Olivia "outta control" L.'s Profile

This place feeds my soul and my need to shake it down. Seriously sick beats, a funky friendly crowd and people like Sean C who actually have heart and soul can be found here. BRC folks are also known to pop in on occasion.

If you like techno, house or even acidic poppy house ... venture on over to the dark corner of the city. You will see the light. (And your hips and feet move in ways you never thought possible.)

I'd been wanting try this place for a while, after reading all of the glowing reviews. But I think sometimes reviews are like, well movie reviews and what your friends have said about the movie. In other words, I had built up expectations.

I found their lunch menu to be a little lacking, especially because they were out of the BLT at 1 p.m. Bummer. I ordered the lemon salad and it was good, the chicken tender and the greens fresh.

The service and dessert were fine, but nothing exceptional. I shared a black bottom cupcake with my friend. A little too chewy for my tastes. The cupcake ... not the friend.

I will definitely be back here to hopefully give the other two stars. I applaud them for local produce and being generally cool and different.

Oh and they do have wireless here, for anyone wanting to know.

I should have RTFR (read the fucking reviews). Shame on me. The room here is amazing, no doubt about it. Though freezing when I walked in. As I sit here, it's still cold, though I have the heat cranked up. The two stars go to the room alone.

The place is dead quite when I arrive, which is weird because on the phone I was told that there were only three rooms left -- all suites. Ok, well I don't want a suite but I would like to stay in your hotel so isn't it customary to charge for a regular room and graciously give up the suite? Especially since I'm booking a room for that night? And when that night is a Wednesday? No, no it isn't. Get your head out of the clouds, girl. (that was a self monologue.) They put me on a list, supposedly.

The people on the phone and at the front desk delivered that kind of customer service that isn't cussing you out rude, but isn't friendly either. Cold, passive aggressive and slightly pissy. Then you end up feeling the same way and wondering why. Rawr.

Oh yeah and the extra $20 bucks for parking. Rip Off.

Then the guy at the front desk gives me some paperwork to sign and the amount says $120. Yes! Awesome. Then, he looks back at the screen and says ... "oh, that's not for you." Me: Big shiny balloon. Him Big shiny needle. *pop!*

Internet had troubles.

Oh, rant of the day. I really HATE when hotels authorize your card for hundreds more than what you agreed to pay ... in the event you have room incidentals. I want to boycott this practice. It's just wrong. You can't charge me or put a hold on my account for things I haven't purchased yet. Well you can ... and you did, but ... but ... but.

That's like going to a restaurant and looking at the menu posted outside and someone coming out to tell you that if you decide to come in, they will put a hold on your card to make sure you are good for the money (and for about 3 times the amount you would normally pay for the evening!) WTF?

I'm adding a star because lucky for me, my smoke dector had bad batteries and started chirping loudly at 1 a.m. Oscar came in and was very helpful, fixed it in no time. He and the internet technician were very nice. Kudos guys.

I still eagerly await my post-stay cleaning bill as did happen to poor Ricardo S. This, I fear will be the icing on my cake--that piece that kept getting passed down to the next Office Space employee. Yeah, I want my stapler back, too. Mmm, yeah .., thanks.

Well, Linda, who works here, is just as cute as a button. And she is the fiance of Jeff, I discovered, one of the owners of CapCity Offices right next door. The family ties are just so ....cute! Word of the Day.

Anyway, she was very cheerful and helpful and gave me a sample of their minestrone soup with shell pasta and a spicy bechamel-esq broth. Any place that does soup like this has my approval!

Also they apparently have a tomato, mozzarella and basil sandwich that I will try next time. A caprese sandwich?? Yes please.

They let me order a grilled cheese even though it was only on the kid menu. Hey, maybe I am looking younger these days. That would be nice.  

Anyway, the sandwich was good, but (and I hate to say this) one half of it had the hint of cleaning product of some sort... or maybe I imagined it. The second half was good and chewy.

I will definitely be back.

The last time I came here I was 'bout seven months preggers and smokin' like a chimney. The bartender gave me some crazy ol' look when I ordered a double double whiskey on the rocks and said "Hey, can't ya see I'm slingin for two, man?" I used my belly for a table and slurped down the rest of my moonshine. Could have used a bendy straw, though. Should've 'minused' three stars just for that!!

Oh wait. Yes. Important detail. I was here for a "white trash" bachelorette party, for my friend who was indeed a bit on the with-child side, and of course having a bit of fun with her situation. A couple of us decided to go dressed as WT pregnant ladies to really get in the spirit.

Oh my, the fun.

Yes, I did drink and *pretend* to smoke (real smoking is gross!) while looking very realistic and round. You can imagine the looks of shock and awe. Absolutely priceless.

Bartender and karaoke staff were excellent. Wait, karaoke staff was just ok, but I'm not going to take a star away for that. Seeing the expecting guest of honor and friends sing "ride it, my pony" was worth a thousand stars.

My only gripe (here it comes, my soap box): they said they did not accept credit/ATM. Now, I'm reading from other yelpers that I was duped. So on top of getting charged an extra $5 for choosing to patronize a place, I was lied to?

Oh and a big P.S. I recently tried to organize a large party here for some friends and I cannot believe the treatment I got over the phone. If the guy was trying to be funny with his overly sarcastic, rude and biting humor, it was lost on me. Not funny, sorry and not a way to keep customers.

Also ... it is no way to treat an expecting mother. And to think ... I was going to name the baby Fanny.

Yelper Mo. M and I made a date to get our toenails renovated here at Melody. The fine people let me sit in one of many vibrating chairs to soak my feet, while I waited to get painted.  

The end result was great, however, the girl was a little rough with the emery board. Ooouch. Also, it was very hard to understand her. The place was also really busy which created a less than relaxing atmosphere ... but good for them! I've had pedicures in SF for a lot cheaper, too. I vacillate between 3 and 4 stars.

All I kept thinking was ... "I really love that top" about the purple shirt ensemble she was wearing.

Please, do yourself a favor and get acquainted with Kelly, featured in "Let me Borrow that Top" here:

http://www.youtube.com...

A donut is not a donut is not a donut. If you want to taste the true potential of what a donut can be, all that it ever was and at the same time the perfection in its old-fashioned, glazed, frittered, sprinkled simplicity, please go here.

Right off of the Cambridge exit in Cameron Park, it's a perfect morning stop on your way up to the mountains. Take extra. A dozen including an apple fritter was an incredible $8.

Also, the service has greatly improved over the years. The donut lady on Saturday was all smiles. So, go on. Give the gift of the pink box today. Its power is strong and cannot be denied.

I waded deep into the arteries of North Sac, following the trusty guides of the dive bar connoisseur group, (thanks Scott C, Rob Tipsy, Wendy, Steve, AC, TJ and friends!) to find this place. The stately birdbath-esq ciggie disposal--and the impressive amount of butts told me straight away, this place knew how to dive. Ooh, can we use it as a verb? No, no I don't think we can.

Bartender was a graying, kindly old chap.

I discovered a phone in the back of the bar with a dial tone but no buttons or ringer to actually make a call. I think it's the silent auction hotline.

I thought I was fairly experienced with the whole dive bar experience, but I made the classic newbie mistake: showing up with no cash and asking if they took ATM. The music did stop and people did turn to stare. Ok, not really.

I was directed to the 7-Eleven next door and told "no, you don't need to drive, it's right there." True, and I did take this advice, but I walked with my keys tightly gripped b/w my knuckles ready for any hooded hoodlums should I seem like easy prey. (They have not been to my gun show, obviously.)

In terms of ambiance, this place takes the baklava (that's Middle Eastern for "cake." Yes, I can say that--I checked my "Don't be an Egocentric Douche for Dummies" handbook.)

Not going to repeat what Slade H. and others have already said so eloquently, but I will add that I was expecting Robin Williams (as a plus-size friendly genie) to materialize from the middle of the room in a cloud of smoke. It's that cool inside.

But if you do bump into any men formerly trapped in bottles, ask him for just one wish: a small loan. 'Cause you're going to need it at this place. That's where the star deduction comes in. I guess they are just trying to keep it classy ... but lawdy lawdy, it adds up fast.

Paul, you rock my world.

I give a round of applause to Ink for being the pioneer in chic, late night places to get some grub. I think their selection of food is great and the food itself is also nothing to cry about. Unless you're crying in a good way. Go ahead. You can cry. This review can wait.

Anyway, this place is a friend to your whiskey-rinsed stomach ... but I do agree with Ryan R. about Muzak and tattoos:  Ink is kind of ridiculously happy. Not in a bad, wanna-punch-you-in-the-face way, but in a whoa, what-Johnny Depp-movie-did-I-just-wonka-into way?

Oh and the bartender, Joel (I think this is his name), looks just like Billie Joe, the lead singer of Green Day, but you can spare him this compliment 'cause he hears it everyday (and he still has a spectacular personality).

Their drink specials are also not bad. Had a pomegranate twist on a Cosmo and it was $5 bucks. Coo.