anita "Our Lady of Cheesy Goodness" c.'s Profile

5 years later, we had Love Painting repaint the back of our house again. We paid a very reasonable price and the work was done on time and within budget, just as we've come to expect from Sean and his crew.

The underlying layers of paint were more than 90 years old, so this time we had them strip down the paint to the bare wood -- a recommended step that we'd ruled out in the past as being too expensive. But now, Love Painting has a high-tech paint shaver that does this job quickly and cleanly.

We could not recommend this business more highly.

We had a great experience with Charles when our water heater failed. On less than a day's notice, he purchased a replacement and installed it at a very convenient time for us, even though this meant he was working well into the evening. Very clean work, polite and professional service, and the final price was $50 less than estimated.

Nice people, a great massage, comfortable space. Definitely will be back.

I took two classes at Winsor's new space in Santa Monica (near the Brentwood border). The space was in disarray after their recent move, but seemed reasonably well equipped. My biggest criticism is that classes didn't start on time (or anywhere close to it). When I asked what the holdup was, I was told this was how they handled it when "regulars" get stuck in traffic. The class was billed as an hour class on their site, but didn't start until about 12:15 and ended just after 1. On the positive side, they offer validated valet parking, so I guess that $15 for a single class was a pretty good deal, even if it only lasted 45 minutes.

When I signed up, I confirmed that I was taking two classes from the same teacher, Molly, but apparently the schedule changed when they moved to the new space. The Tuesday intermediate class was taught by a man, who didn't introduce himself. I don't know if he was having a bad day, but his teaching style was very abrupt and when a student needed correction, he would brusquely move them into place. He seemed overly fond of the magic circles, using them in more than half of the exercises and in some ...interesting... ways that I have never seen at other studios. He also didn't ask me about my background or limitations, which I thought was a little odd for an intermediate class.

The Thursday intermediate class was taught by Molly. She was great: good cueing, nice pace, solid corrections, classical order. On the downside, the class was held in a small, cramped loft area jammed with 10+ students; we didn't have room for all the mats, so people were working on top of apparatus and on the floor in a random staggered setup that meant we didn't have room for full extensions. (I'll cut them a little slack because they'd just moved into the space, but clearly they don't cap attendance and some mat classes are oversold.) I would take a class with Molly again, despite the hassle of the late start/short class and crowding.

Quick service, did a nice job.

nb: Closed 1-2 for lunch.

The food here is marginal and quite pricey for what you get. (And I buy nearly all of my food at the farmers market, so I understand what organics cost. This isn't that.)

It used to fall into the realm of "I'd go there if someone suggested it, but not under my own steam." But now, given their widely reported hostility to other local businesses, I've moved it into the "I won't go there" column. Bad value, mediocre food, and questionable ethics = indigestion.

I arrived on time for my 5pm mani-pedi appointment and was kept waiting in the lobby area for 20 minutes, then another 5 minutes waiting in a pedicure chair. My manicurist had just started another patron's manicure, so either they double booked or they gave my reserved spot to a walk-in client. Only ended up having time for a pedicure because of this. I don't mind waiting if I walk in, but running 25 minutes late for an appointment i scheduled days in advance is not cool.

The end result? Sloppy polish up on my cuticles, and skin on my heels that's as rough as it was when I went in. Nice people and a beautiful space, but for a $22 pedicure, you can do a LOT better.

Over the last few years, I've seen a revolving door of hygienists (some good, some painful) and doctors at this practice. Not the kind of stability I like to see in a health-care provider.

The biggest issue for me, though, is that my husband recently had some work done, and they didn't properly explain that -- even though it was routine work -- it wouldn't be covered by insurance. After he pointed this out, they kept insisting that they told him this up front, refusing to admit their part in the misunderstanding or negotiate at all on the cost. Given that we've both been long-term patients of the practice, I expected better.

When I called to cancel my upcoming appointment, the receptionist asked if I wanted to reschedule. When I told her that no, I wouldn't be returning to their practice, she said "OK" and hung up on me -- didn't care why. Clearly their front-office standards are slipping, too.

The food was OK for a hotel restaurant, but given the SF-level prices and hype (star chef, tons of buzz) I really expected something more interesting and well executed. Over-dressed salads, over-crusted fish, too-sweet sauces... the highlight of the meal was the biscuits with pimento cheese.

Service was cringe-worthy. The hostess seated two of us at a four-top and didn't clear the extra place settings -- standard at a diner, but this is supposed to be fine dining. Our waiter was nervous and jittery the whole night, fumbling and forgetting things, then apologizing profusely... not the right tone for a special night out.

Bright spots: The bar has a great cocktail program -- good drinks list and well-stocked back bar. And the space is as gorgeous as can be. I might go back for cocktails and those biscuits, but I don't think another meal would be worth the drive or the cost.

The best-kept secret in town: Camino is open for brunch on Saturdays (and Sundays, too -- but our server said they're busier then) and you can walk right in and get a table without a reservation. It's the most gorgeous, sun-washed space -- it looks straight out of a painting. Food was excellent, portions smallish but priced accordingly. (We liked this, because we ordered a few things and shared.) Don't go expecting eggs Benedict or French toast; this is definitely ingredient-focused and simple food, but perfectly prepared and delicious.