Charles "Chudson" H.'s Profile

I was so close to giving this place 5 stars. Last time I stayed in Maui, I stayed at the Ritz Carlton. I felt like Kapalua was a bit too remote, so I stayed at the Westin Ocean Villas instead.

Overall, I loved the Westin. I stayed in a small studio room and they had everything I needed - a small kitchen, a washer / dryer, a nice shower, a nice bed, and a good view of the ocean. West Maui is not cheap, so having the option of cooking in your own unit or using the barbecue grills down by the pool is awesome. As others have noted, it becomes a great option after a few days of paying West Maui prices for dining out.

If you like snorkeling, you're very close to Black Rock (15 minutes walking down the beach) and the Westin's beach itself offers great snorkeling during high tide on a clear day.

The staff is very nice, the pool and hot tubs are great, and the small gym on the first floor is good enough to get a very basic workout. Also, you're only about 15 minutes away from downtown Lahaina and 5 minutes away from Safeway - just about everything you could need is very close.

I would definitely stay here again - awesome place.

Overall, I was disappointed by Pacific'O. Prior to trying Pacific'O, I had already been to Mama's, Mala, I'o (literally next door), and a few other good places. I didn't think Pacific'O was even as good as I'o, which is right next door and shares the same executive chef.

Some of my complaints are minor. The night we had dinner, we had reservations but they failed to inform us that the upstairs area had been rented for a wedding reception. It was cool - the music was loud, but it was the kind of music I liked. Nonetheless, I wish I had known we'd have loud music harshing the mellow ambiance.

I was not impressed by my food, either. I thought the wonton appetizer was not that impressive and neither were the entrees.

I dined at both I'o and Pacific'o. If you only have the chance to choose one, definitely choose I'o. The service was way better, as was the food. Our waiter, Nathan, was very good. He was both attentive and knowledgeable. I had the I'o trio - it was a good sized portion of three entrees in one - a lamb chop, a petit filet mignon, and some mahi mahi. Overall, I would give the food 3.5 stars and bump the overall rating up to 4 stars given the quality of service.

If you want to have a superior dining experience, I would say that this place ranks below Mama's, Mala's, and Lahaina Grill. This place is good, but not amazing.

This place is awesome. I was very skeptical of learning how to do stand-up paddle surfing, but my girlfriend talked me into it.

They promise you that you will be able to stand up during your lesson. We were lucky enough to get a lesson from Tim, the owner. His instructions were great - I was able to stand up on my board the very first time after getting some really good tips on the shore. The lesson gave us plenty of time to paddle around a lagoon and a more challenging area slightly beyond the lagoon. I really enjoyed the quality of instruction and the appropriate level of feedback I got from Tim.

The only downside? We went out past the reef and were paddling around in deeper water when one of our instructors spotted a fairly large tiger shark. That was a good reason to go back to the safer (and less interesting) lagoon area.

If you want to learn to paddle surf and feel some feeling of accomplishment quickly, I recommend these guys.

I was very pleasantly surprised by Mala's. During my last trip to Maui, I ate at most of the more well-known / recommended places for visitors; Mama's, Pacific'o, I'o, Sansei, etc. Overall, I thought Mala's blew them all away in terms of quality and price. The service was really good, the ambiance was great. I had the wok fried opakapaka with wild rice and mashed potatoes and it was really really good.

We liked this place so much that we went there for happy hour and ended up coming back for dinner that same night. Definitely recommend the place.

I spent a weekend at Solage and had an opportunity to eat at Solbar twice during my stay. I also found out they just received their first Michelin star. Overall, I thought this place was a very solid 4-star on the Yelp scale. With a bit more work, they could easily become a 5-star on my scale. The only reason I can't give it the 5th star is that I thought the dessert I ordered was pedestrian and not up to par with my main or starter courses. Here's a rundown of the food I tried while I was there:

-Chicken soup - Very tasty and well presented. Excellent broth
-Sliders - I didn't care for them that much, actually. The buns were too large
-Flatbread appetizer - These were surprisingly good. Served with a trio of sauces (romesco, salsa verde, and an eggplant sauce). Very light and refreshing.
-Short Ribs - This will end up being their signature dish. Very well executed and tender. The polenta was an excellent touch.
-Salmon - This might have been the most perfectly prepared piece of salmon I've had in the Bay Area. Very well executed. Tender and moist without being under or over cooked.
-Apple crumble dessert - I was expecting more from this dessert. It tasted more like apple granola than an apple crumble. It was okay, but not as good as the other items I tried.

The service was attentive without being overbearing. And the wine list features some great values for the trained eye.

If you stay at Solage, you should eat here. If you're in the area, you should stop by - worth a trip.

Just visited this place today on the advice of the folks at Burrell School. This place does have fantastic views - on a clear day you can see all of the way to the ocean. Even on a cloudy day you get breathtaking views of the Santa Cruz region.

The wines were a bit pricey (based on list price), but they were making some concessions to the economy and discounting a few wines off of list. Having visited a number of places in Santa Cruz (Byington, David Bruce, Burrell, etc), I'd have to say that Loma Prieta had the best and most interesting wines I've had down in Santa Cruz / Los Gatos in quite some time.

The star of the show is the Pinotage, which I've rarely found outside of places that specialize in South African wines. It's very distinctive and quite tasty. One more plus - the tasting room staff is very patient and knowledgeable. They should be - it's quite a ride to get up there.

I liked this place enough to want to go back and join their wine club. Once the wines catch up with the views (this place is still fairly new), they'll probably earn a 5th star.

I have to admit that I am something of a spa junkie. Before reading my review, I have to make two disclaimers:

1. I visited Spa Solage on a Sunday during the Great Recession - I was literally the only guy there without a partner and had full run of the men-only portion of the spa.

2. I went to Spa Solage on one of the most perfect days of the year - it was 80 degrees, sunny, and cloudless. I also saw a couple get engaged while I was there and it was super touching.

For context, I'll let you know some of my spa bona fides - I've been to Sonoma Mission Inn (many times), Lincoln Ave Spa (great bang for the buck), Bilss Spa (Hotel W, SF), Burke Williams (SF and SJ), Sain Saine (great bang for the buck - no frills), the Claremont in Oakland, Kabuki (SF), Watercourse Way (Palo Alto), Spa Vitale (SF), and too many other spas to name.

I can say that the Spa Solage was the best spa experience I've had in the Bay Area, adjusted for price. I had the Mudslide treatment and it was awesome. First of all, Spa Solage is in a very quite corner of Calistoga, backed by serene mountains and the most quiet part of SIlverado Trail. The changing room was nothing spectacular, but the men's-only pool area is fantastic - it has a hot tub, wam (not cold) plunge, and a steam room - all of which are offered in a breathtaking open-air environment. They also have a great couples / co-ed pool area on either side of the single-sex bathing areas. The staff is very friendly and the overall ambience is peaceful and calm - exactly what you want from a spa.

I can't recommend the mud treatment highly enough - it's a 3-part ritual that last for almost an hour for under $100 and it's great. Try it.

I wish I could have stayed at the hotel so I could rate that too. This place is very nice.

I stumbled upon this place for the first time today. I haven't had a chance to try their margaritas, but I did have the chicken burrito. The burrito was really good and the service was quick. Considering the low price point for a meal here (prices are on par with Andale or Chipotle but with better food), the space looks really nice and welcoming. It's a new restaurant, so there are still some execution issues (I have no idea how they'll handle lines when they get busy given how close the counter is to the door). Overall, this place was great and is a very nice addition to the SoMa lunch scene.

I work almost equidistant between Mixt Greens and Harvest and Rowe. I have to preface this by saying that I only really go to both places during lunch on weekdays. Overall, I prefer Harvest & Rowe to Mixt Greens - the offerings are roughly the same but I find H&R to be more efficient during peak lunch times and a bit more affordable (I can usually get a salad at H&R for $7-8 vs $9-$10 for Mixt Greens). If you're looking for a custom salad place in SF during the workday, you can't go wrong with either place. For my money, though, I'd rather have Harvest & Rowe.