Epinions Recent Reviews for dasteinberg

Johnny Diaz - Boston Boys Club: Fun story, light read

Sat, 6 Oct 2007 05:00:40 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - This is a fun book. If you've lived in Boston, hung out at Club Cafe or just know what it's like to be a gay man in "the Hub," you'll enjoy Johnny Diaz's tale. Think of it as fluff, beach reading, etc. As someone who used to live in Boston, I liked...

Sterling Vineyards: Accommodating staff, great view

Fri, 28 Sep 2001 15:51:35 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - For a long time, Sterling Vineyards has probably been known more for its skytram and hillside visitors center than its wines.

The views from the top are amazing -- you feel as if you can see the entire Napa Valley. Unfortunately, the visitors'...

Bob's Volvo Land: Best place for Volvo, Toyota repair in the East Bay

Tue, 25 Sep 2001 17:12:47 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - Bob's Volvo in Berkeley is a great place for the Volvo or Toyota owner. The owner (Bob) is a really nice guy who gives you your money's worth -- and then some.

Bob is an honest auto mechanic ... someone you can really trust. He doesn't do...

Byron: Mondavi affiliate offers lovely Pinots

Mon, 9 Jul 2001 20:19:55 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - One of the Mondavi family of wineries (they were purchased about 1990), this Santa Barbara County vintner makes some lovely Pinot Noirs (and I'm told good Chardonnay, though I don't like the grape much).

Unlike most other Santa Barbara...

Cyberrebate.com: Bankrupt CyberRebate.com is victim of "new economy" reality

Wed, 30 May 2001 18:47:53 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - It was bound to happen. Hopefully, if you used this service, you didn't get burned too badly.

I used this service on and off for about a year. Partially through dumb luck but also a bit of healthy skepticism, I am owed a grand total of $120...

Prequels can be disappointing

Mon, 23 Apr 2001 05:26:18 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - I love Asimov. After he died, I went back and read all of the Foundation and Robot books in the "proper order" as he saw them unfolding. That's the way to read the series.

Unfortunately, most of us read Foundation, then Foundation and Empire,...

Worth the Extra Cost -- and now in big-dog sizes!

Tue, 25 Jul 2000 15:41:53 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - Heartworm and flea "seasons" are year-round in Northern California, so an all-in-one product is a GREAT breakthrough for pet owners here. I have two dogs and one cat (used to have another dog, too), and keeping track of which animal got which medication...

Santa Barbara: On a Mission?

Sun, 23 Jul 2000 18:37:39 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - On a trip to Southern and Central California in July (2000), I visited two of the California Missions -- Santa Barbara and La Purisma (in Lompoc).

If you're interested in exploring the old California missions, Mission Santa Barbara (Queen of...

Useless to Experts, Frustrating for Beginners

Thu, 29 Jun 2000 04:32:16 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - In my experience, there seems to be two basic types of home cook: Type A cooks, who follow recipes to the letter, and Type Zen cooks, who just feel their way along with whatever impulse floats their boat.

Type A cooks see the other type as...

Pacific Bell Pacbell ADSL: Living Through PacBell DSL Hell

Wed, 7 Jun 2000 03:50:46 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - I should have known what I was getting myself into. I'd read the horror stories. But, no, I wanted a fast connection and DSL seemed to be the solution.

Well, it's been three weeks since I first got my DSL hooked up. It's worked a total of...

It's Grilling Season!

Sat, 27 May 2000 04:26:51 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - I'm sure I'm not the only person to have experienced Pittsburgh-style grilled chicken -- charred on the outside, raw on the inside. Or how about chowing down on a batch of barbecued chicken "chips" that could easily be mistaken for the tiles...

Comfort Food Misses the Mark

Thu, 17 Feb 2000 04:27:24 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - Most people would agree that the lowly pot pie is a quintessential part of the American culinary landscape. Long before Julia Child taught Middle America how to stop worrying and learn to love French cuisine, there were pot pies.

Though often...

Great Recipes for Comfort Food

Tue, 1 Feb 2000 20:02:23 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - For many, stews are the ultimate comfort food. One good thing about living in Boston in winter was coming in from the miserable sleet and freezing rain into a kitchen redolent with the smells of a long-simmering stew. Curling up with a steaming bowl and...

Great Chef, Decent Cookbook

Tue, 1 Feb 2000 19:57:16 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - I have a confession to make: I am a Todd English junkie. For those who don't have a Boston connection, English is one of Boston's first superstar chefs. He has won awards from the James Beard Foundation, hosts a TV cooking show and runs several highly...

V. Sattui Winery: Great Deli, Mediocre Wine

Sun, 30 Jan 2000 16:00:17 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - V. Sattui is usually a must-stop for any day trip to Napa. Not because of the wines -- because they're only so-so -- but because of the extensive deli and pleasant setting.

On any Saturday during nice weather, this place is packed. The parking...

The Hess Collection: Off the Beaten Path

Sun, 30 Jan 2000 15:44:39 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - Hess Collection is a fun, out-of-the-way stop during a trip to the Napa Wine Country. The owner has married his two passions -- wine and art -- and it's definitely worth a visit.

The staff is very hands-off -- they'll hand you a brochure and...

Cookbook Savors Family's Heritage

Fri, 28 Jan 2000 05:14:37 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - For many of us who are not connected to Chinese American culture, our experience with its cuisine is often limited to an experience in a Chinese restaurant or the occasional stir-fry we try after watching "Yan Can Cook" on PBS.

And...

Try the Garlic Ice Cream -- Really

Fri, 28 Jan 2000 05:06:48 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - Garlic is the classic love-hate food: Those who like it tend to love it with an irrationality that transcends mere enjoyment; those who do not, well, vampires have nothing on them.

I definitely fall in the former category. Perhaps growing up...

Fried Chicken and Nothing Else

Fri, 28 Jan 2000 04:59:32 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - When I told a co-worker there's an entire cookbook dedicated to fried

chicken, she said she thought there were only two types of fried chicken: good and bad.

On some level, she's right; but if you think about it, the spectrum of fried...

Crossroads Cooking: Matzo Ball Gumbo Anyone?

Fri, 28 Jan 2000 04:53:24 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - One of the hottest catchphrases (some would say cliches) in food circles these days is "fusion cuisine." (ergo German blutwurst served sushi-style.) So I had an undeniable prejudice toward "Crossroads Cooking: The Meeting and Mating of...

A Blast of Barbecue

Fri, 28 Jan 2000 04:46:20 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - The very idea -- a Bostonian (who fled to Florida and the Caribbean) teaching us how to grill -- borders on heresy, but Steven Raichlen could teach even a Texan how to throw a barbecue with his book "The Barbecue! Bible."

The 500...

Fun Place, Simple Food

Thu, 27 Jan 2000 20:21:41 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - This is the type of place to go if you want a good, hearty breakfast or lunch on a weekend. Waffles, cheese biscuits, amazing bread pudding desert, etc.

The food is very hearty, the prices are extremely reasonable and the atmosphere is fun...

Snooty French Cookbook

Thu, 27 Jan 2000 14:39:16 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - French cuisine has always had its unrepentant boosters, and none more so than the editors at Saveur magazine. The handsome food periodical covers the whole spectrum of the world's cuisines.

Even so, the editors are, in their own words, not...

Wealth of Garden Recipes

Thu, 27 Jan 2000 14:29:31 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - Maybe it's my proletariat upbringing, or more likely my visceral revulsion to the idea of a company charging $600 for a piece of lawn furniture, but I really wanted to hate Smith and Hawken's "The Gardeners' Community Cookbook," compiled and...

Masters of French Cuisine Share Secrets

Thu, 20 Jan 2000 05:41:35 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author dasteinberg - I would have to say that of all the personalities in cooking circles, Julia Child is far and away my favorite.

Always a fan, I fell in love with "la Julia" while living in Boston, when I took one of her classes. Her undeniable charm...