|
"Hyper-rational pedantic geek"
- 28 Friends
- 52 Reviews
- 1 Review Updates
- 7 Firsts
- 2 Fans
- 3 Lists
-
Rating Distribution
Loading...
- View more graphs »
Review votes:
52 Useful, 10 Funny, and 46 Cool
San Francisco, CA
Yelping SinceDecember 2006
Find Me Inslightly uncomfortable chairs
My HometownNorthridge, CA
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...history and logic are being filtered through my brain
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI'm a stickler for high quality
My Second Favorite Website The Last Great Book I ReadAtlas Shrugged
My First Concertwasn't that great. Best concert? Death Cab for Cutie in Grand Prairie, TX.
My Favorite MovieGarden State
My Last Meal On EarthMedium-rare filet from Ruth's Chris followed by Maggie Moo's eggnog ice cream
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I will unabashedly give higher ratings to a restaurant with cute waitresses
Most Recent DiscoveryGenova Delicatessen in Oakland. Yum.
Current CrushAren't you supposed to keep crushes secret?
DateSan Francisco, CA 94199
(415) 377-1258
Gene's Sound Service
Category: Professional Services
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 344-0644
A G Ferrari Foods
Categories: Food, Delis, Sandwiches
Neighborhood: SOMA
We were simply looking for a place to get a good sandwich on a Sunday afternoon in SOMA. Shouldn't be too hard, right? Well, Subway was just around the corner on 3rd and we seriously considered that, but I figured we'd venture out and try AG Ferrari.
First, this place is pricey. When I pay $9 for a salad or $7-8 for a sandwich I'm expecting the top 10% of their respective categories in quality. Here? Not so.
Both the Mozzarella and Trattori salads were inexcusably bland with huge chunks of mostly-stemmy romaine and the latter didn't have nearly enough dressing, salami or cheese; while the mozzarella was entirely tasteless.
To top it off, the drinks were overpriced and the flatware was plastic--a small gripe, but not something I expect from a $25 meal for two.
Needless to say we'll be looking elsewhere next time we want sandwiches in SOMA. Even Subway would have been a huge improvement over this occasion.
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 548-6900
Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen
Categories: Cajun/Creole, Southern, Seafood, American (Traditional), Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Downtown Berkeley
Their beers are from Abita in Louisiana and I'm partial to their amber lager. The baby back ribs are good and come with some awesome spiced potato salad. The fried chicken is boneless and cooked to perfection with tasty green beans and (allegedly good) sweet potatoes--I'm not a fan of sweet potatoes in general.
The service is good and Robert, the owner is a nice guy. The decor is authentic and the place has a warm cozy glow without being too small. We've gone here with big groups 15+ and they handle it well, with adequate advanced notice.
I highly recommend Angeline's for Lousiana style cooking, but also just for great food in the Berkeley area.
Wilton, CA 95693
(916) 687-6550
Laguna Del Sol
Categories: Hotels, Parks, Campgrounds
Laguna Del Sol is one of the most relaxing vacation spots I've been to, full stop (including Hawaii). It handily earns its "resort" moniker and then some. The grounds are green, pretty and teeming with life and the facilities are very well maintained, including four major pools (one indoor), several jacuzzis, a gym, a game room (billiards, ping pong), a remote gazebo with hammocks, a huge lake with free use of paddle boats, a full-service restaurant, a modern clubhouse, bar and dance floor and tons more.
It's impossible to do the place justice with mere words, but suffice it to say that we're convinced. We've had some of the most relaxing times in recent (and non-recent) memory here, including meeting overwhelmingly friendly people, floating on the lake or just chilling out alone in the hammocks. The grounds are expansive so it's easy to get away if you want, or to stick around the main pool where most people congregate in the summer.
The camping facilities are as good or better than any other campgrounds you'd find in California, including full hookups. There are hundreds of spots, many of which are on the shore of the lake. We've tent camped twice with success, though that becomes less feasible as summer comes to a close.
The quick summary: try a weekend day at Laguna during the summer just to get away and relax. There's a good chance that you'll also become enamored and spend your weekends away in a not-so-distant version of paradise.
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 849-2827
Barney's Gourmet Hamburger
Category: Burgers
Neighborhoods: UC Campus Area, North Berkeley, Gourmet Ghetto
I now long for Barney's on a regular basis, but use my extreme will power to restrict visits down to only 2 or 3 a month. Needless to say, this is a staple in my local cravings and is undoubtedly worth all 5 stars.
1 Previous Review: Hide »
-
1/21/2008
The menus don't fold. They're tri-fold menus laminated so tight that they don't fold even though they have creases -- they spring back open as soon as you let go.
Service was prompt and helpful; environment was clean and bright. I didn't notice the fireplace until we were on the way out -- the rest of the place doesn't really give off the fireplace vibe. The chairs aren't the most comfortable in the world, but I'll live.
The burger selection is pleasing, as is the beverage menu. The Oreo milkshake was pretty decent -- not too heavy and not too weak. We split an Alpine burger (can't seem to finish an entire gourmet burger in a single sitting anymore and taking burgers home never works out) -- swiss cheese, sauteed onions and mushrooms. Then we added bacon. You can add bacon to pretty much anything and it will instantly be more awesome. Remember that. Bacon.
Nothing took too long to come out. The curly fries were a bit on the dry and crispy side, but I like most of my food soggy so I think I'm in the minority. Their ranch sauce is interesting. It tastes like it has extra herbs in it...rosemary or something. I'm terrible at identifying ingredients. The plate of curly fries was enough for five of us to split comfortably.
The (half) burger itself was about as large as you'd expect, but piled high with toppings. The top bun looked a bit undersized and was mostly falling off, but I made due. The beef patty was quite good and the swiss and onions complemented it nicely. The mushrooms could have been much more flavorful, but they weren't bad. The bacon was a bit on the crispy side as well, but still thick and flavorful.
That's about it really. I didn't realize we were supposed to pay at the counter until we sat there for a while talking and waiting for someone to pick up the payment. They really need to print that in neon letters on the bill or something.
Would eat here again. Next time I'll get a different burger. With bacon.
Corte Madera, CA 94925
(415) 927-0202
West Elm
Categories: Home Decor, Furniture Stores
I got a glass of water in the early morning, then got back into bed only to hear the frame split in half. This was troubling to say the least, not only because I'm not a heavy person at all but because the bed was only a month old. Very unsettling. Do beds have warranties? I had all manner of unpleasant thoughts run through my head and was down about it the entire day.
Then after work we gave the store a call and explained what had happened. The manager immediately said it was no problem and that we could come pick up a replacement the next day (or have one delivered later). I was surprised at the utter lack of hassle.
We went into the store the next day, asking for that same manager, but he happened to be on his lunch break. No problem, one of the associates understood the problem and authorized the new bed on the spot. Twenty minutes later we were driving home with a brand new bed in the back of the car.
Beside the fact that the bed broke, the way they dealt with our situation was excellent. I'm far more likely to return to this store (or the new one they're building in Emeryville) with the knowledge that my purchases will be reasonably secure in the event of misfortune. I wish all retailers were like this, but the reality pushes this store up to a 5 in my book, relative to other businesses.
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 528-9880
Pyramid Brewery & Alehouse
Categories: Pubs, Restaurants, Breweries
The burgers are solid and the other American dishes range from "OK" to "good". Their spicy mustard (comes with bangers & mash) is exceptionally good and they make it in-house, evidently.
Really if you're going here it's for the great beer and the dependable food. Nothing fancy.
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 843-8277
Jupiter
Categories: Pubs, Pizza, Breweries
Neighborhood: Downtown Berkeley
The waitress was quick to take drink orders and had a sort of play-rude attitude like you'd expect from Dick's Last Resort. I'm not sure if that's a normal thing at Jupiter but we didn't really care much -- we can dish it back just as fast as it's coming.
The beer was excellent and the food was amazing; a solid five stars for both. We split the "Circe" pizza with garlic and shrimp (yes, it's just as good as it sounds) and a "Persephone" sandwich with marinated portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, mixed greens, provolone and aioli on focaccia. The pizza was ridiculous; it was at least twice as good as I expected. I'm never a big vegetarian eater, but this sandwich rivaled some of the best I've had -- it was *that* good.
The waitress was slow and forgetful at times, but lucky for her the chef made this experience impossible to rate any less than five delicious stars. This will be a new regular outing for us.
I couldn't really believe that they didn't have Pyramid on tap, being like 2 blocks away from the brewery. The Mendocino Bock was alright, but nothing stellar. The service was inexplicably fast and competent for our large group, which is why they're hanging onto that fourth star.
The food was fine. Not amazing, not bad. I got the brisket sandwich with horseradish and potato salad. The brisket was tough, fatty and stringy, making it near impossible to eat. The bread was cold, hard and dense. I liked the potato salad though.
My girlfriend had the pulled pork sandwich which she said was excellent. That's curious coming from a Texan who grew up on Real Barbecue(tm) but she stuffed herself in honor of this wondrous food.
I think I'll give them another try and maybe get some ribs. the venue and service were top notch, so at least I know I have nothing to lose there.
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 472-8882
Pangaea
Categories: American (New), Dance Clubs, Lounges
Neighborhood: Downtown
The interior is very neat and otherworldly compared to the rest of the clubs in the area. It's warm, wood-filled, African. There were lots of other interior touches like the screens draped from the ceiling, the beach island style bar and the particularly nice bathrooms.
I should disclose that I know the investors, so not waiting in any lines or paying any covers probably lends a lot to my perception. I wouldn't ever pay or wait in line to get into a place like this but that's only because I don't like the whole bar/club scene, nothing about this specific venue.
3 Lists
I called Gene to take a look at my Klipsch speakers that were mostly broken due to some sort of cable or connection problem. I'd talked with the manufacturer directly and they dismissed me out of hand, so I was happy that Gene said he could solve the problem.
Gene scheduled a house call for a Saturday evening, so it was completely hassle-free for me. He came over for a couple hours, methodically disassembled my speakers and pinpointed the problem as a break in some of the wires in the main cable. He said he could get a replacement sleeve for the end of the cable and route around the break. I told him I wasn't in a big hurry, so we left it at that.
A week or so later, he called me up and said he had the part and could come fix the speakers. We scheduled another evening house call, he showed up and expertly repaired the cable. I now have a completely working speaker system again for far less than it would have cost to buy a new system. Gene's prices are very reasonable and his demeanor is honest, straightforward and brief.
I heartily recommend Gene to anyone with stereo or related problems. I am very happy that I found him and used his services.