Dec 15, 2009 18:46 - By: Molly G.
Restaurant or Bike Shop?
On a recent visit to the Lake Norman area of North Carolina, we were starving and desperate for some food. We had just finished touring Raceworld USA and right around the corner was this place called Mac’s Speed Shop. It looked like a restaurant based on the picnic tables outside, but the name made me question if it was a bike or auto shop. We let our grumbling stomachs lead us in and were delighted to confirm that it was in fact an eating establishment. Read More »
Oct 30, 2009 8:42 - By: Sharon Castellanos
Best Burgers at Royal Exchange in San Francisco
Remember the movie Swingers, with a young and lanky Vince Vaughn? Remember how he used the phrase “you’re so money!”, whenever he complimented his friend Jon Favreau or just tried to boost his ego? In the 1990’s this phrase became the hippest way to tell your friend that they were cool or make them feel important.
Now think about the locations where you might find these guys hanging out. In downtown San Francisco, you would find them very likely at the Royal Exchange sitting in a booth after work smoking.
The Royal Exchange in the 1990s was one of my favorite place for after work drinks. Lots of cute guys from the investment firms would start showing up at 2:00 after the stock market closed. And though the prices are higher today, their happy hour is still a fun spot that I recommend to my single friends and to visitors staying at Le Méridien Hotel.
Though I am not in the area as often as I used to be, I still like to stop here for lunch whenever I can. Read More »
Oct 07, 2009 10:40 - By: Triciahonea
There are times that you just have to eat out. There is nothing in the refrigerator and you don’t want to go out for a fancy expensive lunch or just drive thru. I have the solution for you. Fatburger!
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Oct 05, 2009 8:46 - By: Sharon Castellanos
Feel Glamorous Lunch @ Armani Cafe
Do you have a group of friends that you like to meet up with for a little retail therapy? I am part of this great group of girlfriends who like to meet regularly downtown. Besides hitting the stores, we also use this time together to try out cafes and restaurants.
This time after we combed the sale racks at Banana Republic, Loehmann’s and H&M we decided to hit the Armani Cafe, just inside the Armani store on Grant Avenue in San Francisco.
We may live for sales but we also need to feel glamorous. What better way to gaze at the gorgeous Giorgio Armani clothes without feeling the guilt of not buying them, then to grab a bite at his cafe. We could have gone for the European feel and sat outside on the sidewalk but decided to up the style quotient and get a table overlooking the beautiful displays inside.
A few of us at the table were disappointed that it wasn’t 3:00 pm yet because the cafe has a happy hour with drink specials that include a $6 Cosmo or Martini. I was excited to see my favorite summer food, a caprese salad (heirloom tomato, basil and fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese!) on the menu for $9 as well as fried calamari for $10. Read More »
Sep 10, 2009 6:04 - By: Kayt Sukel
Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine.
It’s always 5:00pm somewhere. Isn’t that what they say? (Or maybe that’s just what I tell myself – but no matter. We’ll go with it as it’s a basic axiom. It is *always* 5:00pm somewhere).
But 5:00pm at the York Harbor Inn’s Ship’s Cellar Pub (known to locals simply as the Y-HI) brings with it Happy Hour. And it is a happy hour that might make you the happiest yet.
The Ship Cellar’s Pub is a full-service pub with great food. In fact, it has one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. It’s thick, juicy and oh-so-delish. But if you head to the pub on weekdays from 4:00pm-6:00pm, you may not even need to order that burger. Instead, while having a great discounted drink, you can head over and sample some of the buffet on offer.
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Aug 28, 2009 9:31 - By: Sharon Castellanos
Gold Dust Lounge @ Union Square
Do you love old westerns? Are you comfortable in somewhat seedy surroundings? If you answered “yes” to both, then you are in luck because situated on noisy Powell Street in Union Square, is the Gold Dust Lounge.
This old dive has been plying its customers with White Russians since the era of San Francisco ’s Barbary Coast days. If Laffing Sal or “Laughing Sal” was real, she would have been right at home in this place. Someone who probably did stop in was Sally Stanford, the famous local madam.
Built in the 1930’s, today the Gold Dust Lounge still has live music but now $3 champagne. You’ll love their happy hour or maybe just stop in for a drink some night after seeing a show at the American Conservatory Theater.
They take cash only, but considering how cheap the drinks are, I think this is a great place to experience true San Francisco color. Though I am partial to the Buena Vista for mine, I hear that their Irish Coffee is pretty good. If you are coming from out of town, all the Union Square hotels are close by and the Villa Florence is next door.
Bring the hand sanitizer and a full stomach, but if you have a taste for a creepy good time with your strong cocktail, the Gold Dust Lounge is the place for you. Maybe the money you save on drinks will help pay for your hotel.
247 Powell Street
(between Geary and O’farrell Sts)
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 397-1695
Aug 03, 2009 7:49 - By: Sharon Castellanos
Pre-Happy Hour @ Two in SF
San Francisco has its share of restaurants that like to “go casual” with the atmosphere and food. Hawthorne Lane was a restaurant that could not have been further from casual. It was beautifully elegant and quite the special occasion destination. It was also perfect for important business dinners. The restaurant has now been replaced, reflecting the tough economic times, with a more casual version – still owned and run by the same folks but now called Two.
Two is located on Hawthorne Lane, a quiet side street used mostly to cut quickly through traffic during commute hours. We recently checked out this new cozy restaurant and over all, it turned out to be a pleasant experience. Read More »
Jul 28, 2009 8:00 - By: Sonia Mansfield
The infamous beignets at Just For You Cafe in San Francisco.
Whenever my boyfriend David and I told people that we were moving into San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood, we usually got three different responses:
“Where’s Dogpatch?”
“Oh! You will be near Just For You Cafe! They have the best beignets.”
“OK, listen to me, this is important. You must go to Just For You Cafe and get the beignets!”
With so many recommendations, expectations were high for Just For You Cafe, which is also known as Mabel’s. It did not disappoint. In fact, our first week in our new place, David and I ate at Just For You Cafe three times, hitting the restaurant for brunch, dinner and a happy hour.
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Jul 06, 2009 13:00 - By: Triciahonea
Last week Whit and I were lucky enough to have one of the neighborhood moms volunteered to watch my kids for a couple of hours. We immediately took her up on the offer and headed to downtown Issaquah.
Our downtown area is awesome. It’s close enough to walk to, and more importantly, it’s close enough to walk home from. It’s always different after a couple of drinks, isn’t it?
We decided to hit up Room 38 and since it was Happy Hour, it was the place to go.
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Jul 05, 2009 8:00 - By: Sonia Mansfield
Delicious red wine at Yield Wine Bar in San Francisco.
I am a bit of a wine-o.
Now, I’m not saying I’m some sort of wine expert. In fact, my wine knowledge is limited at best. I usually stalk the aisles of Trader Joe’s and Beverages & More and buy my wine based on price. That said, I drink a lot of wine, and I know what I like. I really liked the wine at Yield Wine Bar in San Francisco’s historic Dogpatch neighborhood.
My boyfriend David and I recently moved into the Dogpatch neighborhood, so you can imagine my wine-soaked delight at discovering a wine bar just down the street from our new place. We decided to check out the happy hour, which is Tuesday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
When we walked in, I instantly felt comfortable. I find most wine bars to be, well, pretentious and kinda stiff, which can be off-putting. Yield has an inviting vibe that put me at ease. It is a small space, but it feels cozy, almost like we are in someone’s living room. It could be the dive bar of wine bars, except it’s not dark and dank. It’s open and sunny. We were told to take a seat where we wanted. The staff was very friendly, attentive and clearly knowledgeable.
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