charlotte c.'s Profile

First off, they charge 10 cents you for a cup of tap water. I'm all for sustainability but that's just ridiculous and discourteous.

If a salad comes with a sandwich it's not free, right? Well apparently the SFAI Cafe defies all logic because that was the story I got today when I complained for being charged full price for a sandwich (topped with shredded iceberg lettuce and the tomatoes I requested be left off) and no salad. If it's included in the price that means you pay for both - nothing is free. The only reason I get their mediocre sandwiches in the first place is because they come with a totally decent mixed green salad.

I used to defend the cafe in recognition of the fact that most places nearby have similar prices and quality of food. But after today I am quite happy to say I will never eat here again. SFAI would do itself a huge, huge favor by kicking out whoever runs this place and finding someone whose head isn't up their ass to run a student budget-friendly cafe.

I've been burned in the past for choosing a restaurant for its prices. If it's expensive it has to be good, right? Especially in a small town? Not so, apparently. My attempt to treat my sister to a nice meal in her college town was a total failure.

Cress features one of the oddest menus like, ever. They have a small selection of your basic Indian dishes (tikka masala, vindaloo) dwarfed by a list of "globally inspired dishes" that almost uniformly come with grits. Overwhelmed by the choices, I went for the "braised leg of Australian lamb" (eating locally hasn't quite taken hold apparently, as they also have Maine sea scallops on the menu) because it had the fewest accouterments: grits, rosemary au jus, and seasonal vegetables.

Our server informed me that it wouldn't be pink in the middle since it was braised but it was still very tender. I can't decide if she was being sincere or trying to cover the chef's ass because I was served a mass of some of the driest lamb I've ever eaten. It was sitting atop a flavorless pile of grits, au jus that tasted nothing like rosemary, and limp, soggy vegetables I would expect to see on a fajita platter at Chile's.

My sister's steak was equally disappointing. The meat was chewy and bland. The parsnip chips were flavorless and poorly incorporated into the dish.

The only taste left in my mouth at the end of the meal was bitterness as I signed off on our far too expensive tab.

I initially came to Bahn Thai BBQ & Noodles because I was too lazy to cook on the first night in my new apartment and I really, really like noodles. It's unfortunate they're cash only but that might be my only gripe. I was hesitant to try it as I had never seen more than one or two people inside. I've taken this as a sign that do a lot of take-out, though I've never exactly staked out across the street to confirm this theory. Now, a severe head cold, a hangover, or a need for comfort take-out brings me here about once a month.

I usually stick with #23 and #24, both pan-fried wide noodle dishes with GRAVY SAUCE. Man, I love that gravy sauce. I like the noodles fine without the gravy sauce. However, I see no reason NOT to get the gravy sauce. Sometimes I have eaten inside with someone else who invariably orders a rice plate (yawn) that has usually been pretty good.

This place is definitely one of my neighborhood favorites and should you find yourself in the Tendernob with $10 in your pocket, give it a try.

After two visits, his is probably the only bar in the Mission I would enthusiastically return to. I'm not about to make regular appearances but for having a drink or two with friends, this place treats me right. I like the pinatas, the outdoor seating, the two unisex bathrooms, the mismatched chairs, and the strength of their cocktails. The music is a touch too loud for my tastes, but compared to most places it's fairly reasonable.

The food is fine, healthy, and the counter service is very nice. But when it comes time to making and delivering the food, things start to suck. The first couple times I chalked their glacial pace up to an unexpected rush coupled with a staff shortage. Now I am so fed up with waiting for and sometimes having to remind them about my order I doubt I'll be returning. The truly obnoxious part about it all is, after waiting 30 minutes for a salad that was so saturated in mustard dressing that the lettuce was starting to wilt, no one apologized. I had to remind them about my coffee this morning, again without an apology.

I've been there. I've worked at several cafés and dealt with people giving me the expressions I've been giving the folks at Caffe Sapore recently. It sucks but telling cranky customers how sorry you are - even if we both know it's a lie - goes a long way. So please, PLEASE hire some nicer people and do whatever is you have to do to make a faster sandwich.

Very good pho. As previous reviewers have so astutely observed, the broth is on the clove-y sweet side. Whatever!

I could have done with a couple more pieces of beef and about half the noodles, but overall it was a super satisfying bowl of pho tai. The service was great although I should maybe qualify that I was the only customer at the time. I like to get my pho on early, you see...

I am so embarrassed I even ate here because of all the food carts serving what I needed (lots of noodles) in Portland. Hungover in bed, I looked for ramen with my phone and decided Ping would help me out. I should have known that the fact they admit to using "instant Thai ramen noodles" in their "Spicy Mama Ramen" was a bad sign. I should have noticed that an Asian fusion restaurant located in Portland's anemic Chinatown was totally weird and gone off in search of something else. Alas, I did not. I will say that my server was very kind and in what seems to be the protocol here, very attentive.

The Spicy Mama Ramen does indeed have instant noodles that taste somehow less authentic and delicious than even Top Ramen or Maruchan brand noodles. I guess it embodied Ping's Asian fusion-ness by overpowering the broth with galanga and chili (Thai), and featuring little pork "balls" that, if I had to guess, were seasoned with Vietnamese spices (but I honestly have no idea). Store-bought-Thai-maybe-Vietnamese-with-Asian-vege tables-for-good-measure. And no Sriracha to be found. WTF.

As for the rest of the menu, none of the skewers really jumped out at me. Meat on a stick is still meat on a stick and impossible to eat gracefully.

I had recently arrived in Boston on a cold and windy night. Although I would be staying in Brookline for this particular visit, my buddy needed to park her car in free-parking zone Allston. Being hungry and still a little hungover, the idea of Korean BBQ appealed to our senses and we settled on Korean Garden. Lured by its warm lights and pleasant typeface, we strolled right in without looking at menu posted outside (did I mention it was cold?).

Getting BBQ at this place for two people who aren't like, totally starving probably isn't the best idea as the minimum order was hefty and kinda pricey. No biggie, we thought, as our eyes perused the soups and noodle dishes - just as warm and fully prepared.

My friend got the beef dumpling something or other and I got the tofu, kimchi, and pork soup. Our server reminded me how spicy it was, so I asked for them to tone it down a little - but not too much - as I do love a spicy bowl. My dish emerged from the kitchen still boiling and brightly colored. After I had slurped down about 1/3 of it our server returned and shared how thoroughly impressed he was with my spice tolerance. A good meal and some flattery? I win! Korean Garden wins!

Despite its convenience, I can't see myself using this particular FedEx Kinko's anytime soon.

One of my least favorite experiences at any store - particularly those selling a service, not a product - is when I ask how much something is going to cost, they give me an estimate, only to slowly tack other fees on as the process of processing my request goes forward. It's like they're forcing you to upgrade to first-class and you just don't wanna.

I am not a frequent FedEx'er and was thus rather surprised to find out that packaging labeled FedEx Express is strictly for things being sent expressly. OK, maybe in retrospect it's not that weird. I jokingly asked if we could just white out the word "Express" and no, this is not possible. FedEx in all its tyrannical love for keeping up appearances could, in fact, REJECT said package. Alas, I had to relinquish the snazzy lightweight cardboard sleeve for a padded number they sell and began filling out the FedEx Ground label.

My guy disappeared, probably because I couldn't hide my annoyance and took it out on him with the evil eye (sorry guy!), so the lady helped me. She set my envelope all nice and sealed upon the scale, I handed her the form and we began the processing process. After the form was taken care of, I was informed that there would be an additional $10.00 handling fee to my shipping costs because my package was heavy enough to merit such a thing. What's the weight limit? ONE POUND? Wow. That's not very much, is it?

Apparently this is the only FedEx location (that I know of) who adheres to this silly rule. It was suggested I go down to 3rd and Market FedEx Kinko's branch. Not until, of course, I paid $1.60 for my padded envelope, which no doubt contributed to my package's apparent weight problem. In all likelihood sending it Express would have been cheaper, totally negating the point of having a super special envelope in the first place.

In conclusion, I shall be patronizing the government's own shipping service because as a taxpayer I can at least legitimately feel outraged at these kinds of shenanigans.

I was charged $27.00 for walking in here "after hours," which occurs between 10:00 PM and 8:00 AM. I'm sorry, but can you really tell your agonizing pain that woke you up at 3 AM to wait 5 hours? The answer is no, you can't. If nothing else in this world should be easily and (relatively) freely available and accessible 24 hours a day it should be the gosh darn emergency room.

That and my astronomical bill aside, I was pleased with the decent care I received at this hospital for a nasty infection nestled deep within my digestive system. The nurses remembered my name, pumped me full of pain medication, and turned on the TV for me because I was happily incapable of doing anything except enjoying the sudden departure of my pain. And if that weren't enough, my doctor was super cute. I regret that our conversation was mostly about my bowel movements.