Jesus Rodriguez Handyman Services

Where do I start? Jesus has done two projects for us so far - a porch railing and a fence. Both times he was meticulous about the details and very pleasant and easy to work with. I should mention that he has an eye for design too and is able to suggest clever improvements or workarounds on the fly. When I told him I had seen the fence I wanted at another house, I gave him directions and he drove to the home to take pictures. What service! He and his crew spent 4 days building our fence and as with any wood project there is going to be sawdust everywhere, when he was finished cleaning up there was not a spec of sawdust anywhere! Not to mention that the finished fence we received was absolutely perfect! I can be a stickler for details and after much home remodeling had begun to resolve myself to never being 100% happy. However Jesus has changed that! We are looking forward to having him work on our other home projects.

Malibu Wines

If you are in the Malibu area there are some new wineries and tasting rooms opening up. Malibu Wine is one of them. They are set back in the canyon on Mulholland but a nice place to relax over a decent glass of wine. The wines are reasonably priced and have nice characteristics. The atmosphere though, is really why I would recommend this spot. They have an outdoor tasting bar that is really fun as well as a nice large grassy area for kids to play. These folks do regular events for their club members and always seem to have an emphasis on providing entertainment for kids.

Rosenthal The Malibu Vineyard

If you find yourself wondering what to do this weekend I would suggest a trip to Rosenthal. I was first introduced to their wines in the UCLA Vintage program. But at that time they were not open to the public. Early in 2006 they opened this tasting room. I was so excited I dragged my poor husband and promptly joined the wine club! :-)Just north of the Pepperdine campus on the right side of PCH in Malibu, the tasting room is very small but if you like big reds any wait you might have will be well worth it. The Rosenthal estate where the grapes are grown is in Malibu Canyon a short distance from this tasting room. I would also recommend their wines as interesting and affordable gift ideas if you are looking for some predictably good wines this holiday season!

PROS: Wonderful Wines
CONS: Can be hard to find. Look for the sandwhich board that says Wine Tasting

Equinox Pasadena

I joined Equinox earlier this year. I wanted something close to work in Old Pas. But I don?t have a lot of time to wait in line for equipment etc. I cannot say enough about the facility and all it has to offer. There is never a wait for cardio equipment which those of you who have ever worked out at one of the major chains know is huge! Even at peak times I can always find a treadmill or elliptical. Yes the monthly fee is pricey, but are you really going to go all the time when it only costs you $20 per month? As my hubbie says ?as long as you use it, it is worth the cost?.  The monthly membership also offers towel service with a locker room fashioned after the Ritz Carlton?s and a host of quality classes to choose from at no extra cost (spinning, yoga, Pilates mat, boot camps etc). Inside the club there is a Pilates studio called Power Pilates (add?l cost). My husband and I take the ?duet? courses with our instructor Kristianna once a week. I highly recommend her as we have found her tough, knowledgeable and encouraging. I have also used the personal training services at Equinox and I cannot say enough about David. I mean what female hasn't wondered what it would be like to hire a personal trainer at one time or another? Well I can honestly say that if you try David out you will not be sorry! He is all about the client asking and helping you stick to your goals. He is very competent at dealing with injuries too. I have a chronic back problem but he is able to work around it and still leave me feeling like I?m not an invalid. Tough but very personable, the chats we have balance out the difficulty of the work out. The sales process was friendly with no high pressure tactics, very relaxed. I would recommend either Benson or George they are great! You can?t go wrong with either!

PROS: Very clean, towel service, no wait for equipment
CONS: None

Sibby's Cupcakery

Our office ordered from Sibby's. I can't say enough about her customer service. She was very responsive and returned our initial call very quickly. She also contacted us when the delivery window was close approaching to let us know that she was on the way. We really appreciated how communicative she was. Now for the good stuff: The cupcakes were Awesome!!! This is a great alternative to regular birthday cakes etc. They also deliver from Sunnyvale to SF for $25 other areas should call for estimates. Can't say enough! Awesome sweets and awesome service! Thanks Sibby!

PROS: Great Sweets Alternative!
CONS: When there gone, their gone :-(

Hola Mexican Restaurant & Cantina

A coworker recommended this restaurant. It is located in the Carlmont Village shopping area. At first glance it doesn't look like much more than a small storefront restaurant. But when you enter you will be surprised to see that it is quite large with the back wall all windows. The chips are out of this world and the quacomole is really great! The margaritas are on the pricey side and more fruity than fortified, but since the glasses are huge that is probably not a bad thing. Our party of 3 enjoyed all of our food.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Belmont

I stayed here on the recommendation of a coworker. It is reasonably priced for the area. Although getting rooms can be tough some weeks. A basic continental breakfast is included with your stay as is high speed Internet access. The rooms are well appointed and everything is clean.

Yummy Cupcakes

Okay you have to check this place out. All they do is make cupcakes. Great ones like Lemon Drop and Margarita. They also have the old favorites like Vanilla and Chocolate. We ordered for an office party and were very please with how easy the process was. They even have a special cupcake Happy Hour during the summer. Every Friday and Saturday 5pm - 7pm Cocktail Cupcakes are $2.00!

Paragon Restaurant & Bar-San Francisco

Our bosses took us here for a nice meal when we were visiting SF. It was a great place for a casual relaxing meal. The one thing I did wish was that they had more of a salad selection. But the food that was ordered by the group was great. We had the muscles and calamari to start and I had the burger and garlic fries. Parking can be difficult but there is usually something on the street nearby.

Rogue Chefs Culinary

My husband and I were fortunate enough to happen upon this restaurant last weekend. What a great place. They feature an open format kitchen so you can see everything they do. Each dish is a work of art, and the proportions are very generous. If you are the inquisitive type I would recommend sitting at the "Chef's table" this 30' bar allows you to watch the food and dessert prep right in front of you. The Executive Chef Kevin is very nice and I got the feeling he was really did want to know how our evening was when he asked. They also caterspecial events and provide private chef services, wine dinners and culinary classes on Saturday afternoons. I might have missed something else so please check their website for more info or just to check out the menus and wine list!

PROS: Everything, supurb experience
CONS: