Courtney P.'s Profile

When I moved from Hayes Valley to Jack London Square, I weeped for the loss of Blue Bottle right down the block from me. But lo and behold, Peerless arose on my horizon as I explored my new neighborhood!

I buy whole beans by the pound here. So far I have only tried the French Dark Italian and Berkeley Blend. Both are solid choices. I tote 'em home, grind 'em in my burr grinder and brew in my french press. Good stuff.

They also sell green beans for you home roasters out there, BTW.

All the employees I've encountered here have provided excellent service and a great knowledge of their coffees.

Tip: join their mailing list to get $1 off your bill every time!

Good lord, this bowl of Pho is bigger than my head!

Needless to say, I didn't finish it, but every bite I had was deelish. I still can't really handle tripe, so I had the #11 without it. The noodles were nicely chewy, the broth salty, just how I like it. My bro had a #19 and made short order of it. My mum had the clay pot chicken, which she only had raves about.

Service was super quick and friendly. They kinda slacked on refilling our water glasses, though.

I want to go back and try more menu items, but it'll be difficult for me to not order the Pho!

I totally forgot that there was a Hahn's here in Oaktown. I had been craving me some of their Bibimbap since I had moved away from the Noe Valley area.

The food here is decent, it satisfies the craving for Korean food, but it isn't top notch. Every time I've been to this location, the meat has been borderline dry, and the kimchee isn't as strong/fermented as I would prefer. But it does the job.

I also like the big windows that allow you to peoplewatch while you eat, and gaze at the passing trains.

King Wah is another place I've been frequenting in Oakland Chinatown since I was a wee one.

What keeps me coming back? The Diced Chicken Yee Wonton Soup. I can't tell you too much about the rest of the food, although it is decent Chinese food for a cheap price. They're also super quick on the draw, so if you're super hungry, you can be eating in less than 10 minutes.

The tomato beef chow mein is quite good, but didn't really hold up well to reheating.

But the Diced Chicken soup? We craves it. Often.

It's nice to have a new burger option in the Richmond, cos there seems to be a lack of good ones in the 'hood! I'd say Belly Burger is my current neighboorhood favorite.

We almost always choose the "Natural Beef" option for 75 more, which essentially naturally fed Angus beef without hormones or antibiotics. Worth the upgrade, if you ask me!

I have so far never been asked how I want my burger cooked, but they seem to do a good job.

The condiment bar seems very well maintained. The veggies never look tired, they're always fresh.

Although this place is conducive to eating in (or in their kinda sparse patio/garden in the back), they make it easy for you to take your order to go. I've called ahead on occasion and they've had my burgers ready for me when I come in, ready for me to add condiments, and they'll wrap it up real quick-like for me so I can be on my merry way. It also helps that the staff has always been very friendly to us.

Their fries are a great complement to the burger, nice and crispy. Although, I think I personally prefer the fries at Buffalo Burger (up the street near 17th Ave.) that are of a thicker cut.

The concept of Sugar Cafe is a novelty, with its two faces: cafe by day, bar/club by night. Even its transformation is a bit gimmicky... the mirrored sliding door that conceals the backlit wall of liquor during the day and hides the coffee and juice makers at around 5pm.

my BFF and I were looking for a new place to work and snack, so Sugar Cafe was our choice of the day. He enjoyed his pulled pork sandwich with pickled jalapenos. We both had an iced tea, which was pretty standard. The barista/waitress was super friendly, chatted us up frequently and kept refilling our teas.

Specialty cocktails are $11, which are a bit steep, IMHO... especially since most of them sounded a bit foo-foo for my tastes. I'll admit that I was a bit intrigued by the cucumber margarita and the pear martini (it was the rosemary syrup that drew me). I actually didn't try any because of the price, and I had to leave shortly after 5 anyway (the only serve cocktails in the evenings).

Wi-fi was reliable and strong, although my friend claimed the network dropped for a bit for him.

I might be back, just to change things up every once in a while. But for me, it's a bit of a trek. Plus, I hate braving the Union Square crowds.

I love Cafe du Soleil, but have a sad face for how crowded it gets lately.

It has all the makings of my perfect mobile workplace... coffee, pastries, good food (love them open-faced sammiches!), beer on tap and tasty red sangria!

The only (minor) issue for mobile workers such as myself is a lack of power outlets and barely enough real estate on most tables for two people to work (and eat) at. I love the large wooden communal table, good for groups, only if you can find enough seats together!

No one looks down on you for spending hours on end here, but perhaps that is a reason why there are so many people here most times. Your best bet is to come before noon if you plan on camping out here.

It's also very lovely to sit outside on the rare warm day. The wi-fi still works out there, too!

If it's too crowded, I head shortly down the block to a lesser known cafe... but we'll leave that for another review.

I heeded my friend and neighbor Halsted's advice (see her review below) and went to visit Emily for a cut. After many overpriced stylists (including another in Hayes Valley that I used to go to), I needed a no-nonsense, no-frills, easy-going and affordable place to get my locks shorn. Fringe was it!

Even though I didn't want to take length off of my hair, Emily took a lot off by thinning out my massive bulky hair, and evened out the length. I felt great afterwards and can feel a difference in how my hair feels and lies on my head. It's also set to grow out beautifully, which is my goal.

It was one of SF's warm days, so it was pretty hot in Fringe's upstairs location, which has no A/C. I can see that it causes a bit of discomfort on warmer days, and especially when blow dryers are going full speed! But that's a minor minor problem to endure for a great haircut.

Be advised that some stylists only take cash and/or check, so be sure to double check before you go in.

I'll be back for touching up my highlights!

I like Buffalo Burger for what it is. A decent burger in a convenient location (a coupla blocks from the BF's house). Sure, it's not the best burger in the city, but it certainly satisfies me when the craving strikes. Lotsa options for customizing your burger. It's filling and tastes good.

Their fries, however, are t3h awesome. Consistently good with their fairly thick cuts, crisp on the exterior, moist on the interior. The wings are pretty darned tasty as well... served with the traditional blue cheese and celery. I have yet to try much else on the menu, for my standard order here always includes a burger.

The service is fast and friendly, we always get our orders to go. Go order a coupla burgers, then walk across the street to get some beer at Rite Aid. What a night in this is!

Another place from my childhood that hasn't changed much. Well, except the prices.

Their burgers are as good as I remember them... moist and juicy, made to order, on a toasted bun. What is especially nice is their condiment bar... everything is super fresh and crispy. The pickles snap nicely when you bite into 'em... yum.

The people here are extraordinarily friendly. I also love the kitschy diner decor that's existed there as far as I can remember. So nice to see that they haven't really changed in the ever-changing shopscape of Walnut Creek.