The movie had some dry parts, but overall it was fairly entertaining on what could have been a boring Friday night.

The dynamic between Clooney and McGregor was funny and well played. The two of them get into some of the craziest situations. In the end, the movie is really about the goats! Who knew the goats actually played a role in the movie (besides being put to death by the power of the stare).

Big thick burger patty with a side of potato chips. Yum. Their fruit was pretty good too. Ordered some 'shoestring' fries, but they looked like regular fries to me.. but tasty either way!

The Westin is suppose to be a AAA 4-diamond hotel, but the quality of the hotel didn't seem like it. The concierge was extremely polite and helpful, the lobby and restaurants are great.. but the hotel rooms need to be updated. Or maybe it's the building itself that I have problems with. Because the hotel is designed in a circle, the hotel room is curved which limits the amount of space we have. The TV is at a painful neck-cranking angle! We were staying on the 15th floor and during the day we heard the building creaking repeatedly! I have never hear that kind of creaking before and it didn't feel very safe. Another small complaint is that the lamps in the room have a switch by the bulb and not on the stand or on a wall switch which would've been easier to reach.

The good part is because of the curved nature of the rooms, there is ample space between each room and you can't hear anything. You CAN hear things going down the hallway though - I guess the door isn't very thick.

Overpriced seafood that was not memorable at all. The best part of dinner was the dessert, the sea salt caramel sundae was delicious! My salmon was tasteless, appetizer consisted of mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes (recommended by the waitress) was plain and a cup of chowder was the tiniest cup I had ever seen, the crab ravioli was extremely salty, and the baked oysters weren't impressive. I was completely disappointed at the quality of food considering how many people had recommended this restaurant. Oh well, at least the dessert was delicious! In total my friend and I racked up a $150 bill hoping that each item would've been mind-blowing ($35 salmon entree!). I'll skip straight to dessert next time.

Not that great of a movie, some bad CG and pretty terrible storyline, but I went in with some hope that it would revive some good ol' GI Joe memories. Too bad it didn't though. Then again, I tend to dislike movies where love becomes the character's weakness. Or maybe it's suppose to be strength? Hrm!

The good part about the movie is that the actors and actresses look pretty hot in their skin tight uniforms. And there were a few really funny scenes thanks to Marlon Wayans.

What would have made this movie better would be.. the PSA announcement that usually followed every GI Joe cartoon episode (i.e. how to scissor kick to stay afloat). Also the line "knowing is half the battle" could have been better placed in the story.

All-in-all, if I were still in elementary school this would have been the coolest movie ever! But since I'm not, it was a bit of a waste of two hours.

It's a light-hearted romantic comedy that is completely predictable and silly, but it made me laugh. Sometimes you just need to watch a movie and know that it has a happy ending, no twists, no turns, no torture. Plain and simple guy falls in love with girl story is always perfect. But maybe if you're not into simple romantic comedies you should gave our $ for something else that is less predictable?

I loved watching Up! The story was funny, emotional, and even inspirational. I didn't notice a lot of 3-D action, but I liked the characters and the story anyway!

The movie was so touching, in some parts of the movie I was actually tearing up :'(. The beginning section of the movie has barely any dialog and yet there was a big story behind it that was understood through the actions of each character. I'm was impressed!

I watched Phantom of the Opera here in the orchestra section. Although I was in the back rows of the orchestra I still had a very good view and enjoyed the show. The theatre is close to a Bart station so it was easy to get to.

The farmer's market is right on the street in downtown San Carlos. I have a great time walking downtown and seeing all of the delicious fruits and vegetables. You can always strike a good bargain or if you visit later (~7pm to closing) you'll get some discounts. There's ready to eat food like chicken, kettle corn, chocolates, tamales, and bakery items too! Oh, there's even a balloon animal area for kids. AND there is usually 1-2 live bands/musicians out.

I always find something at this thrift store! They have a great selection of clothing, purses, and shoes. I love to find vintage purses and I sometimes find designer dresses. The prices are fairly reasonable and are even better when you find something that is 50% off. When you go to the store you'll see a sign for the price tag colors (pink, blue, yellow, white tags) that are 50% off for the day!

I'm not a trekkkie and I have to admit that I haven't seen THAT many Star Trek episodes either. So I am judging it without much background knowledge about any of the characters or the storyline.

The confusing parts was Spock's love connection, which seemed oddly placed. And why was Winona Ryder casted as Spock's mother? Couldn't they have casted a random old lady?

That being said, I truly enjoyed this movie. There was tons of action from beginning to end and each of the characters had their moment to shine.

I expected a good movie and I got a good movie.

Good storyline, semi-decent and yet cheesy CG at times, but it was easy enough to deal with. If you want to see Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynold half naked with incredibly defined abs, then you should watch this movie. Ok, not just for the abs, but the movie was a great intro to many of the X-men characters. BTW, the secret scene at the end of the credits was NOT WORTH the wait.

I like this location better than the one down the street because it has a bigger patio area. If the weather is nice and you should definitely visit this location! If you want to eat inside, the 5201 location has a larger dine-in area.

The food was delicious. I had the Sultan entree which came with 3 different meat items, hummus, rice and salad. Yum. I also tried their falafel which was pretty darn delicious too.

Came here only because of my vegan friend. I thought the food was pretty decent considering it's completely vegan. I wasn't too excited about the tofu omelette though. The living wrap was delicious, nachos were delicious, and their desserts were even better. My soy chocolate pudding was so good! The place is a little pricey though, but it's a fun place to go on the weekend.

The service here is great. The manager is awesome. Everyone is friendly here! They have their own bakery section so you can easily order their yummy desserts to go.

Gochi is AMAZING. The tapas are perfectly portioned and delicious.

The food reminded me of those mom n pop pubs in Japan! Everything tasted wonderful!

I heard the Caesar salad is good here, but I didn't try it because why would I go to a Japanese place to eat Caesar salad?? That's crazy talk!

Instead I tried...
a ceviche starter w/ homemade potato chips - the ceviche was nice and tangy and the chips were thick and had a good crunch to them!

chicken curry fusion thin crust pizza - the curry was a little overwhelming and my cheese fell off of my pizza. Not that exciting.

yaki onigiri with salmon on top - delicious! the ornigiri triangle rice was crispy and with a little hint of soy sauce. cooked salmon was placed on top of the it. comfort food but still healthy!

black cod rice (from the specials of the day list) was like a fried rice mixed in a stone pot so there were crispy burnt rice in the mix as well. This was absolutely delicious and definitely reminded me of home cooking!

sashimi moriawase - from the starter menu but great to fill up one person. there were two pieces of all sorts of sashimi and seaweed. Everything was extremely fresh! The sashimi octopus was not rubber like but instead fresh and soft. This dish was my to die for moment. It's hard to find great sashimi that is so authentic too!

Overall the food was superb. The dessert menu was a little lacking though. Being a tapas place I was expecting them to have a variety of desserts as well, but the only interesting items on the list were green tea creme brulee and black sesame ice cream.

I'd love to go back for more fusion tapas and a taste of home cooking! Although, it gets a bit pricey at $7+ per tapas platter.

They've got the fixin's at this place! Meatloaf, corned beef with pickled cabbage, boxties, curry fries, bangers, even spicy buffalo wings, sandwiches, burgers, BEERS.. gosh this place has everything you could want. The only down side about this place is that there sometimes aren't enough waiters around. It took about 10 min for the waiter to take our order and another, 15 to get our waters, and 30 for our food to arrive - but if you're not in a hurry then waiting doesn't really matter.

but they're not so good on the service or food. It doesn't help that the servers barely speak English, but they also forgot some of our orders and we even had one drink come with hair inside. Yuck! Not a very clean place apparently!

This is probably one of the most amazing ski areas in California. There are a ton of lenghty routes to ski/snowboard through!

The lodge has pricey food (~$10 for a giant sandwich, $8 for a baked potato) in a cafeteria style setting. But the food tastes good so it's not so bad. There are also coffee stands and crepe stands so there are many different food choices available.

Lift tickets and rentals can get rather pricey as well, but you might be able to find good deals through third party vendors!

All-in-all, this place is definitely worth it!

You never really have to drive anywhere further from here to get everything you need. Shops and restaurants are nearby and the gondola is right next to you!

Really close to restauranst and shops (including a general store!). Also really close to the gondola!

The seating wasn't too shabby. The theater is very big so try to purchase a good seat. I sat to the side so the view wasn't as great as it could have been. Also at times the sound wasn't as clear as it could've been.

The volunteers working here are very nice and friendly. We didn't have any trouble finding our seat.

Overall great place to get the large theater, Broadway experience!

Really easy to get to. Price are decent. Food is GREAT. Service is good. And the atmosphere is really down-to-earth fun. There's not really much more to ask of this place.

There aren't many Spanish tapa restaurants around so I was pretty excited to hear about one near me.

I LOVE their Spanish tapas sampler. The price was decent ($23) and it had a great selection of items like octopus salad, tuna & carrot salad, pate, potato cake, muscles, etc. The sampler was more than enough to share amongst our small group of 3.

The rest of the food on the menu was, in my opinion, overpriced and oversized for our group of 3. Actually, some items were small considering the price. We ordered taquitos which was basically 3 small pieces for $9, a cream crab and corn soup which was small and tasted decent for $8, calamari which was okay for $10, two sopes for $9. The waiter didn't mention a dessert menu so we missed dessert. Oh well. In the end, the 3 of us spent $75 and although we were full, we didn't feel like we had enough variety.

The service was okay. The decor was lovely. We went to the restaurant on a Saturday night without any reservations and we were able to get an outdoor table immediately, the wait for a table indoors was 45 min. We ended up sitting outside near the heated lamps and enjoying the fresh air.

I think with the price and sizing of the tapas here, this place is better suited for groups of 4+.

If you're ever in Chicago, go visit my favorite tapas place: Cafe Ba-ba-reeba!

If you're not a Hello Kitty fanatic, you might end up hating this place.

The food is terrible, but the desserts are edible. The main point and purpose of this cafe is to overdose on Hello Kitty's edible cuteness. Where else are you going to find a Hello Kitty hamburger with the bun in the shape of her head? Too cute!

The prices are also ridiculously expensive compared to local food: $330NT/$10USD for a cute dessert; $440NT/$14USD for a below par hamburger. They also charge tax and tip!

All desserts and entrees on their menu come with a complimentary $80NT drink and a mini dessert. Yes, even if you order a dessert you get a complimentary dessert.

I recommend calling ahead and making a reservation in order to get seated on the first floor. The first floor has booth seating where the seats are in the shape of Hello Kitty. Cuteness! The second floor is generally for non-reservations and has regular table seating and some booths that are velvety pink (but no Hello Kitty shape booth seating!).

Also note that dine-in customers have different pricing on some bakery items as well as magazines and stationery. If you're not a dine-in customer you might be paying more to buy that Charmmy magazine here!

Rather pricey, but it's completely ALL worth it! I really enjoyed having lunch here and order chirashi. Everything was presented beautifully and tasted so good! I almost fel like I was IN Japan!

This new location is pretty awesome because there is SO MUCH more space (they use to be near downtown San Mateo). They're now in the plaza with Nijiya supermarket!

Their ramen has been talked about throughout the land.. well known for their home-made soup bases. When they run out of soup, they run out and shut down!

Don't expect anything other than ramen here. There aren't any small eats.

This place is great. I would have never known about it if it wasn't for a friend of mine that lives in this area. The restaurant is hidden in a plaza behind an Indian grocery store.

The chef speaks Japanese (gasp!) and the sushi bar area is always a lively place to sit.

My friends and I sat at the tables and it felt rather cramped. The food was great with various authentic Japanese foods like squid, natto, porridge, nigiri like uni (price was above average though). The restaurant isn't bad at all, too bad it's in the middle of nowhere.

The entire layout of the hotel was very confusing. It's easy to get lost and end up in The Palazzo (the next hotel/shopping mall that is connected to the Venetian). I also took the wrong turn and instead of ending up at the parking garage, I ended up at a food court. I blame the odd layout on the indoor gondolas! It seems like everything had to be built AROUND the water feature.

The hotel has a very romantic feel (inside and out) with the boat rides going on, but the area was a little cramped and I felt a bit claustrophobic. It wasn't a very good shopping experience.

The hotel suite was also fairly small. Although it was $500/night and had luxurious linens, couch, desk with printer, 3 TVs, his/her sinks, etc. there wasn't much space and it felt cluttered. I don't think it was worth the price.

You can definitely trust a restaurant that makes dim sum all day to make the best dim sum!

They had a large variety of items like chicken feet, pork buns (steamed or BBQ), tripe, Chinese broccoli, siu mai, shao long bao, calamari (nice and salty with a little bit of spice), and much more. I had to try a little bit of each and I was very pleased with all of the food. And the total damage after order all of the above and sharing it with my friend turned out to be a $30 (after tip)! In San Francisco, a feast like that would've cost us MUCH more!

The only item I missed out on was dessert. I was hoping for a dessert cart with puddings or boba but I only saw the sesame seed balls and egg tarts.

When you enter this place, you'll be asked whether you want Pho or Chinese food. If you want Pho, you're lead to the left of the restaurant. If you want Chinese, you'll end up at the right side of the restaurant. Each side has it's own kind of decor (the Chinese side has carpet and is dimmer). However, whichever you choose, you'll end up with two menus: Pho and Chinese menu.

The food was good. We tried one of the pho noodle soups, a Vietnamese (grilled pork) sandwich, fresh spring rolls, and a clam and ginger soup (from the Chinese menu).

I was a little confused at first with the two menus, but it didn't matter too much. It all meant that this place has more food to offer than any other restaurants!

The restaurant is also conveniently located in the Ranch 99 plaza. Easy to go grocery shopping and then get a bite to eat.

I could stay in this mall forever and I still wouldn't have time to see everything!

There are so many stores with large floor plans and so many different things to buy. I covet the Christian Louboutin shoes and the DVF dresses.

The mall is also open til midnight on Friday and Saturdays! Endless shopping opportunities!

Also note that the Palazzo has the a Lambo car dealership located in the mall (the only one on the strip!). So while you're buying dresses and jewelry, how about a matching car?

A variety of great brands and nice styles. These aren't the type of stores that sell outdated goods or serious rejects. The items are mostly overstock, although some stores sell irregular items for a fraction of regular retail value.

I enjoyed walking around to all of the outlet stores and seeing all of the different deals. Finding parking in the large structure was hassle free and very easy.

I like that Hilton is a bit off from the strip. There's less noise at night on the street and there's less drunk people walking down the hallways. The walls are paper thin, like many of the Vegas hotels, so you can hear easily what's going on next door if you're close to the wall.. but that didn't seem to bee too big of a problem.

Another plus is the spa tub in our suite! It had the most relaxing jets on there which were great after a day of riding ATVs.

Hilton also has the best room rates! We found the cheapest rates here (without having to sacrifice quality) for about $100/night for a suite during convention season!

The large parking structure is a breeze to find parking too.

I enjoyed my stay. I even used the spa facilities ($20/day which includes sauna and spa access) and had some snacks at the cafe across from the front desk area. There were pleasant little shops and an arcade.

I liked the hotel beacause it wasn't over-the-top and I felt very comfortable. It wasn't super busy or extensive where you get lost!

If you don't have a car, you can take the monorail to the strip. You have to buy a ticket to ride, and it's ~$5 one way.

BUT the atmosphere was. It was nice that the restaurant looked like an outdoor courtyard with food stands to get your meats, desserts, salads, etc. There were "outdoor" eating areas where you sit under the painted blue sky and there were indoor seating areas with fancy wallpaper and chairs.

The food on the other hand was mediocre for what you can get on the strip. There wasn't much seafood aside from the usual cocktail shrimps, cold crabs, and mixes of buttery crayfish, mussles and clams. The food was mostly French/Italian, however 3 types of sushi were available.

The course I enjoyed the most was the desserts, creme brulee, flan, cookies, pies, soft serve, etc. There was also a person making crepes just the way you want it!

Cost was ~$25 per person.

The restaurants here make you feel like you're walking in another world. The floor is like cobblestones and the restaurants are little shops that adorn the alley. Very amazing. However, it still feels like a fake Hollywood backdrop and everything is just a prop. Too bad.

This Eiffel Tower is only half the size of the real one in Paris, but it's still an amazing sight at the top! You can see the lights of the strip as well as the dark mountains beyond.

I recommend visiting at night time and paying for the Eiffel Tour. It costs $2 extra in the evening ($12 instead of $10 per adult) but you get a great view of the Bellagio water show! I had never seen the Bellegaio water show from above, and it was an amazing experience! I thought the price was definitely worth it.

For anyone that is afraid of heights, the entire observation deck is like a metal cage so it feels fairly safe. For the photographers, don't worry about the fenced cage, there are small 4"x4" square openings for you to stick out your camera and take lovely pictures (or a video of the Bellagio water show).

Next time I might even try the restaurant in the tower!

This movie left me very confused. I wasn't sure who I was suppose to support and who I was suppose to be against. I think the movie attempted to focus on the relationship of the women, but I didn't feel any bond between them. Nothing in the movie left me touched.

A big disappointment! I was happy to see a new Meg Ryan movie, but was disappointed. The Eva Mendez had an unbelievable cheesey character. This movie had a lot of great actors but somehow it just didn't work at all.

Very nice place right on Castro. There's a fun outdoor area for the warm days. The food is decently priced and the portions are fairly large (for me at least). The food tastes good and the desserts are even more delicious.

Nothing fancy here, just your basic drinks. Don't expect any elaborate mixes or snacks.

Porridge is mediocre. The cold dishes are okay. Service is practically non-existent. Prices are average. This could be one of those places that people go to everyday because they get too lazy to go (or pay) for real food.

Not to shabby of a chain restaurant. Great place to hang out with friends with a little more of an upscale feel compared to TGIF!

This store, located inside the Westfield shopping center complex is one of the best. The only other one that compares is in San Jose's Valley Fair mall. They have a ton of products and a lot of floor space. You'll find the couture lines and all of the jewelry. If the item is available in the U.S. then you'll probably find it at this store!

I love their side dishes here. So far, this is the only place I know that has a whole fried fish as a side dish. It's delicious! The prices are a little bit high, but once in awhile it's a nice place to relax. The service is good and the food comes out promptly without much of a wait.

My friend and I just wanted some drinks and this was the closest place. It was a live music night so it was loud and obnoxious. The cover charge was pricey and the service was OK. It was too loud inside to chat (due to the music) and the patio area was busy with people smoking. Being non smokers, we didn't enjoy the patio either.

This is one of the best Sanrio stores in the Bay Area! Their stock is always up-to-date with new products that you can't find in other any other nearby stores. They carry a wide range of products in different price ranges. You can find cute stickers or a fancy Hello Kitty digital camera or that Japan exlusive item!

Hidden Villa has a lot of classes you can sign up for, but some of the classes like Cow Wow sell out fast!

There are free summer concerts and they are amazingly fun for the whole family. For the concerts, bringing a blanket and chairs is highly recommended. There is usually some free beverages as well as fresh food being sold(meat and veggies from the ranch!).

Only go to the cafe if it's your only choice! The cafe is pricey. A small sandwich is about $10! The cafe is mostly cafeteria style where there is already pre-made sandwiches, salads, fruit mix, etc. that you can choose from and bring it to the cashier.

The food is fresh and good, but the price is not worth it. If you have time walk out to the real restaurants and you can get better food for an even better price.

The best part I liked about the conservatory was the Butterfly Zone, which is not a permanent exhibit. Walking around the butterfly area, making sure that I didn't accidently step on any butterflies, etc. that was the best.

The rest of the conservatory was the usual variety of orchids and tropical plants, a pond at the end, more plants, flowers, the usual. Without the butterfly exhibit I think my addmission fee could have been better spent elsewhere.

The building is definitely worth taking a picture in front of though!

I think the Bay Cruise is a super touristy attraction, but it's a great experience to see the Golden Gate bridge up close and to get those touristy-postcard-like photos! Whenever I have a friend visiting me that is coming to San Francisco for the first time, I take them on this cruise and then walk around the wharf!

The cruise tickets can be bought online or at the pier. The Bay cruises are around $20 so it's fairly reasonably priced.

I think Red Robin has a great selection of burgers at reasonable prices. You don't pay the gourmet price, but you get a giant burger with all the fixin's. I also like their salads and wraps. Their drinks are also pretty good like the strawberry lemonades with strawberry chunks at the bottom. Overall this place is a nice place to relax with family and/or friends!

Where else would you go to see your favorite comedians? I've been to a couple of performances here and depending on who you go see you might have to wait in line for an hour (or two) or you get seated in a nice spot immediately.

The food is ok priced. The drinks are EXPENSIVE, but they don't force the drink minimum (as long as you get at least one). The people that work here, the servers, etc were all very nice.

Overall a good experience. Don't be surprised if you go in a small group that you share a table with another small group!

I've never taken out my own boat on the lagoon, but there is a boat rental place for a reasonable price. The same place also has wind surfing classes.

Sometimes you'll catch a wedding photo session going on here! There's really nice grassy areas, a built in amphitheatre and picnic tables. This is a great place for a picnic and maybe rent a peddle boat at the nearby boat park.

There's a lot of outdoor space and benches at this plaza. If you order something at the cafe, and the weather is nice, take your food out to the benches and enjoy the outdoor decor. Fountains and flowers await!

As for the stores, some of the stores are very small. The Louis Vuitton store is the smallest I've ever seen and the selection is limited, but Anthropologie has the largest space and feels very fresh. Generally, most of the stores are small so you might feel a bit claustrophobic in some of them, so be warned! The plaza is mostly catered to women, for example the J.Crew store only carries their womens line.

It was nice seeing all of the different stores here. I mostly enjoyed walking around the courtyard and enjoying the layout, flowers, and fountains.

There's different kinds of seating everywhere. There's a section outdoors in the front of the restaurant, indoors, as well as the patio area which is covered and has heaters.

The patio area is where all of the dog owners go so their dogs and relax on the patio floor. The restaurant even gives your down a nice large bowl of water! Very dog friendly place.

I went for lunch and there was a nice menu with light and heavy foods. I opted for the light portabella sandwich with grilled veggies and fries. The food was delicious and the service was excellent.

The only problem with being in the patio area is the other dogs. Some dogs aren't as quiet (or well behaved) as others so you might be surprised by the random bark here and there. Otherwise, the atmosphere was very relaxing and enjoyable.

This store has THE MOST dog toys and accessories that I have ever seen. I don't have a dog, but after visiting this store I wish I did! Instead, I borrowed my aunt's dog and saw how easy it was to spoil him rotten by taking him to this store!

Bring your dog when you visit the store so your dog can make some new dog friends and try on the different Gucci, Fendi, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton jackets! This store has all of the hard to find items like doggles (dog goggles/sunglasses), costumes, fancy collars and treats.

Diggid Dog should just be called Dog Heaven! There IS a section for kitty items but it seems to be out numbered by the dog items. And I didn't see anyone bring in their cat to the store...

They even have scone mixes. You can find a few silver-plated tea sets, but this shop mostly has bone china teapots, cups and saucers. The decor is very nice and adorable, there's even a small outdoor area as well as an upstairs loft. You might find a teasure that you're looking for sprinkled somewhere in the shop.

Wonderful food, wonderful view, friendly staff, did I say good food?

The Fisherman's Grotto has been around for a long time and ther's a good reason for that. They're the BEST! The seafood is so fresh and delicious! I tried the artichoke/calamari (compliments of the owner, Chris), deep fried shrimp, and crab cakes for appetizers. They were delicious!

I tried the candied walnut pear salad, even more delicious and very fresh. For my entree I had the abalone, scallops and prawn with risotto which were TO DIE FOR. Then for dessert I tried the creme brulee which was cooked just right and smooth.

The restaurant also features many of the local Monterey wines which are delicious as well. I loved everything about this place, the view upstairs to the water was great. I went for dinner so it was a bit dark, but if you visit during the day you're bound to see the sea lions out. You might even seen some otters!

After dinner, the staff gives the ladies a rose. What a sweet touch! I saw the little girls at the next table feel like princesses with their rose!

I definitely recommend this place to everyone. Chris, the owner (and some of the watiers) remember you if you go there often, the staff is always nice, the food is superb.. everything is delightful!

You can order the smaller size for a dollar less, but I figured a dollar wasn't that big of a difference so I ordered the regular size. THE SANDWICH WAS HUGE! I thought my sandwich was the size of a newborn baby. Goodness!

The sandwich tasted great and for a really good price. I was able to save the other half for breakfast and lunch the next day. I'm not sure if I really wanted that much sandwich, but if you're hungry or you like to eat a lot or save a lot of food, this is your kind of shop!

They also had a selection of salads and ice-cream.

You might find that amazing antique cup and saucer you were looking for, or you might find that DVD that you were hoping to rent but didn't have time to. There's a variety in this source that always makes everything fun to look at.

Yes, I ended up buying a cup and saucer and two DVDs (Marie Antoinette and Le Divorce). I was tempted to buy the old fashion barber chair because it reminded me of Sweeney Todd, but at a $1250 price tag, I had to think twice.

I visited during the Labor Day peddler fair and everything in the store (except some of new items and furniture) was 50% off! Good deal!

If you're staying nearby, this market provides everything that you would need on a regular basis. There is a large fishing section with tackle and bait, a souvenior shop area, swim suits and sandals, deli, wine and beer, a small fresh produce section and of course charcoal for the all important BBQ that you will be throwing.

Some of the food is pricey compared to large supermarkets, but if you need something quick, Pines Market is the place to go.

My friends and I went for a nice garden stroll. There were roses in bloom as well as tons of fruit!

We got to tour the house and see the beautiful ballroom.

After walking around, we had lunch at the cafe, which is more like a cafeteria, but they had a healthy selection of fresh food, paninis, soupds AND desserts!

It was a hot day and some parts of the garden didn't have much shade. I definitely recommending bringing sunblock and a hat or umbrella!

There's also a very cute boutique/garden store inside the premises.

I'm not sure what has happened to Outback because I'm pretty sure that a year or two ago this place had really good food. But, after going back a few weeks ago, I was rather disgusted with all of the oil that was soaking my pasta My friend also ordered some kind of meat/steak.. which ended up to be a big burger patty.

One of the few Japanese restaurants located on University Ave, and I think, the best one on University Ave.

The restaurant is small and does not offer a (much needed) bathroom. The seating arrangements can feel a little tight if the restaurant is packed.

Prices are reasonable and the food is not too bad. Could be better, but not bad.

Nijiya recently opened (in the last few years) and is now the shiny new supermarket. Nijiya is a supermarket chain that can be found in Southern California as well. I like going here for the dried veggie chips.

They also have a decent selection of bentos and cute desserts.

They have a wonderful selection of bentos and hot food (better than any other Japanese markets in the area). All of the cashiers speak Japanese so it definitely feels like an authentic Japanese grocery store. The prices are a little steep since most of the items in the store are imported as well as they don't have a large produce or meat section. But they have the special ingredients that you need for your Japanese recipes!

The other thing I like about this market is that it's sort of like a mom 'n pop shop. There isn't a chain of Suruki markets, and there IS a Mr. Suruki!

My cousin said this place was the best, and I'm sure glad I listened! I love their Hawaiian and Lemon Pepper flavors. Whenever I have a wing craving I go to Wingstop now! I also love their seasoned fries, they have a bit of sugar seasoned on top .. who came up with this seasoning? Genius!

The only "bad" part about this place is that you have to wait 10-20 minutes for your order which can feel like a really long time if you're on a short lunch schedule or are really hungry.

You'll find your little bit of Santa Cruz at Cowa Bunga! They carry the coveted line of creamy goodness from Marianne’s Ice Cream in Santa Cruz. Inside, you can sit on a surf board table or along the side with very earth-friendly-green furniture.

Their ice-cream is also served with regular cones, sugar cones, or biodegradable paper bowls and potato spoons. Amazing.

Okay, the best part of Cowa Bunga is of course the taste of the ice-cream! I tried the Vanilla Bean and the Goofy Foot (vanilla + fudge + Oreos).. both were delicious! The ice-cream had so much mouth watering flavoring! I'm definitely going back to try their other flavors!

A funny and heart felt movie that reminded me of the Revenge of the Nerds, except this time with girls.

Anna Faris is great in this movie! She's hilarious and of course.. looks great in short shorts and the 5" playboy heels. Ha!

A good comedy without anything too serious. This movie is definitely a good way to relax and start a good weekend!

Who knew that geysers and animals were connected in some way?

I thought it was a little ridiculous to spend $7 to see the geyser ($1 discount with AAA card!). But I was surprised to find that there was a goat and llama section where you could feed the animals, pet the animals, and take tourist pictures with goats. And there was even a little bamboo forest/maze to walk through - I recommend this maze only for averagely thin people.

It was nice that the place had lots of shade and picnic tables for everyone to sit on while waiting for the geyser to erupt. Otherwise.. we would have baked in the sun while waiting 40 min for the geyser.

This probably a once in a tourist's lifetime to see. But I don't think I'll be visiting again anytime soon, unless if I'm taking out-of-town friends around.

If you want to see petrified trees and take a little hike outdoors, this is definitely a site to see. The loop around the forest isn't that large and it took maybe 20 minutes of slow paced walking (with lots of picture stops) to complete the loop.

The little gift shop is adorable and has various fossils and petrified wood both from local sources as well as from other countries! They had sulfur from Indonesia, petrified wood from Africa, etc. There's natural petrified wood like you would find on the ground, and there are others that are polished and look amazing as well.

After the loop around the forest, I ended up buying a few petrified wood keychains.

A fun place to buy a bit of candy. There isn't a large selection, just the standard licorice, taffy and gummies.

They had fun t-shirts with sayings that compared men to wine, cat-friendly says, and princess tshirts.

There was a nice counter of chocolate that looked very delicious. I was tempted to buy some maple candies (blocks of maple sugar), but the though of all that sugar gave me the chills. We ended up buying mini gummy bears and some souvenior rocks.

I attended a wedding and wedding dinner here and it was amazing! We had a very intimate gathering with a lovely reception under a roof of vines overlooking the large pond. The wedding took place in front of the pond area and there was a lovely archway.. everything was scenic!

Afterwards, the wedding dinner took place in a wine cellar! I call it the cave. It was dimly lit with candles and two small spot lights on the bride and groom. Our gathering had 6 tables and we felt comfortable and luxurious dining inside the cellar.

The area outside of the cellar is the dance floor where we danced the rest of the night away.

Lovely place. Definitely what dream weddings are made of!

If you're in Calistoga, you just can't miss going to this place! They have a wonderful patio dining experience with live music.

There's also a very separate bar area on the side of the building if you want go to a low key bar.

I visited here for with a private party and we had the outdoor back area. There were picnic tables, strings of lights, torches and woodchip flooring. This looked just like the movie sets with fancy backyard BBQ dining (except we didn't have to cook and instead had exceptional food from the inn).

Wonderful experience! The setting all around is very romantic and intimate both in the patio area and in the back.

My cousins and I stayed in the Superior room which had an additional bedroom attached. The room was nice because it felt like we had our own little bungalow (although it was adjacent to others) and we had one car parking spot right in front. Additionally the room was very clean and tidy.

The interior space was enough for all 4 of us and the bed space was even better. There was a king size bed in the main room and a queen size bed in the adjacent bedroom. We even had a little kitchnette with a sink, mini fridge, and coffee maker.

Our massages were mediocre. The experience changes depending on who is the one giving the massage. Luckily my massage was on par. I recommend the person I had, Lila. She was super nice and gave the right amount of pressure. I felt very comfortable and relaxed!

The pools/mineral bathes were even more exciting! You definitely have to take some time to relax in their pool area!

All and all, it was a good experience. Although, for the price, I wonder if it was really worth it. For a two night stay it ended up costing us ~$750 (due to the 2 nights PLUS the required spa treatments).

Also, even though the location is not on Lincoln Ave (where downtown is), it's fairly close and within walking distance (~1 mile) with a reliable pair of shoes. And the resort is in a very quiet area for peaceful relaxation!

It's hard to find a place that makes great black bean paste noodles. This is definitely a treat!

While being tourists to the area.. My friend and I accidently stumbled upon this restaurant while looking for a place to have dinner. There was quite a few people inside so we decided to take a chance and try a new place!

I loved our black bean paste noodles. This is one of the local favorites! Everyone at each of the tables had a least one order of this. I ordered one that also came with kimchi ramen/noodles.

We also tried the fried calamari (wasn't that great) and some vegetable dumplings (wasn't that great either).

The owner of the restaurant speaks both in Korean and Mandarin and many of the visitors to the restaurant spoke in Korean or Mandarin. We were the only table that ordered and spoke in English the entire time. Ha! But their English is good and they were very friendly so I really enjoyed eating here!

After seeing this place from across the street, I decided that I had to visit this place. I ended up having brunch there with some friends. The food was delicious and we had a great time enjoying each other's company outside. This is definitely a relaxing place and I enjoyed every moment here!

I recommend their South African Kwazulu tea, bangers and mash, and the Victoria and Albert tea and treats set.

Okay food. A little pricey. Poor service.. I never got my water refilled and I had to ask twice for the check. Also, after the place started to fill up, I had a hard time hearing my friend talking (who was sitting across the table from me).. and ended up shouting at each other in order to hold a conversation. Not a pleasant experience.

There's frozen yogurt here! Not much of the decor screams frozen yogurt except for a banner/sign on the outside of the store.

The frozen yogurts are THE LARGEST I have ever seen for the price ~$5 for starter size with 3 toppings.

I recommend getting their lychee flavor frozen yogurt. I didn't like their natural yogurt flavor because it isn't very tart and yet isn't very sweet. I ALSO recommend trying their jelly and mochi toppings.

As for their glasses and sunglasses. They have a lot of top designers for top designer dollars. There isn't really any discounts... so.. expect to pay $$$ for your designer Chanel, Fendi, Gucci, etc.

I tried their Shoyu (item #1 on the menu) ramen! It was pretty on par with other ramen shops in the area. AND it was for a decent price (~$6 after tax). I also tried their fish cake sushi (not bad) and bimbimbap (not too bad either). Their prices are decent and they give me a nice alternative to the pricey Korean joints. I can now have Korean food to go! They also have to go containers for the ramen if you want ramen to go.

The selection of Japanese and Chinese candy at Marina can't be beat! They definitely have WAY more candy than the nearby Ranch 99. I always find the perfect sugary confections and drinks at Marina!

They also carry a line of beauty supply items from Kose and Lux.

There must be a festival for every season! It seems like every other month there's something exciting happening at Japantown.

I love attending the festivals for all of the interesting food selections, see performers, and play games! Earlier this year I saw some traditional Japanese dancing with fans and I played a game that I always saw in Japanese movies where you catch goldfish with a paper net.

Always a fun place to go! Watch out for festival days though. Parking can be a nightmare and pushing through crowds, waiting in long lines for the restaurants may not be your cup-of-tea.

I took some friends of mine to this place for the first time during Farmer's Market night. It was a busy night, but I thought that such a large and fancy establishment couldn't fail.

I was wrong. Service was terrible and almost non-existent. Other than bringing us our food and occasional water, there was no other service. I sat with dirty dishes in the way for the entire meal.

Other tables around us also felt under served.

Bread didn't arrive until our meal arrived. What's the point of giving us bread then?

I ordered the chicken liver and onion small bite, which was okay. Then we had two salads, the hearts of romaine (with ceasar dressing) which was mediocre and then an argula melon and procuitto which was not too bad. We also ordered a tomato, mozzarella pizza which was okay.

Considering the prices and the fancy decor, I expected much better service and much better food.

I highly recommend making a reservation for tea because there are very limited tables and on the weekends the majority of the tables are already booked for birthdays. I went there on a Saturday with a friend and we were lucky enough to get a table without making a reservation.

I thought the sandwiches were average and overpriced ($18+ per plate). Some of the desserts looked delicious though.. like the peach sorbet that came in a pitted peach!

You have to call for service using a bell so sometimes they don't hear it if you don't ring long or loud enough. But when they did come, they provided good service and were very nice.

The gift shop is small, but crammed with tea goodies like cookies, cups, saucers, parsols, and jewelry. The ladies working in the gift shop area were also very friendly! I ended up purchasing a lace parsol!

Overall my friend and I had a nice time. The decor was perfect, the waitresses were dressed in maid attire and the cups and saucers were very pretty. I just wished the variety of snacks and sandwiches were tastier considering the price they charge.

This is definitely a place for special occassions!

Who doesn't love cake?! And now you can have cake while you're on the go! These adorable mini cakes come in cups that make it really easy to eat anywhere - all you need is a spoon.

And since they are so small, you can try many different cakes all in one sitting. I went, for the first time, with my friend and her family and we bought many different cakes to share with each other. I loved the chestnut mont blanc, since I've never had chestnut cake before! And the choco-misu was very delicious.

Sweet Bream is a bit different from the regular taiyaki that you may be use to though. The taiyaki here is teeny tiny! So tiny that when I ate it I thought that maybe I had eaten a real goldfish.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I like my full-size taiyaki. The breading has a different texture and I don't have to wait for 12 (a school) of them to cook.. which took about 10 minutes. Granted, they were cooked fresh, but if there's ever a line to the door, I don't recommend waiting around.

Don't forget to check their website for their secret menu.

I had been scoping out this place for awhile and was really excited when they finally opened! The bakery has a very comfortable and friendly atmosphere that makes you want to sit down, relax and enjoy some good food!

There are a lot of speciality items, so it was hard for me to choose which to try. But I ended up picking a mini red velvet cupcake and a regular-sized chocolate cupcake with chocolate chunks inside. I was extremely disappointed in the taste though. The cupcakes were dry and they wasn't much orginiality. I think I could have baked these cupcakes better from scratch myself. I definitely recommend trying the mini cupcakes to give you an idea of what the regular size would taste like.

I don't think I'll be revisiting this store unless if they start the panini business (which there are talks about doing) or if they start making fruit tarts.

Sure, most of the action in this movie is impossible, but that's the beauty of movies! This movie is action packed with lots of shooting, jumping, slicing, blood and bruises. And there wer e a lot of interesting ideas behind the storyline so I really enjoyed pretty much everything. I liked seeing an average Joe become something more than average!

Oh, and if you're expecting to see the graphic novel come to life, you might be very disappointed because it's almost nothing like the graphic novel.

Watch out for Miyake on Saturdays!

I thought Miyake was a normal place for normal sushi, boy was I completely wrong! On Saturday, I met with friends to celebrate someone's birthday. While STANDING IN LINE outside we look in to see.. flashing lights like a club scene.

After waiting in line to get in, our table is finally ready and the security guy at the front checks our id and stamps our hand. Inside, the restaurant is blasting music with strobe lights.. but there is no dance floor.

The night continues with the club-like atmosphere with people dressed in club wear doing sake bombs. The lights would dim and you would hear the waiter and customers shouting SAKE BOMB SAKE BOMB!

On the plus side, if you tell them that it's your birthday, the'll give you a complementary sake where you must stand on your chair and take sake shots. OH and you get a souvenir photo in a paper frame (and who said Polaroids were outdated)!

The place is great for pre-clubbing drinking, but it's NOT a place to expect good sushi or good conversation. You won't be able to hear each other through the loud music and sake bomb chants.

Don't forget to make reservations on Saturday! You don't want to be left standing in LINE for sushi! I left the restaurant around 9:30pm and there was a line for Miyake that went down to the next building! A line! Like a club! a cheap cheap club with no cover charge.

This movie sent out the message for everyone to exercise and not depend on all of our electronic devices - otherwise Apple will take over the world.!!

I especially admire this movie for how little dialog there was, but everyone could still understand what was being said through different movements. The graphics were amazing during scenes where they panned across the world showing total devastation. It was too real!

The details of the storyline were creative and interesting, but there still wasn't enough to really tie me into the characters. I was also hoping that there would be more robot friend interaction, but there was very little. The movie focused solely on Wall-E and Eve. All-in-all, not too bad for a robot E.T. movie.

During my lunch hour, my coworker and I decided to visit a new restaurant. We stumbled upon this one while walking by, and although there were no customers inside, we weren't scared.

The food was decent and it came out quick! The price is reasonable for any of the downtown restaurants and the owner was very nice.

I'm a little disappointed that no one else seems to enjoy this place. During our lunch hour, no one else showed up for lunch. Too bad.

It's pricey! But I can't really complain too much about the taste of the food.

First the appetizers. I ordered the combo appetizers that came with stuffed chicken wing, chicken kabob, egg roll and a fish cake? The stuffed chicken wing was the best! It was stuffed with clear noodles and other veggies. Really tastly!

Then I ordered the green curry with 'mild' spiciness but it was still too hot for me. And I'm pretty sure I can tolerate the average kick of heat, so I'm not sure what happened there. As my kid described it, her tongue was "on fire."

Also the portions were rather small so it's definitely meant for a one person serving - unless if you fill yourself on appetizers. And each curry order is ~$10.

In the end, after the combo appetizers, two curry dishes, rice, thai ice teas, my friend (kid included), and I spent ~$50.

I think this is a great place to take people out for a special occasion and celebrate or to impress someone. But it can't be a local's regular outting, unless if you have limitless money, then nothing is impossible.

I went with my family for a nice hot pot dinner. We ordered the potstickers (which were okay), the house special soup base (LOTS of garlic, some ginger, Chinese herbs), meat meat meat meat, veggies, mushrooms, etc.

Overall, the hot pot was great. The service was very fast and attentive. I thought the house special soup base tasted like instant noodle soup bases (salty, msg feeling) but it looked home made.

Also the dinner ended up being rather pricey at $20+ per person. But I'd recommend this place for a nice hot pot dinner!.. if you don't want to have hot pot at your own house ;)

I pretty much laughed throughout the entire movie. At first I thought that this was just a plain ol' kid's movie, but it's actually great for adults alike!

The movie had an old kung fu movie feel and reminded me a little of the recently released movie, Forbidden Kingdom (Jackie Chan is also one of the voice actors in this movie).

What else did I like about the movie? There were some good life lessons in the movie! Such as when your parent(s) want you to become a noodle shop owner, but you want to become a kung fu master... or that you need to keep going and not give up your goals.

Where else are you going to get your pies? Only at Heidi's of course! The restaurant has a diner kind of feel with a traditional "homemade" kind of feel.

Well, since it's open 24 hrs, it's one of the few places you get still get food at 3am. However, like most of the Denny's I've been to, the service is SLOW.

I thought the lunch was okay. When a coworker and I went looking for a Japanese restaurant, we came across this place and they had a nice menu in the window. Unfortunately, what we were looking at was the dinner menu... so we were surprised to find ourselves sitting for their buffet lunch.

But the lunch was a decent price ~$12 so we stayed. The sushi was mediocre. What I didn't understand was why they limited us to 1 item per order. The first time you order you are allowed 2 items, all order after that is 1 item.. which means you have to order/eat one tiny 6 piece roll (or a tiny piece of teriyaki) before you can order (and wait) for another order. Kinda sucked.. especially since we were in a bit of a hurry. We ended up getting 3-4 orders each in a 1hr time period. I think I'd rather just pay for a regular meal without the buffet aspect.

There is a variety of rolls, appetizers, teriyaki, and udon on the menu so you don't have to eat only sushi. There's also some sashimi but it costs extra.

They have a nice selection of sweet and non sweet crepes. :) And an interesting tea selectin such as blueberry tea!

The crepe were good and VERY LARGE. The tea was also good because it was loose leaf and they used a fancy glass tea press.

The bad.. there were no spoons to stir the tea. There wasn't anyone to ask for service.. they sort of appeared here and there every now and then. The orders we placed (we had 6 orders) were made/delivered at different intervals so some of us had already finished our meal by the time another JUST got theirs.

And a random observations.. the utensils we were given (small fork and a knife) were from IKEA while the cups and saucers were from France. Interesting mix.

The atmosphere was very well done with nice chairs and windows and drapes.. it had a very intimate and clean airy feeling.

The tea shop probably fits 20 people at the most. Don't plan on having a large party here!

There are a lot of activities for kids and adults alike! You should plan on large crowds and long lines, especially during the lunch hours 12 - 2pm! There are food vendors outside on the street and there are the usual restaurants in the plaza. There are also some vendors on the street selling crafts. Also on the street are the usual freebie like Starbucks and stress balls and free spinal exams. Unfortunately I didn't find any Japanese carnival games for adults.

I think the best part of the fair is watching the performances on stage such as karate and traditional dance. Otherwise, it was too troublesome waiting in line for food and pushing through people.

Parking wasn't too bad at the parking garage under the plaza. There was a steady flow of people going in/out of the garage so we didn't have to wait too long to find parking.

Definitely more for college students or hippies? Located at the West side of campus, the Che Cafe can't be missed. There's a campus loop shuttle stop (clockwise shuttle) right across from the cafe - there's probably a counter clockwise one as well. The cafe is decorated with various paintings. But what makes the Che Cafe feel like home is the laid back type of atmosphere and the bands that come to play.

The venue is a little small, so if you want to see a popular band playing you may want to arrive earlier to make sure you get in.

They also serve vegan food.

Even though it IS a tourist area, it's still very pretty near the water and there are very cute little shops with interesting trinkets and souvenirs. It's definitely a place to check out at least once to say that you've been there and you know what it's about!

SeaWorld as how everyone can expect it. I'm not sure if they still have the dolphin feeding area, but when I went a couple of years back they had this dolphin area where they would bring out the dolphins during certain feeding times. You can then buy a tray of fresh, raw fish and throw them at the dolphins... THAT was definitely an interesting experience. Feeding dolphins is much better than feeding birds at the park.

You're really close to the comedian and it feels like a personal entertainer. They also sell some snacks inside. The location may seem hard to find because it's located in a warehouse area. They try to put up signs and banners along the way though.. like bread crumbs.

Not filled with too many loud and busy students. The inside is spacious and there are lots of seating areas. AND I personally think that Peet's is much better than Starbucks coffee.

I went a night for dueling pianos and there was a cover charge and overpriced alcohol. Also the place was pretty crowded and filled with birthday and bachelorette parties. Over hyped place.

They have practically every type of outerwear that you need. The only problem is finding your exact size and the color you want. Most of the coats are generic colors like black and brown. Sizes can be a problem for men if you need a small size, many are L and XL.

Not that great of food, but it's a fast food chain so what can you expect? Keep low expectations and you'll be fine.

The AE store is right near the bus stop. The store isn't that big, but the service is usually pleasant. There's usually some kind of sale or deal going on.. like purchase $50 and get a $25 certificate for your next purchase, etc.

Smaller than some of the other Targets in San Diego and the selection of goods isn't as diverse as the ones further south (try Clairemont Mesa). It's in a plaza with other stores (payless shoes) and some restaurants so there's a lot of stores surrounding this Target that may interest you in more shopping.

The Costco is just like all the other costcos with food, fruit, and other home goods. There's an nice large outdoor eating area.. and of course there's the gas station with cheaper prices!

The food looks very healthy a lot of Korean dishes. I definitely recommend checking this place out. They have a lot of coverage on the news/newspapers. They also have a mystery tofu stew which is basically scraps of every meat and seafood.

Just like the Big Lots commercials that show that they provide goods for cheap because the product companies have changed their logos, packaging, or have surplus.. that's what you'll find at Big Lots.. which sometimes make it look like a run down crappy place. But it isn't as bad as it looks, especially if you're holding a party for people, you can buy a lot of snacks for a cheaper price.

The park is so large that it can be hard to cover it all in one day. There's a lot of great places to sit and relax and read a book. Very relaxing. If you like checking our museums, a lot of the San Diego museums are located here. Sometimes they have fairs and have food from around the world and vendors with trinkets.

There's always something going on at the fairgrounds. I haven't been to a horse race, but I definitely recommend going to the fair during the sumer, especially on July 4th! There are fireworks on July 4th and if you time it right you could be on the ferris wheel while the fireworks go off and get a good view of them!

I don't recommend the "scary" Halloween events like the hay ride. Perhaps it's good for younger children, but not so much for the adults.

A lot of college students love to hang out and "study" at this place. I never understood how they studied here, because it's so dark and noisy! But it is a very busy place and definitely worth checking out at nights. Comfy sofas to sit in!

There's a nice closed off area for younger kids and there's a sizable field for soccer and any other grass activities. And there are a lot of picnic tables.. but there aren't many picnic tables (if at all) that are in the shade. There's a small shaded area where you should bring a picnic blanket(s) in order to enjoy. Otherwise, I thought that the park could used a lot more trees!

The place looks really nice at night with the lights and the fountains on. Sometimes there are tables in the square area for you to enjoy the atmosphere. And you can relax on some of the nearby steps before catching a movie at the theatre across the street. The area is very safe, usually at night (on the weekends) the police are patrolling the area.

You might be deterred by seeing the interior of the place, but it's good food, really! This is a great place to get a quick lunch before getting back to work.

The parking around the area can be a bit difficult. The only parking around is on El Camino which can get busy sometimes. But usually there's at least one spot waiting for you during lunch hours.

They'll have buffets during special holidays and such. Very good deal because they food is super tasty! I loved the eggs benedict.

I also went for a regular meal (no buffet) but the food wasn't that great and the service was pretty slow.

The YAC offers a lot of classes for children such as dance and art. They also host parent's night out nights where they arrange a variety of activities for the kids so the parents can have a night of their own for once! They also have a lot of after school activities for a little bit older kids that need a place for homework help.

There are a lot of wonderful boutique shops in downtown San Carlos. The clothing stores are definitely on the expensive side, I haven't bought any clothing from the boutique stores even though they are adorable. Some of the casual dresses are $200!

There's a small grocery store, Foodville on Laurel Street. Most of Laurel are restaurants and there are a LOT of restaurants to choose from.. Japanese, Italian, American, Pizza, Ice-cream and frozen yogurt shops, Mexican, Chinese, etc etc

Go to the center and check out the activities. There are a lot of speakers that list and group meetings for adults such as Chinese speaking group and more.

The high school has changed a lot in the past few years. There is a new swimming pool, and a new theatre being built, and there's a nice running track area. The football field is also astroturf. The school offers a lot of electives (photography, psychology, ceramics, etc) and advance courses for students giving students a lot of opportunities to expand their studies.

The area is spacious and many city events and parties happen here. I'm not sure if I would suggest visiting the museum unless if you're really into airplanes. It might not be THAT interesting to you. However, they sometimes have the helicopter rides (usually free for kids) that would be worth the while.

Belmont doesn't have a downtown area, but this could possibly be a downtown candidate! The places here are great because they have a very hometown-friendly kind of feeling. There's a grocery store (Lunardi's), toy store, chinese resturant, starbucks, a wonderful nursery, etc. Lots of choices for eating here!

The food there is okay (a little pricey) and the place looks like it should be a country club for older patrons. Nevertheless, the view from the restaurant is pretty good since the place is located at the top of the hill.

The view is wonderful at night. Even in the day it'd be great. I went during sunset so it was beautiful. We also got to see some fireworks nearby!

The venue is extremely loud and plays strange American music (some oldies). The restaurant looks like a club venue in San Francisco that can be extremely dark at night. Eat by candle light only!

Food wasn't that delicious, and they even completely forgot my order! The margaritas are washed down. Not a good choice. Prices are decent, dishes were around $5USD or $200 r.

And what might these Japanese loved brands be?... Fendi, Coach, Luis Vuitton (watch out you may have to wait in line in order to get in), Dior, and some others. A good collection of high-end shopping for the high-end diva in you! The Louis Vuitton shop is probably the largest in Singapore.

The hotel itself is a little shabby, but clean for the most part. I did have some stains on the headboard, but I forgive them. The lobby area is nice and has a old grandeur to it. When I arrived at the lobby to check-in, I was greeted with a nice old glass of fresh orange juice.. a nice touch.

The best part of the hotel though is the location! The Le Meridien is at the beginning of all of the shopping plazas on Orchard Rd. And the hotel is very close to the MRT station. Not bad at all!

The breakfast meals at George's (the hotel's restaurant) are okay. You can definitely get a cheaper meal outside of the hotel. However, if you are craving an American meal, then you will enjoy George's. I had the American buffet breakfast (S$22) which had pastries, eggs, tatter tots, sausages, omelets, pancakes waffles and other yummy items. There was definitely plenty to choose from! There was also fresh juice.

There's multi-levels of stores that sell everything electronic. Need a TV? PSP? Gameboy? Mouse? Laptop? You'll find it here! It's amazing how many stores sell the same thing and roughly for the same prices. There's also a sporting goods store.

The plaza is located right above the MRT station (red and purple lines) so it's easy to get to anywhere from here.

There's amazing shopping with a mix of American, Singaporean and Japanese brands. There's the Japanese 100 yen store (S$2) where you can find a mix of Japanese goods for cheap. If you're hungry, there's a nice food court/plaza area with all sorts of food like McCafe (McDonalds), Japanese food (sushi, ramen), Indonesian BBQ, Korean BBQ, Chinese food, etc. Or if you want to make your own food, there's a large grocery store with fresh foods as well as pre-made meals.

There's also a large electronics store (Harvey Normal).. so you really never need to leave this mall at all.

There's quite a few UCSD students around during the night either studying or just hanging out and relaxing. The food and drinks are mediocre, not too great and better avoided if at all possible. However, sometimes you don't live close to the good boba places so this is your only choice. Ample seating area inside with a few couches. There's also some outdoor seating.

Pork chop rice meals, fried chicken, fried tofu, shaved ice (when in season), and of course tons of teas and other boba-like drinks to choose from. I think the food here is fairly mediocre though. I still prefer the Tea Stations in San Diego area, the food there is MUCH better.

There's a small outdoor eating area, but there's not that much of an atmosphere. Parking is plenty around this area.

There's a nice outdoor seating area as well as an indoor seating area. There's not too much space, but it's not that big of a problem usually. The place looks like a house!

I think the best item on their menu is their meals like the pork chop rice. The drinks are okay and are comparable to places like Tapioca Express (or maybe a little better than TapX). The snacks are also decent like fried chicken and squid.

However, not that great of a mall. Sure you get to hide from the beating sun the entire time, but there's really not that many stores around. The mall looks really shabby and there are lot of empty stores. Parking is really easy though!

Well, of course it's an outdoor shopping mall, most of the malls in SD are.. but this one is not too crowded, or just the right amount of crowded. There's plenty of outdoor seating and there's a large fountain too (kids love fountains). Don't forget the ice rink for you ice-skating pleasure!

There aren't that many stores at the mall. On the high end stores.. Nordstrom, Coach, Tumi (if you need luggage) are pretty much the high end shopping. The rest are the usually Express, Forever21, Charlotte Russe, etc.

There's also a nice kids zone. Sometimes the mini train is on for kids (I think you need to pay to get on though).

Oh and if you want valet parking, they also have valet that washes your car while you shop. Parking though isn't usually a hassle, there's a lot of spaces so eventually you'll find one.

Check their events calendar and see if there are any special events going on. It's always nice to interact with the people that work there. Sometimes they'll show you the different things that go on behind the scenes at the aquarium.

Although the aquarium is not that large (compared to Monterey Bay Aquarium for example) they have a decent selection of exhibits and of course the view of the beach is great. Admission isn't very pricey so it's a good destination when you have a free weekend and want to do something different.

There's always good events taking place at RIMAC whether it's concerts or school activities.

The arena area is sizeable, but could definitely be bigger.

The work out gym upstairs is great. There's the weight area and the racket ball area where if you're a UCSD student, all these amenities are free! You can even check out equipment if you don't have your own!

There's usually plenty of parking and for large events there will be people directing traffic. They're very good at keeping order!

I've never seen the public libraries around San Diego during my 4 years there. I think they are located in hidden areas. I also don't see many large bookstores in the La Jolla area in general.

This store isn't as big as the ones I'm use to in the bay area (2-story mammoths). And the store doesn't have much of a selection. There's also very little seating available (I think I saw 2 chairs).

I think this is the most well rounded bookstore for browsing. The children's selection is delightful with nice seating area for the kids. There's a lounge area upstairs with plenty of armchairs.. although, most of the time I go they're all taken. There's also chairs scattered around for people to sit and read. Also upstairs is the music and movies section. You can sample all of the cds there by scanning the cd at the listening station!

What else? There's also a nice cafe area downstairs. There's a bench area in front of the long rack of magazines for easy browsing.

Of course there's the bargain books section where there's usually always something there that I end up buying. The last time I went I bought a 2" thick book of piano sheet music (mostly classic songs) for $9!

Right on Michigan Avenue! This Borders is one of the largest Borders stores I've ever seen! And there are even escalators in the bookstore. I can't remember if the store was 2 or 3 stories but it's big!

I also like the location of the store because there's the chocolate shop nearby.. as well as tons of other shopping!

This two story mammoth provides pretty much everything you're looking for including a large selection of music and movies and stationery. The children's book section could use a little work, but it's not too bad. The manga section however is one of the largest I've see in all the bookstores in the bay area.

The parking around this area is a little of a hassle sometimes during the weekends. The store is in the same plaza as PF Changs, Starbucks and some other stores so it gets a little busy.. and there's no street parking.

This Borders doesn't compare to some of the 2 story ones. And there's a 2 story Barnes and Nobles in the same area. However, their manga selection is much better than the nearby B&N. There's a small music/movie section that no one really pays much attention to as well as a stationery section.

I mostly go to this store for the manga selection.

Large and large. It's like any of the other bookstores. Nothing very special other than parking around Santana Row is triple the hassle compared to some of the other Borders locations. BUT you won't look at hip elsewhere right?

This place is usually packed during lunch so you may want to make reservations. There's a great lunch menu for about $9-10 for an entree with rice, soup and salad. Not too bad at all for a generous portion of healthy thai food. Yum!

A lot of people that work nearby come to this place for business lunches and farewell lunches. Very nice place with very friendly people. There's also an outdoor eating area with shade.

Be warned that the parking space behind the restaurant is fairly small and usually packed during lunch. You may want to check it out though. Otherwise there's usually plenty of parking on El Camino.

Cheap cheap bento boxes for dinner. This place gets packed! The restaurant is fairly small and squished, you might feel like people are in your personal space. Not such a great place for large groups of people.

The food is decent and the service is not too bad. If you need some quick and cheap Japanese food, this is the place to go.

The pricing is different at this Roberto's and is actually a little more expensive. The service isn't as great either. Just go down the block to the other Roberto's!

-2/2/09 Update- The Roberto's down the block is CLOSED. So you're stuck with this crappy joint.

Some people swear by Cotixan burritos. They LOVE the burritos. I personally prefer Robertos. I think the service and atmosphere is much better at Robertos in Mira Mesa.

Nevertheless, this place is also opened late and if you're in the area it's a good choice.

The place is a Chinese fast food, almost like Panda Express. I may even prefer Panda Express... the prices are pricey (I got a salad) and the food is mediocre at best. I'd suggest finding another place to eat. But if you're starving for Chinese food and can't go anywhere else (like Convoy area) then.. if you must.

I tried this place ONCE during my 4 year stay in La Jolla. After that one time I decided to never go back no matter how desperate I was for "Chinese" food.

I spent a summer night at Belmont Park. It was nice to get out with friends, play some games, and go on some rides. It's almost like an old fashion amusement park.. I definitely enjoyed myself there. There's also an arcade area and many shops nearby. Of course, if you go at night many of the nearby shops will be closed.

The park is also RIGHT next to the beach so you can walk along the beach.. maybe even have a beach bonfire.

The portions are fairly generous, which allows you to have two meals! Horray! Or you can just order at smaller serving.

I think the katsu at L&L is a lot less oily and greasy feeling than other Hawaiian places.

The bar area has lots of bar tables. On weekend nights it gets really busy and getting a bar table can be a little tough. But it's always lively and fun so it's a good place to relax and have some brews.

Oh right, don't forget the beer! They have sampler beers so you can try a bit of each and the sample sizes come in good sizes.

The place gets really packed on the weekends (as with all the downtown La Jolla restaurants).. so it's best to make a reservation. Even so, they won't seat you until the majority of your party has arrived.

A lot of college students go to Tea Station at night, especially Friday and Saturday nights. This place opens late and gets PACKED!

There's not that much seating inside.. there's some seating outside and some heat lamps, but it can still get very dark and cold.

I like the pork chop rice meals at this Tea Station. But I mostly go to just hang out with friends and take a break.

The sushi and the unagi-don are pretty good. The preset dinner/bento prices are a lot more affordable than ordering individual items.

I like that the place is close to the movie theater so I can get a bite to eat before a movie. The service at the restaurant is prompt.. no too bad of a place considering it's in a plaza/mall area.

I think CPK has pretty much the same menu and standards everywhere. I've been to three around California and they all taste the same to me. So If you're interested in some gourmet think crust pizza (slightly pricey) then you should check out CPK.

Two story Target store! There's also a Nordstrom Rack. Other than that the mall is an average kind of mall that attracts some of the teens that have a little too much time on their hands. You might run into some hooligans. Oh no! But there's no need to panic, because you'll find some good deals at Nordstrom Rack.. maybe?

It's definitely hard to find parking on the weekends. Be prepared to spend a little time searching. And when you finally do get a spot, get parking validated by buying some gum at the store or go to starbucks.

I never go to Horton plaza for shopping because the multi-levels drive me insane. I'm not sure who was the one that decided to have multi-levels that are not uniform on each side. It gets a little difficult at times to cross the level and get to the store you want.

However, the location is very lively and is always fun to experience. During the winter the outdoor ice rink is nearby.

If you're interested in high end department store shopping then you should definitely be at Fashion Valley. The place definitely gets crowded on the weekend and parking can be a little tough, but if you're patient then you'll find a spot. Otherwise, there's always valet.

My favorite shops at Fashion Valley.. Neiman Marcus, Tiffany & Co. and Betsey Johnson. There's also a mix of high and low end like Old Navy.

Screens can be on the smaller side, but it's the closest theater to the UCSD area. Lines can be long at nights on weekends, so I'd suggest purchasing tickets online first. The location isn't so bad either, you can have some dinner at the nearby Japanese restaurant, CPK, Chipotle..

The theater is nice. Still new looking and feeling. There's always a lot of people around. And there's usually one police officer standing around as well. Great location near all of the restaurants downtown.

Everything is nice and new: new seats, floors, etc. so everything is wonderful. You can park in the structure nearby and have the parking validated by the theater. Sometimes it gets busy, but there hasn't been a time when I couldn't find a parking spot at all.

It's close to all the nearby shops and restaurants so it's very convenient. It's practically across the street from city hall. SO I guess it's also a safe place.. on the weekends I see a lot of police in front of the area.

The chairs are OLD and the floors are sticky. They've had the same chairs for the past 10+ years. Check the chair before you sit down on the cushion and make sure there's no gum or other surprises on it. Also make sure that the chair actually WORKS. Some chairs are utterly broken. I would suggest that if you're going to watch a long movie (2hrs+) you choose another theater because your neck and butt will be sore afterwards.

The GOOD thing about this theater is that there is ALWAYS parking. The parking lot is HUGE so parking is never a hassle. Other than that, the theater is in the middle of nowhere so you'll need to drive further to downtown if you want to get something to eat before or after the movie.

It probably takes some talent to make comedy look so easy. It seems like for him comedy is everywhere he goes and everything is so natural. Good guy. I saw him at Cobbs in SF the other day.. and since I was at the last showing he went on for about 2 hrs with the crowd's encouragement.

Other highlights of the show.. he went through 6 or more cigs, a girl shouted out "Can I have a hug" and eventually got one, another girl bummed a cig offa him. All round good laughs.

Watch out! You might end up spending a lot at Tutto Mare.. at least that's what happened to me. The restaurant is beautiful! It's a great place to have a elegant dinner party, a date, etc. Very nice! The service is exceptional and the seafood is great. The lamb I had was okay and someone else had a pizza that wasn't that great.. so I'd suggest sticking with appetizers, seafood, and desserts.

This restaurant is hidden away from view and who would've guessed a really nice Italian restaurant on Executive drive near the corporate buildings? Good choice if you want to impress someone!

I went here with some of my girlfriends and had a great time. The service was very prompt, repsonsive and friendly. There's valet parking at the restaurant so parking can never be a problem.

The interior was dim, but perfect for the setting. The restaurant definitely felt very warm and inviting. Although the food was not exactly memorable, I enjoyed my apple martini and having my friends around to share the dining experience.

I think you can wait until this movie shows on Lifetime or some other tv channel. I didn't know this was coming frm the same writer as the Devil Wears Prada?? Well, I didn't like that movie either. There wasn't anything that made me feel involved in the story, I've never been a bride's maid (can you really have 27 bffs?), none of my friends are married, and I don't have a crazy younger sister.

This movie sort of reminds me of Bridget Jones' Diary. So maybe if you like the movies Bridget Jones' Diary and Devil Wear Prada then you will enjoy this one.

Considering the list of strong actors in this movie, I expected a lot more. However, I probably should be blaming the script. The movie is very well thought out to the last detail, some scenes look very beautiful. There's also that fantasy element like you're looking into another world..

The biggest gripe I have about the movie is the character development. The feelings that were suppose to have developed with the characters weren't really there. I didn't feel like they showed enough because they kept changing scenes .. was there too much to focus on?

This is definitely a rent worthy movie. Not sure if you'd want to spend money on a movie ticket though.

Well, if you don't have a car then you'll probably end up at Chipotle. Because if you DID have a car (or knew someone who did) you'd be eating at Roberto's. It's okay, Chipotle is a great quick fix and is maybe even slightly healthy?

Usually when I think of all-you-can-eat food, I think of crappy and cheap mixes of Japanese, Chinese, and American food. But not Tadashi! Tadashi is on par with any of the other high quality restaurants in the downtown La Jolla area except, it's ALL-you-can-eat! Very delicious and creative foods that made me feel like I was definitely getting my money's worth. A good experience at a lively location. The restaurant itself is a little small, but I enjoyed sitting at the chef's bar area.

But considering the price, I thought it would've been a little better. I think this place is over hyped. The presentation was good and the Lakanilau roll with kobe beef wrapped around crab tempura was alright. Nothing spectacular about this place other than trying to impress your date.

Great place to take the kids in the summer when you don't know what else to do with them. The go-karts are a good place for older kids and adults.

I took some of my relative's kids there and they LOVED the bumper boats. They got really wet, but they were very happy. And since it was summer, their clothes dried off fast. The kids also enjoyed the arcade games and collecting tickets to trade for toys.

The food is the standard fast food, pizza and hot dogs with nice and greasy oil. There's ample sitting space to enjoy a little break from running around the area chasing after your kids.

The service can be deathly SLOW here sometimes. I've been there maybe 5 or more times and every time I go there seems to only be one person working, even if there are a lot of people. It can take awhile to flag down that one person to take your order. The orders come out quick though (if you order the soup noodles).

The food is average pho food. I've had their noodle soups and vermicelli items. Not bad.

If I could have a enormous garden for my backyard, this would be it! I love visiting the garden because it's so peaceful and beautiful. You can look at all the trees and know that someone has been caring for it. This place is probably one of the hidden beauties in downtown San Mateo!

I like this place because they're open late (Fridays until 1am!) and they have tons of snack items (fish balls, squid, almond tofu, etc).

The food isn't all that unique or fresh, but it gets the job done. Plus there's not many chinese snack places to choose from in San Mateo.

Sometimes the place gets busy and feels a little crammed, but the service is usually prompt. They actually have service buttons on your table so when you are ready to order, ready for the check, need water, etc you press the button and voila! there they are!

The new structures are expected to be in place (and open to public) sometime August 2008.

Burton park has a generous play area for older children and an enclosed area for younger children. There's plenty of picnic tables and grass for everyone! There are also nearby basketball courts and tennis courts. There is even a wall for practicing some tennis by yourself or hand-ball games.

But not much shade around and there's no playground. The area is wide open space with walkway and tables. There's not much to do around the park but sit and chat or eat. Unfortunately there's not much shade so you might need that extra sunblock or hat. I usually see people walking their dogs or relaxing on a bench or having a birthday party at this park.

They have an assortment of juices and breakfast snacks (muffins and the like). I went on a weekend and the chef? was making burgers and grilled chicken on an outdoor BBQ. The burgers looked SO GOOD! I already had lunch plans with someone so I had to pass on the burgers, but next time I go I will get it! Everything looked really fresh and healthy. Yum.

I ordered the Almond Milk Tea and there was still powder in the drink??! Talk about instant tea. Also the almond extract taste was way too strong/sweet for me. I don't like my milk tea tasting like sugar water. Bleh. Not a good choice.

Most of the items at the store are $1.50, some items are less (mostly the candy) and some are more expensive(purses, oversized containers, some photo frames, etc).

I really enjoy this store because they have a lot of Japanese goods that I have trouble finding elsewhere such as stationery (for a resonable price!), stickers, special cooking utensils and Japanese dishware.

They're opening a lot of U.S. stores lately, there are locations in San Diego, Newark/Fremont area, and Mountain View. Although some of the other stores are actually larger and offer more products than the Serramonte store, I still like the Serramonte store the best. I think it's a lot better because of the store layout. The aisles are easy to navigate and the cashier area and bagging area is very efficient.

I almost forgot to mention, you have to bag your own items at Daiso.

Plan on making reservations if you want to go eat at night on the weekends because it gets BUSY.

The lighting at the place is extremely dim. I would prefer a little more light, but I suppose it gives the place a better atmosphere. God forbid we actually see what we're eating. The food is good. And there are crayons to draw on the paper table cloth while you wait for you food (beware for potential paper cuts).

You might have some trouble finding this bowling center from the street. There's no sign that says "AMF Bowling" and the bowling place is behind their large parking lot making it even harder to spot.

Once you go inside you realize that they actually have a lot of lanes!

Get to the Garrett popcorn shop fast! If you go too late they will have sold out their best popcorns! I definitely recommend Caramel Crisp and Cheese Corn! Oh and who was the one that had the idea of mixing popcorn? I had a mix of the Caramel Crisp and Cheese Corn from Garrett's and it was delicious! I definitely recommended getting some popcorn at Garretts. Get a tin of popcorn or test it out and get a small bag.

Lee's has a lot of different Vietnamese sandwiches to choose from. They also have some Vietnamese drinks and snacks. Yum! Also the prices aren't that much for the sandwiches (around $5 or less) so it's a good choice!

Yoshinoya is like a Japanese fast food joint with fast food quality items. They also have desserts like flan and cheesecake.

I'd recommend Yoshinoya if you want something fast and don't want to spend too much money.

I generally don't like Quiznos or Subways or any other chain of sandwich stores, but this Quiznos is definitely a place to love. Why? Because the feel of the place is almost like a mom-and-pop shop. The owner and wife? run the place and they're very good at remembering their regular customers.

The only bad part about this area is the parking, there isn't much long-term parking near the store. The parking area is very small and most of the spots are 20 min only.

Sometimes I like to have a quick snack or I can't decide on what to eat so the conveyer belt is a helpful choice. I get to have a little taste of everything, even dessert!

I also like their menu (aside from the conveyer belt) because they offer a lot of authentic Japanese side dishes. Very yummy!

I had a great time at Ole Ole. The atmosphere is very lively and warm. The service was great and the food was even better. The cake desserts were also very good.

The food is less oily compared to other buffet places. And thankfully when I leave this buffet place I don't end up smelling like the restaurant.

The restaurant is very big with plenty of choices of food. Good sushi. You can get half a lobster - they limit one per person by giving one "lobster ticket" per person.

The food is a mix of Japanese, Chinese, and American (pizza, fries for the kids).

This is a good place to have large get togethers and not have to worry about what kind of food everyone will like.

Chicago's Chinatown is fairly small especially if you've been to San Francisco's Chinatown. BUT it's better than not having one at all.

The Chinatown stretches for a few blocks, but I only saw one bakery that had a nice selection of pastries and buns. However, there are a lot of restaurants to choose from so getting Chinese food isn't a problem. PLUS Chinatown is really close to a loop station so it's really easy to get to.

I didn't have much time to check out all of the museums in the complex, so I decided on the Field Museum. I really enjoyed visiting Sue (the T-Rex).. and she even has her own store inside the museum!

There are a lot of activities and shows going on so plan on spending a lot of them at the museum!

Also, the view from the museum is very nice too. There's a large grass area and you can see boats along the water.

My boyfriend and I decided to try out the Chicago deep dish craze when we visited Chicago. Somehow we stumbled upon Pizzeria Uno, probably because someone had mentioned to us that they had the best Chicago-style pizza.

We stopped in, and the place was packed! We waited 30 min, maybe even 1 hr to be seated outside eventually around 9pm.. and the place was still packed!

They have an extensive selection of pizzas! But, unfortunately, after trying the deep dish, I have to say that I don't like deep dish pizza. I like thin crusts much better. However, this place looks like it's one of the best Chicago-style pizzerias out there!

I enjoy the classics, so I ordered their sundae. Very yummy! I liked the atmosphere of the shop, just like the classic soda fountain shops. Also it's near a lot of shopping so it's a great place to take a break from shopping and treat yourself to something sweet.

When I go to a restaurant that lists calamari on the appetizer menu, it's really hard for me to resist. I've had calamari all over San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc. but the one at Carmine's is by far my FAVORITE. The batter has just the right taste that brings out the flavor of the squid. Mm mm good.

I ordered a seafood pasta dish that was delicious as well. The service was very prompt and friendly. The atmosphere was intimate and calming. I really really enjoyed my dinner!

Chuck E. Cheese is a kid's dream! When I say kid, I mean up to maybe first grade. From second grade on they start saying that Chuck E. Cheese isn't so cool anymore.

There is a large assortment of arcade activities and a large climbing/tunnel structure for the kids to enjoy. The food at Chuck E. Cheese is what you can expect, fast food and its greasy wonders.

Good place to bring the kids. But perhaps if you're afraid of all of the germs spread by all of the kids on everything they touch, lick, etc, it's a bad place to bring the kids.

Bus Barn is a smaller theater that offers a very intimate atmosphere. I love watching the pretty much all of the shows at Bus Barn. I didn't know much about plays before Bus Barn, but afterwards I realized that they're very exciting! I watched A Street Car Named Desire, Cabaret and a few others at Bus Barn. The actors are always a pleasure to watch and the ticket prices are reasonably priced.

If you need a hotel to stay at for a long period of time and would like it to be similar to an apartment style (kitchen and separate bedroom) then TownePlace is for you! If you're like me, who needed a nice place to stay for a night, then perhaps TownePlace isn't for you.

At night there's really only one person there to help you with any requests. If you want to add an additional cot to the room, beware, this hotel only has ONE cot for the entire hotel!

The area around the hotel is very nice and quiet, perfect for a good night sleep. The hotel is a great location for nearby corporations. But if you're looking for places to hang out after work, expect to drive further out.

The Laurel Street park is excpetionally small, but there are park benches and a nice stage area. During the festivals or farmer market days (towards the end of the year) there is live music on the stage. Sometimes you might even find someone playing their guitar on a park bench. The park is a very nice break from the busy area.

I can't count the number of times I've wanted to buy a specific item at 12am. Where else would I find a 24 hour store? And all the other times that I need to pick up cold medicine.. Walgreens is where I go for all the essential items that I need after 10pm since nothing else is usually open after then.

I make sure that all my prescriptions are filled at this Walgreens so that I can pick up my prescription at anytime convenient to me.

I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but if I were, I would go to Plantation coffee. Usually I go to get together drinks.

The store is owned by a Korean couple. I actually happened to go to the same college as their daughter. Small world?

Anyway, I love mom-and-pop shops, so that's why I love this place. And besides, they're always friendly!

It gets busy sometimes on the weekends, probably because there as so few bars in the Laurel Street area. Clooney's is a nice bar that seems to be a magnet for the 20s to late 30s crowd. I sometimes wonder if I'll bump into old high school acquaintances when I go. I haven't yet, but some of my other friends have.

The atmosphere is really relaxed and you can almost see yourself hanging out at the pub for a day.

What Chinese restaurant wouldn't want a "888" address? Okay, slightly off topic. Back to the food.. The food is good. As I mentioned in the title of this review, the food is very Americanized. Yan's is an extremely superior version of Panda express.

I've ordered dishes at the restaurant and they've tasted good. I've also ordered from their 2 person menu to-go and ended up with an enormous amount of food that could've fed 4 people.

Speederia Pizzeria slices are in generous portions and are tasty! This is a great place to get some quick and tasty pizza.

There isn't much table seating inside. If you're lucky you'll manage to get one of the few tables/seats. But.. you might still feel like you're sandwiched between customers, the table, and your pizza.

I wasn't expecting Izzy's to be such a nice place near the San Carlos airport! At the time I had never heard of Izzy's but had always passed by it on the freeway. So, eventually, I decided to go check it out.

I went to the restaurant casually dressed, and when I got in, it was so nice inside and most of the people were fairly dressed up (business casual and on) that I thought I felt a little out of place. But it didn't matter too much, the lights are dim, and the most important part is the food and service.

The good was delicious, I especially loved the muscles. The service was very prompt and friendly as well.

I can see this place as a very nice business dinner or a formal outing with the family or friends or taking a date out.

I guess a lot of people in San Carlos have been waiting for a wine bar to come along. It's true, there's really no other place like it in San Carlos.

They have a great selection of beer. I don't know much about French wine, but they sure do have a lot of it.

As for the food, I tried 5 out of the 11 or so charcuterie and cheese options and they were alright. The pate and foie gras were ok, not as rich and creamy as I would've liked.

The kobe hamburgers were great. I got the mushroom and brie burger, which I could barely finish because it was fairly large and came with a generous portion of fries. My boyfriend ordered a burger on rye with onions which tasted really good. Oh and the fries, I've got to say that they taste JUST like the fries at the Ritz in SF. The fries are crispy and salty.. just add some truffle mayonnaise.. mmm good.

Overall it was an interesting experience. The food was okay and the service was mediocre - especially when it got busy. The atmosphere was a little confusing. The place looked like a pub, but had small booths for eating like a restaurant would. I think the best way to describe the place is that it's a pub and wine bar fusion, but leans more towards a pub.

I think Refuge is a great place to hang out with friends, get a burger, have some good Belgian beer.

-Update 9/20/08- The restaurant has updated and I've raised my review 1 extra star. The menu has really changed and is MUCH more organized. The menu consists of regular burgers (no more kobe) and pastrami sandwiches AND of course great beer. The food is GREAT!

They need to bring this show back on TV! B1 and B2 are hilarious. They get into a lot of trouble sometimes. And the rat is always playing tricks on people. I use to watch this show all the time after school.

At least with Barney I learn something like being nice to people or saying sorry. But with Teletubbies, I never really know what they want me to learn. Also, I can't stand the parts where they say "Again again!" and they watch the same video again.. and sometimes.. again. Are they really that out of ideas that they have to replay clips over and over again to fill their time slot?

The next question should be.. why was I watching it in the first place?? I blame the kids in the house.

They've got burgers, soup, salads.. pretty much everything you'd expect in a diner. I always get the same thing when I go though, the chicken salad - you get a plate with tons of greens, and plenty of warm chicken to go along. Not too shabby at all!

I'm still not sure why this place isn't packed. They have good food! I also like their curry fries. When I feel like eating fried Hawaiian food, I go to L&L down the block. But when I want a yakisoba style noodles, I go to Ono Grill. They have large servings with plenty of veggies!

If you're looking for badminton gear, Badminton Alley is the place to go. The owner is super nice, not pushy about buying the products, and KNOWS his products. The result is, you get quality service and quality equipment.

I ended up buying everything there (rackets, shuttlecocks, shoes and a bag). I'd definitely go back again!

The only warning about this place is that it gets busy on the weekend, and the shop is really small. It lives up to its name (alley).. so it might get a little crowded.

I can't believe that I'm the first person to review this place! The Zvents office is GREAT. What's so great about it? Well for starters, there's a great view of the bay from the eighth floor, there are yummy snacks in the break room (Peet's coffee and sodas included) and the office is decorated with employee-made art. Of course I saved the best things about Zvents for last, the best part of Zvents.. the people and the product!

Anime playing on flat screens, loud trance? music, dark lighting.. it's exactly what those TV dramas show for hangs outs for the young, rich, hip crowd.

The food was okay. Not worth the price. I got a table with two of my friends, it was pretty hard trying to make conversation over the loud music.

I was still hungry after the pricey dinner. I guess this is the type of place you go to to look cool. I thought the place was a little ADD though, all of the different anime playing on different screens, fast music.. I got a headache from going there.

There's almost nothing you can't get for planning a nice dinner at the farmers' market. There's fresh pasta, fruits, veggies, flowers, pastries, spreads, bread, did I mention they have everything?

The last time I went there was also a booth at the entrance where there was a clown making balloon animals for kids. He was surrounded by a crowd of kids happily sitting on individual chairs watching him do this gig. Fun entertainment for the kids.

A nice alternative to the Chipotle chain. They've got fresh vegs and you can watch them cook it up. Their portions are HUGE.

I went during lunch and it was pretty busy, but the I was still able to find a seat. All 'round good food for a decent price. Plus the atmosphere was fast paced and lively.

You can eat dinner at your table and have the kids watch Spongebob at the same time! I don't think I've been to any other restaurant that has a tv per table!

Eating pizza at San Remos is like traveling to another country. A loud, crowded, villa with all sorts of pizzas. This is one of the few restaurants around that actually make pizza look like a fancy night out. You can now take a first-date to pizza without feeling ashamed!

The place gets really busy during the weekends. And the tables inside are very close to each other so you might feel like you've lost all of your personal space.. but that's a part of the appealing atmosphere, right?

I love their super burritos that have practically everything in it. My boyfriend likes their wide selection of meats.

The atmosphere is nice and casual. Sometimes you'll go when there are a buncha kids and they might scream your ears off. But it's a fun place to hang out with friends and kick back.

The structure is very much like a college campus library. There lots of small desks for people who need their own desk space, power outlets, etc.

Lots of space, lots of bookshelves. But many of the books are sadly outdated. Hard to do a research paper when most of the books are outdated.

If I want to relive my college years, see people studying with ipods and laptops, then I'd go to the San Mateo Library where I can climb stairs and get lost in the bookshelves.

Well, practically, almost everything. So far I've only gone to Whole Foods for lunch mainly. They have a great selection of salads, gourmet pizzas, and other hot foods. Oh don't forget the sushi! They also have an interesting assortment of drinks.. some are cure-all drinks that say they'll cure.. well.. all (like cancer!).

Everything at Whole Foods is interesting. I haven't actually purchased any grocery items though because everything is pricier than your average grocer. Also, the store is SO BIG I haven't really gotten around the whole place. It would probably take me 2 hours to investigate every aisle. Very good stuff available!

Candy HEAVEN! They have tons of salt water taffy in barrels! And they have so much other candy that I cannot being to fathom how much sugar is in that one small store.

What I like about the store is that it looks like an old fashion candy store - or what an old general store would look like.

Their candies are on the pricey end though, some you'd find at the grocery store for much cheaper prices. Also, there's a minimum amount of candy you have to buy, 1/4lb? You'll have to ask for the exact amount, the minimum purchase did turn away a few customers when I visited.

This is probably one of the fastest pho noodle places I've been to. I haven't seen any other chain with a guy that goes around taking orders on a number pad.. he punches in your order number and zoom it goes straight to the kitchen! Amazing, no paper and ink needed. And since all of the noodles are straight foward, your order usually arrives a minute after your order. Of course, if you want non-noodle items, it may take longer to cook.

Decent food, cheap prices, fast service.

Good place for a little Asian dessert like.. egg puffs (similar to waffles), almond tofu, sweet tofu, shaved ice, various drinks including tea and boba, ice-cream.. as for snacks, fried chicken, Chinese donuts, ramen, fish balls..

Free wireless internet for customers too. You'll see a variety of people going to BreakTime, families, teens, couples, anyone really!

Beware of weekends though. The whole parking area gets crowded and there can be a wait at BreakTime.

I LOVE THIS SHOP. I have to admit that they are a little pricey. Casual and formal dresses range from $40-100+. But I love their items because they're really unique and look like they've been hand picked for its detail. The chain store I would compare Therapy to is Urban Outfitters.. another store I love, but UO doesn't have the same kind of quality items anymore.

They also carry cute jewelry, some of which are made by local artists. And instead of having racks of mass produced jewelry, their jewelry is showcased and, generally, one of a kind.

Therapy also carries home good items for your living and bedroom decor. They also have a children's section with the cutest clothing, books, and toys.

I make sure to get my therapy at least once a week!

Disney deserves 5 stars just because it's Disney. It's the place where kids dream of. As a parent you can undo any of your child's hatred towards you by taking them to Disneyland, but if they've already hit the teen years then maybe you're out of luck.

Disneyland never ceases to be fun. However, pick a day with good weather! I went when there were showers so some of the rides were closed and the parade and fireworks were canceled. What a disappointment, but it didn't stop my friends and I from perfecting our scores on the Buzz Lightyear ride.. great for target practice.

I'm not much of a buffet eater, but if I was this would be korean bbq heaven. There are tons of selections of marinated meat and side items. My guy friends LOVED this place. Leave it to the guys to enjoy the all you can eat meat. I don't think I ate my money's worth, but it was a decent korean meal.

Sadly, there's only so many Korean restaurants around this area and Tofu Cabin is one that is slightly cheaper than the others. But it's still pricey. The inside is nice and clean. You can choose to either cook your own meat at your table or have it cooked in the kitchen for you. Everything I've had here has been good, bim bim bap, bulgogi, soups and more. The small dishes the bring out are also tasty.

I can't resist their menu. So far everything I've tried here has been delicious! I love their omelettes. They also have a selection of healthy breakfast foods like mix fruit, oatmeal, etc. The menu has so many different foods that it's sure to please anyone. This place is my first pick for breakfast on Saturday's. But beware, it gets a busy on the weekends!

I love visiting the aquarium to see all of the jelly fish and otters. Since I don't scuba dive, this is as close to the kelp forrest as I will ever get. Seeing all of the plant and fish at the aquarium is like a window into another world. It's amazing.

Amazing assortment of desserts! I got a generous portion of a cheesecake. But that wasn't the only good part, the food was delicious and fresh! Clam chowder was creamy (yum!), calamari was good, crab cake, seafood linguini, .. all super delicious! I had a great time here. The view of the water from the restaurant is so beautiful on a nice day.

The restaurant is definitely kid friendly. They give the kids a coloring menu and crayons. And of course they have the usual kid foods (hot dogs, mac and cheese, etc).

There's a food stand on the weekends that sells small samples of their seafood. It's almost like fisherman's wharf.. so if you're hesitant about trying out the restaurant, check out the stand in front.

I have to give another star to the location of the restaurant, besides the view, there's a lot of stores surrounding it. There's also a courtyard that sometimes has some kind of activity going on during the weekend afternoons. When I visited a few weekends ago, there was someone playing salsa music on his keyboard and a pair of salsa dancers!

Kaigan is the place to go in San Carlos of sushi rolls. They have all sorts of rolls. I can't even remember all of the names, but people at Kaigan have come up with different options, varieties, combinations to make very interesting rolls.

If you're interested in sushi rolls, then you should probably look elsewhere.

Actually, I went here one time and it wasn't fast at all. It all depends on the number of people and to go orders. One time I waited 20 minutes before my order was taken.. I ended up getting a to go order instead.

The food is okay, it's what I'd expect at an "Americanized" Japanese food restaurant. I'm not saying it's bad food, but this may not be the place to enjoy your sashimi (raw fish).

If you're not looking for a quiet, romantic dinner and if you don't like vegetables, then this is the place for you!

The restaurant gets packed during the weekends so if you plan on taking someone to Town, make reservations! Otherwise, you'll end up with a 2hr wait.

There's a generous bar area where everyone hangs out, laughs, and has more fun. There's also a chef's bar area where you can sit and watch the chef making x,y and z. You can also check to make sure they're not putting some questionable items in your dish. Very fun. My friend and I sat at the chef area once, it was rather entertaining.

Another time my friend and I got a table to have a nice meal. But it was so noisey that we had to shout across the table in order to hear each other. The next day we practically lost our voices. Also, there aren't very many vegetable options on the menu. My entree came to me like a big brown mess. At least have some sort of presentation quality!

Anyway, if you want to look hip and hang out at the bar on the weekend or if you want to pretend to be chic by sitting at a noisey table, then by all means, go to Town. On a nice evening, eating outside may be the best quiet/romantic option.

Hot pot is always nice on cold days. It's also best with lots of people. At least, I think it's more fun sharing a large pot.

If you don't want to share, there's also a bar area where you have your own pot.

Although the food was good and I felt extremely healthy afterwards, it didn't leave me with a satisfied feeling. I think I like the Taiwanese style of hot pot better, a lot more flavor and better variety of foods to put into the pot.

I went for lunch for the first time a few weeks ago. The restaurant looks just as nice outside as it is inside! I felt like I could have a formal business dinner here, or an engagement party, etc. The food was good (not that I've had much Persian food ever in my life). This is one of the few Persian restaurants that I know.. actually, I really only know this one. There are a lot of other places that have Persian and Mediterranean fusion, but this one is more of a full fledged "Fine Persian Cuisine" - yum.

P.S. They also do catering.

When they say state of the art in their description.. they really DO mean state of the art! I actually think it may have been TOO state of the art for me.

Bay Badminton has drop-in and membership options with reasonable prices. Whether you drop-in or get a membership, each person gets a 4-digit id number. This id number allows you to sign up for courts.

When you walk into the enormous gym, there are two computer stations where you can select which court you would like to play on (by selecting your name and entering in your 4-digit id).

Unfortunately or fortunately, there must be 4 people on a court in order to officially reserve a court. The court layout on the computer displays "person 1 person 2 VS person 3 person 4" so if you only have too people the computer will show that you are missing an opponent. This is a problem if you're playing singles because people are allowed to join your court. Other people can even kick you off the court because the timer is not set when you don't have an opponent (there is a 30 minute limit per court).

A large screen and projector shows the time remaining that the people can have the court. During the weekdays, there isn't as many people waiting for courts so some people do not follow the sign-up system. Because of this, some courts may show as being opened when actually there are people practicing.

All in all, it's nice on the weekdays when it's not as crowded (especially 9-11pm!). Weekends are the busiest days so maybe if it's your first time at Bay Badminton, you'll want to go on a weekday so the employees and show you around and teach you how to use their system.

ALSO, they have a decent size badminton shop inside with rackets, shoes, snacks, and more gear. They also restring rackets.

If you don't have anyone to play with, no problem! There are even sign-up sheets for people looking for people to play with.

After no luck at the rummage sale in the next building, I ventured over to the toy show. I paid $15 for the early bird admission, which was great because there were less people to push through.

There were a ton of toys to look through from old Hot Wheels, Micro Cars, My Little Ponies, Barbies, GI Joes, anime merch like Bleach, Naruto, Final Fantasy, etc. The toys were great (at low prices - below wholesale at some tables) and the vendors were friendly!

There are lots of goodies to find here (if you're lucky enough to be the first to grab/find it). And the prices were low – priced to sell! There are multiple cashiers available, but ALL of the lines are LONG LONG LONG. The line of people almost reached the other side of the pavilion. And the people that were in line were purchasing tons of goods.

I got there around 9:30 AM and there were A TON OF PEOPLE and the line was ALREADY long. So getting here early is key! By 11 AM it was no different. Also, you have to push your way through tons of adults and kids (especially kids in strollers) to try to see what is available on the tables - it's really packed in there!

So, unless if you have the heart to push and shove and get your way and then to wait in long lines, you may not enjoy this type of rummage sale.