Nikki "value add" M.'s Profile

Sandy is amazing. She has been helping our parents for years and last year she helped my sister out. The success stories I've heard!

This year we went to her for a second opinion on some numbers and she saved us a ton especially by teaching us about tons of things we didn't understand. My husband owns his own business and she really helped us understand liability and how to plan ahead better than we've been doing.

We're in SF so we've been working primarily over the phone but she's helped us estimate out our liability for 2009 so we know what to pay on 1/15. AND we've had a few calls where she's just answered questions so I can pull together everything she'd need to file our return. You know what that cost? NOTHING. She said we won't pay anything until the return is filed.

She's an early-bird so prepare for a phone call at 7am (which is perfect so you can handle it before you leave for work). Also, she's very quick and on-the-ball so have your questions ready she will waste NO time.

We had a good time during our stay here, but we missed the personal attention you get staying somewhere like our favorite: Inn on First Street.

Vintage inn was perfectly nice. We worked with Travis from Napa Valley Reservations and he got us a great deal. Unfortunately they were out of king beds but we were able to get a room with two queens. I liked the idea we could bring our dog, though this time we decided she should stay with her aunt.  I had read that the downstairs rooms hear everything upstairs but I did not find this to be true. It was nice a quiet.

Our room was clean, spacious, and the bed was very comfy. It was great having a fireplace on a cold morning, and we loved the fun additions like the window seat/bench and the giant whirlpool tub and l'occitane toiletries.

The pool was small but refreshing and they have an awesome set up of lounge chairs and shaded day beds. You can enjoy wine poolside.

The staff was friendly but definitely not above and beyond, my husband had ordered flowers for our room prior to our arrival and he found it tricky to coordinate with them since they couldn't find the reservation in their system and kept transferring him to their sister hotel.

One of the highlights was breakfast. They had a waffle station and and omelet station in addition to tons of local fruit and pastries.

Proximity wise, the Vintage Inn is in a great location. You can walk across the street to Bouchon or Bottega and there are tons of local wineries within walking distance. If you are looking to stay in Yountville, check it out!

bars and clubs closed and no place to go? Here's the place. We defended some drunk girls who were shoved by some douchey guys in the giant crowd trying to enter, and they adopted us into their party so we got to enter with nearly no wait at all. I remember that part.

It's downstairs, cover is $20 on these ultra crowded nights, creepy people hit on us. Drinks were strong. It was dark. And red. And we got home at 6am. I remember less about that part.

Food wise I would give this place 5 stars, but the manager on duty knocks it down for us. We were a large group of 20 meeting up for a joint bachelor/ette dinner after a weekend of solo partying. The girls were staying in the bellagio but the guys were not so of course there were a few people who were late (within 10 minutes) arrivals. The manager was overly concerned with these people not being present even though we had a prix fixe menu already outlaid, and orders at the ready. Eventually he let us sit but as people filed in he scowled as us disapprovingly the entire time.

This was very strange since it was early, they had been nothing by nice in making the arragements over the phone and via email, and the place was totally not full. Also, we were all dressed up trying to show each other that we hadn't partied as hard as we could the night prior! Dressed to the nines and very mellow as we dined and tried to eliminate the pain we felt from the night before, we were far from rowdy but this manager acted like we were wild kids who needed to be rushed along.

The wait staff was actually professional and friendly and everyone was well taken care of. We had three awesome options for entrees and the accompaniments were equally delicious. My shortribs were very tasty tho a little on the fatty side (tricky when you're eating with chopsticks). A bunch of people ordered extra food like sushi (strawberry roll!) and sashimi and it was fresh and flavorful. They had a nice selection of tequilas and girly drinks like the cucumber one I was enjoying. Our shared dessert plate was a hit!

I would come back if that manager were off duty for sure!

There was a lot of sinning going on all over the bachlorette weekend we attended, but the classy Bellagio really helped us do it right. Chihuly art in the Lobby, a plethora of good restaurants, one of the nicests spas I've been to, many pools to choose from, the decadent fountains which we could see from our room (which you can set to music by finding the hotel's station on the tv), and some awesome restaurant options.

I always thought staying here meant paying crazy high prices, but we paid a standard room rate for vegas and got a very nice room. The rooms were large, room service and housekeeping were friendly (and generous with the chocolates), and there was lots of room for girls to get ready. I am for sure coming back.

After the craziness we encountered in our wild weekend, it was so great having a clean, elegant place to return to.

I would come back here in a heartbeat! I didn't have any treatments done but my bride-to-be friend and I purchased a day pass to enjoy an afternoon of luxury. After some bananas and a V8 we worked out in their huge gym. It was almost empty, very clean and had plenty of machines with TVs, mini water bottles, and headsets provided. Next came relaxing in the steam room, consuming much water and free juices, varying temperature hot tubs, the sauna and getting ready for the pool in a locker room that had everything you'd ever need!

What an awesome way to spend the day, especially in preparation for a crazy weekend...

One of the other fabulous bridesmaids in my friend's wedding selected this spot for our pre-going-out girl's dinner. It was a huge hit. I think it ended up being a very affordable $100 or so a person for 7 girls.

We got a little sloppy toward the end but I do recall the following amazing dishes: Cheese fondue, a tasty salad with goat cheese, truffle mac and cheese. These were smaller apps we all shared. Everyone also really liked the cheeseburger sliders tho I didn't try those because I was fixated on fondue and mac and cheese two of my most favorite things. For the main course many of us opted to try the chicken and dumplings and the short ribs. They were both fabulous.

I highly recommend Nobhill Tavern for either a group outing or dining with a smaller party. It's a great value and everything was delicious! It's nice to find an affordable yet still high quality Michael Minna restaurant!

I'd like to go back to Bouchon and try some of there more notable dishes. I can't say I was blown away here this last time.

We stopped in on whim since we were staying at the Inn across the street. It was mid-day on a Sunday and we figured there would be a wait. An over-run bartender quoted us an hour and 45 minutes. The host quoted us an hour for a table, so we put our name in.

No sooner did we wander to a winery right outside did we get a call 15 minutes after leaving the restaurant. They had a spot open. We went back, only to find it was a spot at the bar.

From there it was just ok. No entertaining conversation from the bartender a la Mustards, some gnats flying all around, and a seafood platter that was tasty but really nothing special. The Macaroni au gratin side dish was probably the tastiest thing, which makes we want to give them a second chance.

Next time i'm likely to make a reservation and get the full experience because this time around I found it quite lacking.

I like Ike! If I still had my mom's little button from the Eisenhower era that said as much I would don it proudly. I honestly can't believe I haven't reviewed Ike's before!

The best time to go is during a weekday to avoid the rush, and either before or after lunch time on any day. I like to call ahead but if it's a warm saturday afternoon your sandwhich might take over an hour till it's ready.

The people there are always friendly and funny. They have tasty drinks and of course a lollipop with every sandwich. This is the best hangover meal because it's beyond filling but it's not totally like eating the greasy food from your local diner. You can get them to go since there is limited outdoor seating only, but they tend to get a little soggy so fresh is best.

My husband likes the "Pride of the Castro" which has turkey, ham and brie. Other favs are the "Just Friends" (Halal Chicken Breast, Sweet Orange Glaze, Avocado, PepperJack) and the "Get Over it" (Halal Chicken Breast, Mozzarella Sticks, Honey Mustard, Avocado) One of the best things is adding to a sandwich: Pineapple? YES! Mozzarella sticks? YES! Onion rings? YES! Put it all on there if you want!

The mutt comes along and if we score a table she sits in the shade underneath. Otherwise we are perfectly happy to grab a spot on the curb to enjoy one of life's simply pleasures: a fabulous sandwich.

Delightfully colorful shop with delightfully colorful macarons that rival those of the infamous Laduree in Paris.

They have awesome little boxes which make these great for gifts. My favorites were the rose and pistachio!