IVY "The World Is Her Office" R.'s Profile

This place has some nostalgia behind it for my husband and I.  

We were only dating maybe month and we came here to drink at the outside patio and smoke.  I know right, you used to be able to smoke outside.  That's crazy!

After our recent aquarium visit my poor little hubby was starving.  I wanted to go to a different, less ham & egger tourist spot but we chose here because of our past.

I was shocked by the shabbiness of the place.  Definitely not what I remembered.

We chose to sit outside again.  The little bar we once sat at is closed in with a window now.  Kind of sad really.

We were all alone out there and it was really nice.  It was a beautiful day.  The air had a briskness to it but comfortable.  

I was worried we would be forgotten back there all by ourselves, but no our waitress was on top of everything.

I got the Crab & Shrimp Sandwich and a side add on of a Lobster Tail.  What the hell, I'm on Vacation.  I'm going to splurge a little.

My husband got the Fish & Chips.  Our food was surprisingly good.  I was pleasantly surprised.  

The Lobster was juicy and flavorful with a hint of seasoning they included.  I was very happy with my splurge choice.  My sandwich was really fresh.  There is nothing like a perfect Crab Salad Sandwich.  Mmm, Mmmm.

The only complaint I have is that they don't have a custom drink menu.  You would think a place like this would have some quirky ocean themed cocktails for people.  Kind of disappointing.

Food was not disappointing in the least.  Don't mind the looks of the place,  just go and enjoy the food.

As a child I wanted to be a Mermaid. Which is odd because I grew up in Phoenix and rarely, if ever went to the ocean.

Instead of indulging my oceanic passions in salt water, I would spend hours in our pool. I can hold my breath up to 3 minutes sometimes more. I would float near the bottom of the pool and watch my shadow on the bottom. Imagining my shadow was the Mermaid in the wild.

So if you cant imagine at all but I love going to the Aquarium. I love it so much. I could spend hours looking at everything.

Do you even know how bad I want to go swimming in one of those tanks? Except the one with the Hammer Heads. Those guys are way to fast and scary for me. I just want to go into that one tank with all of the kelp growing and flit around like a fish to.

The Jelly Fish exhibit was really beautiful. It was like a bunch of 80's era peach and white prom dresses just casually floating around. Really mesmerizing.

The touch ponds are some of my favorite. I could pet a pink Star Fish all day if I could. Oh, I also got to pet a real Abalone, kind of weird.

However the skates didn't want to be touched. It actually seemed like they hated us and didn't want to be near people anymore. It made me sad.

Now the Sea Horses. Who knew Sea Horses were so fricking cute?! The mini ones were the most precious things I have ever seen. Really hard to photograph but the most adorable thing under the sea.

The Penguin exhibit smelled really fishy. They were cute and you could tell they were really relaxed and just chilling out in their habitat.

My most favorite, favorite, favorite exhibit was the Sea Otters. I would give anything to be able to jump in there and swim with them also. My husband said they looked remarkably close to our Wiener Dog.

They are so amazing. I love them. We even got to see a real wild one out in the open when we were standing outside over looking the ocean. Dare I say the Sea Otter is one of my most favorite animals.

People are rude here and have no sense of their surroundings and also people let their children act terribly but forget about that. Focus on the fish and be patient until they get the hell out of your photo op.

Maybe one day after I win the lottery or a mysterious relative leaves everything to me I will donate money to build a cool new exhibit and then maybe they will let me go swimming like the Mermaid I always wanted to be.

Wanted to be? Who am I kidding, I still want to be a Mermaid.

I will admit that I do not gamble, at all.  Not even when I go to Vegas.  I drink and people watch when I go to casino's.

My husband and I wanted to go check out the new building and see what was going on.  We had never been to the old building because of the seedy element that seemed to permeate from it.

Well, lets just say that its very beautiful from the outside.  On the inside however, its not what I expected.  Very, very small.  Way smaller than we had expected.

As we walked up there was a guy loading his bike up with what looked like everything he owned in the world.  I am not kidding when I say that this guy looked exactly like "Balloon Boy's" dad.  Possibly even crazier because he was screaming about something.

Its nice to see that the seedy element hasn't left.

We sat at the bar that did not have a view of the card room.  The bar doesn't have a cocktail list either.  They looked at us like we were crazy or something for asking.  

After we ordered a Cosmo we realized how watered down the booze was.  Very disappointing.

There was also something else missing.  That acrid odor of old cigarette smoke.  I don't smoke but you know, that smell is what gives casino's character.

I'm an adult who doesn't mind other adults enjoying themselves with a cigarette.  I know that's crazy.

We wont be back for any reason.  Just gander from outside because inside isn't as good as you would think.

In the words of the the great Motorhead, Ace Of Spades:

"If you like to gamble, I tell you I'm your man
You win some, lose some, it's still the same to me
The pleasure is to play, it makes no difference what you say
I don't share your greed, the only card I need is
The Ace Of Spades"

So first off I want to say that Happy Hour on Sundays is what knocked this place up to five stars.  They really need to advertise this more because I would have been here sooner.

What made me want to come here initially was the promise of good Mac-N-Cheese.  Unfortunately that wasn't the best part of my meal.

I had Spare Ribs and the husband had Brisket.  The little Potato Salad they serve with you meal was excellent.  Some of the best Potato Salad I have ever had.

The BBQ Sauce itself was lacking in a way.  It was not unique in any way.  The dry rub however was an excellent touch on my ribs.

The place has this permeating smell of fat.  I have never craved just fat off a bone more than when I walked in here.  Is that the opposite smell of when you walk into a bakery?  Still smells delicious though.

The drinks were fantastic!  They were some of the more interesting drinks that we have ever had.  The best was the Ginger Press.  A delightfully light drink that could get you into trouble if you have to many.

The 10th & Gillman wasn't that good.  I got mine without the Chambord Float.  That stuff tastes like medicine.  This was my least favorite drink.

The Time After Thyme was really good.  If you love grapefruit juice as much as I do you will love this drink.  All fresh squeezed juice also so it gives these beverages that little something extra.

The Bitter Sweet Symphony was pretty good.  One of the best cucumber cocktails I have had.  Some cucumber cocktails tend to get a little rubbing alcohol hinted and this one didn't.  It was uniquely delicious.

We loved it here.  Its open and airy and the service is good and quick.  It has all of my favorite components.  Good food, good drinks and my husband and I had a great time.  

I cant wait to come back for another Sunday Happy Hour. Yay!!!!!

I probably would have never came here if my favorite place hadn't closed.  I'm still upset about that but anyways.

On my way to who knows where I figured I would give this a try.  Starbucks is a little ways down and across the street but was still to far for me to go.  

I got my giant iced coffee.  Its was good not enough half & half though.  But still worth the effort to come here.

What I really like most about Caffino's is they like peoples dogs and they gave Wiener Dog a milk bone.  The other Caffino I went to did the same thing.  

Any one who treats dogs good in my book is a keeper.

My friend and I took a walk downtown and decided to take a few back roads home through some of the nieghborhoods.  

Well, actually we were drinking some beers from keg cups and really didnt feel like walking past the court house.

It was a really good idea on our parts because the day was gorgeous and the park was so calm and nice to walk through.  

I wish I knew how old it was because it just seems so out of place for here.  I would imagine a park looking like this in Savanah Georgia.

There is a stage area made of cement probably for random events.  I asked my friend if she wanted me to do a show for her and she said,"No thank you!"  Oh, well.

In the center there is a round about of riverstone benches.  I loved it.  There are so many little details here.

If you ever get a chance to come here, take a look at the Catholic Church kitty-corner to the park.  I did the color consulting on the colors that its painted.  It looks so beautiful, one of my bragging jobs.

This park is incredibly clean I might add.  The only thing kind of off putting I saw was some of the neighbors that live around there.

I walked away from my friend to go take a picture and a weirdo dude walked immediatley across the street towards me, as if he was coming to talk to me.  

When I busted out the camera he side stepped away from me.  Cameras are the best weapon some times.  Or me cussing at you like a sailor works well too.

Disregard the riff raff and you are in a pretty cool little niche of Martinez.

I'm on vacation and am staying home and exploring my local treats. My friend is on maternity leave and we walked down town to go have lunch on Thursday.

It is so clean and fresh and new here. There is a certain ambiance that they are trying to achieve and who ever consulted them really knew what they were doing.

We purposely came after the lunch rush of down town so that there would be room for the stroller.

We mainly had appetizers to share between us. We also had a few beers.

The Avocado Rolls were delectable. Rice paper rolls, vermicelli noodles, avocado, lettuce,carrots, cucumbers, mint leaves, cilantro. Served with peanut sauce.

I fell in love with the Grilled Chicken Skewers. Chicken breast marinated with yellow curry, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves. Served with peanut sauce.

We also had the Salt and Pepper Calamari. They were good and had a nice fried crust on the outside. Not soggy in the least.

My husband also came along and he wanted the Lettuce Wraps. I didn't want those because it seemed like to much work for me.

And it was way to much work even for the 3 of us. It was made with incredibly fresh ingredients and would make for a really yummy fresh lunch by itself.

Another really great dish was the Lemongrass Rice. Fried rice, eggs, pineapples, raisins, cashew nuts, onions. I want to have this instead of stuffing on Thanksgiving. So good and fresh and not greasy like some fried rice can be.

Now the best thing I had, I only ordered myself, was the Coconut Soup with Chicken. The Coconut broth was so amazing and really sent me flying over the edge of taste sensory ecstasy.

I have never done illicit drugs but if drugs are half as good as this broth call me an addict.

We couldn't finish everything and had to take most of it home.

I think they have a different menu for dinner and I cant wait until I can come back to have some.

They should open a full bar and I think this place would be the best new place in Martinez.

Thanks Eric B. for turning me on to this place. Just brilliant!

Its official.  I lost my Chicken & Waffle virginity.  I'm no longer the young supple virgin of my less clogged artery youth.

And guess what?  I loved it!!

I had no idea what to expect.  Driving into Jack London I saw this place and the big Happy Hour sign and the advertisement of having a "Bar".  Um, I'm there?!

We came in around 3:30pm.  The bar didn't open till 4:00pm.  I almost knocked down a star but the food was so good until that point its worth the wait.

I got the Incredible Kelly, 1 thigh, 1 waffle and a side of grits.  Instead of grits I got Mac-N-Cheese.  The Mac-N-Cheese is actually the main reason why I wanted to eat here.

I want to fill a swimming pool full of this Mac-N-Cheese and dive head first into it.  I think that Home in San Francisco and this place are at a tie in the race for best Mac-N-Cheese.

The thigh was good and juicy.  The waffle was thin but I think the waffle is a side note to the aspect of the amazing Mac-N-Cheese and the juicy Chicken.  

A waffle is a waffle. I'm still not sure what some of the other reviewers are talking about how the waffles are bad.  Waffles, to me, are usually a side note.  I'm more of a protein fan rather than a carb fan though.

My husband had the #22, 1 Breast, side of Mac-N-Cheese, side of Greens.  The Greens were to salty.  I love greens but these were to bitter.  He said the breast was dry.  I would expect that, that is why I went with the thigh.

When you come here do not...I repeat DO NOT, forget the Red Velvet Cake.  This cake was two giant tiers of Red Velvet wonderfulness. The cake was as big or bigger than my head!  Mind you I have a giant head.

I want to order one (whole cake) for my birthday next year.  This cake was some of the most decadent, silky smooth Red Velvet that I have ever had in my life.  Don't ask any questions just do it.

Once we were done we paid our tab then went over to the bar on the other side and got to work on the cocktails.

The bartenders here are the best!  Ask them any question about the booze and they will give it to you straight.

We started with the Dandy Delight.  I prefer to call it Dandy Candy.  Sweet Tea Vodka with lemonade and another Vodka.  The type of drink that could get you into trouble if you had to many.

Second drink was under the Happy Hour special.  The special was any cocktail made with Ciroc.  We had a Cosmo.  Good but I have had better Cosmos in my life.  Way to sour.

Third drink was the Raspberry Drop.  It tasted like medicine.  I didn't like it and I don't usually go with Raspberry drinks but somehow I lost control.  It wasn't good at all.

Last libation was the Blueberry Martini.  Excellent and I want everyone to try it.  The coloring of the drink is so cool.  Nothing like I have ever seen.  I described it as Gun Metal Gray.  Excellent beverage.

To bad their Happy Hour has so many "rules."  The Cosmo was the only drink covered under the Happy Hour selections and it wasn't even that good.

I loved the food and drinks.  One major suggestion, make a custom cocktail menu.  The bartender was great at telling us the drinks but I would like to read them and mull over it for moment.

Put that stuff on paper and your set.  Food is great and they have a full bar.  Love, love, loved it!

So now I know where the Highway Patrol takes their breaks at.  There was definitely a presence here.

This is the closest Starbucks on the way to my office in San Ramon.  A bit off the beaten path.  I probably wouldn't come here if I was in a hurry.

Service was fast and I got a lovely, fresh Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwich with my iced coffee.  One of the freshest I have yet to have from a Starbucks.

Whatever, its a Starbucks pack'n some heat.

I'm embarrassed to admit I went to McDonald's.  I was just so busy that it was my fastest option for how hungry I was.

I pulled up to the drive thru and all I wanted was the new Arch Deluxe.  Only that.  No drink, no fries, just the burger.

So I say this into the talking box and the woman says, "Number 12,13 or 14?"

"No, I only want the burger."  She says again, "Yeah (all snotty) number 12, 13, or 14."  

"I ONLY WANT THE BURGER!  NO FRIES, NO DRINK!  JUST THE BURGER!!!", I yell back.

"Yeah, (all snotty again) Just the burger?"  "YeeEEEsssSSS", I say back.

Then she gives me my total and I proceed to the first window.  There was a car in front of my car, so while I sat there I snapped a shot of the big "M" on the side of the building.

I looked up and the woman in the window is staring at me all wide eyed as I pull up.  She saw me take the photo.  The first thing she says to me is "Oh, sorry."

Sorry for what, not listening then giving me an attitude?  

I will say that the new Arch Deluxe is one of the best things to come out of McDonalds since I was 3 years old and had my first cheeseburger.  To bad Ms. Biaaaatch is working the window.

Next time Ill chance the line at In-N-Out.