Anna "BEAR" G.'s Profile

I really feel horrible about this review but I gotta do it to save you from a disaster.
My story goes like this: I was two months from being married and still hadn't found a dress. After hearing everybody tell me how important the dress is and how I should splurge and go custom I finally did. I owned a beautiful light yellow dress that I adored and decided to have Star Fashion re-make in White as my wedding dress for $500.
After being measured the dress went into production all the while they had hold of my original yellow dress. I went back to get the dress fitted and during this process I was told to put on a bustier and the lady stuffed it with ridiculously huge padding and I looked like some kind of freak show. Now, I was a little worried. I took the pads out and said I wanted a more natural look. The part that was even more weird is that the lady (wilhelmina) that normally works there wasnt even the one fitting me it was someone else they hired.
So, my dress was finished a few days before my wedding, I went in tried it on again and noticed it fit funny but thought if I maybe tried a different bra it might fit better. I was really worried though because I only had a few days before the wedding. It was 2 days before the wedding and I try it on for my best friend and she agrees that the dress is just not made well, the seams were crooked, the zipper was chunky and and not hiddne like the original, the pleats were pressed to look like folded paper. The dress was an absolute mess!
Needless to say, I did not sleep that night and I was up at 5 am trying to fix the dang thing myself. I finally gave in and decided it just wasn't meant to be and decided to wear a $50 white dress that I had bought a really long time ago that was crumpled in my trunk that I had never gotten around to returning. (Thank god!)
Not only did my dress turn out a disaster but my original dress was missing the padding from the bust!!!
The kicker??? After going back to see if there was any way to get a refund or some type of compensation I walk in and there is my dress hanging in the showroom in BLUE?!!! WTF? They used my original pattern to make profit for themselves!
So, in the end I lost out on $500, was stressed on my wedding day, had to wear a crappy wedding dress, had my original dress ruined, had my dress pattern STOLEN, and then was NOT compensated.  
SAVE YOURSELF! DO NOT HAVE A CUSTOM DRESS MADE!!!!!!!!

I promised I would 'Yelp!' Sorella della Taverna again after my catered wedding reception, so here goes:
MaryAnne, the owner, was sweet as pie from the first day I went in. I told her I had a budget and what it was and she stayed much below my budget and provided my day with fresh AMAZING food. We picked out a combination of cold foods for my picnic-in-the-park style event. There was potato salad, 2 different kinds of green salad, 4 different kinds of sandwiches, roasted veggies, roasted zucchinis, 4 different kinds of pastas. I payed approximately $11 a head for food. The only thing that I can even find to whine about is that we had TOO MUCH food! I could have had another 75 people there and we would have had just enough food. In that case it would have been like $7 a head!
But that really is the best problem to have.
I highly reccomend using Sorella's or Taverna's food for your next event. Mary Anne made me feel like she really cared and everything was great! Plus, her pricing is fantastic for the quality of food that you get. Big hugs to MaryAnne for making my special day so perfect.

Ok, I went back. Yup, this place still rocks. I got a yellow porcelaine plate and matching candle stick (that I will epoxy together to make a killer cake stand...Just a little thrift tip), a decorative glass jug (that will be perfect for a mini-terrarium), a vintage sewing book, and a frame. All for about 23 bucks. I think they have a new manager or something, or maybe they just did some summer cleaning because it was much more organized and a little more pleasing to dig through. Love it.

Please, please, please, please never get rid of this beautiful building!
This place is an Encinitas landmark. Definitely needs a little love but its a really cool place full of nostalgia. I went with a girlfriend for one of the live poetry readings- not knowing what was going on that night- and was pleasantly surprised by the amazing vibe that followed. Some poetry was great and some, honestly, sucked. But it didn't matter. Everyone had a great time and it was fun watching people with balls get on stage. My friend and I smiled the whole time and sipped on our bottle of wine that we snuck in. One of my favorite nights.....ahhh, the memories....

Order a bottle of wine. Order the cheese platter. Order the baked Brie puff pastry. Die and go to wine and cheese heaven. (Plus, you can stay out past 11pm while doing so).

I don't feel too fair giving a thorough review on this place just yet since the only thing I have tasted so far was the seared ahi (which was perfectly cooked and very fresh).  But I do want to elaborate on what other reviews call "great ambiance."
I tend to like places that are designed well because I am an interior designer and can appreciate these types of things. So, I love the fact that they have cool lighting fixtures and neato frito finishes and materials.
Let me give you a little mental picture of this place: Dark draperies covering the walls, no windows, low levels of light, back-lit sushi bar, giant fish tank, velvet and leather, intimate seating, seems like night even during the day.
Not much of a fan of the too-low seating at first but then once I had a glass of wine I understood it a little more. It gives you that low japanese feel. One thing people must understand before eating here is that it is meant to simulate a "lounge" (think Las Vegas style). My point is that if you are looking for a "typical San Deigo sushi" place, keep looking. This place is about pleasing the north county night-lifers that want that downtown vibe but in their back yard. Lets face it, north county is lacking in the up-scale-loungey restaurants. So for this we should be thankful that we finally have it. And yes it is a little pricey, but then again...aren't all loungey sushi places?
I personally think its a great place to hang out if you know what you are in for. Great for a girls night out or even Cougars on the prowl.
But, if you're just looking for a chill place with good sushi, keep going where you normally go.

I'm one of those people that takes like two hours just trying to decide what I want to order. I think that may be the reason my fiance likes to eat here so much. Besides the food being really tastey and reasonably priced, they make it really easy to choose...Do you want CHICKEN OR BEEF? WHITE RICE OR BROWN RICE? And since I dont eat beef its extra easy to choose. Highly recommend this place for guys and their annoyingly choosey girlfriends.

I'm a crafting fool. Therefore, I'm just happy that there's actually a fabric store in my hood. Of course,  it's a little more costly because of this. But I like the ladies that work there and they always have what I'm looking for. It's not a home fabric store though, it's more for clothing...FYI.

Hey Misty B,
Just wait til your last year and then tell us what you think. I graduated with a 3.8 GPA and put forth more then enough effort and definitely made the most of it.  I do agree that the staff is great, as I previously stated. Its the people hiding in the offices that run the place that I have a problem with.
Oh, and by the way, ASSUMING that a school should be helpful after you spend 50 grand on your education is sad. It should be DEMANDED.

Good luck.

PS. Hope I didnt scorch the bridge too bad... I really do love cupcakes and beer :)

Im not quite understanding why this place has a few bad reviews. Maybe berry happy learned from its mistakes and shaped up because everytime I have been its been ridiculously good tasting.

The thing I like about it is that it offers two different types of fro-yo; the type that actually tastes like yogurt with cultures, and then the type that tastes sweeter and more like ice cream. Which is awesome because it pleases both me and my fiance. I prefer the culture fro-yo and I must say...Berry Happy is as good as is gets. I'm not like a professional yogurt taster or anything but I think I know my fro-yo perty good.  

I recommend the plain yogurt swirled with pomegrante topped with white chocolate chips, mango, and blueberries. Trust me. Oh, and .39 an ounce is not expensive people unless you're putting entire apples on as your toppings! geez.