Where do you want to go?

Vegan Restaurant to Open In Palo Alto, CA

2008-10-03T00:46:48Z

Saturday Oct. 4th Loving Hut is opening in Palo Alto. While I'm not certain if it's entirely vegan there are plenty of vegan options on the menu at their Milpitas location.

http://lovinghut.us/

Vegan Meal in Menlo Park, CA

2008-09-23T04:02:01Z

I was surprised to see Flea Street Cafe in Menlo Park show up as a 'best vegetarian restaurant' in a local weekly newspaper. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Flea Street is a three way lamb dish I once ate there, It was amazing. So, now that I am on the no animal products diet, Flea Street wasn't my first though for a vegan friendly meal but sure enough they do it. Keep in mind just one Vegan dish on the menu is enough to make me happy.

Jessy Cool the owner (and author of Simply Organic) puts a lot of thought and care into the menu serving local seasonal foods often from her own garden. The restaurant is unfortunately not perfect and for the price it should be closer to perfect. The wine list is solid but be prepared to put 70$ into a bottle. We've taken to bringing one from home and paying the 20$ corkage. I'd sum this place up by saying they need to invest more in service and ambiance. The food is good but the entire package for the price is a just a bit off. But then again, Vegan's don't have too many non-Asian themed restaurant choices on the Peninsula (which probably explains why they received the award).

The perfect weekend in Sonoma

2008-08-29T17:32:38Z

A friend of mine is visiting the bay area for a few months and asked for a few Sonoma recommendations. Here goes...

EAT
http://www.farmhouseinn.com/ - order Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit
http://www.cyrusrestaurant.com/ - Think French Laundry without the snobbery. Our favorite restaurant outside of Paris.
http://www.hotelhealdsburg.com/ - Dry Creek Kitchen is their restaurant - very good, Sonoma wines no corkage.
http://www.willisseafood.net/ - for lunch/snack, order the garlic flat bread
http://www.jwine.com/ - make reservation for Bubble Lounge and have a light meal while sipping wines

STAY
http://www.farmhouseinn.com/ -remember breakfast is included and fantastic
http://www.drycreekinn.com/ - cheaper, last minute decent cancellation policy- ask for Tuscan wing or don't stay hear!
http://www.hotelhealdsburg.com/ expensive/stylish on the square and walk to/from dinner

DRINK
http://www.amphorawines.com/home.html - insist on barrel tasting with Rick the winemaker
http://www.siduri.com/ - not much to look at but fantastic wine - call first (in Santa Rosa industrial park)
http://www.jwine.com/ - make reservation for Bubble Lounge and have a light meal while sipping wines
http://www.thumbprintcellars.com/lounge/ - just off the square in Healdsburg, indie/organic/funky

Have fun!

Grub on the go! iPhone App

2008-08-04T20:07:29Z

For you iPhone users out there check out this handy restaurant finder (actually it's a yelp business finder) GrubOnTheGo. It's creator is Brent Otterlei a designer I've had the pleasure of meeting about a year ago. This app is really simple to use and serves a focused purpose i.e. finding a good restaurant from your iPhone (mapping and click to call features included). It's nearlly perfect. Only if it would filter the reviews from 'people like me'... but that's yelp's issue not Brent's.

TravelersJoy.com for Honeymooners

2008-07-24T22:56:44Z

My wife's colleague is going to be married this fall as so many couples in San Francisco are... He shared his registry with us and instead of Crate&Barrel he sent us this link. It was the first time I had heard of Travelers Joy Honeymoon Registry. This is one of those ideas that is so obvious that I'm kicking myself for not having thought of it.

Vino Locale Wine Bar, Palo Alto, CA - 2 years later

2008-07-21T19:54:49Z

This past Thursday my wife and I re-visited Vino Locale in Palo Alto for wine and a casual dinner. The experience was much better than our first visit two years ago. The wine was warm which is really unforgivable for a wine bar but the food, service, and prices have us discussing a return visit. On Thursday nights a 'blind flight' of offered and is free to those who identify the varietals in the flight. Since the wines are all locally produced this shouldn't be too hard to figure out...

Hotel Domains for Sale

2008-07-04T00:27:55Z

Below is a sample of the domains in my portfolio that are for sale:

acceptablehotels.com
accomadatinghotels.com
accommodatinghotels.com
accuratehotels.com
airyhotels.com
appealinghotels.com
biggerhotels.com
cheerfulhotels.com
cheesyhotels.com
convienenthotels.com
cordialhotels.com
courteoushotels.com
crowdedhotels.com
disappointedhotels.com
efficienthotels.com
enormoushotels.com
excessivehotels.com
experiencedhotels.com
familiarhotels.com
gracioushotels.com
helpfulhotels.com
helpfullhotels.com
impeccablehotels.com
invitinghotels.com
massivehotels.com
narrowhotels.com
ordinaryhotels.com
outrageoushotels.com
pamperedhotels.com
pickyhotels.com
plainhotels.com
plentifulhotels.com
politehotels.com
pricyhotels.com
quieterhotels.com
refreshinghotels.com
regularhotels.com
remodeledhotels.com
restfulhotels.com
roomyhotels.com
saltymango.com
seedyhotels.com
sensitivehotels.com
significanthotels.com
smoothhotels.com
spacioushotels.com
sparklinghotels.com
spotlesshotels.com
suitablehotels.com
tackyhotels.com
tallhotels.com
tolerablehotels.com
touristyhotels.com
unexpectedhotels.com
updatedhotels.com
varioushotels.com
walkablehotels.com
warmhotels.com
well-appointedhotels.com
well-maintainedhotels.com

If you are interested acquiring any or all of these domains click on the URL and use the "This site is For Sale" link at the bottom of each site.

Recently I've started to use WhyPark.com to monetize my domains as Sedo feels really stale. Thus far WhyPark has impressed me with the simple administration of up to 100 sites at a time and the near complete control it allows regarding monetization.

Adventure Travel books

2008-06-26T22:14:11Z

So today I was looking for an other adverture/travel book to read as I'm burning through Do Travel Writers Go To Hell? This sophmoric, often times hilarous, book is part travel guide part memoir of a rookie Lonely Planet travel writer. Any guys who considered giving corporate america the middle finger and trading a 'career' for backbacking around the world will enjoy this book. A great summer read.

I came across Into Thin Air on my book shelf with 8 years of dust on it. After watching a PBS documentary on Mt. Everest a week or two ago (that I couldn't turn off) I considered reading this book. The show (and book) focused on the climb and the near fatal injuries of Beck Weathers. The disasterous climb back in 1996 I first learned about from Beck himself. I had attended a 'field kick-off meeting' where Beck was the motivational speaker. It was truely amazing. I recall being near tears hearing his survival story and how he fought on after his teammates left him for dead.

Something seems wrong about reading Into Thin Air after Travel Writers...

Does anybody have any recommendations for a travel related novel that will bridge the gap between these two books?

My Favorite Restaurant in Palo Alto, CA

2008-06-21T23:32:42Z

Bistro Elan has stood the test of time. We used to frequent the bistro weekly about 8 years ago now we get there once every couple of months (2 kids now). There is always something interesting on the menu that even my less carnivorous wife finds appealing. A new (ok it's been a couple of years) pastry chef has brought in more elaborate items to the desert menu. The wine list is diverse and reasonable. You can not go wrong by letting Patrick select a wine to match your meal.

Check out what others across the Internet are saying about Bistro Elan here or enter your favorite restaurant here to view its report card.

Burgers in London, England

2008-06-21T23:28:16Z

How much are you willing to pay for a burger? Check out this Wagyu burger from Burger King. For the low cost of 95 quid!

My money would be on one of these cheap burgers in London as the better value.

Top 10 restaurants in LA for salad and cupcakes

2008-06-21T15:25:24Z

A few years back my sister-in-law told me that a lunch restaurant specializing in salads and cupcakes would 'make a mint'. Normally such comments don't get filed for recall but Sarah has had an amazing track record in marketing to women. She used to live in LA and has successfully launched products for (at the time unknown) brands like Hard Candy, Urban Decay, Smashbox and others. When she makes a comment about what's hot or going to be, I listen.

Fast forward two years and Palo Alto, CA has several standalone cupcakeries e.g. Sibby's and Sprinkles which has taken retail space at the upscale Stanford Mall. Hearing my wife and her friends go on about how excited they are to be able to stop in for a 'mini-indulgence' had me wondering, 'How many restaurants are there that have cupcakes and salads and which has the best of each?' A few searches on Google, a search in Yelp and I gave up. It would take me hours to figure out which restaurant has the best cupcakes and salad.

The team at Circos has been expanding the content in our search index and voila - I can now find the best restaurants for cupcakes and salad ranked by the performance of the cupcakes and salad! I've added a widget to this blog's template so you can see LA's top cupcake (and salad) restaurants.

The search combinations supported by Circos are expanding and the quality of the results continues to increase as we index more content. Check it out for yourself and pickup a content widget for your site while you're there.

Restaurants in Healdsburg, CA

2008-06-19T05:33:14Z

Dry Creek Kitchen & Cyrus

Once or twice a year my wife and I spend a few nights in Healdsburg, CA in the heart of Sonoma wine country. Ask any locals where to dine and they invariably will say Cyrus and Dry Creek Kitchen. We tried the both.

A lot has been said about Cyrus and it is truly a remarkable restaurant. Nearly perfect in every sense of the word even the bill was a pleasant surprise considering the Champagne, 7 course meal, and wine pairings. I had expected the meal to cost much more after reviewing the Champaign and Cavier menu and deciding to pass on the 178$ per oz treat. After the initial sticker shock I glanced away from any numbers following a dollar sign on the main menu and tried to order as if I didn't care...

Our other stop was Dry Creek Kitchen. The wine list was outstanding and the food even better. For those who believe they have a bottle of Sonoma wine not on the restaurant's wine list there is no corkage. The prices were nearly half of what Cyrus charges but then again we only had three course at the Kitchen. So what made it 'almost great'? The service.

There were at least four people attending to our table, The main server, the Sommelier, and two assistant servers (I don't know what there are called but they were more than bus boys). Our main server was really quite good. He was personable, knowledgeable, and attentive. The assistant servers were noticeably scared. While they were young and that is to be expected in a town like Healdsburg these guys were visibly nervous. It was uncomfortable to watch them and their shy nervous smiles as they inquired about our desire for more water or asked to remove our plates.

My wife was not feeling well shortly after her main course arrived and barely eat any of the entre. Not a word was asked when the dish was removed looking like it had when it arrived at our table.

The most disturbing thing was the wine. We ordered a 1997 Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet. It was delicious but it was decanted and left across the room. That would have been fine had they refilled our glasses or inquired about doing so. Our (my) desert conversation revolved around "when was the last time we had this much wine left when desert was finished?" Granted my wife wasn't feeling well during the main course but she was rallying a bit toward desert.

If you have the privilege to find a 97 Jordan it is well worth it. Having visited the winery that day and seeing that the library selections of 97 were entirely sold out I could not resist. If you have such luck don't pass it up.

Italian Food in Belmont, CA

2008-06-19T05:10:45Z

Divino is a hidden gem. For what ever reason (ok, it's the location) this Italian restaurant in Belmont, CA is under appreciated. During the past year or so we have seen the wine list completely turn over (the only complaint from our first few visits). There are some great Super Tuscans on the menu. I usually order the daily entre special and have never been disappointed. The handmade pastas are unique and delicious. Divino is a regular stop for us. That said, the last time we were in they were clearly understaffed. Our first mediocre excerience in a dozen visits. We share or skip desert here. The panna cotta is well done but not all that memorable.

Restaurants in Palo Alto, CA

2008-06-19T04:51:02Z

Here's a list of restaurants that have solid wine lists and interesting ambiance in Palo Alto, CA. I've been to all of the page 1 restaurants except the Sundance Steakhouse. It's on my to do list now.

My personal summer time favorite is Caffe Riace. They have the best outdoor dinning in Palo Alto but call ahead for reservations.

UPDATE - Last night my daughter asked to eat at Caffe Riace for her birthday dinner. I couldn't have been happier to hear her suggest it. This place never disappoints. That said, I learned yesterday that the manger (forgetting his name but he never forgets mine) is leaving to open a restaurant in North Carolina or Houston after 11 years at Riace. He said he'd be leaving in 2 to 3 months. It will be interesting to see how his departure impact the food and service.

Where do you want to go?

2008-06-18T06:07:02Z

What's this all about?

This site started out as a simple tool to help me zero in on pages from Circos.com that are in Google's index. It's not a simple question when you consider the number of entries in Circos' sitemap is north of a million and only a few hundred thousand are in the index. So, Google Custom Search became a handy way to save some keystrokes. Typing entries like this one into the Google search box gets old pretty quickly: "site: www.circos.com/search/hotels +clean"

All you have to do is enter a city name and you'll get a list of the best places to go to experience the city. If you're not certain where to go enter what you want to do. OR Enter both.

If you have any questions or would like to contact me feel free to email me.

kevin at renditionx dot com

If you are looking for my personal blog it's here http://renditionx.com/blog-mt and if you are interested in my blog about SAP and Analytics it's here http://renditionx.com/mastering/