Amanda D.'s Profile

One of my buddies tends bar here, so I always look forward to stopping by for a glass of his famous sangria.

I am a constant user of social media platforms, including Twitter and Foursquare, and Destination Bar has tapped into their customer base by working with both platforms.

Destination offers a free drink to the "Mayor" on Foursquare (my friend, the current "Mayor," lives around the corner and greatly enjoys "checking in" as often as the bar's owner!) and uses Twitter to advertise their new eats and drinks.

The jello shots look like candy, but they are mind-numbing. You have been warned.

"Wait, this is only five dollars?"

I must have said this at least four times while enjoying my Very First Banh Mi Sandwich. My dinner mate laughed as we each frantically downed glasses of water (which were promptly refilled). The "regular" spicy that comes on the sandwich is rather hot.

I really enjoyed the texture and richness of the pate on the Baoguette Banh Mi.

Just a note in case you're sensitive to spicy foods: ask for mild spicy.

One of the few restaurants where I want to come back and try everything on their brunch menu.

So far I've had the chilaquiles with carnitas (pork) and the huevos rancheros, and look forward to trying much more. Their portions are huge, which I finds limits my ability to imbibe a ridiculous amount of mimosas. But I try!

It's safe to say I enjoy any restaurant that smothers its dishes in salsa verde. Cabrito is no exception.

I am writing this as I have spicy chili mayo dripping from my fingers onto the keyboard.

Longing for a new lunchtime sandwich, I ventured a little further east than usual from my West Village office. Best decision I've made in a while.

A sign above the take-out window states: "No substitutions." Trust them. The pulled pork sandwich is perfect as is. The sum of all its parts is really what makes this sandwich spectacular: the pork melts in your mouth, the vegetables crispy, the cilantro pungent and the mayo generously lathered onto two thick pieces of baguette. The bread is hard outside and soft inside, my favorite.

Num Pang has renewed my search for a satisfying workday lunch. Minus one star for being overpriced: $7.50 is a bit steep for a sandwich.

I came here via the Wine Country Tour Shuttle, and this winery was a nice place to end our Napa trip.

I found the space to be a bit stark but the employees were friendly and knowledgeable about their product.

We sampled a very pleasant merlot that we purchased to drink later.

I came here via the Wine Country Tour Shuttle and was sorely disappointed that I did not have time to sample the wine!

Still, that is the fault of the shuttle company, and not this lovely winery. I did get to sample their delicious food, including their homemade artichoke cream cheese and a panini for lunch. Minus one star for taking nearly a half-hour to receive our food and find a seat outdoors at a picnic table. The experience at lunchtime was a bit overwhelming and we had a very limited amount of time there.

The barbeque smelled delightful and I'd love to go back to try that and, well, the wine! I'm still upset we didn't have time to wine taste here.

I came here through the Wine Country Tour Shuttle and was blown away by the gardens, wine-oriented architecture and the decor and quality of the sparkling wine.

We tried four different sparkling wines and our guide at Domaine Chandon was incredible. (I think his name was Joe?) He demonstrated how to properly taste (hint: don't sip, take a healthy drink and swish it around seven times!) and helped break down what we should look for in a wine.

I will definitely consider buying a Domaine Chandon sparkling wine for a special event simply based on my wonderful experience here.

This is one of the most beautiful wineries I've been to in Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

I came here through the Wine Country Tour Shuttle and everyone on my bus loved it! The winery guide, Jay, was engaging and had a great sense of humor. At the end of the tour, he came onto our bus and offered a free corkscrew to anyone who could answer a trivia question.

The beautiful grounds reminded me of Italy and all merchandise in the store was 50% off on the day we visited.

Try the pinot grigio (that's saying a lot, coming from a non-white wine fan).

Overall, I was "generally" pleased with this wine tour. I mean, hello, you're safely transported to numerous wineries and allowed to sample wines all day in gorgeous Napa Valley. BUT, I do have a few issues with this particular tour.

First, I should mention that our tour guide, a very informative and friendly guy named Jerry, was a true pleasure. I loved learning about California's history as we rode north over the Golden Gate Bridge, through Sausalito and into Sonoma and Napa Valleys.

The overall concern for both my mom and I was that the entire tour felt very rushed, from start to finish. I'm an event planner and fully understand the need to control a crowd, but I felt like I was constantly told to hurry up. Perhaps if the trip started even an hour earlier, we wouldn't have felt so hurried along. It became infuriating.

The winery selections were superb. We tried a variety of wines at four very different venues. The Andretti Winery was absolutely stunning, the sparkling wine at Domaine Chandon was a treat, V. Sattui's grounds are gorgeous and the food was fresh and delicious, and Flora Springs was a nice way to wind down the trip.

Our biggest complaint is that we were not given enough time to eat lunch at V. Sattui and taste the wines. While we appreciated the $10 lunch voucher (per person), and the food selection was impressive, it took us nearly 45 minutes to order, receive our food and secure an outdoor picnic table. For $90/person, this tour should build a bit more time into the schedule to give its customers a more relaxing and satisfying experience.

I did enjoy the ferry ride back, mostly because it was the most relaxed I felt all day. (And they serve beer on the ferry.)

I'm not quite sure I can recommend this tour to those looking for a safe way to drink their way through Napa. In addition to the steep price for the tour, you must also pay for your own tastings at each of the wineries.

What a fantastic place to sample high-end foods. All my favorite eats in one place: Italian pastries, cheese, espresso, gelato... the list goes on.

I also enjoyed walking around outside on the water and getting beautiful shots of the Bay Bridge.

My only criticism is that the stores should open before 10 AM on the weekdays, if only for the hungry tourists who need breakfast and a coffee!