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My reviews for 2015
Will I be able to do 100 or more reviews this year?
144 Places
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Carol’s 3-star review: This Colonial Donuts has been around for a long time. I used to come into this doughnut shop back in the mid-70's when one of my friend's husband worked here as a doughnut maker. Of course, back then I got the hookup of one doughnut and/or 3 doughnut holes. Gone are those days. The guy doesn't work there anymore. I was tending to business across the street (AT&T store) that I decided to make a pit stop here to get a few doughnuts. It's been a while since I had doughnuts. I don't eat them too often, but my favorite is the glazed French crullers. I'm not much of a cake doughnut fan. I remember French crullers used to be 75 cents each; now they are $1.50 each. Even the cake doughnuts have gone up...50 cents each to $1.00 each. (Yeah, like 20 years ago they were reasonably priced.) Colonial's has a nice assortment of cake donuts (coconut, sprinkles, blueberry, devils' food, crumb, etc.), croissants, twists, maple bars, apple fritters and cookies. Cake doughnuts can be dry and heavy on my stomach, but the blueberry one was quite moist and tasty. I guess that's why some people dunk those donuts in coffee - soften the doughnut and sweeten the coffee. My husband likes crumb doughnuts, so I got him two. One glazed French cruller, one blueberry cake and two crumb cakes = $4.50. I will come back. I noticed they also sell lotto tickets...who knows maybe a change of venue to purchase lotto tickets might bring me luck. -
Carol’s 3-star review: This Subway is actually better than a three star rating (3.5 stars). Most of their sandwiches are okay with the veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, sliced cucumbers, red onions, olives, etc. ) and the various dressings (mustard, honey mustard, mayo, ranch, etc.). I am not too much of a fan of Subway with their process meats, so I usually will get a six inch tuna or meatball marinara sandwich on whole wheat roll. The 1/2 star is for the cookies and chips. Having Double Rainbow ice cream is a plus, but not enough to warrant a 4 star rating. Ambiance: Very spacious compared to the Subway a few doors from Philz Coffee on the corner of Larkin & Golden Gate Avenue. There are more tables and chairs. It's not as crowded as some of the Subways I have seen. Cleanliness: No litter on the floor, no sticky tables, it's pretty much organized. Chips are either in front of the order window or on the rack. Bottled beverages are in a refrigerated case. Service was prompt and the two employees were cordial. One handles the cash register, while the other prepares the sandwiches. The only bad thing was I did not know my husband wanted a pastrami sandwich from here. I should have kept all those coupons from those junky ads that I get in the mail on Tuesdays. I always toss them out (Burger King, Jack in the Box, Carl's Jr., Subway). -
Carol’s 4-star review: Yesterday, my husband felt like a sandwich for dinner. He did not want to go to Subway again to have their pastrami sandwich. It's almost 7:00 PM. A yelp search of places that serve sandwiches in the early evening resulted in several places in Alameda. Some were already closed. At first, I suggested Cheesesteak Shop on Blanding. He wanted a sandwich from a place not too far from home. Reason: GS Warriors vs. Cavs game was starting about 7:35 PM. Okay, it's a mad dash to and from Straw Hat Pizza to get the sandwiches in the gray mobile, heading to Marina Village and returning home in a matter of 1/2 hour. We have never ordered pizzas from Straw Hat, let alone their sandwiches. They are located at the site of the old Round Table Pizza. The layout of pizza parlor is still the same as RTP. As Eugene L. usually does, get the menu and start perusing. Besides serving pizzas, they also offer gluten free pizzas, appetizers, a fresh salad bar, hot hats, sandwiches and burgers. Salad bar still has similar offerings (lettuce, spinach, veggies, pasta salad, salad dressings, etc.) as in the past. Eats to go: one Italian sub with potato wedges and one turkey sandwich with potato wedges. $6.49 for each sandwich. Italian sub consisted of ham, salami, pepperoni, Italian dressing, cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato. Turkey sandwich was turkey breast, melted Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo. Neither my husband nor I knew what to expect out of the sandwiches. It was our first time. We were surprised that both sandwiches were delish and they were definitely much better than the ones we get from Subway. It took me two sittings to finish my Italian sub. The service was quick enough that we got home about 2 minutes after the game started, which was a good thing. Another thing I liked seeing was a container for people to donate children's books to the East Bay Children's Book Project. Can one imagine that...a fast food pizza joint getting involved with the East Bay community. That's great and I know my husband and I will be back for their sandwiches and donating children's books to a good cause, EBCBP. -
Carol’s 4-star review: As "JB" (Godfather of Soul) would sing, "...I feel good...I feel nice, like sugar and spice, I feel nice, like sugar and spice, so nice, so nice, I got you...", as in the two macarons (raspberry and banana foster), a slice each of lime and glazed pear tarts from the Feel Good Bakery. Desserts are not the only remedy to feel good, but also Dr. Feelgood when I wanna feel good (wink, wink). Feel Good Bakery has macarons, assortment of tarts (not to be mistaken for the Brits' slang for girlfriend), cakes, pies, breads, muffins, mini tartlets, cookies, etc. After getting a fish sandwich from Baron's Eats, a stop here was a must try (the macarons) before I headed off to Safeway. My craving for the macarons were satisfied. The raspberry one needed a tad more flavoring - sweet, but I couldn't taste the tartness of the raspberry (3.5 stars). On the other hand, the banana foster one was absolutely the bomb - very flavorful of banana essence (5 stars). These macarons held up nicely without crumbling and falling apart after biting into them. This venue is the closest and most convenient to my home for purchasing macarons at $2.00 each. However, my top choice for macarons is Chantal Guillon (5 stars) in the Hayes Valley area of San Francisco. I love the tartness of the lime tart, but the texture of the crust was slightly hard and dry - not flaky, light and melt-in-the mouth texture (3.5 stars). The same can be said about the crust on the glazed pear tart (3.5 stars). The glaze was a tad too sweet, but the tart itself sans the crust was moist and delicious. There will be returned trips to Feel Good Bakery for the macarons, the focaccia bread and whatever tickles my fancy and/or makes me feel good, feel nice - like sugar and spice...hey, hey. -
Carol’s 3-star review: After reading some of the reviews of Baron's Eats, my husband and I decided to give this place a try yesterday, late afternoon/early evening. My first impression of Baron's Eats is not my last impression. Reason: We had our hearts set on sandwiches from Clove and Hoof in Oakland. Alas, Clove and Hoof was not opened yesterday. They're closed on Mondays. Thus, we settled for Baron's Eats, a local eatery, specializing in burgers and sandwiches. Inasmuch as I would like to have given Baron's Eats a 4-star rating, and there is no such thing as a 3.5 star rating on yelp, a 3-star rating (A-OK) stands for the time being. With our minds and hearts on the sandwiches from Clove and Hoof, it was difficult for us to focus in on the tastiness of the sandwich/burger here. Perusing the menu board, my husband decided to get the 5150 burger (ground beef combined with maple bacon) and me, a fish sandwich, plus a large order of French fries to go. Even though I enjoyed the fish sandwich on the fresh pullman bread and it had a nice subtle kick of the pickled jalapeno, my husband was not totally impressed with the 5150 burger. It did not give him the wowie, zowie feeling and/or a memorable one. I believe he was craving a Clove and Hoof sandwich badly, that the 5150 burger just wasn't cutting it. The basket of French fries (shoestring) for $5.00 was a large portion - enough to feed 3 people with average appetite. They were quite good - not greasy, not mushy, not hard and dry. The texture was just right. Too bad that they don't serve chili cheese fries here. It would have made my evening to have those fries with chili, cheese and finely chopped raw onion. Finally, a 3-star rating is not a doom and gloom here, and it does not mean I won't go back to try another one of their sandwiches. In other words, the stars were not aligned quite right. Perhaps when our minds are not on the sandwiches from Clove and Hoof, we will give Baron's Eats another try in the future. -
Carol’s 3-star review: It has been over eight years since I last did a review of this Safeway. It was nice when they first opened. I decided to lower the rating to just okay. (3 stars) Even though this grocery store is closer to my home, the store is crowded, and my shopping experience here is no longer an enjoyable one. It has become a chore. Part of it is I have gotten spoiled to shopping at another grocery store on the other end of town since seven years ago. Said store is in the Bridgeside Shopping area. I only come into this Safeway for convenience. Customer service is good - friendly, but I am too old to walk through a larger store. It has been overwhelming for me to walk down the aisles.
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Carol’s 4-star review: A very generous neighbor of mine invited my husband and me to the Alameda Elks Lodge Annual Crab Feed, which was held yesterday evening. I'm giving the lodge a four star for my dining experience and an enjoyable evening. My husband has been here more than a few times to play games of pool with our friendly neighbor and one of his friends. I have been here before for another event almost three years ago. The interior is beautiful, but the walls are thin. One can actually hear people talking in the next room. Our meeting place was the Mahogany Room for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. I did not want to stuff myself with the appetizers and not have enough room in my stomach for the main entree - crab. Nor did I want any libation before the meal. After the cocktail hour, we were escorted to the Rathskeller (basement of the lodge) where the dinner was held. The gentlemen on the waitstaff were lined up in an orderly manner, serving us whatever we desired - be it the bowtie/penne pasta, dinner rolls/garlic bread, coffee, dessert. Presentation of the crab, the wines (red and white), Caesar salad and the antipasti plates was excellent...casual, yet classy. Dessert was a serving of raspberry sorbet. The only minor drawback was the bowtie/penne pasta served on the same plate as the salad plate. Even though I did not win any of the door prizes after making a donation of $20 for 20 raffle tickets, they had some nice ones, such as the $100 gift card from Scott's Seafood, $100 gift card for Yoshi's dinner and show, $50 gift cards from La Penca Azul, C'era Una Volta, 1400 Bar and Grill, Jim's Coffee Shop, Pier 29. From what I heard, the lodge raised about $1,500 in raffle ticket sales. I also have to give kudos to the waitstaff, many of whom were very tolerable and patient with this woman who sat at the next table behind my husband. She was in the wine (whine) mode. "I want penne pasta. I don't want this dinner roll with butter. I want some garlic bread. Don't you guys have any garlic bread?" On and on she went...egads...she had a sense of entitlement. Yes, there were two bottles of wine at each table, but her incessant whining almost had me do a "face palm" on her. Ooh, I wanted to offer her a piece of cheese, which would have complemented a glass of wine very well. (Now, quit your whining, lady...lol.) -
Carol’s 5-star review: Date: 8/25/2017 Time: 7:10 PM 65° Sunny It's been about three years since I have been to this OTG, which is always on a Friday evening from 5 PM to 9 PM. I am one of the many followers/fans of Roderick's BBQ on Facebook. I found out a few days ago his food truck would be here at this OTG. It's Friday and my husband wanted to know what we were having for dinner. Suggestion: Roderick's BBQ for the Cajun catfish. Plus, I was hoping that the BBQ nachos would be on the menu board. Before getting our food from Roderick's, my husband and I decided to take a stroll toward Oak Street to see what other food trucks were there and there were some pretty good choices - Caribbean Spices, Bombzie's BBQ, 3-3-3, El Sur, Bonito Poke, Chairman Truck, Señor Sisig, etc. The donut truck from San Rafael had an assortment of donuts and apple fritters that looked very scrumptious. OTG Lake Merritt @ OMCA is the place to be to start the weekend. Good eats from the various food trucks, live music for listening enjoyment and 1/2 off the admission price to the museum. If one loves to be around a fun diverse group of people, see families having a swell time and get on the dance floor and move/groove to the music, come by and enjoy the outdoor party. Eats: Husband had the Cajun catfish with mac 'n cheese ($13) and I had the Bash Brothers loaded BBQ nachos ($15). Since we love their coleslaw, we asked for a side order of it. I was beyond thrilled that Roderick's had the BBQ nachos and it was more than enough to feed two people. More great news from Roderick's. They will open a brick and mortar (B&M) on 98th Avenue near the MacArthur Freeway (Hwy 580) in October. Hurray! I am looking forward to their B&M. Returned trips: Yes, for the food, the music and a visit to the museum! Love it!!! -
Carol’s 4-star review: I didn't know that Bagel Street Cafe opened a shop at this location until a fellow yelper mentioned it was opening soon. A drive-by on my way to Bed Bath & Beyond to purchase a few items was when my husband and I noticed the neon sign flashing "open" for business. I am familiar with Bagel Street Cafe and their offerings of bagels, sandwiches, salads, schmears and pastries. I was a regular over 8 years ago at the Bagel Street Cafe in Oakland's City Center until I headed to work in San Francisco. Lunch was my usual asiago cheese or garlic bagel (toasted) with lox schmear, bottled water and a cookie. It was "lunch on the cheap"...lol. Ambiance: Outdoor patio area is facing parking lot and/or Starbucks patio area. Double door entrance and business is wheelchair accessible. Interior is very spacious, plenty of tables and chairs for a max of 50 to 60 people (my guesstimate). Refrigerator stocked with assorted cold beverages (non-alcoholic). Two menu boards on wall facing the entrance - Expresso Bar and Iced Drinks; Pastries. Expresso machine and several bottles of Toriani syrups are on shelf below the menu boards. In the glass cases they have at least 30 varieties of bagels with names of flavors displayed. There's a snack rack filled with chips, Doritos, Sun Chips, etc. The kitchen equipment and area are in clear view behind the cash register counter. Cash register counter space also has containers of oatmeal. Cleanliness: Interior is an A+ for spotless floors, clean counters, tables and chairs. Patio area is slightly untidy and that is to be expected...minor detail. Customer service: friendly and helpful employees, somewhat quiet and reserved. They are doing their best to aim to please the customers. Eats & drinks: bagels, pastries, sandwiches, cookies, salads, assorted pizza bagels; expresso bar, iced drinks, cold beverages, lattes, coffee, chai, hot chocolate, hot tea. I had a pepperoni pizza bagel before at another venue in San Francisco. It was a strange combination because the cafe ran out of garlic bagel - a raisin bagel with marinara sauce, pepperoni and mozarella cheese. (I was not "prego" at the time. But the combination of sweet and savory was perfect that I ordered the same flavored pizza bagel a few days later.) Purchase: I got there too late for two of my favorite bagels that I enjoyed years ago - garlic and blueberry - sold out. Instead I bought a cranberry bagel (fresh and soft, not hard and dry), a small tub of honey butter and a raisin pastry. Cost: $4.85. Drawback: The employee put each item in three small bags. A medium sized paper bag for all three items would have been better for the environment and a saving of using up the supply of paper bags. Future visit: yes, definitely for a sweet/savory pizza bagel with pepperoni or the Hawaiian pizza bagel to satisfy my craving...lol. -
Carol’s 2-star review: Even though the veggie egg rolls were okay, at least they weren't burnt. They were better than what I had almost three years ago. I like eggplant/tofu. Panda Express' version was spicy and tasty, but it is not enough to up the rating to a three star. It is still a two star Chinese fast food restaurant. My husband wanted something quick for dinner. Woe for him and me. That firecracker shrimp was too spicy. The chow mein was just the typical chow mein...meh. How does this place sell honey walnut prawns when there were no glazed walnuts in that entree? LOL. No longer a hit in my book, but a miss and I don't miss this place. Bye Felicia! -
Carol’s 4-star review: The Panda Tea Bar is a part of the Panda Express at this location. The tea bar must be the first for Panda Express because I don't recall seeing one at these two Panda Express locations - Bayfair Mall in San Leandro and Westfield Shopping Center/Food Court in San Francisco. The clapboard menu located in front of the restaurant caught my eyes, especially the mango freeze. The menu selection of the milk teas, brewed iced teas and fruit-infused teas is limited to a few choices on hand. One can customize the drinks for an additional charge on the order, with the following selections: honey boba, lychee jelly, aloe vera or chia seeds. Since I like just about anything mango flavored (gummy candy, milk teas, cake, jello shots, macarons, etc.), I asked for a regular size mango freeze with boba. The drink was not overly sweet, the mango flavor was subtle and mild (not pronounced) and I could barely taste the honey in the boba (3.5 stars). Cost of regular size drink: $3.20. No additional charge for the boba...it was comped. Service was prompt and server (Kelong Y) was very helpful. Rating is rounded up to 4 stars. I noticed that Panda Tea Bar serves Sparkling Ginger Lemonade. Hmmm...I will go back and order an Arnie Palmer with an Asian flare...1/2 of the sparkling ginger lemonade and 1/2 green tea during the summer...lol. -
Carol’s 5-star review: While I was checking in at Panda Express on January 26, 2015, I noticed a new business, Sleep Train, has opened. Yesterday, I checked their website and saw a piece of furnishing I was very much interested in purchasing. This Sleep Train Mattress Center is located at 2660 - 5th Street, #20, Alameda, CA 94501, another retail business that just opened two weeks ago here at Alameda Landing. Their telephone number is (510) 337-9942. The manager is Robert DaSilva. Furnishing that caught my interest: A Riva Nevis aka a night stand, which has a charge station in the top drawer and a nice size storage space underneath. Price: $249.99 before tax. I came prepared with my retractable measuring tape for the size dimension, giving about 1-1/2 inches extra for the WxDxH. It measured 24-1/2"x22"x27". Ambiance: Well lit and spacious. Store is on a corner lot and there's natural light coming in from the outside. Business hours: M through F, 10 AM to 9 PM; Sat, 10 AM to 8 PM; and Sun, 10 AM to 7 PM. Cleanliness: Top notch, pristine. Customer Service: Excellent. Robert DaSilva was personable, friendly and very helpful. He checked to see if this item was available for immediate delivery. Unfortunately, it was not, but I will return at the end of the week to order the night stand, which is to be delivered o/a February 7, 2015. A shipment of six night stands will be available inventory next week. I am very satisfied that Sleep Train has opened here in Alameda, as it is not that far from my home. Let me say a woot, woot for Sleep Train...lol. -
Carol’s 4-star review: Habit Burger Grill is having a promo at this time (5 PM to 7 PM), offering a free charburger with or without cheese, fries and beverage (excluding the milkshakes). The line is long; it's all good, as one does not look a gift horse in the mouth when it comes to freebies. Hook me up, so I can have a smile, a big smile on my face. Time: 5:15 PM Weather: Clear and sunny, 68 degrees. Habit Burger Grill is a chain fast food restaurant with many locations throughout the Bay Area. The official grand opening for this location is scheduled for Wednesday, February 4, 2015. However, per the Alameda Journal dated January 30, 2015, they will have a "pre-event" between 5 to 7 PM Monday, when they will donate 100% of the proceeds generated from sales to Alameda Meals on Wheel. Great, excellent, for this newly opened restaurant to get involved with the community. Ambiance: Outdoor area has at least 4 to 5 tables and 3 or 4 chairs to each table. Outdoor seating holds about 20 people. Indoor seating holds the maximum of 50 people, per sign above the front entrance. Well lit and spacious. Proceed to the left to the front counter and order food. There are several tables and chairs, some booths and a communal table with high backless stools for about 8 to 10 people. Cleanliness: It's very clean for the time being. Impressed with so many people in the restaurant that I did not see any sticky residue of sodas or teas on the counter. Customer service: Again, very impressed that the manager and his employees kept things running smoothly and they were much more organized than another grand opening of another venue that I have attended about two months ago. Eats/beverages: Assorted charburgers ranging in prices from $2.95 to $5.75, sides of French fries, onion rings, sweet potato fries, tempura green beans, side salad; grilled sandwiches ranging in prices from $4.95 to $6.95; fresh salads ranging in prices from $3.95 to $7.50 with choice of salad dressings - house dressing (balsamic & olive oil), Hidden Valley ranch, honey dijon, thousand island, blue cheese, vinaigrette, Caesar, or fat free Italian; kid menu (for kids under 10) consisting of charburger, chicken nuggets or grilled cheese for $3.95, which includes fries, apple slices or applesauce and a soft drink, apple juice or milk; homemade frozen treats such as shakes and malts in at least five flavors; vanilla soft serve cones for $1.00 and sundaes for $2.25, drizzled with Hershey's Chocolate, whipped cream and nuts; and cold drinks/beverages - regular $1.70 and large $1.90. Freebie to go: 2 charburgers (one with cheese, one without), 2 small orders of French fries and 1 regular size iced tea. Total value: slightly over $13.00, but it was free...yay. Parking: plenty of parking spaces available. Location: right across the Panda Express/Panda Tea Bar. Return visits: most definitely for the mocha or coffee shake to go, so I can spike it with some Kahlua...lol...j/k. For real, my husband and I will return for other items on the menu. -
Carol’s 5-star review: While I was at Safeway about 2-1/2 weeks ago for its soft opening, one of the employees told me that the gas station would be opened on or about January 30, 2015. My husband and I stopped at this gas station earlier in the day, as we were somewhat running on fumes - gas needle in car was almost on the "E" line. Time: 4:20 PM Weather: 61 degrees, showers. Regular gas at this station is $2.29 a gallon. Location: on the corner of Mariner Square Loop and Willie Stargell Avenue, directly across the street from the backside of the College of Alameda roadway leading to the campus parking lot, not the location as indicated (the red Yelp logo) on the Google map. Entrance to the gas station is on Mariner Square Loop and the exit is on Willie Stargell Avenue. Gas station can be seen once exiting the Webster Tube from Oakland to Alameda. Ambiance: Very spacious gas station, 3 gasoline pumps on each island. Each pump has 2 gasoline hoses. Eighteen paying customers can pump gas at a time. Across the way, there will be an In & Out Burger coming soon. Husband could have gotten the gas for $1.89 a gallon (4 gas rewards on my Safeway card), but our daughter uses the gas rewards for her vehicle. No long lines here compared to the Safeway Gas Station on Otis Drive. Easy access in and out of this gas station. -
Carol’s 3-star review: I just found out on another media website that Merritt Bakery on Lakeshore Avenue closed last month after being in business for about 71 years. I'm sad. I will miss their fried chicken and their beautifully decorated cakes. Years ago, when they were on E. 18th Street near Lake Merritt, this bakery was my mom's go-to place for fried chicken and mashed potatoes/gravy. CLOSED PERMANENTLY! -
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Carol’s 3-star review: I've been in this Starbucks a few times in the past. I decided to stop in and get a grande caramel frappuccino and a Michigan cherry oatmeal bar. Time: 3:20 PM Weather 68° warm & sunny Location: on the corner of 8th & Broadway in the Old Oakland District, a block west of Oakland Chinatown. Ambiance: entrance has a slightly elevated incline to front counter. Not as spacious as the Starbucks on Tilden Way in Alameda. Lighting is okay, but sitting by window is a plus with natural outdoor lighting. Service: Hardly anybody was in line ordering beverage and/or food. I imagine it's probably busier in the morning. Barista was friendly and helpful. I like caramel frappuccino, but unfortunately the one I ordered from this Starbucks was weak, lacking both coffee and caramel flavors (2 stars). It was so underwhelming. I did not want to go back and ask them to prepare another one. Then, I did not want to toss a $4.65 drink into the garbage can. I boarded the bus to Alameda to get home. Flavorless frappuccino? Okay, let me "doctor" up the beverage...bust out the bottle of Kahlua... two shots...aahh...much better, except I did not have any Ghiradelli caramel syrup. Beverage did not go to waste. If it weren't for the friendly barista and the delicious Michigan cherry oatmeal bar, I would have given this Starbucks a 2 star rating. -
Carol’s 3-star review: My visit to Gum Kuo was a brief one. In and out of the restaurant in less than 10 minutes for a to go order of wor won ton soup for one of my sisters who could not join my mom and two other sisters for lunch in Oakland Chinatown. The roast ducks, steamed whole chicken and char siu on display at the front window looked mighty tasty. These are items that I haven't had in a while. The service here was much better and faster than the New Gold Medal Restaurant. The employee was nice and helpful. Upon perusing the menu, I noticed the prices are reasonable. Thus, I will return to order the jook and Chinese donut to go the next time I'm in the area. -
Carol’s 3-star review: Time: 12:30 PM. Weather: 68° warm & sunny Sun Hong Kong used to be at this location years ago. I'm not sure when the name of the restaurant changed over to New Gold Medal Restaurant. Ambiance: plain hole-in-the-wall restaurant located in the Oakland Chinatown district, at least four communal tables with 8 to 10 chairs per table, several tables with 2 or 4 chairs per table. To the left of the entrance there are steamed tables with prepared items to go. Eats/beverage: extensive menu with over 300 items - appetizers; beef, pork, poultry, seafood dishes; noodles, fried rice, congee/jook, soup, won ton, vegetables, etc. Prices are reasonable. Items my mom, sisters and I ordered for lunch: #125, minced pork with braised noodles; #185, prawns with scrambled eggs; #275, minced chicken lettuce wrap; #288 eggplant with pork in clay pot; and a bowl of steamed rice. Since my mom is a diabetic, we had to be watchful of her carb intake. Thus, jook, fried rice, chow fun and won ton soup were out of the picture. Because of my allergy to very spicy food, I had to forego the braised noodles. The prawns with scrambled eggs were okay; eggs were salty. The minced chicken lettuce wrap with hoisin sauce was delish. I was expecting the sliced eggplant and pork in a clay pot, but it came in a 10" round deep glass dish. Still it was tasty and not overwhelmingly spicy - flavorful and complements the steamed rice perfectly. Overall the food we had was slightly better than A-OK(3.25 stars). Service: Inasmuch as I would like to have given New Gold Medal a 4 star rating, I deducted one star for spotty service. The male waiter took part of our order and then abruptly walked away. He never came back to our table to take the rest of our order. He walked by our table several times without any eye contact and/or acknowledgement. His demeanor bordered on rudeness. We sat there, waiting to be served. Finally, the female waitress came over and handled the order. Serving the food and paying the bill also took a while. Total cost for lunch for 4 people: approx. $50. Final thoughts: I have had better food and dining experiences at other restaurants in Oakland Chinatown, as in Shandong on 10th Street, and Shanghai Restaurant on Webster Street. -
Carol’s 4-star review: Date: 2/20/2015 Time: 6:00 PM Weather: 65° sunny and clear This afternoon I received an email from Localize It! indicating that West End Crepe was having their grand opening. This site was the former business, Wescafe Creamery. I believe it is the same family and owners of Wescafe, located at 1518 Webster Street, running this business. They no longer sell Lapperts Ice Cream, due to economical reasons. Gone are the bags of chips, gummy bears, etc. I did not see any baked cookies for ice cream sandwiches. However, with the Localize It Card, one can get 10% off on any purchased items and $1.00 ice cream cone everyday. Ambiance: Improvement in the lighting compared to Wescafe Creamery. To the right of the doorway/entrance are four sets of table and 2 to 3 chairs at each table. Maximum seating capacity is probably between 8 to 12 people. One shelf has fresh fruits and fresh vegetables crates from Farmer's Market. Another shelf has jars of Nutella spread, an old time glass jar filled with Expresso beans and a neon sign (Eat). To the left of the entrance, there are bottled water, bottled Tazo teas, apple juice, Odwalla juice, fresh fruits and vegetables in plastic containers. Counter also has jars of Nutella spread and citrus fruits. Fresh whole pineapples adorn the ice cream display case. Wall behind counter has bottles of Toriani syrups. The cash register counter has some very healthy looking oatmeal cookies. Mexican music being played. Eats/beverages: assortment of classic crepes, limited selections on the savory crepes and breakfast crepes. Six flavored ice creams/sorbet with waffle cones. Bottled water, Tazo teas, Odwalla juice and small bottles of apple juice. Assorted coffee beverages, ice teas, coffees, lattes. Customer service: friendly and helpful female employee took my order. One other couple was dining there and raved that the crepes they had were delicious. Street parking can be difficult since the business is on a main thoroughfare. There's a parking lot located on the backside of Wescafe between Santa Clara Avenue and Haight Avenue. AC Transit buses #20 and #51 stops are catty corner from each other on Webster & Lincoln. I did not see any credit card logos on the window and/or door. I did not ask the employee if credit card is accepted. At this time to be on the safe side, cash only. My eats: ham, cheese and pineapple crepe. Cost: $6.00, less 10% on my Localize It card. Total including tax: $5.89. Crepe was filled with thinly slices of Black forest ham, melted swiss cheese and canned pineapple chunks (3.5 stars). I foresee a returned trip for one of their classic crepes - mixed fruit crepe with whipped cream and a swirl of chocolate syrup for $4.95. For what West End Crepe is offering on their menu, rating is rounded up to 4 stars. -
Carol’s 5-star review: Date: 2/23/2015 Time: 3:45 PM. Weather: 65° Sunny and clear Today is the first day of business for Unleashed by Petco in Alameda Landing. There will be grand opening events starting next week. According to the gentleman (manager?) assisting me, the difference between Petco and Unleashed is Petco sells pets (kittens, birds, fish) and Unleashed does not. He also gave me a tour of the store, showing me the types of products they carry. Ambiance: Spacious, well lit store with pet supplies (food, snacks/treats, shampoos, toys, frozen items, dog beds, etc.) for cats and dogs. Upon entrance through double glass door, cat products are to the left and dog products to the right. There is a machine to make a pet ID tag. They have an area in the back of the store for pet wash. Cost is $10. Store will provide customer with cleaning and grooming supplies, apron and towels in a basket. Customer service: Excellent! Manager and Cynthia acknowledged me immediately and they also acknowledged other customers in the same manner. Both were friendly, gracious, helpful and personable. Purchases: two bags of Merrick doggie treats - wingalings (applewood bacon flavor) and Grammy's pot pie (oven-baked with real chicken, potatoes, peas and carrots). Products made in the USA. Cost (tax included): $15.24. Husband was wondering why I was in store for more than 1/2 hour. He came in and spent money, too...lol. His purchases: Zenpet ProCone, which is a soft recovery collar, and a container of healing cream for hot spots and wound care for our dog, Teddy. These products also made in USA. Cost (tax included): $46.85. Final thoughts: Unleashed will be our go-to store for pet supplies and pet wash. No more traveling across town for our pet needs. Welcome, Unleashed to a neighborhood that's closer to my home. -
Carol’s 4-star review: Date: 2/25/2015 Check in time: 2:15 PM. Weather: 65°...warm, sunny and clear; nice and balmy gentle breeze coming in from northwesterly direction at the Richmond Marina. Yep, I have a weather report for my fair weather friends. Introduction: Hey, I'm Carol "can't please everybody" C. One of my fellow yelpers, Albertino, asked me to check Bubbaloo Cafe out and offer my opinion. First of all, I don't make snarky remarks of other people's reviews, opinions, what nots, or even opined "not to listen to stupid ass reviewers like Albertino" as a tip. There's a saying, "to each his/her own." Then, there's also "agree to disagree". In this case, and I know my friend's rating was 3 stars, I agree that he is entitled to his opinion; however, the disagreement is my rating Bubbaloo Cafe, which is 4 stars in my book. Now, Nico, if you want to think "I told you" and/or do the Beavis & Butthead laugh (heh, heh, heh, heh, heh), go right ahead...dude, ain't no stopping that...it's all good. Mike, I have plenty of time on my hand; I'm retired from the labor market. I read other people's reviews and write reviews myself. Another factor that drew or lured me to this out in the boonies cafe - Gio's photos of his fine eatery and his menu offerings. My doing this review is an attempt to be fair, impartial/unbiased and objective. The namesake of this cafe is a creative one, making me think of an old TV musical series in the 60's...Hullabaloo. Bubbaloo is hulla(hella) cool, and Gio & Candace, owners, they're friendly and won't bite, unless they send the French bulldogs after me...j/k Gio. Ambiance: Casual and comfortable atmosphere, except chair was too low for my husband who is about six feet tall (minor detail). The missing tiles on the ceiling - totally cool with me as long as nothing is falling from above. It's the industrial look and I like it. Reason for the missing tiles on the ceiling: Landlord of the building does not want the ceiling covered entirely by ceiling tiles per Gio. I'm there to get my "grub" and "chow down". One can even relax and chill in a corner area where the dragon drawing is - comfortable lounge chairs and flat screen TV. Communal table seating 8 people, 2 tables seating two people and a table for one on right side of entrance. On the left side of the entrance several tables and chairs; my guesstimate for maximum seating is somewhere between 25 - 30 people. There's also an area just outside of the cafe to have one's lunch. Customer service: friendly and helpful staff. My husband and I ordered our lunch. Excellent service by the owner, Gio. He served us. Where can one go dining and get served by the owner? There aren't too many places that will do that. My compliments to Gio and Candace for the photos of their business on the Yelp site and for making our dining experience an enjoyable one. Cleanliness: Not pristine clean (not to be expected), but clean enough to deserve an A. Cafe is quaint and quiet, nice "get away from the hustling crowd and all that rat race down in the street" over on east side where Cutting Boulevard is (Hold up...what...wait a minute, I am not "Up on the Roof" and drifting away as the Drifters would sing)...lol, but just chillin at Bubbaloo, and facing the Richmond Marina will get me there - drift mode. Eats/beverages: Pastrami & bacon sandwich on whole wheat, served with a garden salad. Appetizers: lumpia (12 pieces) and veggie egg rolls (3 pieces). Entree: grilled pork chop and rice, served with a garden salad. Beverage: 2 bottles of Argo tea - hibiscus tea sangria. I have never had this brand of tea. Y'all get this tea while ya can...refreshing and a nice thirst quencher. Food and cafe were ono (relaxed in the Hawaiian language); not to be confused with "oh, no" it was terrible. Cost including tax: $36.14. Ratings of what I have eaten: veggie egg rolls (3.5 stars) - not greasy; fresh tasting and sweet chili sauce complemented it well. Lumpia (3.5 stars) - also, not greasy; flavorful, but I would have preferred a container of garlic vinegar for them (minor detail). Grilled pork with rice and garden salad (4 stars) - a generous portion...pork chops were grilled perfectly - not under cooked - fresh, tender and moist, just a tad salty for me. The garden salad was a spring mix with diced tomatoes and the salad dressing was superb. My husband's sandwich looked scrumptious. He enjoyed it. I asked for his rating of Bubbaloo Cafe since he does not do any yelping. He gave the cafe a four star. Final thoughts: A 3 star of any venues is not a doom and gloom thing. Suggestion to Albertino: My friend, go back to Bubbaloo Cafe and give them one more try. Definitely I will return to Bubbaloo Cafe for relaxation and enjoyment. Keep up the good work, Gio. -
Carol’s 3-star review: After a group tour of County of Santa Clara District Attorney's Office, the Crime Lab division, we came here for lunch and dessert. Our group of 50 people had already pre-ordered our selections about 1-1/2 months ago. Selections were roast beef sandwich with French fries, grilled chicken sandwich with French fries, or a cobb salad. A dessert of pizookie (warm chocolate chip cookie and a scoop of vanilla ice cream) was included with our meal. My husband and I opted for the cobb salad. Neither he nor I were totally impressed with the salad. It was a huge salad tossed with a creamy garlic dressing; however, more than 2/3 of the salad was loaded with chopped lettuce and romaine. There were a few pieces of chopped applewood bacon and a measley amount of cubed turkey. There was a fair amount of chopped tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese and 1/2 of an avocado. Cost of the salad: $12.95 - definitely not worth the price. (My spring mix garden salad with house dressing at Bubbaloo Cafe in Richmond was much better. It was served with two grilled pork chops and special onion gravy over rice. Cost: $8.95; a much better value.) Cobb salad: 2 stars. My husband bought me an Arnie Palmer. It was okay, but too much ice in the beverage resulted in a diluted, flavorless one after about 5 sips. (2.5 stars) The only redeeming factors were the pizookie (dessert), the ambiance, and the friendly waitress. (3.5 stars) A three star rating is all I can muster up for BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse. It's a hit or miss in my book. -
Carol’s 5-star review: After having lunch at BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse, our group of senior citizens came to the Levi's Stadium for a tour on February 26, 2015. The five star rating is for the tour only. David, Jacob & Megan were our tour guides. They performed a fine job in escorting us around to the nine levels of the stadium. All I can do was ooh and aah at the ambiance of this stadium. (Yeah, like "ooh eeh ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang"...lol.) Here I am an Oakland A's and Raiders fan (husband is a San Francisco 49ers fan) having ballpark envy. O.co Coliseum, as antiquated as it is and built in the 60's, ain't got nothing on this stadium. I was totally impressed with the fact that Levi's Stadium has wi-fi all over. I have to get up from my seat while at an A's game and go out near the concessionaire stands on the plaza level in order to upload photos on Facebook and/or upload to Instagram. Then, I can't forget the plumbing/sewage issues O.co has had in the past. While we were touring the stadium, there was a youth ice hockey game occurring on the ice. It wasn't the Sharks game, but still it was nice to see an outdoor ice hockey rink. All food being served to the fans is fresh - no frozen food items. There are plenty of wood ovens for freshly made pizzas. There's also an abundance of various types of food and beer. They have at least 32 vegan and vegetarian options. Wow, nice!! Our group was on the SAP Tower side. So, starting on the Ninth Floor of this stadium is the NRG Solar Terrace, which has solar paneling and beautiful landscape of assorted green plants. (Boy, am I having green envy again - matching the color of my Oakland A's baseball cap and Rickey Henderson T-shirt.) On the 8th Floor is the Verizon Press Level. This is the level for about 400 sports media reporters, writers, etc. The rule is none of them can wear 49ers sports logo. The owners also have over 325 days to prepare for the influx of about 900 or so sports media people for Super Bowl in the year, 2016. On the 7th Floor is the upper concourse, 301-328; 401-422, Bud Light Patio and Pepsi Fan Deck, and SAP Tower Suites 701-734. The Bud Light Patio also has ceiling panels of Steve Young, Ronnie Lott and other 49ers player. On the 6th Floor are more suites, 601-634. On the 5th Floor is the Citrix Owners Club, North & South Suites, Suites 501-534. On the 4th Floor, there is the Levi's 501 Club, Yahoo Fantasy Football Lounge. On the 3rd Floor is the Main Concourse 101-146, 201-231. Second Floor is where one would find the 49ers Team Store, 49ers Museum Presented by Sony and the Atrium. The team store and the museum are definitely the bomb. These two locations are a must-see for all 49ers fan. There's an indoor movie theater, in which a 15 minutes movie of memorable moments is being shown. Since my husband is a 49ers fan, he bought a new jacket to replace his old one that he has had since 1989. I love my husband enough to get him a 49ers umbrella (about $49), even though I am an Oakland Raiders fan. First Floor has the Brocade Club, the BNY Mellon Club East and on the SAP Tower side is the BNY Mellon Club West. The BNY Mellon Club Suites are exclusive. Section 138 is the BNY Mellon Club on the west side. It's not meant for poor folks like me to be there, unless somebody rich, very rich, has a hook up and invites me...in my dreams - ha! The tour guides also took us to the opposing team's dressing room...not really high quality furnishings compared to what the 49ers dressing room looks like. We only saw slides of the home team dressing room - walnut finished closets for their clothes and accessories. The Gold Rush cheerleaders have their own dressing room, which we did not see. -
Carol’s 4-star review: I am on the email list for Buttercup Grill. They were closed for about a month and a half due to COVID-19. On April 30, 2020 I received an email that they were opening Sunday, May 3, for take out or delivery by Door Dash. I checked their website to see what they had on the menu. I did not see my favorite breakfast item on the menu. Hmmm...no huevos rancheros? I did see grilled pork chops with two eggs (choice of style), hash browns and toast. How I miss the huevos rancheros! In the past when my husband and I ordered breakfast, I seem to order the huevos rancheros 75% of the time. I never get tire of it. I called them Sunday morning to order breakfast. An employee named Vicky answered the phone. I asked her if they have huevos rancheros. Her reply was they could prepare it without the ranchero sauce. Okay, I will take it with salsa. My husband wanted the pork chop breakfast plus two orders of grits. I was so excited that I forgot to tell Vicky I wanted hash brown. I had to call back to have them add the hash brown. We stopped by about 9:30 AM to pick up our breakfast. They had our order ready when we arrived. Total: $40.93. Vicky was very helpful and pleasant that I left her an $8.00 tip. As always, breakfast was delicious and filling. I am glad they are open for take outs and delivery. If I don't feel like cooking breakfast, my husband and I will be visiting Buttercup Grill near Jack London Square. -
Carol’s 3-star review: While my husband was getting assistance for future travel plans at AAA, I went around the corner to this Starbucks for a tiramisu frappuccino and a breakfast sandwich (sausage with egg and cheese). I was hungry and it was a to go order. The line of people moved slowly. My stomach was growling (feed me, feed me). Once I placed my order, they were quick in having my sandwich ready, but were a little slow in preparing my beverage. Ambiance: smaller than the three Starbucks I usually go to in Alameda (720 Atlantic Avenue, 2671 Blanding Avenue and 1364 Park Street). However, they do have a spacious outdoor patio seating facing a pond. It seems like a good area to relax and enjoy reading a book or working with your laptop. The bad thing is the pond has a layer of algae (green slime)...ewww. (Not their fault; City of Oakland should try to get rid of the algae.) Customer service: baristas were nice and greeted me immediately. Otherwise, they were quiet most of time and didn't engage in conversation. The frappuccino and breakfast sandwich were pretty standard...not bad; just okay to tie me over to the afternoon. -
Carol’s 4-star review: Date: 3/28/2015 Time: 1:00 PM 65°F clear and sunny After having an average tasting crispy tofu sammie yesterday from a sandwich shop in Alameda (near Park Street), and being slightly disappointed, I should have opted for Sal's Oaktown sandwich instead. Then I also wanted to try their chili cheese fries as the next item on the menu. This afternoon I decided to do a follow up of Sal's Deli. Somehow Sal must have noticed my husband and I were circling around the block trying to find a parking space. He saw our vehicle with the two GS Warriors window flags just going by slowly. His hunch was correct. We ordered the 5-piece ribs, which included a pint of potato salad and 2 corn muffins. I wanted the chili cheese fries, but they had no chili today. A quick glance at the menu and remembering another yelper said the chile verde burrito was yummy, I ordered it. Before leaving the deli with our food to go, my husband and I had the pleasure of meeting Sal - the portly, jovial owner of the deli. He has been in the 'hood since 1968, and a die hard Raiders fan all the way back to the 60's. (Totally cool that he and I remember Frank Youell Field - the old stomping grounds of the Oakland Raiders.) He learned his cooking trade from his dad. The meats he has for his sandwiches are from Genova Delicatessen. The potato, macaroni and fruit salads are homemade. Nobody can say that dude does not have skills. The burrito is humongous (8-1/2 inches in length and about 3 inches in diameter). It must have weighed over a pound and the price of $8.50 is well worth it. How was the burrito? Absolutely fantabulous!! It was off the hook. Tender and moist chunks of well-seasoned pork, fluffy Spanish rice and tasty refried beans topped with salsa verde, sour cream, shredded cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla were on point. I should have asked for a few chunks of avocado for the burrito. When something is off the hook, it makes me wanna jump up and slap the cook and his mama/papa (figuratively, not literally). The burrito was enough for my lunch and dinner. My husband enjoyed his ribs. Too bad he did not eat the corn muffin. It was delish, too - not dry, top of muffin was soft and it had a subtle hint of sweetness. I did not add any melted butter and honey to the corn muffin. It was perfect. Laugh of the day: Sal, my bad that I thought that large plastic barrel on the counter was tamarindo agua fresca instead of iced tea. Finally, I know where I am getting my sandwich to go when I head out to the Oakland A's games on some of the weekends - a bee line to Sal's Deli for his Oaktown Special or the Chile Verde burrito. I'm glad I did this follow up check in and my previous three star rating is up to a four star rating. -
Carol’s 3-star review: Since I had a Jim's gift card (value $20) sitting in my wallet for over a year, and husband and I were in the area, we decided to stop here for breakfast. The coffee shop must have been short staffed, as service was on the slow side. Waitress acknowledged us and said "to take a seat anywhere." We almost sat at a booth near the front door...pause...nope, there was left over coffee stain on the table and no place settings. Pass...next. There was a clean empty booth further down the aisle and it had the place settings...okay, much better. Waitress brought the menu. They have daily specials, so I decided on the carnitas omelette with hash brown and wheat toast. Husband asked for NY steak breakfast with eggs, hash brown and wheat toast. I was somewhat disappointed that they did not have raspberry ice tea or pink lemonade available. (Why even have those beverages listed on the menu?) So, I ordered an ice tea with a lemon twist. I should have asked for more lemons so I could have squeezed enough lemon juice to make an Arnie Palmer...ha! A bigger disappointment was looming when our breakfast arrived. The portions were plentiful, but the NY steak was tough like leather and dry. Even A1 sauce could not rescue the steak. The steak was so bad that my husband only ate less than 1/4 of it. The chopped carnitas were on the grill too long...not quite edible; slightly burnt and dry. The only things that were part way decent were the eggs, hash brown and wheat toast. Overall, it's a hit or miss...a 2.5 star rating. I have had better breakfasts elsewhere. I'm being generous in rounding up to a 3 star rating on account the waitress was nice to us and served us our breakfast as quickly as she could. -
Carol’s 4-star review: It is only during Lent that Togo's has the lemon pepper tuna sandwich. I wish they serve this sandwich year round because it's my favorite. It's too bad that Togo's closed its Oakland sandwich shop, which was the closest one to my home. Then the Togo's on Davis Street in San Leandro is a tad farther than this one. It's not that often that I get to a Togo's, but I have to admit their sandwiches are better than Subway's, Blimpie's and Quizno's, as in selection of cold, hot and toasted sandwiches. They also have salad and salad wraps, soups, chips, cookies, and beverages from either their soda dispenser or bottled water/drinks. I noticed they no longer serve taco salad anymore. However, they do have a Santa Fe Chicken either in a salad or a salad wrap (spinach or gluten free wrap). For $6.95 (400 calories, excluding salad dressings), the Santa Fe Chicken consists of chicken, black bean & corn salsa, tomatoes, avocado, cheddar cheese and chile-lime tortilla strips and spring mix. Eats: Two 9" lemon pepper tuna on whole wheat roll and a complimentary 16 oz. beverage (courtesy yelp check in) to go. Cost: approx. $16. The sandwiches held up pretty well and my bread was not soggy, which was a good thing. Customer service: Very good. The young black lady who served us was polite and attentive. The guys ringing up the payment of my order were friendly and helpful. There will be return visits, as Togo's is the to go place for sandwiches and salads for my husband and me. -
Carol’s 4-star review: Chapel of the Chimes is indeed a beautiful place for a funeral or memorial service for the dearly departed ones. It is so pristine, quiet and serene. I arrived about 20 minutes late for a funeral service for my sister's mother-in-law this past Monday. Not knowing where to go, I asked one of the ladies at the front desk. She was helpful and guided me in the right direction. Her fellow employees were very professional, kind, respectful and understanding. Despite a bit of sadness, I felt uplifted, and in my heart, an inner peace and comfort at this chapel. I can only rejoice that my sister's 100 year old mother-in-law has gone home to be with her late husband. (Peace be still.)
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