Scowl, Nu?

Great Haircuts and Products

Review of: Edo Salon

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

I’ve been using Bumble and Bumble hair products since moving back to the states, and Edo has been my source for shampoo since then, even though I was going to another salon until recently.

However, when my regular stylist couldn’t see me for four weeks because of a limited schedule, I decided it was time to change and gave Edo a call. Because of my extremely chaotic wavy hair, finding someone who can do a decent job is a challenge. Not only did the staff take time on the phone to find the right stylist, but I’m happy to say that they chose the right person for the job. She took her time to analyze my hair, find an appropriate cut and leave me with a fantastic style.

Because my stylist has limited hours, I’m not listing her name here – but if you’ve got challenging wavy or curly hair, drop me a line and I’ll pass her name along.

The salon is bright and clean, and if you’re a fan of Bumble and Bumble products, I highly recommend making an appointment.

No Local Love

Review of: Momo’s

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 1

Read review on Judy’s Book.

If you happen to live close to the ballpark like I do, you cross your fingers and hope for the day when a bar or restaurant opens up that isn’t designed to cater solely to the baseball “tourists” that head into the neighborhood. Every bar here seems to charge $5.50 where in other neighborhoods you would pay $4.25 maximum. At least at O’Neill’s you get a full 22 ounces of Murphy’s Stout for $5.75. But MoMo’s? 16 ounces of beer for $6.

That’s not local love. That’s gouging tourists and anyone else who happens to go there.

I can’t comment on the food, the clientele or anything else. I can say at these prices, MoMo’s is a No No.

Sorry, Krispy Kreme – Papa Said Knock You Out!

Review of: Beard Papa

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 5

Read review on Judy’s Book.

When Krispy Kreme opened their first area location next to the In-n-Out Burger in Daly City, it was always a treat to stop there on Friday to pick up a half dozen for the weekend – and over the next few days we would push our insulin producing capabilities to the limit while we ate the greasy “kream” filled wonders. The problem is that after you’ve had a few of these gut busting donut bombs, you’re sick of them. I had my last Krispy Kreme in 2003, and I’m just fine with that. Since then, aside from a decadent eclair from Miette, no cream filled pastry has crossed these lips.

But now there is a local haven for cream filled pastries, Beard Papa – a direct import from Japan where it has been providing the local population with sugar rushes for a half-century.

A Beard Papa is a Japanese take on a classic french pastry: pate a choux, or cream puffs. Here, they bake a tender, sweet butter and egg dough until it puffs up and fill it with a combination of vanilla custard and whipped cream. For $1.75, you get a fist sized cream puff, filled with this mixture and dusted with powdered sugar.

Compared to most cream puffs, these are much more refined and delicate in nature – which is about par for most french inspired japanese pastries. The power of the papa is in the cream – by combining a rich vanilla custard with whipped cream, you end up with a sweet filling that is rich, but not so rich that you couldn’t have a second one. The only saving grace is that the filling will eventually make the cream puff soggy, so in my estimation, getting a couple extra to throw in the fridge for the morning isn’t really an option. For some, this might be a bad thing – but for my waistline, it’s perfect.

Right now, they are only doing the vanilla puffs, but the chocolate, green tea, milk tea and other flavors are coming soon, as are the cheesecake sticks which have also been given high ratings by Beard Papa fanatics. However, what I am looking forward to are the eclairs – a vanilla or chocolate cream puff dipped quickly in chocolate and served warm. My body’s already producing extra insulin in anticipation.

The Bar Without Pretense

Review of: Dave

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

I hate reviewing Dave’s, because within two hours of arriving, I’ve really fallen for the place and I don’t want it to get more crowded. There’s a dozen beers on tap ranging from $4 (Deschutes Mirror Pond, Boont Amber, Big Daddy) to $4.50 (Guinness, Murphy’s, Trumer Pils) and the Fernet runs like water.

For a bar sitting smack between the Financial District and the Ballpark, there’s absolutely no attitude. The barstaff was friendly, and even the two women hired by Jägermeister to entice people to drink that swill were pleasant and unobtrusive.

It’s a bar for drinkers. If you’re nearby and in the mood to get your drink on, it feels just like home.

Coco? So So…

Review of: Coco500

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 2

Read review on Judy’s Book.

Considering that I walk by it at least twice a day and that the cocktail menu was created by the head bartender at the Slanted Door, I really want to like Coco500. However, after three visits there, it just doesn’t deliver.

This afternoon, I went there with three other colleagues for lunch. The meal? Forgettable. I had a $13 “Coppa Salami Pizza” which was, regrettably, not a Coppa Salami Pizza, but merely a coppa pizza, the menu writer not understanding that Coppa is a Salumi, not a Salami. It was good, but $8 good. Not $13 good.

A colleague had a chicken romaine salad that had an inedible lettuce core served on the plate (and I don’t mean the white part of the lettuce, but the actual stalk of the lettuce). The service was very rough for the price – servers reaching over people, cutting off orders and generally providing minimal service.

Honestly, it’s not worth the trip. I wish it was still Bizou, a nice French bistro instead of this hipster tapas joint.

Custom Timbuk2 Bags

Review of: Timbuk2

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

I’ve been a Timbuk2 fan for years – purchasing my first one over 10 years ago, and aside from a single computer bag from Crumpler that I purchased while abroad, I’ve been loyal to the brand.

In April, Timbuk2 opened their first retail location in Haves Valley, and last weekend I decided to pop in and check it out. This store focuses only on custom messenger bags, offering a selection of textured and patterned fabrics. They also have some of the accessory bags (for iPods, Treos, etc), and that’s about it.

If you’re looking to put together a truly one of a kind messenger bag, stop in and take a look.