Diane "Yipe Yelper" B.'s Profile

It was full of sunlight and near the beach, amidst a dearth of options. Bummerr....

The decor was kitchy and the waitstaff was rude. Each time I trued to plug my phone in, the waitress told me it was in "danger" of being damaged. At two totally separate, functional plugs. Logic aside, the 3rd affront came when I picked up a magazine from one of the tables to page through while we waited, only to have her later "ask" if that was "theirs"...really bizarre protectionist behavior going on here. No wonder the reviews are lame.

Top it all off with totally Safeway-packaged feeling food (a weak bun & slices of ham covered by processed cheese as the "daily special" and my scantily laid pieces of lettuce, cheese, croutons & chicken constituting the $10 chicken caesar), and you understand why "Rock'n Rob's" isn't so rockin' save that it is at Rockaway Beach.

Borderline 5 stars but I prob should go more often to justify them (and gladly will). We went on the recommendation of a local who has consistently displayed good taste. Irori was hardly an exception.

Despite it being crowded (always a good sign), we were attended to and seated virtually immediately. I'm a sucker for the "take the shoes off and sit on the floor" Nihon-style dining and it totally works here. There's just something fun and freeing about having no shoes or stature, being only able to order and receive.

And we did. We started with the California rolls - certainly ample - and gulped down the tasty miso and salads before getting the lucious Chicken Teriyaki and Unajyu main dishes. The sushi bar was full and looked great but we weren't regretting our choices with these main dishes. The teriyaki was not over salty with the right amount of delicious sauce, side condiments and rice. Ditto the unajyu, which was silky smooth and definitely tasty, peppered with sesame seeds.

The service was on every detail, clearing dishes and bringing the next ones promptly and courteously.

Definitely coming back on the next Marina del Rey boondoggle!

The fact that the kitschy Caribbean decor attracted us underscored our own dire need for a tropical vacation. Plus, we were HUNGRY and fantasies of jerk chicken made our mouths water.

But what read as scrumptious Jamacian fusion emerged as undersized, underwhelming plates. My salad was fairly unsubstantial: some chicken shreds on a bed of airy slaw accompanied by a syrupy mango dressing and an oddly-colored corn muffin. My BF's pick fell woefully below the anticipation that a signature-named dish (Cha Cha Chicken) promised: it was 5 small pieces of ok chicken slathered with a meh sauce, accompanied by boring beans & rice + aforesaid meek slaw. The one redeeming quality seemed to be the fried plantains which he devoured with zest.

But a few plantains and good service really don't make up for the overall wishy-washy experience. Sure, we got to catch some sun and take in some Bobby McFerrin which helped us pretend we were in Montego Bay. But we could probably do that in our own yard for free.

This takes tacos to an entirely new level. Fresh ingredients and incredible combinations of meat (be it sausage, pork, ham, beef, brisket!), egg and cheese make me cry to be back in Austin. Apparently the founder started this from a truck. Now it's a multi-site establishment in Texas and other parts too.

Beyond the meta-delectable fare, the service was awesome: well-trained in the ingredients and portion sizes and super efficient.

Come to San Francisco soon please Torchy!!

hmmm - I spent $80 here for me and my friend? Really?

We had our hearts set on Suppenkuche which was completely crowded with a wait. Judging by the looks & smell of the food (plus the legacy of the establishment), we should have waited. Or gone to the standby Mediterranean place just kitty-corner.

But alas, my friend was visiting from Africa and I felt compelled to indulge her fancy of checking this place out. On the redeeming sides: the service was good enough - attentive, accommodating her request to switch tables quickly - and the ambiance is a nice modern flair with wood and bamboo (albeit with a funky layout of 3 separate and distinct-feeling dining areas).

But the food was such a disappointment!

She started with the fried pumpkin appetizer. I didn't have any because I sure didn't want any: it looked like frozen fish 'n chips...a burnt orange-brown smelling of cinnamon and cream dolloped over what must have been the aforesaid squash-food if only for truth-in-advertising aspirations. Her main dish - the cioppino - was a little too red for its own good and smelled quite sweet ...and salty. As in, it could have come from a can. And I can attest firsthand that my chicken sauce was (as noted in other reviews) *extremely* salty. Top it off with chicken that was severely undercooked (I was too tired to even send it back and clearly risked my own health as it was truly raw in various parts), and you really wonder what the rationale is for the price tag of over $20 per dish.

If we had gone to Hayes & Kebab (see above) we'd have spent about half and enjoyed the food at least twice as much. Um: at least I didn't get sick??

I am aghast that I haven't reviewed this eponymous establishment after over a decade of delighted patronage!

My hip girlfriend who is literally a trendspotter for one of the world's leading retailers (seriously, her title is "Senior Director of Trend" and you WILL know where she works) introduced me to Therapy around 2002. It's hard to find anywhere else with clothing & jewelry as cute, sunglasses & accessories as hip, and deals so incredibly delish as this place.

And note I'm referring to the clothing store. I wish I had a fatter wallet to do some damage to the *extremely* hip furniture store just adjacent. But I have looked, and drooled, and attest to its worthiness.

Back to the clothing & jewelry place: I get my cutest chunky rings and earrings here. I got my first unique cell-phone (pre-smartphone) hip-holder here. And I get the most perfect gifts and cards here.

The service is always friendly and they stay open LATE: past 9pm on weekdays. In San Francisco, the City that Always Sleeps.

Love love nom nom Therapy, which was of course forwardly named before "retail therapy" became such a 2009 term.

1 Star for the driver of the outbound route on Wed March 7 2012 at 6pm.

I did my research on TripPlanner and arrived early to Main & Mission to catch this. As it was the first stop, the bus was waiting, darkened and not yet ready for passengers. Then the driver entered, the lights went on, and I eagerly approached the bus. She proceeded to move it to the exact point of entry. I waited at the doors, Clipper card in hand.

Then she proceeded to ignore me and depart, leaving me humiliated and crestfallen.

I mean, I know your job sucks, but shouldn't you at least try doing it?

Two days later the driver atoned for this: unlike his predecessor on Wed March 7, he actually stopped and picked up the passengers. Even better, as the driver of the Express line, he confirmed that he could stop close to where I needed to go. And in addition to being helpful, he was friendly, thereby placing him in the 1% percentile of MUNI drivers.

So 1 more star for him. And only him.

Ever since I got dinged by the IRS last year for a tax return I did 4 years prior, I surrendered and got "professional help." My BF bartered some services for me last year but this year I went really "professional": I ponied up.

While the stellar Yelp reviews drew me to Matt and Tax Ninja, it's the high-touch service, ease of the whole process, and RESULTS that are prompting me to pile onto the raves.

First line of contact was with Susan (who it turns out is Matt's wife). We shared all the docs via Dropbox & email. Everything was smooth and clear. Going in for my appointment to actually do the filing was the most fun part. I meandered from work down to Matt's office on a block I rarely if ever frequent on 5th Street  and was immediately transported to the '70s TV series, "Lou Grant." Bars on the windows, papers everywhere and a frumpled feel overall plus a sense that an ethical and really smart guy is taking care of you likely conspired in the Ed Asner flashback. Add to that the folksy woman helping out (who is Matt's mom) and how can you not feel a sense of trust?

Turns out Matt was an attorney w/ a prominent law firm before deciding to leave the Dark Side and help regular peeps like us take some money back from Uncle Sam. In short, he went from law-yer to Robin Hood, nobly asking all the right probing questions that would lead to me maximizing my savings and the system. This all added up: his left brain was clearly well-trained, acutely honing in on all avenues were pursued as he subliminally drew off his cerebral database of tax law.

So the return is filed and I am way better off than I'd imagined. Of course, I know the IRS can come back and haunt me at any point over the next few years. But Tax Ninja had me sign a nice form - backed up by Matt's verbal offer - to be around to help in case anything weird happens. I strongly suggest patronizing them so they are around for many more of us!

For the inn:

Those reviewing it poorly have the age-old disconnect between what they want and what is actually promised + what they actually pay for e.g. the God Complex. Did these people actually read the website? Surely they must have when they realized they were paying at least half of what they could get just about anywhere else in town.

The Inn is very clear that it's a loud music place that ends at 1pm, doesn't promise you individual bathrooms or a night at the Ritz. It advertises exactly as is. Plus it is clean (our room *and* the bathrooms were all clean), and the service is super friendly.  And - as others experienced - was also the ONLY place open for our last-minute get away. I'm sort of shocked at how incensed the other reviewers were given none of the above is a surprise and it pretty much saves these irate last-minute non-planners their asses.

I'd prob rate 3 stars, but the staff- both check-in and cleaning - are all so friendly, and the other poor reviews are so unfounded, that I'm upping it to 4. If you are on a budget and /or aren't a planner, this is an adorable, accessible option.

I admit I had this notion that klezmer was boring. I could not be more wrong! Me and my BF quickly revised our conceptions: we could have listened to this all night! Top it off with super hip styled musicians and just clarinet that is out of this world and you realize just how jammin' klezmer can me.

Here's some proof:
http://soundcloud.com/...

Now where was the kugel?