February 26, 2019

Santa Rosa: Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa; hotel review + restaurant review

2777 Fourth St./Hwy. 12, (800) 848-8300, (707) 545-8530.  170 rooms, 2 stories; $$-$$$.  Heated pool; hot tub.  5 tennis courts.  Health club with fitness room; full-service spa ($15 day use fee).  Restaurant; room service.  Pets ok. 

When the spacious, unpretentious Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa was originally built in the 1950s, it was way out in the country.  Now, due to urban sprawl, it is right in town.  Originally designed to mirror the namesake resort in Las Vegas, it attracted Hollywood stars--most famously Jayne Mansfield, whose photographs by the pool and in front of the roof-top name tower hang in the lobby.  The resort was declared an historic city landmark in 1996.  Five lodging buildings surround a central courtyard like a wagon wheel.  The lobby is a sixth spoke and holds meeting rooms, a restaurant, and the Flamingo Room lounge featuring live music and dancing on weekends. 

It gives guests all the comforts of a full-service resort but also provides the convenience of a motel--parking near the room; not having to walk through a lobby--and the amenities of a hotel--a piano bar with live entertainment and dancing; a full-service restaurant with poolside dining.  This hotel is an especially fun place for family and kids.  I enjoyed a summer stay here, when the lovely weather filled the pool with happy frolickers.  In addition to racquetball and basketball courts, the hotel’s adjacent Montecito Heights Health Club and Spa features a full-service spa, classes, and childcare.  The club is open to the general public as well.

roof-top name tower at Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa, California
roof-top name tower at Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa
in Santa Rosa, California


outdoor pool at Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa, California
outdoor pool at Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa, California


guest room at Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa, California
guest room at Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa, California


Snoopy statue at Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa, California
Snoopy statue at Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa, California


childcare center at Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa, California
childcare center at Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa, California


Terrace Grill 

The Terrace Grill serves a continental buffet breakfast as well as a full menu and also has a popular Sunday buffet brunch, when among the options you will find what is probably the best rendition of Black Forest cake this side of Germany.

Sunday brunch dessert spread at Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa, California
Sunday brunch dessert spread at Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa
in Santa Rosa, California

 


More things to do in Santa Rosa.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

images ©2019 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

February 20, 2019

Oakland: Benchmark Oakland (CLOSED); restaurant review

880 South

Benchmark Oakland  

CLOSED  499 9th St./Washington St., Old Oakland, (510) 488-6677.  L M-F, D daily.

One of several vibrant dining establishments located in a quiet neighborhood where trees strung with tiny lights bring cheer to the night, this corner restaurant is situated inside a vintage 1876 building that features original mosaic-tile flooring and enormous windows.  Red walls at Benchmark Oakland are accented with a high black ceiling, which work together to provide a cozy feeling.  You can see some kitchen activity and the red-tile pizza oven behind a zinc-topped semi-circle bar.  The decor makes this spot is a feast for the eyes as well as the tummy.

This is the second location for this pizza-centric eatery, and it features the same wood-fired, naturally leavened pizza as at the first (Benchmark Pizzeria in Kensington) with the addition here of fresh house-made pastas and breads.  The restaurant is noted for its house-stretched cheese and sourdough starter made with their own wild yeast.  Menu highlights include a Caesar Salad, strozzapreti Bolognese pasta, meatballs with polenta, and a pizza topped with fried sage.  My choices included marinated olives (a mix of plump green and small black orbs, some of which retained their thin stems), a colorful and flavorful orange-beet salad, and a spinach and thick-pancetta pizza on a chewy blistered crust.  From two dessert choices, we opted for light, spongy Italian beignets made with ricotta, flavored with lemon, and presented with a dark chocolate dipping sauce.  Specialty cocktails are on the menu along with an international wine list and assorted beers. In good weather, outside sidewalk-side seating is available.

exterior entrance of Benchmark Oakland in California
exterior entrance of Benchmark Oakland in California


interior at Benchmark Oakland in California
interior at Benchmark Oakland in California


bar at Benchmark Oakland in California
bar at Benchmark Oakland in California


red tile pizza oven at Benchmark Oakland in California
red tile pizza oven at Benchmark Oakland in California


colorful citrus-beet salad and olives at Benchmark Oakland in California
colorful citrus-beet salad and olives at Benchmark Oakland in California


spinach-pancetta pizza at Benchmark Oakland in California
spinach-pancetta pizza at Benchmark Oakland in California


beignets at Benchmark Oakland in California
beignets at Benchmark Oakland in California




Way more things to do in Oakland.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

images ©2019 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

February 13, 2019

San Francisco: Onsen; restaurant review

San Francisco

Onsen  

466 Eddy St./Hyde St., The Tenderloin.  D W-Sun. 

Featuring a simple but lovely interior that makes use of redwood and Douglas pine salvaged from rivers, this serene spot started as a tea house.  Long strands of origami peace cranes hanging from the ceiling throughout Onsen offset the natural brick walls nicely.  Plan it right and you can enjoy a soak in the social communal bath house pool in the back here, and then follow it with a seasonal dinner from the menu of Japanese-inspired cuisine.  Or do just one or the other.  Acupuncture is also available.

exterior of Onsen in San Francisco, California
exterior of Onsen in San Francisco, California


dining counter at Onsen in San Francisco, California
dining counter at Onsen in San Francisco, California


chains of origami peace cranes at Onsen in San Francisco, California
chains of origami peace cranes at Onsen in San Francisco, California



Way more things to do in San Francisco.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

images ©2019 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

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