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My first experience with Tarragon was about 5 years ago when my wife and I attended their special Valentine's Day dinner. We were disappointed on almost every aspect: food, service, ambiance, wine...
My first experience with Tarragon was about 5 years ago when my wife and I attended their special Valentine's Day dinner. We were disappointed on almost every aspect: food, service, ambiance, wine selection.
So we forced ourselves to pay them another vistit more recently, and we were very pleasantly surprised. They have apparently acquired themselves a new head chef, and the impact is obvious.
Every aspect of our food was good or better. They offer tasty buy healthy side dishes like garlic steamed spinach, the selection of appetizers was good but not esoteric or strange. The wine list was also much improved with some nice selections from Italy, France and Australia.
The service was very satisfactory, and the atmosphere was great. They feature live jazz every thursday evening, and if you select a seat near the back it can be very private and romantic.
If you've been disappointed by earlier visits, I recommend you give it another try.
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But my wife and I continue to return to Sushi Maru. Perhaps our tastebuds are just not sensitve enough to detect a difference, but we have yet to find another sushi restaurant that served noticably...
But my wife and I continue to return to Sushi Maru. Perhaps our tastebuds are just not sensitve enough to detect a difference, but we have yet to find another sushi restaurant that served noticably higher quality stuff.
That makes Suhi Maru an amazing value.
I think that it is also worth noting that Sushi Maru employs real, actual sushi chefs. In addition, the place is almost always packed with Japanese speaking customers - which is generally a good indication.
I am particularly impressed with some of the more imaginative sushi creations they offer at the boat/bar. Some truly amazing, beautiful creations. There is also no lack of variety - from simple cucumber rolls to extravigant sushi nigiri combinations that even a veteran sushi etear would be hard-pressed to identify.
The miso soup also happens to be outstanding.
The only negative can be the slow service - it sometimes takes a bit too long to get that tea refill or to have someone stop and total up the check. Despite these problems, this has been our 'favorite' sushi stop for the last 6 years.
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My wife and I have visited Chocolatier Desiree on many of our frequent walks to and around downtown Sunnyvale. Each time we take a peek in the window, there is something new and interesting on...
My wife and I have visited Chocolatier Desiree on many of our frequent walks to and around downtown Sunnyvale. Each time we take a peek in the window, there is something new and interesting on display.
For the most part, everything we have sampled has been delicious. Neither of us care for the liquer-filled chocolates, which they carry quite a few of, but they also offer plenty marzipan, dark chocolate, milk chocolate and nut/fruit/caramel filled products too.
Everything is indeed from Belgium as the sign indicates, as is the owner. They will do custom orders and designs, although we've never made use of these services.
In either case, if you're ever in downtown Sunnyvale and would like to top-off your Bean Scene coffee with something sweet, this is the perfect shop.
They've also recently begun carrying a small selection of maltitol (not sugar) sweetened chocolates for the diabetics out there.
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I'm inclined to think that my rating of this particular Whole Foods location would be applicable to many of them. This is not to say that all Whole Foods locations are poorly run, but that the...
I'm inclined to think that my rating of this particular Whole Foods location would be applicable to many of them. This is not to say that all Whole Foods locations are poorly run, but that the general philosphy of the Whole Foods chain seems to contribute to my disappointment.
To start, this Whole Foods has all of the organic responsibly produced products you typically expect from the retail chain. Everything from toilet paper to river salmon, beef franks to soy protein powder. Nothing wrong or at fault there.
Parking: The lot at this location is so undersized it is almost comical. During busy shopping times, my wife and I have actually given up trying to find an opening and instead stopped at Safeway on the way home.
Store Size: The store itself is also far too small to accomodate the customer traffic they experience. The aisles are much too narrow, in many cases not wide enough for two shopping carts to pass one another. The prepared foods and wine/cheese area is a particular mess, especially when poorly behaved children are in the area.
Product Selection: As I browse the goods offered for sale, I am sometimes reminded of how political the selection process must be at Whole Foods corporate. While they are willing to sell you a non-organic-certified bottle of wine, you will not be able to find a can of soda or fruit drink sweetened with aspartame or splenda. Too bad for you diabetics out there.
More on Product Selection: Although in general you could do your 'daily' shopping at a Whole Foods, there are definitely times when their lack of brand representation can make things awkward. Got a favorite brand or flavor of thoothpaste? Don't expect to find it there. How about a favorite maker of sugar-free chewing gum? Sorry, out of luck.
Prices: Yes, it is expensive. Much more so than a typical grocery store (Safeway, Albertsons). Vastly more so than a discount chain (Costco, Wal-Mart). But that is simply the price you pay for being able to consume food with a more or less clear conscience. If you are looking for competitive prices, this is not the place for you.
Service: This is defintely one place where Whole Foods does excel. The people know their store, their product, and are always available. There is never a shortage of staff at the meat/fish counter, and the checkout lanes are usually fully staffed.
So in the end, the hassles of physically shopping at this location (lack of parking, always too crowded inside) and the lack of certain products and brands was enough to send my wife and I back to the local Safeway for our daily shopping.
If we're looking for really high-end stuff for a dinner party, we'll still head to Whole Foods and suffer through the bad parts. But for regular needs, Whole Foods just doesn't quite do it for us.
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If you're ever in/around downtown Sunnyvale, I would highly recommend that you stop by and visit Leigh's Favorite Books. They also happen to be pet friendly, so Fido is welcome to join you while you...
If you're ever in/around downtown Sunnyvale, I would highly recommend that you stop by and visit Leigh's Favorite Books. They also happen to be pet friendly, so Fido is welcome to join you while you browse their collection.
Although their selection is not huge, they do have an ecclectic collection of both new and used populat titles. The staff is always very friendly/helpful, and their late hours make it a great place to visit after dinner or coffee.
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I can't even remember how long it has been (prior to my meeting Dr. Michael Lin DDS) since an actual dentist performed all of the routine care and cleaning during my visit. Although Dr. Lin does...
I can't even remember how long it has been (prior to my meeting Dr. Michael Lin DDS) since an actual dentist performed all of the routine care and cleaning during my visit. Although Dr. Lin does have a hygenist on staff, all of the basic cleaning and inspection is done by Dr. Lin himself. His chair-side manners are excellent, and I suspect he would do well with children as well.
He offers the usual full range of dental services, and both my wife and I have been very happy with the several visits we have both had. Typically he spends the entire hour-long visit with me, not quickly jumping between multiple patients with just a quick 'hello nice to see you again'. We've had engaging discussions about types of dental floss and other teeth related topics. Always enjoyable.
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Emile's
Category:
Restaurants
545 S. 2nd Street
San Jose, California 95112
(408) 289-1960
If you are looking for semi-traditional French cuisine that is on the high end (of the price and quality) scale, you should consider Emiles.
My wife and I spent New Years Eve there last year, and...
If you are looking for semi-traditional French cuisine that is on the high end (of the price and quality) scale, you should consider Emiles.
My wife and I spent New Years Eve there last year, and we were in awe of the results. Everything from the recommended wine pairings to the sides and accents was near perfect.
The atmosphere is a bit traditional, but not bistro-like or noisy at all. The service was outstanding, and the meal was well paced.
I highly recommend it.
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If you're looking for some basic, home-style Italian you can always try Gumba's in downtown Sunnyvale. The food is not inspiring, and the decor is a bit dated, but the price is right.
It has a...
If you're looking for some basic, home-style Italian you can always try Gumba's in downtown Sunnyvale. The food is not inspiring, and the decor is a bit dated, but the price is right.
It has a VERY loyal following of long time Sunnyvale residents, and is usually quite busy.
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Always lively, locally owned and operated, very good coffee. They do have live music in the evenings. They've recently expanded their menu to include breakfast and lunch items too.
Always lively, locally owned and operated, very good coffee. They do have live music in the evenings. They've recently expanded their menu to include breakfast and lunch items too.
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It is a standard fixture of downtown Sunnyvale, is locally owned and operated, and always serves up a good cup of coffee. Although the hours can be sporadic in the evenings, it is almost always...
It is a standard fixture of downtown Sunnyvale, is locally owned and operated, and always serves up a good cup of coffee. Although the hours can be sporadic in the evenings, it is almost always lively.
They do offer more than coffee, including live music from time to time.
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