Lauren H.'s Profile

So disappointing after all the good Yelp reviews. Service was okay, but with an attitude. Food was overly rich and salty. Ambiance felt like a senior center. Plus, the logo'd shirts, sugar packets, and bathroom towels felt almost like I was at the Lobster.

Events:
I am writing this review because I was looking for this info when trying to decide where to have my birthday party this year. I had my birthday here on a Tuesday night, and it worked out really well. This is a great spot if you want to have an informal gathering. I just added the manager to my evite so he knew how many people to expect. When we arrived, they had reserved tables for us. The place is small, and about 20 of us took over about half of the place. The bar is well-rounded, the food decent with your typical burgers and fish tacos. The view is nice looking over the water, and it was in a convenient location: people working downtown could get there easily, and people coming from South Bay could find parking easily. There is a TV that plays movies or sports, and I am sure you could work something out with them if you wanted to show something special. Same goes for music, although I didn't ask for anything specific.

Lunch:
I like going here for lunch when I want a nice walk on a sunny day. It doesn't look like much from the outside (it looks like, well, a dive), but inside is surprisingly nice. The food is good and the view nice. It has your typical bar food plus some fish. There are lots of mixed drink options and wine if you are interested in a long lunch.

Great date spot. I was a bit worried when we were seated near the kitchen entrance, and there was a fair amount of traffic back and forth, but I quickly forgot about that as we started our meal. The restaurant felt lively and fun, but it was also quiet enough for us to talk easily.

The friendly waiter enthusiastically recommended the scallop appetizer special, and it lived up to his description. The lamb was fine, but the duck was really good, and went well with the wine we ordered. I was disappointed by the dessert, but that was just because I don't like Amaretto, and it was waaay Ameretto-y.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience: nothing noticeably wrong, and providing a nice background for lots of conversation.

Making a reservation on their web site was less than user-friendly, but it was worth it. It was odd that you had to specify how long you wanted to stay there, but I went for it and make the longest reservation possible: two hours. I went on a Wednesday night (by cab, given the neighborhood). The service was good and the drinks very good. The selection of cocktails goes on for pages, and each is perfectly mixed. I was disappointed that they didn't serve food though.

The booths are very private and cozy, especially with the tables being just wide enough to hold a few drinks. This is the place to go to have quiet alone time with someone or a small group: not a bar to mingle.

Two people, two hours, three rounds, including tip: $100. But worth it.

I took the Capitol Corridor train to Sacramento over Thanksgiving to avoid the holiday traffic. I took VTA to the train station, but decided it was faster to walk from the Santa Teresa line instead of switching to the Winchester line to go the last few blocks. I really wish that VTA had its two main lines both go to the train station.

But anyway, once I got to the train station, I felt so civilized. I pitied the folks stuck in the airports or in traffic. I strolled a few blocks from the light rail, into the lovely old train station, picked up my ticket, and strolled onto the train. Once on the train, I found a nice quiet seat with no one else around, put up the foot rest, reclined, and read my book. Ah, now this is the way to travel, and for only $28.

The trip did not go as planned, however. My three-hour trip was extended 50% by a freight train derailment ahead of us, and we were stuck in Emeryville. But coming back from Sacramento, there were no problems at all, aside from the slightly loud other passengers. Thank god for iPods to help you sleep. Oh, and the Sacramento train station is quite nice as well--so much better than the crazy airports. There is something about the train that is calmer and, well, again, civilized.

I just wish that there was an express train between the bay area and Sacramento. If they had a train that went between the two with little or no stops in less than two hours, it would be the most popular train around. No one wants to deal with 80.

I love this bar. Sure, my martini costs $14 here, but it comes with three perfectly skewered pieces of cucumber, a cloth napkin, and little munchies.

But the best part is that is such a nice relaxing place to have a nice quiet drink and chat anytime. Even on a Friday night. Even after 11PM.

I made the mistake of going north of Market last Friday, thinking of the bars as I imagined them on a Saturday or Wednesday evening. The problem is that on a Friday, they all turn into loud, crazy places. And the quiet places close early. So I ended up back at St. Regis where they served until about 1, and since it is a hotel lobby, let you stay as long as you want. I ended up curled up next to the fireplace well past two without any dirty looks.

Every time I walked by, which was all of the time, I would crave donuts and be tempted. Finally one day I walked in and got one. I was glad I did because it was unremarkable to mediocre, so as a result, I have never been tempted to go back!

So my refrigerator has been broken for a long time thanks to a saga that I'd rather not go into right now. As a result, I have been eating out even more than usual, which pretty much means all of the time.

When I get sick of regular restaurant food and want something less greasy an more healthy, I head to peasant pies. Especially on cold foggy days, the wholesome versions of what Hot Pockets are very filling in a hearty sort of way.

In the mornings, I love the egg and veggie pies, and later I'll try any of their other savory pies. And since I can't resist, I normally end up with a sweet pie as well. But what makes these pies so great is that they aren't super sweet, which is how I prefer my desserts.

I was here for the first time back in 2000 when I came to the bay area from Seattle to visit friends in Sunnyvale. I hadn't been back since until a  few weeks ago, and I ran into my friends from San Jose. Then, for some reason, I ended up there yet again last night.

I think it because the happy hour crowd just migrates past there up from South Beach towards XYZ and St. Regis, along with many discussions about whether to go to Gold Club (has yet to happen).

I am going to make sure that the herd continues past this place next time. This is the type you'd find all over the south bay, and so people from the south bay love it. It feels like BJs and the beer isn't good. There was a reason why it took me seven years to make it back there.

This place smells amazing every time I walk by. I suddenly crave pizza whenever I walk down 9th. I finally tried it, and while it is good, solid American-style pizza, it is nothing to wrote home about (however, not below a Yelp review).