Tuesday I enjoyed a spark of adventure and headed down to Los Gatos. I wandered along the downtown shops for a few hours, enjoying lunch at Mr. Pickle's Sandwich Shop before hopping the bus back north.
I went straight into downtown to KALIED Gallery to check out the place in preparation for Two Buck Tuesday. This was my first visit to an art gallery and wow, it was a really awesome experience. The variety of art and artists was amazing, many of the pieces were absolutely beautiful or interesting and complex. Some of it was just stupid, but I bet someone out there loves it and thinks the pieces I loved were stupid. I picked up a small, fascinating dish made from the leftover remnants of handmade ornaments--I plan to use it as a candle holder. The artist herself was there and we chatted for a long while about her art and inspirations. The $2 art pieces are all small contributions placed on black boards near the entrance. There were lots of interesting doodles and sketches, photos, and some other items like the earrings I picked up which were made from the read/write assembly of an old 8GB hard drive. I wasn't feeling so great and decided to head home without enjoying the talks and events of the evening.
With some food and ibuprofen in my system, I was ready for the night and headed back to KALEID. I missed a number of the talks, sadly, coming in to see a young 'peace dancer' cutting a rug inside. There were spray-paint artists outside and henna going on inside. I had henna placed on my arm and enjoyed some chai as well as picking up a couple more $2 art pieces that caught my eye. I spent a good half an hour petting the small, three week old kitten that had been saved by one of the other participants that evening. I finally started wandering home at around 10p.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Day Eighteen
I pretty much just stayed home and nursed my sunburn today. I did finally wander out to Blue Rock Barbeque for dinner. Good stuff.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Wait--what happened?
Where did my blogging disappear to? Honestly, to my paranoia, haha.
I came back the other night, flipped on the lights in the living room and POP! The streak of blue told me that a bulb had burned out. Not a big problem; the fixture supported something like 6 or 8 so I went about the rest of my evening before discovering that the switch on the wall was no longer working. What the heck? I finally found the pull-cord to turn it off after e-mailing my girlfriend to let her know what happened. My crazy guess is that the POP! also popped the connection to the wall somehow. Of course, now I'm worried it's a fire hazard so it's staying off for the time being.
That same night, I'm sitting at my girlfriend's computer typing up the night's blog and suddenly her monitor starts flickering and getting vertical lines. Figures; I fried their lamp, now I've fried her computer, right? I shut it down and left it--perhaps it was the heat getting to the graphics card. The next day I turned it back on, everything looked good, started to finish up the blog entry... and a few minutes later I start to see flickering. !$#%@#$^ Sigh. So, I've pretty much left it off or asleep and not touched it since it seems that I am very anti-technology this visit and I don't want to break more of their stuff.
Well, I HAD to do my homework last night or I was going to be in deep sludge. My laptop has gone from insane overheating to now chain BSoDing--it's pretty much dead and I'm not going to push it because I don't want to fry my hard disks before getting my data off. So, I had to figure out what the problem was.
Using my powers of deduction (and the first lesson in PC Repair back in high school), I checked the SVGA cable's connection and, lo and behold, it was pretty much dangling to the wind at the monitor. Figures. I screwed it back in and now everything is working splendidly again.
I'm a moron. :)
I came back the other night, flipped on the lights in the living room and POP! The streak of blue told me that a bulb had burned out. Not a big problem; the fixture supported something like 6 or 8 so I went about the rest of my evening before discovering that the switch on the wall was no longer working. What the heck? I finally found the pull-cord to turn it off after e-mailing my girlfriend to let her know what happened. My crazy guess is that the POP! also popped the connection to the wall somehow. Of course, now I'm worried it's a fire hazard so it's staying off for the time being.
That same night, I'm sitting at my girlfriend's computer typing up the night's blog and suddenly her monitor starts flickering and getting vertical lines. Figures; I fried their lamp, now I've fried her computer, right? I shut it down and left it--perhaps it was the heat getting to the graphics card. The next day I turned it back on, everything looked good, started to finish up the blog entry... and a few minutes later I start to see flickering. !$#%@#$^ Sigh. So, I've pretty much left it off or asleep and not touched it since it seems that I am very anti-technology this visit and I don't want to break more of their stuff.
Well, I HAD to do my homework last night or I was going to be in deep sludge. My laptop has gone from insane overheating to now chain BSoDing--it's pretty much dead and I'm not going to push it because I don't want to fry my hard disks before getting my data off. So, I had to figure out what the problem was.
Using my powers of deduction (and the first lesson in PC Repair back in high school), I checked the SVGA cable's connection and, lo and behold, it was pretty much dangling to the wind at the monitor. Figures. I screwed it back in and now everything is working splendidly again.
I'm a moron. :)
Day Seventeen
Ah, Sunday. Today was relatively mundane. I woke at 9a and after a shower and breakfast, made my way to the biggest flea market in the U.S. They weren't kidding. It was huge, packed, overwhelming, and a little bit depressing. Nothing particularly caught my eye; a lot of it was simply cheaply made goods being hawked at unsuspecting consumers. A few individuals had a more garage-sale vibe going in the side parking lot and those I appreciated, but as I'm sitting low on cash-in-hand and have no ATM card, I opted to flex my miserly muscles and just browse. I only lasted about an hour and a half before the sun became too much; the booths block the wind so the heat was killer. I'm now sporting a bit too much of a 'rosy glow', too. :/
I wandered back to the Recycle bookstore to browse again and to see their cat, then spent the rest of the evening at home, reading and suddenly remembering my midterm and homework that was due by midnight, hahaha. I finished just in time; 94% on the midterm isn't too shabby.
I wandered back to the Recycle bookstore to browse again and to see their cat, then spent the rest of the evening at home, reading and suddenly remembering my midterm and homework that was due by midnight, hahaha. I finished just in time; 94% on the midterm isn't too shabby.
Day Sixteen
Santa Cruz Day!
So, I was going to wake up at the ass-crack of dawn to make my way to Diridon to grab the 17. I'm glad I waited for the next bus because, well, everything would have been closed when I got there. My stomach was a little woozy for some reason so I opted not to wear the whole bathing suit thing. I grabbed the 9:30a bus, arriving at 10:30a to grey, clouded skies and was glad I had given up on the whole tanning thing.
I hopped a bus to the east side of the highway and wandered, looking at some of the smaller shops and stopping in to The Crepe Place for breakfast. I made my way back downtown and headed north, discovering a thrift store, tiny gaming shop, used book store, and an occult shop whose incense was so strong I sneezed just walking past. I then made my way back south and caught a bus to the boardwalk.
By now the fog had burnt away and it was turning into a beautiful day. I and everyone else on the planet was heading for the pier and beach. It took about 20 minutes for the bus to crawl down there; I probably could have walked it in that length of time. Traffic was a wreck and I had to squeeze between bumper-to-bumper cars in order to cross the street.
I finally made it! There was a small music festival of some sort playing reggae to the right of the pier. To the left was a wedding reception. Great. I edged around the wedding crowd and wandered down to the water, enjoying the splash of the cold on my feet and legs and collecting some ocean water. I then wandered along the pier where I saw Spiderman playing acoustic guitar and enjoyed watching the sea lions as they sunned themselves under the pier.
I walked over to the Boardwalk and found a huge crowd of people. Nothing really caught my eye so I slowly made my way back to the bus stop and then into downtown proper. I had an hour before the next bus back to San Jose, so I stopped in at Khyber Pass for dinner.
It wasn't until I arrived home that I realized I'd left my book on the bus. :/ No one turned it in to the transit authority or Amtrak, either. Oh well.
Reviews inc
So, I was going to wake up at the ass-crack of dawn to make my way to Diridon to grab the 17. I'm glad I waited for the next bus because, well, everything would have been closed when I got there. My stomach was a little woozy for some reason so I opted not to wear the whole bathing suit thing. I grabbed the 9:30a bus, arriving at 10:30a to grey, clouded skies and was glad I had given up on the whole tanning thing.
I hopped a bus to the east side of the highway and wandered, looking at some of the smaller shops and stopping in to The Crepe Place for breakfast. I made my way back downtown and headed north, discovering a thrift store, tiny gaming shop, used book store, and an occult shop whose incense was so strong I sneezed just walking past. I then made my way back south and caught a bus to the boardwalk.
By now the fog had burnt away and it was turning into a beautiful day. I and everyone else on the planet was heading for the pier and beach. It took about 20 minutes for the bus to crawl down there; I probably could have walked it in that length of time. Traffic was a wreck and I had to squeeze between bumper-to-bumper cars in order to cross the street.
I finally made it! There was a small music festival of some sort playing reggae to the right of the pier. To the left was a wedding reception. Great. I edged around the wedding crowd and wandered down to the water, enjoying the splash of the cold on my feet and legs and collecting some ocean water. I then wandered along the pier where I saw Spiderman playing acoustic guitar and enjoyed watching the sea lions as they sunned themselves under the pier.
I walked over to the Boardwalk and found a huge crowd of people. Nothing really caught my eye so I slowly made my way back to the bus stop and then into downtown proper. I had an hour before the next bus back to San Jose, so I stopped in at Khyber Pass for dinner.
It wasn't until I arrived home that I realized I'd left my book on the bus. :/ No one turned it in to the transit authority or Amtrak, either. Oh well.
Reviews inc
Day Fifteen
Friday was kind of lazy. I made my way to Cinema 12 to watch Despicable Me in 3D. It was a very cute movie aside from the gaggle of kids that came in right as the previews started and left and returned noisily multiple times during the movie... sigh.
For dinner, I stopped by Pizz'a Chicago and spent the night watching movies so I wouldn't stay up *too* late. Tomorrow is Santa Cruz!
Reviews
----------
Pizz'a Chicago
Pizza
$$
So, like most of the world, I love pizza. This place had some glowing reviews so I stopped in. It was that in-between time of roughly 4p: the lunch crowd was gone and the after-work and dinner crowd hadn't gotten there yet. The decor certainly played homage to Chicago and gave me something to look at while waiting for the waitress to return. Homemade lemonade in mason jars--there really is nothing better.
I grabbed an appetizer sampler for my actual 'lunch' meal. The pesto cheese bread was absolutely amazing, like eating scrumptious pasta with your hands. The stuffed mushrooms were nicely baked, not burned, but had a lovely crusting on the top and the mushrooms themselves were just barely wrinkled. I was worried about the curry sauce that they place on them but had nothing to fear, it was extremely mild and almost tasted, to my lame tastebuds, like a mixture of mayo and mustard with some extra spices. The buffalo wings were what worried me the most, however. I hate spicy foods and my last encounter with wings had me in tears. The sauce actually was quite flavorful and the spice was there, but mild enough that I could actually enjoy the wings.
I ordered a calzone to take home for dinner. The basic calzone has mozzarella cheese and sauce; you get to add up to four toppings to have stuffed in their as well. Now, I must say, their topping selection is HUGE. It took me a while to decide, but my choices for the evening were grilled chicken, roasted garlic, black olives, and smoked gouda cheese. Now, cheese has not been agreeing with my stomach lately, but there was no way I was going to pass on smoked gouda.
I didn't have my calzone until later that evening. Pretty much imagine a small pizza folded in half and that was the size of it. By then everything was cool but I actually love cold pizza more than reheated so into my belly it went! Well, half of it. The thing is huge! The flavors I chose blended well together with the garlic giving it a bit of crunch and the smoked flavor of the gouda permeating everything. Mmm... I set the other half in a baggie in the fridge for another night's leftovers, I was way too stuffed!
I'll be going back again to try their pizza, but this place was great. It's a bit more pricey than something like Pizza Hut but it's so worth it. If you have your Downtown Discover Card, you'll get 15% off of your bill!
For dinner, I stopped by Pizz'a Chicago and spent the night watching movies so I wouldn't stay up *too* late. Tomorrow is Santa Cruz!
Reviews
----------
Pizz'a ChicagoPizza
$$
So, like most of the world, I love pizza. This place had some glowing reviews so I stopped in. It was that in-between time of roughly 4p: the lunch crowd was gone and the after-work and dinner crowd hadn't gotten there yet. The decor certainly played homage to Chicago and gave me something to look at while waiting for the waitress to return. Homemade lemonade in mason jars--there really is nothing better.
I grabbed an appetizer sampler for my actual 'lunch' meal. The pesto cheese bread was absolutely amazing, like eating scrumptious pasta with your hands. The stuffed mushrooms were nicely baked, not burned, but had a lovely crusting on the top and the mushrooms themselves were just barely wrinkled. I was worried about the curry sauce that they place on them but had nothing to fear, it was extremely mild and almost tasted, to my lame tastebuds, like a mixture of mayo and mustard with some extra spices. The buffalo wings were what worried me the most, however. I hate spicy foods and my last encounter with wings had me in tears. The sauce actually was quite flavorful and the spice was there, but mild enough that I could actually enjoy the wings.
I ordered a calzone to take home for dinner. The basic calzone has mozzarella cheese and sauce; you get to add up to four toppings to have stuffed in their as well. Now, I must say, their topping selection is HUGE. It took me a while to decide, but my choices for the evening were grilled chicken, roasted garlic, black olives, and smoked gouda cheese. Now, cheese has not been agreeing with my stomach lately, but there was no way I was going to pass on smoked gouda.
I didn't have my calzone until later that evening. Pretty much imagine a small pizza folded in half and that was the size of it. By then everything was cool but I actually love cold pizza more than reheated so into my belly it went! Well, half of it. The thing is huge! The flavors I chose blended well together with the garlic giving it a bit of crunch and the smoked flavor of the gouda permeating everything. Mmm... I set the other half in a baggie in the fridge for another night's leftovers, I was way too stuffed!
I'll be going back again to try their pizza, but this place was great. It's a bit more pricey than something like Pizza Hut but it's so worth it. If you have your Downtown Discover Card, you'll get 15% off of your bill!
Day Fourteen
I overslept. :/
So no Docent Tour at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library for me today and I shifted my Friday plans to Thursday: walk along the Alameda. I took a slightly longer way over there, passing through Diridon Station so that I knew where the Santa Cruz bus would be picking me up on Saturday and also to gauge time to walk over there.
There are a lot of law offices and a few restaurants and shops; I ceased my walk a few blocks before Naglee. My main stop was Recycle Book Store, a used book store that seems to be extremely popular here in San Jose. The shop itself is packed to the brim--in fact there are carts of more books sitting in the narrow aisles and stacks sitting on the corners. A small display case shows some of their rare finds, such as a first edition of Of Mice and Men with the lovely price tag of $1,449.95. Sure, let me just write a check...
The organization is lacking and makes it feel more like a thrift store than a book store, but I may just be spoiled by Powells. I walked the place twice before deciding on what I wanted to look for: a book on basic Wicca. My best guyfriend became a Witch a few years ago and I just don't know anything about it. I found what is actually an excellent book titled "Witch: A Magical Journey--A Hip Guide to Modern Witchcraft". It's witty, down-to-earth, and so good that I read through about half of it just that afternoon. I don't know how much of it applies to my guyfriend, but at least I now have some understanding overall on the matter. I also found a copy of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", a classic that I have heard rave reviews on but had not yet managed to read. That shall be the weekend's beach material.
I wandered a bit further, stopping in to Greenlee's Bakery and then Starbucks before heading back home.
The evening plan was a trip to A Perfect Finish for a tasting event. The night was truly perfect; even the insanity of people mobbing into the light rail that evening didn't phase me much.
Reviews
----------
Greenlee's Bakery
Baked Goods
$
I stopped in and found a barely-lit shop with two women working behind the counter. There was very little selection and almost none of it was marked with the item or the price. I found their lemon bars and purchased one as well as a bottle of water.
I honestly can't say whether I liked the lemon bar or not because I couldn't taste it. The bar was coated with at least 1/3 cup of powdered sugar. I scraped off as much as I could, but the bar was still covered in it and it was pretty much all I could taste. I also noticed that I received an edge piece which was mostly crust. I was crestfallen.
Of interest is the antique mixer with a letter home to Mom written on it; very cute. I would not suggest getting lemon bars here unless you'd like an instant cavity.
A Perfect Finish
Wine and Spirits
$$
I'm not a big wine person. I love dessert wines because they're sweet but am pretty ambivalent about anything else. My girlfriend is the wine aficionado and we have always sampled wines while visiting each other. While it may not have been with her, I am visiting so I decided a wine tasting was in order.
I'm honestly not sure what to think of this place. It's in downtown and has the noise of the light rail and cruisers/gang-bangers. The setting itself is very classy, however. A portion of the space houses couches, chairs, and coffee tables for lounging in addition to the standard table/chair and bar setup. Baseball was playing on the television when I first entered, however at 7p it was changed to Jeopardy!. The owner is also the grill-master and was wearing a t-shirt and jeans while the barman was nicely dressed. Tim, the man I learned was their publicist, was wearing a suit with the jacket unbuttoned, displaying his "No War" t-shirt proudly beneath. The entire experience was one huge contrast and I'm quite unsure what dimension I was temporarily inhabiting.
I was early and needed some substance before the tastings began, so I indulged in their Sautéed Mushroom Crostini and paired it with a half glass of the Flying Winemaker Ancient Vine Lodi ’07 Zinfandel at the suggestion of the barman. Magnifique! The bread had a small amount of crisp but the oils from the butter and mushrooms caused it to soften for a lovely contrast and the zinfandel was lovely and firm, contrasting (I'm beginning to notice a pattern here...) the softness of the mushrooms.
The tasting itself was performed by a lovely gentleman who worked for a local wine distribution company. The tasting was not only for customers but also for the bar itself. I was the only individual initially but in the end my count was six individuals, not including Tim and the barman who were also enjoying tastes. One of my companions this evening was a gentleman from German who currently lives in Scotland and was visiting the U.S. He was very pleasant and his accent was a rather interesting composite that almost lent in a way toward French--quite fascinating to listen to.
The flight consisted of:
Tangent Grenache Blanc 2009 (Edna Valley, CA)
Meerlust Chardonnay 2007 (South Africa)
RolfBinder Halliwell 2006 (70% Shiraz, 30% Grenache) (Australia)
LaPlaya 2007 Claret (35% Carmenere, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Petit Verdot, 21% Syrah) (Chile)
Peach Canyon 2006 Petit Sirah (California)
Casta Diva Bodegas Muscat 2007 (Spain)
To finish the night, I enjoyed the most delicious cheesecake topped with lemon curd I believe I have ever tasted accompanied by a glass of Thomas Fogarty L. H. Gewurztraminer.
Tim, you were an amazing host, intentional or not, and I do hope I'll have a chance to stop in again before I leave. I can't wait to see your next t-shirt.
So no Docent Tour at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library for me today and I shifted my Friday plans to Thursday: walk along the Alameda. I took a slightly longer way over there, passing through Diridon Station so that I knew where the Santa Cruz bus would be picking me up on Saturday and also to gauge time to walk over there.
There are a lot of law offices and a few restaurants and shops; I ceased my walk a few blocks before Naglee. My main stop was Recycle Book Store, a used book store that seems to be extremely popular here in San Jose. The shop itself is packed to the brim--in fact there are carts of more books sitting in the narrow aisles and stacks sitting on the corners. A small display case shows some of their rare finds, such as a first edition of Of Mice and Men with the lovely price tag of $1,449.95. Sure, let me just write a check...
The organization is lacking and makes it feel more like a thrift store than a book store, but I may just be spoiled by Powells. I walked the place twice before deciding on what I wanted to look for: a book on basic Wicca. My best guyfriend became a Witch a few years ago and I just don't know anything about it. I found what is actually an excellent book titled "Witch: A Magical Journey--A Hip Guide to Modern Witchcraft". It's witty, down-to-earth, and so good that I read through about half of it just that afternoon. I don't know how much of it applies to my guyfriend, but at least I now have some understanding overall on the matter. I also found a copy of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", a classic that I have heard rave reviews on but had not yet managed to read. That shall be the weekend's beach material.
I wandered a bit further, stopping in to Greenlee's Bakery and then Starbucks before heading back home.
The evening plan was a trip to A Perfect Finish for a tasting event. The night was truly perfect; even the insanity of people mobbing into the light rail that evening didn't phase me much.
Reviews
----------
Greenlee's Bakery
Baked Goods
$
I stopped in and found a barely-lit shop with two women working behind the counter. There was very little selection and almost none of it was marked with the item or the price. I found their lemon bars and purchased one as well as a bottle of water.
I honestly can't say whether I liked the lemon bar or not because I couldn't taste it. The bar was coated with at least 1/3 cup of powdered sugar. I scraped off as much as I could, but the bar was still covered in it and it was pretty much all I could taste. I also noticed that I received an edge piece which was mostly crust. I was crestfallen.
Of interest is the antique mixer with a letter home to Mom written on it; very cute. I would not suggest getting lemon bars here unless you'd like an instant cavity.
A Perfect FinishWine and Spirits
$$
I'm not a big wine person. I love dessert wines because they're sweet but am pretty ambivalent about anything else. My girlfriend is the wine aficionado and we have always sampled wines while visiting each other. While it may not have been with her, I am visiting so I decided a wine tasting was in order.
I'm honestly not sure what to think of this place. It's in downtown and has the noise of the light rail and cruisers/gang-bangers. The setting itself is very classy, however. A portion of the space houses couches, chairs, and coffee tables for lounging in addition to the standard table/chair and bar setup. Baseball was playing on the television when I first entered, however at 7p it was changed to Jeopardy!. The owner is also the grill-master and was wearing a t-shirt and jeans while the barman was nicely dressed. Tim, the man I learned was their publicist, was wearing a suit with the jacket unbuttoned, displaying his "No War" t-shirt proudly beneath. The entire experience was one huge contrast and I'm quite unsure what dimension I was temporarily inhabiting.
I was early and needed some substance before the tastings began, so I indulged in their Sautéed Mushroom Crostini and paired it with a half glass of the Flying Winemaker Ancient Vine Lodi ’07 Zinfandel at the suggestion of the barman. Magnifique! The bread had a small amount of crisp but the oils from the butter and mushrooms caused it to soften for a lovely contrast and the zinfandel was lovely and firm, contrasting (I'm beginning to notice a pattern here...) the softness of the mushrooms.
The tasting itself was performed by a lovely gentleman who worked for a local wine distribution company. The tasting was not only for customers but also for the bar itself. I was the only individual initially but in the end my count was six individuals, not including Tim and the barman who were also enjoying tastes. One of my companions this evening was a gentleman from German who currently lives in Scotland and was visiting the U.S. He was very pleasant and his accent was a rather interesting composite that almost lent in a way toward French--quite fascinating to listen to.
The flight consisted of:
Tangent Grenache Blanc 2009 (Edna Valley, CA)
Meerlust Chardonnay 2007 (South Africa)
RolfBinder Halliwell 2006 (70% Shiraz, 30% Grenache) (Australia)
LaPlaya 2007 Claret (35% Carmenere, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Petit Verdot, 21% Syrah) (Chile)
Peach Canyon 2006 Petit Sirah (California)
Casta Diva Bodegas Muscat 2007 (Spain)
To finish the night, I enjoyed the most delicious cheesecake topped with lemon curd I believe I have ever tasted accompanied by a glass of Thomas Fogarty L. H. Gewurztraminer.
Tim, you were an amazing host, intentional or not, and I do hope I'll have a chance to stop in again before I leave. I can't wait to see your next t-shirt.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Day Thirteen
Raid days are lame days. I played Angband and, guess what? Yep, sat the bench again. At least I've pretty much been relieved of raiding until I can get back home so I don't have to sit around and do nothing on raid days.
I have, at least, made my arrangements for my trip to Monterey next week. With no ties to raiding for the rest of my trip, I should be able to make it down to Los Angeles to visit with JarJar.
I'm currently enjoying some wine and am about to go finish up Man v. Food season 2.
I have, at least, made my arrangements for my trip to Monterey next week. With no ties to raiding for the rest of my trip, I should be able to make it down to Los Angeles to visit with JarJar.
I'm currently enjoying some wine and am about to go finish up Man v. Food season 2.
Day Eleven
Monday was pretty boring overall; yay raid days. The one thing I did get done was to hit up the In-N-Out Burger out in Sunnyvale; I knew where it was and I knew there were crosswalks, LoL. It was just as good as I remembered and, seeing as it took me an hour to get there and an hour to get back home, I had some burgers made to go as well so I'd have dinner.
Otherwise it was just another boring night of doing nothing as I sat the bench.
Reviews
----------
In-N-Out Burger
American
$
These guys seriously put any other fast food burger joint to shame. Their menu is mind-numbingly simple: hamburger, cheeseburger, double-double (double cheeseburger), fries, shakes, and pop. That's it! Of course, there's the 'secret menu' which is actually nothing more than popular choices with fun names (like 'animal-style').
What makes them so special? Their meat is fresh, their fries are fresh (I watched one young lady decimate about 20lbs. of freshly peeled potatoes), everything is made to order, and their staff are extremely friendly. The taste is off the charts and the prices are phenomenal for what you get.
My order was a double-double, no salt, with only ketchup, mustard, and pickles. I also had fries well-done and a fountain pop. 'No salt' keeps them from seasoning the burger before grilling; with pickles it is *extremely* salty. Even without the salt, the pickles are really salty and they put them on the heel rather than the crown--be sure to flip your burger if you want to taste something other than pickles. Well-done fries are dropped twice, making them extra crispy. It's also a good way to get a slightly larger order since you're probably the only one that will eat them and they give you whatever is in the basket.
Mm, it was great. I grabbed two cheeseburgers plain to take home with me for dinner and man were they yummy.
These guys are pretty much considered a California institution but they have locations throughout four southwestern states. I wonder what it would take to bring them up to Portland.
Also something that people may not notice at first, there are Bible verses on a lot of the food wrappers. My burger wrap had Nahum 1:7 and my drink cup had John 3:16. My understanding is that the owners of the chain are Christians; quite sneaky of them. ^_~
Otherwise it was just another boring night of doing nothing as I sat the bench.
Reviews
----------
In-N-Out BurgerAmerican
$
These guys seriously put any other fast food burger joint to shame. Their menu is mind-numbingly simple: hamburger, cheeseburger, double-double (double cheeseburger), fries, shakes, and pop. That's it! Of course, there's the 'secret menu' which is actually nothing more than popular choices with fun names (like 'animal-style').
What makes them so special? Their meat is fresh, their fries are fresh (I watched one young lady decimate about 20lbs. of freshly peeled potatoes), everything is made to order, and their staff are extremely friendly. The taste is off the charts and the prices are phenomenal for what you get.
My order was a double-double, no salt, with only ketchup, mustard, and pickles. I also had fries well-done and a fountain pop. 'No salt' keeps them from seasoning the burger before grilling; with pickles it is *extremely* salty. Even without the salt, the pickles are really salty and they put them on the heel rather than the crown--be sure to flip your burger if you want to taste something other than pickles. Well-done fries are dropped twice, making them extra crispy. It's also a good way to get a slightly larger order since you're probably the only one that will eat them and they give you whatever is in the basket.
Mm, it was great. I grabbed two cheeseburgers plain to take home with me for dinner and man were they yummy.
These guys are pretty much considered a California institution but they have locations throughout four southwestern states. I wonder what it would take to bring them up to Portland.
Also something that people may not notice at first, there are Bible verses on a lot of the food wrappers. My burger wrap had Nahum 1:7 and my drink cup had John 3:16. My understanding is that the owners of the chain are Christians; quite sneaky of them. ^_~
Day Ten
(Playing catsup; sorry!)
I didn't do anything except raid and rot my brain today. I'm terrible. :x
I didn't do anything except raid and rot my brain today. I'm terrible. :x
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Day Nine
Having spent the evening nursing a sunburn, I was certain to slather on that disgusting sunscreen paste before heading to Japantown for the Obon Festival.
The Obon Festival is a Buddhist tradition, a time of celebrating community and honoring loved ones who have passed. The local Buddhist temple organizes and hosts everything and the event is a mixture of food, live entertainment, games, Bingo, and learning.
I grabbed a lovely piece of sidewalk in the shade between two tarps that had been taped down to stake their own claims. While I had a wonderful view of the dance platform, my view of the Taiko drumming was atrocious, so I moved and baked in the hot sun (I'm getting a tan!) The Taiko was fascinating and the participants were having a great time while entertaining us not only with their music, but also with their antics.
I snuck away from the drumming crowd in order to grab some food before the lines were crazy. I sampled some imagawa yaki but decided that I should have dinner before dessert. I picked up a skewer of beef teriyaki, a set of six pork gyoza, some beautifully fluffy white rice, and my first ever tempura. Anything is better deep-fried and this tempura consisted of sweet potatoes, green beans, zucchini, and shrimp. To bring home, I picked up two of the imagawa yaki and a bag each of kuri and mushi manju. I actually think I like the kuri manju better; who would have thought that lima beans could make a great dessert?
I also had the pleasure of attending a "Buddhism 101" talk at the temple. The sensei made the chat fun and informational and the altar itself was gorgeous. The incense, however, did a wonderful job of screwing with my allergies.
I stopped back home to change clothes and wash up after all of that sweat and then caught the light rail to San Jose Skate for the Freaky Tiki Throwdown roller derby.
I've never seen a roller derby before but it was easy to catch on quickly and man was it fun. The chicks were great athletes, pretty damn hot, and the game itself is fast and fun. I'm dragging my husband to a roller derby when I get back home.
The Obon Festival is a Buddhist tradition, a time of celebrating community and honoring loved ones who have passed. The local Buddhist temple organizes and hosts everything and the event is a mixture of food, live entertainment, games, Bingo, and learning.
I grabbed a lovely piece of sidewalk in the shade between two tarps that had been taped down to stake their own claims. While I had a wonderful view of the dance platform, my view of the Taiko drumming was atrocious, so I moved and baked in the hot sun (I'm getting a tan!) The Taiko was fascinating and the participants were having a great time while entertaining us not only with their music, but also with their antics.
I snuck away from the drumming crowd in order to grab some food before the lines were crazy. I sampled some imagawa yaki but decided that I should have dinner before dessert. I picked up a skewer of beef teriyaki, a set of six pork gyoza, some beautifully fluffy white rice, and my first ever tempura. Anything is better deep-fried and this tempura consisted of sweet potatoes, green beans, zucchini, and shrimp. To bring home, I picked up two of the imagawa yaki and a bag each of kuri and mushi manju. I actually think I like the kuri manju better; who would have thought that lima beans could make a great dessert?
I also had the pleasure of attending a "Buddhism 101" talk at the temple. The sensei made the chat fun and informational and the altar itself was gorgeous. The incense, however, did a wonderful job of screwing with my allergies.
I stopped back home to change clothes and wash up after all of that sweat and then caught the light rail to San Jose Skate for the Freaky Tiki Throwdown roller derby.
I've never seen a roller derby before but it was easy to catch on quickly and man was it fun. The chicks were great athletes, pretty damn hot, and the game itself is fast and fun. I'm dragging my husband to a roller derby when I get back home.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Day Eight
The San Jose Downtown Farmer's Market is quaint. It's pretty darn small and has less variety, but what it does have is good quality for the price. It's also a bit of a mash-up between Portland's Farmer's Market and Saturday Market with some food and some merchandise.
The fruit smelled delicious but it wasn't soft enough for my metal-mouth to enjoy and I passed up the vegetables because I'm not cooking while out here. A small bakery at the end of the market row had some amazing tarts, cookies, breads, and other baked goods; I picked up a lemon bar and am saving that for my afternoon dessert. I grabbed a container of garlic hummus and a bag of homemade pita bread from a Mediterranean cart boasting 17 different flavors of hummus; all four that I tried were amazing. Another small cart nearby had homemade pecan sandies, yum! Their pecans are chopped small enough that I can eat them even, so I grabbed a bag of those, too.
On my way back out, I stopped to browse the merchandise carts. One gentleman had turned recycled wine bottles into spoon rests and serving platters. A pair of young women had created necktie necklaces out of fimo clay and another older woman makes owls, dragons, cats, and even cat-fish figurines by hand. What truly caught my eye, however, was the art of Juror2. It reminded me of XKCD on an acid trip and as soon as I saw the Pirates v. Ninjas image, I knew I had to have it. My new black hoodie is hanging out in the drier right now as the image sets on it. I wish she could have done full-color on black, that would kick so much arse. I'm going to have to slash the cuffs and waistband because I hate things that are fitted like that, but it's a sexy image and I'm excited.
I think I'm changing my plans for tonight.I was going to Happy Hour and then ComedySportz but I'm leaning more toward visiting Henry's Hi-Life for dinner and catching a movie for a lazy Friday night. Edit: Hey, new plans! It looks like I'm developing a sunburn, sigh. I'm going to see if Blockbuster has the first two Twilight movies to prep myself for Eclipse sometime next week. Hey, look, even newer plans! With the discovery that I didn't have my Blockbuster Card, I just stayed home and rotted my brain/did homework. Fun stuff.
The fruit smelled delicious but it wasn't soft enough for my metal-mouth to enjoy and I passed up the vegetables because I'm not cooking while out here. A small bakery at the end of the market row had some amazing tarts, cookies, breads, and other baked goods; I picked up a lemon bar and am saving that for my afternoon dessert. I grabbed a container of garlic hummus and a bag of homemade pita bread from a Mediterranean cart boasting 17 different flavors of hummus; all four that I tried were amazing. Another small cart nearby had homemade pecan sandies, yum! Their pecans are chopped small enough that I can eat them even, so I grabbed a bag of those, too.
On my way back out, I stopped to browse the merchandise carts. One gentleman had turned recycled wine bottles into spoon rests and serving platters. A pair of young women had created necktie necklaces out of fimo clay and another older woman makes owls, dragons, cats, and even cat-fish figurines by hand. What truly caught my eye, however, was the art of Juror2. It reminded me of XKCD on an acid trip and as soon as I saw the Pirates v. Ninjas image, I knew I had to have it. My new black hoodie is hanging out in the drier right now as the image sets on it. I wish she could have done full-color on black, that would kick so much arse. I'm going to have to slash the cuffs and waistband because I hate things that are fitted like that, but it's a sexy image and I'm excited.
I think I'm changing my plans for tonight.
Day Seven
The end of my first week in San Jose was pretty great.
The morning started out boring enough, waking up at 10a (my internal clock has decided that this is what time I need to get out of bed every day) and doing some WoW chores and laundry. Breakfast was leftover pizza, yum!
During the afternoon, I stopped down at Plaza de Cesar Chavez for Music in the Park. Here I was finally able to connect with the San Jose Downtown Association and pick up one of their Discover Downtown cards. My trip just got a little cheaper, thankfully. There were a few local eateries set up for food and booze and the opening group, Green River Ordinance, was actually quite good; I did not have an opportunity to listen to Tonic as I had a bus to catch to Sunnyvale.
I've never been to a comedy club before and wasn't quite sure what to expect. I'm glad that Rooster T. Feathers was my choice for a first. The headliner was Darren Carter and he was friggin' hilarious! Both the host and opener were also very amusing; the opener poked fun at Morg which more than made my night.
The show wrapped up at around 10p so I made my overly-tipsy-borderline-on-drunk way home, enjoyed another girl beer, and started listening to Darren's older CD after some of Wednesday's drama bleed-through started to ruin my night. I think I passed out around 1a. Today's plan: Farmer's Market, I volunteered to assist with Obon Festival preparations but have not heard back so the alternative is Happy Hour somewhere and then I plan to hit up ComedySportz for their midnight show (which actually starts at 11p, go figure).
Reviews
----------
Rooster T. Feathers Comedy Club
Bar
$/$$
I discovered these guys through the book Geek Silicon Valley which I picked up at The Tech on Tuesday. What makes a Comedy Club so geeky? Before it became Rooster T. Feathers, it was a bar called Andy Capps and Atari's first Pong machine was installed there. And no, according to the hostess, Rooster T. Feathers doesn't really mean anything.
Thursday is free entry for college students and Sunday is free entry for Military personnel, otherwise the cover is $12 on most nights except special events and Wednesdays, Open-Mic-Night, where the cover is $10.
The place is small but provides a great view of the comedians for everyone. I was the only party-of-one present there but as one of the earliest I had a great table near the front. All three comedians (host, opener, headliner) were hilarious and were good at interacting with the crowd. Some of the topics touched were Mormons, gangs, Lance Armstrong, and pregnancy, among others.
Food was your typical bar food and priced to match. $3.50 for a chili dog and $5.75 for nachos are kind of steep but they're both hard to screw up and tasted good and the price was balanced with their $3 watermelon margaritas on Thursdays. I also had a try of their Rooster Juice which was totally amazing. My best guess of the contents are: rum, vodka, tequila, cranberry juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, and Sprite. There's another alcohol in it, according to the menu, but I couldn't place it; the stuff barely tasted like alcohol, it was so well blended, but you could feel it for sure. A pretty good sized Collins glass of the stuff was $6.95 which is more than reasonable since they don't use Well liquors. I still liked the $3 watermelon margaritas best, haha.
If you're a student, be sure to go on Thursday. Even if you're not, go anyhow if you like cheap, delicious margaritas and hilarious comedians.
The morning started out boring enough, waking up at 10a (my internal clock has decided that this is what time I need to get out of bed every day) and doing some WoW chores and laundry. Breakfast was leftover pizza, yum!
During the afternoon, I stopped down at Plaza de Cesar Chavez for Music in the Park. Here I was finally able to connect with the San Jose Downtown Association and pick up one of their Discover Downtown cards. My trip just got a little cheaper, thankfully. There were a few local eateries set up for food and booze and the opening group, Green River Ordinance, was actually quite good; I did not have an opportunity to listen to Tonic as I had a bus to catch to Sunnyvale.
I've never been to a comedy club before and wasn't quite sure what to expect. I'm glad that Rooster T. Feathers was my choice for a first. The headliner was Darren Carter and he was friggin' hilarious! Both the host and opener were also very amusing; the opener poked fun at Morg which more than made my night.
The show wrapped up at around 10p so I made my overly-tipsy-borderline-on-drunk way home, enjoyed another girl beer, and started listening to Darren's older CD after some of Wednesday's drama bleed-through started to ruin my night. I think I passed out around 1a. Today's plan: Farmer's Market, I volunteered to assist with Obon Festival preparations but have not heard back so the alternative is Happy Hour somewhere and then I plan to hit up ComedySportz for their midnight show (which actually starts at 11p, go figure).
Reviews
----------
Rooster T. Feathers Comedy ClubBar
$/$$
I discovered these guys through the book Geek Silicon Valley which I picked up at The Tech on Tuesday. What makes a Comedy Club so geeky? Before it became Rooster T. Feathers, it was a bar called Andy Capps and Atari's first Pong machine was installed there. And no, according to the hostess, Rooster T. Feathers doesn't really mean anything.
Thursday is free entry for college students and Sunday is free entry for Military personnel, otherwise the cover is $12 on most nights except special events and Wednesdays, Open-Mic-Night, where the cover is $10.
The place is small but provides a great view of the comedians for everyone. I was the only party-of-one present there but as one of the earliest I had a great table near the front. All three comedians (host, opener, headliner) were hilarious and were good at interacting with the crowd. Some of the topics touched were Mormons, gangs, Lance Armstrong, and pregnancy, among others.
Food was your typical bar food and priced to match. $3.50 for a chili dog and $5.75 for nachos are kind of steep but they're both hard to screw up and tasted good and the price was balanced with their $3 watermelon margaritas on Thursdays. I also had a try of their Rooster Juice which was totally amazing. My best guess of the contents are: rum, vodka, tequila, cranberry juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, and Sprite. There's another alcohol in it, according to the menu, but I couldn't place it; the stuff barely tasted like alcohol, it was so well blended, but you could feel it for sure. A pretty good sized Collins glass of the stuff was $6.95 which is more than reasonable since they don't use Well liquors. I still liked the $3 watermelon margaritas best, haha.
If you're a student, be sure to go on Thursday. Even if you're not, go anyhow if you like cheap, delicious margaritas and hilarious comedians.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Day Six
Yesterday sucked. Just flat-out sucked. It had nothing to do with San Jose and everything to do with WoW. No, I don't really want to talk about it.
The only thing salvaging yesterday was good 'ol Pizza Hut, beer, and ice cream. I'm almost done with Season 2 of Man v. Food.
The only thing salvaging yesterday was good 'ol Pizza Hut, beer, and ice cream. I'm almost done with Season 2 of Man v. Food.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Day Five
It's only day five? I'm already starting to feel like a native.
I stayed up late again last night watching Man v. Food episodes; I think my nocturnal nature is starting to come full-circle. When I woke up, I fully expected it to be afternoon. Colored me surprised when I discovered it was just after 10a. Not wanting to waste the day, I grabbed a shower and continued with my plan: The Tech.
The Tech Museum of Innovation is kind of a fledgling geek's paradise. A modern-day science museum, it has plenty to teach while keeping the attention of child and adult alike. The earthquake platform, face-drawing robot, 3D scanner, and roller coaster creator were the more popular attractions as I wandered through today. I've been here once with my girlfriend, her husband, and a friend of theirs, but it was nice seeing everything again at my own pace. I opted not to partake of an IMAX film; my stomach was already a bit queasy and the motion sickness would certainly *not* have helped. Instead, I attended the Genghis Khan exhibit.
I'd heard tales of how Genghis Khan was a terrible, evil man. I was floored to discover that there was another side to him, it seems, that tends to be avoided by the history books. The exhibit not only touched upon his life as both a warlord and a politician but also on the Mongol empire and some of their history and culture. We had the pleasure of watching a young Mongolian woman perform a dance of her people and the most interesting artifact on display is the skeletal remains of what was believed to be a Mongolian aristocrat. The exhibit was amazing, though a bit pricey at $22 for a student but it included standard museum admission and thus wasn't a terrible deal. I even had a lovely chat with the young lady who was taking care of the souvenir section about being young, pregnancy, children, and younger sisters. It was wonderful chatting with you, Amanda, and I wish you all of the best.
I'd only had some cereal bars for breakfast so by the time I wandered out of the museum gift shop (with a brand new Geek guide to the Silicon Valley in hand), I was starving. My first impulse was Billy Berk's, as I'd seen their Happy Hour advertisement outside their doors. The prices, however, seemed a bit steep and my understanding is that their appetizers are intended to be sharing size. I didn't have anyone to share them with, so I wandered north along First and happened into a restaurant called Bella Mia's. They claimed they had a Happy Hour on their front door, but wherever it was, I couldn't find it. I had a drink and wandered up the street to the Tandoori Oven who I had passed earlier and also claimed to have a Happy Hour. Mmm, chicken saag.
Happily overstuffed, I made my way north and east to Loves Cupcakes and was pleased to find they were open. The lady and gentleman at the counter were extremely friendly and their cupcakes looked delicious. I ordered a half dozen minis to bring home, then stopped into Safeway for girl beer and Ben and Jerry's Phish Food. I expect I'll be ill tomorrow.
Tonight's plan? I don't really have one. I could go see Twilight: Eclipse in the IMAX I suppose, but I'll likely just stay home and enjoy more Man v. Food, my delicious cupcakes, ice cream, and girl beer. Did I mention I'll be ill tomorrow?
Reviews
----------
Bella Mia Restaurant
Italian
$$$
The exterior looked nice and cozy, I was thinking more of a mom-and-pop style bistro or something. It seems they're mainly a full-scale, fancy Italian restaurant. There was no one in the bar area and the maître d' was on the phone when I entered. I took a seat, but it was a while before the bartender arrived.
The 'Happy Hour' that they claimed to have in their window didn't seem to exist past draft beer and their prices were overkill for drinks. $8.50 for a 'Passiontini' that was simply flavored vodka and lemonade? It didn't even taste that great and the bartender didn't sugar my rim. In fact, the bartender didn't even know what the drink was, as he kept looking at the menu to see what was in it. It seemed he was brand new. He looked very much out of his element, didn't know where things were behind the bar, and I overheard the maître d' explaining their sad excuse for a Happy Hour to him, otherwise I would never had known myself. Who knows, maybe the Passiontini is actually worth its crazy price, but the version I enjoyed certainly was not.
I can't review their food as I didn't bother to stick around that long. A glance at the menu, however, was more than enough to tell me that I probably wouldn't ever be having dinner there while on this trip. $12 'small bites' appetizers? No thanks, I'd rather go over to Billy Berk's where at least their portions sound sharable for that price.
Tandoori Oven
Indian
The building in which I worked for the last four years sits across the street from a parking lot which hosts what I lovingly call "Card Food Row". Mexican, Thai, European, Vegetarian, Indian--they have it all and my husband tells me they've even opened up a vegetarian "Soul Food" cart over there. One cart in particular has always help my attention on Thursdays where the meat special is chicken saag. Even though the immense amount of spinach is pretty much a laxative, it's so good I consume it on what is normally a weekly basis.
I was really craving Chicken Saag and Tandoori Oven delivered. They have some lovely patio seating but the inside is brightly painted and decorated and the boots are cozy. Their Happy Hour specials consist of half price beer, wine, and most appetizers, as well as a Summer special of $5.00 for all à la carte offerings. I didn't even realize the last special until after I was told my total and I'm certainly not complaining.
Their chicken saag is more of a traditional curry where the sauce is a bit more fluid than the saag I'd grown to love. It was also a bit more spicy, even in a mild form. The sauce actually soaked into the naan quite well. Oh, the naan! The bottom was lightly crisped and the edges were thick and soft while the interior was thin and delicate. I ordered a second piece to finish off my sauce, it was just that amazing.
Since I'd already had a drink I did not imbibe in their wine and beer offerings (not that I'm a huge fan of most of either), but at half price, I'm sure they'd be more than reasonable for someone of more of a mind toward them. They didn't offer pakora but that's the only shortcoming I could find. If you're in the mood for reasonable Indian food, this is a great place.
Loves Cupcakes
Cupcakes
$$
Mmm, cupcakes. We had our wedding cupcakes made by a splendid local cupcakerie called Cupcake Jones and we've been fans of theirs for over a year now. I'm not sure how I heard about Loves Cupcakes but I knew I had to try them and today was my chance. Overall, I found the similarities between Cupcake Jones and Loves Cupcakes almost scary. Both small storefronts host a few spots for chowing down and cupcakes in both large and normal/jumbo sizes. Both make their cupcakes from scratch every day, using exceptional ingredients and local ones when available, and donate their leftover cupcakes to local food banks each night. Oh, and both will do weddings, parties, and custom orders. And did I mention Frosting Shots? I asked the young lady at Loves Cupcakes if they were familiar with Cupcake Jones; she wasn't but is heading to Oregon this week! Crazy.
They each have their own niches, however; Cupcake Jones specializes in filled cupcakes while Loves Cupcakes specializes in what they call Cupcake Truffles and "Cupcake on a Stick"s. I haven't tried either yet but if I can manage it, I will, oh I will. Their 'normal' cupcakes, however, are top-notch. The young lady slipped me a mini Fleur de Sal after I purchased my half-dozen to take home. The icing was decadent but not at all heavy, the homemade caramel had just the right amount of salt to counter the sweet, and the cake itself had the perfect amount of 'sproing' and very little crumble. I don't know that the six-pack will last the night at this rate! In fact, I'm finishing this up quickly so that I can go get started on them.
Prices for these gourmet cupcakes are higher than what you'd pay for cupcakes from Safeway or WalMart, but I assure you that you get what you pay for. Loves Cupcakes has great service and great sweets.
I stayed up late again last night watching Man v. Food episodes; I think my nocturnal nature is starting to come full-circle. When I woke up, I fully expected it to be afternoon. Colored me surprised when I discovered it was just after 10a. Not wanting to waste the day, I grabbed a shower and continued with my plan: The Tech.
The Tech Museum of Innovation is kind of a fledgling geek's paradise. A modern-day science museum, it has plenty to teach while keeping the attention of child and adult alike. The earthquake platform, face-drawing robot, 3D scanner, and roller coaster creator were the more popular attractions as I wandered through today. I've been here once with my girlfriend, her husband, and a friend of theirs, but it was nice seeing everything again at my own pace. I opted not to partake of an IMAX film; my stomach was already a bit queasy and the motion sickness would certainly *not* have helped. Instead, I attended the Genghis Khan exhibit.
I'd heard tales of how Genghis Khan was a terrible, evil man. I was floored to discover that there was another side to him, it seems, that tends to be avoided by the history books. The exhibit not only touched upon his life as both a warlord and a politician but also on the Mongol empire and some of their history and culture. We had the pleasure of watching a young Mongolian woman perform a dance of her people and the most interesting artifact on display is the skeletal remains of what was believed to be a Mongolian aristocrat. The exhibit was amazing, though a bit pricey at $22 for a student but it included standard museum admission and thus wasn't a terrible deal. I even had a lovely chat with the young lady who was taking care of the souvenir section about being young, pregnancy, children, and younger sisters. It was wonderful chatting with you, Amanda, and I wish you all of the best.
I'd only had some cereal bars for breakfast so by the time I wandered out of the museum gift shop (with a brand new Geek guide to the Silicon Valley in hand), I was starving. My first impulse was Billy Berk's, as I'd seen their Happy Hour advertisement outside their doors. The prices, however, seemed a bit steep and my understanding is that their appetizers are intended to be sharing size. I didn't have anyone to share them with, so I wandered north along First and happened into a restaurant called Bella Mia's. They claimed they had a Happy Hour on their front door, but wherever it was, I couldn't find it. I had a drink and wandered up the street to the Tandoori Oven who I had passed earlier and also claimed to have a Happy Hour. Mmm, chicken saag.
Happily overstuffed, I made my way north and east to Loves Cupcakes and was pleased to find they were open. The lady and gentleman at the counter were extremely friendly and their cupcakes looked delicious. I ordered a half dozen minis to bring home, then stopped into Safeway for girl beer and Ben and Jerry's Phish Food. I expect I'll be ill tomorrow.
Tonight's plan? I don't really have one. I could go see Twilight: Eclipse in the IMAX I suppose, but I'll likely just stay home and enjoy more Man v. Food, my delicious cupcakes, ice cream, and girl beer. Did I mention I'll be ill tomorrow?
Reviews
----------
Bella Mia RestaurantItalian
$$$
The exterior looked nice and cozy, I was thinking more of a mom-and-pop style bistro or something. It seems they're mainly a full-scale, fancy Italian restaurant. There was no one in the bar area and the maître d' was on the phone when I entered. I took a seat, but it was a while before the bartender arrived.
The 'Happy Hour' that they claimed to have in their window didn't seem to exist past draft beer and their prices were overkill for drinks. $8.50 for a 'Passiontini' that was simply flavored vodka and lemonade? It didn't even taste that great and the bartender didn't sugar my rim. In fact, the bartender didn't even know what the drink was, as he kept looking at the menu to see what was in it. It seemed he was brand new. He looked very much out of his element, didn't know where things were behind the bar, and I overheard the maître d' explaining their sad excuse for a Happy Hour to him, otherwise I would never had known myself. Who knows, maybe the Passiontini is actually worth its crazy price, but the version I enjoyed certainly was not.
I can't review their food as I didn't bother to stick around that long. A glance at the menu, however, was more than enough to tell me that I probably wouldn't ever be having dinner there while on this trip. $12 'small bites' appetizers? No thanks, I'd rather go over to Billy Berk's where at least their portions sound sharable for that price.
Tandoori OvenIndian
The building in which I worked for the last four years sits across the street from a parking lot which hosts what I lovingly call "Card Food Row". Mexican, Thai, European, Vegetarian, Indian--they have it all and my husband tells me they've even opened up a vegetarian "Soul Food" cart over there. One cart in particular has always help my attention on Thursdays where the meat special is chicken saag. Even though the immense amount of spinach is pretty much a laxative, it's so good I consume it on what is normally a weekly basis.
I was really craving Chicken Saag and Tandoori Oven delivered. They have some lovely patio seating but the inside is brightly painted and decorated and the boots are cozy. Their Happy Hour specials consist of half price beer, wine, and most appetizers, as well as a Summer special of $5.00 for all à la carte offerings. I didn't even realize the last special until after I was told my total and I'm certainly not complaining.
Their chicken saag is more of a traditional curry where the sauce is a bit more fluid than the saag I'd grown to love. It was also a bit more spicy, even in a mild form. The sauce actually soaked into the naan quite well. Oh, the naan! The bottom was lightly crisped and the edges were thick and soft while the interior was thin and delicate. I ordered a second piece to finish off my sauce, it was just that amazing.
Since I'd already had a drink I did not imbibe in their wine and beer offerings (not that I'm a huge fan of most of either), but at half price, I'm sure they'd be more than reasonable for someone of more of a mind toward them. They didn't offer pakora but that's the only shortcoming I could find. If you're in the mood for reasonable Indian food, this is a great place.
Loves CupcakesCupcakes
$$
Mmm, cupcakes. We had our wedding cupcakes made by a splendid local cupcakerie called Cupcake Jones and we've been fans of theirs for over a year now. I'm not sure how I heard about Loves Cupcakes but I knew I had to try them and today was my chance. Overall, I found the similarities between Cupcake Jones and Loves Cupcakes almost scary. Both small storefronts host a few spots for chowing down and cupcakes in both large and normal/jumbo sizes. Both make their cupcakes from scratch every day, using exceptional ingredients and local ones when available, and donate their leftover cupcakes to local food banks each night. Oh, and both will do weddings, parties, and custom orders. And did I mention Frosting Shots? I asked the young lady at Loves Cupcakes if they were familiar with Cupcake Jones; she wasn't but is heading to Oregon this week! Crazy.
They each have their own niches, however; Cupcake Jones specializes in filled cupcakes while Loves Cupcakes specializes in what they call Cupcake Truffles and "Cupcake on a Stick"s. I haven't tried either yet but if I can manage it, I will, oh I will. Their 'normal' cupcakes, however, are top-notch. The young lady slipped me a mini Fleur de Sal after I purchased my half-dozen to take home. The icing was decadent but not at all heavy, the homemade caramel had just the right amount of salt to counter the sweet, and the cake itself had the perfect amount of 'sproing' and very little crumble. I don't know that the six-pack will last the night at this rate! In fact, I'm finishing this up quickly so that I can go get started on them.
Prices for these gourmet cupcakes are higher than what you'd pay for cupcakes from Safeway or WalMart, but I assure you that you get what you pay for. Loves Cupcakes has great service and great sweets.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Day Four
Today was a very lazy day and I liked it.
I stayed up late watching 28 Days last night. It's a rather interesting movie and I'm pretty much sold on Netflix's streaming videos; they don't have a ton of variety, but it's enough to cover the lazy side of me that doesn't want to find a local Blockbuster. So my morning didn't even begin until 11a and I spent it catching up on WoW chores and putting together a new Death Knight to be my gathering minion on Mal'Ganis.
Lazy days require lazy food and I had a real hankering for a tuna sub from Subway. I made the trek into downtown, enjoyed my sub with the remainder coming home with me, and decided I wanted to try a local cupcake shop, Loves Cupcakes, for dessert. Their door was gated, however, so I assume they were closed for the holiday. I headed back home and have spent the remainder of the evening sitting on my girlfriend's PC due to it being raid night.
Not much more to say. Raiding is over, I'm going to go stretch out on the couch and cuddle with my fur-niece and fur-nephew. Tomorrow's plan: a trip to The Tech.
I stayed up late watching 28 Days last night. It's a rather interesting movie and I'm pretty much sold on Netflix's streaming videos; they don't have a ton of variety, but it's enough to cover the lazy side of me that doesn't want to find a local Blockbuster. So my morning didn't even begin until 11a and I spent it catching up on WoW chores and putting together a new Death Knight to be my gathering minion on Mal'Ganis.
Lazy days require lazy food and I had a real hankering for a tuna sub from Subway. I made the trek into downtown, enjoyed my sub with the remainder coming home with me, and decided I wanted to try a local cupcake shop, Loves Cupcakes, for dessert. Their door was gated, however, so I assume they were closed for the holiday. I headed back home and have spent the remainder of the evening sitting on my girlfriend's PC due to it being raid night.
Not much more to say. Raiding is over, I'm going to go stretch out on the couch and cuddle with my fur-niece and fur-nephew. Tomorrow's plan: a trip to The Tech.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Day Three
I'm beat.
Today started out easy enough. There weren't really any plans for today and I spent the morning writing up Day One and Day Two as well as getting WoW dailies out of the way. As afternoon began to slip away, I made the trek into Downtown to find something to eat.
Sunday + Holiday = Closed; I quickly realized my pickings were slim. The park was filled with children playing in the fountain and parents reading or chatting. A few ice cream vendors were wandering around with little hand-carts, but I wanted something with more substance. I figured McCormick and Schmicks or whatever would be open, but I've been to Jake's Grill in Portland and was not impressed; no way I was going to pay for overpriced seafood that I won't eat anyhow. Nestled just beside them, however, was a little bakery and deli called Bijan. I picked up some lunch to go and headed back home to enjoy while watching 3 Ninjas. Man, that movie was so awesome back in the day; I feel like a kid again after watching it and The Karate Kid the night before.
I did something to my right eye. I don't know if I just got an itch and ended up rubbing sunscreen into it or if I scratched it or got some dust or cat fur in it or what, but by the end of the movie, it was bright red and I was tearing something awful. My youngest brother had texted me earlier about college applications, so I called and chatted with my mother for a bit while resting with my eye completely closed. By the end of our talk, it was better, so I made my way toward the 22 Westbound stop.
San Jose reminds me a lot of Portland; you don't really know where the city itself stops and the suburbs begin. My destination was Santa Clara Central Park. I knew it was going to be a bit of a walk after I got off the bus, but my two bottles of water never made it into my backpack before leaving. Needless to say, my calves were burning by the time I arrived at the park. I had no clue where I was going, so I followed the throng of people. They led me fairly true; there was a building in the way of some of the lower fireworks but otherwise a good view could be had from where I ended up. The smoke, however, finally choked me out of my spot and I retreated back toward the main road.
The display itself was lovely until the finale. Yes, finales usually have large amounts of fireworks displayed in rapid succession and this was no different. The problem was that the smoke was so thick after the first few seconds, the display was muted; you couldn't see half of each firework that went off and the heavy, acrid smoke caused me to retreat yet again. All in all, it wasn't a terrible show. Those around me were raving about it, but I guess they're used to smog in California, though I heard a few complaints from people regarding asthma.
Everyone leaving was total chaos. Just across the way there was a shopping center sporting a Taco Bell whose seating area closed just as the fireworks ended. Group after group of people approached only to find locked doors. The KFC catty-whompus from them, however, had the bright idea of staying open past 10p. They were pretty well packed, but they sold bottled water so I wasn't complaining. After a quick dinner and a bio break, I headed back north, weaving in and out of badly-parked cars and dodging folks' own personal fireworks displays in the middle of streets. My iPhone lost 3G connectivity until I was halfway to the bus stop, thwarting my hopes of finding a closer bus to come save my aching feet. Some guy shouted something at me from his truck as he drove by; not sure if it was a good thing or bad thing as I was studying the bus schedule at the time.
The driver of my 22 home was neither friendly nor helpful. He didn't return the 'Good evening' that I gave him and he didn't know where Delmas met with Santa Clara. I missed my stop and had the pleasure of walking even further through badly-lit streets in an unfamiliar part of town. No one bothered me, at least, but I'm glad to be safely indoors again.
I can still hear bottle rockets, poppers, and candles going off outside of the window. It could be a very long night and I'm already exhausted. I had planned to make tomorrow my visit to The Tech but I may put that off until Tuesday and make tomorrow a day of rest and water shopping at Trader Joe's.
Reviews
----------
Bijan Bakery and Deli
Cafe, Baked Goods
$/$$
This was a jewel to find, not only because I was hungry, but because it was delicious and cheap! They have a full range of breads, sandwiches, and tarts that will easily break your wallet. However, the diamond in the rough are their stuffed croissants. At $2.50 each, they have Ham and Cheese, Mushroom and Cheese, and Spinach and Cheese options that are extremely filling. I had a Ham and a Mushroom and they were both extremely good and well worth the price; the croissants were nice and flaky, the cheese was perfectly melted, and the ham and mushrooms were quite savory. I also splurged on a Lemon Tart (I'm a sucker for lemon desserts) and it was spectacular! Rather than a baked tart, which I'm not as fond of, the lemon custard filling was nice and soft but not runny and the crust itself had the perfect amount of crumble. It was a bit pricey at $3.99, but very much worth every bite.
The interesting part: I received my meal for less than the listed price. The two stuffed croissants set me back $1.99 each and the tart was only $3.50. I'm not certain if it was because they intended to close soon (it was after 4p and they were closing at 6p) or because I was kind to the young lady who had just dealt with a rather difficult and rude customer before assisting me. Either way, I'm not complaining and it may show that being friendly and smiling can go a long way. Regardless, if I run out of other options for cheap eats while here, I will certainly be back for their stuffed croissants.
Today started out easy enough. There weren't really any plans for today and I spent the morning writing up Day One and Day Two as well as getting WoW dailies out of the way. As afternoon began to slip away, I made the trek into Downtown to find something to eat.
Sunday + Holiday = Closed; I quickly realized my pickings were slim. The park was filled with children playing in the fountain and parents reading or chatting. A few ice cream vendors were wandering around with little hand-carts, but I wanted something with more substance. I figured McCormick and Schmicks or whatever would be open, but I've been to Jake's Grill in Portland and was not impressed; no way I was going to pay for overpriced seafood that I won't eat anyhow. Nestled just beside them, however, was a little bakery and deli called Bijan. I picked up some lunch to go and headed back home to enjoy while watching 3 Ninjas. Man, that movie was so awesome back in the day; I feel like a kid again after watching it and The Karate Kid the night before.
I did something to my right eye. I don't know if I just got an itch and ended up rubbing sunscreen into it or if I scratched it or got some dust or cat fur in it or what, but by the end of the movie, it was bright red and I was tearing something awful. My youngest brother had texted me earlier about college applications, so I called and chatted with my mother for a bit while resting with my eye completely closed. By the end of our talk, it was better, so I made my way toward the 22 Westbound stop.
San Jose reminds me a lot of Portland; you don't really know where the city itself stops and the suburbs begin. My destination was Santa Clara Central Park. I knew it was going to be a bit of a walk after I got off the bus, but my two bottles of water never made it into my backpack before leaving. Needless to say, my calves were burning by the time I arrived at the park. I had no clue where I was going, so I followed the throng of people. They led me fairly true; there was a building in the way of some of the lower fireworks but otherwise a good view could be had from where I ended up. The smoke, however, finally choked me out of my spot and I retreated back toward the main road.
The display itself was lovely until the finale. Yes, finales usually have large amounts of fireworks displayed in rapid succession and this was no different. The problem was that the smoke was so thick after the first few seconds, the display was muted; you couldn't see half of each firework that went off and the heavy, acrid smoke caused me to retreat yet again. All in all, it wasn't a terrible show. Those around me were raving about it, but I guess they're used to smog in California, though I heard a few complaints from people regarding asthma.
Everyone leaving was total chaos. Just across the way there was a shopping center sporting a Taco Bell whose seating area closed just as the fireworks ended. Group after group of people approached only to find locked doors. The KFC catty-whompus from them, however, had the bright idea of staying open past 10p. They were pretty well packed, but they sold bottled water so I wasn't complaining. After a quick dinner and a bio break, I headed back north, weaving in and out of badly-parked cars and dodging folks' own personal fireworks displays in the middle of streets. My iPhone lost 3G connectivity until I was halfway to the bus stop, thwarting my hopes of finding a closer bus to come save my aching feet. Some guy shouted something at me from his truck as he drove by; not sure if it was a good thing or bad thing as I was studying the bus schedule at the time.
The driver of my 22 home was neither friendly nor helpful. He didn't return the 'Good evening' that I gave him and he didn't know where Delmas met with Santa Clara. I missed my stop and had the pleasure of walking even further through badly-lit streets in an unfamiliar part of town. No one bothered me, at least, but I'm glad to be safely indoors again.
I can still hear bottle rockets, poppers, and candles going off outside of the window. It could be a very long night and I'm already exhausted. I had planned to make tomorrow my visit to The Tech but I may put that off until Tuesday and make tomorrow a day of rest and water shopping at Trader Joe's.
Reviews
----------
Bijan Bakery and DeliCafe, Baked Goods
$/$$
This was a jewel to find, not only because I was hungry, but because it was delicious and cheap! They have a full range of breads, sandwiches, and tarts that will easily break your wallet. However, the diamond in the rough are their stuffed croissants. At $2.50 each, they have Ham and Cheese, Mushroom and Cheese, and Spinach and Cheese options that are extremely filling. I had a Ham and a Mushroom and they were both extremely good and well worth the price; the croissants were nice and flaky, the cheese was perfectly melted, and the ham and mushrooms were quite savory. I also splurged on a Lemon Tart (I'm a sucker for lemon desserts) and it was spectacular! Rather than a baked tart, which I'm not as fond of, the lemon custard filling was nice and soft but not runny and the crust itself had the perfect amount of crumble. It was a bit pricey at $3.99, but very much worth every bite.
The interesting part: I received my meal for less than the listed price. The two stuffed croissants set me back $1.99 each and the tart was only $3.50. I'm not certain if it was because they intended to close soon (it was after 4p and they were closing at 6p) or because I was kind to the young lady who had just dealt with a rather difficult and rude customer before assisting me. Either way, I'm not complaining and it may show that being friendly and smiling can go a long way. Regardless, if I run out of other options for cheap eats while here, I will certainly be back for their stuffed croissants.
Day Two
Oi, I slept in. The roughly 12 hours of sleep was good for me, however, as I had only 6 hours the night before and 3 hours the night before that. The morning brings with it more clear skies, sunshine, and a lovely breeze. I could get used to this.
WoW has been successfully installed and I log in. My girlfriend's monitor is smaller than mine at home so things are kind of squished and I'm unfamiliar with her keyboard. I'll make it work. My husband is zipping up my addons and configuration files to post so I can have things ready for raiding on Sunday. Oh wait, it's a holiday; raiding is canceled for that night. I'm not complaining and do my daily dungeon and frost boss on my paladin since she is still very much in need of the badges.
I've started working on my out-of-town excursions and looking into local hostels since hotels are atrociously expensive here. So far it looks like Monterey will be an overnight trip with a visit to the aquarium, some whale watching, and enjoying the History Walk while Santa Cruz will be a day trip with Boardwalk exploration and viewing a roller derby game. I haven't started making plans for San Francisco or Los Angeles at this point; I may not make it that far depending on time and funds.
It's around 2p before I head into downtown again. My plans for the day are two-fold: find a Fry's so I can purchase a cheap digital camera and find an In-and-Out Burger for dinner. I'm not sure my stomach will last quite so long and I stop in at Johnny Rockets near the light-rail station. It would appear they are a chain but I've never heard of them.
I take the light rail down to Campbell and visit Fry's Electronics, picking up a camera, bag, and 4GB card for $125 after tax. It's a dent in my credit card but I want to have pictures. There are a few In-and-Out Burger places in the area but none are easily accessible by transit. I decide on the one at Eastside Transit Center since it'll take about as long and require less walking based on maps.
I've determined that outside of Downtown, San Jose is not pedestrian friendly. I make it to Eastside easily enough; the accordion buses that run routes 22 and 522 are pretty fascinating. However, there's no easy way to cross the highway that separates the transit center from the shopping center where In-and-Out Burger resides. I can see it, just over there, teasing me with its glorious burgers and fries. I begin my walk toward a cross street where I hope to find pedestrian signals. The way is a mess with no actual sidewalks and a choice of dodging traffic or twisting ankles in sinkholes; do they have a gopher problem in San Jose? Regardless, as I begin to near a side street, my hope wanes as I can not see any pedestrian signals. I'm not about to play Frogger across a busy highway and return to the transit center for a bus back downtown. My stomach is growling and I'm missing Portland's numerous sidewalks.
I hop off the bus at First and Santa Clara and notice a small pizza shop across the way, "Extreme Pizza". Reviews on Urbanspoon are reasonable at 90% with 11 votes, so I stop in. They remind me of Pizza Schmizza except more dark and with a far more normal decorum. There's no alligator sausage on the menu but they have the same smart-arse humor. I order a pizza and sit down to watch the local San Jose soccer team while it's being made. Downtown itself is extremely quiet for a Saturday night and I head home, pizza in tow, to watch the Karate Kid via Netflix.
Reviews
----------
Johnny Rockets
American
$$
Nothing spectacular here. I ordered a root beer with light ice and a shot of Vanilla; could barely taste the flavouring unlike The Roxy back in Portland. Since I wasn't terribly hungry, I only ordered their Mini Chili-Cheese Dogs which were tasty enough but it's pretty hard to screw up a hot dog and they were not quite worth the price paid. The decoum was amusing and I expected a gaggle of school kids in poodle skirts to come flying out of the back doors at any moment. Service was decent but pushy on the sales; no, I don't want fries any more now than I did when you asked me 10 minutes ago. I think I'll stick with Sonic.
Extreme Pizza
Pizza
$$
As I was absent-mindedly munching away while watching The Karate Kid, I realized that the pizza I was eating was actually quite good. Worth the price? That's a little hard to say. For what I paid for my little Indee pizza, I could have gotten a large from Pizza Hut or Papa Johns. I happen to like evil, corporate pizza, thank you very much. I would have liked it more if they had slices instead; it probably would have been cheaper as well. They were showing local sports and appear to be the sponsors for a local fraternity; I think I prefer Pizza Schmizza more, if for no other reason than their decor gives you something to look at while waiting for your food. Maybe their subs are more reasonable, but I think the price is a bit much for their pizza and $2 for bottled water is enough to make me consider someplace else in the future.
WoW has been successfully installed and I log in. My girlfriend's monitor is smaller than mine at home so things are kind of squished and I'm unfamiliar with her keyboard. I'll make it work. My husband is zipping up my addons and configuration files to post so I can have things ready for raiding on Sunday. Oh wait, it's a holiday; raiding is canceled for that night. I'm not complaining and do my daily dungeon and frost boss on my paladin since she is still very much in need of the badges.
I've started working on my out-of-town excursions and looking into local hostels since hotels are atrociously expensive here. So far it looks like Monterey will be an overnight trip with a visit to the aquarium, some whale watching, and enjoying the History Walk while Santa Cruz will be a day trip with Boardwalk exploration and viewing a roller derby game. I haven't started making plans for San Francisco or Los Angeles at this point; I may not make it that far depending on time and funds.
It's around 2p before I head into downtown again. My plans for the day are two-fold: find a Fry's so I can purchase a cheap digital camera and find an In-and-Out Burger for dinner. I'm not sure my stomach will last quite so long and I stop in at Johnny Rockets near the light-rail station. It would appear they are a chain but I've never heard of them.
I take the light rail down to Campbell and visit Fry's Electronics, picking up a camera, bag, and 4GB card for $125 after tax. It's a dent in my credit card but I want to have pictures. There are a few In-and-Out Burger places in the area but none are easily accessible by transit. I decide on the one at Eastside Transit Center since it'll take about as long and require less walking based on maps.
I've determined that outside of Downtown, San Jose is not pedestrian friendly. I make it to Eastside easily enough; the accordion buses that run routes 22 and 522 are pretty fascinating. However, there's no easy way to cross the highway that separates the transit center from the shopping center where In-and-Out Burger resides. I can see it, just over there, teasing me with its glorious burgers and fries. I begin my walk toward a cross street where I hope to find pedestrian signals. The way is a mess with no actual sidewalks and a choice of dodging traffic or twisting ankles in sinkholes; do they have a gopher problem in San Jose? Regardless, as I begin to near a side street, my hope wanes as I can not see any pedestrian signals. I'm not about to play Frogger across a busy highway and return to the transit center for a bus back downtown. My stomach is growling and I'm missing Portland's numerous sidewalks.
I hop off the bus at First and Santa Clara and notice a small pizza shop across the way, "Extreme Pizza". Reviews on Urbanspoon are reasonable at 90% with 11 votes, so I stop in. They remind me of Pizza Schmizza except more dark and with a far more normal decorum. There's no alligator sausage on the menu but they have the same smart-arse humor. I order a pizza and sit down to watch the local San Jose soccer team while it's being made. Downtown itself is extremely quiet for a Saturday night and I head home, pizza in tow, to watch the Karate Kid via Netflix.
Reviews
----------
Johnny RocketsAmerican
$$
Nothing spectacular here. I ordered a root beer with light ice and a shot of Vanilla; could barely taste the flavouring unlike The Roxy back in Portland. Since I wasn't terribly hungry, I only ordered their Mini Chili-Cheese Dogs which were tasty enough but it's pretty hard to screw up a hot dog and they were not quite worth the price paid. The decoum was amusing and I expected a gaggle of school kids in poodle skirts to come flying out of the back doors at any moment. Service was decent but pushy on the sales; no, I don't want fries any more now than I did when you asked me 10 minutes ago. I think I'll stick with Sonic.
Extreme PizzaPizza
$$
As I was absent-mindedly munching away while watching The Karate Kid, I realized that the pizza I was eating was actually quite good. Worth the price? That's a little hard to say. For what I paid for my little Indee pizza, I could have gotten a large from Pizza Hut or Papa Johns. I happen to like evil, corporate pizza, thank you very much. I would have liked it more if they had slices instead; it probably would have been cheaper as well. They were showing local sports and appear to be the sponsors for a local fraternity; I think I prefer Pizza Schmizza more, if for no other reason than their decor gives you something to look at while waiting for your food. Maybe their subs are more reasonable, but I think the price is a bit much for their pizza and $2 for bottled water is enough to make me consider someplace else in the future.
Day One
Alright, so I'm playing catch-up since I didn't decide to do this until yesterday.
The morning drive to the airport is filled with the crackle of the A.M. radio station as it shares the World Cup Brazil vs. Netherlands game. My girlfriend realizes about 20 minutes from the airport that she has left her bag that contains her passport on the table at home and we return for it and to gas up their car. The traffic is getting thicker as we make our second attempt northward toward the San Francisco airport, but we make good time and arrive with plenty to spare not long after Brazil scores a goal on themselves. We've unloaded the car and said our goodbyes and well-wishes and now it's time to brave the traffic southward yet again.
By the way, I haven't driven in over three years.
I made it back to San Jose in one piece and set off into downtown. I walk a bit along the Guadalupe River Trail until I hit Santa Clara and head into downtown proper to find the transit authority's sales building. I'm not prepared with sunblock but I've armed myself with a scarf to keep over my shoulders; it doesn't do much for my nose. Downtown is bustling with a myriad of people on this fine Friday morning--even the pan-handler is rather well-dressed. I spot San Paseo square but I don't see any market booths; maybe it's further in?
The lady at the transit authority is beyond helpful, arming me with a system map as well as literature on the Highway 17 Express to Santa Cruz, the MST 55 to Monterey, and a set of CalTrain schedules. I start my hike along First, heading South again, with the intention of finding the Visitor's Center. I stop in to The Tech and get some information about their hours and the Genghis Khan exhibit; it seems they're also showing Eclipse in the IMAX.
The Visitor's Center doesn't exist any longer and is instead replaced by information kiosks with pamphlets and advertisements. It's a fairly recent change as a number of individuals had lead me to this location, but there's not much that can be done. A print version of the San Jose Visitor's Guide is available, as well as a similar guide with museums and local events for the month. I also grab a map of public art displays and one that claims it is a walking map but is no different than any other I've seen so far. There are some advertisements for a few restaurants and for a local comedy club as well. I start the march back north.
A monthly "flash pass" in hand, I can now ride the transit system. I walk back toward San Paseo square and still can not find any Farmer's Market; a quick Google search tells me that it has been canceled due to the holiday. Phooey. VTA has some presence on Google Maps and I manage to find a bus route up to the Target my girlfriend had pointed out to me the day before. It's a 'short bus' and I feel it's rather fitting considering the quality of the transit system so far.
PetSmart provides me with an undercoat comb and toy for my fur-niece and fur-nephew and Target provides me with everything else; I make sure to pick up sunscreen. 9.25% sales tax is going to kill me; we don't have any in Oregon and having to mentally tack it on in order to determine true cost is getting annoying. I also don't understand this "cash refund" for pop bottles here. It's a flat $0.05 in Oregon and here I guess they aren't certain what the deposit is.
The teller at the Starbucks in Target provides me with an instant-use "treat receipt" and I enjoy my cheap Blended Strawberry Lemonade as I head back downtown. On arriving home, I finish up the leftover Sesame Chicken from Taiwan the night before and settle down to do some more research. It seems that South First Friday has also been canceled due to the holiday and the Computer History Museum is closed for renovations this month. Phooey and double-phooey. San Jose also doesn't have any celebrations of their own for Independence Day, unless you want to pay money to listen to country music all night. As much as I don't dislike country music, I'd rather not.
It's a bit after 4p and I head back into downtown to find the Downtown Association's office in order to obtain a Discover Downtown card for some discounts at shops and restaurants during my visit. I'm not terribly surprised to discover that they've closed early for the holiday as well; it'll have to wait until Tuesday (I'm also going to assume they're observing the holiday on Monday).
Well, it's Happy Hour time, so what's first? I've heard glowing reviews of E&O Trading Company and they're just down the street, so here we go. It's just before 5p when I step inside. Fairly dark, like most bars, the hostess tells me to take a seat wherever I'd like and I grab a small table in the back as it's not terribly busy. That state doesn't last long and by the time I'm ready to leave, a small group of three is ready to steal my table.
I consider attending a comedy club for the night but decide that homework is a better idea and head back after hitting up Zanotto's for some pesto salad for later that night.
Homework is done in a tipsy state while World of Warcraft begins loading on my girlfriend's PC; my laptop is pretty much dead. Going to bed at 10p? Man, my sleep schedule is screwy.
Reviews
-------------------------------
Taiwan Restaurant
Chinese
$$
My girlfriend brought me here the night before. They were beyond busy so we had to wait for a while, but the food was worth it. The General( Tsao)'s Chicken had a bit of a kick to it, but nothing my virgin tastebuds couldn't handle. The Sesame Chicken was not nearly as sweet as some I've had and quite good, as was the Honey Walnut Chicken; I wish there had been leftovers of *that* the next day but it was finished quick. We had white rice on the side and I enjoyed a Mandarin Orange Asian Vodka Martini which was quite tasty. My girlfriend covered the tab so I'm not sure of total cost, but the menu prices alone place it at equivalent to a normal Chinese restaurant. Parking was a pain and the mirrors on the back wall make the place look much larger than it is; an interesting trick but it explains why looking there made me feel a bit dizzy since I was actually seeing double.
E&O Trading Company
Asian Fusion
These guys have received some rave reviews and I can understand why. The interior is clean, albeit dark. Two televisions were showing sports, one aimed at Baseball and the other a mix. The bartender was friendly if distant and answered my inquiry about the result of the World Cup game that morning. He suggested their house favourite, the Mango Vanilla Mojito. I'm not a huge fan of mojitos in general or mango for that matter, but this blend was quite intriguing and different. I don't know that I'd order another in the future given the chance, but it was definitely worth trying once, especially for a Well drink. The Lanai Cocktail was amazing, rimmed with brown sugar for an extra sip of sweet. To finish up, I enjoyed a glass of their house-made Lemonade and it was almost perfect.
The Chicken Satay was three skewers of grilled chicken breast and a lightly-spice peanut sauce while the Three-Seeded Naan was a bit more salty than normal--that isn't a bad thing! The sauces it came with reminded me of something sour-cream related and a tomato-based sauce with a kick to it; I didn't care for either myself and just enjoyed the naan plain. Both appetizers were $3 each, the two wells were $5 each, and the lemonade was another $3.
Service was friendly overall though it took a while to receive attention after my first drink. After around 6p the place became pretty well packed; their Happy Hour goes until 7p. Other local happy hours are going to have a lot to live up to.
The morning drive to the airport is filled with the crackle of the A.M. radio station as it shares the World Cup Brazil vs. Netherlands game. My girlfriend realizes about 20 minutes from the airport that she has left her bag that contains her passport on the table at home and we return for it and to gas up their car. The traffic is getting thicker as we make our second attempt northward toward the San Francisco airport, but we make good time and arrive with plenty to spare not long after Brazil scores a goal on themselves. We've unloaded the car and said our goodbyes and well-wishes and now it's time to brave the traffic southward yet again.
By the way, I haven't driven in over three years.
I made it back to San Jose in one piece and set off into downtown. I walk a bit along the Guadalupe River Trail until I hit Santa Clara and head into downtown proper to find the transit authority's sales building. I'm not prepared with sunblock but I've armed myself with a scarf to keep over my shoulders; it doesn't do much for my nose. Downtown is bustling with a myriad of people on this fine Friday morning--even the pan-handler is rather well-dressed. I spot San Paseo square but I don't see any market booths; maybe it's further in?
The lady at the transit authority is beyond helpful, arming me with a system map as well as literature on the Highway 17 Express to Santa Cruz, the MST 55 to Monterey, and a set of CalTrain schedules. I start my hike along First, heading South again, with the intention of finding the Visitor's Center. I stop in to The Tech and get some information about their hours and the Genghis Khan exhibit; it seems they're also showing Eclipse in the IMAX.
The Visitor's Center doesn't exist any longer and is instead replaced by information kiosks with pamphlets and advertisements. It's a fairly recent change as a number of individuals had lead me to this location, but there's not much that can be done. A print version of the San Jose Visitor's Guide is available, as well as a similar guide with museums and local events for the month. I also grab a map of public art displays and one that claims it is a walking map but is no different than any other I've seen so far. There are some advertisements for a few restaurants and for a local comedy club as well. I start the march back north.
A monthly "flash pass" in hand, I can now ride the transit system. I walk back toward San Paseo square and still can not find any Farmer's Market; a quick Google search tells me that it has been canceled due to the holiday. Phooey. VTA has some presence on Google Maps and I manage to find a bus route up to the Target my girlfriend had pointed out to me the day before. It's a 'short bus' and I feel it's rather fitting considering the quality of the transit system so far.
PetSmart provides me with an undercoat comb and toy for my fur-niece and fur-nephew and Target provides me with everything else; I make sure to pick up sunscreen. 9.25% sales tax is going to kill me; we don't have any in Oregon and having to mentally tack it on in order to determine true cost is getting annoying. I also don't understand this "cash refund" for pop bottles here. It's a flat $0.05 in Oregon and here I guess they aren't certain what the deposit is.
The teller at the Starbucks in Target provides me with an instant-use "treat receipt" and I enjoy my cheap Blended Strawberry Lemonade as I head back downtown. On arriving home, I finish up the leftover Sesame Chicken from Taiwan the night before and settle down to do some more research. It seems that South First Friday has also been canceled due to the holiday and the Computer History Museum is closed for renovations this month. Phooey and double-phooey. San Jose also doesn't have any celebrations of their own for Independence Day, unless you want to pay money to listen to country music all night. As much as I don't dislike country music, I'd rather not.
It's a bit after 4p and I head back into downtown to find the Downtown Association's office in order to obtain a Discover Downtown card for some discounts at shops and restaurants during my visit. I'm not terribly surprised to discover that they've closed early for the holiday as well; it'll have to wait until Tuesday (I'm also going to assume they're observing the holiday on Monday).
Well, it's Happy Hour time, so what's first? I've heard glowing reviews of E&O Trading Company and they're just down the street, so here we go. It's just before 5p when I step inside. Fairly dark, like most bars, the hostess tells me to take a seat wherever I'd like and I grab a small table in the back as it's not terribly busy. That state doesn't last long and by the time I'm ready to leave, a small group of three is ready to steal my table.
I consider attending a comedy club for the night but decide that homework is a better idea and head back after hitting up Zanotto's for some pesto salad for later that night.
Homework is done in a tipsy state while World of Warcraft begins loading on my girlfriend's PC; my laptop is pretty much dead. Going to bed at 10p? Man, my sleep schedule is screwy.
Reviews
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Taiwan RestaurantChinese
$$
My girlfriend brought me here the night before. They were beyond busy so we had to wait for a while, but the food was worth it. The General( Tsao)'s Chicken had a bit of a kick to it, but nothing my virgin tastebuds couldn't handle. The Sesame Chicken was not nearly as sweet as some I've had and quite good, as was the Honey Walnut Chicken; I wish there had been leftovers of *that* the next day but it was finished quick. We had white rice on the side and I enjoyed a Mandarin Orange Asian Vodka Martini which was quite tasty. My girlfriend covered the tab so I'm not sure of total cost, but the menu prices alone place it at equivalent to a normal Chinese restaurant. Parking was a pain and the mirrors on the back wall make the place look much larger than it is; an interesting trick but it explains why looking there made me feel a bit dizzy since I was actually seeing double.
E&O Trading CompanyAsian Fusion
These guys have received some rave reviews and I can understand why. The interior is clean, albeit dark. Two televisions were showing sports, one aimed at Baseball and the other a mix. The bartender was friendly if distant and answered my inquiry about the result of the World Cup game that morning. He suggested their house favourite, the Mango Vanilla Mojito. I'm not a huge fan of mojitos in general or mango for that matter, but this blend was quite intriguing and different. I don't know that I'd order another in the future given the chance, but it was definitely worth trying once, especially for a Well drink. The Lanai Cocktail was amazing, rimmed with brown sugar for an extra sip of sweet. To finish up, I enjoyed a glass of their house-made Lemonade and it was almost perfect.
The Chicken Satay was three skewers of grilled chicken breast and a lightly-spice peanut sauce while the Three-Seeded Naan was a bit more salty than normal--that isn't a bad thing! The sauces it came with reminded me of something sour-cream related and a tomato-based sauce with a kick to it; I didn't care for either myself and just enjoyed the naan plain. Both appetizers were $3 each, the two wells were $5 each, and the lemonade was another $3.
Service was friendly overall though it took a while to receive attention after my first drink. After around 6p the place became pretty well packed; their Happy Hour goes until 7p. Other local happy hours are going to have a lot to live up to.
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