Matt "mattymatt" B.'s Profile
DateSan Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 221-7777
Bistro Gambrinus
Categories:
Russian,
Modern European,
German
Neighborhood: Western Addition/NOPA
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 995-8588
City CarShare
Category:
Car Rental
Neighborhoods: Civic Center/Tenderloin, SOMA
I do agree that the penalties can be a little excessive -- in particular, I miss the 15-minute window that they used to have at the end of a reservation. But it just requires that you plan ahead, be prompt, avoid terrible traffic, set reminders for yourself if necessary, and call if something goes wrong. It's slightly inconvenient, but more than balanced out by the convenience of not having to own the car yourself.
We've been members for about 5 years. I hope we never have to buy a car and can continue using CCS for as long as we live in SF.
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 981-6138
Jade Cafe
Category:
Chinese
Neighborhood: Union Square
This is a low-budget affair, with sickly fluorescent lighting and scratched plastic plates. The food is worth and does not exceed the price, which is around $6 to $8 per plate.
They were out of chow fun before dinner, and we had to get up to retrieve our own chopsticks, as well as water-refills from a plastic pitcher. They are not exactly knocking themselves out in the service department, but in the value department they are doing a satisfactory job.
On the bright side, the place is not actually as dirty as it looks. On the down side, it looks really dirty.
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 831-5620
Bazaar Cafe
Categories:
Coffee & Tea,
American (New)
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
As soon as you walk in, it instantly has the feel of a place that's been there for decades. Worn wooden furniture, soft yellow lights, a comfy place to sit and read a book. It feels very much like someone's very nice living room out in the country.
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 437-6851
Rosamunde Sausage Grill
Category:
German
Neighborhood: Lower Haight
We went in with a group of six people. Some got their food in about 10 minutes; others had to wait twice as long. There was one guy racing around at the grill; another guy stood off to the side and chopped onions vvveeeerrrryyy vvvveeeerrrrryyyy slowly, not helping at all.
The sausage itself was no different from what I could fry up at home in a pan. It was an assembly-line sausage in a slightly toasted bun, nothing flashy.
I think this is one of those San Francisco restaurants like Bi-Rite or Ike's or Little Star that people talk about simply because everyone else is talking about it.
I went with a large group on Saturday night around 9 -- the place was nearly empty. Not a great sign!
The waiter seemed exasperated: put the (greasy) plates down in a stack and let us distribute them, interrupted people while ordering, made us raise our hands if we wanted what someone else was having.
Tea came in little paper cups like you'd get at a dentist's office!
One person in our group ordered a wrap. The waiter brought it out on a platter, then immediately demanded the platter back! We were like, what, is that the restaurant's one platter, and you need it in case some other customers arrive?
As soon as we paid the check, he stood over the table, waiting for us to leave.
I don't often write reviews of places but this experience was just so weird!
The food was about what you'd expect for the prices, which were very low.
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 861-2020
Veo Optics
Category:
Eyewear & Opticians
Neighborhood: Castro
The thing that I love about everyone at this place is that they treat me like I'm spending thousands of dollars. The customer service really is amazing.
1 Previous Review:
-
12/8/2009
This is it! The only place I will ever go for glasses.
The people who work there are awesome. Their prices are excellent. The selection is great. DONE AND DONE.
I had been to five other glasses places, looking for frames that had a 1950s feel without being too wide for my face.
Jade did a great job picking out frames that I actually liked, and James did a great job explaining the prices and options. Technically, they don't accept VSP, but they do some fancy rebilling thing that I don't quite understand and you wind up paying the same amount that you would anywhere else -- less, in fact, because they seem to have a tendency to include high-quality features and materials for free. Okay then!
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 626-1188
City Optix Optometric
Categories:
Optometrists,
Eyewear & Opticians
Neighborhood: Haight-Ashbury
This was my second trip to a City Optics location -- I'd previously been to the one in the Marina -- and for whatever reason, both location's salespeople were a bit bonkers. They wanted to put me in frames that they liked, rather than frames that I liked. In the Marina, the lady helping me was a frizzy-haired cat lady who wanted to see me in squiggly multicolored frames. In the Haight, a guy in a torn jacket with spikes made up bizarre rules like "your face can't handle glasses with straight lines on the top." My husband used to fit people with glasses for a living, and he was like, "that guy has no idea how to match frames to faces."
It was clear that neither salesperson had any idea how to pick out glasses. They'd just grab frames at random and stick them on my face and then stare at me, baffled. Then they'd grab something else, stare at me, and would have no idea whether it looked good or not.
I did speak to one guy at City Optix who seemed to know his stuff. Steve at the Marina location genuinely seemed to know what looks good. I called and tried to make an appointment with him twice. Both times, the woman on the phone said "let me call you back," and never did.
Also, what is up with their awful website?
Another issue: the guy on Haight was insanely pushy. Like, he would not allow me to look at the frames in a mirror until he had looked at them first. It was weird! I'd put them on and turn to a mirror, and he'd immediately honk, "LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME I WANT TO SEE."
I wound up going to Veo Optics at Church and Market. They were awesome.
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 751-3242
Arguello Pet Hospital
Category:
Veterinarians
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
1 Previous Review:
-
5/10/2009
One of my rats developed a sneeze and a runny nose, so I brought him in to be looked at. Dr. Price gave him a fast, gentle examination -- shone a light in his nose, listened to his breathing with a stethoscope, weighed him -- and her diagnosis was a mild upper respiratory infection. An assistant gave me some liquid antibiotic and showed me how to administer it.
It's now a week later, and with twice-daily doses of antibiotic, Christopher's sneeze has completely cleared up. He's also a lot more lively than he was before, so the infection must have been making him feel listless. It's nice to have him back to good health, and it's all thanks to Arguello Pet Hospital.
In addition to the helpful examination, they have a handy online tool; it lets you review your pet's medical history and check prescription info.
But I have to say, the visit seemed a little steep -- sixty bucks to examine a rat? Also, there were some discrepancies in his record: first they had him down as being 25 years old (WTF?) and then later they had him down as being a year old when he's only 5 months. And another problem: it can be hard to get them on the phone, since they don't pick up between noon and 2pm and they don't take messages.
But the medical treatment has been sound so far, and they're easy to get to on the 33 and 38 lines; so I can't complain too much.
At the very far end, there are a few shops. None are particularly remarkable -- a mediocre sandwich shop, an office supply store that is perpetually going out of business, a dress shop for the overweight. There is also the most dimly-lit grocery store I have ever seen. There are plenty of better alternatives in the neighborhood.
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San Francisco, CA
Yelping SinceJuly 2006
Find Me InSan Francisco
My HometownSouthington, CT
My Blog Or Website
The two different waiters who took care of our table both had serious BO problems. Not like, "I've been working hard and I'm sweating," but more like "it's been a few days since I touched water." One of the waiters stood right outside the door smoking, and the cigarette smell wafted back into the restaurant, at which point it became a multi-pronged assault.
Service was incredibly slow. We had to get up and go looking for a waiter to ask for the check. I ordered a cider and got a hefeweizen instead.
So, the meal was blah, the prices were high, we waited forever and got the wrong drink, and the waiters smelled dirty. I can't think of a reason to go back.