Linda M.'s Profile

I had an excellent squash-potato soup with spicy pepper and a nice strong cappuccino at Bailey's. On the basis of the flavors of those alone, they'd get 4 stars from me...but a cold draft and room for improvement in the value department resulted in -1.

It was a cold, blustery, rainy day. The owner insisted on opening the front door a foot after I'd asked not 5 minutes earlier if anybody objected (in the nearly empty cafe) to my closing it because it was so drafty. When I told her that I'd just asked to have it shut, she did move the indoor heat lamp closer to the table I was at....which mostly worked for me, but still resulted in my cappuccino being cold before I could finish it. I get the warehouse vibe, but seriously, why ask if you don't care what the response is? She seemed concerned that someone might think the business was closed if the door was shut, despite the fact that the garage style door further down was rolled halfway up. Perhaps a sign outside would do the trick?  

For the almost $9 for my soup and coffee drink, I'd like to have seen some bread accompany the soup.

"Wooooaaah! I want to live here!"

My son was pretty excited about the new Lafayette Library that just opened on Saturday, and it *is* very nice. Physically, I don't think it has as much shelf space as the main county library in Pleasant Hill (our home library) but it's beautiful and new, with fabulous furniture and lots and lots of library extras such as:

- A high tech book return that scans your books and checks them back in as they ride a little conveyor belt into the library.
- A Teen Center, Homework Center, Tech (aka computer) Lab and small group study rooms where people can gather behind closed glass doors for study and research.
- An Arts and Science Center, as well as an art gallery
- A small outdoor reading deck.
- Children's and main libraries that are open to each other, but physically separated.
- A covered kids activity deck off the children's library.
- An amphitheater and community hall.
- Underground parking (access from the back on Golden Gate Wy), complete with a spot for Lafayette's Model T fire engine.
- Coming soon a cafe with outdoor eating space (a bit close to noisy Mt. Diablo Blvd for my taste).

They are still finishing some of these areas. For example, the signage wasn't up yet on the stacks...but, at least for now, there were tons of helpful people (I assume some volunteer) to assist you. One guided us to additional self-check out kiosks hiding a bit to the left of the main exit when the ones on the right were in use.

I have a feeling that we'll be spending as much time at this new library as we do at our home one. It's just that much nicer of a place to be. And the best part? Open every day of the week!

We stopped in for our annual fried food fest at Tugboat's.  A mountain o' fried fish and chips.  Saw the guy rip open the bag fresh from the freezer....several minutes after we'd actually ordered.  Fast food is really a misnomer here, and I still say "where's the slaw?"

It's been a couple of days and my car still smells like a fish fry.  Think we're good for another year.

When I was in high school we'd drive 45+ minutes into Berkeley for a slice of Blondie's with the emphasis on hanging out on Telegraph.  Either the pizza was really good...or there was NOTHING going on in the town I grew up in.  I think we all know which was the case.  

Had a slice of veggie after tonight's Cal game.  Meh.  It's like boring crap food you feed your picky kids but don't want to eat yourself.

This location now closed.

I'm a first timer at Chipotle.  Not bad for fast food.  I had the chicken burrito with black beans, corn, salsa, sour cream and all kinds of craziness.  It was pretty darn tasty.  And big too, which was nice, since I skipped breakfast.  Chips (extra $) were way too salty for me.  They serve it up fast, so the lunchtime line moves very quickly.  

The posted menu is minimalist...so I'm not really sure what's in the few items listed.  It's also really noisy in the restaurant when it's busy.  I'd go back but wouldn't choose it over a good hole-in-the-wall mexican joint.

Best for your basic hardware needs only.  Nuts, bolts, hammer, screwdriver, painting supplies, etc.  Three stars is rounding up a bit as the staff is a mixed bag, heavy on the very little knowledge side.  They attempt to offer sample-sized paint but it's so poorly labeled it's a waste of time.  I just buy my painting supplies like tarps, tape, brushes, rollers, etc here and get the paint elsewhere.

Tomorrow (Sat, 11/7) is their annual Bag sale...fill a paper bag with (most) items and get 20% off everything you fit in the bag.  Time to stock up for those projects that are just around the corner.

Waaaay better selection than the chain lighting store!  The clerk at WC Lighting helped me find a modern bathroom fixture that matched my style and brightness requirements and was reasonably within my budget.  They ordered it and they called a week or so later when the fixture came in.  It's now installed and looking/functioning well.

The showroom isn't huge, but it does have a relatively good selection.  I imagine they have tons of catalogs if you don't see what you're looking for.  Easy parking too.

Western Tile has a big selection and I love their "on your honor" checkout system that allows you to take home samples without going through the hassle of checking each one out.  (They get new ones in all the time.)  Staff are friendly and helpful if you need them...and leave you alone if you just want to browse.  

They work with many different manufacturers.  If the tile you want is in their warehouse, they can generally get it within a day or two.  Some manufacturers charge freight and the Western staff will work with you to combine your order with another client and share the freight cost if you like.  

They have always called me back if they say they are going to.  Sounds like a basic...but I find it's more the exception than the rule when working with a lot of contractors and home improvement folks.

We love our new bathroom floor!

Such a sad, dark, dirty store.  Walking in to this store just makes you feel poorly for the people who work in such a dismal place.  There are always vast expanses of empty shelves and the rest of it looks like it was organized and displayed by 8 year old boys.  

Still, on occasion, such as today....Target just doesn't have something you need such as the perfect sized plastic drawer organizers and low and behold "Big" KMart carries "Junk Drawer Organizers" labeled as such for a mere $6.99.