Ravena "Lady Yelpa'" F.'s Profile
Date
This place is like the $200 pair of blue jeans you purchase that come with carefully pre-cut holes, suggestive fading, and rhinestone pocket embellishments. Sure, you could buy a cheaper pair (without holes) that would look ok, and maybe with a little work, they could be sexy-old with properly worn scuffs and such. But you want to look good and sexy NOW. And you want to be served and treated well NOW. And so you come to Cowboy Star, perhaps even wearing a pair of factory oldified fancy jeans.
You sashay into the low-lit, carefully rustic, wood-paneled restaurant, your butt-rhinestones gleaming in the candle-light. Old country is playing overhead. San Diego yuppies are wearing cowboy hats. Your server is young and pleasant. The table is quiet and intimate.
We started with the beef cheeks appetizer, and each had steaks for dinner (filet & ribeye), washing it all down with a nice bottle of red. Appetizer was excellent, steaks were delicious and cooked to our liking. We were comfortably sated, and decided to keep it that way by forgoing dessert.
You spend a lot of money to look good. Why not spend a bit to feel good?
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 235-0000
Spa Velia
Category:
Day Spas
Neighborhoods: Little Italy, Downtown
The hostess was extremely sweet and welcoming. We loved the pomegranate mimosas waiting for us after we'd changed. The sitting room is small but pleasant. Steam room was nice and hot, but had a strong mildew scent that made it hard to do that healthy deep breathing you want to do when steaming. (Something tells me this is not going to take off as the next rage in aromatherapy!) The showers on the other hand, were heavenly: ceiling rain shower, 3 side jet showers targeting high back, low back and calves. Very nice.
The massages were good, but not amazing. My massage therapist was excellent on the neck & shoulders, but then the rest of the time pretty much felt like she was just spreading grease around.
I'd come here again when in San Diego, as the massage pickins seem slim. However, it's not my favorite spa, not by a long shot.
Sincerely,
Spoiled in SF Show owner comment »
Not a bed and breakfast, as the category suggests. Instead, it's essentially a one room apartment that you can rent by the night for near or better than the prices at nearby hotels.
Location: perfect - near Gaslamp, Petco park, etc. We didn't have a car and were perfectly happy exploring the neighborhood on foot.
The Flat: we booked "D", which is an upstairs unit with a great patio for sipping morning wine and evening coffee (or the reverse of course, if you want to be pedestrian). Very clean inside with beautiful lamps, a giant, comfy bed, free Wi-fi, a fully equipped kitchen and small but serviceable bathroom.
The Owners: super welcoming but unobtrusive. Linda gave us an insanely detailed spiel about the local places to eat/shop/explore upon our arrival. When we woke up to rain, we were grateful to find an umbrella hanging on our door handle. When we said we were celebrating our anniversary, Linda literally jumped up and down, clapped her hands and said she'd be right back. Little did we know, she is a vodka genie. Upon her return, she had us pick from three full liter bottles of flavored Svedka vodka to enjoy over the weekend! (We went with vanilla and nearly polished the whole thing off in our extended weekend here.)
We have friends and family in San Diego, and I think we just discovered our go-to digs for when we are in town. What, you think you can find a hotel with a vodka genie? I doubt it. Mudville Flats is the place to go.
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 858-2277
The Oceanaire Seafood Room
Category:
Seafood
Neighborhoods: Gaslamp, East Village
At our anniversary dinner, they seated us 15 minutes late, which was fine because the bartender served up a nice martini. Ambiance was pretty raucous with oomcha oomcha music in a sort of lush diner decor. There are painted fish on the walls, which our waiter actually pointed to when describing one of the dishes. Some of us are visual learners.
Salad starter was ridiculously enormous - more like a lunch entree. The steak was cooked as ordered and quite tasty. Moonfish was fair. It's a meaty fish that gets tougher as it sits on the plate. By the end, I couldn't finish it because chewing it was getting tiresome.
We had mentioned that it was our anniversary, following which, our (otherwise talented) waiter kept referencing my husband's birthday. We ended up with a complimentary Baked Alaska for this "birthday" that was fairly dramatic in presentation, what with the fire and alcohol, but less impressive in taste.
I believe what earns them such a high rating on Yelp has to do with the very popular happy hour, which involves a great deal on oysters and drinks, and again, the raucous environment. We'd probably come back for that, but not necessarily for the full dinner again.
For the exhorbitant price of $1000 per night, you too can stay in a musty, dog-smelling, unfortunate place.
Wait, do you like dessicated spiders lying on the mantel after you paid a $300 pre-cleaning fee (not deposit)?
Oh, and do you let out just a little tinkle when you think about a master bed that is really two air mattresses stacked on top of each other?
Do your toes do a special little dance as you read the "rule book" and learn that you have to sit on the furniture (crappy futons) in a certain way, otherwise they will break?
Oh, I see, you kinky bastards also enjoy downstairs snuff rooms that in fact are where 6 people are supposed to sleep. (Sort of feels like a converted garage.) Don't forget about the room that has a curtain between it and the shared bathroom - I bet you want the bed right next to the toilet too!
Yep, you're the kind of person who chooses a house with a pool because you don't actually want to swim in it right? In this way, you won't be at all disappointed by the algae-ridden gloop (with real-live visible swimming creatures in it), that the owner assures us is perfectly fine to swim in - even the pregnant people. (Yes, she had the nerve to add that last piece.)
And of course, just when you're settling in to the cosy smells and spiders, you just love it when the phone rings multiple times over the weekend from friends of the owner. (Yeah, we figured out pretty quickly that she actually lives here - this is not a vacation rental.)
The VRBO website is fantastically misleading, so I'm happy to add my "Eek! Methinks not" review here to provide a more factual account of our long weekend in August 2011 for annual girls' weekend.
Ah well, at least we have the stories from this place.
Never again.
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 626-0480
Steven Adame, DDS
Category:
Dentists
Neighborhood: Castro
Conveniently located, gentle and informative, and actually present to do the dental exam, earns a star back.
2 Previous Reviews:
-
4/10/2011
Well, I hate to do this, but I do have a complaint now.
In my initial review, I was all afire with many wonderful things about this office. Chief among those things was the fact that Dr. Adame did the initial cleaning himself and I felt I really got a thorough exam. That lasted for a few visits, and now . . . things have changed. On my last 2 check-ups, he hasn't even been there! The dental hygienist told me not to worry - that what she does counts as an exam. Um. If that's true, then why would dentists spend 8+ years and lots of money to learn their trade? And why would we pay them lots of money to perform their trade? And on the subject of money, I noticed that on my last 2 insurance claims, the office charged the exact same price as they do when the dentist is actually doing the exam. Seems a bit shady.
I still like the office and the dentist - when I can see him. I'm going to give it one more shot, though it seems weird that my current plans are to call the office before my appointment to be sure the dentist will be there. Sort of like the courtesy call I get from them reminding *me* to show up. It's a two-way street friends! -
12/8/2008
Dr. Adame, you do me riiiiiiggggghhhhhttt !!! (emphasis on the iii).
To begin, your office staff is courteous and professional. Your man even checked to see if my insurance would cover the x-rays that I had to get re-taken because the copies from my previous dentist (hisssss) were too poor to read. Note that this was *while* I was in the office, *prior* to doing the service so that I wouldn't have any surprise charges. (It's sad that these things excite me. They should be standard. But as my recent experience suggests, they aren't.)
Moving on. Your office is tidy and pleasant. Aaaaand, wonder of all wonders, your not playing nasty elevator musak, more like mellow global beats. Wait, what? I'd always thought musak must be a requirement for dentists to maintain their licensure. Why else would they all insist on playing those hideous tin-can sounds? Oh, this is most refreshing.
And now for the show. Dr. Adame, I appreciate that you did my first cleaning yourself, like you really wanted to get to know my teeth. You were gentle around my sensitive gums. This is the first dental appointment I've been to in probably a decade, in which I didn't wince even once. You kept checking in with me, which is also helpful - I knew that if I had any complaints/concerns, I could voice them without annoying you. You answered my questions astutely. You made useful suggestions. Fortunately for me, I didn't have any major problems, so there were no recommendations for further treatment beyond scheduling the next cleaning. So no costly recommendations were made either!
From your helpful staff and good tunes, to your gentle hand and wise words. . .
over the moon, I tell you!
1 note of caution: it may take 1-2 months to get an appointment - but it's well worth it!
However, once you take your first sip of wine on the outdoor patio, melt a little into your patio furniture, all the creepiness fades away. (Wait, what kind of wine was that?) The small plate appetizers are exquisite. On a warm September afternoon, we enjoyed gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, a snapper appetizer and delectable entrees of salmon and halibut. All dishes were devilishly well complemented by seasonal vegetables and divine (yet subtle) sauces and tapenades, clearly designed to highlight the freshness of the food. We didn't order dessert but the chef's parting gifts of hand-made chocolate orgasms were very well received.
An important feature to keep in mind, is that the restaurant is very close to the airport. We wanted to avoid the commute traffic from Seattle to Tacoma, and this was a Yelptastic find to suit that purpose. I'm pretty sure we escaped without any brainwashing from zealots - unless of course you count Yelpers :)
Some complained about slow service, but I was happy with my strong drinks and the ever-flowing chips & salsa. Karaoke was ridiculously fun, with a fair list of songs, although the sound wasn't great.
The drunken and strange night in the middle of my conference weekend was a most welcome surprise.
The staff are warm and professional - even remembering our drink orders from the night before. (Much more inviting than a museum docent would be.)
Favorite dinner was the chicken olivito (sp?). It takes extra time to cook, but the olivey, garlicky flavor with the perfectly cooked chicken is well worth the wait. I also love the rosemary flat-bread on our table. Breakfasts were terrific. They make eggs exactly as you order them, and the bacon was cooked to orgasmic.
All in all, Bite is classy-casual and definitely steps up the bar for both hotel and museum dining.
10 Lists
|
"Wiggle wiggle wiggle!!!"
- 298 Friends
- 430 Reviews
- 25 Review Updates
- 34 Firsts
- 62 Fans
- 36 Local Photos
- 1 Event Submitted
- 10 Lists
-
Rating Distribution
Loading...
- View more graphs »
Review votes:
4970 Useful, 4863 Funny, and 5054 Cool
Daly City, CA
Yelping SinceDecember 2006
Things I Loveconsiderate people, dancing, water
Find Me Inthe water
My HometownEstes Park, CO
When I'm Not Yelping...I'm giggling
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI suck the _____ out of ______
My Second Favorite Website The Last Great Book I ReadLuka and the Fire of Life
My First ConcertDonavon
My Favorite MovieDelicatessen, The Princess Bride, Zero Effect
My Last Meal On EarthMangos & popcorn
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...This is for you, specifically for you
Most Recent DiscoveryI enjoy Sunset magazine
Current CrushDak
The place is clean, service friendly, and the price cannot be beat. On an odd note, the shoulder, neck and arms part of the massage was much deeper (and better) than the foot reflexology part (the name of the service I was getting). Anyhow, I consider this to be an inexpensive way to relax prior to a flight. We floated right through security and onto the plane, feeling relatively stress-free and relaxed. That's worth some stars fo sho.