nate "s" d.'s Profile

Let's get one thing straight first: there's no such thing as a perfect church. Whether it's preaching style, music, or those annoyingly imperfect people in the pew next to you, there's always something that will frustrate you about any religious group or gathering. But it is a wonderful place--to learn more about God, to make friends, or as a safe place to check out whether Christianity is for you at all.

I think the best thing about Christ Church is genuinely warm, friendly, welcoming people--something not to be underestimated in the transient Bay Area. Our community of friends here, in fact, has been one of the best things about returning home after a year overseas. (A note about the composition of the congregation: if you're white or Asian you'll feel right at home because everyone else is, and if you're black or Latino or Middle Eastern or something you'll appreciate the glowing welcome since everyone will be so pumped that the church is getting more diverse.)

Regarding the preaching, if you're a Christian, your first question should be, "Do they preach the Bible?" And the answer is yes. So if you're a visitor, that should be clear: Christ Church won't be mistaken for any nebulous universalist feel-good pablum. However, if you're looking for a verse-by-verse, seminary-type explication preaching style, or impassioned Bible-thumping, that's not what you'll find; the pastors here are very well-read, and their sermons feel more like a university class. Christ Church is very much a thinking person's church.

Music is mostly contemporary praise songs, with a small band. My personal preference would be for more hymns, but that's just a personal preference. What I will say is that a number of the musicians are hired professionals, and so the music is always performed with excellence.

In summary, while there might be a few things I'd change, Christ Church helps me grow in my faith, contains some of my most life-giving friendships, and is a place I would happily invite people to. I hope to see you there.

'Twas after 8 p.m. on a weeknight, and we had a mighty hankering for Middle Eastern food. Where to go? Holy Land was closest and generally well-starred by the Yelperati, so off we drove, quickly since they closed at 9.

Arriving at 8:45, we saw another couple inside, so we thought we were in the hummus . . . but upon approaching the counter, we were immediately greeted with "Do you want food to go?" Um, what? No, we wanted to sit down and eat. That's why we came to the restaurant. But evidently at 8:45 dine-in was not available. "So we can't order and eat here?" I confirmed. "No." was the answer.

It was at that point that our craving for Middle Eastern food started to dissipate, and we walked out to forage for friendlier fare.

Might chef James Syhabout train bonsai and fold origami in his spare time? Like each of those art forms, each dish at Commis was meticulously presented, carefully constructed, and deceptively simple. The words that came to mind throughout were tasteful, balanced, and restrained; this was a farewell celebration dinner with my wife the night before we went overseas for a year, and it was precisely the "quintessence of California cuisine" evening we were hoping for.

Anyone who had been to the cosy Jojo (prior occupant of the premises) might be startled at the minimalist monochrome modernity of Commis (too cool, even, for a sign). However, like the neutral background of an art gallery, Commis's ambience serves to place the emphasis where it should be: on the food. We didn't have any decadent Chihuly-esque dishes, no giant Rothko-reminiscent splashes of color and flavor, but for the patient diner, willing to look closer, Commis shows beauty in the details.

It's a roll of the dice--if your time is important to you and you depend on your car, you might be better served elsewhere. As you can see, most of their reviews are positive, and while I was there, I saw several other customers come and go with prompt, courteous service. I just wasn't one of them.

After getting a price estimate and quoted time of "about an hour," I came in at 2 pm on a weekday; there were a couple other customers but they weren't slammed. It was 20 minutes after I pulled into the garage when they finally had me sign the papers to authorize beginning work on my car, so already I was skeptical that the 1-hour promise would come true.

After 90 minutes (seeing a few other people come and go) I went up and asked, and they said the glue was drying and that it was almost done. Then at the two-hour mark I asked again and they told me Oops! The replacement windshield had been faulty and had broken, and since they didn't start new jobs after 4 or 4:30 or whatever that they'd have to fix it in the morning.

The guy was nice and gave me a ride home, and then they told me they'd call me the next day when it was ready. They open at 8 so I was hoping that I'd be a priority for them, but that didn't seem to be the case. Since this was our only car, I'd requested that they pick me up, since I couldn't afford to spend another couple hours waiting around their shop. We called several times to check in, and finally around 12:30 they said one of their guys en route back from Redwood City could stop by. So at about 1:30--almost 24 hours after coming in--I finally got our car back. The manager didn't charge for labor, but in retrospect I still felt screwed because the final price of $140 was what I was quoted in the first place.

Since my wife could bike to work, and I was working from home that day, we weren't irreparably screwed, but we would've been if we'd had kids to pick up, a medical emergency, or whatever else.

As happened to JJ, we were lured in by the cheapest price, but then after calling multiple times to be picked up from the shuttle stop (as did two other folks who were waiting as well), we had to wait almost an hour even though they're just a few miles down the road. This was at 7 pm, well within their business hours. They made excuses about being busy with other people, but any business that will leave customers waiting in the cold will never get my business again.

One step inside the unmarked warehouse door, and you'll feel as if you stepped inside a Godfather movie: narrow aisles between dozens of Italian wines on one side, and 47 different kinds of olive oil on the other, not to mention countless vinegars, sauces, types of pasta, and so forth.

Oh, and the subs? Stout, tasty calorie bombs built to order, with myriad options to choose from. It's a travesty of gastronomic justice that the vastly inferior Subway down the block even dares to share the neighborhood.

They earned this lone-star rating because of their return policy: only store credit.

(My wife bought a curling iron, returned it unused, in the box, with the receipt a day later [it didn't work], and couldn't get a refund. Come on! It mystifies me when stores have customer-alienating policies like that; it's a recession folks--don't you want the business? Last time she'll be going there.)

This was one of the few finer-dining experiences I've had in the Bay Area where the ambiance was noticeably distracting enough to take away from an otherwise fine meal. We enjoyed the food and wine, but the cavernous yet bland interior, light fixtures, table layout, artwork, and other decorative touches reminded me of a mid-range chain hotel lobby. Un-romantic, Un-intimate, uninteresting.

This is unfortunate because the food, wine, and service were all commendable. But with such a competitive restaurant scene even just in the Lakeshore/Grand Ave area, there's no reason to revisit a place where you didn't enjoy the entire occasion. (Even swapping the HoJo-esque sconces for pendant lights would go a long way.)

We went to Quince to celebrate my wife's birthday, and from the very beginning, they made it special. They printed special menus with "Happy Birthday" at the top, which was a classy touch, and also brought out a little pineapple sorbet with a candle in it at the end. Service throughout was pleasant and attentive.

Regarding the meal, they justly earned their 2010 Michelin star, as we found the food as impressive as other Michelin-starred restaurants we've been to (Auberge, Cyrus, Redd--and better than the overrated/coasting Chez Panisse). Even the breads--mini baguettes, buttery bread sticks, etc.--were so addictive we couldn't stop snacking. We spent $300 on six dishes, six glasses of wine, and tip, and don't regret it for a second.

Quality wines, spirits, and beer, deep knowledge, and no attitude--simple as that. I happened to meet Brian, the owner, at a local tasting group, and regardless of whether you're a trained sommelier or just a regular person who likes having a drink with dinner, Brian can talk to you on your level, take your interests into account, and then recommend the right thing. If it's wine you're after, the inventory is balanced between local CA and European wines, and if you're looking for beer or spirits, chances are you'll discover a new favorite distillery or microbrew.

While he makes a few concessions to popular tastes by stocking more popular labels that folks have heard of, every single bottle in there is one he approves of, which is not something you can say about many other stores. And as others have mentioned, he does tastings on weekends (Fri evening and Sun afternoon?) which are an affordable, approachable way to learn. All in all, the kind of local business with heart that we should all get behind.