Kimberly "Small. Yellow. Different." V.'s Profile

I can't believe that I am reviewing an airport terminal but San Fran's Terminal 2 is something worth yelping about!  Boasting a wine bar, a farm-to-table restaurant, pinkberry, sushi joint, futuristic computer docking stations, and yoga studio, I feel like I am walking around in the yuppie neighborhood of Clarendon!

On my last layover, I stopped in for some Mexican grubs at Andale Cafe and was pleasantly surprised by the fast and friendly service and made-to-order meal.  I even got to watch a Caps game on their big screen tv while enjoying a SF brew.  

If I were a character in the 1994 Steven Spielberg movie "The Terminal" I would hope that SF Terminal 2 would be the place that I was stuck in!

I think I'm starting to get a twitchy eye from Yelping too much so instead of full paragraphs here is my review in list format.

1) Great quirky, vintage decor.  If my girl Zooey Deschanel ever decided to open up a vegan cupcake shop, Sticky Fingers would be it.

2) There was a fruit fly floating around inside the cupcake case.

3) Both of the cupcakes I sampled were extremely dense and dry.  My friends and I chalked it up to sitting out a bit too long since vegan products taste best when they are freshly baked.

4) Their brownies are the best effin' brownies I have ever tasted!  Even better than the Little Debbie fudge brownies with the nuts on top that they used to sell in the vending machines after school (if you grew up in Fairfax County Public Schools you know what I'm talking about!).  

5) Friendly service.  The staff didn't even mind that my indecisive group of girlfriends sat in front of the baked goods case for a good ten minutes before deciding what to get.  

6) I didn't get the chance to try their savory selections but whatever they were cooking up back in the kitchen smelled intoxicatingly good.  I'd like to come back and try their vegan grilled cheese which is only served till 2pm everyday!

Saigon Quan is a nice little slice of Vietnam in Springfield.

Ambiance:  Waterfalls, orchids and greenery make this strip mall restaurant seem bright and cheery.

Service:  Friendly, attentive, and spoke English well

Food:  My vermicelli bowl with grilled pork, shrimp and egg roll definitely hit the spot with it's refreshing mix of julienned vegetables and fresh herbs. I would have preferred my nuoc nam cham to be a bit on the stronger side but that's just me being picky.  My boyfriend had the pho which was enjoyable but didn't have the same crack-like qualities of our favorite spot Pho Sate.  His brother ordered the beef curry with noodles which he seemed to enjoy as well.  I didn't get a taste but by looking at it the broth seemed a little bit watered down and there was a TON of fat attached to to the beef.

Since I work five minutes away from Eden Center I am spoiled by the abundance of readily available authentic and delicious Vietnamese food near by.  However, to my Sprungfield brothers and sisters, Saigon Quan is definitely a welcome addition to the food scene.

I love farmer's markets but they are always so DAMN EARLY!  Just because I don't roll out of bed until after 12 doesn't mean I don't want access to fresh and nutritious local food.  

The Local Market is a game changer for me.  It essentially is a Farmer's Market that is open all week long.  A few highlights:

- Seasonal produce
- Local delights such as Virginia peanuts, honey and lavendar
- Homemade baked goodies such as bread, brownies, cookies, muffins and croissants
- Freshly made pasta noodles and sauces
- Hormone and antibiotic free milk, eggs, meat, yogurt and ice cream
- A handmade truffle bar

I stopped in for lunch today and got sweet potato vindaloo soup which was delicious and filling as well as a bag of nacho cheese kale chips (the cheese was actually nutritional yeast). I am sad to say that that bag of kale chips is almost gone.  

Service is friendly (but not SUPER friendly like they are at Trader Joe's) and prices are fair.  The Local Market is a great addition to the Falls Church area.

Bob and Edith's is less than a hop, skip, and a jump from my apartment so I find myself here frequently, unplanned or not.  It isn't the nicest diner in the world but I have able to rely on them to provide me with quick, delicious meals at any hours of the day.  A few great memories (and meals) at Bob and Edith's include:

1) The summer my apartment building caught on fire, we were kicked out of our building for a good solid three hours.  I went to B&E to kill some time with a delicious freshly made strawberry milkshake and even met a few nice neighbors that I would have never gotten the chance to talk to before.

2) The day my baby brothers came to visit me at my apartment for the first time and requested to eat blueberry pancakes for dinner.  That night, Bob and Edith's delivered in a big way!  It was the first time that I had ever seen my little brothers' ever finish their entire plate at a restaurant.  They still request we go to Bob and Edith's every time they visit me now.

3) Countless late nights joking around with my friends over a plate of country fried steak and eggs (my heart attack inducing dish of choice), trying to sober up from a late night of partying.  These moments will stick with me forever.

Thank you Bob and Edith's for always being there for me!

There is one word to describe Twisted Vines' $10 bottomless mimosa brunch, A-MAH-ZING!

My best girl Devon and I (you may recognize her as the super hot bartender at Kushi) love coming here on early Sunday mornings, perching our butts on their cozy chairs, and taking advantage of the sweet, never ending pours of champagne and orange juice (aka: the nectar of Gods).  Equivalent to the price of ten junior bacon cheeseburgers this is a great deal!  

Brunch dishes are on the small size so we often end up splitting three things between us.  Our favorites are the mushroom crepes, french toast, and empanadas.  

Servers are very friendly and don't make you feel like a lush every time they refill your glass.  

Overall, a great brunch pick on the Pike!

Bunny Man Bridge, thank you for providing my friends with countless hours of entertainment in high school.  Your spooky setting and secluded locale made the perfect back drop for fun memories for bored high school kids everywhere.

If you don't know the history about this place, apparently there was a series of unsolved murders in the Clifton area in the early 1900's  when a prisoner escaped while in transit to the Lorton jail.  It is believed the murderer  lived near the bridge and survived on rabbit carcasses, thus the name Bunny Man Bridge.    

To quote Ray Parker Jr., "I don't believe in no ghosts!" BUT I will say, I did come here once to test out a brand new camera and there were several moving colored orbs (or to believers, spirit energy) that showed up in our final film outputs.

Overall, a fun creepy place to check out when you are bored!

It was my friend's birthday and her only request was that she go to a place that played 80's music.  The party planner of the night decided to take her to Good Guys, a friendly neighborhood strip club in Georgetown.

As soon as I walked in my glasses steamed up immediately -- not because of the smoking hot girls on the stage but because the air conditioning seemed to be broken.  This is one, hot, steamy club!  I felt like I had dipped my face into a bowl of pho.

A few observations:
- To the party planner's credit, Good Guys did play a lot of eighties music.  
- The dancers had to wipe the mirrors down themselves after every dance. I think it would have classed the place up if they had designated mirror wipers.
- The ladies' bathroom is in the same room where the dancer's get ready.  It is between two saloon-style doors which made it fun to enter but did not seem very safe.  I did sneak a peak at the dancers' make up bags while I was washing my hands and was pleased to find that they use a lot of the same beauty products as I do.
- Drink service was slow and bartenders did not seem to put much love into their cocktail making.

My maltese, Lewy Nacho Justin Timberlake V. (or just Lewy) loves Yeppi Pet Grooming and so do I!  Lewy is a white, fluffy circus dog so he is prone to major hair snarls.  Most grooming places do not have the patience to comb through his jungle of a body and end up shaving him so he looks like a drowned rat for two months.  

But not Yeppi -- they never shave and they GENTLY remove any hair snafus that your dog may have which I really appreciate.  The front desk is very kind and you can tell that they really love animals.  

Since going to Yeppi, Lewy always looks as handsome as his *N SYNC namesake. Whenever I pick him up and they always accessorize him with a nice bow or paisley handkerchief.  Even though I live in Arlington, I still make the drive to Centreville for Lewy's grooming needs just because I am so impressed with their quality of work.

Do you know the episode of Family Guy where Peter Griffin has an epic smack down with a person in a chicken costume?  I believe that chicken lives at Coco Rico.  Their chicken mascot is the most bad ass, mean mugging chicken you will ever experience in your lifetime.

Once I had a friend point at the chicken and laugh during a random intersection stop and the chicken made an "I will cut you" motion to him.  NO LIE.  Don't mess with this chicken!

As far as food goes, Coco Rico gets a participation medal for competing in the Peruvian Chicken Olympics.  Their chicken is seasoned well (albeit on the dry side) but it is nothing compared to the gold standards such as El Pollo Rico or Super Chicken.  

If the mascot does not off you before entering, this is a fine place to get your chicken fix if you are in the Springfield area.