annie c.'s Profile

i've only been here for private functions so that may help explain why the food has been fine but not outstanding - but you would think it's all coming from the same kitchen...
the environment is nice but the crowd seems a bit older for me.
seems like a popular place for dinner meetings.

a lovely quick break from the mall! for nordstrom, the prices are reasonable.
the crab panini and the roast beef sandwich are my favorites. if you want to treat yourself - the chocolate chip cookie is very indulgent.

the bagels are ok. the cream cheese is ok. the coffee is decent. i leave feeling... ok.
i've had a difficult time finding a good bagel place. even izzy's in palo alto has been very inconsistent - i just don't understand the huge lines there.
but it's convenient if you're on your way to the 92 on hillsdale.

my mom and aunts were visiting from out of town and i was looking for a dim sum place nearby. we came a little after it opened and were a little wary because it looked so dead in there. but the food came out fresh and hot and delicious. i was bummed we were already full but there were new dishes coming out that i wanted to try. my mom and aunts were happy so i was happy.

my hubbie comes here often for lunch with his work buddies, and sometimes after a round of golf.
he convinced me to try it out since we we happen to be in east bay
i'm so glad we did. it was packed with families on a sunday night in an otherwise pretty empty strip mall.
he got the super soft taco with chorizo - which was huge! and i got the carne asada tostada which came with refried beans and rice. all delicious. all cheap!

we came here for a light dinner (ended up taking leftovers home because we ordered too much)
we shared the bruschetta - you get to choose 4 kinds - we got the prosciutto, figs and mascarpone (based on other yelp reviews and this was my favorite); brie with apples and spiced pecans (good but didn't taste the spiced pecans); goat cheese and roasted red peppers (classic and just plain good); and the gorgonzola with honey (powerful and strangely good together)
we then shared a bowl of cream of artichoke soup and then my hubbie got the bbq chicken salad - we were impressed by the size, taste, depth, and reasonable price while i got the spinach salad which was ok but the dressing was good.
it was packed on a saturday night. good crowd. live jazz. nice place to chill with friends or bring a date.

i always walk by, take a peek, and keep walking...
i decided to give it a try and was very impressed by food! i am actually  surprised by the low marks given by some of the other reviewers (did we eat at the same place?)  

my husband picked the prix fixe menu for $32 (salad lyonnaise which had poached egg and bacon that was delicious, salmon with green bean tempura - a very interesting and tasty alternative to french fries or mashed potatoes, and profiteroles which we shared at the end) while i ordered the green curry mussels app and the scallops entree. my dishes were flavorful and well balanced. i was very content. i will echo other reviews that the mussels were huge.  

it did take a while for the apps to come and we were starving. we were wondering why there was no bread but overhead a waiter talking to another table with a couple that seemed have eaten there several times that if you want bread, you have to ask for it - they used to have good bread but stopped making it because people haven't really been eating it because of the low carb diets -so they say. so the bread is almost a "throw away" as the waiter put it - but we were glad we didn't fill up on bread so that we could savor every bite. the profiteroles were a perfect way to end the meal. i had to keep my hubbie from licking the plate!

try avoid sitting next to the window on cold nights - it can get cold if you are sitting next to the window and the person opposite you will be seeing all these random people walk by taking a peek in through the window --like myself at the beginning of this review =P

i've been curious about this place for the past year during their long construction, since i always pass by it during my commutes on and off the 280.
self parking is a little confusing at night as all the areas look identical and are twisted.
i had a chance to come to a private function and i have to say the hotel is lovely and elegant but not stuffy. it was quite busy on a thursday evening, especially the bar area. we had dinner in a private room on a lower level
food sounded great and supposedly by the same chef as the restaurant upstairs but was ok - like a generic catered meal  
i haven't stayed here but probably most convenient for those coming for stanford related events or VC clients on sandhill road, etc

we came here for a "light snack" because we were going to hit the bellagio buffet later but needed something to hold us over
the pastry and sandwich displays are beautiful and the chocolate fountain is stunning
we decided on the crepes (2 savory and 1 sweet) for 3 of us. the royal had very tender chicken and was tastier than the forest which had ham). the savory crepes all come with a side salad with nice dressing.  the nutella with banana was great (they list nutella only on the menu but you can ask them to add the bananas when you order). it's fun watching them make the crepes (especially if it's yours). there were a lot of people on the weekend as expected). the crepes come in plastic plate that is perfectly shaped to the crepes which is funny.
it was a great "light snack" before the buffet later =)

my friend and i came for a 50 min relaxation massage. it was really easy getting an appt. only guests can use the spa so it was not crowded like other hotels. (i love canyon ranch at the venetian but it's so big now after the renovation - it can somewhat feel like a factory)

i had diana and she was amazing! don't let her size fool you - she knows how to work those muscles! i explained i had just done a half marathon and wanted to try focus on my legs - she offered to use the hot stone therapy massage as her treat for part of my treatment (i have never done the hot stones and they truly enhance the treatment)

my friend and i were both very pleased with our treatments.