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Saturday, November 22, 2008

Fenestra Winery - Livermore, CA


Fenestra Winery
83 Vallecitos Rd
Livermore, CA 94550
(925) 447-5246
fenestrawinery.com

We spent the afternoon at Fenestra's Annual Holiday Wine Tasting event...gorgeous weather, friendly pourers and awesome wine. A total of 24, yes, t-w-e-n-t-y-f-o-u-r delightful tastes of Fenestra's finest!

Out of the 24 wines I tasted, I enjoyed about 20 of them and took home 6:

1. 2006 Malbec
2. 2005 Zinfandel
3. 2006 Touriga (Fenestra Fanatic offering)
4. 2006 Petite Sirah (Fenestra Fanatic offering)
5. 2007 Sweet Viognier
6. 2003 Port

I also bought a box of their own Port-filled chocolate truffles, which I will try later on tonight (why does chocolate always taste better late at night?)

Thinking about going back tomorrow for some more wine...and chocolate! :)

Romano's Macaroni Grill - Dublin, CA


Romano's Macaroni Grill
4805 Hacienda Dr
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 560-1520
macaronigrill.com

After an afternoon of wine tasting, DH and I were craving a good, hearty spaghetti-and-meatballs meal. Strings? Nah. Strizzis? Nah. Bruno's? Nope. Campo di Bocce wasn't an option, neither of us like their food or service (and we've given them second, third and fourth chances). Macaroni Grill? We haven't been here in a long time, so we decide to venture into Dublin and felt it was early enough at 4:30pm to avoid the expected mad Saturday night dinner rush.

Parking? Great, no problem.
Seating? Great, it was a 2-3 minute wait.
Service? Great, Christina was simply...great.
Food? Wonderful, for the most part.

We both loved the piping fresh, hot bread, it was delightfully crispy outside and yummily soft inside. The olive oil and balsamic vinegar was a classic and delicious dip for the bread. YUM!

The Caesar salad was so-so; all right, it was edible...but not really that good. The romaine was fresh and so were the croutons, but the Caesar dressing was pretty tasteless.

Spaghetti and meatballs...yum! The spaghetti was al dente (thank you, Macaroni Grill), the sauce was good and the 3 giant meatballs were tender and not overcooked (thank you again, Macaroni Grill). We had an abundance of freshly grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled over our plates at the table, which just made everything yummier!

The smothered chocolate cake was okay. The sauce they call "chocolate ganache" was the best part because the cake alone was a bit dry and bland. The "nuts" sprinkled over the ganache topping were more like "crumbs" they were so small, and no crunch whatsoever. The three dollops of cream were a nice accompaniment to neutralize the sweetness of the cake and ganache.

Macaroni Grill offered this three-course meal for $12.99 (garden or Caesar salad, plus choice of skinny chicken or fettucine alfredo...these two were $11.99...lasagne, pasta milano, chicken canneloni or spaghetti and meatballs, plus choice of lemon passion or smothered chocolate cake or sorbet). That is such a deal...especially since I took most of my meal home to save room for dessert! Besides, spaghetti and meatballs always tastes better the next day.

Maybe the key here is to come in before the crowds (they were coming in as we left), due to the service issues I read in the previous reviews. I've had the Penne Rustica and yes it's good and yes it's salty (prosciutto IS salty and too salty for me, so I just toss 'em over to DH's bowl, he likes salty). I also remember their Pizza Margherita is very good. Hmmm...I'll be back for that...or their spaghetti and meatballs again if I have another craving for that and my kitchen still isn't done by then!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Red Robin - Pleasanton, CA


Red Robin
4503 Rosewood Dr
Pleasanton, CA 94588
(925) 225-1755
redrobin.com

All right...I'm in love Red Robin again!! We had linner (lunch + dinner) here today, my Banzai Burger did a wonderful comeback and the service was terrific (thank you, Luis the server and thanks to the cook!) Today, I enjoyed splurging on one of their expensive-but-yummy strawberry lemonades. :)

My Banzai Burger was cooked perfectly medium, had just the right amount of teriyaki sauce and the pineapple was flavorful. DH ordered a Royal Bleu Red Robin (it's not on the menu, but it's just the Royal Red Robin with bleu cheese) and he loved it!

The steak fries were heavenly and hot (*giggle* that's the first time I've seen those two adjectives together describing fries!) and the ranch dressing was a thick, creamy and refreshing dip for the fries (*more giggling* I think DH musta slipped something in my water!)

We both cooled off with a Mountain High Mudd Pie, which I HIGHLY recommend to be shared between 2 people (*stifled giggle*). Chocolate and vanilla ice cream with peanut butter chunks, chocolate cookie crust, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry...oh, and it was brought out laying down, not standing up (like in the picture) but it was still YUM!

Thanks, Red Robin, for a good time on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I'll see you again when I'm in the mood! ;)











Red Robin America's Gourmet Burgers and Spirits on Urbanspoon

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Arizona Tile Showroom - Livermore, CA


Arizona Tile Showroom
980 North Canyons Parkway
Livermore, CA 94552
(925) 371-8900
arizonatile.com

This is a new tile showroom located right of 580 and Airway Blvd. (the Costco side of the freeway, but turn left at Wendy's; it's next to the BMW/KTM/Triumph motorcycle dealer).

I went in there this afternoon to look at tile for my kitchen backsplash and Carolyn was very friendly and helpful in gathering up samples for me to take home. I pretty much knew what I was looking for and I didn't need any guidance as far as design, so I was in and out of there in 15 minutes.

They have a beautiful showroom with lots of vignettes and a very extensive selection of both natural stone and ceramic/porcelain tile. I saw a 36" x 36" travertine tile that was AMAZING! Too bad all our tile flooring is already installed in our home or I would seriously consider this one...it has quite the WOW factor and it would look spectacular in a large great room with high ceilings.

This is a great place to come and get design ideas (I've incorporated some patterns I saw at the Arizona Tile in Roseville into several of our bathrooms) but just know that they don't stock anything here. All tile needs to be ordered and it gets delivered to the Arizona Tile Warehouse off 580 and First Street.

One more thing: I love that they're open till 5pm Monday-Saturday!

Arizona Tile Slab & Tile Warehouse - Livermore, CA


Arizona Tile Slab & Tile Warehouse
4754 Bennett Dr
Livermore, CA 94551
(925) 453-3250
arizonatile.com

Been here a few times to pick up tile I ordered (it comes from SoCal) and once to browse their slabs. It's off 580 and First Street, right off Southfront Road on Bennett Drive (it'll be on the right side, my navi lied and took me right past them the first time).

The first time I came here, they had a hard time finding my order in the computer, but at least they didn't have a problem finding my tile! The warehouse guys were nice and brought out my tile pretty quickly, then loaded it into my SUV for me.

On my subsequent visits to pick up tile, they remembered me and didn't have any problems finding my order, so that was nice.

They had a fair selection of slabs to choose from, but I just didn't find anything that I was looking for.

Note: if you visit the Arizona Tile Showroom (off 580 and Airway) and order tile, this is the pick-up location.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Quiznos Sub - Pleasanton


Quizno's
4000 Pimlico Drive
Pleasanton, CA 94588
(925) 227-1777
quiznos.com

I've had this craving for Quiznos new Prime Rib on Rosemary Parmesan sandwich since I first tried it a few days ago, so I went here for lunch today. I hate to sound so excited over a damn Quiznos sandwich, but I gotta say that this time, the sandwich was even better than the first time I tried it!

Seriously, though, I'd like to thank the lady with short black hair and glasses, who was the maker of the sandwich extraordinaire. Fresh-fresh-fresh bread with enough of that dreamy sauce to eliminate dry bites, just-enough onions, the prime-rib-meat...that's enough to please a simple gal like me!

This location will be where I get my Prime Rib on Rosemary Parmesan fix from now on, since my local Quiznos on Vineyard Avenue in Livermore unfortunately just doesn't do it for me.

Quiznos Sub on Urbanspoon

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Pizza Guys - Lincoln, CA


Pizza Guys
745 S State Highway 65
Lincoln, CA 95648
(916) 543-9999
pizzaguys.com

I had my first Pizza Guys pizza from the Lincoln store (in the Raley's shopping center, across Washington Mutual). It was delicious...for what I call an "American Pizza Chain". In fact, I liked it better than Domino's, Mountain Mike's, Little Caesars, Round Table, Pizza Hut and even Costco.

But I'm a fan of the authentic wood-fired Pizza Margherita, to which none of the American Pizzas are worthy of comparison, so I just don't feel right giving 'em 5 stars. For Pizza Guys, 4 stars is the highest rating attainable in my book. :)

Cattlemens - Livermore, CA


Cattlemens
2882 Kitty Hawk Rd
Livermore, CA 94551
(925) 447-1224
cattlemensrestaurants.com

We went to Cattlemen's last night in an attempt to watch Monday Night Football and try their $2 Rib (Happy Hour special, Mondays in the bar only) since we've never tried their ribs before. Wow, the bar was so packed full of people, there was no chance of gettin' a table or even being able to watch the game. They only had 2-3 screens (and not big screens) and it was very, very noisy - which we fully expect with so many people crammed in that room.

So we decided to just eat in the dining room and forget the $2 ribs. Rachel was our server and the best thing about her was that she smiled and got our order right. She was awfully slow and the dining room wasn't even busy (we got seated immediately and there were only 2 other tables taken in our entire row). We did enjoy our meals, the chopper and sweet potato were SO good, as always.

But when we were done and she dropped off our bill, she took F-O-R-E-V-E-R to come back. We should have just told her to hold on while we gave her a credit card! Gee, I thought most servers that screw up during your meal at least try to make up for it at the end when they bring you the tab. Sometimes that's even the first time the server is nice and pleasant and cracks a smile!

Well, considering I gave Cattlemens 4 stars when I thought they deserved 3 1/2...based on the service getting worse this time, they are definitely down to 3 stars now.

Quizno's - Livermore


Quizno's
101 E Vineyard
Livermore, CA 94550
(925) 426-7827
quiznos.com

I haven't written a review on this Quizno's on Vineyard at Isabel because I was hoping not to be their third 1-star rating on yelp. This is the closest fast food to me, unless you consider Starbucks' sandwiches fast food...and I have not and will not ever step into the Chevron mart for a plastic-wrapped-sandwich-made-3-days-ago...I'd rather go hungry.

Rewind. The main reason behind them deserving 1 star is because they were overcharging customers who order the $5 large deli favorites and add on the meal-deal-thingie (drink and a side) for an additional $1.99. It's supposed to be $6.99 but it was ringing up $0.20 more. I pointed it out to them and they gave me a credit. I told the blonde lady (owner? manager?) that they should fix that on the register, though.

I came in the next time and they still didn't fix the problem, but issued me a credit. I've been there about 4-5 times afterwards and they are STILL OVERCHARGING! They did continue to give me the credit, but the point was that how many people have they overcharged that didn't catch on? It's chump change, I know, but it's really the principle of the matter.

I haven't been there in 2-3 months, due to the overcharge issue and the last time I was there, they were OUT of tuna. That's the only sandwich I EVER get there, so I felt displaced and my inside voice was stuttering, "N-n-n-no tuna? Uh, did you reeeeeeeeeeally say NO TUNA??" So as my mind was spinning (I am loyal to the one thing I order at each place, that's just me) I ordered these cute little Sammies, one steak and one chicken...and barf, barf, barf...they made me want to stay away from Quizno's as long as possible!

Fast forward to today. Hubby's been workin' all day and it's 3pm, neither one of us has eaten. He says, "Why don'tcha go up to Quizno's and get me that Prime Rib sandwich they're advertising for $3.99?" I think to myself, well, it's been a while so maybe it's time to give 'em another chance. So I go there and decide to try one myself (I know, I know, I said I was loyal, but I'm human and can't a girl cheat just once in a while?) After all, it does come on that rosemary-parmesan bread that they otherwise charge an extra $0.39 for...and lemme tell you, that sandwich is DA BOMB! L-L-L-Love it! Moist prime rib meat (is it really prime rib? don't know, but it's good!) with sauteed onions on the delectable, warmly toasted rosemary-parmesan bread...YUM!

That sandwich just earned them two stars.

Hmmmmm...I didn't order the add-on meal for $1.99 (do they still have it for $1.99? don't know). I just ordered the 2 sandwiches to go...so I guess I still don't know if they ever fixed their overcharging problem!



Quiznos on Urbanspoon

Monday, November 10, 2008

Intertile Natural Stone Surfaces - San Leandro, CA


Intertile Natural Stone Surfaces
2300 Polvorosa Dr
San Leandro, CA 94577
(415) 671-1110
intertile.com

The Intertile sales rep solicited our business because we're building a new home, so on one our trips to San Leandro (the metropolis of slab yards in the East Bay), we paid them a visit.

With the help of navi, it was easy to find. :) We knew the sales rep wasn't there (DH had talked to him earlier) but we came to look for slabs in a specific color - something that would compliment our burgundy red Lacanche range.

We walked down each aisle, with a small sample of our range color in hand...nope...nope...that's pretty, but nope...nope...nope...and so on. They did have a lot of selection, but nothing that popped for us.

Their showroom is nice, compared to other showrooms in San Leandro. However, if you can get over to the Sacramento area, Bedrosian's in Rancho Cordova has the most beautiful one I've ever seen...talk about eye candy! Arizona Tile in Roseville is my second favorite showroom as far as tile displays and selection. But I found exactly the granite slabs I was looking for at Daltile Sacramento and they also happened to have the best prices.

The Intertile sales rep was persistent, I'll give him that much. But when we told him what we were looking for, he looked at their inventory himself and couldn't find anything either. We later found out that the granite we selected was newly imported into the US and only Daltile had the slabs at the time.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Oakdale Plumbing - Oakdale, CA


Oakdale Plumbing (Bruce Gellerman)
17091 Victory Avenue
Oakdale, CA 95361
(209) 838-8190

Bruce Gellerman of Oakdale Plumbing is a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and more importantly, a lousy excuse for a plumber. I do NOT recommend under ANY circumstances. Here's the scoop:

When he was trying to get our job (plumbing our new custom home), he was offering to do extras for free and begged for the job, claiming he's been out of work and REALLY needs the money. So we hired him, after he kept contacting my husband to see if we had made a decision. He's in his 60's or 70's so we felt pity on him (poor old man) and our neighbor who referred him was using him on their new home as well.

He was so pleasant and appreciative when he asked us for an advance upfront (without starting any work) and again, we thought "poor old man" because he told us he was behind on his mortgage payments.

So he does the rough plumbing on our house...and now, fast forward to the time we start installing tile on the shower floors. Well, the drains are OFF-CENTER in 3 showers...WTF???!!! I don't mean 1/2" but like TWO INCHES!

Then the 4th shower, the one in the master bathroom, has 4 body sprays. Well, not only are the body sprays NOT LEVEL, but he installed the top 2 sprays to spray directly in my eyes...again...WTF???!!!

There's more. The rough plumbing for the 2 of our toilets were OFF-CENTER and TOO FAR AWAY from the water line he installed...yeah, again...WTF???!!!

When our general contractor and us told him about these issues, all he could do was start the blame game. Blah, blah, blah. He couldn't validate any of the numerous excuses he came up with when we asked, so now he turns into Mr. Hyde.

He actually gets into my husband's face (!!!) and yells indecencies and because my husband is a gentleman, old man Bruce didn't get knocked to the ground. He also told me to shut up. Seriously. My husband and I were actually in awe at his transformation and felt embarrassed and sorry for him to be an old man and not have his sh*t together and act like such an idiot.

The end result is that Bruce is UNWILLING TO COME BACK AND FIX HIS MISTAKES UNLESS WE PAY HIM TO DO SO. He also had the nerve to come back to our jobsite and demand that we pay him for the finish plumbing, which was work he did not even do!

As the job progresses, we find more problems caused by Bruce. He never installed a water line to our fridge and also did not install one to our pot filler. Good thing we have a raised foundation and were able to install these after the fact!

Saturday, November 8, 2008

V. Sattui Winery - St. Helena, CA


V. Sattui Winery
1111 White Ln
Saint Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-7774
vsattui.com

It's all about the wine...and V. Sattui has my favorite, FAVORITE wines in the entire Napa Valley area! I've been coming here for years and just love many of their different varieties, most of all their Gamay Rouge, Muscat and Riesling (yes, I favor the sweeter wines) although I also like to sip on their Port and Madeira...it goes great with chocolate!

Yes, it's crowded...but it's so worth it. Love the beautiful building and site and the mature oaks with picnic tables (note to self: don't wear shorts, ocd says remember dirty benches) provide shade on those hot summer days.

Love the cheese selection from their deli, and even though I did not like their barbecue fare AT ALL (yucky and overpriced), I still have to give them 5 stars because, well...it's all about the wine!

One more thing, my favorite wine pourer Demetrius only works weekends...and I can practice my Greek for a few short minutes!

5 stars for the wine. It's all about the wine.

Gaters - Fremont, CA


Gaters
3846 Mowry Avenue
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 494-9944

We were going to eat at Yuri next door, but saw that they were closed (I forgot they did that between lunch and dinner) so we ventured to Gaters (name sounds like a Cajun/Creole-type establishment, doesn't it?) Anyway, I love all Mediterranean food and hole-in-the-wall places as well, so I quickly got over the fact that I wasn't going to Yuri for their Sunset nigiri.

On to Gaters: the gyro was pretty good and the friendly staff happily obliged my request for extra tzatziki sauce (it's all about the tzatziki!) DH got the spicy gyro, which he liked but wasn't all that spicy. We tried the dolmas...and were not impressed at all. Honestly, the dolmas from Costco are better!

Overall, we were very pleased with the service and happy with the gyros. The loud Arabic music might be a bit much for most people, but it's the norm for hole-in-the-wall joints like this, so I didn't mind it because it actually brought back wonderful memories of when I used to live in Paris!

I only wish they served Merguez Frites...that would have given 'em a 4th star...maybe even a 5th if it was anything like what I've had in Paris. I think the owner/manager is half-Lebanese, so maybe they don't really do the Maghreb (North Africa region) food, hence no Merguez Frites.

Gaters Mediterranean Grill on Urbanspoon

McGrail Vineyards and Winery - Livermore, CA


McGrail Vineyards and Winery
5600 Greenville Rd
Livermore, CA 94550
(925) 373-6214
mcgrailvineyards.com

They have the most beautiful building and setting in the nearby vicinity. I've only been here once during the Harvest Festival, so it was quite busy and I don't think I even saw the McGrails...but wait a sec...I don't know who they are, so how would I know if I saw them? :)

My husband and I did enjoy the Olivina booth and talking with Charles Crohare...sampling the olive oil and balsamic was our favorite part of the visit. Oh, and I did leave with a bottle of Olivina Fig Balsamic Vinegar - YUM, YUM!

Unfortunately, I didn't really care for their wine (the other reviews rave about their Cabernet, but I'm not a Cabernet fan) and since it's all about the wine...I only gave them 3 stars.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Law Office of William Webb Farrer - San Francisco, CA


Law Office of William Webb Farrer
300 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
(415) 765-9100

This is a review on William Webb Farrer (aka Billy) as an attorney. He came to my house 2 days ago with the project manager of a stucco/drywall/plaster company in Hayward and my 1 star rating is because:

1) He did not introduce himself or even present me with his business card and he was at my house for over 2 hours. Not very professional.

2) He was wearing a flannel shirt, blue jeans and Vans shoes...in my experience, the attorneys I've seen were always in business attire. Again, not very professional.

3) He waited until the END of the meeting to ask my husband and I if we had retained counsel. I believe that should have been the first question to ask us at the BEGINNING of the meeting. I think that was a BIG NO-NO as far as proper attorney procedures.

4) He told us that he would send us an e-mail and it's 2 days later...no e-mail. Well, he didn't specify when he would send the e-mail, so maybe I only have an assumption that he should follow through on his word within 1-2 business days.

***REVIEW UPDATE AVAILABLE***

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Strings Italian Cafe - Livermore, CA


Strings Italian Cafe
2205 Las Positas Road
Livermore, CA 94551
(925) 373-1044
stringscafe.com

We decided to try this Strings after a typical Home Depot run that took waaaaaaaay longer than it should have. They have a $6.99 (or is it $6.95?) lunch special and we tried that with the salad and spaghetti with meat sauce. (Note: I normally would NEVER order spaghetti with meat sauce at a restaurant because I make THE BEST myself...but I haven't had a kitchen for 4+ months now and it's either microwave or eat out...UGH!)

Salad: good when it's served freshly tossed (note to servers: the lettuce is no longer yummy when it's been drenched in dressing for too long). I like the sunflower seeds and raisins, they add a nice twist to an otherwise mediocre salad. Go away, thickly sliced raw red onions.

Bread: the bread here is SO GOOD I hate them for making me a carb whore. Fresh, hot and served on a cute little wooden cutting board!

Spaghetti: the saving grace is that it is served al dente. Otherwise, as a spaghetti alla bolognese snob, it's okay...but if I was serving you dinner in my house, this dish wouldn't make it out of the kitchen!

As far as their sauces, I've also tried both the alfredo and pesto once...and would never order either of them again!

One star for the weekday lunch price, which is available till 4pm. Eating out all the time can get expensive!

Two stars for the bread, despite the regret I feel the next morning on the scale after being such a carb whore.

Strings Italian Cafe on Urbanspoon

Fenestra Winery - Livermore, CA


Fenestra Winery
83 Vallecitos Rd
Livermore, CA 94550
(925) 447-5246
fenestrawinery.com

My FAVORITE Livermore winery!!! I love their wine, the owners and pourers are the friendliest people who make you feel welcome whether it's your first visit or you're a Fenestra Fanatic...and it's in my backyard! I totally agree with the other reviews on all the F-R-E-E tastings...you definitely can't beat that! This place always seems crowded and with good reason...

Terico - San Jose, CA


Terico
1723 Junction Ave
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 441-8868
terico.biz

If you're feeling lucky and like to gamble, then Terico's may be a good bet. The best thing about them for someone like me who is building a home, is that it's cash-and-carry, and I mean CASH (or checks) and you have to CARRY your own boxes of tile off the loading dock into your vehicle (unless you buy a pallet, which they load with a forklift for you). You don't order anything, so when I need stuff now, I go to Terico's.

In the realm of building a home, I am a shopping guru...seriously. That means searching everywhere to get the best price without sacrificing quality. Sometimes Terico has the best price for tile, sometimes they don't. Same goes for quality, I found some top-quality marble but poor-quality onyx.

Although Terico does have a lot of tile to choose from, they don't have everything I need, especially when it comes to liners, deco tiles, mosaics and medallions. I purchased some Java Cream, Rainforest Brown, Incas Gold and Crema Marfil tiles from them, but got the rest of what I needed elsewhere. I'm building a house with travertine floors throughout and 8 bathrooms (all of them different) so I had a lot on my tile shopping list!

Service varies greatly here, it's hit or miss depending upon who you talk to. It's definitely a don't-touch-anything-because-it' s-so-damn- filthy place, so be warned. Even some of the samples on display are labeled "clean" and "dirty" so you can see the difference...seems odd, but whatever!

They don't take orders after 1:55pm (it used to be 2:00pm but they seriously changed it to 1:55pm!) on weekdays and 10:00am on Saturdays. Come early because sometimes there's a long wait at the cashier, a long wait to fill your order and I highly recommend that you check your tile before loading it...they don't give refunds.

Also, they have a $280 minimum purchase, so keep that in mind...









Ruby Hill Winery - Pleasanton, CA


Ruby Hill Winery
400 Vineyard Ave
Pleasanton, CA 94566
(925) 931-9463
rubyhillwinery.net

Ruby Hill Winery definitely has more of a Napa feel, compared to some of the other wineries in Livermore. They have a beautiful building in a gorgeous setting and the staff is very friendly. I wish I liked the wine better, though...it was better than okay, but I wouldn't put it on my list of favorites.

I'll give it another try, though. I want to enjoy coming here since it's so close by and I like everything else about the wine tasting experience. If I liked the wine enough to buy a bottle, I would've given 'em 5 stars.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Savage Designer Cabinets - Rocklin, CA


Savage Designer Cabinets
3939 Cincinnati Ave
Rocklin, CA 95765
(916) 782-8900
savagecabinets.com

We saw the beautiful work of Savage Designer Cabinets at the Street of Dreams (Serrano, El Dorado Hills and Dark Horse, Auburn) and Dream Home Showcase (Catta Verdera, Lincoln). Let me just say that DH and I have seen a lot of homes and these cabinets were the best we've ever seen!

We're currently finishing up the build of our new home and our Savage cabinets have exceeded our expectations. They did our main kitchen, serving kitchen and great room entertainment center and the cabinets are quite stunning, if I may say so myself. :)

The installers they use are top-notch. They're a couple of very experienced men who work conscientiously, efficient and without error...no messin' around like a lot of subs on the job. They're expensive but worth it and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

Steve Savage is a rare gift to homeowners. He possesses a natural talent for kitchen design and I think of him as an artist with a vision and wood is his paintbrush. He has an outstanding professional staff who can execute his designs from paper to installation.

Out of all the contractors we've worked with on this build, Savage Designer Cabinets is #1!

Red Robin - Pleasanton, CA


Red Robin
4503 Rosewood Dr
Pleasanton, CA 94588
(925) 225-1755
redrobin.com

I used to like Red Robin so much better...but after not going to one for over 6 months, my taste or their burgers must have changed. I don't know, it may also be the difference between the Roseville and Pleasanton locations, but I wasn't impressed with my meal like I usually was.

Ordered my usual Banzai Burger, medium, with steak fries and a side of ranch dressing...but it seemed a little bland this time. Even the pineapple didn't have as much flavor as I remember.

DH tried their new Blackened Bayou Burger and he wasn't impressed at all. (That's what it means when I ask him, "How is it?" and he replies, "It's okay.") Not to mention the fact that they brought out the Sicilian Burger by mistake the first time...and he waited 40 minutes from the time we ordered to finally get the right burger.

The manager apologized and comped our meal and offered us free desserts. The server was very nice and apologetic also, so we left her a nice tip. I'll give 'em another try...and hope I can fall back in love with Red Robin, even just a little bit.

TIP: Join the Red Robin eClub and get a free Gourmet Burger on your birthday!

Alert K-9 Training Center - Brentwood, CA


Alert K-9 Training Center
901 Bonnie Ln
Brentwood, CA 94513
(925) 240-8292
alertk-9.com

Ryan Tulchinsky is an excellent trainer and in our experience, he is awesome at working with large, dominant breeds. We brought our two puppies to him back in 2002 and had private lessons with Ryan. These dogs turned out to be the BEST! Although it's partly genetics, it's also partly environment and I'm sure Ryan's training us as the owners allowed us to train our dogs properly.

He's also our trainer forever, meaning he's always been available for advice even long after the lessons were over. To me, that's priceless...

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Yuri Japanese Restaurant - San Jose, CA


Yuri Japanese Restaurant
3236 S White Rd
San Jose, CA 95148
(408) 270-7993
yuri-sushi.com

The Sunset. Quail egg, tobiko, yellowtail. $8.25 and worth every friggin' penny!!! That alone gives Yuri 5 solid stars and gives me a reason to drive past a dozen sushi restaurants to "Destination Yuri." :)

Oh, they have many other delish guest creations and specialty rolls and I highly rate Yuri as "California Sushi" but less as "Authentic Sushi" (California = creative rolls with mixed ingredients and special sauces. Authentic = nigiri or sashimi...awesomely fresh...pure fish...heavenly.)

Their rice tea is fabulous...I ask for a glass of ice on the side and make my own "iced rice tea"...LOVE it!

Yuri Japanese on Urbanspoon

Mimi's Cafe - Dublin, CA


Mimi's Cafe
4775 Hacienda Dr
Dublin, CA 94568
(925) 833-2521
mimiscafe.com

Although I've never been too fond of Mimis Cafe in the past, DH and I discovered a year ago that they serve breakfast and not only that but they serve breakfast all day long...never knew that before!

The Homemade Corned Beef Hash & Eggs breakfast is my favorite chain restaurant breakfast, with a tall glass ($1.00 extra) of freshly squeezed orange juice and a carrot raisin muffin (both are included in the $8.49 price).

I do NOT recommend the Mimi's Originial Pain Perdu breakfast...their French Toast stuffed with cream cheese and orange marmalade and sprinkled with powdered sugar is NOT as good as it sounds. Trust me, I couldn't even finish this dish and I was hungry!

My favorite "Just Enough Dinner" entree is the Salisbury Steak with mushrooms...mmm, comfort food! Since I'm a slow eater, I ask for more gravy when I run out, which at the same time warms up the second half of my meal. :)

I've only tried one dish from the "Just Enough Lunch" which is the Greek Chicken Bowl...I couldn't even finish it, despite my hunger, because it was pretty darn tasteless. I ate the muffin and I was good.

Their French Market Onion Soup is very typical and quite delicious. Avoid the Hand Bread Chicken Tenders appetizer, though, it's mostly greasy crunch with tiny, tough chicken...yuk.

5 stars for the corned beef hash, carrot raisin muffin and o.j.
Deduct 1/2 star for the greek chicken bowl and chicken tenders.
Deduct 1/2 star because I just found out they no longer serve breakfast all day...only till 4pm.

TIP #1: Sometimes your receipt prints with a "Complimentary Appetizer" survey on it and it's very quick to complete online (but you can also call an 800 number). Remember, do NOT order the chicken tenders when you go for your free appetizer.

TIP #2: Join Mimi's Cafe e-Club and get a free breakfast!

TIP #3: This is my favorite cheap, light eat here: Plain caesar salad w/muffin $3.80 + a cup of french onion soup add-on $1.29 = $5.09. The muffin is tomorrow's breakfast!

Roda Viva Churrascaria - Temecula, CA


Roda Viva Churrascaria
40820 Winchester Rd
Temecula, CA 92591
(909) 296-9858

DH and I stumbled upon this place when visiting Temecula...and what a great find! We went there for lunch and although at first we weren't sure about a mall restaurant, Roda Viva exceeded our expectations!

The service was outstanding and we really enjoyed sampling the different meats using the aforementioned red/green block of wood. Kind of reminded me of Bubba Gump's "Run, Forrest, Run!" concept. :)

Sure wish there was a Roda Viva in the Bay Area!

Campo di Bocce - Livermore, CA


Campo di Bocce
175 E Vineyard Ave
Livermore, CA 94550
(925) 249-9800
campodibocce.com

Campo di Bocce is a great place to go if you're interested in playing bocce ball, but you'd be better off stopping somewhere else to eat. If you're absolutely starving, you won't mind the food...but the service was disappointing the three times I've eaten there this past year.

Too bad, because this is the nearest restaurant to me and I'd probably eat here a lot out of convenience if it was good. It does have a beautiful location, among the vineyards in Livermore Wine Country.

One star for the location and the ambiance. Pass on the food, pass on the service. Maybe on the bocce ball.

Art Culinaire - Woodinville, WA


Art Culinaire
17721 132nd Ave NE
Woodinville, WA 98072
(425) 481-7500
frenchranges.com

Art Culinaire is the sole vendor in the USA for Lacanche (a company in France that makes ranges). They've been a joy to deal with in purchasing my Lacanche Cluny 1400 Classique in Burgundy Red...a gorgeous piece of art that will be the centerpiece of my kitchen!

Although the Lacanche range is quite pricey compared to the American counterparts, it is a completely different piece of equipment. For instance, the Lacanche is handmade in France and it's built with the configuration you choose (burner options, oven options, warming cabinet, color, trim).

Haven't installed it yet, but I'll post an update as soon as it is and I've cooked on it a few weeks!