Erin "The only hell my mama ever raised" L.'s Profile

The Raven has been sold and will no longer be the Raven.  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCKING LAME!

stopped in for another visit recently.  What better time than a nasty rainy day to browse a music store?  I checked out the acoustic guitars in the back, and didn't see anything I was interested in, so asked for access to the acoustic room.  The guy who helped me was awesome!  I let him know that I wasn't going to be buying that day, just wanted to look & drool.  He still spent a considerable amount of time with me, helping me locate guitars that fit my specs and was just an all around nice guy.   I love this store!

A friend and I went to 'Oscar's Real Mexican Food' based on all the four and five star reviews.  I was so disappointed.  The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the filthy floor.  It was covered with napkin bits, broken chips, food, dirt & leaves.  Granted, it's across the street from the high school...I'm sure the lunch hour's no picnic.  

I sat in the tiny dining room waiting for my friend to show.  While I waited one of the guys came out and swept the floor.  Sweeping the pile in my direction, and eventually around my feet he never said hello or acknowledged my existence...no big, just not very friendly.  

My friend arrived and we ordered.  She was a little bummed that there was no beer.  I was bummed that chips and salsa cost extra, and consisted of a basket of chips with pico de gallo dumped on top (nacho style).  She had fish tacos, I had a fish taco & cheese enchilada combination plate.  

The fish tacos were baja (fried) style.  The tortillas were dry, stale and had not been warmed.  The tacos would have been better with some more sauce (to curb the dryness), but the flavor was ok.  My enchilada was a cold, uncooked corn tortilla filled with grated cheddar cheese (un-melted), and covered in luke warm enchilada sauce...uh no thanks.  The beans - either too much lard or watered down...they were gray and the rice was bland.  

Considering how many Mexican restaurants in Sacramento kick ass, I don't think I'll ever feel compelled to give this one another try.

It's always a good sign when you walk into a seafood restaurant and don't smell fish.  The décor was nice, understated, simple.  We were greeted by a friendly hostess and promptly seated.  The pre-meal bread served was delicious, soft sourdough with a nice crunchy crust.  Everything on the menu sounded so delicious it was hard to make a decision.  

I ordered the grilled scallops with orzo pasta.  It came with two very large scallops that looked like they were cooked perfectly until I bit into one.  It was actually cold and raw in the middle.  I've had raw scallops in sushi, but here it did not translate well.  The orzo pasta was ok.  There were a few bits of veggies in there, but over all the flavor was underwhelming.  I sampled my one of my companions crab raviolis.  They were good.  Filled with fresh crab meat, hand made pasta, and a light cream sauce.  They also were lukewarm, almost cold in the middle.  The lettuce wraps seemed a bit confusing to another companion, and the side salad had so much dressing it was sent back.  The crab bisque was nice.  Thick & creamy with a deep red base.  

The service was prompt and friendly, although our server was a bit of an interrupter.  Personally I think you should wait for a break in the conversation, or at least not bust in mid sentence.  She literally walked up, looked right at the person who was talking, and then just started in with the specials, and did the same thing again later in the meal.  It was a little odd.

If I go back, I'll be having soup & bread.

It's just no fun without you!

Hands down best fu@king bar in the universe!  Nuff said.

Curtis Park market is janky, but in a good way.  They have an odd, but expansive selection.  They are super friendly and take good care of their customers.  I was surprised when I went in to get a bottle for a gift exchange and on some back shelf under a pile of toys they actually had gift bags!  They have decent prices, and it's a convenient stop.  They actually have quite a bit of food stuffs, but I'm kinda scared of the produce section.  Regardless of the funk factor, I'm a loyal fan.

Hollywood Hardware is a great store.  I fell in love with the place on my first visit, and they've been my #1 choice in home goods stores ever since.  They almost always have what I need and they're pretty friendly and helpful too.  There is one old curmudgeonly dude who always cracks me up.  He'll begrudgingly help me find stuff, and then kinda look me over like 'I sure hope you have a man to help you with this.'

I love the way the store is set up.  It's small and easy to navigate.  They even have a home & gift section.  It's not a place most folks would consider for gift shopping, but they have a great selection.  It's the perfect place to go for a housewarming or wedding gift.  Next time you find your self in need of something from the hardware store pass up Home Depot and give these guys a try.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show I saw at the Palms.  The sound was great, the atmosphere was mellow and inviting.  The crowd was pretty subdued considering how hard the band was rocking, but I guess when you fill the room with chairs people are going to sit in them.  I would have preferred a dance floor but overall it was a great place to see a show.

Boo to the Blue Lamp for over selling the Devil Makes Three show.  It was so freakin packed people were leaving just because they couldn't handle the sheer volume of folks packed in there like sardines.  The music was amazing, but hard to enjoy with druken people shoving, and pushing and using me like a piece of furniture.  Don't be greedy folks, only sell as many tickets as you can accomdate.