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"Reality always waves us around in circles for fun."
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Review votes:
93 Useful, 56 Funny, and 58 Cool
Gainesville, FL
Yelping SinceMay 2007
Find Me Inmy birthday suit.
My HometownSunrise, FL
When I'm Not Yelping...I'm in my books. :((((((( and thinking about food :))))))
Why You Should Read My ReviewsBecause I give fair and balanced reviews with lots of info!
My Second Favorite Website My First Concertayumi hamasaki ASIA TOUR 2007 in Tokyo - Saitama Super Arena
My Last Meal On Earthramen, sushi daiwa in tsukiji market, golden kiwi, fries&mayo
Current Crushblack sesame ice cream, la maison du chocolat
Date
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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9/24/2009
Stumbled upon this place with the help of yelpers here! I think the restaurant is really cool with tons of newspaper clippings that give you a vibe of the history of Gainesville. It's pretty cool to read about Louis Pennisi himself, the restaurant, the Gainesville High school and how everythign has changed over the yers but this establishment still exists...for a good reason!
I ordered combo 1: 2 burgers all the way, fries, and a massive drink for $5.85 HELLO! That is a steal. Yeah it's not McDonald's pricing, but I think its a really good deal for downtown food. The burger has this really interesting crust from being fries in a cast iron skillet. the cast iron themselves look ANCIENT so you know that thing has been cured with TONS of flavor. I really loved the crunchyness of the burger, and how it's still juicy inside (no it's not a burnt crunchy...haha). What really keeps me from LOVING the burger is that the patty is too thin to give you a nice meatiness of flavor that fills your mouth. I shouldn't have to get a plain burger to get that. The toppings of onions, cheese, and tomatoes blend perfectly with the burger. But again, too little meat, too much bun!
I had the crinkle cut fries and they are pretty amazing. Crispy outside, potatoey and soft almost-mashed-potato es inside. You only achieve that by cooking in a high heat skillet for short periods. There was just a hint of salt to give it a kick, and I added some pepper and mayo and they were really something NICE.
All in all, good food, awesome price, but a little more meat? I'll ahve to update this once I try their thicker steakburger and shake...:). 3.75 stars.
PS: Bring hand sanitizer.
The extensive menu covers everything from milk tea, shaken tea, slushes, frozen yogurt, some food items, and more. You also have your choice of coffee and hot teas behind you. All in all, there is a flavor that can appease anyone. I ordered the lychee bubble tea, which is a shaken iced tea with lychee. You also have your choice of boba, which are tapioca pearls, or fruit jellies. Some people enjoy them, others don't. I always get mine with boba, and they do it right. The consistency of the boba is perfect - slightly chewy and with a small bite. There's a hint of syrup mixed with the boba which makes it enjoyable and tasty with the tea.
The tea itself is definitely a nice refresher after a long day. The lychee blends well with the slight bitterness of the tea. However, I find it slightly too sweet, and if you have a sensitive sweet tooth like myself, I'd order it with half the sugar. That way, the tea flavor comes out more, and oh, less calories :).
I did try the frozen yogurt. They always use the freshest fruits available since there is no puddle of juice on the bottom of each tray. They also carry some seasonal fruits such as pomegranate, which is nice. The majority of the fruits are fresh, not canned. Ordering the froyo is done a la other shops: you pick the flavor, the toppings, and pay a set price. Unfortunately, I can't say I really enjoy the frozen yogurt. The yogurt is a little too runny and soft. Moreover, it lacks that mouth-zinging tart that you expect from yogurt. I'd like to eat my frozen yogurt like I drink tea, you still taste the (bitter) tea/ (sour) frozen yogurt, and the flavors build on top and incorporate into it.
I do give props that the frozen yogurt here is Live and Active Cultures certified, meaning that they use the correct process and you can say confidently that you will get the probiotic benefits.
Lollicup also has an assortment of board games and Wi-Fi that make it a great place to hang out and chill! 4 stars for tea, 3 stars for yogurt, 4 stars for staff and amenities: 3.67 stars overall!
It's in the really nice Tioga area, although the restaurant kinda sneaks up on you if you don't know where you are looking. We came early, but I suppose you could easily spot a line out the door later in the evening. We started with the special "Prosciutto di San Daniele" which is actually a variety of prosciutto they use. It's a touch sweeter and darker than your di Parma variety. Anyways, the dish was served in this huge plate of fresh arugula, shaved aged cheese, prosciutto, orange scented figs, and flatbread. When you combine them, the flavors DANCE in your mouth, sweet, salty, oily, fatty, and a touch of bitterness. A simply wonderful dish to start out your dinner, and I'd definitely return for that alone! The flatbread provided a nice crunch to go with all the ingredients. And they don't skimp on the prosciutto or cheese!
For the pizza, we got the Sicilian abruzze which had a nice heaping of meatballs, shaved garlic, parsley, and cheese. I felt that it could use a little more sauce, which is perhaps my fault for ordering a Sicilian, since they cook it longer than a regular pizza, it tends to dry out. You won't see that in a coal oven since you flash cook the pizza, but the crust was still tasty and extra crunchy. I'd order it with an extra heaping of sauce next time. But otherwise, the flavors went well and the meatballs were tasty. The cheese was a good amount to still stretch out when you pull the slices apart but it was not overwhelming. Overall, probably the best pizza I've had in Gainesville.
The service was impeccable. Our very nice server constantly checked on us without being overbearing, refilled water quickly, cleaned our plates, and even brought out a tray stand to put the pizza. Even in such a hectic restaurant, I felt special as a guest, and not just a customer.
Prices were very affordable for what you get ($10 for special, $17 for pizza?) *glares at you, overpriced sloppy pizza on the other side of Gainesville...*
New York, NY 10011
(212) 255-0770
Hoshi Coupe Chelsea
Category: Hair Salons
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Love the rewash step, the head/neck massage always makes me smile and my hair looks AMAZING still when it grows out once I'm back in FL (still rockin' this hair for 4 weeks now). The salon itself is well kept, clean, and cool looking. The staff with their broken english are still extremely friendly. AND they still remember me by my second visit 4 months later :).
Super busy so make your appointments instead of waltzing in! ~$50 a cut, which is a good deal in NYC.
New York, NY 10079
53rd and 6th Halal Cart
Categories: Food Stands, Middle Eastern, Halal
Neighborhood: Theater District
Oh Halal Cart I miss you! I'm sorry but the chicken was so perfectly cooked and JUICY, the rice was tasty, warm, and fluffy. Add a splash of blazin' hot sauce, some creamy smooth white sauce, and some fresh cooling veggies on the side. All for a mere ~$6? (Blame it on the vodka...) Best food ever after a good night, beating out overdone pizza, wings, and breakfast. Well, I still would eat kobe beef sliders.
I really could eat this practically everyday for lunch, it's that addicitive. Wait. It's not open for lunch. WAIT. I'm not in NYC. gdlkjhakgjadhkghsdhljgka
You call THAT deep dish pizza? It's a pizza that failed the Atkin's diet! You can't make the crust 3/4 of a pizza and put the SAME amount of toppings as you do with a regular pizza and call it deep dish! I can't believe I had to fork over an extra $10 for DOUGH and not TOPPINGS. YUCK.
Had a pesto pizza. Asked to have some SLICED tomatoes this time and received a stern "They are pre-diced, sorry." Uhm, you don't have a fresh tomato in the back? Thanks for the info! The pesto pizza was pretty TERRIBLE. Probably the worst pesto I've ever had, really bland, incredibly OILY and did I say incredibly bland? Yuck number 2!
And none of the ingredients stand out. They used canned pineapples, what happened to some good fresh cut pineapple?? No proscuitto, pancetta, etc in view! And I don't like CHOPPED basil!
1 Previous Review: Hide »
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1/20/2008
With a name attached to it as "The World's Best PIzza" it sure had a lot of hype. Satchel's is Gainesville's famed pizza spot for locals and newcomers alike.
After reading the glowing reviews I had to eventually make a stop here. The wait was a mere 20 min, which I spent looking through the tacky junk shop. Not my scene, but to each their own! A lot of people enjoyed it.
As we sat down we were greeted by eclectic....almost bohemian decor. Lots of character at this place..
We ordered a small salad (claims to feed 2-4 people). It was a decent sized salad, but at $6 it wasn't as big as I thought. Yeah, it comes with sliced golden delicious apples, nuts sunflower seeds, romaine lettuce, and their infamous salad dressing. The verdict: average. Nothing spectacular, a typical salad I would expect out of a decent restaurant. I did not like the fact that the salad was coated heavily in dressing. The dressing was light in flavor, but maybe a little TOO light for the amount of oil in it.
We ordered the "mama" calzone with ham, broccoli, roasted red peppers, and spinach. Decent calzone but not worth the extravagant price ($13), and no, their marinara sauce is just a step up from franchise italian restaurants. The ingredients were nice and fresh, though.
Finally, the pizza. I stuck with a typical italian pizza to see how well they fare: ricotta, tomatoes, basil, and artichoke. The result: soggy, no depth in tomato sauce, and gross CHOPPED tomatoes (they should be sliced!). The artichokes and basil were good. The crust was ok but it truly lacked that extra oomph in flavor that you can get from a coal oven. All in all, it was difficult to justify the $17 for a 4 topping medium pizza for what I got.
2 stars, average pizza joint with soggy crusts. I probably won't be returning back. Onto my search for good pizza in Gainesville...
Gainesville, FL 32608
(352) 371-7575
Mochi Frozen Yogurt
Category: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
So what makes mochi standout? It's self-serve! Whereas the other companies you pick your yogurt and toppings, Mochi allows you to combine whatever flavors are avaliable with whatever toppings and you just weigh it for 45 cents an ounce. Be warned that it's easy to pile it ALL up in those huge containers...I think the system is great, and it definitly suits the college town. I think sometimes people get too crowded waiting to get cups, so there should be a second substation to expedite everyone quickly.
But more importantly, the frozen yogurt itself! I enjoyed the plain, mango, and blueberry. They had a more tart flavor a la Pinkberry that I really enjoy. Lychee, strawberry, pina coloda were too sweet, taro was awkward, and honeydew tasted fake. They have plenty of sample cups to go around to help you decide on a flavor.
So why the 3 stars? Well, other establishments were certified "Frozen Yogurts with Live and Active cultures" in which they DO add the fermentation step and the bacteria remain dormant while frozen only to be activated in the stomach. Maybe I missed a sign, but to be among the best they'll have to seek that approval. There was something I missed in the flavor profile of the yogurt, too. It was missing that tang that is left in your mouth as the yogurt melts away. I think the texture is slightly too creamy, it melts too quickly, but this may be because the machines are working OVERTIME.
The fruits were okay, some of them are not as fresh as I'd like. If you see copious amounts of juice on the bottom, it's likely they are frozen (I bit into a partially frozen raspberry and blackberry....irk!). The mochi they have are too paper thin and aren't that nice gummy slightly sweetened glutinous rice paste that I've had at other froyo places and Japan. My Korean friend commented that it's like eating pebbles. Seating is difficult to find at rush times, but that's a good sign :p.
Anyways, It's a great concept, decent yogurt, affordable, and it's really funny to be able to see people behind the counter find the most inefficient way to cut a kiwi :). 3.5 stars.
To start, we had the blue crab claws sauteed in a super rich, buttery, garlicky, white wine. The claws were nice and meaty, but for some reason, I thought MT's did it even better; it was even more rich. But it was still super tasty. Our second appetizer was the seared ahi tuna, which was unmemorable at best. It was just bunch of thinly sliced tuna that didn't stand out. It almost didnt seem...fresh. The mustard ginger sake sauce wasn't memorable either, I tasted the mustard, and touches of ginger, but maybe because I am asian I am not easily wowed by this kind of sauce.
There was ample calamari for all! It was very crunchy with the semolina crust, but I prefer a lighter batter for calamari as not overpower the actual chewiness of calamari. The remoulade had a nice kick of spiciness to it, too. There weren't enough legs though :(!
Now onto the main entree. I ordered a medium rare filet mingnon which was cooked perfectly with a nice bearnaise served on a sizzling plate. To be honest, it was pretty standard as far as steaks go. Something anyone can really do at home. The steaks aren't extraordinarily tender, you still need a decent knife to cut it (not the side of a fork :/). The lyonnaise potatoes we ordered were extra crispy and had lots of flavor from the onions and a dash of salt. The mashed potatoes were lackluster, they were too dense and I felt like it wasn't creamy enough, but that's my preference. The steamed asparagus were HUGE (they look genetically engineered, lol) which was a great accompanient to the meal. Service wasn't bad and I only had some chopin vodka and tonic so I can't vouch for the creativity of the bar.
So, good appetizers, standard steak, and decent side dishes. I'd eat here again on special occassions.
Gainesville, FL 32607
(352) 377-4955
Gainesville Health & Fitness Center
Category: Gyms
But will that ultimately give me that Mario Lopez body I would blow a car up for?? Hmm..not when I stumble upon equipment "WAITING TO BE REPAIRED." I wish they had more weights because at high time everyone is fighting for weights, bench, cables, etc. I had better luck at 24 hour fitness super sport which has 2x the amount of weights and equipment here (and also $10 a month cheaper).
Anyways, I pop in here late at nights to avoid all of that.
The pool is small, but it fits the bill. I never touched the sauna room so I can't comment on that. Plenty of classes with good variety if thats your thing!
Also the men's locker room has a strange stench...probably because the floor is CARPETED!
They serve you in these chinese style take out boxes (which I'm unphased by). it was relatively quick, but I did not like the $11 bill for stuff you could put together with boxed pasta, premade pesto, and some grilled chicken and blah salad.
I suppose I left unsatisfied and looking for more. 2.5 stars (WHY are there still no half stars?! ::shakes fist::)
OTOH, the onion rings were fried beautifully and were super tasty. They don't give a lot, and I am inclined to keep the delicious fries. Maybe next time I'll get a DOUBLE of their regular patty...hehe (why, oh why do I keep coming back?) The staff is still as crazy and funny as ever.