Scrapbook Beta...

I just converted to the new scrapbook beta. So far so good. I think it might be an improvement to the old one. They migrated all my Bunday photos over too. We are in business. It seems pretty good and I like the display. Has anyone converted yet?

Let me know.

Edit:
I checked all my posts and the links still work from all my Bunday posts. No broken links. Go LJ! They totally did something right for a change!

11/100 Cafe Milano, Berkeley (restaurant review)

Cafe Milano
Bancroft Avenue, Berkeley, CA

Restaurant review

Basic info:
Coffee costs 2.00 for a medium. Sandwich and salad is 6.00.

This is my every day, go to place. I stop here in the morning for my regular cup of coffee and I love the people who work here. I have been going here for 13 years, since I started working at the University.

I usually get a regular coffee and have cream and sugar in that. It is a lovely, flavorful and robust cup of coffee with strength to it. I have had their espresso drinks which are well made, foamy and delicious. Sometimes I get a vanilla latte when I want a treat. I go there occasionally for lunch and typically have their caesar salad with chicken or chicken pesto sandwich with side salad. Usually very good, very filling and fresh made per order.

This is definitely a neighborhood place and they have a constant stream of regulars in here. They even remember your order so you don't even have to say what you want. I also have used them to cater small lunches at my office. They prices are really reasonable for that and they deliver right on time with their hot sandwiches and desserts.

I love this place and give it a total thumbs up.

Yelp reviews:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-milano-berkeley


Over all rating:
Excellent

Recommend:
Highly

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post 11/100 in the 100 things challenge


www.laurahonest.com

12/100 American Idiot (rock musical review, theater)

American Idiot (2012)
Based on the album by that name by Green Day
Los Angeles

From the American Idiot web site:

In June of 2008, fueled by a passion for the story embedded in the album and possessed of a desire to unearth and expand upon it, acclaimed Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer and Green Day began a collaboration to bring AMERICAN IDIOT to the stage. Mayer assembled an extraordinary team to join them: two-time Tony Award-winning composer and orchestrator of NEXT TO NORMAL Tom Kitt, Olivier Award-winning choreographer of the National Theater of Scotland's acclaimed BLACK WATCH Steven Hoggett, and Tony Award-winning actor and star of SPRING AWAKENING John Gallagher Jr. Over the next 9 months, the project was developed in a series of workshops culminating in an invitation from California's Berkeley Repertory Theater to present the world premiere, just minutes from the famed Gilman Street concert venue where Green Day first came to prominence.

This was a fun show and we went into it with earplugs in our pockets. We expected it to be very loud and hard to listen to. Suffice to say, the sound system was excellent and the music just worked to support an angst ridden story line of three friends - a drug addict, a soldier and a guy who gets his girlfriend pregnant.

The back of the set is lined with large TV sets which flash images from the early part of the 2000's. Political, military and social images flash on the screen to set the backdrop for the story and time of this story. Then we go right into American Idiot with rock and roll! I used to listen to Green Day and have some of their albums. This totally brought me back to why I liked them. Fun, bop, with a message behind it. No wimpy songs.

The story and set totally work for this. Set changes took no time as the cast could roll things in and out. They moved a couch and a bed in and out really easily to set an and reset the scene and removed all the furniture when they were outside. They had scaffolding on wheels to simulate a busride. Neat and kind of industrial punk. I liked it.

The characters go through hard times and come out the other side, older and wiser and changed. They learn and develop. The drug addict kicks his habit, the soldier loses a limb and the father, well he takes on that responsibility. No wimpy story - it takes it all on, head on, like a mosh pit.

Energetic cast, good dancing, well staged. This rocks! I did not have to wear my earplugs.


Website for the show
http://americanidiotthemusical.com/index.php

Overall rating:
Amazing.

Recommend:
Oh yeah!

Warnings:
Mature scenes and language.

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post 12/100 in the 100 things challenge


by laurahonest

13/100 California Pizza Kitchen (restaurant review)

California Pizza Kitchen
Walnut Creek, CA

Restaurant review

Basic info:
Entrees $10-12.00. Asian infused and creatively done pasta and pizza.

This is a California cuisine take on italian cuisine and a national chain and I usually love the food here but tonight I was totally disappointed with the tasteless experience. Typically I have very flavorful and well done food here on this chain but it did not cut it tonight. I really wish we had gone for the fried chicken and waffles and stuck with the plan.

For an appetizer we ordered the foccaccia bread with herb olive oil. I guess 'foccacia' is a loose term because this doughy thing was more like undercooked pizza dough with some cheese on it. Definitely NOT foccaccia bread. It might have tasted good if they had cut the amount of sugar in the flour mixture. It was too sweet by far. I did enjoy the olive oil with herbs in it and that was a nice touch but in general this appetizer failed in its aim being NOT foccaccia bread. I think they just use some of the dough from the pizza and shape it differently.

I ordered a pasta - garlic fettucine, add the chicken. I always change the noodle to penne as those are easier to eat. My food was bland bland bland bland...did I say BLAND?! Where was the garlic? No where near my plate, I will tell you that. I salted my food to add some life to it and I usually only like to add a dash of pepper to taste. This was a huge disappointment. They over portioned on the pasta - gave me more than was usual for the plate and the sauce was bland and not enough for the pasta. I considered sending it back but that would have kept us there longer. Not worth the trouble.

Give me the check and get me out of there. The restaurant is noisy.

On the plus side? Our service was excellent. Very conscientious server, attentive and fast.

I will go back there to see if it was just a bad night or if the food has gone down hill.

Website:
http://www.cpk.com/menu/


Over all rating:
Bland and tasteless

Recommend:
Not this time but usually I do.

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post 13/100 in the 100 things challenge


www.laurahonest.com