Bee D.'s Profile

A garage?  Seriously Bee, your reviewing a garage?  Darn skippy!

What I found cool about the garage was that they have a car pool discount!  I wasn't able to use it, but I saw the sign when we went to pay, and I think it's a really cool idea to reward car poolers!

So you can go to the City, park the car for a few, spend some ungodly amount of money at Macy's and lunch at Lefty's and get free parking! How cool is that.  I think it's from 10am - 6pm.

Friday nights don't get better than this. My friend invited us to her dance ensembles presentation, "Why we Move." I envisioned a cold auditorium with folding chairs and craining my neck to see the show.

I couldn't have been more wrong! With a setting that could rival any one of the major colleges, the Knox Center is spectacular and state of the art. There was ample parking across the street (the business that it belongs to closes at 5pm) and it was just a short walk to the facility.

There was a small reception for an additional $5 while waiting for the doors to open. Once ushered into the theatre itself I was awed. It is beautiful. There are three levels to enter the theatre at, the seats are spacious and comfy and you can enjoy the performance from any vantage point.

So when you are planning your entertainment, look at your local schools and colleges and support the young talent. You never know who you may be giving a start to. Look back at many of the celebrities who started in community college. Come out to the Knox Center and support your local arts. Let's encourage the Arts!

PS. The show was brilliant!

What is it with me? Am I glutton for punishment? Seriously, I stay on my side of the bay for the most part, just venturing out for special occasions. A trip to the city is taken about as seriously as a vacation.

So the Bay Bridge is closed, traffic that is always snarled is now an nightmare beyond compare, and I feel the need to go back across (I had dinner on Wednesday at the Buckeye Roadhouse http://www.yelp.com/bi...) on Thursday at the Sol Food Restaurant.

I have to admit, this isn't my first visit. I actually was drooling the first time I saw them on TV, way before that hottie Guy Fieri showed them off on triple D (Diners, Drive-in's and Dives). It's kinda funny, they have 2 letters in the window box by the front door where the menu is usually posted in most restaurants. One is an email about their "less than traditional" food, based on the writers understanding of their menu. This was a laugh. Their food (which I've now experienced on 3 occasions) is not only authentic but pretty darn traditional. OK, you've got me, I'm not Puerto Rican, no, I'm a Hapa who has been to Puerto Rico and enjoyed eating at the homes of several Puerto Rican families, both abroad and stateside.

The second letter was from a gentleman who took the time to handwrite a note letting the owners know that while he loved their food, he couldn't palate eating at a lime green establishment. He suggested that they take a lesson from the restaurant on the block which he felt was "tastefully" decorated. Let's not mention that they were empty sans the staff.

OK, so we have a screaming lime green building with the name painted on the top. It sits on the corner of 3rd and Lincoln. It's so easy to get to off the freeway, I could find it (now that's saying something). There is ample public parking on 3rd, behind the building at the public parking lot.

As I've said, I've been 3 times and enjoyed 3 different meals:

Visit 1 - Fried talapia with rice and beans - Five Star Meal! The whole talapia was marinated and fried and had a light crispy coating that matched perfectly with the sweet juicy tenderness of the meat. The rice was prepared perfectly and was served with pink beans. I had 1 tostone (green plantain fried, smashed and fried again) and 1 maduros (sweet fried yellow plantain) all meals include a large serving of mixed greens lightly tossed in their house vinaigrette and a wedge of avocado.

Visit 2 - Camarones Criollos - Large succulent prawns that are sauteed with fresh garlic and onions in a rich tomato sauce. They are served over rice with your choice of plantains and the salad.

Visit 3 - Chuletas Fritas - Fried Pork Chops served with rice, pink or black beans, salad, plantains and pickled pink onions. And for desert we ordered one of each!

The Flan de Queso is your basic flan. Really nothing fantastic - average
The Tembleque Con Canela was extraordinary! Creamy coconut pudding with your choice of cinnamon or Mango sauce. We chose Mango Sauce and hands down, this was our favorite!

NOTES -

1/ Do not come here planning on a romantic quiet dinner. This is open seating. You come in, order your meal, get a placard with your number and look around for a table to share (get it?)

2/ Don't plan to linger over coffee. When you are done eating, your plate will disappear faster than your kids on chore day and you will be scooted on your way

3/Don't mix this up with the other location on 4th and Lincoln, they only have 1 table and do mostly take-out

4/Do come here if you enjoy super fresh food, using local organic ingredients, with simple flavors that make you feel like you are at home.

Oh... the ride from Vallejo?  It was just great.  I missed all the traffic!  LOL

Sitting in Vallejo, watching the news about the closure of the Bay Bridge, I didn't think that it would effect me at all. I work in Fairfield and only go to the city on the rare occasion. Well, it did effect me. I was planning on meeting some out-of-town visitors in Sausalito for dinner. Well, due to the traffic nightmare, we decided to stay close to where they were staying, in Mill Valley.

I went on YELP and looked for some ideas. After reading Georgia M.'s review of the Buckeye Roadhouse, it was a "no brainer." We were greeted at the parking lot by the valet attendant. They were very courteous and efficient. We met our group in the lobby and after a short wait were seated in the main dining room. Our server was very attentive and understanding that we weren't in a hurry and wanted to enjoy our time together.

I ordered the ribs with Maple mashed sweet potatoes and coleslaw. The ribs were good and meaty, but the flavor was a little on the bland side. The sweet potatoes were an absolute delight and coleslaw was almost....almost.. as good as KFC, which happens to be my personal favorite. As a matter of fact, it's the first time that I actually finished my coleslaw.

Honey Bunny noshed on the linguine with clams and sausage which he said was very good. He was disappointed because the sausage was about 1 tablespoon of chopped sausage sprinkled on top. The pictures we saw online showed sliced sausage, so it looks like the chef took artistic license with the recipe.

We shared the pineapple-upside down cake with ice cream, and it was very yummy.

What was really appreciated was that we were allowed to hang out at our table an hour after the restaurant closed so that we could catch up on memories with our friends. While slightly pricey, it was definitely worth it.

After another spectacular showing of "Don Reeds East 14th" at the Marsh  http://www.yelp.com/bi..., I was craving for something to nosh on the 45 minute ride home.

As we were cruising down Mission, my head swiveling back and forth like I was at a tennis match, the bright yellow decore of the Taqueria Cancun drew me like a moth to a flame!  We pulled over and my son ran across the street and picked up some tacos and Horchata for us.

The taco's were very, very, very big for street tacos and the meat was just falling all over the place.  This was good because they were about twice as much as I'm used to paying, but they were very good.  The meat was moist, juicy and tender.  

The Horchata was good, but the portion was small for the price.  

They saved the day!

I was sitting in my hotel room having major hunger pains and trying to figure out where to slip on a feedbag. I went through the hotel guidebook and came up blank! I'm sitting there just flipping my keycard, over and over in my hand, trying to come up with something. And then I noticed that the keycard had the name of a restaurant on it. Hmmmmm

A quick check online and I saw that they were A-OK with the Yelp Reviewers! We dashed to the car and made it there within moments of closing. We were promptly greeted and seated!

We had 3 menu's to choose from...wow! and the most awesome concept....

HAPPY HOUR DINNER PRICES from 3pm to 6pm and 9pm to closing.
- cheeseburger $3.99
- fries $.99
- Bier and Bratwurst sausage $3.99
- slider (chicken/brat/burger) $3.99
- Lentil Soup $1.99
- Potato Pancakes $2.99
- AND MORE

I had the lentil soup, 1/2 an order of stuffed cabbage and mashed potatoes and potato pancakes. All for under $14.00

Everything was delish, except the potatoes were too salty for me. But remember, I don't put salt on my food and I don't cook with salt so it might just have been me.

I was uber happy and will most definitely come back when I'm in the neighborhood. (It's just a 10 hour drive from home. LOL).

Dieses Ereignis war gro und wundervoll! Stützen zu Ligaya und Jessica für ihre ehrfürchtigen Ereignisplanungsdienstleistungen noch einmal vorführen, die Mannschaft an der Pyramide für irgendein köstliches isst, ehrfürchtiges Ale und selbstverständlich die beste Mannschaft. Und let' s-Klaps selbst auf der Rückseite für Haben etwas Stokolbenaromas und der Fähigkeit, in Spa mit beiden Füen zu springen.

Wir genossen einige wundervolle Spiele, oompah pah pah und noshed auf yummy süen potatoe Fischrogen, Calamari und anderen guten Sachen! Salud!

and in english:

This event was great and wonderful!  Props to Ligaya and Jessica for once again showing off their awesome event planning services, the crew at Pyramid for some delicious eats, awesome ales and of course the best crew.  And let's pat ourselves on the back for having some kick butt flavor and the ability to jump into fun with both feet.

We enjoyed some wonderful games, oompah pah pah, and noshed on yummy sweet potatoe fries, calamari and other goodies!  Salud!

My pictures (Courtesy of Honey Bunny) http://www.flickr.com/...

PS - Some great German spots from my visits to Portland Oregon ( I have to write my reviews soon)

Gustav's
http://www.yelp.com/bi...

Rheinlander
http://www.yelp.com/bi...

I decided to check out this location which is off the beaten path.  

I was delightfully pleased with the service that I received from Natasha who helped me pick out my hand soaps for my bathroom and kitchen.  After we talked, I picked the "foaming" wash because it doesn't leave a bunch of product at the bottom of the container which you can't use, so to me, it's a waste.  And that, is a waste!

So if you need some cool products, stop by this location and see Natasha.

Whoa. I didn't know if I had it in me to write a review.

I am stuffed like a Chile relleno! I went here for lunch and pigged out on the Carne Asada Combo. $6.95 get's you a huge platter of carne asada, shredded lettuce, a tomato slice, sliced avocado and cucumber, rice, beans and tortilla's. The cashier was efficient, but seemed to lack personality, but it didn't effect the flavor or quantity of my food. It was $1.75 for a smallish Horchata. And one of their salsas (red) was delish and a wee bit on the spicy side.

All and all, it was a great lunch at a great price. I really could have shared it, since I brought back half my plate.

Funerals are difficult.  In addition to the emotional turmoil, there are so many things you need to do, some of them at the last minute and in places that are not in your hometown.

When a co-worker and friend passed away recently, we wanted to pay tribute to his many decades of service in our company and our industry.  What would be more fitting than a semi-truck?

I contacted the funeral home and asked them for suggestions.  I called the company they referred two times and left a message.  Due to the time constraints, I worried when I hadn't received a call back, so I did an online search for florists in the area who do floral sculptures.  I didn't find any, but somehow I came across "A Floral Affair."  http://www.afloralaffa.../

I left a message and Angel called me within 30 minutes.  I discussed my ideas with her and she jumped in with both feet.  If I didn't know better, I would have thought that it was me on the other end of the phone, since she seemed to be completely in tune with my ideas.

Within 48 hours she constructed a beautiful flower sculpture that looked exactly the way I envisioned.  Her price was reasonable and the service was awesome!  I appreciated being able to work with her over the phone and internet (email) and also pay by credit card.