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(I posted this to Yelp on 2-20-06)

Auto City Car Wash
505 S Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-6643

I got the $22 “Works” package. I wasn’t totally happy with it. They missed a few little spots… corners of the mirrors, the bugs on the grill and hood, some spots around the rear bumper.

There was a bit of a line. But hey, they cleaned my car, inside and out.

If you buy 10 washes up front ($220), you get what amounts to about a 15% discount.

(I posted this review to Yelp on 3-20-06)

Rainbow Grocery
1745 Folsom St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 863-0621

Their cheese shop is quite formidable. I think I counted 4 wild-picked mushroom varieties and at least another 5 varieties present! Their spices and bulk food sections are exceptional. It is crunchy-granola heaven. And, they have a huge variety of exciting specialty foods.

But most important of all, they have a tap stuck out of a 55 gallon drum of Vermont Grade B Maple Syrup! And while my friend Charlotte gave me a tremendous gift by finding and bringing Trader Joes Maple Syrup all the way from Boston, this…. THIS is the stuff! The Coomb’s syrup is darker, thicker and has a richer smell. And the taste… now I’ll say that Trader Joe’s makes a fine syrup. It really is. In fact, it’s probably what more people would prefer. But this is maple syrup that tastes like driving past a sugar house in early spring with the billowing steam that you’d say looks dangerous until you roll your window down and then the smell encompasses you like a jet plane diving into a cloudbank. It’s like living in another, infinitely more delicate world for a million years in a second. It brings to mind the colors of the ground during mud season when the melting snow, recently uncovered grass and previously frozen dirt turn into a slippery, boot-sucking menace with deep scars where vehicles foolishly tried to cross from the driveway to the relative safety of black-top.

Good maple syrup makes me so happy. Thank you Charlotte. Thank you Rainbow Grocery. Thank you Coomb’s Family of Brattleboro Vermont!

(I posted this on Yelp on 5-2-06)

Cafe De La Presse
352 Grant Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 398-2680

I went with friends late in the evening after a meal for desert.

The place is dignified and very well kept, catering to the business set during the day. But late at night, it has a more cozy feel. The staff was pleasant and accommodating, each of the 4 deserts we ordered were beautifully prepared and delicious.

They have newspapers and magazines from 20 countries.

(I posted this to Yelp on 6-6-06)

Universal Cafe
2814 19th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 821-4608

Knock-your-socks off original, fresh, perfectly perfectly prepared American high cuisine. Lots of organic, free range and “sustainable” fare… no compromises made for flavor and appearance.

Trendy atmosphere, very attentive staff. And the head chef / owner demands that everything be perfect for her patrons.

I took my girlfriend. I took my parents. I took my 5 year old niece. We all loved it.

Reservations recommended Thurs-Sat because the place is hopping! Quiet dining on Sunday eve.

(I posted this to Yelp on 6-8-06)

Franciscan Crab Restaurant
Pier 43 1/2
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 362-7733

Dungeness crab was very good, though very expensive.

We had to ask about our appetizer twice before it arrived. My chowder arrived without a spoon (there are no spoons on the tables, it should have been pretty obvious I needed one). The crab arrived without a plate for my mom to eat it on. My dad’s regular fork was replaced by the waiter with a small fork even though he wasn’t eating crab. The waiter’s name was “Joseph” on Monday June 5th, 2006.

The place was cold and breezy. The view of Alcatraz at sunset was excellent. We asked the busboy to turn on the gas fireplace. 5 minutes later the waiter turned it off. We had to ask him to turn it back on twice.

the clam chowder was “ok”, though it wasn’t hot enough. We had to ask to get bread on the table. It was warm (not hot) on the inside and cold on the outside. The butter was hard and cold.

My crabcake was “ok”. For $15, it should have been terrific.

The seafood risotto was “pretty good”. For $30….

The waiter pushed aside my mom when she asked how we were supposed to eat the crab that he plopped on a raised centerpiece. He pushed her aside and pulled the shell off

Service 0 stars
Food 2 stars
decor 3 stars
Price $$$$
Not recommended

(I posted this to Yelp on 11-17-06)

Cheap Pete’s Frame Factory Outlet
4249 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 221-4720
Picture Frame Store

I found the nonstandard-ish 10″x10″ frames I was looking for for $13. Cheaper than anywhere else. Of course they have a full frame shop in the store where I could have bought a fancy frame for $150. And they also have pre-made fancy frames for about $20 apiece (plus glass, etc..) which is a very good price. Solidly recommended. :-)

(I posted this to Yelp on 1-27-07)

Big Nate’s Bar-B-Que
1665 Folsom St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 861-4242
BBQ

I received 3 ribs on my plate. 2 of them were fatty and yucky. 1 of them was -excellent-. My girlfriend’s barbecue chicken was very good.

The atmosphere of the place is -very- low key.

(I posted this to Yelp on 2-22-07)

Zachary’s Chicago Pizza
5801 College Ave
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 655-6385

This was recommended to me as “THE BEST PIZZA ANYWHERE!!”. Eh, it’s “pretty good”.

We ordered a Small Zachary’s Special. The chunky tomato sauce was nice if a little bland. The pie needed a smoother mouth feel – more fat of some sort would have worked.

Pizzaria Uno and others have a better Chicago Style pie.

(I posted this to Yelp on 2-22-07)

Johnson’s Barbeque
2646 San Bruno Ave
San Francisco, CA 94134
(415) 467-7655
BBQ

This is the real deal. Dinner was terrific. I’ll be back.
The neighborhood closes up a little early and the decor is -very- low key, but it’s clean and the food is what it’s ALL about. It was just a side benefit that we had (lip smacking) leftovers for 2 more meals, making the place a value too.

(I posted this to Yelp 2-28-07)

The Box Shop
951 Hudson Ave
San Francisco, CA 94124
(415) 642-7467

The Box Shop is an industrial arts space. It is the home of several art groups including the Flaming Lotus Girls (check em out http://flaminglotus.com). Containers are rented out to all manner of artists. In this shop has been built many crazy and beautiful projects.

PS. They never answer their phone.

PPS. The Yelp map is off by several blocks. Click on the “View Larger Map/Directions” icon under the map icon. The Google Map is correct.