Mike "bloggity" M.'s Profile

Robin, Robin, Robin.  What is there to say about Robin?  She was our server on the night that we walked through Propsect's big ol' doors.  We were an alternating group of ten or so, who may have been a little too loud and a little too flirty with practically the entire wait-staff.  Robin was having none of it.  I thought at first I thought she was being rude. Surely it couldn't have been us?  Did she not enjoy our witty banter, our probable annoying questions and our prodding of who on the incredibly good-looking Prospect staff was single and who wasn't? Impossible.

But then I mistakenly order the wrong wine with my salmon, Robin looked at me sternly and said, "No. You'll have the pinot because your ordered the salmon, right?"  That's when I knew she was not being short, she was being awesome.  She's one of those professional servers that doesn't bullshit around.  No lingering, no over-chatting but not rude.  She knows what she is doing and is seemingly training customers on how to behave one table at a time. She is a restaurant etiquette vigilante.

Topped with the most delicious salmon I have ever tasted in my life, I won't soon forget mine and Robin's time together.  I'm sure she's moved on to bigger and better tables and we are just a distant, well-tipping memory.  But thanks to her, I will never forget that pinot goes with salmon.  

Now...where to find pinot in a box?

I may have peaked.  The Black Horse may be one of the coolest bars I and only ten other people have squeezed themselves into.

To call this place a hole in the wall would make people think that a hole is bigger than it really, really is. The fact that it is only 250sq feet big is in total adds to the charm of this bar that insists on no cellphones, cash-only and stools reserved for the ladies only.

People who aren't fans of bumping up against strangers should probably stay away.   You'll end up talking to people, while having your personal space zone invaded like no other time in your life.  The prices are great, the bartenders are fantastic and you'll have a wonderous time. Just make sure you brush your teeth.

This hotel came highly recommended to me. By highly recommended I mean my company paid for me to stay here.  But they've praised this place to much, that I knew I was in for a treat, but not for the reasons you might think.

First things first, the rooms are small.  But you are in San Francisco, what are you doing in your room?  Wait...maybe don't answer that.  Either way, the rooms are small but that's not the end of the world.  Be sure to explore the tiny room, if you don't, you might miss the leopard print bathrobe that the hotel provides for your stay.

The only random part of the stay was that I discovered my room had given an iron with a European outlet on it.  Obviously a tourist had done a switcheroo, but there is nothing more annoying than when I can't iron my t-shirts. That and the hotel dog ended up on my lap while hanging in the lobby but only after he peed on the floor.

What we really need to talk about is the free stuff.  The internet is free if you sign up for their loyalty program. There is free wine and sangria in the lobby between 5pm and 7pm. Later on at night, look for the cookies and milk.  First thing in the morning you can find lots of hot coffee and tea in the lobby until 10am.

Given the location of the hotel, you may pay a little extra for the tiny room, but given the free stuff, it is definitely worth it.

I'm not too sure about the politics behind it but apparently tonight is the last night of Jelly's.  This place is an institution in San Francisco and I can't believe it is closing!  We had such a blast salsa dancing on the pier

They also had the best tasting mojitos I've ever had in the good ol' US of A.  Perfect amount of mint and rum.  They were so good that they are probably effecting the quality of this review but isn't that what mojitos are all about!?

I'm sad that this place is closing, mostly because everyone here seemed to be having a really great time!  The location was really ideal and the staff was a complete blast.  I think I even saw a few of them on the dancefloor!  Shhh...don't tell the boss...oh wait.

What is there to say about my first experience at The Belfry?

I could talk about going there after seeing a movie at the Globe.  I could talk about the trendy and hip atmosphere or the great service. I could mention that the salads are really boring and below even fast-food standards.

But...what I really want to mention is this:

If you ask really, really nicely, they'll serve you wine in a goblet!  A goblet!  And not just any regular old goblet, an Indiana Jones sized one that only Sean Connery could love.

Whether you frequent downtown after dark or not, this should make the Belfry a must experience. I'm not joking, did you see what I said?  A goblet. I felt like I was royalty or Harry Potter.  Or one of those really old celebrities that thinks they are way too important to drink out of regular wine glasses.

Either way, a Goblet.

i honestly and truly believe that Gypsy is Calgary's best kept secret.  And can we all promise to keep it that way?

Tucked across the street from the Paliser, you might miss the restaurant on first passing, but make sure you look for the red sign, you'll be happy that you did!  

They make a fantastic cocktail, mouth-watering pizza and the service is second to none.  On this particular experience we got served by the bistro's owner Dwaine who was really nice, super helpful and like I already said, makes a MEAN cocktail

I have to say this may be Downtown Calgary's best spot for a romantic date.  The atmosphere is perfect, the decor is subtle and chique and big windows and the history of the place is evident in every corner of the restaurant.

Anytime I've ever come to Gypsy it has always been for some sort of reception, I can't wait to come back for a dinner.

Well I just got towed by them so I figured while I'm waiting for a them to fix my car, why not write a review about my experience with AAA Towing.

They were sent to me by Honda Roadside service.  My car wouldn't start but luckily it was nice out today, so I didn't mind waiting in the sun. The truck came rather quickly and the man was really nice.  Since I'm no mechanic, I really like when they talk to me like I know what goes on underneath the hood of my car.  It means I look like someone that might know anything about automobiles and that makes me feel good.

He boosted my car right away and was about to drive away when the car stopped running. We decided to tow it and I'm happy to report he was very gentle with the car.  While I'm sad that ol' Sally is off to get fixed, I like know that she is in good hands!

Codo will always hold a special place in my heart. Mostly because it was my first experience with Vietnamese ever.  Codo's food is so good that I've compared every single restaurant to it ever since.  I don't know if that is a good thing or not because I've become so accustomed to perfectly flavoured rice vermicelli, pork and spring rolls.  My mouth is watering as I type. Sorry keyboard, it is just too good.

My tip for Codo's would be definitely don't be disappointed if you don't get a table.  It always busy, so you if you are able to snag a seat, you might as well buy a lotto ticket, you are that lucky.

Their take-out is just as good as eating in and it will give you a chance to sit on a curb behind 17th ave and have a great dinner.....sorry, I'm reminiscing.

If you haven't experienced vietnamese yet then you should definitely start and end at Codo's.  You'll be happy you did.

I couldn't agree more with Arinn's review calling The Unicorn "a solid standby."  

You can never really go wrong with the underground pub but it will never blow your socks off.  I will say for a pub with no windows or any form of daylight, you never really feel like you are sitting in a basement.  The dark wood, bright tvs and usually nice staff trick your mind into thinking that maybe you are actually somewhere else.   I don't know how they do it, but it seems to work.

I used to visit this place a lot more when I worked downtown.  It is a great place for friends to meet because everyone knows where it is and again, they know what they are getting.

Now that I don't frequent DT as much, when I do end up on Stephen Ave, I tend to forget about the Unicorn. Maybe it's because I tend to enjoy staying above ground.

Seems like a random place to end up with your camera, right?  Well my Canon G10 had a spec of dust on it an the Camera Store offered to send it back to Canon but they said it would take six to eight weeks.

I can't live without my camera for that long.  I just simply won't do it.

They recommended that I check out Phototech because he specialized in Canons. I'm so glad I did because I ended up having one of the best customer services experiences ever.  I HATE that I forget his name but the man that helped me, also owns the shop, so you'll definitely be working with them. He was polite, helpful and made sure I understood what he was talking about.

In the end, he recommended that I go back to the Camera Store.  He said they would be faster and cheaper.  I couldn't believe that he didn't try to swindle me, instead he wanted to help me out.  He is one of those people that karma will bless with winning a lottery ticket two weeks in a row.

My camera was still under warranty, so it was easier to go back to the store where I bought it.  But if you have a camera that needs repair and you just feel like buying a new one, make sure you go to Phototech first!