McGah's Pub & Pianos, Danville

4/30/14

Spicy shrimp

We stopped here with my husband's (former) coworker on Friday night.  We arrived around 7 and easily found parking out front and a seat inside.  A bouncer out front IDed us, and there was no cover charge. Terrific!  A strange turn of events for my husband when he found out that morning he was no longer an employee of the company he worked for: so the coworker's drink suggestion was well-received.

We had eaten earlier but our third person ordered spicy shrimp (not spicy, just pricey). And chicken wings.  The wings were ridiculously good. The only problem was THERE WERE NO WINGS!!! It was all drumsticks - who is on the quality control in their kitchen?? The less popular drumsticks were still good. They were very crunchy and the buffalo sauce was on the side, so my husband's non-spicy palate enjoyed some too.

Dueling pianos

We really enjoyed the live music and singing.  The two guys were great - flawless piano playing and great singing voices.  Requests were free, fun, familiar songs played while the entire place sang along. It was really fun! Service was terrific too - our drinks were never empty and our server was friendly.  The former coworker paid our $75 tab, so after our tip it was close to $100 for the night out, but we all thought it was worth it and lots of fun.

We would definitely go back for more chicken "wings" and singing and pianos. The place was packed when we left. Tons of people standing and every table and seat at the bar filled. So we would definitely remember to go early again!

California Sun Dry Foods, Danville

4/30/14

I love fresh tomatoes, but there's something about the flavor of sun-dried tomatoes that is distinct and equally enjoyable for me. (Plus, sun dried tomatoes are even healthier than fresh ones).  It's also nice when I buy a product that say's "California grown" - from a local company.

CA Sun Dry tomato halves are my favorite of their products. I don't even rehydrate them with warm water, as the packaging suggests.  Sometimes I cook with them, sometimes I just eat them out of the bag.  They fresh-tasting, seem to last forever, and have tremendous tomato flavor.

The package of sun dried tomatoes has a recipe on back, but you can also call the company directly for more recipes. [(800) 995-7753] The company employees will personally take your call and you can even leave a message after hours.  That's so awesome.  I generally look up recipes online if I'm thinking of cooking something new, but being able to call a company that distributes sun dried tomatoes, for a sun dried tomato recipe, just seems smarter!

I buy my packages at local Lucky's Supermarkets but hopefully CA Sun Dry Foods is carried through a wider variety of grocery stores.  Eat their healthy product, and then call the nice employees and tell them how much you like it. It's fun to give compliments! Especially when they're deserved! Thanks for the yummy, healthy snack food!

Taqueria Las Palmas, Concord

4/27/14

This weekend started off with bad news for my husband (although, getting a break from work near the beginning of summer doesn't sound terrible... as long as Momma Bear is still getting a paycheck). Then Saturday we attended an emotional memorial service. So today we enjoyed sleeping in, waking up after noon.  We hopped out of bed starving and Casey found Taqueria Las Palmas on Yelp.

Two men were working when we walked in.  The small taqueria was very clean, and the man who had been mopping the floors stopped to take our order.  He answered all my questions about the menu and I ordered a grilled fish taco ($2.50) and a crunchy taco with carnitas.

We enjoyed some fresh, tasty salsa and warmed chips while we waited for our tacos.  I had an empty, reusable water bottle that the man who was cooking our food was happy to fill for me with tap water.  They didn't have any limes (only lemons), but the salsa bar did have radishes in addition to their two salsas, cilantro, chopped onions, and sliced jalapenos.

Our hot food arrived and the tacos were fresh tasting and well-portioned.  The fish was outstanding.  The crunchy taco shell was also really good and fresh.  We were both surprised at the quality of food. I'd definitely recommend stopping in here.

We went home and watched the Warriors win. And then the Giants win. So it was a really great day overall.

Sweet Tomatoes, Pleasant Hill

4/27/14

Salad might be one of my favorite things in the world.  Not lettuce: salad! I like every vegetable, so when we arrived, I knew to take only little tiny bits of each thing, but still had a full plate when I reached the register. I took a little of everything, and it turned into a LOT.  Next time I come I might not even waste my time with the salad.  Because after we paid and rounded the corner to the dining area, I realized I really wanted soup!

We sat down and I returned to the soup station. I poured a bowl of Asian Ginger broth, added some carrots and green onions, and then stared at all the other choices. Clam chowder sounded so good also!  I went back a third time before sitting down and fixed a small plate of rice, mac n cheese, and a lemon-asparagus pasta.  I really enjoyed all of these!  A piece of garlic cheesy bread topped off my plate, and I was ready to feast. 
I didn't want to be wasteful so I finished my salad plate, and my soup, and my pasta, but had no room to go back and try other soups.  I did leave some room for a mini chocolate ice cream cone, which I ate as we walked out.

I thought it was very clean, both in the salad preparation area, and the dining area.  Our plates were cleared promptly.  We filled our own drinks and I went through a couple of refreshing glasses of non-sweetened iced tea.  I was also impressed with the variety of salad toppings and how fresh they were.  They were all sliced into little pieces, which was also nice. I hate when I get large pieces of lettuce or green bell peppers that are too big for a normal forkful. All in all, glad I returned to this location after so many years, and I won't wait so long to return again.

Rudgear Community Park, Walnut Creek

4/27/14

Casey and Amy P. were both smiling when we saw that Rudgear Park was located at the intersection of Rudgear and Palmer Road. We stopped the car and took a picture with the street sign.

We were at the park last summer attending a shindig for a friend in town from Amsterdam.  She had invited groups of her friends to all meet at the park.  It was a hot day and we were happy to find some shade under trees where we had put blankets down on the grass.  Nearby, some of her friends let their children play on the play structures.  Picnic benches were covered in food and coolers of drinks.

The park is really big and the lawn was green and lush.  Lots of area for kids to play and run around. And plenty of room left over for the adults that want to enjoy the park with their pets and friends.

La Botana, Concord

4/22/14

Oh wow. I know they just recently opened, but perhaps opening day should be postponed until they are able to serve tap water. I'm not much of a soda drinker (unless it's in a glass bottle), so I typically don't have to pay for my drink with lunch. I love tap water - especially with some citrus squeezed into it.  But I was told they only had bottled water. I paid $1.25 for a plastic bottle of water. I assume this is an issue with not having glasses to serve water in? I have no idea!

Not having a veggie or potato taco option was a big disappointment. I ordered one carnitas and one chicken. ($2.50 each) They were out of carnitas so I eneded up with two chicken.  Complimentary chips and salsa were brought to the table.  The salsa was very mild - chips were OK.

The place is small, only a few tables inside.  My food was out quickly and had the same mild salsa on top of two housemade tortillas.  The tortillas were good, chicken was OK.  1 slice of lime and a halved radish were also on the plate. The man inside who seemed to be in charge brought me a napkin and checked to make sure everything was good. As I left, a man outside suggested I get my car washed at the 76 next door.

If I return here, I'll DEF think ahead and get my car detailed. Their prices are super low (I think he said $15 inc. interior vacuum, rims, etc.). But since I love spicy salsa and a fresh salsa bar, they might have a hard time keeping my business.  If you live in the area it's worth checking out this new restaurant, but it was no comparison to my favorites on Monument and Contra Costa Blvd.

Buffet City, Concord

4/17/14

My husband is right. I was wrong. There. I said it.

This place has gone a little downhill. I insisted for the last week before last night's dinner here that "no, everything is the same. It's so good!" And then, as I chewed calamari strips just a little too chewy, and swallowed oysters just a little too smelly, I started to get that feeling that I was going to have to admit "Casey is right, and I am wrong."

Now, I will say that they still have a great variety of foods, but the scarce diners perhaps mean some of the dishes are sitting out longer than others.  Plus, last night, my favorite dish (the green beans) was gone, replaced with bok choy and also asparagus sections. A couple of the items were still enjoyed by us (me moreso than Casey). He did like the chicken on a stick.  I'm more of a seafood person so I enjoyed the crab puree in the scallop shell (I think that's what it was). I also liked the sashimi, and some of the shrimp dishes.  The clams in the shell with jalapenos is probably my favorite thing they serve.

At the end of my meal I had miso soup and a salad.  Believe me, I didn't leave hungry! Service was okay. Then it came time to pay: they don't take Discover; or Visa gift cards. But you can get 10% off for checking in on Yelp.  Two dinners and one soda was still $25 though - and now I feel it's just "average", so I'll save my buffet dinners for more worthwhile ones (like when I'm in Vegas!)

Of course, I grabbed a cotton candy on the way out, which means I left smiling... and that's always a good thing.   :D

UPDATED FROM PREVIOUS REVIEW ON 11/26/2012:

I think something is wrong with any yelper who gave less than 5 stars but perhaps i'm generous when I'm reviewing a buffet - since you have an idea of what to expect anyhow. It's buffet; not fine dining.

Holy buffet! this place is amazing. I came here a long time ago and remember thinking I didn't want to reurn, but we gave it another try the other night and I can't stop thinking about all the good food. I will never go to another dinner buffet around here. This is the BEST.

Everything was fresh, hot, restocked quickly. There was a huge variety of food and options and even the salad bar was amazing. Cotton candy dessert! So much seafood. I'm salivating on my keyboard... (note: since you don't typically leave a cotton candy machine just running unattended, ask for service with this item and they are happy to make it for you. it takes about 45 seconds.)

Check out the pictures of food items - too many to describe - they honestly have everything. (or go in and walk around). Amazing!!

Even our service was really great. The girl helping our table sat and talked with us for a while about Black Friday deals she'd purchased. She had lots of time to talk since I made 6 trips back up for food!! it was a record for me!!

Discount opportunity! 10% off right now if you check in on yelp and show them your check in offer!

Murray Family Farms, Bakersfield

8/1/13

This little farm was a nice break from our long drive. We grabbed some cherry tomoato snacks to nibble on, as well as some fresh and hot cinnamon-sugar covered nuts. I also bought some garlic hot sauce that I fell in love with and proceeded to put on the cherry tomoato bites.  The store itself is pretty small and there wasn't a large variety of product. Everything looked fresh though and the tomatoes were worth a stop on our way back up the 5 again.

I'd avoid the samples though - we saw people digging through with their hands, picking out pieces. What the ---- !!! Toothpicks are provided for your convenience. And to keep it sanitary. Use them!

We didn't enter the petting zoo in back but only because we wanted to get back on the road. We did walk around the area and take a look. While I wouldn't necessarily call the place a "tourist trap" since I don't know anyone who has ever deliberately traveled to visit Bakersfield, it may disappoint if youre looking for something substantial. More fruits than veggies. Great snack alternatives for the road if youre getting bored of sunflower seeds from the gas station.

TravelZoo, Mountain View

8/2/13

If youre not familiar with Travelzoo.com, get online, find their website, and sign up for their emails. Even on the days when I feel like my Yahoo mail account is overwhelmed by emails I end up just deleting, I always take the time to read through the ones from Travelzoo. Their travel deals are amazing. I've booked a couple trips through them and they are how I found CheapCaribbean.com (another INCREDIBLE site). The employees at Travelzoo are happy to talk to you on the phone if you aren't happy with a deal and work out something to make it better. We once purchased a local dinner deal through them (I usually only look for travel deals but made an exception). When we arrived at the restaurant, we realized the "savings" wasn't nearly as much as the deal had said - the prices were about the same so we brought it to their attention and were promptly refunded.

I've used Travelzoo for years. They were around before all the Groupon-ish sites became so popular. I trust them and I love the trips they offer.  This week's include a $700 Iceland trip (including airfare, 3 nights lodging, and daily breakfast) to escape and see the Northern Lights. Pretty amazing!  $11 Aquarium SF tickets. $1,699 to Israel for 7 nights including air. And more! Plus, you can pick cities (local or afar) and look at deals for things to do, places to eat, and places to stay - within the specific city!

Clayton Valley Medical Group, Clayton

8/2/13

I'll first state that I'm not a patient of this office, but I did recently have an appointment to meet with Dr. Goettsch in this office. I arrived early and waited for another person that would be joining us. I chatted with the receptionist since I was alone in the waiting area. The front office is large with a lot of seating. It made me curious if the place gets that busy. How come there are so many chairs out here? But it was tidy and clean and had a cute fake-fish aquarium and some positive posters on the wall.


The receptionist was super friendly. I asked her if the restaurant next door had pizza-by-the-slice, and when she said "no" she tried to brainstrom other nearby places that might. She even asked another employee. I decided it was pretty thoughtful of her to help me with my lunch craving (even though we came up with nothing! Gotta live in Oakland for good slices of pizza, I guess.)

Dr. Goettsch was ready to go when the third party (her patient) arrived. An on-time doctor? You don't say! She was polite and professional, and still really friendly. We talked about her kids who are going to the same high school I went to (long ago!) Overall she was very likeable and I had a good experience with her and her staff.

Valley Medlyn's Fountain and Coffee Shop, Danville

8/5/13

Benedict with spinach added and Hollandaise on the side

Wanting to try someplace new, we stopped here to grab a bite on our way down to Dave & Busters. We arrived at the same time as another couple and only had a five minute wait or so before we were sat. Our table was right at the entrance where the other couple was still standing. They wanted to wait for a booth, so we ended up chatting with them.

I ordered the Eggs Benedict with spinach added and the sauce on the side. The lady standing said that's exactly how she orders hers! I'm not alone  :)  Our food arrived by the time a booth was opening. It had been quite a while and at this point the couple actually told the hostess they would sit anywhere. Two booths were open now and instead of rushing to get one cleaned for the two who had waited so long, the girl lollied about and they waited quite a bit longer. It was odd.

Food was okay. Servings were pretty average sized; definitely not huge. I was surprised that my meal came with hashbrowns since the English muffin usually takes the place of toast or hash browns on Benedict orders. It was good - but kind of plain. My hasbrowns were extra crispy, which is how my husband had ordered his. His were not.  He had a sausage plate and the sausage was pretty good but his eggs were definitely cooked longer than the Over-Easy he had ordered.

An elderly couple came in as we were getting ready to leave and the hostess told them they could have the booth in the back. Unfortunately for them a baby started crying and the child's father asked if they could move to the booth in the back. They were moved and the elderly couple looked shocked. They actually said something to the girl seating them about their booth having been given away and she didn't even reply. Just started walking them to a table. It was again really odd behavior.

Service wasn't great. My water was empty and never refilled and husband only had one refill on his soda. They were busy, but the place is tiny. It's not that hard to pay attention to people's drinks.   $23 for our breakfast and it really wasn't that impressive.   I did enjoy finding a typo on their menu.  :D

Extra "mean" for me, please

Vista Del Lago, Visitors' Center, Gorman

8/6/13

My husband and I randomly stopped at this visitor's center on our most recent trip over the Grapevine. I hadn't even been in here before and we were really just pulling off to get a pic of Pyramid Lake, but saw the center and stopped. So glad we did!

It is a huge educational center and it's free to walk around. They have lots of displays and several are interactive. I work for a law firm that deals primarily with water law. Interestingly, there was lots of information about water companies and water districts throughout our state - several of which we actually represent.

It was a really fun stop and the views are great. They even have the over-sized binoculars you can look through (also for free) on their back porch. Pull off the I-5 next time youre on top of the Grapevine and enjoy yourself.  If you have enough time, I think it's only $8 for access to the Lake.

Slicer Pizzeria, Oakland

4/13/14

All of the good pizza joints exist on the West side of the Caldecott Tunnel. While I enjoy slices here in the East Bay from time to time, nothing compares to the great spots in Oakland and Berkeley. Another new find for us was Slicer Pizza!

We enjoyed a couple of slices at Slicer Pizzeria in Oakland, before hiking the hills of Mountain View Cemetery not far from their location.  I had a kale/mushroom slice and a slice with asparagus pieces.  My husband had a couple of sausage slices.  All were $3.50 a slice.  I had my reusable water bottle with me and they had pitchers of cold water which made it convenient for me to refill mine when it was empty.  My husband bought a bottle of Coke for $1.75.  We sat inside the small place and found a spot at the window where we watched the people walking by out front.

The pizza was thin crust, there was only a little sauce but lots of veggies on top. Neither of us liked the thick outer crust very much. It would have been better with some tomato sauce or something to dip it in, but we ended up just tossing it. Service was just kind of standard for an order-at-the-counter sort of place. Not particularly friendly like I would have hoped for our first visit.