Oh no, summer s over and my toes are getting cold. Time to dig out those socks!
Calmont Party
- Local Business Burlingame, CA
Overall: 
Great, personal service and wonderful advice
I've rented twice from Calmont and they are great! The first time, we had no idea how many tables and chairs to get and the manager gave me wonderful advice, asking how big the room was, what arrangement we were thinking about, etc. When I call to reserve, she is very straight forward in providing the information, and very professional in making the booking.
Best of all, when I get there, I never feel rushed and she's happy to give additional information and especially helpful, to lend a hand loading everything up.
Your French Tailor
- Local Business Burlingame, CA
Overall: Madeline is the great!
The owner of Your French Tailor is Madeline -- she always greets us by name, never needs to have the slip to find our dry cleaning (besides, we always lose it), and has big huge jars of gummy worms and gummy bears on her counter. My two kids always ASK to go to the dry cleaners!
She also is a good, reasonable tailor -- I have all of my alternations done by her shop. And she also has a shoe repair service that's excellent.
If you're looking for good, old-fashioned service you'll love this store -- we'd never go anywhere else!
Ti Couz
- Restaurant San Francisco, CA- Overall:
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Great for families, but go early
I've been going to Ti Couz for over ten years and just took my two elementary kids there again. We had to wait only about 10 minutes, but were given a nice corner table in the back where they could fidget without bothering other diners.
The highlight are the crepes -- savory, light buckwheat delights! I strongly recommend the cheese, mushroom and carmelized onion crepe.
Another highlight are the great drinks. There's hard cider on tap (go with the apple, skip the pear) as well as delicious lemon/mint crushes. The kids in particular liked the strawberry shakes.
The staff is great with the kids -- there's an open bar at the front where you can take the kids to see how the crepes are made.
We usually go when it opens, right at 5pm, which has the benefit of not waiting long AND also getting a good parking spot...we've always been able to park within a block of restaurant.
Best of all, we got out of there with drinks, food (no dessert) for about $50. A gr
Last Visited: May 2005
Artforms
- Local Business Foster City, CA
Overall: The best art school, hands down.
We've been going to Art Forms (and it's predecessor, the Decolores Art School) for over three years and absolutely love it. One of the projects our two kids did was a mock bronze statue which are "artsy" friends were admiring and asking about the sculpter -- they were BLOWN away when we told them it was our kids and that it was made out of a wire hanger, gauze, and plaster!
The paintings are amazing works of art, the teachers kind and gentle, and the school is conveniently located near CostCo and Safeway, as well as the Bridgepoint shopping center so you can run around and get your errands done as well!
Best of all, your kids will come to appreciate art. My kids (5 and 6) routinely employ techniques like shading to show dimensions in their own work, and they know the difference between a Picacco and a Monet.
This is especially a great resource if your local school has cut back on art instruction.
The Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables
- Hotel Coral Gables, FL, United States- Overall:
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Historic beauty, best pool in the world
The Biltmore is beautifully restored, the service is classic and gracious, and you are constantly surrounded by old world elegance. The lobby is highlighted with arches everywhere and hallways are decorated with old photos of the hotel.
The favorite part of my stay was swimming in the enormous pool. It's a bit of an odd shape, but you'll get a great workout -- 55 meters on the *short* end, 80 meters long if you swim the length.
I was here for a conference, and the meeting rooms are great. Rooms aren't as plush as the top hotels, but very roomy. Internet connections in every room (wired -- so it's VERY reliable).
Last Visited: May 2005
Peninsula Gymnastics
- Local Business San Mateo, CA
Overall: 
Fun place, if you can ignore the smell
- Pros
- Great instructors, location
- Cons
- The smell!
My kids (boy and girl) love going to Peninsula Gym, but like most gyms in the area, there is a persistent gym smell that hits you right in the face when you walk in. The instructors are helpful, patient, and best of all, for boys, there are plenty of male instructors.
As a parent, there are two bonuses: Nice, raised seating area, along with individual chairs scattered next to the railing. It's sometimes hard to spot the kids when they're at the other end. Bonus #2: The San Mateo Safeway, nearly renovated, is just down the street, as is a Starbucks. So while the kids bounce around, you can escape for a quick sanity check and latte, or get a few errands done.
Now the only thing that would make it a 5 star rating is wifi access for waiting parents!