by Lisa P. on The Frying Pan is a cool concept: drink outside, chill atmosphere, right on the water- like actually, right on the water. It's not fancy like a rooftop hotel bar, and unlike the Boat Basin, it doesn't have all the toddlers and/or strollers- when you want to relax with a drink on a Saturday afternoon, this is a good thing. However, once the novelty of drinking on a boat (barge?) wears off, you realize that the drinks are not cheap, the sangria isn't good, and that everything is kind of really dirty and smells like a frat house.
by Siobhan Kinseth on I think the recurring theme for Aja over time will be "average" unless they crank it up a notch. I went for lunch and had the green curry chicken with eggplant. It was quite good, just the right amount of spice, but not remarkable @ $11. Our waiter was courteous but the food was slow (and so was the restaurant), and they were out of green tea (bad news for an asian themed restaurant) and only half our table got brown rice because apparently all 5 of us ate them out of house and home and they ran out after 3 of our orders. Lunch is served per-person and dinner is served family style. They also have a dim sum server that travels around to show you the food. If it looks good, she gives it to you right away. Honestly they all looked really tasty but maybe it's like shopping hungry...I can only vouch for the potstickers though. You feel like you're being upsold during your meal after her second visit but it's still a nice touch because of the instant delivery. It's worth noting that they have a $9 daily special that includes a soup and entree. All the other meals seemed to be in the $11 - $16 range (for the most part). I really hope they get their kinks worked out quickly. Buckhead is full of great restaurants and the few buildings around Alliance Center can't support a restaurant on their own, no matter how many happy hours, pre-fixes, or other gimmicks they try. The folks at Emeril's learned that the hard way. I will say that the decor is a nice change. The space is similar to Emeril's in the bar area but the rest is much refreshed, with red walls, accent lighting, an extra bar, extended patio (with tons of heaters i noticed), but everything is tasteful. Even the ridiculously (but somehow appropriately) large Buddha statue. It is Buckhead afterall. Too early to tell, i suppose. Run by there for a power lunch. It won't be busy. Then post your own review and render my 3 stars null and void.
by Alice Z. on So living in Palo Alto, the neighborhood bars-clubs all die at a pitiful hour. The EndUp is a nice place to club in the 3-5am time range if you still have a sober driver to get to San Fran. The decor is well worn and comfortable. It's not one of these new super clean "concept clubs" you see all the time. It's got the feel of a place that people actually go to, and the decor is interesting enough to entertain your eye for a little while when you step away to relax a bit. There's a couple of serving areas, and a great (and huge) area out back away from the music to talk to people. The dance floor isn't huge for a club this size, making the male patrons extra aggressive. There were definitely moments where I was thinking "How can there be four guys humping my leg? I *have* only two legs... And is that one homeless?" Gotta love the gay guys here. The crowd draws from a pretty diverse pool of club rats. I do have to warn you, I did come out of the club smelling a little like a homeless person (aka pee). My friends call it the "club smell." Hmm.
