gene "yes that's really my middle initial" x.'s Profile

They just keep getting worse and worse here. I've been renting cars here regularly for at least the last seven or eight years but each time I've been going lately it goes downhill more. Service levels are dropping and it seems to take forever to get your car even if you have Ryan Bingham-like status.

Ramon downstairs is super nice but I think the management is not running the place very well overall.  There always seems to be a few other people in the 'room' behind the counter laughing and what not but the lone person up front is super slow and probably not enjoying their job much.

Hopefully they can turn it around b/c I even have a free rental certificate but I will be taking my business elsewhere more now...

OK this is a pointless review since In-n-Out rocks and I've been to this one like 20 times since it opened.  Neat fact:  Going southbound on the 101 it's exit 420.  Most of the other exits don't even have #s so I'm not sure why this one does have a number and of course 420 seems to fit - it may not be a bible verse but it holds significance nonetheless...

The changeover is complete for Amber and The Residence is a totally revamped look although architecturally the interior retains much of the same layout as before.

There are still good deals on drinks (beers are $5 regularly and $4 at happy hour) and a slew of new cocktails like the Sands of Marbella that are quite potent.

I talked to one of the owners Peter (same as from before) and they are pretty amped for the new spot and I had a good time there on my initial visit.  They are totally cool with folks bringing in food from outside to eat as well and it's a cozy feeling inside.  

Will have to come back again and get my friends drunk...

Burger only review alert!

So Andrei Z and Melanie N and I hit a bump in the road on our review of 7x7 Magazine's Top Ten burgers when we hit #5 since Acme Chophouse is undergoing it's conversion to two restaurants by James Beard Award Winning Chef Traci Des Jardins: Public House and the 2nd spot for Mijita.

Anyhow, we were joined by Kelly J and we all got the burgers.  At presentation I was excited by the house made parmesan bun which is a bit pyramid-shaped which I dug since the bottom of the bun was slightly more substantial which is generally a good thing for a medium rare burger as I usually order.

My burger came out a shade over medium rare but it was still very tasty.  You get three sides to slather onto your burger if you choose: truffle mayonaise, cobb relish, and house made steak sauce.  I wasn't so into the cobb relish but the truffle mayo was excellent and the steak sauce has some major kick which i typically enjoy.

With the burger though I chose to only use the mayo and dabbled a bit of the steak sauce onto select bites.  The ground chuck is tasty enough that I didn't want to overpower the flavor of the meat.

On the whole it was a really solid burger.  Perhaps coming right after Bix's burger though was a bit of a tough place to go, and so it was at a slight disadvantage, but it's a great option, although at $20, it was one of the more expensive burgers we've yet tried.

This is a Dine About Town review so take that however you like.  I know some restaurants seem to have a different experience when you order off the DAT menus  but having been here only this time, I have nothing to compare to... yet!

Well, the vibe is pretty chill here when you arrive and settle in and the staff is pretty courteous.  The wine selections are pretty good too and I had an amazing Domaine Calot 2005 Morgon that my friend Taura picked out.

For starters I had the French Onion Soup and got the steak with fries for my main course.  It was nicely prepared and the meat was tender and flaky.  Finished off with the apple tart which was pretty yummy, but I like Taura's Profiteroles much better!

Love the Riptide - fun bar and it definitely reflects the folks living out here from the five or so times I've been here (always with a neighborhood local).

Jeff (?) the guy who tends bar also runs the place and does a lot to give back to the local community hosting fundraisers for all kinds of groups and is a really nice guy.

Definitely a cool bar to support out in the Sunset!

Not sure why I never reviewed this place.  This was like the second bar I went to when I moved here in 1997 after the Elbo Room and Cassanova. Er, I guess that makes it the third.  

Anyhow, my favorite things about Noc Noc are that it's got all these crazy nooks that you can chill in.  Some on the floor, some with seating and it's like a little cave/crashed airplane vibe inside.

They don't have a huge selection of alcoholic options, but what they do have is pretty good.  A great place for a clandestine rendevous!

Bix has two burgers on the menu but it's the Club Cheeseburger that 7x7 reviewed in their Top Ten Burgers list and it was what our triumvirate had as we continue down (err, up) their list...

So how did this burger fare?  Well, I almost couldn't put it down once I picked it up and it was literally good to the last bite.

The beef patty was extremely well-made - not packed too hard or too loose, and the meat was so tender and juicy.  Having ordered it medium rare, it came out just as expected.

Now this burger is not fancy, coming with a side of fries, and the usual partners in crime: pickles, lettuce and a couple tomato slices, but damn that beef is nice.

The poppy seed bun fits the burger perfectly physically as well as stylistically and as I mentioned before, eating the last few bites was just as satisfying as the first few, except for the fact that I knew it was the end.

Definitely one of the best burgers I've had - so far...

I'm on a five star bender, but damn I went to some cool spots.  I met Cameo b/c my friend Durjoy (who owns an artisan ice cream spot in Boston) had met her earlier and was talking her up.

After seeing these "Offer Nearby" notices on Foursquare from my various escapades in the Mission I always wanted to check the spot out since I enjoy honey, and wanna help bees out (and also have a friend who's a beekeeper)

Anyhow, I don't really know much about the bee-keeping side of things, but the discussions and time that was spent chatting and explaining things was awesome.

I bought some local Mission Dolores honey and hopefully my measly plants will help contribute to the bees in da 'hood!

So sad that Varnish is closing but went for their final night and it was a good time.  While there was barely any art left on the walls, it was more a time to chat with fellow creative folks and I got to meet a friend of a friend and we bonded a bit over the fantastic curation efforts that the folks at Varnish have built their reputation on.

Looking forward to see where they land and if you like to see what's happening in the art scene, definitely keep track of what they are doing (Facebook page is the best way for now... http://www.facebook.co...)