Amanda B.'s Profile

I've been here several times since my first review and will continue to keep coming in for 1) seriously good burgers that are juicy and taste like the best backyard bbq burger from a hot summer evening, 2) well-seasoned fried chicken that seems to have gotten the hint, 3) velvety mac n cheese that I'd like to marry and have mac babies with and 4) more celebrity sightings!

That's right, folks. I saw John Waters here last week, enjoying a meal with a table full of friends.

If it's good enough for John Waters, well then it's good enough for me.

I'm giving this place 5 stars because c'mon. But secretly, I think it should get zero stars because every time I come here, I emerge 8 hours later with cellophane head.

Cellophane head is that weird feeling you get from being under fluorescent lighting for too long and intensely searching bin after bin of used and new classical, jazz, folk, oldies, nigerian juju, cumbia, blues, psychedelic, and clearance records looking for anything and everything that will feed your addiction.

Am I going to listen to all of it? Fuck yes. Alone. Night after night with bottles of wine and boxes of pizza strewn about and some of it will be awesome, some of it will be tossed to the "Too Weird to Listen to Again" pile or the "This Will Impress No One" stack.

But it's worth it. It's fun. Records smell good. They have history. They sound warm, fuzzy, with pretty sparks and pops.

There are also cute boys who work here and their seasonal booklet is fantastic.

xo

This one star review is for the new Al's. The one that's different. It's changed.

Al's used to be so rad. It was always busy. Full of people from all walks of life. I used to love sitting at the bar, reading the paper, with coffee and the promise of a solid, hot breakfast. The ladies who ran the place were characters and would argue with one another and call their beloved regulars "doll" and "hon". One of them gave my daughter a stuffed animal and wrote the date on the tag. The vibe in there was controlled chaos combined with the greasy fragrance of hot coffee, bacon, and pancakes. I loved the random tchotchkes, refreshed for every holiday and faded from years of use.

IT HAD CHARACTER. It meant something. It wasn't trying to be something it wasn't. It was genuine. It was authentic.

Before I knew of the new ownership, I went in for breakfast and instantly felt something was different. For starters, it was much cleaner and there were fewer knick knacks on display. There were also fewer customers. In fact, it was dead.

The toast came out first, which is annoying. Toast is not an appetizer. Bring it hot with my other food, please.

The rest of the food came. The bacon was inedible. How is that possible, you ask? Good question. It was paper thin and had an off taste. It tasted cheap.

Then, I tried the French toast. It also was inedible. Thick slices of stale bread lightly brushed with egg then lightly grilled. Dry, flavorless, gross. Not the soft, tender, almost melt in your mouth French toast experience you want from a greasy spoon.

The new, "fancier" menu items like pesto pasta simply don't belong here. In a neighborhood already full of solid, five star dining, this new Al's concept is unnecessary and fake. There is nothing genuine about what they are doing here. There is no love in this food anymore.

I'm totally bummed out. In a world where everything is new and changing, places like the old Al's are a dying breed. But they are important relics of Americana.

Either this place will find it's rhythm, discover the importance of fresh ingredients, learn how to make American food, and become the Chloe's of the Mission, or it will fail and close in 6 months.

Ladies and gentleman, I am the 3,953rd person to stand in that line and write a Yelp review. To wait, determined, and see if it's all worth it. Or if it's all a cruel joke. Like Senior Prom.

I did it. I really did. And here's the deal:
Ice cream is good in all forms. So, right away, Bi-Rite is positioned to be awesome. But, their flavors are unique and intense. Super creamy and dense. The salted caramel tastes like burnt sugar and salted butter. The basil was incredible. The chocolate was thick and fudgy. Amazing.

I'm afraid that my cynical evil twin is wrong about this place, and despite this being somewhat of a Mission tourist destination, it's still totally legit.

After spilling an entire Venti mocha on my white pleated palazzo pants, I ran inside hoping they could dry clean on the spot so I could get back to being incredibly important.

Contrary to popular belief, THEY DO NOT DO DRY CLEANING. Some dude just put my pants on a photocopier and offered me toast and peanut butter while I waited.

Horrible dry cleaners. But four stars for the very attractive employees and tasty snacks.

Fellas! Here's a tip. Want to woo that special lady friend, pop the question or just impress some babe you picked up? Book a room at this place. It's a block away from the beaten path of Carmel, and only a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean. There's a gas fireplace in many of the rooms and it's a b&b with privacy.

Ladies! Girls trip, mom's in town, just dumped that asshole and need some time alone? Green Lantern.

Fantastic breakfast (fresh waffles, yogurt, granola, fresh fruit, french toast casserole, bagels, cereal, oatmeal, toast, coffee and tea), parking, a quick walk to the white sandy Carmel beach and a nice selection of old skool VHS classics for you to take to your room.

It was my first time in Carmel and all the wandering around White Yuppieville, USA really worked up an appetite. After browsing a few other menus, we decided to give this joint a go.

It was packed on a Saturday at 3 PM, but we put our name in and sure enough, 20 minutes later, they called my cell phone and our table was ready.

Our waiter was a total doll. I could have scooped him up and taken him home with me. He was charming and on the ball. The Sangiovese was smooth, the garlic bread was off the chain and the Jackie O pasta was good enough to lick off of my fingers.

We left deliriously full and happy.

Pretty goshdarn radical.

So, I'm a total see-saw when it comes to health. All or nothing. I'm either double double animal style or nothing but kale. That said, I'm no stranger to juice fasts and even though I have a juicer at home, I wanted to try out a delivery service so I didn't have to think about bringing juice to work, etc.

I opted for the Cleanse II and requested early morning delivery. Sure enough, at 7:45 AM, a knock at the door meant my fresh juice was here, and delivered in nice coolers with ice packs. The 16 ounce glass bottles are adorable and not heavy (Important to me since I brought my juice to work with me on my bike).

All the juices are really good, with the exception of the Love my Liver. Lord, come day three I was gagging on it and I don't know why. Perhaps I had just had enough. In any case, the tasty almond drink and AWESOME Cayenne Lemonade made my cleanse a success.

Really great customer service and product. I've already recommended to a few friends.

Because it's only a few blocks from my house, I've been taking my 35mm film to this Walgreens for about a year. At least twice a month I bring in a roll and ask for the same thing: photo CD only, no prints.

Until recently, a really friendly dude helped me at the photo counter and knew exactly what I wanted and I never had any issues. However, I haven't seen him for the last few months and since he's been gone, I have had an issue with my photos every time I've gone in.

Every time, they print pictures and forget the CD, even though it says "CD only, no prints" on my receipt. So they have to hand feed each cut negative into the machine and make a CD, which takes another hour. Weirdly, they go ahead and throw the prints away, which is wasteful, but they don't want to "give away" prints to a customer (even though it's their mistake).

It would have been fine if this happened only a few times, but it's become comical how EVERYTIME they get my order wrong, and have to re-do it when I come in to pick up my photos. It's become predictable.

I guess it's about time I took my film to a "real" place anyway. I notice sometimes they leave out prints, thinking my HOLGA shots were mistakes. :\

Walgreens, you need to train your employees to listen and pay attention. That's all.

Homemade pie. In paradise. Seriously.