annie "Not Yo Mama" d.'s Profile

We were brought here by a Groupon, with the lure of fine Italian food. For some reason, I think the ratings dropped since I bought it months ago - so we were wary, but still made the drive because we're always  on the search for a good Italian restaurant. With good & bad Yelp reviews, we decided to try it out for ourselves.

I have to admit, I was turned off by the decor of the place. Whoa, on the granite & chandeliers (which each seemed to have a burnt-out bulb)! The musical entertainment was a saxophonist (is that a word?), who was very good. but his musical selection made us feel we were in a cheesy 1970s movie. Not one Italian song during our meal (c'mon, not even Sinatra?), and the cheeeeese was magnified by my unappreciated knowledge of Name That Tune from the 60s & 70's. Imagine hearing "DejaVu" (originally sung by Dionne Warwick), belted out on the sax. Add in some Stevie Wonder, & other old adult contemporary songs featured on the Donny & Marie-ilk of variety shows from that era. (Oh wait, you're probably too young to remember those days.. ;)

Now, let's talk service & food..
We were seated promptly, first at a table pretty much next to aforementioned saxophonist, but then decided to move to a high-top table  in the bar area. Our waitress was cheerful & attentive the whole night, as was the busboy who served us as well.

As with most Italian restaurants, our meal began with bread. That's also where the disappointment began. The bread just didn't seem authentic: it seemed like generic sliced bread from Costco. The olive oil and vinegar dip was missing something as well.

We ordered a Calamari and Clam appetizer, as we enjoy both, and thought the combo would be good. Strike two. It was readily apparent that while the Calamari may have been hand-breaded in the kitchen, the clams came out of their packaging pre-breaded. Frankly, I find that amateurish. Why wouldn't you find plain clams and bread them yourself? That being said, the Calamari was cooked almost perfectly and the clams were perfectly edible. The Marinara sauce was run-of-the-mill.
Next up was our Caesar salads. Those were good, but how hard is it to screw up a salad?  FYI: the salad did not come with anchovies, but they were provided by request.

I ordered the Shrimp & Veal combo, which came slathered in a tasty (after I added salt) cream sauce, with sides of angel hair pasta & overcooked veggies. There was a total of about 4 "prawns" (tail-on - ugh), and a good-sized portion of veal. The meal was good - not omgnomnom, just "good."

My date's luck wasn't as good. He ordered the Osso Buco (lamb shank). He took a couple of bites, offered me some, and we agreed that it was so bland & absent of any flavor - "it tastes like it was boiled in water," as he described to our surprised waitress. Not one to be passive, he told her quite simply, that this was "the worst piece of lamb" he's ever eaten. She kindly removed the plates & was apologetic, offering anything else on the menu, but this was Strike Three, so we were done. We weren't rude about it or anything, and neither was she - in fact, props to her for handling this so professionally.

Oh, I should mention that I had forgotten to inform her we had a Groupon, until after we were done eating. Honestly, we were expecting them to not honor it, since we didn't present it when we were seated, and especially since we did not like the meal. But the waitress  accepted it. And when she presented us with the bill,  not only did she deduct the Groupon deal, but also did not charge us for the lamb. (Yes, we tipped her on the full cost of the meal.)

Last note: the entire meal was devoid of garlic. I mean, seriously, when did you ever have Italian food that did not have a hint of garlic? I felt like the chef was preparing a bland meal for aging grandparents. (Couldn't have been mine, since mine are Greek and Italian. ;)

If it wasn't for Groupon, we wouldn't have tried Capri.

It's been renovated!

Yet another eatery inhabits this space...and I'm always willing to try sushi..  I was greeted immediately as I walking in, and since I was dining solo, I sat at the bar. Michael the sushi chef/owner started chatting right away.

So many choices on the menu... I didn't know where to begin. The waiter suggested the #4, which has a name I wouldn't want my kids to see, so I ordered that, along with some eel. The fish were fresh, beautifully presented, and the sauce...wow!

Michael told me all the sauces were original, and he was quite proud of them. He also said that he'll prepare any kind of special order - just ask & he will prepare (he seemed very willing to have "bar regulars" - so bring it on).

There were only 2 other occupied tables at the restaurant - and a few take-out orders came in. Hope that changes, because the sushi here is well-worth battling the small parking lot.

But what about the kids? Well, although there were children at this restaurant, and there is a Kids Menu, I know my children would prefer the conveyor belt sushi place a block away, just for the entertainment.

As for myself, I'll definitely be returning!

While I am reluctant to write this negative review, I feel I've got to put it out there. I am a landlord who lives out of state. My tenant called to tell me there was a leak, & she thinks it's from the water heater.

Gobie Plumbing had done some work for me years ago (about 2003), & I thought they were fair, so I gave my tenant their number, as well as the serial number of the water heater.

Later, my tenant calls me. She said the plumber was there for 5 minutes, said it's not the water heater & left her with a $150 bill.

So I called & spoke to Mr. Gobie himself. He says, based on what the tenant told him, he went & picked up a replacement water heater..which, as it turns out, we didn't need. So he is charging me for the time it took for him to drive in traffic, wait in line, pick up that equipment...and now, return it.

Yes, he feels he should charge ME for that time he took **before he even visited the apartment** and diagnosed what the problem was.

Now, I would have no problem paying for him going to the apartment, & seeing it wasn't the heater. I'm guessing that would be ~$100. But my problem is that he went on what the tenant told him - sure, he thought he was being proactive, but come on - and now he is charging ME for the mistake he made.

I don't think this is fair.

In any case...I am a decent person, and so I paid the $150.  I have a soft spot in my heart for old-school plumbers who have been in business for 30+ years in Miami. Though I admit, I thought I would NOT be ripped off by someone old-school with 30+ years in Miami.

So, why the 2 stars? Because I DO appreciate Mr. Gobie's honesty, that he did not just go ahead & replace the water heater,  which would've been a lot more. And I'm sure other plumbers would've done just that.

I welcome the business to contact me and/or address this review.

The branch I used to contact has gone out of business. Too bad, because the last repair they did for me failed...and the guarantee was not honored by the other area franchise. :(

I went here because of a Groupon. How did I not discover this place sooner?!  Especially that it's smackdab in fron of Bothell's Country Village..? I've documented by BBQ search for years here on Yelp... Hmm!

Before I get into the food, I'll start off with what's important for parents of small kids to know (and just basic infor for the rest of you all):
the place itself is small, and the seating is uncomfortable - meaning, the chairs & tables are just a hodgepode of various sizes, and the one large table in the middle makes it difficult to navigate around the seating area. It would be hard to navigate a high chair in here...and definitely don't bring a stroller.  (Thankfully, I was kid-free this evening, though we ended sharing a table with another family, who was also visiting because of a Groupon.)

There's no wait staff, just go up to the counter & order, while someone saves your seats at a table. It's small enough that you can leave  your well-behaved kids at the table & keep an eye on them while you order.

The cashier wasn't particularly friendly - a smile goes a long way - and yes, we *all* have bad days, but service is a big part of the experience. Anyway, she accepted our Groupon by zapping it from my iPhone to her iPhone. (I love technology...)

Okay, now for the food.  YUM. I ordered the ribs. While I can say they weren't "smoky," they were definitely moist & meaty. My friend said they were too peppery. But it was an ample serving of ribs. My friend had the pulled pork, which was not too tangy, The sauce offered is Apple-(something...Butter? Barbecue Sauce), which was delicious.

Definitely worth a trip back! :)

Three miscarriages, two unsuccessful IVF treatments, and almost 40 years old...I was ready to try acupuncture in order to get pregnant.  This was my first experience with ANY kind of acupuncture, and I did a lot of research to find a practioner. I specifically wanted a female, preferably trained in China.  I am so glad I found Michelle Wu!

For several weeks, I went twice a week, had needles stuck all over me, laid on the table for 1-2 hours, and drank the terrible-tasting tea 3 times a day. Dr. Wu was professional, caring, and took the time to explain everything...though she treats patients simultaneously.

The next month, I got pregnant. The natural way. We were shocked.

My daughter was born perfectly healthy, in March 2008.

Definitely 5 stars. :)

This review is overdue, but the experience is still fresh in my mind.

I went for a brow wax & was extremely dissatified. My aesthetician was Devin. The shape was good, but geez, honey... why didn't you pluck the stray hairs? When I came home, I spent at least 15 mins doing what I just paid $$ for.

This was my first time to a GJ, salon & I certainly will not be back.

Thanks to a recent Living Social deal, Firenze was put on my radar for the weekend. I'd read a few reviews here on Yelp before I bought the deal, & decided this place was worth a shot.

We were very disappointed, on so many levels.

Anticipating a busy weekend, since the LS deal was this past week, I called on Friday to make a Saturday reservation. But Saturday afternoon, I called to doublecheck the time...and there was no record of my reservation. Wow, really? So, I booked it again, no problem.

Our table was ready when we got there. Guess where? Right by the bathrooms! Yay. Our waiter was pleasant enough...when he'd come by. We ordered the rack of lamb special & the quail. The waiter said, "You should order an appetizer..we have 3 large parties, & the food will take a while." So, we ordered a salad & a prosciutto+cheese dish.

And waited.
A long time.

Our waiter came by a couple times to check on us. "See, I told you it would take a long time." But you know what? It's a Saturday night...your kitchen should be able to handle a full restaurant.

Oh, I can't forget to mention when the waiter came by with a bunch of cards in his hand. We thought he was going to give us some kind of comp deal, because we'd already been waiting over an hour, but he actually gave us: 2 business cards, a menu for the pizzeria next door, an ad for an upcoming wine event, & a mailing list signup. Here I was thinking a "free glass of house wine with your next meal" would've been more appropriate.. Silly me.

Our food, finally, arrived. The quail was tasty, but took a lot of effort to eat, especially given the clunky knife. The lamb was slightly overcooked, but delicious; its accompanying pasta was a fairly generous portion.
For dessert, we chose the chocolate cake, which was very moist, but not too decadent.

Although I prefer not to be rushed during a meal, the time it took to serve our food was unacceptable. Sure, we were warned - which we appreciate - but seriously: on a Saturday night, a restaurant in a Bellevue suburban strip mall should know how to handle a busy night.  Obviously, this isn't the first review to mention this. Maybe Firenze can get the message & improve on this.

As for cost: Firenze charges downtown prices for a strip mall experience. No ambiance, just a crowded restaurant. So not worth it, even with a Living Social deal.

Wait, you're all reviewing THE FOOD?!?  I thought this was a martini bar.

Hmm, well, maybe I'm mistaken. But the several times I've gone here, we've ordered martinis...and they've been perfect. In fact, they've been so good, I don't even remember all the different ones I've tried. ;P
For something different, order the martini flight - a sampling of 3 different martinis. Fun way to try new drinks.

The staff is friendly & chatty, when it's not crowded. But it's definitely not a place for a group of more than 4.

The crowd can be clique-y, almost cheesy,  but hey, this is Kirkland!