Samantha "The sushi monster" G.'s Profile

I absolutely love this place! I've attended classes at both the 39th st location and the 42nd street location, and I have always been very happy with the teachers and the class. The instructors seem very attentive to each student, constantly giving a newbie like me little corrections and things to keep in mind. Everyone in the class is responsible for wiping down their machine after class (and you can even wipe it down before you get on) so there's never an issue of an "ew" machine, they all look really well maintained.

There is something about these classes that make it so much fun too. I actually took a class one Saturday where I enjoyed myself so much that I wanted to take the next class! Definitely wish these classes were a little longer.

The cancellation policy may seem a little strict, but it's really not that uncommon or unreasonable. The entire building on 42nd St is undergoing renovation, so don't judge this place by it's looks. (Though both locations seem to be a little "no frills"--that's the only reason why I deducted a star) I can't wait to see it when it's complete!

Also, when you go to take your FREE intro class, make sure you mention Yelp as a reference! You get an extra 20% off (their already reasonably priced) start packages!!

Really friendly service, just average bagels. I got a whole wheat sesame bagel which was good, but nothing too special. Half the bagel was a little crispy, and the other half was a little soft. They have a nice selection of light cream cheese and tofu spreads which is a nice plus.

Finally, a Pilates studio in Brooklyn for those of us who don't live in Park Slope!! Solo Pilates is a small studio, but it is extremely clean and well taken care of. They provide towels, lockers, water, and a shower, so all you need to do is just show up. There are also three elliptical machines (with TVs and headphones!) which you can use before/after your class.

I took a mat class with Paige today and she was great. It was tough, but totally doable. Every time I thought I couldn't do another repetition, we were done with that set. There were only 5 people in my class so she was able to focus on all of us and give us all personal attention.

It's really nice that they have an online scheduling system where you can pay/register online and then just show up. I can't wait to incorporate Solo Pilates into my weekly routine!

Umi Sushi is a small Japanese restaurant in somewhat of a surprisingly location. Wedged among Hispanic bodegas and Russian eateries Umi offers a nice change. The interior is brightly lit and intimate. The decor seems "authentic" and isn't cheesy or cliche.
I decided take an order to go and got a few pieces of sushi, and since they're Special rolls are buy 2 get one free I got the Firework roll, Dragon roll, and my free roll was the Fuji Morning roll. Unfortunately there really is no "waiting area" so you either have to sit at a table, or just stand around. It took 20 minutes for them to make my order which seemed like a pretty standard waiting time.

The sushi was really good. The pieces might be a little smaller then you get at other places, but they are perfect one-bite pieces of sushi, with just the right amount of fish and rice.
The rolls were all over the place. When I ordered the Firework roll the waitress informed me that this was actually a cooked roll. I was a little hesitant but I got it anyway, and I'm glad I did. This was the best roll of the three. It was delicious, and just sort of melted in your mouth.
The dragon roll was fine, but seemed to be a little heavy on the cucumber (and a little light on the eel)
The Fuji Morning roll was my least favorite. It is salmon, tuna and avocado with a "special sauce", which just killed the roll for me. It didn't taste quite like masago, and it didn't taste quite like the spicy sauce either. Even after scraping off the sauce I still couldn't seem to taste the fish inside. But, it was my free roll, so no harm done I guess.

Considering how few sushi places are in this area, I would definitely try Umi again, this time avoiding the rolls that have "special sauce" in them.

I was wowed from the moment I stepped into the store. Spacious, well laid out, and friendly people. What more can you ask for? They have a huge stock of quality yarns (Noro, Manos, Malabrigo, Debbie Bliss, Cascade etc), at fair prices, and I walked away buying more then I intended to when I walked in, and isn't that the charm of a good knitting store? They also have a huge blackboard behind the register with times of knitting and sewing classes.

The only downside is that it's about 5 avenues away from the closest train, but I was so happy with my trip there that I can't deduct a star for that.

My boss took the company out to eat at Avra, and it was really, really excellent. We had the opportunity to sample several appetizers, the grilled calamari being my favorite. (Though the zucchini chips and the dipping sauce was devoured by everyone at the table first)
I got the Youvetsi as my entree--a mix a sea food with orzo in a tomato sauce. It was absolutely amazing. The mixture of orzo and the tomato sauce was so creamy--it made me mad that I had never cooked orzo anywhere near as good as that. The scallops in my dish were huge, and tender. The white wine that the waiter helped up pick out was perfect for the meal.
Desert was fantastic, but I would specifically recommend the Walnut cake. Yum! I tried a piece of the baklava, and honestly I was a bit disappointed. It was way too sweet for me (which says a lot) especially after such a large meal I didn't want something as over powering as that.

The restaurant is really intimate and romantic, would definitely come back here for a special occasion in the future.

This store gets 1 star because there is no womens section. I came here on a Wednesday to meet up with the Bridge Runners group and I needed to buy a hoodie/long sleeve. I had to walk around the entire store twice before I found one rack that had 1 style of shirt on it. After that I went over the the empty register and stood there for a second. Realizing that no one was going to ring me up, I had to ask one of the guys (all whom were just standing around talking) if he could ring my shirt up. I asked him if that really was all the women's shirts they carried and he said, "Women are really hard to sell too. It's a tough market."  Can't believe this is a Nike store.

I was thoroughly disappointed with Omiya sushi. Yes, the rolls are buy one get one free, but despite their large menu most of the rolls seem to consist of the same 3 or 4 ingredients. Virtually every roll either was tempura'd, or had tempura inside of it. Also, you will never get me to order anything called "Gucci Roll" or "Lexus Roll"

The most disappointing for me was the "Volcano Roll" which was a roll made entirely of rice, tempura'd, sliced, and then topped with a blob of spicy tuna. It was impossible to eat it without the tuna on top falling off.

The sushi tasted good, but even that was overwhelmed by too much rice. I wont even mention the point system which you can redeem for "designer" goods. Oh, and as I was paying the check, the waitress dropped off a business card for a hair salon that they were opening on on 86th Street.

I really, really dislike this place. I work in the neighborhood and any time clients want sushi, we always end up ordering from here. Anytime I've gotten sushi from here it tends to be more rice than fish. The spicy tuna rolls also tend to sometimes just taste "off". The special rolls are usually messy and just overall disappointing. As stated, Haru is pretty expensive, and not at all worth it.

When I walked in and told the woman I wanted an order to go she looked at me like I was crazy. (Just to clarify--yes, the do "To Go" orders) Though there was nothing bad about this meal there was nothing really amazing out it. The shrimp appetizer with plum sauce was definitely the highlight of the meal. Also the bathroom opens up right in the middle of the dining area, which I thought was really awkward.