Epinions Recent Reviews for tanster

Dell scores a hit with the Inspiron 8500

Fri, 18 Apr 2003 17:59:45 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - I seem fated to buy Dell computers.

Meaning, I never set out to buy my next computer from Dell; it just always turns out that way. For example, my previous laptop computer purchase was the Dell Inspiron 3700; but if you go to my review of it...

ACCO Brands 72117 Mouse: Kensington PocketMouse Pro Wireless: good things do come in small packages

Tue, 15 Apr 2003 02:59:37 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - Standing in the mouse aisle at my local Fry's electronics store, I was in a bit of a daze. I mean, there are a LOT of mouse choices out there. Full-size ones, mini travel-size ones, optical ones, optical AND wireless ones, simple ones with only a...

Are you game enough for Wild Hare?

Wed, 20 Jun 2001 03:36:52 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - Now this isn’t something you often see in health-conscious Silicon Valley: a restaurant devoted to game.

Wild Hare was opened two years ago by ebullient celebrity chef Joey Altman, former head chef at The Palace in Sunnyvale. For you...

A power walker’s guide to the Intel Pocket Concert player

Sun, 6 May 2001 02:29:19 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you know that I love to eat. In the course of the past year, this pastime has landed me in a state of, shall we say, augmented density.

It was time to dust off the ol’ treadmill and go for...

Indian Oven: best Indian restaurant in San Francisco?

Sat, 14 Apr 2001 20:38:46 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - My Beau had never eaten Indian food before, but it was not for lack of cajoling on my part. But every time I suggested it, he would twist his face up and say “no, I know I won’t like it.”

So I was completely dumfounded when I came home one...

You have one night in the city. Do you choose Gary Danko or Fifth Floor?

Fri, 9 Mar 2001 00:47:46 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - Gary Danko opened his namesake restaurant in 1999, and the accolades came fast and furious soon afterward. Michael Bauer, food editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, proclaimed the restaurant as both one of the best new restaurants of 1999 and one of...

Palermo: time off for good behavior

Sat, 17 Feb 2001 21:54:54 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - Beau was mad at me. “Do you know that I’ve gained ten pounds since you started writing those blasted reviews?!” After all that foie gras and chocolate pudding cake, we were both gaining weight, and it wasn’t pretty.

So Beau...

Fleur de Lys: three romantic hours in someone else’s world

Wed, 31 Jan 2001 01:34:26 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - Someone else’s world. That’s exactly how my Beau described our evening at Fleur de Lys. Real life could not possibly be this romantic and sophisticated. But it was fun to dress up and pretend, if only for a little while.

The quick...

Ar Roi: ordinary Thai dining in Union Square

Fri, 5 Jan 2001 04:15:42 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - I am completely direction-impaired. I have to follow the exact same route every time I drive to Union Square in San Francisco; otherwise, I will get completely lost! So when I finally arrive in San Francisco’s premier shopping destination, it’s...

Aqua: noisy & crowded, but still one of the best

Fri, 22 Dec 2000 02:49:03 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - Ever since my Beau was wowed by the meal we had at Aqua in Las Vegas, I knew I had to take him to the original Aqua in San Francisco for his birthday. A brilliant idea, if I do say so myself….

The quick story

• Small...

Shanghai 1930? Ay-yaaaah, save your money on this one

Sat, 9 Dec 2000 04:04:48 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - I’m not sure how Shanghai 1930 made it on the San Francisco Chronicle’s “Top 100 San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants” list. Was it the atmosphere? The service? The food? I’m scratching my head on this one.

The quick story...

Motorola Talkabout T900 2-Way Pager (Black): Motorola Talkabout + WebLink Wireless = pager heaven!

Fri, 1 Dec 2000 00:16:04 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - My Beau and I have entered a new phase in our relationship. After nearly two wonderful years of being together, we decided to take the next logical step.

We got matching two-way pagers.

I have to admit, though, that it took quite...

Need the perfect banquet location? - then skip Zibibbo

Sun, 19 Nov 2000 23:58:56 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - Zibibbo is the perfect example of a restaurant that exists more for its hipness factor than the quality of the food. Lesson learned: don’t judge a restaurant by its hipness!

We recently had our department team dinner of about 20 people at...

Dirt Devil Spot Scrubber: cat barf be gone!

Tue, 14 Nov 2000 03:53:51 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - My two cats have created little CBUs (Cat Barf Units) on my carpet for as long as I can remember. Who knows why they do it — perhaps they have an upset stomach, or they’re protesting the unilateral ban on cat treats, or maybe they’re just having a bad...

The Fabulous Fifth Floor

Sun, 5 Nov 2000 04:40:50 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - We had been looking forward to dining at Fifth Floor with great anticipation — after all, San Francisco Chronicle Food Editor Michael Bauer said “If I had to choose only one restaurant to set the dining world on its ear, it would be this luxurious...

Cafe Kati: the best restaurant you've never heard of

Mon, 23 Oct 2000 03:38:39 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - Or maybe you have heard of Café Kati. But I wouldn’t be surprised if you haven’t. Even though it’s been on Michael Bauer’s “Bay Area’s Top 100 Restaurants” since the list’s inception in 1995, it hardly gets any press compared to the newest “hot”...

A do-everything (or nothing at all!) guide to Canyon Ranch

Tue, 17 Oct 2000 00:49:47 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - I've been to Canyon Ranch Spa in Tucson three times in the past eight years, and it remains one of my favorite vacations. It's a place that can resuscitate a fledgling diet/nutrition program, as well as renew one’s energy and spirit.

How...

Fusion cuisine isn't dead; it's alive and kickin' at Roy's

Mon, 16 Oct 2000 02:32:07 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - Just the other day, my Beau was listening to a local radio show discussing the hottest new San Francisco restaurants. When the subject of Roy’s came up, the reviewer dismissed the restaurant’s Euro-Asian cuisine, saying it was a trend that was...

Guaymas: home to the most frustrating meals I've ever eaten

Mon, 9 Oct 2000 03:21:21 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - I’ve been to Guaymas three times now, and each time, I leave the restaurant wondering why I keep coming back. I’ve never had so much bad luck with a menu ever before in my life. I know there are good things to eat here; I just haven’t...

Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus DLC-2BC Food Processor: Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus: great gift for your favorite cook!

Fri, 6 Oct 2000 00:16:42 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - Since around 1998, I’ve been the proud owner of the Cuisinart Pro Classic food processor. Unfortunately, it proved to be a bit over-featured (and oversized) for a “weekend cook” like me. I started to look for a simpler and smaller machine, something...

Momos: MoMo's: munchies in a prime Pac Bell Park location!

Mon, 2 Oct 2000 04:02:20 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - My introduction to MoMo’s didn’t come from going to a Giants game, but through the wonderful opportunity I had meeting some of the Epinions staff, as well as writers forkids, sweeper, and cornelia. After taking an informal tour of their way-cool...

Perry's Palo Alto: I'm not sure what the allure is

Sat, 16 Sep 2000 03:38:20 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - I understand the allure of the original Perry’s on Union Street in San Francisco –- it is a 30-year-old institution, and one of the most popular sports bars in the city. But a Perry’s in chi-chi downtown Palo Alto?

The quick story
...

Wine country charm at Glen Ellen Inn Restaurant

Mon, 11 Sep 2000 00:05:47 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - Heading out to the wine country, but too late to make reservations at French Laundry? Consider the quaint and romantic Glen Ellen Inn in Sonoma county -- bed-and-breakfast charm combined with sophisticated culinary presentation. (But no, despite its...

Ritz-Carlton Terrace Restaurant, San Francisco: Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Ritz-Carlton, SF

Sun, 27 Aug 2000 21:46:45 GMT

rating: 1/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - When pondering this latest Dine-Off assignment, Sunday Brunch, my dear Beau and I decided to put on our tourist hats and ask ourselves: where would we take out of town guests for an elegant brunch buffet?

The answer, according to several of...

Piatti: upscale dining at the Stanford Shopping Center

Mon, 21 Aug 2000 02:54:47 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author tanster - When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping. Or at least, they go to Stanford Shopping Center. The prettiest outdoor shopping mall in the San Francisco Bay Area is home to several nice restaurants – Bravo Fono, Babbo’s, and Max’s Opera Café.
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