kristi "i wear flip flops in the rain" l.'s Profile

This place is hilarious to me and I absolutely love it!

[The hilarity, not the restaurant.]

We walk in and the place has a great feel to it; pretty empty for a Saturday afternoon, people seemed to be enjoying their food, and the hostess was pleasant while greeting us and showing us to the table.

After having one of the longest days of my life - and yes, it was only 2pm at this time - the waiter walks up and has a certain air about him.

It's not really snooty. It's not really stuck up. But it's proud. Proud that the restaurant he's serving at "specializes in southern Italy cooking" - his words not mine - and I couldn't help but snicker.

I'm all for authentic - I love restaurants that have tons of menu items that I can't pronounce, or butcher in the process of attempting, and I love when restaurants put forth effort into making the atmosphere reflect the 'feel' of the country they are representing.

But it's a little hard to take this place seriously when Michael Jackson is rockin out through the speakers.

And then the Temptations followed.

Odd. But entertaining and pretty much hella funny.

If you're going to make me order from a menu that has headings in Italian and have me make a fool out of myself while trying to order said menu items *under* those italian headings, PLEASE don't make me do it to the tune of MJ!

$15 for a pizza big enough to share for two wasn't bad - this place is on the boarder of Oakland/Piedmont so, ya know. - and the employees were all kind and attentive. But I can't help but gripe about a $3.50 non-refillable, canned soda. Come onnn...!!

Did you forget MJ is playing on your overhead speakers!?

M.       J.

Michael.    Jackson.

I think selling sodas for $3.50 in an italian restaurant that plays Michael Jackson's music overhead should be illegal.

Anyway, pizza was almost two dimensional, the pepperoni was super salty but had a nice flavor, and the bottom line is I'll probably come back again.

Sometime.

But it's only because I have another $50 gift card that I need to use.

I shall use it to buy myself a few sodas, a few pizzas with ingredients that I don't know how to pronounce nor have any idea what in the world they are, and I'll be content.

But good God, PLEASE play Italian music in your restaurant!

I love it here. Love, Love, Love.

I haven't had the guts to play the 18 yet  - I'm still a Lorena Ochoa in training, thank you very much - but I've visited the driving range a number of times in the past few weeks and I fall more and more in love with the scenery every time.

Watching the fog roll in over the trees with the occasional deer popping in and out from the hillside is incredible. And considering I'm just a beginner and have my share of bad shots, it's hard to be angry in such a serene environment.

Someday I'll brave the course and all it's hilly-gloriousness. But for now, I'll stick to the 2nd level, right-middle side of the 3 story range.

See you there!

me - "Hey do you guys sell golf shoes?"

employee - "men's golf shoes? sure, they're over there."

me - *blink* "What about women's golf shoes...?"

employee - "um....[shakes head 'no' while looking a little embarrassed]."

annnnd awkward.

Dude, it's okay. It's not your fault!

But I am curious - why the hell does a store this big only carry men's golf shoes?? It's gotta be the only sports-related store within 20 miles of El Cerrito! With Mira Vista Country Club and Tilden Park's golf course and driving range so close by I would have expected them to carry these kinda things.

The Copeland's in El Cerrito Plaza had a huge golf section; that is until it closed up...too bad.

Overall, if you're in the neighborhood and need a basketball, pop in here. If you're looking for some baseball tees, running shoes (for men or women), shoes for kids, you'll find plenty of that at great prices too.

But if there's something specific you need, I'd probably call before making the trip. The store is large but could probably be better stocked.

I guess this Big 5 must be doing something right as it's been in the neighborhood for the longest time. I'm pretty sure the roller blades that I got for my 8th birthday were purchased at this store...

Damn. This store is hella old and appears as if it's not going anywhere. So if you're stuck basketball-less, need a baseball tee, or perhaps some snow boarding gear stop by this Big 5 and see what they got. You never know what you could find here. And hey, there's a parking lot. That's worth at least 3 stars right there.

The two employees working today probably saved my doggy's life without even realizing it.

As I was walking through the plaza with Mochi, I noticed a group of guys loitering near the round-a-bout thing in the center of the plaza. They were eyeballing me as I walked across the street and I just knew, in an instant, that something wasn't right. But the Plaza isn't designed in a very pedestrian-friendly way; only one side of the street has sidewalks.

My first instinct was that they were going to try and take my purse. And then I realized they were staring at Mo.

I had called in to order some drinks from Jamba before I got to the plaza so that I could get in and out as quickly as I could. I walked passed the three guys and I had a feeling that *they* knew that I was suspicious of them.

When I walked into Jamba, the employee said "I'm sorry but we can't have dogs in here."

I totally understood, because it is a food establishment, and I wouldn't have had a problem tying Mochi up outside if those guys hadn't been paying such close attention to her.

So I begged and told them I had already ordered my drinks and that I'd pay and get out immediately.

The young lady behind the counter said "Don't worry about it, the manager said she can't be in here but I know you'll be fast so its okay."

Thank. God.

Less than 30 seconds after I left Jamba, the guys who I suspected were up to no good completely ambushed a poor woman eating at Pasta Pomodoro and stole her belongings that she had on the table.

If I would have left Mochi outside while getting my drinks, she would be gone right now.

I saw the entire thing happen and stayed to help the lady and her friends file a report.

So *thank you* Jamba employees for being pet friendly, understanding, and just GOOD human beings (: Mochi thanks you, too.

Fine, you can have a star back. The store still isn't the cleanest but the last time I was there, a rep for Nature's Recipe - which Mochi eats regularly - gave me a bunch of coupons for $5 off her doggy pebbles. Since the bag is usually $10.99, $5 is great (:

Thanks!

Alright, I have severe mixed feelings about this place. The manager seriously got on my bad side and it takes a LOT to do that. And he has yet to redeem himself.

I came running in 6 minutes before closing which is something that I absolutely *hate* doing to any business. So for that, I apologize. But what I needed was essential: a unique battery that my grandma's medical bed remote uses.

The damn thing just died without any warning, as most battery operated things do, and she was stuck in her bed unable to get out :( So, knowing that Walgreens is one of the only places that carries the weird, short, stubby battery I got in my car and went down here to get it.

I ran in the door, knowing exactly what I needed and where it was, and the manager *shouts* "You have 5 minutes. You should have come in earlier." in the most irritated and agitated voice.

What the *ahem* heck? RUDE! I understand that you and your employees have worked long hours and you wanna go home, but it wouldn't hurt to be the slightest bit courteous. His attitude seriously put a big ass damper on my already bad/stressed out mood.

The only reason I didn't give this place 0 stars was because I managed to find a Chia Spongebob here as a gift for someone 2 days before Christmas. And since they had more than one, I bought one for myself.

Chia Spongebob is amazing. The manager? Not so much.

Holy hell.

Trust me, I'm all for the less-than-aesthetic family run business but COME ON.

It looks like a dungeon inside; Which would be fine if it didn't feel as cold as one. You could literally see your breath when you exhaled. My brother and I guessed it was a cool 45 to 50 degrees inside the dining room when we stopped by and immediately realized that this is a to-go stop only.

It's fairly expensive; nachoes, carne asada fries, and an enchilada plate (with no drinks) was about $24 after tax and most of it ended up in the garbage :( The portions are huge and after attempting to eat in the refrigerator that was Baldo's, we all completely lost our appetites.

To the point of physically feeling ill.

The whole atmosphere inside put a damper on things; aside from the frigid air, it was dark, there were no lights on - it was an overcast day, no sun -  and the walls were not even close to being uniformly painted creating a very cellar-like feel. Again, appearance isn't everything but there are a few things that just seem essential for a restaurant to pass safety inspections...

As you can tell from the photos that people have posted, the food actually looks great! Since I didn't eat any more than a few bites of my $7 plate, I can't quite comment on the taste.

Maybe I'll come back in the summer, when the dining room has heated up a good 30 degrees.

You sucked so bad that the first 4 days of the New Year have been infinitely more joyous than you ever were.

And all I've done in the past 4 days is learn how to hit a golf ball. Wtf, 2009, You were the worst. EVER

Watch out golf, *this* girl has picked up a club and yes, you should be worried.

You should be worried because most people fall in love with a sport because of it's beauty; it's challenge; the integrity that it instills in it's player.

I fell in love with golf because I liked driving the cart on the grass and over curbs.

I also have a passion for photography and decided that driving the cart erratically around the cart path, in a made-up-game I like to call "lazy picture taking," spells out all kinds of fun.

All kinds of fun for me = All kinds of scary for you.

My dad's been a golfer for 13 years and he finally convinced me to go to the driving range with him and my boyfriend (another crazed golf fanatic who's been playing since he was 8).

I actually had a lot of fun and enjoyed the challenge of it all. So I played. Played some more. And low and behold, this girl was able to hit the ball 100+ yards after 5 hours (spread over 5 days) at the range!

*cue Rocky theme*

I've been at the driving range, borrowing clubs from my dad, for the past 7 days and he brought me to this Golfsmith on Sunday to finally get my own set.

So now, not only should you be worried that I picked up *one* club, you should be worried that I own 8. Because I will, I repeat, I will hit you with them if I have to.

(:

The service that we received at this Golfsmith was great! A guy named Kevin talked to my dad about lie, loft, and whatever-the-hell-else-that's-important when picking golf clubs for beginners and I was able to try out a bunch of different brands in their indoor demo.

I wouldn't really call it an "indoor driving range" as others have said since you're hitting into a net, but it is incredibly useful that you can at least get a feel for the clubs that you're about to spend $$$ on!

It is kind of a bummer that you can't see the ball's path since you're hitting into a corner but that's okay! They do golf fitting here and it looks like they've got some computer technology to tell you information about your swing.

I tried everything from Lynx, to Cleveland, to Taylormade, to Ping and decided that while I love love loved the Ping's, the Taylor's fit my budget appropriately.

They're a few years old, Taylormade R7's, but were about 40% off brand new. Total was $490 after tax.

Not bad!

The sales guy, Kevin, was so patient while my dad handed me club after club and he even asked his manager to give us an additional 10% off which he did! Whoohoo, thanks!

I also picked up a golf bag for $80 which is a pretty good price. And guess what?

It's pink! [I can feel all the hard glares from the seasoned golfers now]

Overall, this store had PLENTY to choose from and had some really great sales prices. Clearance prices are harder to come by from other golf stores and Golfsmith had a wide selection. It's perfect for golfers of all ages, levels, and budgets.

Oh and the little golf bags for the kids are soooo cute (:

We decided to come to this Pleasanton based on the yelp reviews and I'm happy we did. It's a bit far from home - a good 30+ minute drive - but the customer service was incredibly friendly and the selection was exactly what I needed.

After hitting a ton of balls around with 6 different clubs, complete with cute little compliments like "wow, that's a good shot!" from the staff, I'm happy with my purchase from this store.

If I ever need to trade up my clubs, I wouldn't hesitate coming back here again.

Watch out golfers; The pink-golf-bag wearing, spongebob ball hitting, beginner is out in full force and you can expect all kinds of Happy Gilmore references to fly out of my mouth while playing.

You're gunna die, CLOWN!

hehehe the bathroom has a bidet hehehehe

Can you tell I don't belong here? Well if you can't, I don't. I don't belong anywhere near a golf course unless I am in a cart. And even then, it's questionable.

I have no patience. I have a potty mouth. And I complain when it's too hot, and complain when it's too cold.

But we were on vacation and my boyfriend and his golfing family wanted to soak up the sun on the course. We headed to Ewa Beach and they seemed to have a blast at Coral Creek. The staff was incredibly kind, the course was beautiful and green, and the price was justified by the upkeep of the entire property.

See, we're from Richmond, CA. In Richmond, when someone runs up on your stuff, you immediately think "someones stealing my [insert belonging here]!!!!"

So when the golf-man-guy came around the corner all swifty-like to secure the guys' clubs on the cart for them, it was quite shocking. Mainly because I was thinking "omg he is so going to steal your stuff!!" but that's besides the point.

I forgot we were in Hawaii. Such Service.

If you're a golfer, this is probably not the review you should be looking to for advice on whether or not you should play here.

But if you're like me - the bored girlfriend who drives the cart while questions like "why is there a rake in the sand?" seem to float through your head - then take my advice:

Enjoy the leather seats in the golf cart, sit sideways to tan your legs while the golfers are doin their thing, and know that the lady that drives the cart with snacks has Spam Musubi.

5 stars. Spam Musubi ftw!