Dave "Pics or it didn't happen" K.'s Profile

I am here right now and the Wifi is poor. I'm writing this review on my iPad with 3G because I am not able to get on the Wifi I just paid $10

Palo Alto Bowl closed its doors for good on Friday, Sep 16. There are now no mid-peninsula bowling alleys left. You'll have to go to either Bel Mateo in San Mateo or down Sunnyvale/Santa Clara.

This place is pretty old and dingy and certainly doesn't seem fitting of its location in Palo Alto. I used to go here with some friends a few years back, but there were simply better alternatives.

Didn't really miss this place, and now that it's gone I can't say that I do save a few scant memories. Just sucks that another bowling alley has bitten the dust.

Although not the most awesome hotel, I  have to admit SPG/Starwood hotels know how to keep loyal customers. This is a reasonably nice hotel in a weird area of Santa Monica, 4 blocks from the beach and the Promenade and across the street from Santa Monica HS.

Parking.  Self-parking is but good luck if you come after 10pm on Thu-Sat. Ridiculously overcrowded.
Check-in. Pretty easy, staff is super friendly. I like the way this hotel smells but not the way the lobby is laid out.
Rooms. Clean but a little old considering the $200/nt cost. Again, never enough outlets.
Bathrooms. Roomy and clean. Lots of towels. I like the soap and shampoo here. I get extra.
Gym. Decent size. Can hold about 12-16 people. Crowded between 6:45-8am.
Restaurant. It's OK but insanely overpriced. Only go there when I'm exhausted.
Customer service. Here is where they shine. The staff is super friendly and very responsive. They If you check-in on Foursquare when you're checked in, you get 250 pts. If you decline housekeeping service for a day, you get 500 pts. This is on top of the points you get for staying there. These things add up. I was able to get a room at their Aloft line for 3000 points, based completely on 4sq checkins and "being green"

This is not a very elegant hotel, but it serves its purpose and is fairly efficient. The staff is pretty friendly and started recognizing me after my third time there in a month.

I'll rate each part separately:

Parking. Parking is $10. Kind of outrageous.
Check-in. Relatively easy and friendly.
Rooms. Clean, fairly simple. Never enough outlets near the desk or bed.
Bathrooms. Roomy and clean. Lots of towels. I am not a fan of the soap and shampoo.
Gym. Very small. Only fits about 6-8 people with 2 treadmills, 1 elliptical, 1 bike, a full set of weights, a bench, a ball, a mat.
Restaurant. I've only eaten breakfast here. It is pretty much the same thing every day. But get the omelet from the omelet bar. Pretty good but get there at 7 as there is a line.
Customer service. Pretty happy with them overall. Like I said they now recognize me.

I used to come here all the time when I lived in Alameda. Definitely recommend the Rocky Balboa. Much to my chagrin, I just found out that the owner got into the Groupon craze and was not notified of the "cap".

article:
http://alameda.patch.c...

Now because of such deep discounting, you have to assume that this is a new customer acquisition play with likely net neutral revenue impact up front. The idea is that customers will come back and you get long-term revenue generation.

People don't seem to realize how Groupon makes money. They take between 20-50% of the overall sales. This means for a $20 item, you typically sell it for $10 to "qualify" for Groupon-worthiness. Then Groupon takes $2-5 of the remainder. So for something you sold originally for $20, you're now getting $3-5. That's a huge loss. And without a cap a mom and pop is basically screwed.

This place had to redeem over 800 of these. That's a huge loss for a small store.

No wonder it went under. We'll miss you Yo Philly.

Brand new office. Symantec now has 11 buildings around Middlefield and Ellis. Formerly the AOL building. Consumer BU is up in here! Not a lot of places to eat within walking distance except for the Symantec V Cafe and Specialtys down the street.

I work for Norton so take it with a grain of salt.

Went here on a friend's recommendation and it did not disappoint. She had been here a few times but wanted to take me. For this I am happy.

Forget about parking on the street right in front, go around and park in back. I went to that area on Mon and Tue nights and after 7pm there is parking to be had within a block or two.

The place is hard to find.  I couldn't find the street address on the walls and the restaurant name is obscure unless you happen to be looking down. The doorway is dark and almost imposing. You walk in and it's a bit raucous like being in a club. It's hip inside but the music is actually bordering on obnoxiously loud. I entered the experience with a bit of temerity but my friend's tastes have never led me astray.

Charred Brussels Sprouts with Dates, Bacon & Vinegar
I love roasted brussels sprouts. The bacon alone would have hit the spot, but the rich sweet dates and sour vinegar were fantastic in combination. A medley in my mouth, dirty allusions aside. [4/5]

Burrata with an Olive Tapenade Crouton, Arugula, Lemon & Green Olive Oil
The burrata was smooth and creamy, and the greens and oils tasted perfect with it. But for $12 I'm really expecting something a bit more filling. Honestly, taste and presentation aside, I expect more than a handful of arugula, a few tblspns of oil and half a tomato cut into wedges. [3/5]

Crispy Niman Ranch Pork Belly with Soft Polenta, Bitter Greens & Apple Cider
Now this dish was awesome. The pork belly was so delicious, the meat practically melted in my mouth. The creamy polenta was a perfect accompaniment and was cut with the bitterness of the greens and slight tartness of cider. [5/5]

Pizza: Guanciale, Green Olive, Fresno Chili, Buffalo Mozzarella
The crust and presentation remind me a bit of Defina in SF. Guanciala is pork cheek and there was plenty of it nestled in polls of mozzarella topped with coarsely chopped green olives. Hard to choose just one pizza but this was a winner. [4/5]

Banana Cream Pie
We were stuffed and split a banana cream pie. Insanely expensive but we needed a little sweetness after all the pork and cheese goodness. The cream was relatively freshly-made and the custard and real banana chunks. Can complain about the quality here.

All in all, a very good experience. For the amount and quality of food, I'm relatively happy. The tables were a little close together and the service was a bit slow, and yes the music was bumpin. But the quality of the food compensated enough to maintain a 4. I'm definitely coming here again.

I've been to Hal's 3 times in the last 4 years, all with a large group with a fixed menu. This time was the best of them, but I still can't give it more than 3 stars. It's a pretty large place and the food and ambiance are just fine, but it's a bit pricey and the service tends to be a bit slow, although this last time a few weeks ago it was fine because we had our own room with a dedicated server.

We started with some appetizers including pizzas and skewered shrimp with a spicy avocado dip. Pretty good. I had a smaller version of the wedge salad which was fine but I can't believe they charge nearly $9 for this normally.

The Butternut squash ravioli with brown butter was good but a little bit overcooked. The butter gave a really nice nuttiness that cut into the thick sweetness of the butternut squash.

My salmon was good. I wish it would have been almost rare in the very center but I think you need to ask for that specifically. Seasonings were not overdone.

The sorbet trio was actually really good, the lemon thyme in particular. That subtle herb flavor brought out the lemon in different ways, not unlike salt with chocolate or caramel.

Overall, I enjoy going to Hal's. But I've always gone with a large group in an expensed meal and I can't imagine paying the bill myself thinking it was completely worth the price. Nevertheless, the food here is good.

I've been here before but hadn't reviewed. This place is pretty large and is pretty busy on weekends. I came here on a Thursday night around 7:30 and it wasn't too packed.

We ordered some spring rolls and I got Pho Tai Gau.. I've tried a few times and I just cannot get myself to enjoy tripe and tendon. Sorry. Brisket for me please. The portions here are pretty good but it is a tiny bit pricier than other pho places.

The broth is flavorful but I've had better around the South Bay. I always ask for more veggies and the woman didn't seem all that happy to give me another plate of sprouts, thai basil, and lime.

Service wasn't great. Yes they took our order quickly and yes the food came out relatively quickly, but it took forever to get more water and to get a check. We only got the extra veggies because she happened to be passing by dropping off food at another table.

It's a good place but I won't seek it out. If I'm in the area, sure I'll go again.

Apparently the old HC dumpling closed down and that Shanghai Family relocated from Mountain View. The old HC Dumpling place was supposed to be nearly as good as Din Tai Fung in Arcadia. The owners say they didn't change the recipe. Yeah we'll see about that.

I've come here twice during work lunch hours. Advice. Come by 12 because by 12:10 it is PACKED. I haven''t ventured into the dim sum yet because it's really all about getting the XLB. Order fast because again once that crowd comes, you may be waiting 10-15 for your food. We only waited about 5-7 minutes for 2 orders of XLB and an order of Pan Fried Shanghai Noodles.

The noodles were thick and chewy. They were not overly seasoned despite the way they looked. They had nice flavorful chunks of veggies and meat. My only wish was that it was served a bit hotter.

The XLB were very good. Not as good as Din Tai Fung and again I wish they were served a little hotter. But the routine of nibbling a little hole in the skin and slurping out a bit of the nectar inside, then letting it mix with the vinegar soy sauce with ginger in your spoon. HEAVEN. Bourdain said it best when this was probably one of the best dishes ever. Not at this place. XLB in general, although he was in China.

I'm sad our company is moving offices in a month as it will be harder to go to this place. I'll definitely have to come out here when I can. Some of the best XLB in Norcal!