Nathan "I'm Not Wishy-Washy" H.'s Profile

El Vitral certainly is upscale. The decor, the layout, the food, the prices. However, in most cases, the results dont match up with this vibe. Well, in this case it did. Everything about the place was very good, especially the food. The menu is broken down very nicely. They offer three different kinds of Guacamole and three types of Ceviche, along with other appetizers. We had Seared Scallops and the El Vitral Guacamole, which was done with a little mango to sweeten the taste. Both were great. There were a few soup options as well and we had one (dont remember the name) but it hd homney in it and was very tasty. Then the menu breaks down traditional mexican dishes and El Vitral signature dishes (new flare to mexican dishes) for the main courses. We had the duck and the chicken breast dishes respectively, which were both so delicious. Overall, everything was delicious. The service was great from our server, but food was a little slow coming out, which I chalk up to being a new place and working out the kinks. And I havent even mentioned that if you are a tequila lover, this is your place. El Vitral offers over 200 different types of tequila...! So, if you want a new mexican dining experience in Downtown, check out El Vitral. I recommend it.

Siren is the ultra lounge that San Diego has been waiting for. A beautifully designed and set up rooftop lounge that has an incredibly sexy vibe and aura. Great specialty drinks (you have to try The Firebomb) and really tasty appetizer selections help to set the foundation. Then you throw in incredibly cool music. Mix that with remarkable service from the staff, bartenders and the management. And finally add in the last key ingredient...super chic crowd. And there you have Siren...! Its gonna be the hot "it" spot for Downtown for 2009 so get there and check it out...!

Ok...so I didnt have any of the cupcakes...but I did have some cookies and a mini brownie...and I say they live up to the billing Id head about Teacake. The cookies were huge. Very soft. I had the vanilla shortbread cookie, which went perfectly with ice cream. Also, I got one of the Oatmeal Raisin cookies. Man was that a great cookie...large raisins...and you could totally taste Oatmeal. And the mini brownie...wow. I would definitely try a cupcake the next time Im there...and I also really want to try the Teacake version of the Ice Cream Sandwich.

Oh man...good food. But this place is not forever in infamy as the place where I heard the most crazy, LOL story about my best friend ever. LOL. I cant say it here so I wont disgrace his name, image, legacy to his children or just plain laughter from the rest of the internet world...LOL. But suffice to say, it made me enjoy my Tri-Tip Sandwich from Buckhorn even more. The sandwich was huge...the meat was juicy and done perfectly well...the fries were nice and crisp...everything you could as for in a quick lunch spot. I thought the price point was maybe a lil high...but its really not a complaint. The reason for the 4 instead of 5 star...the service. It was a little slow for being a walk up and order place. Took almost 10 mins and I was the only one that had ordered any food (others in the restaurant were already eating). Other than that, Buckhorn is good eats.

I have to mention just like everyone else...the Staff @ LUSH...they are incredible. I remember going to another LUSH store in San Francisco once before, but I didnt stay in very long (too crowded). However, when I walked into this one in Emeryville, it was a great experience. The Staff was really attentive to me (and I wasnt even the only person in the store) and really helped me by describing each of their different sets of offerings...which I learned quite a bit about. And being a guy, walking into a store that seems a little overly foofie (thats a bad word but works here...lol)...the Staff made it really easy. Pointed out some good men's products (which I purchased and can vouche for) and some good ideas for gifts for the ladies. I will definitely checkout their online site as well where they have additional items not offered in the store.

So...I was dragged out of downtown for brunch this past Sunday and taken here to Cantina...and it was a pleasant surprise. The food was really good...and very fresh. I had the crispy noodle and vegetables dish with chicken which though very filling wasnt too much food. I think trying to eat the side salad though made it a little much for lunch...but that was my fault. What wasnt my fault...and the reason for the 4 star rating instead of 5 was the absolute slowness of the kitchen. I know good food takes time to prepare, but when ordering a side salad, shouldnt that come before the main meal...? And with that...shouldnt the main meal not take almost 35 minutes to make...? Now, they were a little busy, but there were a few empty tables in the place and plenty of staff on hand. Im not mad about it...just one star off for it. I will definitely go back again, maybe even for dinner, just to try some more food at this really good restaurant. Oh, fyi, it is in PB, which should tell you everything you need to know about the parking situation (good luck)...!

Incredible event at Bing Crosby's Piano Lounge. Mas kudos to Ruggy for putting on another spectacular gathering for the Yelp Elite. Great food (man the roast beef was damn tasty) and great drinks provided by Bing's were perfect. Great variety of choices and everything well done. The staff at Bing's was incredible as well. They were super accommodating and were there for anything we needed. And of course, the Yelp Elite crowd...tremendous. All in all, a great evening out in Fashion Valley...!

The monorail is a great service in Vegas. Its fast. Its clean. And it can cut off the need for a taxi if you need to get certain places around the Strip or just off the Strip areas (like the Convention Center). My only issue...I just dont think Las Vegas has done enough with it (for example building a Monorail on the other side of the Strip for those hotels, a line from the airport to the Strip). Im all for public transportation...and this is a good one to use if you are in Las Vegas and your expecting to be on the Strip the whole time.

I have to say that I was really interested to dine here. I'd heard about the outpost in NYC and since I was in Vegas and heard that there was a location there now, I wanted to try. And the experience...it kinda lived up to the hype.
The food - it was very tasty. The sushi that I had...and I had quite a bit...was fresh and good. And they offered a couple of different sushi options that I hadnt seen at other sushi restaurants. The menu was quite interesting. If you dont know about the concept, its japanese and south american & latin american fusion. And I think it pairs together very well. For the quality...I thought the prices were set accordingly.
The ambiance - very hip...very cool. The vibe of the place is incredible and you just get that feel that youre in a chic and sexy place. The music, the decor, the servers...its all there. The bar area in the front is very accommodating and there are large tables and booths set up for large groups as well.
So why only three stars...? The service. Now I know you cant always judge a place completely on one visit, but the service was very suspect here. Now, I should have known better than to expect great service from a bar seat for dinner...however, it was a slow night there, so I thought it would be decent at least...and it was just barely that. Slow...slow...slow. And my bartender/server just seemed not aware of everything that was going on. Bringing me incorrect sushi order at first, then a incorrect drink order, then completely mischarging the order of the gentleman next to me. And when all this was happening, the managers just seemed to be too concerned about a large birthday party of ladies than what was going on with the gentleman order and bill or my incorrect orders. I think this place probably still does very well cause its a cool spot with a great location inside the Palazzo...but service is very important. I will go back again and hope that my service experience will be different next time.

The most ridiculous excuse for a station for any kind of public transportation Ive ever seen. I cant possibly write a review that would be bad enough to talk about this place and how crappy it really is. All the negative words you could use to describe a location...you could use about this place...and the company Greyhound...that serves it.