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Review votes:
18766 Useful, 19858 Funny, and 18913 Cool
Los Angeles, CA
Yelping SinceMay 2006
Things I LoveBay Cities Deli, KBBQ, vintage stuff, red vino, red meat, men with interesting noses, mustard, the SF breeze, mac n cheese, truffle oil, Portland, my kitties, ELO, man vs food
Find Me Indulging in the yummy
My HometownThe Eight Eighteen
My Blog Or WebsiteDuh, you're on it :)
When I'm Not Yelping...I'm always yelpin' as Yelp's SoCal Marketing Guru
Why You Should Read My ReviewsCuz...I said so? Wow, look at that confidence, haha
My Second Favorite Websitehttp://twitter.com/YelpLA Log on to find out what LA Yelp is up to!
The Last Great Book I ReadThe Canal by Daniel Morris (currently reading) http://www.danielmorri.../
My First ConcertRick Springfield. Doh!
My Favorite MovieHenry & June, Grease 2, Zoolander
My Last Meal On EarthThe lasagna at Trattoria Montebianco in London. Unbelievably good!
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...Teetotalers are for the birds.
Most Recent DiscoveryFruitboots
Current CrushThat writer guy.
Date
Temecula, CA 92590
(909) 676-1339
Creekside Shell
Category: Gas & Service Stations
Green Eggs & Ham
Peaches & Cream
Kool & The Gang
Ebony & Ivory
All wonderful pairings, but nothing seems to go together in perfect harmony more than:
Mustaches & ponytails.
I know this because I saw the most beautiful specimen of a man gone wrong at this here Shell on our way back to LA from Temecula. There he was in his dark black jean glory, weathered Payless high tops circa '99 and promotional cap that he probably snagged at some motocross event. And then, I saw it. As I panned up his lanky frame, sheltering his spine from the hardships of this sometimes evil world was his skinny, stringy, deliciously under conditioned and oily ponytail. As he stood at the cashier talking about something or other, no words were heard, no words were needed, all that mattered in that instant was the slow motion slide show of images that danced across my eyes. Swish. Swish.
It. Was. Magical.
The real rabbit out of the hat though was the lightly attended hair convention gathering above his mouth. Clearly this meet up needed a Julie McCoy to encourage the hairs to join the other hairs because the gaps and awkward spaces really made this follicle dance awkward. But together, oh together, it was an unbeatable combination of grooming choices and while he may not be The Most Interesting Man In The World and drinks Bud Light instead of Dos Equis... I can tell you one thing, he solidified a place in my Hair Hall of Shame and I will forever love him for it.
And about the business, they sell convenient stuffsss like water, beef jerky and Diet Dr Pepper and you can fill up your tank before you get back on the road agiiin. Enjoy.
So my first time at Pechanga was pretty suck ass (Wow, way to use that English degree, stephy). I had a pretty miserable time with all of the smoke, but after spending two nights here this past week, gambling, drinking, losing, winning, getting lost and indeed, smoking a cigar myself, I really didn't mind it and I do have to say my opinion changed. It also had a lot to do with the separated smoking and nonsmoking wings. This really does make all the difference in the burning lungs world.
I also hit a real winning streak at the 1 cent slots. Oh yeah, baller on a budget! It was pretty insane. At one point I was up $60.00 from 1 penny. That is skill... or luck :) Either way, it was gambling I could handle. I also tried my hand at Blackjack and understand a little more of the game. Although I do have to say that I am not really a fan of playing it while gamblers are staring at you like you just assassinated their newborn child because you sit out one hand. For fuck's sake people, it's one hand. Let a girl trying to learn the game catch her breath for a second. Sheesh.
The only other note I will make is about the booze. The pours here are monitored like a hawk, so no matter how nicely you tip, the drinks are all pre-measured and good luck getting any kind of a hookup. Just ain't gonna happen.
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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11/20/2006
COUGH
COUGH
COUGH
COUGH
You get the idea!
Do you like mass amounts of smoke served with your oxygen? If so then Pechanga is the casino for you! Good GOD, I have never wanted to rip out my own lungs more than after an evening at this casino. I mean smoking is one thing. I get it, you are gambling away your child's lunch money or trying to win back your wife after you bet her at the craps table, but could ya maybe keep it to one pack at a time. This is just chimney central and it hugely effected the time we had here. It was just too much and because of that, I can't see myself ever going back.
That and the "fancy" casino restaurants left huge amounts to be desired.
No thanks!
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 664-2169
Los Feliz 3
Category: Cinema
Neighborhood: Griffith Park/Los Feliz
They're kinda fun aren't they. Especially after you had a not so awesome week and are in need of some sweet relief in the form of a strong martini, a funny flick and a cutie to hold your hand and make it all better. Luckily for me, Los Feliz 3 helped that equation happen... well, except for the man and the martini, cocktail was compliments of the Frenchy joint down the street and it was BYOM for the date, but you know what I mean.
This had been my first time at this hipster-filled theater, so I didn't really know what to expect... other than hipsters. That was definitely in full force and skinny jeans, 50's rockabilly girls and everything in between were gathered outside in preparation for a good in the dark time.
We caught The Hangover (which is pretty funny by the way) and even though the theater itself was pretty small, the screen was nice and big and the chairs were comfy enough. You could get a better seating and overall fancy pants experience at somewhere like the Arclight or one of these Mega Super Duper Flick Palaces, but for what I needed on Friday, this was purrfect and I had a blast.
Would definitely hit it again... and yes, I'm talking about the theater ;)
Temecula, CA 92591
(951) 676-1711
Maurice Car'rie Winery
Category: Wineries
This is to let you all know that they only serve the brie bread on the weekends :( I did not know this when I planned our recent mid-week wine tasting adventure and spent about a month a half building up the delicious brie bread to my team only to learn that, newp, only on the weekends.
Devastating.
Do however, get your butt to this place on the weekends simply for the bread! It is manufique!
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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11/20/2006
Here's the dealio with MCW.
Their wine, quite frankly, sucks.
Everytime I've been to Temecula I've done the fun Grapeline Shuttle Tour and this place always turns out to be stop number 4 or 5. Why? Because by the time you get here your palate is shot, but that's okay because as I said above, the wine sucks and I think they know it.
Think I'm being harsh...well think no more. On one visit to Temecula I tested this theory out and on day two of my own little personal tour, we stopped by here first and tried the wine. Yep, suckage. Only thing good here in the liquid department is the pineapple one, but c'mon, pineapple wine? That's right up there with white zin for me. Translation: Unnecessary.
So why 4 stars Steph? You pretty much ripped this poor place a new arseholio, why 4?
Well, I'll tell you, fine yelpers. Because of the brie bread. This is the saving grace of this place. You need to order it the minute you roll up to the grounds and it will take 20 minutes to prepare, but holy hot damn, is that the best bread you will ever have. Very few things will get me out to the 909 willingly and this is one of them. The other is a really funny mullet parade, but I haven't heard of one announced for '06 yet, so...
As a final piece of advice, if you go on any of the wine tours make sure to tell the tour guide you want this to factor into the tour. Last time I went the guy spaced on it and we missed out. Boooo!
So contrary to popular rumors, exclusive coverage on E! Entertainment and the millions of paparazzi lining the streets of Temecula, the nightlife 'round these parts leaves a little something to be desired. What was the quote from Swingers? "This place is dead anyway" Yeah, that's about it.
And so imagine our surprise after walking down the wood planked sidewalks of Old Town Front St, dodging hypothetical tumbleweeds and whistling songs of the Old West, to find a lively little patio bar with... people! Sweet!
We sauntered on up to the bar and ordered a pitcher and then saddled on up at a table and got to it. And by getting to, I mean drink. :) The crowd was a definite lively bunch and by lively I mean loud and drunk. There were definitely a few "oohhhhwwwwwwsss," Whhhoooo hoooooos" "Baaaaaaaaah" and of course my always favorite, drunk chick, high pitched chalk board scratching level of annoying: "Oh My God, shut up!!!"
Like I said folks, there really ain't a whole lot happenin' after the wineries shut down on the weekends and during the week it's even worse, so take what ya can and if you don't wanna head over to Pechanga down the way and wanna stay closer to the hotel or home, this is a fine bet.
Seems like there aren't that many to choose from if you want to steer away from the pricier ones at the big wineries. But since I bleed Yelp, I needed to dig a little deeper into the area and try to find something off the beaten path and Palumbo's looked like a good bet.
After searching the few reviews of it, Palumbo's sounded like a nice meal could be had, along with a fairly priced bottle of wine in a pleasant environment without breaking the bank and that is exactly what you get here. The place is nicely decorated and while I think the only people here were our group of 4 and then maybe one other table, I still liked it.
My dining companion and I shared the chicken parmigiana and the lasagna. Neither one was totally revolutionary, but they were decent Italian creations and I enjoyed the Chicken Parm. The lasagna ran a little on the mushy side, but it was fine. I also tried a little bit of the lamb and I would say it was a bit on the under seasoned side, but the meat seemed to be cooked to a nice medium rare.
We also went with a bottle of the Merlot and I believe, a bottle of the Barolo (Don't see it on the menu online, so not sure). I definitely enjoyed the Merlot much more than the latter, but that is mostly because it delivered more of a smoky punch than the fruitier and jammier one.
Other than that, our server was a little character and I think for the price and vibe, it was just right.
This is their signature creation and it's good, but not mind-blowing... at least on my palate anyway. What was mind impressing was this winery's tasting facility. It's quite lovely and the people working here are friendly and nice. I've been to a many a tasting room in my day, just ask my liver, but this is one of the purdier ones in Temecula. I understand that Robert Renzoni was here for a spell, so if this is any indication of what's to come with his own Renzoni property, I am very excited.
Robert Renzoni tells a really good story. I know this because upon our arrival at this relatively new winery with a whole lot of alcohol history, he took us through his family's run in the booze biz. Normally such a long tale would have bored the crap out of me. I mean, I love my history lessons as much as the next guy, (wait, am I a guy now?) but when there is an array of delicious looking wine sitting there just waiting for my consumption, the idea of whipping out my Dave Chappelle "WRAP IT UP" box becomes a strong reality.
However, that is not what happened. Instead, I was super attentive and really interested in the rich amount of history and amazing experiences this man, and his family have had spanning back to before the prohibition days. It was awesome and if you pop in here, do yourself the favor and listen because you will learn a lot.
Now comes the wine. I learned something from the story, but the real lesson and take away from the entire trip thanks to Renzoni is that I can now say something, I would have lost mountains of money betting you I never would and that's: I actually like Chardonnay.
If you know me, this is the part in the review where the record screeches to a high pitched halt. But yes, it is true and the Chardonnays that I really do dig are produced in steel tanks as opposed to oak barrels which produce quite possibly the most nauseatingly awful taste experience ever created. Buttery, oaky not so dokey, crap is what I normally think of with Chards, but this was light, crisp, powerful and amazing! Hell, I bought 3 bottles of it! Guess the lesson there is, never say never, right? :) Except for donkey porn, I think I can safely say never on that and mean it.
What? :)
Temecula, CA 92591
(951) 699-9463
Wilson Creek Winery
Categories: Wineries, Venues & Event Spaces, Party & Event Planning
Am I referencing A Christmas Story? Maybe just a little, but in addition to that, I am warning you, so listen up... The Wilson Creek Champagne bottles are a force to be reckoned with!
Holy Crap! I almost lost my eye on Wednesday afternoon! Who knew that there was enough pressure in those bottles to send a cork flying out at you at 60 miles an hour!! I seriously came about 2 foolish inches away from knocking my unsuspecting eye out, so be careful and definitely hold that cork down as you unleash it's power!
As for the winery, I've been here quite a few times and on this recent trip I was amazed to see the new developments to the place! Entire new buildings are part of the property now and it's a definite one stop shop for fun. We were lucky enough to meat the lovely owner of the winery and she was a real hoot. Love a little lady with some quick wit and sass.
Now the only thing I need to understand is the painting of the wife beater wearing man in the bathroom. Um, creepy and awesome all at the same time. See pic. What? :)
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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11/20/2006
This is a no brainer!
Of course you have to come to Wilson Creek if you are in a wine adventure in the Temecula Valley. I mean, hello, almond champagana?!!
I first visited this delightful vineyard during the pre-Trader Joe's inventory years and I fell in love after my first sip of their AC. I even went so far as to order 40 bottles of it and set them in a bathtub of water to dissolve the labels off and put on my own (Giving full credit to Wilson Creek of course) labels and giving them as gifts one Christmas. Have you ever tried to take the labels off of 40 bottles?!!? That is LOVE for the PRODUCT dammit!
They also have a ton of other liquid goodies, most notably the chocolate port and the almond champagne served in the chocolate cup or the almond champagne mixed with the chocolate port to create the almond joy! Oh yes oh yes, it's all so very good. Their other wines are good, but nothing is as kick ass and stand out as the AC.
The gift shop is also amazing and it's thanks to this shop that I have my two fave funny signs:
WINO Xing and 0 To Naked In 1.5 Bottles
Oh how true!
Enjoy!! :D
Oh and it's also a great place for a wedding. I've seen a few going on and they look quite beautiful :)
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RED : A Tasting of Beef and Wine! Most…
July 17 7:00 PM
Don't believe me? Take a look at this!
http://hookedonhouses....
vs.
http://www.thehartfami...
Coincidence? I think not!
So lemme tell ya a little bit about my experience at Kenny "Hart" Roger's Winery. I'm a "Lady" who likes her wine. And "Through The Years" I've taken this passion quite seriously. I'm rarely a "Gambler" with wines I don't know, but since we were on the Grapeline's Winery Tour and I wanted something big, bold and red, we "Just Dropped In" to Hart and boy am I glad we did because I was introduced to an amazing bottle of their 2006 Volcanic Ridge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.
Wow, this stuff is amazing! It was full-bodied, it was rich, supple, robust and while my pocket book and budget sense was saying "I Don't Need You," my heart and palate were chanting is this "Love Or Something Like It"? I kept telling myself, No Steph, you can't spend this much on a bottle of wine, "But You Know I Love You" and how can something that feels so right, be wrong?
In the end, I decided to buy a bottle, because if there is one thing I've learned this week, it's that life is short, it can end at any time and if a bottle of vino has you gazing at it and thinking "You Light Up My Life," then you should go for it! Make that bottle yours.
Thank you Hart Winery for making me realize that :)