Bay Area: Day 1

The purpose of this trip was to visit my sister who goes to college in Berkeley.
Vacation finally rolled around again. Ecstatic, a mad dash was made from the house to the airport. After parking at MasterPark, we rushed through the long check in line of Southwest and the also long line of security at the Central Checkpoint at SEA (Seattle, WA). With just 5 minutes to spare to departure, we reached gate B12, and boarded the waiting Southwest 364 flight, a 73G (737-700), with service from SEA-OAK (Seattle-Oakland).

The flight was decidedly average, two packets of peanuts and a drink were handed out. There was a salted peanut packet and honey peanut. In my opinion, pathetic. Almost more impressive to give nothing. Subsequent to landing in a foggy Oakland, we took the shuttle to the rental car center and got our Nissan Versa. 

The car doesn't provide much power, but it gets the job done. Interior is surprisingly spacious and trunk space is adequate. The car comfortably sits 4, and in a pinch 5, but with 5 it is squishy. After checking into the Holiday Inn Express at Berkeley, we drove to Grand Ave in Oakland for a dinner at Neecha Thai. 

Neecha Thai

Environment- 9.5/10 I have to give it to them on this one. Nestled in a slightly posh, but antique neighborhood full of history, this thai restaurant is clean, elegant, and sets the perfect balance between romantic and family-friendly. Floors are spotless, tables spotless, and real flowers garnish the tables. Menus are a little flimsy and slightly old, which is the only downpoint.  

Food- 8/10 Portions are enormous, but sometimes the flavor was slightly too strong. This is of course personal opinion, but solid chunks of ginger and garlic were meshed into my Pad See Ew. The flavor was overpowering. The ginger and garlic belonged on the side. Lots of vegetarian options which is good for the setting the restaurant is in. 

Service- 8/10 The waitress was friendly, but didn't shock or amaze. She wasn't attentive enough as drinks ran dry, but when she came she always had a pleasant smile. Food came very fast, earning some points. 

Price- Dishes were in the $10-$15 range, which is good for the food they serve. 

Favs- Pad See Ew (Rice noodles with soy sauce and egg) Pad Thai (Noodles with traditional orange colored thai sauce)
Least Favs- Water with lemon (personal opinion, this could go in the faves if you like lemon)

The best part of the night was meeting my older sister and watching the olympics.