Nicole "BayAreaFoodie" W.'s Profile

Not sure why all the negative reviews...I really enjoyed my meal & service.

- grilled artichokes with balsamic & Parmesan cheese was crazy good but messy.
-potato gnocchi w/duck leg, rosemary, olives & pancetta. There was no real sauce just the natural juices from the duck. LOVED this.
- basic fresh mozzarella, tomato & basil pizza. It was good but the crust was a little over charred which left a burnt taste in my mouth.
-chocolate caramel tart w/ praline & sea salt was super rich so we had a hard time finishing it. If you are a chocolate lover this dessert is for you!

Rating: 3.5

Because this was a sushi restaurant run by an Iron Chef I admit I had some high expectations.

Our meal started out on a super high note. We decided to order the hot appetizer called kakuni - a ten hour pork belly w/ rice congee and soy-scallion jus. It was melt-in-your-mouth good.

Next, we had the tempura calamari salad which had a fantastic white miso dressing but the calamari was a tad over battered for my taste.

We followed this up with some sushi rolls (soft shell crab,eel avocado,spicy tuna) which were...sushi rolls. They were not at all imaginative. They looked and tasted just like the take out I get at the spot down the street from my house - just slightly higher priced. Skip the sushi. Go for the entrees or the tasting menu.

Rating: 2.5

I love the concept but didn't love the offerings. I know healthy food can taste good which is why I was so disappointed when this didn't.

The drinks...
* Pineapple coconut  lime cooler - sounds soooo good too bad it had so much pulp that it was undrinkable.
* Cranberry pom cooler - much, much better!

The food... EVERYTHING was under seasoned! Salt and pepper can do wonders...

* unfried chicken - this is not a healthy version of fried chicken it's a barely breaded chicken breast without any flavor. There is no comparison.
* chicken/mushroom pasta - the pasta was floating in a soup-like sauce. I had to drain each bite so I didn't get sauce all over the table and my lap.
* ceaser salad - really good but it's just lettuce with dressing and parm.

The portion sizes and prices were right on but looking at all the high ratings we obviously didn't order the right dishes. If I lived in the area I'd definitely give it another go but since I don't I doubt I'll ever become a Lyfer...

Been back to grab some take-out lobster bisque on a chilly evening. Really enjoyed it...very flavorful and not overly thick. Still have to return for some mussels and cioppino.

Rating: 3.5

So happy that the Cats is back!

We arrived just before 5pm because we knew if it was anything like the old Cats if you arrived late you were gonna wait and wait and wait to get a table. When we walked in we were pleased to see the upgrades made but glad they didn't go overboard and lose the charm that existed prior. If you are going for your first visit you will think nothing has been remodeled but the TVs, bar tables, floor, ceiling, fans, any decor whatsoever is all new.

We sat in the bar with our friends and sipped on some micro brews for about 30 minutes until our table was ready. When we were seated we asked our waiter if we could order some appetizers and were told that they are only served in the bar. Weird...yes... especially since they don't tell you that while you are in the bar...so we went straight to the entrees. Prior to coming I had looked over the menu online and was disappointed to find I couldn't get a steak for under $32 but thankfully we were given a different more reasonably priced menu.

All in all the food was good and we'll be back early to avoid the crowds.

You know the saying ...

"if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"

Best deep dish I've had in the Bay!

Heard the hype about Little Star in SF but never tried it -- now I know it's worthy of all the praise.

We had the signature deep dish "blue line" pizza. The pie was perfect .... Not too thick (like Patxi's) and not too saucy (like Zachary's). It's rare that you can taste all the toppings and they taste fresh.

Also, had the bacon & blue cheese salad which was huge, super fresh and the blue cheese was tangy good.

I can't wait to return.

Make sure you go on Mini monday so you can try a bunch of flavors....

Mocha Java - stay away from anything with meringue butter cream frosting...has an unpleasant greasy/waxy consistency.

Salt 'n sweet - should be called super salty! Probably better in the large size.

Frostfetti - frosting was overly sweet.

Maui coconut dream - good flavors but it has the dreaded meringue frosting.

Rose velvet - supposed to taste like red velvet but didn't.

Snowball - THIS WAS THE BEST! Chocolate cake with marshmallow frosting and covered in coconut. WINNER!

The snowball will have me coming back for more.

Went for a 2nd time with visiting family. Still fun. Great guided tour. Makes watching the tv show even better.

They say arrive an hour early. not necessary. that's just so you will buy their bad food and souviners.

Best place to park is near Kearney/Francisco st. - indoor/$10 all day

The place is super swanky for a kennel. My 100 pound lab was in a large suite with tv and cam. Wish they had pics of all the room options on their website. Kinda hard to tell what we needed.

We had to call twice to have them fix the cam in his room cause all we could see was my dog's feet. He seemed ok....wasn't pacing around or barking but my dog is super mello. He wouldn't lay on the raised bed they provide so had to ask that they give him a pillow on the floor. Didn't look like he ate all his food so I know he was not really comfortable. I wish there were cams in the play room to see if he enjoyed that.

For one night the pricing was fine but any more than that and I would have to get a bank loan.

The pictures and note when you leave with info on how my dog behaved and who he made friends with was a nice touch.