Will "Rock Star" L.'s Profile

Wait a minute, last time I reviewed this I still hadn't actually had a drink or eaten anything here, yet? I've let an update to Vermillion go over a YEAR? What kind of Yelper do I think I am? FOR SHAME.

I've been in to Vermillion many, MANY times. Mostly just to see the art, as the artists shown here ALWAYS interest me. However, I've been in many times to have a glass of wine, or drink a beer, maybe eat some mac and cheese or a slice of bread. I've also been to a couple of functions here.

I love this place. For me, this little strip on Cap Hill is a destination; we head down to Gray, Barca and Vermillion after band practice, just to hang out on quiet weekday evenings, to get a party night started or to stop off during extended bar hops. The atmosphere rocks, the owners are always there engaged with people, and... well I always love the art here.

And, to make things even better, a notice just went up on Vermillion's window announcing their liquor license!! Yet another well rounded place to hang out with everything!

Awesome.

I've been missing good fish during my California travels. This place delivered excellent sashimi, coupled with amazing, friendly, helpful service.

Seriously, from the moment I walked in the hostess gave me a warm welcome, to the manager ensuring I had a menu waiting for me at the sushi bar when I returned from the restroom, to the busboy sneaking water refills, to my smiling, cheerful waitress who helped me identify the perfect selection of happy hour sashimi and roll plates (so good I had seconds-at late night happy hour prices how could I resist?).

I love the ambient electronica music, I love the classy relaxed feel, the food, the late hours.... Five stars. All the way.

I had the distinct pleasure of half my party being kept out of the VIP room until some proof could be presented that they belonged in there.

This included our birthday boy.

Now, most people would bitch and complain. "Stupid mean old bouncers ruined our party," and other such nonsense.

Fortunately I'm not most people.

VIP rooms are reserved and coveted for a reason. Exclusivity, that "I'm important--I'm a roller" feeling that 99% of us only get to feel when it's our birthday, wedding, or funeral.

To have the bouncers take this seriously and restrict access meant they take their club seriously. We got our people in eventually, no problem. We also knew that everyone else there was supposed to be there.

The club itself was like any other club in SEA--dancing, drinking, drama. Half the people enjoying themselves, the other whining about the people enjoying themselves and how much better club x, y, or z is.

The grass is always greener when you're far sighted. Or stuck outside of the VIP area wishing to get in.

I'm bewildered at negative reviews that focus on the random people the reviewer encountered. Doesn't that speak more to the reviewer and their state of mind than to the establishment? Then again, it's rumored I could have fun in prison, which really makes me the odd duck.

So with that in mind (establishment review, not my potential prison escapades), here's what Amber has going for it:

1) Location. Standing at the corner of this thriving crossroads of urban living, clubs, food and debauchery, Amber presents itself as both a launching point and a landing pad. Start the evening with...

2) ...a great happy hour food menu. Good, cheap eats. However, prepare to pay out the nose for drinks. If you're concerned about funding a fun eve, you may want to consider sticking with wine or beer, and going for cocktails elsewhere. Also, Amber tends to feel understaffed, and service winds up feeling sparse. If you're naturally gregarious, this works in your favor, as your endless stream of jokes, stories, and endless banter will be interrupted less. And it also means you get to relax and enjoy your friends' company in...

3) ...a really beautiful, airy, open space. I love the wood, the design. The big, square bar allows for a large crowd of patrons to cozy up to the bar (beware the steps and risers scattered around the bar). Unfortunately, there never seem to be enough bartenders. So try heading upstairs--you'll find another bar there, as well as reserved private party spaces. If you're particularly charismatic, you may be able to score yourself free cake from one of the birthday parties that are invariably celebrating there. However, Amber is not a dance club. But there are plenty around within walking distance, which results in...

4) ...lots of party people landing here as closing time approaches, looking for a spot to close a deal and make hook ups. I know how much we here in SEA like to pretend we're too mature for, and above, casual hookups. However, for the rest of us who finally got off that debilitating mental/moral trip, there are a lot of beautiful people here, subtly playing their game in the hope of ending an already fun night with some equally fun carnal pleasure. How better to work off that potential hang over?

And if it's just late night gluttony you need, you can always find the 'other' kind of weiner you're looking for in the form of a hot dog from a vendor a building over.

I had the pleasure of meeting one of the partners that own Amber, and I'm pleased to say he's a fun, responsible fellow, who's mission is to create fun spaces for nightlife in SEA. If they can resolve the service issues, this place will be a five star.

At least, to those of us who can have regardless of what the wackos around us are doing. :)

Ok. So... Have you ever been to Philly? Had a cheesesteak sandwich that you knew was going to be the death of you because it was so damned good you knew that was all you were gonna eat for like weeks? I mean Philly cheesesteak for breakfast, for lunch, as a snack, for dessert...

K. Head to Belltown Billiards. Try their food. Fall in love. Al Collozi is the new cook-he was a street food vendor who's food was so good people were heading to belltown at closing to time to eat.  

That is, unless you're afraid of getting addicted to cheesy meaty authentic Philly goodness that melts all over and dribbles on your shirt.

And by the way the bouncers were awesome. Friendly but tough. Exactly what I want in a crowded place full of alchohol, hot girls and posturing guys (well, at least I was :P). A.J., a friendly Boston native, took us under his wing on our way to grab a late night bite. Good man! I had a blast rapping with him about Red Sox fans in SEA.

Huge bar, lots of bartenders, dancing, pool... The only down was the bathroom is too small for the amount of people who will be in this place enjoying themselves.

I'm torn on the Stanford Guest House. Now, don't get me wrong, this is a great place to stay, if you've got business on the Stanford Campus, especially at the SLAC lab.

But if you tend to prefer quick access to nightlife or... well... anything besides wildlife, this may not be the spot for you. Especially if you've taken advantage of the bay area transit systems, like BART and CalTrain, and don't have your own car. The Margerite does have a bus line that stops at SLAC, but it stops running in the evening. And the Guest House does have its own van that will pick you up and drop you off, but also only until early in the evening. Otherwise, you gotta call a cab. It's about $15 into Palo Alto.

The rooms are small, but clean. Beds are twins, and every window looked out on something nice (so far). Cell reception is negligible, though. In both rooms I had to find that one little corner where I got two bars worth of reception, or had to head outside the front.

They serve a complimentary breakfast in the morning: hard boiled eggs, cereal, fruit, bagels and muffins, and juice. Coffee is free all day, and was tasty. Otherwise you head up to the SLAC cafeteria, a quick 2 minute walk up the hill. Beware, they close at 3 (not 3:30 as their sign says), and otherwise, your only other food choices within walking distance are the Sharon Hill shopping center, down the hill about .7 miles, or the really nice, luxury hotel on top of the hill, about .3 of a mile away.

The folks that work here are AWESOME. Seriously, each person has been friendly and helpful. The folks behind the front desk hit the automatic door when they see you coming, and all the staff are just great, gracious people.

The desk in the room is a bit cramped, but there is an open plug under the desk, as well as a plug at the base of the lamp on the desk. The TV was pretty big, and I had a bit of difficulty getting it to spin enough so I could watch stand up comedy while I worked.

There's a very small workout room, with a couple cardio machines, as well as a TV room upstairs, a washer/dryer, vending machines, and a nice patio downstairs you can sit at and drink coffee and read a paper.

The best part of it? The price. Seriously competitive, I've stayed at places I was afraid to touch the sheets for these prices, and the Stanford Guest House is clean, comfortable, and safe (you have to pass through a DOE checkpoint to get into it). The internet is wireless and free, another huge plus over my alternate hotel, the Sheraton.

All in all a great place to stay if you've got your own transportation, or don't plan on venturing far from the SLAC lab.

You know, it's funny how your perception of something changes when you have something else to compare it to.

My first stay here, I thought it was average. Nice comfy bed, helpful folks up front, the hotel itself is clean and attractive, but there were a couple things that really bummed me out: $10 for [slow] internet every 24 hours, a lack of electrical sockets around the desk to plug my computer and phone into, and the food is a little bit above average, but not much.

After staying in a couple other places, I realized I was taking a lot for granted here. First of all, LOCATION! I like to take the CalTrain down, and this hotel is about 100 feet from the CalTrain stop. From that CalTrain stop, you can catch the free Margerite bus lines to get all over the Stanford Campus, or grab one of many taxi cabs just waiting to take people where they want to go. Which probably isn't going to be far, because if you cross under the tracks, you're in downtown Palo Alto, minutes away from shopping and restaurants. Across the street in the other direction is the Stanford campus, with a beautiful walk through the arboretum.

The rooms are actually really nice, and really big. I hadn't quite noticed until I stayed in the Stanford Guest House for a week -- not that the rooms aren't nice there either, but they're very small, with a twin size bed. Cell reception is great at the Sheraton, and the in-room coffee maker features Starbucks coffee. The desk is actually really big, the chair comfy, and the tv is a nice flat screen that swivels nicely to face the desk. Every room has a balcony with chairs and a table, perfect for sipping coffee while taking a break from work, and looking out over the garden below. As a Starwood Preferred Guest, the water bottles are complimentary. The bathroom is big, nice, and the closet has plenty of space. The temperature controls in the room are easy to use, and not built into the air conditioner, but instead are mounted on a wall, close to the bed. Great for waking up hot in the middle of the night and not having to wander far in a dark, unfamiliar room, to get some air relief.

And there's a pool. I didn't realize how much I would enjoy having a pool until I was in hot, dry California weather, and tired of sitting on my butt working on my laptop. 15 laps later, and I was happy to wrap myself up in the plush bathrobe. There's a small workout room as well, with a bunch of cardio machines. I didn't notice any weights, but I haven't really gone in yet. Otherwise, I'm not sure what another reviewer was talking about as far as this place being a 'maze' -- the folks at the front desk have handed me a small map of the hotel, spent time marking exactly where to go, and all the signs point exactly where they should. The only way I could have gotten lost is if I totally ignored them, then ignored the signs, and attempted to use my Zen Room Location Technique: Follow another guest that looks like they know where they're going.

I mentioned that the food was slightly above average. Well, that beats average, or below average, which, honestly, a lot of the local eateries in Palo Alto rate. Thank you Yelp for guiding me to decent food. Oh, and the service is awesome in the restaurant here. My only complaint now is that the bartender in the bar kept freaking out every time anyone cursed. It's a bar, for godsakes. I got a bit tired of listening to her reprimand the drunk, friendly Australian I was talking to for dropping the f-bomb.

Proposed Fosters commercial: "Fuck. Australian for 'Hello.'"

I tried to head back into the bar this evening, but the mood in there was not fun. I am. I was repelled like a polar opposite magnet.

The folks at the front desk have been super friendly and helpful, and held onto my bag, free of charge, for a night (and more, had I asked), when I had to fly home for class, and fly back in the morning, and didn't want to lug that thing around. They had no problem with me driving up and parking right out front to run in and pick that bag up. Speaking of which, valet parking is only $5 more than self parking.

There are laundry services, but I went and used the do-it-yourself machines. $3 and I had detergent, washer, and dryer. I kind of wish there was a change machine somewhere around, either by those machines, or up near the vending machines. But I could get change from the bar or the front desk, so that was fine.

All in all, I've spent several days here, and I'm comfortable and happy. My room is airy, and spacious, they refill my coffee needs with a simple call, and if I need to take a food break, I can either eat here, or walk five minutes to a local restaurant in Palo Alto. And when I'm ready to leave, I can just jump right on a train up to Millbrae to catch the BART to SFO.

This is definitely worth a stay.

When I was teeny... well... almost teeny -- I've always had this gargantuan nose, and it was only as I got older that my head finally grew to match it -- we used to go to the beach in L.A. On the way home, my dad would stop off at Foster's Freeze for ice cream cones dipped in chocolate-magic-shell-topping-stuff.

When I went to Santa Monica College, the campus was located kitty-corner to that same Foster's, and I'd head over for nostalgic ice cream treats.

Now that I'm in Seattle, Dairy Queen has taken on the role of providing me with that sometimes-needed nostalgic re-connection. During one such trip, my ex introduced me to the cherry flavored magic-shell topping. At first I scoffed, but... damn, that was good!

And only available during the summer. Well, I happened by this Dairy Queen not too long ago, it happened to be summer, and sure enough, cherry shell on chocolate ice cream.

Mmmmm. Tasteh! And a similar color to my skin when I was teeny and didn't get enough suntan lotion on!

Occasionally I hear bitching from local SoCal transplants that they can't find any good Mexican food anywhere in Seattle. I generally send them down to Tacos Asaderos on Rainier (the famous taco bus in the Columbia City area), or, to be an asshole, to Taco Time, with promises that it's a great Mexican food experience. I just don't tell them that it's great in the sense that it makes you wonder how the hell it got the label Mexican food. Sure, if Mexicans came from Canada, maybe.

El Paisano is my new send-to spot. It's a bit of a hike for the typical transplant, who generally moves to cap hill or queen anne or somewhere in the great white north like Fremont or Ballard. But anyone familiar with the wet burrito place on the corner of Hoover and Washington in the 'hood of Los Angeles will appreciate this place. Funky interior, loud spanish tv and conflicting radio, and good Mexican food.

I had lengua (tongue), my buddy had carne asada, and we both wished we had gotten the other's dish. Not that we didn't like our own, but, well, let's just say we were happier when we were sharing.

I'll be clear up front: I'm friends with the owner, Marc, so my experience of City Hardware was that of a proud dad showing off his baby. Read a couple other reviews for the more, objective, typical consumer experience. Otherwise, a bit of what I learned as an 'insider.'

First off, Mark is focused on community. The whole point of his store is to be a local, helpful place. He's sponsored little league baseball teams, and even worked with Ace Hardware to clean up and fix up a local baseball field. He donates paint to a local community group home, and created little green leaf tags to mark what products are 'green' for his customers.

I especially love his own unique twist on the hardware store. Walk in and have a look at what the tv monitors he's got hanging around periodically are playing. You'll catch old rock and roll videos playing; I saw a live Led Zeppelin concert footage as I walked by, and had to stop and double take to make sure I really saw what I was seeing. The soda case up front stocks Jone's soda, located right down the street from City Hardware, and if you're hungry you can grab a bag of popcorn.

The place is well lit, well laid out, and his staff is focused on customer service. If you're looking for something you can't seem to find elsewhere, ask him if he'll custom order for you. I've been searching for a specific designer faceplate for my light switches that Lowes no longer carries. He's been pestering me to get him the name and models so he can look it up and special order for me.

And if you're a dog fan, bring your pooch. His dog will play with yours, tearing up and down the aisles in a display of canine cuteness usually only found in dog parks.

This hardware store is the only one in the downtown area. No sense in driving all the way to Home Depot or down to Lowes.