Bee D.'s Profile

It isn't every day that you get in on the secret.  But today is your lucky day.  

You aren't going to find the Taqueria tucked away in a mini mall, on a roach coach or even as a stand alone restaurant.  You've really got work hard on this. But is seems to be the latest trend in fast good eats.  Tucked away inside of the Spirit Gas Station, is the Taqueria, sharing space in the industrially furnished convenience store.

I didn't even look around to see what the gas station offered.  Nope. Head straight to the counter and order.  

One torta, carne asada, mild sauce and an Horchata.  

Five minutes later I'm walking out $6 poorer, but my hands holding the golden treasure.  Inside a toasted bolilla roll is heaven.  Chopped Carne Asada, guac, sour cream, shredded lettuce and mild sauce.  It's about the size and dimensions of a nerf football.  Ahhh heaven.

$5 for Super Burritos, Tortas, Quesadillas and Nachos.  $1 each for street tacos.  $1 for Horchata, Tamarindo or Jamica,  And your choice of meats - Asada, Al Apstor, Cabeza, Lenguea, Pollo and in case you don't read spanish... they have it in english - Stea, Pork, Head, Tongue and Chicken.

Ok, so I've let you in on the secret place.

Thanks Ms. Doris for finding the spot and being adventuresome and trying it out.

(( No seats, no credit cards or atms - cash and carry))

This is part two of a sequel.   I'm bringing you the bad in a saga called, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly."

Is saw a great deal on Facebook for a Prix Fixe dinner at the Tonga Room.  $31.00 per person for a complete dinner with cocktail.   I hopped on the  deal and purchased 2 (one for me, one for hubby) and proceeded to update my status and share it with my friends.  We ended up with four couples in our group.  

Imagine my panic on the day of the event when Facebook wouldn't bring my voucher up and kept giving me an error.  I tried to reach Facebook.  Really?  What planet do I live on, you can't reach Facebook.  So I tried to reach SugarPoP SF since they sponsored the deal.  NOPE.  No help .  I'm not saying that they don't have a Customer Service Department, but when that department can't deliver on Customer Service, then pretty much you aren't getting any help.

Firstly, you cannot reach anyone in person.  You must communicate via computer, so heaven forbid if your computer crashes or for some reason you don't have access to wifi.  I don't have access to wifi at work, so it was very frustrating trying to resolve anything via email on my iphone.  After emails flying back and forth, the PopSugar rep backed off of the association with Facebook, saying that since I purchased my deal on Facebook, even though they were a sponser, I was on my own.

After brick walls, looping voice mails and extreme frustration, I finally reached someone at the Tonga Room 2 and a half hours before my reservation.  I explained the problem and the fact that I didn't want to drive all the way from the North Bay, only to be turned around.  The lady at the counter (I'm sorry I forgot your name, you were awesome), advised me that she would look me up and that if I could print out something from the facebook page she would take care of me.  And she did.

Should you encounter a great deal on PopSugar or FB or one of their collaborative efforts, I recommend that you print out your voucher and keep it with you, or save it and email it to yourself.  I'm not saying that the deals aren't great, because they are.  Just pre-plan so that you don't have a problem at the last minute that you may not be able to resolve.

This is part one of a sequel.  I feel that it's not necessary to save the best for last.  In this case, I'm bringing you the best in a saga called, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly."

Is saw a great deal on Facebook for a Prix Fixe dinner at the Tonga Room.  $31.00 per person for a complete dinner with cocktail.   I hopped on the  deal and purchased 2 (one for me, one for hubby) and proceeded to update my status and share it with my friends.  We ended up with four couples in our group.  

Imagine my panic on the day of the event when Facebook wouldn't bring my voucher up and kept giving me an error.  I tried to reach Facebook.  Really?  What planet do I live on, you can't reach Facebook.  So I tried to reach SugarPoP SF since they sponsored the deal.  NOPE.  No help (but those are separate reviews).  

After brick walls, looping voice mails and extreme frustration, I finally reached someone 2 and a half hours before my reservation.  I explained the problem and the fact that I didn't want to drive all the way from the North Bay, only to be turned around.  The lady at the counter (I'm sorry I forgot your name, you were awesome), advised me that she would look me up and that if I could print out something from the facebook page she would take care of me.  And she did.

After walking up from Union Square (DO NOT TRY THIS), and the anxious moments of ensuring my voucher would be honored, it was so nice to be whisked to our table.  The dinner was spectacular.  Our entire group enjoyed everything from the diverse menu.  While enjoying our free drinks (Mai Tai or Pena Colada), we were serenaded by the live band.  In between fresh courses, we danced on the bow of the ship.  Service was impeccable and we all enjoyed a wonderful evening.

Yes it's kitschy, but it's so much fun.

I attended and photographed the most amazing wedding at this location.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites and there was shuttle service to and from the wedding all evening.

There was plenty of room at the facility to host the wedding upstairs, a reception downstairs while photos were taken, then dinner seating was upstairs and the food was buffet style downstairs (we chose to cater from Portland, because we had friends do it).  The bathrooms were spacious and conventient.  There is also a "family" bathroom for changing the little ones or taking a "nursing break."

I would highly recommend this location for any event.

After a wonderful wedding at the Red Barn, we returned to the Holiday Inn Express and Suites, tired and hungry. At 11:35 we called Pizza Hut and they said that delivery stopped 5 minutes before our call (11:30). They get kudos for referring us to Domino's when we asked who might still delivering.

We placed our order and were told that it would take an hour to an hour and a half. But were pleasantly surprised when 30 minutes later, our perfectly prepared pizza was delivered.

Thanks Domino's!

We recently attended a wedding at the Imperial Room, which is also the location of the local Veterans Memoral Center.  The event was wonderful and the staff made it seem effortless.  They were professional, polite and unobtrusive.

I really liked the oval shaped tables that made it possible for everyone to talk to each other without yelling across the table.  They have lots of colors to chose from, our event was purple.  The bride chose a buffett, so it was served in the entry (which was spacious).

There is plenty of parking and it's located close to JFK and there is shopping nearby for last minute gifts.  Don't let the exterior fool you, this is one book that you need to get past the cover.

I love this place!  You can leave the rat-race of the bay area behind at this swell little airport.

$260 - RT ticket to NY to see my new grandson
$81 - 8 days plus a few hours of long term parking
$8 - tips for the shuttle bus drivers

Traveling without the headache - PRICELESS

If you have to layover, put $40 in your pocket for a chair massage, or maybe even if you just arrive early.  The prices looked really reasonable.  You can even go to the Salon, or shopping in the bookstore.  So many options.  I opted to sit at the laptop station, check into FB, update my YELP and charge my iPhone.

Diners are an East Coast institution that I really miss now that I live in California.  When we lived on Staten Island, we were regulars at the Dakota.  It was something we looked forward to every sunday.

On our recent visit to see our first grandbaby (he is perfect by the way), we stopped at State Line for breakfast.  My daughter and her husband have been her frequently and it is their favorite.  It is located on the North side of Route 17 in MahWah and has ample parking.  They are currently getting a facelift, so 1/2 of the diner is closed, but that didn't take away from our dining experience.

Our waitress was wonderful!  Professional, cheeky, fun.  The food was perfect and the portions generous.  I opted for the homemade cornedbeef hash breakfast, and it was great.  

I only wish that I was in town longer, there were so many things on the menu I still have to try.  And the dessert options....Oy vey!

I too got a great rate on my flight.  I even got to bring bags without extra cost and change my flight without extra cost.  And I had wonderful service from beginning to end.  Our flight crew that originated in Sacramento and then changed in Burbank were great!  They were funny, polite and helpful.  As a very nervous flyer, making her first cross country flight in over 10 years, it was a big deal.

The last time we were here was 23 years ago.  The town hasn't changed much, but there are new stores and they are encroaching on the winery.  

I didn't recognize the winery and the layout, and when I asked about it, I found out that it had burned in 1999 and was under renovation and under new ownership.

What hasn't changed is the great service and the wonderful wines that you can't find anywhere else.  We love the Holiday Wine and were able to pick up a few bottles to take back to Cali with us.  We tried their Carpe Diem Moscato and it was delightfully refreshing.  The wine tasting was well priced at $10 and includes a nice etched glass.

Most of the wines range from $9.99 to $15.99 - inexpensive.