makeover

1. WTF??
2. Michael Kors needs to shut up with the dumb-ass similes.
3. Does Kara have any ideas of her own?

food in soma

I wrote a quickie review email a few days ago of the restaurants in my work area, which is basically SOuth of MArket. (We were trying to figure out where to eat.) I work right near the SBC stadium (or are they AT&T stadium now?) and it is the graveyard of the dot-com industry. Recently, things are picking up, with the construction of luxury condos and new restaurants. I like going to these places for lunch, but you might find them great for dinner as well. One bonus is that parking is super-easy during the night, although during game days parking enforcement tows a coouple of cars per hour. Parking lot prices are fucking ridiculous, and should be avoided if at all possible.

South Beach Cafe serves reasonably priced, fresh Italian food. Some people might find the portions kind of small, but I bet they would find the pizza pretty filling. I love the bruschetta pizza, and order it almost every single time. Oh, and for a while - I don't know if he's still doing this - you could watch Willie Brown getting interviewed on early Friday mornings about the stupid shit going on in California. He stared me down one time and I ignored him. It's kind of fascinating to watch, since on camera he's really lively and animated, but once the cameras are off he's absolutely subdued. He's like that singing frog on Warner Bros.; only if someone's there does he sing. The service is inconsistent; the waitstaff and cook all have charming European accents and call you darling, and sometimes they overcharge or undercharge by 50 cents. I've never bothered to correct them.

Primo Patio Cafe serves Caribbean food, and has a nice, sunny atmosphere. Even on rainy days the place is bright and cheerful. The snaps and fries are good for a full meal, jerk steaks are excellent, and they serve guava juice! The plantains were kind of bland for my taste, but I'm guessing that not a lot of people order them. The prices are very reasonable, the service is very friendly, and the food is yummy. What more could you want?

21st Amendment is a brewery and restaurant serving basic American food - burgers, ribs, pizza, etc. It draws a pretty yuppie crowd, but the food is excellent, so it's always packed. Their beer is decent, according to Mark.

Nova Bar & Restaurant is located right next door to 21st Amendment and serves the same type of food with a quieter atmosphere. They have the best mac and cheese, ever.

The Butler and the Chef is a small French bistro with a full espresso bar. Ever since Mark took me to the French restaurant on our anniversary I've been obsessed with French food. It's just so damn good. Most of the time this place is only open for lunch, although for Valentine's Day it looks like they made up a special prix fixe menu for dinner. Usually when I come here I order a sandwich and onion soup combo. The sandwich is big enough that I eat the other half for lunch the next day. When you pay, they give you a chocolate truffle that is really, the best thing ever. The prices are very reasonable. Also has free wireless.

KingFish has $10 po' boys. On the other hand, the food tastes great, and the portions are humongous. It's kind of dark inside, as it is with most pricey restaurants, which always bugs the shit out of me, because I end up getting sleepy. It's not like I don't have enough trouble staying awake during the work day.

Tres Agaves is a new Mexican restaurant with a tequila bar. I haven't tried it yet, but coworkers have said that while it's good, it's kind of expensive for what you're getting.

Koh Samui & the Monkey is slightly more expensive Thai food. They serve a really rich seafood clay pot, and everything else I've had has been pretty good.

I need to get going. There'll be more later.