RichardsLifeCali's Profile

I finally had a chance to catch this long-standing piano bar saturday night with friends. The place is festive, piano and singer was nice, and the place was nicely decorated for upcoming halloween. However, carpacci was blank, portions were small or just not impressive. No surprises on dessert list - could have come from a hundred other restaurants. Sunday brunch is suppose to be good, but I haven't been. The outside patio is nice, if you don't mind the cigarette smoke.

I have been here a number of times with friends. It is right on University - it's a small fine dining french bistro with wonderful wine list, entrees, sandwiches, and unique selection of desserts. They offer happy hour specials, 1/2 wine nights on Tuesdays, and wines by the half glass. This is the best place in Hillcrest to impress a first date, or enjoy company of good friends. We always go back here when I visit San Diego.

I traveled to Tampa last weekend. I stopped off here for happy hour before heading over to Ybor City (Gaybor District). The bartender was not welcoming at all, neither was any of the patrons. I tipped $2 for a $5 drink, but bartender didn't say thanks, he didn't ask me if i wanted another when i finished, and spent all his time on the other side of the bar. This is a place for locals, but enter at your own risk if you're new.

I visited Parliament House again - this time just on thursday night for latin night. It was packed with a lot of very young and handsome guys, and a nice drag show on the main dance space. They place was being decorated elaborately for halloween. Some big headliners are coming soon - including RuPaul and Bill Vilance. I'm glad the place seems to be doing well.

I visited here a few hours on saturday on my way from Orlando to Tampa. It's a nice, clean campground in what seems like the middle of no-where. It's tucked away just out of Dade City. It's clothing optional in the pool area, and in the entire park on special occasions. It's mostly mature men, but not entirely, and a few women. If you're looking for something on the wild side, you can enter "the trails", which are interconnecting pathways near the lake. It seems to be busier in the morning or evenings/night time. Out of nowhere you may stumble across a swing, some chairs. At the trail entrypoint, there's a small metal basket of condoms nailed to a tree. It reminded me of the proverbial "rubber tree" from an episode of Queer Duck.

I ate here a few times on the weekends before hitting the clubs in GayBor District. The food is good portions, tasty, polite service, specials on strong long island ice teas, and location was perfect - a block to all the gay clubs and shops. It has a laid back atmosphere - a must-do when visiting GayBor.

I visited Flamingo last weekend. It's true - the place is busiest for their sunday t-dance. Some people were there saturday, it wasn't empty, but not packed. The renovation looks very nice - retro modernistic style, and the rooms had nice drapes, furniture (dark wicker), new carpet, ... HOWEVER, the service was consistently poor. You have to yell or wave your arms about to get any attention from poolside service. The guys would mostly go to tables of people they seemed to know and skip everyone else. It was common to see people go inside the bar to order drinks, and I had to bus (pick up) my own table. The place is only a few blocks from Georgi's Alibi - a great bar/club that was packed on saturday night.

I visited Tampa/Ybor City last weekend. This was the place to be saturday night. There's 2 separate areas - one is mostly a large dance floor and the other has a pool table begging for use. The typical scene - nice looking guys, mostly younger scene, packed, but I was able to get drinks from bartenders quickly.

I visited Tampa/Ybor City last weekend. This was the spot for mostly boys on fridays. A line started forming before 11pm. Nice club inside, large dance floor, dancers, cute guys. It's close to Streetcar Charlie's for dinner, or you can bar hop and check to see how Ybor City Social Club is doing, Spurs (gay country club), ... everything in the Gaybor district is close to one another.

I visited Tampa/Ybor City last weekend. College night is now Thursday night. Fridays and saturdays it comes and goes. It's the Eagle now - so downstairs is a small jail, the "X" cross thing i guess you can lean against. But it's all mostly for show. I didn't see any nastiness down there - just some stares from older guys in leather. On Wednesdays when it's straight night, they pack up all the gay S&M equipment and put it in the back room. I thought that was funny.

I visited St. Pete last weekend. This place is only a few blocks from the new gay Flamingo resort. It has a nice dance floor, 2 bar areas, separate room for darts, videos, mix of people - men & women, very popular and lots of available parking.

I went here last thursday. Prostitutes and drug users walk the streets, which is why the place has a burly security guy at the door. Inside only a few guys, very drunk. Perhaps this place changes on weekends, but I have a hard time imaging such a complete turn around. Enter at your own risk.

Of all the restaurants conveneintly located on Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood, this is the only one I steer visitors away from. It's expensive, the rolls are known to fall apart, and the fish is not always the most fresh. As an alternative, if you're willing to go for a short 10 minute drive south on la cienega towards the Beverly Center, I would HIGHLY recommend Ronin (www.roninizakaya.com). It's Fresh asian tapas - unique, wonderful, some of the best food I've ever tested in L.A.

okay, okay. I'll admit I go to a gay men's club, although I still have trouble saying the "B" word - you know, "b***house". They're phasing out "Hung Dynasty" but mondays remain asian night. From 6:30pm on there's a decent number of young asian and some latin boys who come visit for locker specials. Last time I visited, I saw 3 asian boys (all in early 20's) having a threesome in a lounge area. I had dreamed of that, but had never seen it before. Add them all up and you might get 2% body fat percentage. Damn.

The West Hollywood location of Koo-Koo-Roo is right on the corner of La Cienega and Santa Monica Blvd. So it gets a lot of foot traffic. Specifically, it gets a lot of "gym traffic", as a lot of guys stop off there on their way back from 24 hour fitness down the street on Santa Monica Blvd. I always see muscly guys flexing their biceps as they eat their rotisserie chicken and chicken wraps. It's very cruisy. That's why locals call it the "cluck-and-f**k". Not too pricey, and they cook it all fresh. The only warning - they can be chinsy with their side dishes. To me, a "side dish" means more than one spoonfull. A few times I've asked them to add another dollop of creamed spinach please - which they've always done with a smile.

The hotel is a little old, but that gives it it's charm. I love coming home late from a night out to creeking hardwood floors. You can even get a room with shared bathroom if you're a budget traveler. The location is good - 1/2 block from downtown Berkeley BART, right off UC Berkeley campus, 1/2 block from Shattuck which is where the ghetto gourmet section of town begins. And if you want to head to the ever popular bathhouse Steamworks, it's an easy drive or bus trip 1 3/4 miles south on University.

Spent last friday night here. Mostly latins of course, with a sprinkling of their white admirers. There's $15 cover, but they have dancers and an amateur wet underwear contest. It reminded me of how a latin club can be more fun - just people enjoying themselves and their friends dancing and laughing. The only drawback - it's not close to anything gay. You'll need to drive or find how public transport works to get here. A cab ride from Berkeley and back totalled $60. Good news - the location is near downtown Oakland, so not too scary. Even for a white guy like me raised in the suburbs.

This classy (and a little pricy) French restaurant is near the gay apex of Santa Monica Blvd and Robertson and would be an ideal place to impress a date. It's always packed (a reservation would be a good idea) with a mature clientele. Many items on the menu are very good, such as the filet mignon, calamari and creme brulee. Sunday brunch is popular.

Skewers has been on the main drag of weho for quite a long time, for good reason. It's usually busy, staff friendly, and food is plentiful and moderately priced (but not cheap). You pick the meat of your choice (including options of filet mignon or swordfish, ...) and it's served on 2 skewers with the veges. They're famous for their hummus - wonderful! Oh, and they have vegetarian options as well. I always leave with a full tummy and a doggy bag for later.

I've travelled a lot throughout the U.S. and Rage on fridays (GameBoi) wins the prize for the most concentration of young asian bois (18+) that I've ever seen. I live in the neighborhood and have been going here the last few years, and a friend of mine has been used as one of their models for publicity. And for us white admirers - it's good news that many of them are not "sticky rice". On most fridays the place could be a show on Oprah - "young asian boys and the older white guys who like them". However, one important note of caution - the urban legend is there's some boys under 18 who get in with fake IDs... so be careful...

St. Felix has been opened for over a year now, and it is always busy for good reason. Location is perfect - in Weho near the corner of Santa Monica Blvd & Robertson (on your way to The Abbey...). There's outside dining for the best people watching, or comforable and classy indoor dining. The staff are VERY friendly and love seeing new faces. The food is excellent as well as drinks. Many people's favorite tapa is The steak skewers, and they have many specialty drinks and their popolar mojito (in a mason jar). I live in the neighborhood and I have been to this restaurant many times, and this is the first place I take friends on their first trip to Weho. Happy hour is every day 4pm - 8pm (everything on the menu is half off).

I travelled to Portland for a week and made it to Starkey's on saturday night. It's a long running establishment with many regulars. It has full menu - my mushroom appetizer and entree were both good, friendly staff and patrons. The video bar isn't a separate area - it's just a tv above the bar portion of the restaurant, which is fine. The patio outside is nice. It's a crowd older than the night club SW Portland - mostly 40's and up. One warning - the stall in the bathroom has no door. I've seen this in clubs, but at a restaurant? yikes. Oh, one important tip: When I left the restaurant, I walked about 10 blocks west (towards downtown) and I really enjoyed the evening feel of the SE part of town - coffee shops in old buildings with exposed brick walls, small eateries with streetside tables, people eating outdoors and sharing wine in their yards of their old victorian homes. I was grateful to witness this SE Portland charm.

I've visited Palm Springs a number of times over the past few years, and have usually stayed here. When travelling to Palm Springs, make sure to check if it's a busy time or off-season. This resort is not new, but I've always found it clean enough, and comfortable. I've found it busier and bigger than the other resorts, so easier to meet people, and the place is sexually charged if you want that. The guys are usually 40's or older, although some younger guys around, or you can find them at local clubs and bring home guests. The staff has always been friendly. Oh - and on friday nights everyone goes to Wang's for happy hour. Although lately Palm Springs in general seems to be less busy. I don't know if it's the economy, or if the guys are going elsewhere...

I didn't realize it until I visited Portland - this is the restaurant owned and within same building as Ace Hotel in the Pearl District - very convenient. The place is busy for breakfast, lunch or dinner. For very late night you can hit The Roxy across the street. It's mostly a straight crowd, but gay/lesbian friendly. It's communal dining - so you're likely to share a large table with others, although I didn't end up striking a conversation with any of the locals, though. I was hoping I would as the tourism from out of town. But food is impeccable and ambiance is uber-earthy-chic - has to be experienced.

I stopped by the first time at 4am after a friday night of gay revelry. The staff was friendly, food was served quickly, and it was good portions and quick refills of coffee. It's within a block of Ace Hotel, Boxxes/Red Cap and Scandal's Tavern, but about 6 blocks north of the biggest joints (Silverado's, Hobo's, C.C. Slaughter's), which is a little far to hoof it. The only caveat I have is that I sat on one of the stools at the counter but there's not a lot of room behind me, so I got bumpbed a lot by wait staff and drunk patrons. It didn't really bother me - laughed it off - so just fyi.

I traveled to Orlando for a business conference and stayed the weekend at The Parliament House. During the days the place is virtually empty – unlike Palm Springs where there’s always guys walking around the grounds. But in the evenings the place comes alive and becomes the social center of Orlando – each of the numerous clubs on site and the drag show is standing room only. Hundreds of guys. And that’s when it’s convenient to be staying there – it’s a short walk to bring a “guest” back to your room. A few warnings: (1) There are a lot of older guys who get rooms there and during the day and evenings they walk/stalk back and forth around the balconies on the 2nd foor. One local told me they call them “balcony bats”. (2) The neighborhood is extremely dangerous and is the highest crime rate area in the city. It’s on Orange Blossom Trail, but locals call it the “O-B-T”. I made a quick stop at the local liquor store to stock up and all the people loitering around started to gather around my car, kind of like Dawn of the Dead. Creepy.

I recently traveled to Portland for a week, and ended up visiting all the gay venues in town. Silverado was busy every night of the week. There was a mix of guys - younger, older, and the kitchen served a decent menu - the nachos were huge... The only club with more people would perhaps be C.C. Slaughters, which is Portland’s dance club complex. At Silverado’s there are strippers about every night and they actually go totally nude, which surprised me since they don’t do that even in L.A. I was texting status reports to my friends back home: “… 2 cut, 1 uncut. How big? Well, it’s flopping around right now, but probably a 9”. They seemed to have nearly the same strippers each night, though. After a week I recognized familiar… um… “faces” onstage. There’s a lounge on the other side of the club – quieter, pool table, but large bar area. So unless you want to dance, Silverado’s is the place to go to be with the biggest crowd.

I recently travelled to Portland & The Oregon Wine Country for a week. The Ace Hotel is THE place to stay for the gay traveller to Portland. Ace is in the epicenter of the uber-earthy-chic SW portion of Portland, which includes the Pearl District and Nob Hill. Many gay venues are only a block away (BOXXES/Red Cap Garage, Roxy's, Scandal's Tavern), with most others an easy 6 block walk east. Clyde Common is the hotel's restaurant, so it's located in the same building - perfect for lunch, dinner or late night dining. Ace is also just a block from the famous Powell's bookstore, and Living Room Theatres. Parking is available for $20 a night, but in a small outside lot a block down the street. Bicycles can be rented - perfect for checking out the Tom McCall Waterfront Park or Saturday Farmer's Market.