Namtran N.'s Profile

I was going to give this place 2 stars, but then the Boy pointed out that we will not be recommending this place to anyone.... so.. it gets 1 star... on with the review..

I'm going to put a more detailed review on the blog.. but I'll try to summarize here.. They don't serve pho during dinner time.. what kind of ridiculousness is that (for a place with "pho" in the name)?? Why would a Vietnamese restaurant that is trying to do American/French/Vietnamese fusion serve Italian pasta (and not very good pasta at that)? Where are the mushrooms? What's up with the $5 surcharge for sharing?? What's so "fusion" about steak, lamb, chilean sea bass, etc etc.?? The service was decent, but not tip-top.

The decor is nicer than the place before, but the food isn't better. And I almost want to say that it's the same owners, just a change of name? But, maybe that's just in my head.

The waffles here don't compare to Catalina (not the same texture, didn't have the right smell, just kinda there)... but this palce isn't a bad deal. Apparently, the thing to get here is a burrito, but we didn't know that till after we had already ordered, and then noticed that everyone around us ordered breakfast burritos. They looked delicious and huge and awesome hangover food, but we were craving breakfast breakfast. The biscuits and gravy were pretty damn good, now that I think of it, but everything else was pretty standard for breakfast. Nothing special. I wish they did hashbrowns instead of homefries though.

Totally worth the time if you're in the area or passing through and have some time to take the tour. You learn SO much about Mr. Hearst and his vision and why he decided to put this BEAUTIFUL castle out in (seemingly) the middle of nowhere. I bet on a clear day you can see the ocean, but there was a massive fire burning near Big Sur when we went, and it made the air all smokey, hazy, and gross.

It's amazing how much history is just stored in the buidling itself, down to the tiles and the ceilings and all the little details. I would totally want to get married here if it didn't cost an arm, a leg, my first born, my first born's first born, and so on and so forth. Actually.. perhaps I wouldnt' want to get married here, but I totally wish I could transport myself back to the 1930s as a beautiful, young, up-and-coming movie starlette, who gets whisked away to this enchanted get-away by a dreamy actor, with promises of exotic animals and rich food. OMG... ::drool::  :-)

May stop in again sometime to take one of the other tours, but I definitely recommend it. It's pretty awesome.

There are only a few things that stop me from giving this place five stars.. (first) you have to pay to get into the area; (b) when the weather isn't great, you don't have much of a view, even though the scenery i still pretty nice; and (three) I don't really care for golf courses.

Other than that.. this is a really fun drive, and, like Mieko G. says, probably an even better bike ride. I've only been once, and the whole time I was wishing that I was on my bike. Lots of great scenic stops, and the golf courses are nice too, if you're into that kind of thing. Definitely will be coming back here (most likely for the Concourse d'Elegance, but probably also just while passing through).

I can't remember much about my visit here (probably because I've waited so long to finally write this review, and because I was a little buzzed when I ate here). What I do recall is that the service was pretty good, but the music was bad. The decor was standard for an Italian place. The Italian soda I had tasted like medicine. The food was good, but nothing spectacular. And.. in all honesty.. I probably won't come back here, not because it was a horrible experience, but because there are so many other places I'd rather try the next time I'm in Napa.

Points to Minh for planning an awesome first date.. and I have to say that this is one of those places in LA that you just have to try to say that you've tried it (ok.. that statement probably makes no sense to anyone else except a handful of people who know me really well).. but not the greatest place to eat food. The decor is appropriate for what it is, a place that uses garlic as its main ingredient in all the dishes. But the food was very much lacking in.. flavor.. surprisingly enough. We ordered fries, clam, and the leg of lamb, all of which could definitely have used more garlic. It was strange. The food wasn't horrible, just not great. The wine was pretty bad though. blech. Service was.. ok at first, and then went strangely downhill. We had a hard time flagging down the server.. and I'm not a fan of having to pour your own water (or rather having the water at the table so that the server doesn't have to carry around the pitcher - I just end up pouring it myself because he's so hard to find).

One surprisingly good thing was the garlic icecream with caramel/chocolate sauce, but that's not something unique to this restaurant alone. The icecream comes from Gilroy (garlic capitol of the country), so you can probably find it in stores or order it online. I would definitely eat the icecream again, but I'm not so sure about coming back here.

Walking up to this place, it's hard not to notice that they've been voted the best clam chowder in the area for the past 10 years. Now, I haven't had clam chowder at very many places, but I've tried a few, and I know what I like and what I don't. The clam chowder I had a few weeks prior from a stand at Fisherman's Wharf in SF can't even compare to Splash. The bread bowl was better, the chowder more flavorful, and over all delicious. Well worth the wait if you're in Pismo Beach. I split a bowl with Minh, but if you're really hungry, then get one for yourself. The calamari isn't bad here, either, but it was a bit on the soggy side.

I have to agree with Frances Z.'s review and say that I would absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE to get married here. The place is GORGEOUS! The architecture is amazing, especially once you take the tour and here the stories behind the decisions and ideas put into it. I'm not a huge fan of antiquity or Greco-Roman art, but it's not to say that I don't appreciate the expansive collection that they do have there.

It's too bad the the Getty Trust is a non-profit and they don't allow weddings there. I highly recommend people to go out there, even if you aren't a fan of art.. the views are amazing, as is the place itself. The gardens are beautiful, and the intro tour is very informative. A good place to start. I wouldn't say it's better than the Getty Center (because I'm prefer the art that rolls into there over the endless amounts of statues, busts, etc. that are housed at the Villa), but it's still wonderful.

I have been a fan of crepes since my third year of French, junior year of high school. We stopped in SB on our way up to SLO for the weekend, and just drove around finding a place to eat. We settled on Pacific Crepes because it was small and cute, and who could really say no to crepes, right? It's a cute joint, small and quaint and not very crowded at all. The service is passable, the bathroom is tiny, but clean. Now let's talk food.

Chris and Tiff split a creme brulee because they weren't really that hungry. By the looks of it, not one of the better desserts you could order at this place. The sugar top wasn't hard enough, the creamy center wasn't firm enough. Eventually, it ended up like thick milk, or runny yogurt. Minh and I split a lunch special, which was just enough food for the two of us. The salad was pretty standard. We got a savory crepe with goat cheese, mushrooms, and avocado.. and it was pretty good, though hard to eat. They folded the crepe oddly (not in the usual half fold or triangle dealy) so that we couldn't really pick it up, but the crepe itself was a bit hardened, not that soft thin pancake I was hoping for. Although, if I ever decide to make crepes at home, this is a delicious combination of ingredients. We finished the meal with a dessert crepe of strawberries and Nutella.. and there's no way of going wrong there. Overall.. it was an OK meal, but not the best crepes I've ever had.

Totally not what I was expecting when I walked up to this place. The outside makes it look like an old warehouse or factory (which I guess it was at some point), but the inside is reminiscent of Old Ebbitt Grill (in DC), plus they've got an awesome sunroom in the back that has a beautiful chandelier hanging in the middle of it. Totally unexpected. Alas, we were not able to eat in the dining area because we couldn't afford it (or at least weren't in the mood - or dressed - to spend that kind of money on dinner). Instead, we had tapas and drinks in the lounge area. These were pretty damn good tapas, and they have awesome drink and tapas deals for happy hour every day. Will definitley be coming back here, perhaps even for dinner, when I'm in the area. Oh.. and service was superb.