Amy "Let's Go Giants!" R.'s Profile

I went to Mendocino for my 2 year date-iversary.  Naturally, I had to stop by one of my favorite wineries.  I had no idea the mushroom festival would be going on while we were there and Claudia Springs was up to the challenge!  We showed up to an entire roasted pig served with potatoes with chanterelles.  Not only did we not have to figure out where to get lunch (the food was great!), we were given healthy pours of quite a few different wines.

This is a tasting room only and not on the same property as the winery.  It's a small winery, and the people are very laid back and friendly.  Anyone who thinks this place can be classified as shady must live in platinum bubble spun with Napa fairy dust.  It is very low frills, but it's clean and the pourers are friendly.

Plus...it's right next to the Rock Stop Rock Shop AND the Mendocino Marijuana Museum.  Bonus!!!

It's red-centric.  If you like pinots and zins, you should definitely stop by and give it a try.  A lot of the wines are in the $20-$30 range.  I guess that's more expensive than Kirkland brand wine, and stuff.

I'm laying in a fluffy bed wearing a fluffy robe waiting for a delicious breakfast to be delivered to my room.  I can't complain!

I'm here with my man friend for our 2nd anniversary staying in the Strauss room.  We got here Friday night (late...and they accommodated us).  We had a wonderful breakfast sitting in front of our window with a nice view of the ocean, went out for a lovely day of Anderson Valley wine tasting, came back to tea and cookies in the common room and finally walked to a great dinner at Cafe Beaujolais.  Top that off with the fireplace in ourbedroom and it makes for one heck of a Saturday!

The staff here has been great.  I really can't complain!

I had originally intended my entire review to read, "This place is dope!"  ...but as I am the first to review, i have decided that I should write something with a bit more insight than that.

I am a big fan of museums of all sorts, great and small.  I appreciate the preservation of culture and information that they bring to the world.  This one is brand new, so not everything is put together and it's pretty small but I like where it's going.

It adds an extra element of awesome to the already awesome Rock Stop Rock Shop + Claudia Springs combo.  Stop by, donate a few bucks, submit your suggestions.

Today I brought a bunch of diet frozen entrees to the office for this week's lunches.  So...naturally, I went out to eat greasy Indian food instead.

I must say I'm surprised by the low reviews of this place.  I ordered papri chaat and dahi vada (my 2 favorite chaat options) and they were both very good.  I gobbled them both up despite my lactose intolerance (so if you see any midnight 1 star reviews from my boyfriend, you'll know why).

I didn't hear any complaints from my coworkers either (about the food, that is).  The service was not spectacular, but was fine.  Re: ambiance...See: service.  However, I was out the door full and happy for $10.

I'll definitely be coming back!

I actually love generic, OTC masala, moderately authentic Indian fare.  It's like Taco Bell.  Sometimes I just have a craving for it even though it's not that good.  It's more comfort smell than comfort flavor.  That said, I would not pay $64 for 2 people at Taco Bell.  I could eat at Dosa on Fillmore for $64...and Dosa on Fillmore is much better than Taco Bell.  In fact, it's much better than Chipotle too.

I realize that The Embarcadero is not the splendiferous south bay where I can gorge myself on glorious Indian food from the comfort of a lawn chair for the low low price of $6.99...but I still find this place overpriced.  I mean, it was $23.95 for the thali?!?!

The service was passable.  One of my big pet peeves at an Indian restaurant is the implication that I can't handle the "spicy" food.  Yes, I really do always drink that much water.  Please, for the love of Gods, do NOT make this food any less spicy just because I drank a lot of water.

Last but not least, the saunf...you know, the candy coated fennel seed mix that you get on the way out of an Indian restaurant.  I love that stuff.  LOVE it.  This tasted like licking an incense burner.  I have 2 theories:
1. The saunf has actually been sitting there for 3 years absorbing the incense from the air.
2. The incense is being burned too close the saunf.

Really, who cares?  I couldn't get that taste out of my mouth for an hour.  Blech!

This is not, as you may suspect, a review of a bowling alley.  After making a promise to a friend that I would make ham for her birthday, I discovered that many grocery stores in the Bay Area consider hams to be a seasonal vegetable only to be sold in cans during the off season.

I have never had canned ham.  Nor do I wish to.

So...after taking myself on a self guided Bay Area Safeway crawl (...and no, it wasn't just Safeway) it occurred to me that the ever awesome Berkeley Bowl has more flavors of meat than there are flavors of Jelly Belly.

I nervously called them and pushed a button to be transferred to the meat department.

Amy:  Do you have ham?  I mean, ham like as in "a ham."

Meat Lady:  Ham?

Amy:  Y'know like a ham that you would buy for the holidays that would be smoked but not glazed and have, like a bone in it?

Meat Lady: *incredulous pause*  Yes, we have hams.

I think she had no idea that anyone would expect them not to have hams...because normal effing stores have hams!  I don't know why I didn't think of Berkeley Bowl sooner.

Anywho, I'm kind of sad that my not crowded new location of Berkeley Bowl seems to have become very crowded and well known since I moved to SF...but I'm also happy because the better they do the higher their chances of opening another location in the city (Hint!  Hint!).

The prices are great for organic produce.  Even though I LOL'd at the wax paper sandwich bags, I was pleased to see that they had the oven bags I needed.  In fact, they had everything I needed which is often not the case with organic hippie grocery stores.

Aside from the meat counter, the produce section is unreal.  If they don't have it, it doesn't exist.  They have a pre-made food counter similar to Whole Foods but unlike Whole Foods the food is damned delicious and a bit cheaper.  They even sell my favorite hippie cabbage products (kimchi and sauerkraut) that I used to get at my Berkeley farmers market (Cultured Organic is the brand).

I think they should change their name to "The Glory of California" because walking around the store reminds me how lucky I am to live in a place where I can get so much variety.  Seriously, if you can deal with the Sunday afternoon Costco shopping crowd experience, you will leave here happy.

The best part?  When some lady catches you singing the song you just made up about ham while you're walking through the parking lot, she'll probably just smile at you for this is the way of the hippie.

Hear ye!  Hear ye!  It is by decree of the Lady Amy R that this restaurant is to be given 5 stars, henceforth!

I have only been here for dinner but I can imagine that it would be pricey for lunch (as mentioned in other reviews).  I have always had great service and great food here.  Last time I went, I ordered one of each of the 5 different oysters on the menu and my favorite was the Blue Point oyster which isn't on the online menu but worth trying if you see it.

I've tried the trout, the fried chicken and the steak and they've all been fantastic.  The various soups of the day are always worth ordering.  They also have a number of gigantic sides that are great.  I'd recommend both the macaroni and cheese and the jambalaya.  I haven't tried the other ones, but I'd imagine they are also huge.

...but the whole reason to go to Town Hall is really to have the Butterscotch and Chocolate Pot de Creme for dessert.  I love that dessert.  If they ever discontinue that dessert, I will cry and cry and the seas will rise and it won't even matter if the polar ice caps melt because I will flood the earth with my tears.

Where's the bill?  Take a look.  It's in a book.  Reading Bill...bo...hmmmmm.

These are a bit expensive, but SO worth it.  They are beautiful and taste fantastic.  I have never been disappointed here.  Anyone who gets them as a gift will feel special and you can give them with confidence.  The chocolate is so smooth and wonderful...and yes, I do actually give these away when I buy them.

Was greeted with great customer service as usual today.  They also make a damned fine hot chocolate.

This is great gringo-fied chaat!  I love that they have a chilli shaker next to the S&P and the atmoshphere is way above average for chaat.  I got great service and both my papri chaat and samosas were good.  Will I come here again?  Probably.  Is it my first choice?  No, I prefer my food spicier (and I'm not just talking about chilli).

If I ever want to introduce the parental units to chaat they'll actually like, I'll bring them here.

A few days ago my 12 year old cat Mulder suddenly stopped eating and drinking and was foaming at the mouth.  They got me in right away for an emergency appointment.  It turned out that he had kidney failure, a kidney stone and liver problems.  Dr. Gillespie is the best vet I've ever seen and I only wish Mulder had had something treatable because I know she could have fixed it.

I have no doubt this is the best place I could have spent one of the worst days of my life.  If I ever have it in me to adopt another pet, I will definitely be bringing him/her here.