Robin L.'s Profile
DateBerkeley, CA 94704
(510) 705-1343
Yelp's Bollywood Bonanza @ Zaika
Categories:
Local Flavor,
Ethnic Food
Neighborhood: Downtown Berkeley
Listed in: YEE!
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Buddy you're a treat, gonna taste sweet
My tummy you will meet, gonna take a big bite to-day
I've got crumbs on my face
A big disgrace
Chompin' that bundt all over the place
Bundt cakes, yeah, bundt cakes will rock you (echo: rock you)
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I discovered Nothing Bundt Cakes a couple years ago when I visited the Dublin and Los Gatos locations. Since then I've become a bit of bundt enthusiast. I mean who doesn't love tasty, never-dry cake topped with just the right amount of creamy, dreamy frosting all shoved in a cute little bundt?
Well just when I think bundt cakes can't get any cuter, I walk into this WC location and discover the bundtini. Bundtinis are tiny baby bundts that are about the size of half a tennis ball and they make you think that the allure of the cupcake is dead. For $16.95 you can score yourself a dozen, and if it's a special occasion, they will throw in a sweet little flag that says "Happy Birthday" or "Thanks" or what ever. They make a great gift or a darling dessert for your loved ones....and let me tell you, the lemon will bring tears to your eyes.
Eat one, eat two but believe me when I say, these little bundts will Rock You!
San Ramon, CA 94583
(925) 362-1059
Jack's Brewing Company
Category:
American (Traditional)
Thank you for sprinkling your Buffalo Chicken Fairy Dust Magic on Jack's Brewing Company. I've never been so happy with fresh leafy greens, spicy and zesty buffalo chicken (grilled b/c I'm trying to be good somewhere) and all the fixings to make a completely delicious salad.
Also please thanks your friend, the Kids Menu Fairy, because the last time I went with my friend and her sweet little baby--We got the grilled cheese kids meal for her and it was delicious also....plus I got to eat some of her fries because I so smartly swapped out the fried chicken for grilled.
Oh and please give a shout out to the beer fairy (aka server/bartender). Service is consistent and I keep coming back.
Your Fan,
Robin L
Listed in: ROTD--if you write it, they…
(925) 931-9382
Rick's Heating & Air Conditioning
Category:
Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC
Since he had already made the trip out, he said we might as well get our money's worth and take a look at the furnace. That's when we saw that the air filter was not being held down by anything, so when the fan blew, the air beneath would blow the filter up and only catch some of the dust (the rest would blow around the sides).
He explained how i could use something heavy to hold down the filter but I opted for him to install a little ledge in the back and a spring in the front to keep the filter down. It was cheap, quick to install and I feel good now knowing that the air won't be half dusty.
So while I can't say missing the whole "low battery" text was my finest hour, I'm stil glad Rick came out and could quickly diagnose/fix a bigger problem.
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 291-0677
Loft Bar and Bistro
Categories:
Lounges,
American (Traditional)
You know that I know how
To yelp a place for us to lunch out
The loft is the bistro to go now
southwestern salad, they go all out
I'm too old to handle the club right now
I'm too old to handle the club right now
Leave it to me to pick the "club" for a lovely afternoon lunch away from the office. Well it wasn't a club when we were there but based on a lot of these less than stellar reviews, looks like this place goes off after dark! At any rate, this review is for the restaurant.....in the middle of the day.....which to me was really lovely. Here's why:
***Food was delicious: I had the southwestern salad which had mesquite grilled chicken that was seasoned/flavored perfectly and chunks of cut corn and other fresh vegetables atop leafy greens.
***Service was super friendly: From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by smiling faces, welcoming us to the establishment and telling us where the table was. Our server and those that dropped the food continued in this trend.
***Ambiance was perfect for lunch: We sat upstairs and with the light flowing in against the comfortable back booth where we were sitting, the ambiance was great for lunch. So many bustling lunch places seat you in crowded tables where the decibal level is so loud you feel like you're shouting, but here we had lots of room, and could hear both sides of the table.
So I'm a fan of this place for lunch, but just a note for those reading this review. Carina C. had the cobb salad and it was a ton of chopped iceberg lettuce...so much that I thought that she had ordered tacos. Recommend staying away from that one as it didn't hold to the quality of our very leafy table (other fellow lunchers had the blue cheese and pear salad, the seared ahi tuna salad, the chilled poached salmon salad etc-- and those salads did not overdo it on the iceberg)!
Honolulu, HI 96825
Koa Pancake House
Category:
Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Hawaii Kai
Somewhere over by Costco
In Hawaii Kai
There's a pancake house you've heard of
One that will make you sigh
Somewhere over by the Ross store
You won't be blue
because banana pancakes and fried rice
will make you a believer too
Koa Pancake House is exactly what this little shopping center has always needed. It's a no frills, low cost shop where you order your food at the counter and then find a seat to wait the excruciating minutes it takes to get your food. I had an order of banana pancakes which aren't the kind that are really normal pancakes with a few sliced bananas on the top; these are the kind with bananas mixed in the batter. With a little coconut syrup on the side...sigh...delicious and so cheap!
I had meant to just have those, because who am I kidding, how many carbs do I really need? Well apparently the answer is "more" because as I was waiting at the table I saw sides of fried rice floating by. They looked so good I high-tailed it up to the counter to put in a side order. If you would have asked me if I believed I would ever be eating fried rice with the same fork I'm shoveling down scrumptious banana pancakes smothered with coconut syrup, I'd tell you no. But now I can't wait to get off the mainland to go back and do it again.
For a cheap, quick, dependable breakfast place that takes the time to put the fruit/chocolate IN the pancake and NOT ON TOP, which has perks like fried rice, Yay, I'm a fan!
Danville, CA 94526
(925) 838-7611
Patrick David's Restaurant & Bar
Category:
American (New)
All in all, great night magified by exquisite food, inventive drinks and a dessert that changed my mind about what to get when at Patrick David's!
Listed in: Brunching around the Bay
2 Previous Reviews:
-
6/14/2009
To the tune of Lunch Lady Land by Adam Sandler...http://www .youtube.com/watch?v =E_-KbstEG4E
Woke up in the morning.
dressed up for brunch minus the glove
thinkin' about little breakfast pastries
tiny and tasty, baked with love
Got no clue what the bloody mary
is made with
Just know the vodka is real good
Down here, in Brunch Ladies Land
Finally, went to Patrick David's for brunch with my friend this morning, and it was as good as I knew it was supposed to be. Service was great, food was awesome and still...a brunchy surprise or two. So as I suspected in my first review, I can now up this to 4 stars...here's why:
***Brunchy surprises: At the start of the meal, they bring still bring these cute little assortment of breakfast breads. Our tiny plate consisted of one cute lemon muffin with this soft delicious glaze, one brown sugar baby muffin, this tiny little twist donut and a little biscuit dabbed with honey and topped with dollop of butter.--Okay, so I only liked the lemon muffin and decided the others weren't worth the carbs, but who doesn't love tiny things that come with your meal.
***Improved ordering paired with Excellent Service: I say "paired" because this is so like, "what came first, the chicken or the egg". I don't know if it was the server helping me order better, or me ordering better, but I ordered great this time and the food was excellent. I had the chicken sandwich on focaccia with a side salad that had spring greens, gorgonzola, candied walnuts tossed with a raspberry vinagrette that was delicious.
***Cute bathroom: Okay, I know, that seems like a one-off, but I've said it a few times in other reviews and I'll say it again, I think little restaurants like this, The Peasant's Courtyard and Pizzeria Ventana are prime examples of doing the extra touches to improve the overall experience. This isn't the Cheesecake Factory's bathroom, by any means, but you can tell they put some thought into adding a little furniture, doing interesting paint/wall paper etc.
So my only disappointment was there were no fruit kebobs this time. Not that I needed any more food, but I really thought that was a cool, new touch when I was last here. Aside from that, great experience, and I'll be back sometime on a Sunday through Thursday to try their 3 course meal for $26! -
2/25/2009
So I should qualify this review by saying I am a big fan of brunch. Props to Betty D, as I say, I heart it! And being a fan of brunch makes it hard for me to get my socks knocked off, b/c let's face it, for many places brunch is just lunch with higher prices and hopefully mimosas! So when I went to Patrick David's yesterday, a restaurant known for lovely ambience/food at a higher price tag, I wasn't expecting this......a couple brunchy surprises.
As we sat down the server brought an array of breakfast breads, and I'm not talking about a basket of stale muffins, there were baby cinnamon rolls, tiny buttery biscuits, and other yummy breakfast surprises all alongside this little dish of honey with a tiny ice cream scoop of butter. Can I give a shout out for Brunchy surprise #1--who doesn't love to start out a meal with an array of delicious carbs? The server came right away, was pleasant and got the drinks going. And she wasn't irritated when our party took a bit to order (there was a lot of yapping going on b/c come on, we're a bunch of women at brunch, we're going to talk a ton when we first see each other and ignore the menu for at least a little while).
I had the Croque Monsieur Open Faced Sandwich and it was okay. I suspect that I should have gotten the Bechamel sauce on the side b/c it did NOTHING for the sandwich; actually I take that back, I suspect I should have gotten something different. One of my friends had the little tower of french toast, and that looked awesome, and so did the beet salad that two of my other friends had. My favorite thing on my plate was not the sandwich, but rather the potatoes accompanying it, that I must say, did not look like anything special, but tasted fantastic. And are you ready for brunchy surprise part deaux? The meals were served with these lovely fresh fruit kebobs which I thought was a nice touch.
So all in all nice experience, I will go here again, and if a couple things improve, would absolutely up my rating to 4 stars. Here's what would need to happen:
***clearly I need to like my food, it's too expensive to just be in it for the potatoes. My friend sitting next to me ordered Huevos Rancheros and that looked freakin great, so that might do the trick.
***I need to either not be irritated at up charges or I need to be told about them up front. Remember brunchy surprise #1? Well I've got 2 pregnant friends at the table and pregnant women like them some tiny cinnamon rolls. One of my friends asked for a few more and the server brought some out for her. Well when we were doing the bill, she had charged us for them. Granted it was only $3, which I think a total steal for those yummy bites of goodness, but it bugs me to no end, when servers don't tell you something you're doing is an extra charge. I think it's sneaky and in slightly poor taste I don't care about a $3 charge, but don't try to slip it into my bill like you did the 18% gratuity--which by the way, we would have tipped more than 20, had you not taken it upon yourself to include. And yeah yeah I know it's probably restaurant policy to include tip for groups of a certain number, and I'm not saying it's wrong b/c I waited tables once too and remember how many people forget how to tip in large groups, but just a mention "hey, it's our policy to include gratuity so that's in there as well" would make me feel a little better
***I need for the service to not disappear after the meal is complete. While we were eating, our water glasses were always filled, and the server was there to ask if folks wanted more drinks. But when we were trying to pay, she was nowhere to be found, and it just doesn't end the dining experience on the most positive note when you have to flag down the server.
Paxti's sure deserves some attention
Spinach and Pesto makes a stand
That pizza and me, what a connection
Yes, I am Patxi's biggest fan!
Vegans can't always get what they want
Carnivores can't always get what they want
Garlic lovers can't always get what they want
But at Patxi's, they just might find
They get what they need
Since my original trip to try out Paxti's, I've been here a ton more times, and it's official, I'm addicted. I think of that thick crust, warm/meaty toppings under those delectable tomatos about once a week. Being a once-a-weeker restaurant seeker, those constant Paxti pizza thoughts are a freakin disaster....there is not enough stairmasters in the world that could support that habit!
While I have no secret to keep the calories off your waistline, here is my secret roadmap to a perfect Paxti's meal (this is after much trial and error):
***Put in your name for a table, put in your pizza order and order a pitcher of beer: Deep dish pizzas take a long time to cook, so put in your order immediately so it will be ready by the time you hit your table, then order a pitcher of beer. The beer will tide you over so you don't try to take pizza off other people's tables as the delicious aroma wafts around you
***Order a half-and-half: My pick hands down is the spinach and pesto pie paired with classic meat (pepperoni, italian sausage and canadian bacon). Both are special in their own right, but something about them together just knocks me off my feet.
***Call 'em honey: No, don't call the server "honey" (what is this: Leave it to Beaver?), ask them to bring you the bear. While your first bite of pizza will make you contemplate whether that is the best thing ever to meet your lips, wait until you've slathered honey on the crust....it's like dessert is part of the meal;)
San Ramon, CA 94583
(925) 275-9200
San Ramon Regional Medical Center
Category:
Hospitals
When I got to the hospital I was processed quickly and ushered into a room right away. Doctor was thorough, diagnosis was quick, staff was so nice and medicine administered immediately so I wouldn't have to go to an all night pharmicist to pick up a prescription. So while I never ever want to have to go to the hospital in the middle of the night again, or ever for that matter, you can bet that if I have a choice, I'm going to San Ramon Regional Medical Center.
Lafayette, CA 94549
(925) 283-0466
Papillon Quality Gourmet Coffees
Category:
Coffee & Tea
Here is the secret that is Papillon: they have this crazy chai. Rumor has it that the chai was started by some guy that used to brew it in his bathtub before he hit the "Chai Big Time" (trademark Robin L because who says "Chai big time"), but needless to say the chai is special. Whenever I have a chest cold, I drive over to Lafayette to literally stock up on 2-4 extra strong chai tea lattes and everytime it knocks the congestion out of my chest. --Don't tell my Mom because she'd say that the milk in the latte would make it worse, but it's like mucinex magic and it tastes great too.
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"Yelp it up, yelp it in, let me begin, I came to Yelp and for some that's a sin"
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688 Useful, 543 Funny, and 649 Cool
Danville, CA
Yelping SinceOctober 2008
Things I Lovepuppies, Starbucks, cheesecake, cupcakes
Find Me InDanville, CA
My HometownLafayette, CA
My Blog Or Websitefollow me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com...
When I'm Not Yelping...I'm a Change Management Consultant
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI'm a once-a-weeker restaurant seeker
The Last Great Book I ReadThe five people you meet in heaven
My First ConcertNKOTB
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I'm am a Starbucks addict, oh wait, everybody knows that
We arrived at the party in our full-on Bollywood outfits, got our name tags and bypassed the long line for the buffet for the Ale Industries table. The guys there were so nice, told us about their tasting room plus a seasonal beer that tastes like coffee/chocolate (side note: MUST GET OVER THERE) and then poured frosty cups of Orange Kush, my new favorite summertime patio beer. From there we were off to the Henna station where I got the most beautiful Henna tattoo in all of 3 minutes. Who ever said art has to take a long time?
The rest of the night is a blur of Woodchuck apple cider, the most delicious array of Indian Cuisine, coconut water that is only 60 calories and of course fellow Yelpers sporting bindis (courtesy of Nique) and their finest Indian threads. Thanks Nique for getting us on the list, my Yelp friends for a great time, Zaika for hosting this amazing event (I will be back) and all of the fantastic vendors (who knew I'd become a coconut water enthusiast, a Henna aficionado and an Orange Kush connoisseur in just one night)!