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"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme."
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Location
San Francisco, CA
Yelping SinceOctober 2004
Things I Lovedog parks, chocolate, champagne, wine, green tea, iPhone, Darwin, nerds, sushi, dogs, granola, The Daily Show, South Park, The Office, books, blogging, burritos, dancing
Find Me Ina headlock
My HometownArlington, VA
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...I'm cleaning up after Darwin
Why You Should Read My ReviewsBecause I read all of your reviews and they stink!
My Second Favorite Website The Last Great Book I ReadThe Lorax
My First ConcertThe Who accompanied by an orchestra
My Favorite MovieGhosts of Rwanda, Born Into Brothels, Stevie
My Last Meal On EarthFajitas at Rio Grande Cafe (not in SF sorry)
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I'm a nerd
Most Recent DiscoveryTokyo
Current CrushMy pillows, wait those aren't pillows!
Date
400 Valencia St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 551-7827
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 551-7827
Little Star Pizza
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Mission
135 W 50th St
New York, NY 10020
(212) 957-5050
New York, NY 10020
(212) 957-5050
Bobby Van's Steakhouse
Category: Steakhouses
Neighborhood: Theater District
Ok place for a three martini lunch.
Dropped by for a work thing, I was a few minutes early so I ordered a lemonade at the bar (no drinky, drinky since I had to be "on") and unfortunately they served the crappy kind of lemonade that soft drink companies distribute rather than the fresh stuff.
Later we were seated at a comfy table and I decided to go big by ordering a sirloin steak, medium rare of course, and some grilled asparagus on the side. Loved the grilled greens, but the steak was delivered medium and parts of it were heavily charred. Pretty disappointing at this price point.
If someone invited me again and I wasn't picking up the tab, I'd probably go for another try (love me some steak!), but based on this particular experience I won't be putting them on any of my "Best of" lists...
Dropped by for a work thing, I was a few minutes early so I ordered a lemonade at the bar (no drinky, drinky since I had to be "on") and unfortunately they served the crappy kind of lemonade that soft drink companies distribute rather than the fresh stuff.
Later we were seated at a comfy table and I decided to go big by ordering a sirloin steak, medium rare of course, and some grilled asparagus on the side. Loved the grilled greens, but the steak was delivered medium and parts of it were heavily charred. Pretty disappointing at this price point.
If someone invited me again and I wasn't picking up the tab, I'd probably go for another try (love me some steak!), but based on this particular experience I won't be putting them on any of my "Best of" lists...
649 Washington St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 741-1207
New York, NY 10014
(212) 741-1207
Malatesta
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: West Village
Great on a warm night, they have some tables outside and it's very open air if you're inside. The prices are pretty ridiculous, as in ridiculously low! I had the gnocchi, one of my Italian test dishes (I like to order it at all unfamiliar Italian places) and they passed with flying colors. Service was decent, but we ordered a bottle of wine that never found its way over... that was a bummer. I'd love to try a few more things, so think it's likely I will return...
124 MacDougal St
New York, NY 10012
(212) 254-0575
New York, NY 10012
(212) 254-0575
124 Old Rabbit Club
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Great place to grab an exotic beer with a friend (they have an extensive beer list). It's underground and seems to have the same address as the Indian place next door... don't be afraid, just go down the stairs into the dark brick-lined cavern and sidle up to the bar. It's a simple place, even a little divvy. The bartender was the star of the show, he helped me find the perfect Belgian double (watch out for the alcohol content on those triples!). On a Friday night around 7 there were some people around, but it wasn't packed which was just what I was looking for.
236 5th Ave
New York, NY 10001
(212) 683-2929
New York, NY 10001
(212) 683-2929
ilili
Categories: Greek, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean
Neighborhood: Flatiron
A high-end Lebanese restaurant. You walk in and ahead of you is an attractive bar and lounge area, to your left is a large dining room. The decor is pretty, but neutral enough for either a fancy date or a business meeting.
Came here for a work dinner with several people so we had our server bring an assortment of appetizers, entrees, a little of everything. One of the standouts for me was the Lebanese wine selection. At one point during the meal I was fearful that our dinner organizer (a passionate wine aficionado) was going wine crazy. The glass I was sipping was so excellent I was certain we were downing something very expensive, but to my surprise it was a very reasonable $60 bottle. The Lebanese wine industry needs to get the word out about their excellent product!
Service was great and helped us flawlessly with all our complicated needs.
Came here for a work dinner with several people so we had our server bring an assortment of appetizers, entrees, a little of everything. One of the standouts for me was the Lebanese wine selection. At one point during the meal I was fearful that our dinner organizer (a passionate wine aficionado) was going wine crazy. The glass I was sipping was so excellent I was certain we were downing something very expensive, but to my surprise it was a very reasonable $60 bottle. The Lebanese wine industry needs to get the word out about their excellent product!
Service was great and helped us flawlessly with all our complicated needs.
377 Greenwich St
New York, NY 10013
(212) 925-3797
New York, NY 10013
(212) 925-3797
Locanda Verde
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: TriBeCa
On my last trip to NYC this was one of two dining standouts (stay tuned for the big unveiling of #2). I started with the prawns; a simple appetizer that included two giant dueling crustaceans (see photo). My main was the trout, a beautifully prepared and plated dish. Absolutely delicious. Service was excellent, we were seated promptly and they checked back just the right amount. The crowd was lovely, matching the dark and attractive interior. Noise level is on the higher side, but not ear splitting, just good energy. I'd definitely go back for another run, great spot for a date should you ever score one ;)
63 Bedford St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 929-3499
New York, NY 10014
(212) 929-3499
Snack Taverna
Categories: Greek, Mediterranean
Neighborhood: West Village
Quaint little restaurant with great service. I came here for a business lunch with four people and had a very heavy lamb boureki (spiced ground lamb and sirloin wrapped in filo with ketalotyri cheese and green olive vinaigrette). Enjoyed the meal, but I have to admit it was so large and filling I felt that I had eaten an entire lamb, poor thing! Next time I'd probably go with one of their lighter options, especially for lunch. Our waiter was extremely on top of things and very intense in his desire to serve (hard to explain, you'll understand when you get there, it's endearing). I'd recommend Snack for a casual date or simple meal: decent food, great service, comfortable atmosphere.
E 23rd St & Madison Ave
New York, NY 10010
(212) 889-6600
New York, NY 10010
(212) 889-6600
Shake Shack
Categories: Burgers, Food Stands
Neighborhood: Flatiron
I'm against waiting in giant lines for just about anything, reason being that when something becomes a phenomenon it inevitably can't live up to the hype. That said, when I incessantly hear about something my curiosity is peaked and irrationality may reign.
The day I went to Shake Shack was such a day of unadulterated irrationality. The sun was out, birds were chirping, and I had an hour to kill, so I got in line, and waited, and waited, and waited a bit more. It wasn't as bad as I thought, probably 30 minutes to place my order and then another 15 minute before my burger pager went off.
With eager anticipation I slurped down my creamy shake and scarfed my tasty burger. The meat was soft, veggies crisp, and bun o-so-doughy. The crinkle fries were really heavy, I wonder what oil they used... tasty but so rich.
Burgers and fries in a pretty park on a warm day is tough to beat, I admit it did loft me into my happy place. So should you be lucky enough to walk buy when the lines have died down then by all means... dig in!
The day I went to Shake Shack was such a day of unadulterated irrationality. The sun was out, birds were chirping, and I had an hour to kill, so I got in line, and waited, and waited, and waited a bit more. It wasn't as bad as I thought, probably 30 minutes to place my order and then another 15 minute before my burger pager went off.
With eager anticipation I slurped down my creamy shake and scarfed my tasty burger. The meat was soft, veggies crisp, and bun o-so-doughy. The crinkle fries were really heavy, I wonder what oil they used... tasty but so rich.
Burgers and fries in a pretty park on a warm day is tough to beat, I admit it did loft me into my happy place. So should you be lucky enough to walk buy when the lines have died down then by all means... dig in!
70 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10016
(212) 973-2400
New York, NY 10016
(212) 973-2400
70 Park Avenue
Category: Hotels
Neighborhood: Murray Hill
This time I was paying $290/night. The room was great, bed comfy, and continental breakfast included. My rating downgrade is due to a couple interactions I had with hotel management...
One night I had noise issues with the neighboring room around 1am (weeknight). I called down and spoke with the manager who said he'd be right on it, I waited, nothing happened. I called again, he said the security guy was busy but would get right to it. I waited, nothing happened. I called again, same drill, I told him to call me back after he dealt with it and he agreed to follow up. I waited, nothing happened. After 45 minutes my neighbors finally shut up, I went to sleep. Obviously the hotel manager was hoping they'd eventually get to bed and I'd stop calling, guess it worked.
The last day of my stay I called down to ask for a late checkout, I again had to speak to the manager (believe it was the same guy). Now remember I'm on the last day of an 8 night stay, I ask for a 2pm checkout and get denied, 1pm is the max I'm informed. While it's not a huge deal, it seemed a little petty not to grant me that extra hour.
Unlikely I'll stay here next time, I'll go back to experimenting with the other hotels in the area to see if I can find a new favorite home away from home.
One night I had noise issues with the neighboring room around 1am (weeknight). I called down and spoke with the manager who said he'd be right on it, I waited, nothing happened. I called again, he said the security guy was busy but would get right to it. I waited, nothing happened. I called again, same drill, I told him to call me back after he dealt with it and he agreed to follow up. I waited, nothing happened. After 45 minutes my neighbors finally shut up, I went to sleep. Obviously the hotel manager was hoping they'd eventually get to bed and I'd stop calling, guess it worked.
The last day of my stay I called down to ask for a late checkout, I again had to speak to the manager (believe it was the same guy). Now remember I'm on the last day of an 8 night stay, I ask for a 2pm checkout and get denied, 1pm is the max I'm informed. While it's not a huge deal, it seemed a little petty not to grant me that extra hour.
Unlikely I'll stay here next time, I'll go back to experimenting with the other hotels in the area to see if I can find a new favorite home away from home.
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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3/1/2009
An excellent place to stay in Murray Hill.
For $209 per night I had a two queen room (#1611 to be exact) and it was perfect. The furnishings and decor were stylish, but not overly trendy. The room itself was in excellent condition, I'm not sure when this place opened or last refurnished, but not a single thing showed excessive wear.
The staff was friendly, but wasn't overbearing and every morning of my 8 night stay the room was promptly cleaned. One significant annoyance was that they had no onsite gym, they do have an arrangement with NYSC which is a block or so away.
I would definitely stay here again, great for either business or personal travel.
766 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 824-1872
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 824-1872
Paxton Gate's Curiosities For Kids
Category: Toy Stores
Neighborhood: Mission
While I don't have kids, I do see myself as a big kid (usually) so I think I'm fully qualified to review a toy store's offering.
The two women working offered smiles as I walked in and let me do my perusing in peace. I enjoyed their mix of science-y, high quality and unusual toys. The store does have room for more stuff, but it's brand spanking new so perhaps more inventory is on the way. Also they put on shows for kids (see their website for details), which could be why the space was left feeling a little spartan.
The artwork on display is very cool and sometimes hilarious, though always a little dark (not unlike art featured in the original Paxton's Gate). While I'd definitely put some of this stuff up in my room, I might not put it up in juniors. I guess that's the point, one for me... one for you...
I almost succumbed and bought one of their grow your own tree kits, I mean who doesn't want to grow their own tree?
The two women working offered smiles as I walked in and let me do my perusing in peace. I enjoyed their mix of science-y, high quality and unusual toys. The store does have room for more stuff, but it's brand spanking new so perhaps more inventory is on the way. Also they put on shows for kids (see their website for details), which could be why the space was left feeling a little spartan.
The artwork on display is very cool and sometimes hilarious, though always a little dark (not unlike art featured in the original Paxton's Gate). While I'd definitely put some of this stuff up in my room, I might not put it up in juniors. I guess that's the point, one for me... one for you...
I almost succumbed and bought one of their grow your own tree kits, I mean who doesn't want to grow their own tree?
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Tried it last night and…
Their deep dish is solid and I do enjoy the hipster scene up in here. As you might expect, their jukebox is as carefully curated as their beer list... have a hankering for a PBR? Scrounge $2.50 and you're all set.
Last night I had their white pizza (thin crust), pretty good but could have used more of those tasty tomato slices. Service is pretty reliable and a while ago they ditched their cash only policy, which is much appreciated. They don't take rezzies so there is always a decent wait, though if you go early in the week it probably won't be more than 30 mins.