George "Dominating the News Cycle" R.'s Profile

I can see better than 20/20 because of the LASIK done by Dr. Schnipper at the Jacksonville Eye Center. I did wear glasses for 15 years before I finally considered having LASIK done. There are a lot of serious questions that I had to have answered and he laid them all to rest. He's a funny guy and that helps the whole situation. I think he sees a lot of very nervous people.

Here's the most important things to take away that made me say "yes" to the procedure:

The current LASIK procedure that he does is 100% lasers (a combination of the Intralase for the corneal flap and the Allegretto Wave Excimer Laser for the vision correction). There are no more blades involved (if someone says they're using blades, walk away). The lasers he uses follows the spherical contour of the eye instead of treating it like a flat plane (so issues of depth perception and distorted vision are a thing of the past). Your night vision will only be as good as it was when you could see (if you can remember that far back). The new lasers can be set to only go as wide as your pupil opens when it is dark outside and does not over correct causing the "halo" effect that many people complain about from older "broad lasers" that were kind of one-size-fits-all. Finally... "YES," your eyes will be a bit dry for a while, but it does go away. I promise.

He ONLY performs the procedure if you're an EXCELLENT candidate (e.g. thick corneas, low eye dryness, etc.). He told me a story about a guy he said "no" to that went elsewhere to find someone who would say "yes" and the results were not good. There are profiteering centers out there, so watch out. Don't be fooled by heavily discounted offers. These are your eyes your dealing with and you have to be able to see for the rest of your life. It may seem expensive, but it's a life long investment that you won't regret.

Tip: After the procedure, YOU MUST STAY ASLEEP FOR 4-5 HOURS. If for any reason you wake up, take more of the Ambien that they give you. If you're not sure, I'd just take one after you leave the office and a second when you get back to your bed. Do not do the surgery day alone. You really need someone with you.

Honestly, I wouldn't go anywhere else to have this procedure done. The whole team was so thorough in making sure I was an excellent candidate for the procedure and the follow-up with making sure everything had gone well was very calming. Dr. Schnipper is first and foremost an accomplished eye surgeon who deals with things like cataracts and other serious eye conditions. It really gave me piece of mind knowing that he was handling my eyes for this elective procedure.

So (for those of you far away)... if you can, I'd recommend booking 7 days in Jacksonville (with a companion as your designated driver) for a medical vacation:

1. Have you eyes tested before hand at an eye doctor so you don't waste your time getting out to Jacksonville.
2. Get your eyes re-tested at the center on a Monday.
3. Have the procedure on a Tuesday.
4. Get some sun. Eat some good food (Go to TAVERNA). Just say away from heavy winds, water in your eyes and pointy objects.
5. Return that Friday or Monday for your follow-up.
6. Fly back home and have a 3 month check-up with your eye doctor to make sure everything is OK.

Dr. Schnipper is the best and you can rest easy knowing that he's going to help you see again. If you make an appointment, make sure you mention "George from LA" told you all about it. It might get you a little discount.

One of the best places to go with a some friends or even a date for a delicious meal and great beer. I have to laugh when people complain about the noise. It's a German beer hall environment! What exactly were you expecting? Admittedly, I have a hearing problem when there is a lot of background noise, but I still always have a good time.

Delicious sausages, great selection on beer and sitting at the communal long tables is a lot of fun. The rattlesnake sausage isn't actually worth it. Go with something else.

Here's the thing about the line: If the line moved any faster, there wouldn't be enough room for everyone to eat and you'd be waiting with food getting cold. The inconvenience of having to wait so long before you sit down actually works to flow of people. Just prepare for a 25 minute wait from the time you stand in line to the time you get your food at a table. If you think about it that way, it's still faster than sitting down at a typical restaurant.

It was not my favorite diner experience. Lots of things just weren't lining up for me.

My poached eggs tasted of chlorinated water. The buttermilk pancakes were void of taste and rubbery. The service was terrible when the restaurant was no where near capacity. I used my timer because I was so frustrated and it took 25 minutes from the time of the order to food on table. When the food came out, it was stale from sitting under the heat lamp. Service has off days, but I would only sit inside or at the bar within view of someone in the future.

The ambiance was dingy and the outside smelled of stale food baked into the sidewalk. Power wash your pavement every month at least to get rid of the syrup and other debris.

101 Coffee Shop on Franklin Ave. in Los Feliz got the idea right. Just because a place becomes and landmark doesn't mean it can neglect the people that made it so.

Only plus: They have 100% real maple syrup with the whole grain pancakes and for order with all other items. The whole grain pancakes with banana were very good. I tasted my girlfriend's breakfast.

I've been to the Grove hundred's of times and never traveled around the far side of the Farmer's Market to find Dupar's. I've read through some of the reviews here and have to say: Get real LA creeps. This is an LA landmark established in 1938. The bathroom is outside as this is the Farmer's Market, the service is touch and go and the food is classic American diner. In fact, it's better than a regular diner.

I went for dinner at 10PM on a Friday night with my girlfriend and it was perhaps one of the most romantic and classic late night dining experiences one could have in LA. The food was hearty and good and the place was clean and softly lit. The restaurant was actually remodeled in 2007 as part of the Grove redevelopment and the inside looks like an old school restaurant, but has clearly been updated with improved ventilation to remove any kitchen smells from the air.

I know pies and their pies are amazing. The crust is exceptional and the fillings are wonderfully done. No other place in LA has pies as good as these.

Dupar's puts all the other breakfast spots to shame that do not have 100% real maple syrup. They have it for free with their pancake orders and for sale for all other items. Next time your at a restaurant that says, "We can't afford to have real maple syrup," tell them, "Dupar's has been doing it since 1938. We're leaving now." Dupar's will validate your parking for the Farmer's Market lot.

I went back and the food is actually just fine. It's actually really tasty and the service was good. However, I did end up having to pack my own syrup the last time I was there. They say that it's too expensive... syrup doesn't go bad if stored properly. Charge me $1 for 4oz and I'll pay for it.

I went back for another party with friends and I started to see this time what I could not the first.

The music selection for ENGLISH LANGUAGE is very slim and not organized well. In addition, the selection is not as current as one would like it to be. Hit songs on there stop around 2004-2006.

This place is an exceptional facility, but really is better suited to Korean or Japanese speaking individuals. I need to find another place that can offer the same quality of venue, but a better selection of songs.

While on a Labor Day Vacation away from LA, I happened into this amazing store in Ventura. What I liked most about this store was the attention to customer service, the high quality branding and ambiance, and the accurately priced merchandise.

From the moment we walked in, the store staff were talking about the different olive oils and always had a tasting cup ready. There were different tapas everywhere to sample. There were so many flavors and infusions like orange and lemon. In addition, they had specialty balsamic vinegars. I don't like balsamic vinegar, but some of these were really good. You could even use some on ice cream.

The first time you buy oil from them you pay more to get the bottle that they use with their logo on it (you can bring your own). However, the subsequent times you buy the price is reduced by $5-$7 depending on the bottle size.

For fresh, local CA olive oil to pay $12 for 12oz (they price most things at $1 an ounce) is not unrealistic when there is old olive oil sitting on the shelves of Whole Foods that goes for $4-$8 more per bottle.

If I lived anywhere near this store, I'd buy from here all the time. This stuff also makes great gifts.

I went here once for a date and really wasn't that pleased. I liked the beer, but was not in love with the food.

I got the Thai Bangers and Mash. It tasted OK, but it was cold by the time it got to me. It wasn't even heat lamp hot. The Mac'n Cheese that my date got was OK, but it was just cheese and crunchy stuffs and baked in a ramekin.

The beer selection was great. I liked what they had to offer and our server was knowledgeable about the selection. So, again, another gastropub that disappoints on the pub aspect. I'd come back for the beer, but will probably pass on the food. Maybe I'll snag a burger during happy hour... but that's it. (WHY CAN'T YOU BE LIKE MONKS IN PHILADELPHIA?)

I went here on a meeting with some guys that make a great comedy web series about zombies. This place is right near my house and I've walked [driven] by it a thousand times.

Inside it's a rather brown restaurant. That's really what I remember, brown. Lots of brown. Everywhere. They have couches and big chairs that you can lounge in around a coffee table (so it's just like at home if you don't have a dining room table). We selected to sit at more "normal" table as the chairs were a little bit far apart for talking business.

I don't know what it is about gastropubs in LA, but I've yet to find one that serves decent food. Yes, my burger tasted "good" (the meat part), but the rest was just blah. The french fries were dry and stiff. I didn't have anything else except beer...

They DO have a good beer selection. That is nothing to sneeze at. But it's nothing whacky like a dedicated beer place. I might come back just for drinks, but the vibe wasn't very cool.

This restaurant wants to be a gastropub, but really, it felt like a cross between an early 1990s Chilis restaurant meets a Wild-West saloon meets a lot of furniture you'd find on the sidewalk from the 1970s.

To top it off: it was way to expensive for what you get. $14 for a burger and all you get is fries and a small cup of ketchup. Go here for the beer, but I just feel like this place is a tourist trap. The only way I'm going to try this place again is if I'm invited back or someone pays for me to sample a broader selection of their food.

After a good night across the street at the Library Ale House, my friend and I headed into Hollywood Smoke. Like a bakery, the smell of tobacco and cigar smoke precedes your arrival.

The owner is a great guy. If you've never had a cigar before, ask and he will recommend you something. I was in the mood for something short and sweet. He followed up with, "Candy sweet or tobacco sweet?" I replied, "Tobacco sweet." He pulled out a stellar option that was within the price range we were looking to spend. I've smoked Cuban cigars before and have to say that this was much more my taste (and not contraband or as expensive).

Then we sat down on over-sized leather chairs and sat back and relaxed, indoors. There aren't any drinks, but you can go upstairs to the club or the coffee shop, get something and come back, no problem.

I was very pleased with my experience here and would definitely head back to get a special cigar or to spend a nice evening after a good meal with friends. He's open until 11pm most evenings (but was kind enough to let us stay until midnight).