Q: positive

A: The best, most authentic Mexican food! I have eaten at most of the Mexican places in the valley during my life and while there are equals and many wanna be's, Carolina's is one of the greats!! I started at their original location many years ago, went to the east side location when I moved that way, and now I try to get to the west side location 2-3 times a month. As has been said before, the tortillas are fantastic!! The tacos are large, fresh and full of flavor. I get the beef or machaca (you have to ask) tacos and a red chili burrito when I visit. The red chili has the tart, earthy, smokey flavor that authentic chili sauce should have. The re-fried beans are fresh and made with lard the way they should be. Don't let the word lard scare you!! Real re-fried beans are made with it and that is what gives them the creaminess and flavor that all fried beans should have! The staff has always been friendly, and while I cannot speak for others, there are tons of people working behind the counters and I have never had anything but quick, friendly service. The ordering line ALWAYS stretches to the door (or out the door) and the 'to go' area is ALWAYS packed. That says something about the place's quality.

Q: negative

A: I was just here this past weekend with a large group. At first, the place was great. Nice ambiance, friendly hostess and helpful waiters. We ordered the Neptune seafood tower which consist of lobster, oysters, scallops and prawns, they were all spectacular . We also got a few regular appetizers like mac n' cheese, Caesar salad, and dungeness crab cakes which were very good. Their wine list was very extensive and overly priced. So after putting in our steaks and sides orders that is when things started to go downhill. The wait for it lasted 45mins and when it finally arrived, the quality was not there. I ordered the Nebraskan porterhouse medium rare which I shared with a buddy and it was charred, lukewarm and overall bad. Another guy had a strip steak that was ordered to be medium rare but came out well done. The meat itself was definitely good quality but the preparation was not good and obviously cooked without much care. I am very particular with my steaks and being from NYC, Queue de Cheval would not last long here. I honestly would not recommend this restaurant to anyone that wants to have a good steak dining experience.

Q: positive

A: I like Brown's. Now I love little independent restaurants, but as a chain, Brown's delivers time and time again. My love affair with Brown's started in Covent Garden a few good years ago. Great food, great surroundings and reasonably priced too but not available north of the border :-( The Covent Garden place seems to show off their default business model and when I arrived in Edinburgh, it was the first restaurant I took visitors to. I've been for food a good few times and service and quality is consistent. Sign up to friends of Brown's and you can get sent various, great value deals. This weekend it was for drinks only. A new work colleague was visiting Edinburgh for a few days and we decided to meet for a drink so I could give him the lowdown on Edinburgh living. It was pouring of rain but we decided to meet in George Street. Then I started to panic. Yep, Scottish weather is horrific and it was bouncing off the streets. And its graduation ball weekend so bars would be full of pissed, glammed up students (maybe some of mine). Where was going to be great for having a couple of drinks, a chat and in civilised surroundings? Brown's was my saviour. I knew the new colleague was a man who liked his ale (CAMRA membership) and the Caley 80 on tap at Brown's would fit the bill. We had a great chat and Brown's was good. Yep, it was busy but we got a table easy enough. Bar service was efficient and we weren't being hassled to leave or keep ordering more drinks so a pleasant drink turned into being there till closing time.

Q: negative

A:
I am writing this from the perspective of being a photographer. This is the first time that I have been to the Preserve after reading, and hearing so much about it. I found it to be quite disappointing. The issues with the Preserve, again, only from a bird spotting, and photography standpoint are many. 1. The area is completely overgrown. It has limited the view of all of the ponds and removed the vast majority of quality shooting locations. Beyond that, walking along the paths is ridiculous. I was walking along ponds, I should have been able to see, completely obstructed by shrubs and trees. To define a quality shooting location; an area one can sit in, with a 180 degree view of the pond or the subject in front of the person. There were trees that had 1/3 of its trunk covered in debris. I sat and watched birds, rats, and rabbits emerge from the debris. This overgrowth is both unsightly, and a fire hazard. 2. The majority of the benches and blinds have been rendered unusable. Again, it comes down to the area being overgrown. I walked past several benches that were placed on the edge of the pond, yet a view of dense shrubbery was presented. The blinds in the special use areas are shrouded and covered. What's the point of having a permit to use an area that has no unobstructed view? 3. Varmints. There are rabbits EVERYWHERE. Yes, they're cute, but rabbits bring rats, and there were a ton of those too. This is a disease outbreak waiting for a place to happen. I went today looking for Burrowing Owls. All gone. Why? Cats. Feral cats have preyed on all of the Burrowing Owls, and they have been removed. 4. The ponds are inconsistently watered. This has made the birds leave for other locations. I am incredibly displeased that I went today. I can go to a golf course and see the same birds with far less hassle, and can get great shots. It's unfortunate that the staff of this preserve isn't committed to making this a pristine bird area.