Becky C.'s Profile

I love Saabs - the look, the feel, the slightly strange European elegance they bring that is totally unlike BMWs or Mercedes.  But I really, really, really hate Downtown Saab.  Our buying experience with them was an odd one, but they're right down the street from my house so I chose convenience over any other consideration.  Now, I'm at the 2 year mark on my car and getting anything fixed is a bit of a headache.

We got a notification from the DMV that before we could re-register our car for the year we'd have to replace a part that was on recall.  We called Downtown Saab and they had no idea what we were talking about.  Turns out it was a part they were supposed to replace 2 YEARS AGO, before we even bought our car.  

I'm routinely getting stability control failure notices lighting up my dashboard but they don't seem too concerned.  In fact, I dropped off my car last week to get an oil change, have the random recalled part fixed and get the stability control looked at.  At 4pm when they were supposed to be done with my car they said they never got a chance to look at it and could I pick it up tomorrow at 4pm?  Um, negative.  

My husband took the car back today - a week later - to find out that our ABS are broken.  And we're in the midst of a huge storm, when I need my breaks working at their best.  Of course, they 'll need to order the part and fix it next week.  So yeah, if you're following the timeline, they should have found out LAST week about this problem and fixed it THIS week, in time for my majorly gnarly commute tomorrow morning.

Thanks Downtown Saab, you suck.

I tried not to love Elliott's because its location is pretty touristy on Seattle's waterfront, but in the two trips we've made to Seattle this year we've been there three times.  

Our first dinner we had oysters and some of the freshest salmon I've ever tasted.  The service was great - attentive, but not overly so - and we left sated and happy and saying, "maybe we'll come back some day."

Our second visit was about a week ago and was nearly ruined by an awful hostess who really needs (1) to comb her hair, (2) go shopping for clothes that don't look so worn and dirty and (3) stop scowling.  Seriously, I've never seen such a sloppy, unhappy person working at a nice restaurant in any city I've ever visited.  While we were given a pretty shitty seat from Madame Scowler (even while several others were available), we made the most of it and ended up with excellent service from our waiter.  In addition to eating some truly wonderful and fresh oysters, we split a meal of Dutch Harbor King Crab - I am a huge, huge, huge Deadliest Catch fan so this was quite the kitschy moment, but i loved it.

Finally, after a morning wedding later in the week several of us were looking for a place to get oysters.  Yes, there are other options and yes, probably even cheaper, but no one has the location Elliott's does paired with the quality of food.  After waiting only 10 minutes we got a fantastic spot on the patio with a view of the ferries coming in and out.  Our waitress - Britney, I think - was warm, personable and made us feel welcomed.  After scarfing down some amazing Totten Inlet, Snow Creek, something Sweets and Quilcenes I was stuffed to the gills, happy and thinking, "I'll definitely be back."

I'm reading the reviews others have written and am cracking up. If they had done ANY research on Dr. Wilkinson's before going they'd know it's not a luxury spa; it's very much geared toward health and wellness and their treatments are done the same way it was done in the 1950s.  You won't get served green tea or champagne here - you'll be plopped into a tub of stinky volcanic mud where you'll sit until it's time to get out and shower off in a communal area.  There is nothing dainty or sweet about this - you are naked, showering mud off your nethers, in front of the world.  They make no pretense about this being what the experience will be.  I'm VERY shy and self-conscious so this was awful for me, but no one was ever looking at me.  It's actually much more "private" than the locker room at Crunch on Montgomery in SF.  My husband reports the old gentleman in the men's side was funny and informative and pretty much the only attendant while he was there.  My husband also keeps begging me to go back and I likely will, but will skip the mud treatment.  Not because it's bad but b/c one experience was enough to tell me that I don't like being submerged in mud.

We also stayed one night in the motel and found it perfectly adequate, especially at the price we were quoted. We weren't in a renovated room but it was clean and the bed was comfortable enough and we had a nice view of the very cute courtyard.

Prior to heading to Hawaii last week I had read about the manta ray night snorkel/dive trips but for some reason I was terrified to do it - those suckers can be 14 feet across! Once we arrived on the island I thought about it some more and we ended up calling the company that was recommended by our guidebook.  They told us they only go out if they get enough people and they'd call us back "shortly" to let us know if it was on/off.  They never called one way or the other so the day before we called Jack's Diving Locker based on an ad we saw.

The woman answered our questions quickly, politely and the price wasn't as exorbitant as I expected (we've done snorkeling cruises on every island and this was cheaper than some that didn't have amazing sea life to brag about at the end of it).

We arrived at the marina and were fitted for mask, snorkel, fins and wetsuits.  I'm not exactly thin and I hate wet suits so they were okay with me not wearing it (besides, the water was warm!).  

We got on the boat with our captain, snorkel instructor and dive instructor and listened to all the rules and regulations.  I think Keller liked me because I laughed at all his jokes. :-)  

We arrived at our first snorkel spot - casa caves - and the snorkel leader seemed a bit peeved that I didn't want to use my fins, but whatever. I was doing a 4 mile hike at the volcano the next day and with my super narrow feet I did not want chafing to contend with.  He told me since I wasn't using fins I'd have to stay near the boat which kind of sucked, but then the captain told me I could go further so that was that.

After our first snorkeling stop we cruised over to Keauhou Bay in front of the Sheraton Resort to await full dark for our manta snorkel.  What an AMAZING experience.  I want to say everyone who goes to Hawaii should do it but at the same time, I don't want too many people to go all at once because when it gets crowded it's a nightmare.

We had a small group snorkeling but some of the other boats out there brought 20-30 people on these floating contraptions that basically took up too much room and were a nuisance.  Also, why do you need fins if you're hooked up to a floating device - you're not swimming anywhere?  Alas, these bozos all had fins on and they had no problem whatsoever with kicking me - heck, everyone in our small group - in the face.  Assholes.

That's one of the things I really liked about Jack's Diving Locker - it didn't seem touristy.  It was a small group of people made up of divers and snorkelers alike who just want to be in awe of those crazy magnificent creatures.  

I also wanted to note that Keller Laros, the dive leader, is a passionate advocate for the protection and preservation of the manta rays. If you'd like to know more, check out the Manta Pacific Research Foundation - http://www.mantapacifi....  It was really quite inspiring to hear him talk about the legislation the group is pushing for to protect the mantas - you can tell you're on a boat with someone who really cares about the species he's telling you about (and you don't get that with every island tour you book).

I know people love this place and I wanted to love it too but it gave me the worst heartburn and then nausea I've ever experienced with this type of food.  Unfortunately, I also found the macaroni salad really bland and ... I didn't think it could be true ... dry.  Too bad, I wanted to be a fan.

First I should say that we own a timeshare through Shell Vacations Club, the timeshare that owns this resort.  We stayed here last week for what has become an annual trip to Hawaii for my birthday.  Of the 3 Hawaii properties we've stayed at, it ranks in the middle (Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy being stellar and Marina Resort at Waikiki being just okay).  

The great thing about this resort is that it's not your typical condo building.  There are pods of units so each grouping feels like a smaller 8 unit complex and you always have a view of something (whether it's the pool or the golf course).  We had an upstairs unit overlooking the pool and the mountains which was great for morning coffee.

The covered parking in one location was also a plus because it meant the grounds weren't marred by the sounds of vehicles or lights flashing into your unit at night.  It also meant during torrential downpours (which we did experience last week) didn't affect our Jeep and we didn't have to worry about putting the top up every night.

All of the staff we encountered was very nice and helpful - from giving us new pool towels to letting us know about the grass mats for the beach.  The only negative with the staff is the cleaning crew as they left a very stale fish smell in our unit and didn't clean the bathrooms up to the standard I would have liked.]

Finally, the decor wasn't necessarily to my liking (too neon and "tropical") but I at least understood the theme they were going with. Overall, if I were to go back to Hawaii with a group of people, I would definitely consider getting a couple of 2 bedroom units for the group.

The food here is awful, the drinks are decent and the ambiance is perfect. This was our second time visiting Huggo's On the Rocks and it was just as pleasurable - there's something that makes everything seem right with the world while you've got your feet buried in the sand, mai tai in hand and local Hawaiian singers crooning to the crowd.

If you're looking for crystal blue waters and white sand beaches,  this is not the place for you. If, however, you're looking for a place to see a shit ton of fish in calm waters then Kahalu'u Beach Park should be on your list of must-visit beaches on your next trip to Hawaii.  I had an awful time at Hanauma Bay on Oahu so I can't really compare the quality of snorkeling but this is definitely in the top three I've experienced on any of the Hawaiian islands. The other great thing about this beach is there is equipment for rent and a shave ice truck which is perfect on a glaring hot summer day.

I wish I could give the food a 5 and the staff a 1 - hence the 3.

We were so excited to see this place open in the hood a couple of months ago.  We gave it a try a few weekends ago and the food was really good but the service was AWFUL.  I ordered Bubble & Squeak and the greens were so amazingly good.  But I ordered a poached egg and got a fried egg instead so no lovely yolk.  The husband ordered the red flannel hash and IT NEVER CAME.  Except, there was no one to tell because no one came by to see if we needed more water or coffee or to see how we were enjoying our meals.  We finally caught the eye of someone who was NOT our waitress and he looked into it.  He told us that they hadn't made it, but it'd be coming shortly - 20 minutes later his meal arrived with a cold poached egg on top.  That's right folks - the yolk and whites had gone cold.  Lemme just say - cold yolk is kind of weird.  The hash itself was really tasty and was on par with the same dish at Rick & Ann's in Berkeley.  

Unfortunately, it was another 25 minutes before anyone came back again and by that time we were just so done with the experience.  We will probably go back one more time in case the staff was having an off day, but if it happens like that again, we'll definitely cross this place off our list.

This morning I woke up and thought, "damn, I want pancakes."  After hemming and hawing about where to go, the husband said, "Merritt Bakery?"  BUT OF COURSE!  

I always forget how much I love going there.  First off, I love the old timey diner feel - it reminds me of getting breakfast with my grandparents when I was a little kid.  Nostalgia can sometimes be a huge part of a great meal experience.

And then the service was spot on.  Our waitress was nice, friendly and always at the ready with coffee, water or anything else we might have requested.  And $5.50 for more pancakes than one can reasonably eat?  What a bargain!  I can't remember the last time we went out to breakfast and had coffee and two meals and spent only $20.  It's more and more difficult with other Oakland breakfast options.  

And did I mention I didn't feel the slightest bit bad about walking in NOT done up for the day?   Jumping out of bed and heading to the nearest diner is a privilege in the days of $300 designer everyday jeans.  I love not having to worry about how I look when I'm eating breakfast.

Final point - more diversity in this one diner than you'll find anywhere in San Francisco.  Hipsters and old people sitting side by side, Vietnamese and Spanish being spoken around us.  This is a true taste of what makes Oakland so great.