambal in it, because she suffered the mouth on fire phenomenon and yet the dish was completely not spicy to me or anyone else at the table. Perhaps I didn't mix things up well enough. N also loved this dish and threatened to finish it off.

Thai ginger chicken salad was one of the dishes recommended by the waiter. The dish was very pale looking, white rice noodles, very white grilled chicken, pale cabbage. The girls dug in and ate it, I was a bit hesitant it would be too bland. However, I was wrong. The ginger and lemongrass flavor came through in the chicken and at the bottom of the bowl there were even some red pepper flakes.

Although the restaurant doesn't have a dessert menu, before the check everyone is served a dessert. This evening it was a lemon mousse with small pieces of crystallized ginger on top. I am not a fan of the ginger and was able to pick it off, while totally enjoying the lemon mousse. K didn't like it at all and had thought we were being served a bowl of parmesean, which she would have been very happy with. N didn't like the mousse of the ginger on this.

And a special dessert for the birthday girl, a brownie with chunks of ginger. I'll give the brownie yummy points, but the ginger was way too much for me to be able to enjoy it. N loved it and ate half of it.

Ambiance: The restaurant is cool and casual, very reminiscent of a diner. Complete with the counter seating overlooking the kitchen. The soundtrack is provided by an iPod, but the noise level in the restaurant makes it hard to hear what songs are playing unless you are in the bathroom.

Their website is a myspace page, which is a bit odd. Just pay for a real website and design it so that the menu is easy to read. Speaking of menus they do have a vegetarian menu and a nut free menu. You need to ask for them separately, but the items are all also on the main menu (which for some reason smells like crayons).

Our total bill pre-tip was $153, including 2 bottles of wine. A bit steep for the quality of the food and the fact that it's basically chinese food in a very casual setting.

Swanky Modern in Motown - MGM Grand Detroit

2008-01-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

I spent a couple days at the MGM Grand in Detroit recently. The hotel is only a couple months old and apparently the only luxury hotel in town. I took pics and then mistakenly deleted them, so you'll have to take my word on it.
Holy cow is this place NICE!
The lobby lounge is called the living room, it has some suede armless sofas, and the coolest fireplace that runs through the middle of the length of the stainless steel wall.

The rooms are super cool, and technologically a bit too advanced for me and my friends. 42" plasma tvs, a phone that shows your name on the screen, it also has some sort of touch screen functionality we couldn't figure out. The hotel info book in the room also claimed there was a butler button on the phone for room service, but none of us could find the button. The phone had too many buttons. But no room service button.

The walls against the bed are some sort of bamboo textured wallpaper that I couldn't stop touching for 5 min. The curtains were also a touchable silk crinkly material. A velvet couch which was comfy to lay on, silk throw pillows, and a velvety bench at the foot of the bed rounded out the textural furniture.

The bed, oh the lovely bed I didn't want to get out of. Featherbeds, down comforters, soft soft cotton sheets. It got mighty hot in there at night, and my only complaint was that we couldn't get the thermostat to go under 67 degrees. Yes, it was winter and there was a snowstorm outside, but that bed was just too hot.
The thick espresso stained headboard had a light in it that wasn't controlled by any of the switches in the room. This was weird. And annoying while trying to sleep. It took 2 days to figure out the switch was on the side of the headboard.

More about the lighting, there is one lightswitch that controls all the lights in the room. Not your traditional sliding dimmer switch, this one gives you 5 options for controlling just how much light there is. I liked it. There is also a very cool orange light panel in the wall that separates the bedroom from the bathroom.

The bathroom was huge and marble. With two undermounted sinks, which was very cool. The shower and toilet were both behind frosted doors. This was so sleek that neither of us initially noticed the toilet wasn't out in the open. The shower had two rainhead showerheads. Which makes for fun 2 person showers. Bathroom amenities were all h20+ brand, smelled soooo good! I forgot to take them home with me though. Lots of fluffy towels, and two very thick and comfy robes. There was a weird mirror within the mirror of the bathroom, which I found out after the fact was apparently a tv. See? Too much fancy technology!

Room service was from Wolfgang Puck's restaurant. We ordered a italian sausage, eggplant, carmelized onion and mushroom pizza and a couple beers. The pizza wasn't all that great, the Italian sausage tasted a bit weird and there was cilantro on the pizza, which didn't blend well with the other flavors. Service was very prompt, although they didn't bring us any ice water with the dinner, which I've never had happen before.

The hotel also has two of Michael Mina's restaurants, Bourbon Steak and Saltwater. I meant to try at least one of these as he is one of my favorite chefs, but both of us were under the weather most the weekend and room service was just easier.
There is also a Starbucks, which strangely enough closes at 7 pm.

The hotel staff and concierge were all very nice and as helpful as could be.

If you have to go to Detroit and want a truly luxurious stay, I highly recommend the MGM Grand.

Cutest Hotel Ever -Pod Hotel - NYC

2008-01-13T12:34:00.000-08:00

I've never been compelled to review a hotel the minute I walked in the door, but the Pod Hotel did it for me.

Now, I tend to like the luxury hotels, and this certainly is not one. But it's cute, boutiquey, has a great staff, and a total find!
I was looking for a cheap one night stay in NY, and stumbled across this place. It has bunkbeds (also, the cheapest room option) and I thought it would make for a fun stay with L. The room is tiny, as in I think my walk-in closet may be larger than this but, it is incredibly charming!The concept of a shared bath (they do have rooms with private baths, but not the bunk rooms) seemed a bit sketchy and weird, but as I was coming up the hall two bathrooms were being meticulously cleaned by the housekeeping crew. They bathroom may actually be larger than our room, but it's clean, has one of those rain showerheads, music piped in and is not at all run down. The room has all the towels and toiletries and a sink. Picture an airplane bathroom sink.
They offer free wireless (yeay!), an ipod docking station/stereo, the rooms temperature control works well, and as I am using the air conditioning in January it really is individually controlled.
The lobby is large and very modern trendy, I shall go hang out there shortly.
So far the bed I am sitting on is comfy, with it's own small tv screen.
This place gets an A+ rating from me.

Comfort Food in Boston - Silvertone

2007-11-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Hidden on a side street in downtown crossing is Silvertone. It's a bar with great food, and good drinks. Really, you can't go wrong. Cocktails are in the $6 - $8 range, and beer on tap is $4. Food runs from $4 - 18 at dinner time, with the majority under $12.
The steak tips are great ($10) as is the mac and cheese ($8). Portion sizes are decent, and it's a fun place to go with a group. Friends have had the meatloaf and raved about it.
One warning, if your party is arriving separately and they are busy, they will not let anyone who sits at the table later order. It is a completely retarded rule, and I can't figure out the reasoning behind it. We've had that happen to us once, and luckily it was still not super crowded that the two that were half an hour late were allowed to order.
It's kinda like that hidden dive bar, but with the law school in the area, it's usually got a good size crowd.
Location: 69 Bromfield St (at Tremont) - Park Street T stop served by both the Red and Green lines, a short walk from the Downtown Crossing T stop for Orange and Red lines.
(617) 338-7887

Kingfish Hall - At which Todd English joins us for dinner

2007-10-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

Ok not really, but he was at the next table. Kingfish Hall is his seafood restaurant in the heart of Faneuil Hall. Since this area caters heavily to tourists, I tend to not eat at the restaurants, I figure overpriced and mediocre. But last night my favorite neighborhood restaurant was booked solid and I wanted something good to eat. And in my world, one cannot go wrong at any of Todd English's restaurants. I did like that he was there, popping in on the kitchen and watching the goings on in there. It's good to know he still takes the time to keep an eye on his restaurants.

The menu is very expensive for such a casual place. There was an incredible sounding crispy lobster, which is basically a de-shelled lobster tempura fried, for $49. Other entrees were all over $28 and fairly basic. And since I wanted to eat more than one dish, I opted for some Kumamoto Oysters served with a cocktail sauce, I opted for just some lemon juice squeezed on top. I ordered the tuna tartare, a starter which I thought would be small. I was wrong. This was a lot of tuna, served on a lot of sushi rice, with a thin layer of seaweed in between. Basically a deconstructed tuna roll. And completely delicious! There was a hint of Sriracha on top which nearly burned my tongue off. I also ordered a side of the mac and cheese, which was served in the cutest cauldron, but lacking in cheese flavor and left a filmy layer on my teeth. I took a few bites, brought it home and reheated it with additional cheese. Sadly, I can make a better mac and cheese myself.

N ordered the fried calamari and the seafood gumbo. The calamari was delicious. It was covered in sauce, which resulted in it becoming soggy rather quickly. The seafood gumbo was served in a shallow skillet and was good, although over salty. You definitely tasted the seafood in the stock, however it looked and tasted as if it was thickened with black beans. Something we both found odd.

The service was a bit slow, even though there was enough staff and the restaurant wasn't very crowded.

A cool thing about the space, if you get a seat on the second level and can get into one of the booths that look like giant clam shells, they turn. So you can opt to sit facing the open kitchen or you can face the dining room. The light fixtures are also all funky and I would love to have one in my house.

Overall, I would not go here again for dinner, our total bill was $90 (including 2 glasses of wine) and for that much money there is far better food in the area at less casual places.

Small and Classy - Melt Spa

2007-10-23T17:18:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a small, intimate day spa? Melt is your place. Yet another spa on Newbury street you say? Yes, but this one is different.
The waiting area is small, just three chairs, meaning it's not the type of place that is so busy you have to wait around. There are 2 side by side pedicure stations (great for bringing a friend!), and from what I could see 3 treatment rooms. Satin sheets on the bed for facials, soft cotton flannel sheets for massages. The odd thing is there is one bathroom, no shower, and I had to change in the treatment room. There was a closet in the room for my clothes if I didn't want to leave them on the chair.
I was offered water, wine or champagne after my massage.
The massage itself was incredible. Sheila listened to me and avoided the areas I was uncomfortable with. She asked me about the pressure more than once, leaving me comfortable to indicate if it was too hard or too soft. There was music in the room from an ipod. Next time I will ask if I can use my own tunes.
Their prices are on par with most places, but the intimate aspect of the spa and the great service is priceless.

Breakfast in Eugene - Glenwood Restaurant

2007-09-30T10:35:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a healthy breakfast look no further than Glenwood Restaurant. I am sure there are other breakfast joints in town, but this must be the best. Seriously. On a Wednesday morning at 11 am this place was completely packed. And this wasn't the location on the U of O campus. So you know it's good.
The menu is pretty typical, scrambles, pancakes, egg dishes, and sandwiches. But the food is anything but typical.

I was torn between french toast and pancakes, as I usually am, but decided on the pancakes. To make matters more complicated there were three options. Buckwheat, honey and wheat, and some other natural grain one. None of that white flour boring pancake stuff here. I opted for the honey and wheat flour one, and am so glad I did. There was no need for maple syrup on this, even though a small pitcher of it was brought out. The pancakes were already slightly sweet and the butter made them perfect.
My companion got the eggs benedict, which were also quite delicious, although surprisingly a bit heavy on the hollandaise.

We also ordered a side of the home fries, which were of the red potato variety. Not overly greasy, with a a good sprinkling of herbs and garlic. The bacon was cooked well and not greasy. I don't know how they manage to make breakfast food taste so good and yet go light on the grease!

The price is pretty reasonable, our breakfast including coffee and juices ran just $20.
Next time I'm back in town, I will be trying the biscuits and gravy. I couldn't stop wondering about them the rest of the day.

You can find the Glenwood in two locations: 1340 Alder Street (541)687-0355 and 2558 Willamette Street (541) 687-8201.