About the CovertProfessor
I (the CovertProfessor) am relatively new to Davis, at least as Davisites go, and I'm a professor at UC Davis.
I try to comment on things from a faculty/community member perspective as I navigate my way through Davis and the campus, although of course my opinions are my own and will differ from other faculty/community members. I am "covert" because I expect to be around here a lot longer than most students, and because I am a relatively private person. I promise not to abuse my anonymity.
I'm also going to try to do some reviews of local restaurants, since I like to eat out a lot. I favor restaurants where ![[WWW]](http://wikispot.org/wiki/eggheadbeta/img/sycamore-www.png){kind=small}
well-behaved dogs are welcomed.
A bit more about me: When I'm not teaching or researching or involved in other professor-type activities, I enjoy hiking; walking, especially at the arboretum and the greenbelts; swimming; going to the movies; reading fiction. Of course, I also like to edit the wiki.
After much frustration, I started a page on UCD Email Etiquette. Though of course I can't be responsible for the final form it will take, given the Wiki's group editing process, I do strongly encourage students to read it. On a more positive note, you might also want to check out Q & A for Prospective Academics.
CovertProfessor's cute count: 8. Apparently, the cute count will be remaining at 8.
CovertProfessor's Quick Restaurant Picks
Restaurants are listed in order of preference. I've only listed restaurants that I like. If a restaurant is not listed, it usually means I don't like it, but it might just mean that I haven't tried it. See details below.
Best hamburgers: 1. Crepeville (but not Burgers and Brew), 2. Ali Baba
Best pizza: 1. Village Bakery, 2. Symposium, 2. Lamppost Pizza - tie for second
Best Chinese: 1. Davis Noodle City/Red Orchid Restaurant, 2. Wok of Flame
Best Thai: 1. Thai Nakorn, 2. Thai Bistro, 3. Sophia's, 4. Thai Recipes
Best Indian: 1. Raja Indian Cuisine, 2. Kathmandu Kitchen
Best Japanese/Korean: 1. Zen Toro, 2. Osaka Sushi, 3. Davis Oshio Cafe, 4. Manna
Best middle eastern: Ali Baba, Sam's Mediterranean, and Café Méditerranée (Ok, I've just named the three middle eastern restaurants in town... but how can I rank them when I like them for different things?).
Best Mexican: 1. El Mariachi - as far as I know, the only place in town where you can get a burrito with vegetables in it.
Best upscale: Aioli Bodega Espanola, Little Prague, Osteria Fasulo, Seasons, Tucos - These are unranked and in alpha order because I like them equally well.
Best frozen dessert: 1. Davis Creamery, 2. Icekrimski Cafe, 3. Yolo Berry Yogurt
Best dessert: 1. Konditorei - Others are good, such as The Candy House of Davis or Little Prague, but none really hold a candle to Konditorei.
Best café: 1. Cloud Forest Cafe, 2. Delta of Venus
Best other: Sunrise Restaurant (Vietnamese), Farmer's Kitchen Cafe (local, organic), Crepeville, The Hotdogger
CovertProfessor's Restaurant Reviews
American/Californian
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I like the "cafe" (counter service) side better than the "restaurant" (wait service) side. The entrées on the restaurant side just seem uninspired to me. But the cafe side makes a nice breakfast (good toast!) and is a little less claustrophobic. There are better places to get dessert, however (e.g., Ciocolat or Little Prague).
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The Davis Wiki has this restaurant classified as "French," but that seems a bit of a stretch. Other than the crepe, it's hardly French... anyway, I love the "make your own crepe" option here. I start with the basic crepe (cheddar and onion, I believe) and then add: eggplant, spinach, tomato sauce, mushrooms, and artichokes. (I'd love it if this were a regular menu item so I didn't have to ask for all those items!). All dishes seem to come with home-fried potatoes, something that I generally like, but these I'm not crazy about. You can substitute a salad, but you have to pay extra. They do, however, give you a full salad, so it's not totally out of line. I like the fuji salad with the slices of fuji apples and walnuts in it. If you have the crepe I described, plus the salad — boy, you've really consumed a lot of veggies for the day! It's a lot of food, period, so it's nice that take-home boxes are conveniently located by the counter.
Once I tried the eggplant sandwich, with pesto on it (memory may be hazy here). It was greasy, but good. The burgers are good, too. They come with cheese, sauteed onions and mushrooms, mayo, and avocado by default. Again, you can substitute a salad for the potatoes.
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The condescending attitude expressed by the owner on the Davis wiki page almost turned me away from this place, but luckily (for me) I decided to give them a try anyway. I have yet to have a bad meal here. Everything I have tried (salad, tamales, rice and veggies, chicken and potatoes, soup, etc.) has been fresh and flavorful. I should emphasize the "flavorful" — food is nicely spiced, so that even an ordinary dish like chicken and potatoes tastes like something special. So, come here if you believe in the mission of the place, but come here even if you just want a good meal. But definitely don't come here unless you've got time to spare; in general, it won't be a quick meal. Think of it as a nice place to have a long chat with friends and have a nice, healthy, tasty meal.
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This will sound like an odd comment, but they make a great tuna melt. A great tuna melt is hard to find. Most are soggy or greasy or use dark tuna or put pickles in the tuna.
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I don't even like hot dogs very much, but I like everything about this place. I like that I can get an all beef dog. I like that it's a small hole-in-the-wall with lots of character. I like that I have so many mustards to choose from — the Hawaiian pineapple mustard is really good (sweet and savory). I like the potato wedges that are baked instead of fried, and actually have some potato on them. I might actually become a hot dog person!
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The first time I tried to go here I walked in and walked out — it was a hot day and the menu just seemed overwhelming. I did take a menu to go, and studied it, so I could be ready for the next time. Most people seem to get salads here — we tried the tri-tip as a meal (get it with the BBQ sauce) and the turkey (it's nice to be able to get real turkey when it's not Thanksgiving). Both were quite good, although the portions of the tri-tip were small. We also tried the sides — there were a couple of nice vegetable sides, although the grilled one was a bit better. The stuffing (for the turkey, of course) was really good. Once we had a "knock-you-on-your-ass" lemon bar; sadly, the next time it only teetered us a bit.
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Again, I deviate from the Davis Wiki classification here, which has this under fast food. (I doubt I'll be visiting the other fast-food places, so there is no point). Also, Redrum is definitely not fast. It usually takes about 30 minutes to get your food.
The joint is not particularly well-run. They need to get a new door-closer, too. I can still hear it in my sleep: SLAM
And yet, the burgers are very good. Optimal bun to burger ratio is achieved with the 1/2 lb burger — but that's a lot of burger. There are lots of topping options (lots of burger options, too), but no pineapple, which is too bad. A chocolate shake with malt rounds out the meal nicely. The onion rings were huge and greasy — never again.
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We've had one really good entrée there, and one so-so entrée. The steak (hold the foie gras butter — ick!) was excellent, and it came with potatoes au gratin and a vegetable (broccoli, I think). But the breaded and baked chicken my partner ordered was boring. (There was some kind of sauce on it, but again: boring). There was a yummy chocolate dessert — I don't remember the details, but it was one of these chocolate w/chocolate and more chocolate desserts — and it was very good. The summer atmosphere seemed a lot more laid-back and comfortable than the crowded winter scene I remember. Service was attentive. It's a bit upscale from most Davis restaurants, but not super fancy, which is fine with me.
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We had a very nice meal here, and true to their word, they were dog-friendly, which is nice to find in an upscale restaurant. :-) Since they change their menu so often, there's probably no point in commenting on specific dishes, so I'll just say that we enjoyed the mix of flavors and the creative menu that tempts you to order too much because so much looks interesting. The location next to the train can be a bit loud at times, although it bothered my partner and my dog more than it bothered me.
Sandwiches
Davis's sandwich scene has been looking up lately, though it still isn't quite what it could be.
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Beach Hut Deli - haven't tried it yet; hopefully soon.
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This cute little café is a welcome addition to Davis's sandwich scene. The grilled paninis all have nice fresh vegetables included, with a choice of ciabatta or focaccia bread. I quite like the ciabatta, which seemed very fresh; haven't tried the focaccia. The smoothies were also quite good. I get the feeling that this place is emphasizing quality over quantity; there aren't a lot of choices, but all the choices are good. Smart move. One weird little annoyance — passing through the doors (even the door to the restroom) sets short beeping alarm.
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The food here seems very fresh and healthy, and the sandwiches are all intriguing, the sort of menu where you want to try them all (I'm still working on that). Bread can "make" or "break" a sandwich — this bread definitely falls into the "make" category. It's hearty, fresh, and tasty. Burgers are served on a sourdough roll (and I wasn't sure how I'd like that — but it was good) with enough greens on the burger to make a salad (plus, of course, other options — choice of about 5-6 cheeses, bacons, different types of onion, etc.). I wasn't crazy about the mix of flavors on the avocado sandwich, but that's probably just an issue of my personal taste buds. The curried chicken sandwich was much more up my alley. And you can get a real turkey (not pressed deli turkey) sandwich. Woo hoo! From comments on their wiki page, sounds like they used to have an eggplant sandwich — I wish they'd bring it back (swap out the avocado sandwich??). It's also worth mentioning that everyone here goes out of their way to be extremely friendly and helpful; it's technically counter-service, but it's more like counter-service+.
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This is the sort of place that I really want to like — it's cute and independently run. But the hours are too short — it closes way too early — and then when I have made it there for lunch, there's been a massive, slow-moving line. And the sandwiches are fine, but they are not amazing. So, between one thing and another, I rarely go here.
Chinese
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I like the kimchee that you get when you sit down, I like the small, comfortable atmosphere and the prompt, accommodating service, I like the homemade noodles that you can get with every dish instead of rice (or, if you're with two people, get both!), I like the fact that the orange beef isn't crispy fried, I like the Hunan tofu (seems similar to what other places call Ma Po tofu, soft tofu with spicy black bean sauce). My one and only complaint is that there aren't more vegetables available, which is not to say that there aren't plenty of vegetarian dishes (there are). But a vegetable mix in a tasty sauce would be a welcome addition. The vegetable curry comes close (and it's really good — in fact, I've yet to have a bad dish here), but it is mostly potatoes and tofu. What I'm looking for is something with lots of broccoli, carrots, snow peas, etc.
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I really want to like this place, but the service is like dying a slow death and a lot of the dishes are overly fried. However, if you choose your dishes carefully and get take-out, you can avoid most of the pain.
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I got some nice takeout here — following suggestions on the page, the garlic eggplant and the general's chicken. I wouldn't say it was amazing, but it was quite good. The sauces were tasty, but we'd prefer white meat chicken to the dark that we were provided. And we wondered about the MSG, given the mixed comments on the entry for this restaurant, but I didn't feel the "MSG coma" that I usually get after consuming MSG, so I don't think they do add MSG. We didn't have a problem with the wait; what was a problem was trying to fight the traffic back north into town. Ugh. If you live in South Davis, I can see going here a lot, but otherwise, a place like Davis Noodle City is going to be more of a draw. Or, go for lunch, I guess.
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I like this place as much as Davis Noodle City, which is to say, I like it quite a lot. (No surprise, since it's the same owners). In addition to the dim sum and shabu shabu, they have "regular" dishes, which is usually what we order, always with delicious the homemade noodles. It's hard for me to know what to recommend, since I haven't had a bad dish yet.
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I walk in the door, and there they are: the specials. Asparagus with black bean sauce (choice of meat), eggplant with szechuan sauce (choice of meat) — why go any further? (I haven't managed to, myself). The ingredients here are high quality and the sauces are tasty. I wish it were downtown, but nothing to be done about that. And I wish they had more tofu/veggie dishes — there is something to be done about that! Hope they do it.
Frozen Dessert
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You can tell you're getting the real stuff here. For example, the chocolate peanut butter ice cream has chunks of peanuts in it, and the banana ice cream — a flavor I don't normally like — actually tastes like bananas. There isn't a huge supply of mix-ins, but they have the standard ones; don't overlook the homemade brownies off to the side. Now I just need to save up some calories for a Cow Pie.
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The gelato here is really good, and refreshing on a hot day. (So, refreshing just about every day??). Try the sorbet — it's intensely flavored and will knock your socks off. (Which you don't need anyway, since it's so darned hot...)
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Cultivé definitely seems like the place for people who are more serious about their yogurt, as compared to Yogurt Shack. That person isn't me, but I can see why some would prefer it. It has more of a "yogurt-y" flavor (a bit more sour) and there is more of an emphasis on healthy toppings — but just as the Shack has a few fruit toppings, Cultivé has a few less-healthy toppings, too (I think there were M & M's?). I tried the "specialty" pomegranate flavor (50 cents extra). Again, I am not ga-ga over frozen yogurt, but it had a nice pomegranate flavor and I vastly preferred it to my partner's green tea flavor, even though I usually love green tea ice cream. I agree with others who say that the toppings are expensive — 80 cents for the first topping, 40 cents for the second, regardless of the size of your cup, and the amount of toppings I received was not a lot for that price. But the raspberries were fresh and quite good, especially considering the time of year.
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Ok, I have to say I don't really understand the concept behind this place (and similar places) — you get yogurt, as opposed to ice cream, because it's healthier? less fat? And then you throw a lot of high fat candy on it? Or do some people genuinely prefer frozen yogurt to soft serve ice cream? But even though I can't make sense of it logically, I have to admit it's downright tasty. I tend to go for a yogurt with chocolate in it; black cherry was also good, whereas I couldn't really taste the peanut butter in the peanut butter chocolate. As for toppings, I imagine I'm pretty boring as these things go, but heath bar, brownie, oreos, and coconut make a good combo. $3 gave me a portion that was plenty big enough (easier to achieve if you take the smaller cup — there's definitely a tendency to get more with the larger cup). I saw people walking all over town with cups of this stuff, and so I'm guessing this place will do pretty well. Oh, and if you want to be "virtuous," you can get just the yogurt alone, or yogurt with just fruit.
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It seems like the "real" yogurt lovers prefer Cultivé. But I am not a real yogurt lover, and I prefer Yolo Berry. I also prefer being able to include exactly the amount of yogurt I want and exactly amount the toppings I want. Yolo Berry has *lots* of topping choices; more than Yogurt Shack, I think. Otherwise, I'm still undecided which I prefer. One bonus in Yolo Berry's favor is that you have a much nicer place to sit outside than the Shack — hell, you have all of Central Park.
Other Dessert
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Most (or all?) of the truffles are made with liqueur. That might be a "plus" for some, but I didn't like it — although I will say some of the truffles tasted more like liqueur than others, and as there are a lot of truffles, it might be worth doing some testing... In general I have to say that I prefer
See's truffles. However, they did give us some free fudge, and it was really good, so I go back just for that. Try the tri-color (light chocolate, vanilla, dark chocolate) with or without coconut.
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Mousse seems to be the specialty of the house. It's a great mousse, not too light, not too heavy, and just the right amount of sweetness and creaminess. There are many mousse desserts here, so if you like mousse at all, this is your place. The 24K "domes" are amazing — a thin layer of cake topped with chocolate mousse and coated with dark chocolate. Cookies are also great — ginger spice with chocolate chips is a particular standout, maybe because it's unusual. The glorious array of delicious-looking cakes demands further research.
If you hit up their table at the Farmers' Market, you will find a delicious fruit crumble (it looks like a small pie). The top (the "crumble") tastes like a cookie.
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I've had some good doughnuts here — a jelly doughnut with lemon filling and a buttermilk doughnut. Good flavor, not too greasy, not the best doughnuts I've ever had but pretty darn good. I wish, though, that they made doughnuts throughout the day and stayed open into the evenings, perhaps even 24-hour.
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What a lovely place to have a genteel breakfast or lunch (especially on the nice covered patio outside), or skip the meal and go straight to the dessert. It's what they do best in any case, though I do like the quiche — skip the turkey sandwich. For those of you who have only had the Americanized version of a croissant or a danish, you simply have to find out a proper flaky pastry tastes like. It's a whole 'nother creature. But be warned that walking into this café is to be bombarded with one delicacy after another; how to choose when one thing looks better than the next? Take heart, though, one can always return, or splurge on a cake for a special event. Too bad their hours are so few and their location only really convenient for East Davisites.
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See review for Little Prague on this page, whose extensive dessert menu deserves special mention.
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The baked goods here are quite yummy (hearty, tasty, down-to-earth but not boring), e.g., lemon bars, morning bread, oatmeal-apricot cookies...
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Generally, I don't shop much here because of the high prices, with the exception of a few items that I can't get anywhere else. But the bakery items are hard to resist... especially chocolate chip cookies, lemon bars, and éclairs...
Addendum: I agree with others that this place has gone downhill in a very short amount of time. Every time you go in there, the staff seems to be brand new and thus very slow at doing even the simplest tasks. Usually this is a sign of poor management or underpaid workers... can't say whether that is true in this case, but I do wonder. And often you go in to find a very limited selection of items. I hope they turn things around, because when they're "on" they can make delightful desserts.
European
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This is a Spanish restaurant. Two things I really enjoyed here were: the wide array of vegetarian tapas, especially some little cheesy puffs and the grilled vegetables, and the vegetable paella (which is not something that you see often). The paella is for two, but if you go with a bunch of people you can split a bunch of tapas as well as a paella, and have a nice, varied meal.
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This is an Italian restaurant. The menu looks very promising here, with lots of choices. But I found myself disappointed. The "greens" in the dinner salad are iceberg lettuce (why do people persist in eating it? It has no nutritional value) and I was sorry that I didn't order the dressing on the side, because the lettuce leaves were dripping with the stuff. I thought the red sauce tasted like a jar of Ragu, which is OK if you like Ragu, but I expect better. (Strings' sauce is much better). I will say, though, that the "lasagna" dessert (I don't recall the exact name, but they do refer to it as a lasagna) was really quite good — a brownie with coconut and walnuts, topped with ice cream and whipped cream, big enough for at least two people.
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This is a Czech restaurant with a nice, elegant-yet-comfortable interior or the option to eat outside. The food here was on the heavy side, but it was quite tasty. It's a good place to go if you're splurging (on calories, that is — dinner entries range from $15-$20, which is more than we usually spend on dinner, but not outrageous). My partner had the vegetarian casserole, which sounded as though it would be very good (potatoes, tomatoes, creamed spinach, and mushrooms, in an Italian spiced egg casserole—oven baked until a browned cheese crust forms), but in fact was sort of boring. I think it's like going to a fish restaurant and ordering steak — it's just not going to be that good! So, this is perhaps not the place for vegetarian food, although there is a nightly vegetarian special that I can't vouch for. Anyway, I had the beef goulash with czech dumplings, which was just wonderfully hearty and tasty. My friend reported the same about her beef stroganoff, although she was surprised that it came with rice rather than noodles. The restaurant offers an amazing array of tempting desserts. We had the chocolate éclair, which I would get again, except that will be hard when there are so many other tempting things to try...
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My review of this restaurant is long overdue, and so I cannot give specifics. Here's the impression that lingers: a relaxed meal on a lovely patio with our dog curled at our feet, slowly working our way through several courses of delectable food, followed by a stroll on the greenbelt. Definitely a place to go for a special occasion or even just a special treat.
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Of course, this is not exactly the healthiest of meals, but the portions were quite large (each piece of fish is pretty darn big, and you get a lot of chips, aka fries for us Americans), especially for the price. And it's as good as battered fried fish can be (personally, I prefer my fried fish dipped in breadcrumbs, but what are you gonna do? you take what you can get). I'd like it if the fish were served with lemon, although it is available. The guy behind the counter was very friendly and helpful.
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This place gets extra points for dealing gracefully with my large, somewhat disorganized group. They have a nice, tasty marinara, which goes pretty far in my book, because it's "make or break" for so many dishes. The artichoke ravioli were quite good. They need to switch to a "greens" salad, though — they're still serving the old-fashioned no-nutrition-here iceberg lettuce salad.
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This is a Greek restaurant. This place was hit or miss for us. Hits: nice atmosphere (the equivalent of "dressy causal," with a mural on the wall), very tasty moussaka (eggplant, beef, and bechamel sauce, layered like a lasagna), pretty good salad (had some iceberg lettuce, but also some greens and other things) with two choices of dressing, feta or vinaigrette (but it was a creamy vinaigrette, if there is such a thing), big warm rolls, reasonable if not amazing service. Misses: spanoko tiropita, which is spinach and feta in a flaky pasty — I usually love this dish, but this was greasy and not very flavorful; dolmas, which are grape leaves stuffed with flavored rice and, in this case, some sort of meat (although I prefer veggie ones — if that was an option, I didn't know about it) — again, just not really to my liking. We'll be back for the moussaka, no doubt, and then try something else...
Indian/Afghan
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This restaurant advertises itself as Indian and Nepalese. My partner and I had a lovely dinner here one night awhile back. The food was very good; unfortunately, specifics have been forgotten. As with the one other Nepalese restaurant in our experience, the difference between Indian and Nepalese is subtle, if present at all; it seems to be mainly a difference in the spices used. Oh, but the spices! Definitely worth trying, if you never have. The service was slow, however; definitely the place to go if you're in the mood to linger. Since then, I frequent the stall that the restaurant runs at the Farmers' Market. There is generally a vegetarian combination plate that is very good; typical for the plate would be a spinach dish, a chickpea dish, rice, naan, and pakora.
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I've had the lunch buffet here a few times. It's quick. It's convenient to campus. The owner is very friendly and seems to want to go out of his way to make sure you are comfortable and happy. The food was good, but nothing to get excited about.
Japanese/Korean
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This restaurant serves Japanese and Korean food. Most of my meals here have been very good (especially the vegetarian items), although one or two were just OK. The miso soup isn't my favorite. Service isn't super-speedy but it's not unreasonable, either, and they are very friendly. The outdoor patio is a nice space — there's an overhang and you're protected from the wind and the street a bit. Overall, I like it quite a bit.
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This is a Japanese restaurant. Apparently, everyone goes here for the "all you can eat" sushi? My partner and I went here for an ordinary meal, but was not impressed by the service (which was terrible; dishes were forgotten, and then forgotten again) or the food. One sushi ordered was clearly premade some time ago. The teriyaki sauce was flavorless; meat was low quality. We are unlikely to return.
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This is a Japanese restaurant. We went here for the midweek "all you can eat" buffet. (Is it really a buffet if the food isn't laid out on a table?? Never mind, it was all you can eat, for around $13/person). I had been told that this was a great place for veggie sushi; this was true. The veggie dragon and veggie rainbow sushi were delish. However, the wonton soup had a weird flavor and teriyaki chicken didn't have a very good sauce. Apparently, if you want miso soup you have to go on the weekend... maybe next time.
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This is a Korean restaurant that also serves Japanese food. The bimimbap in a clay pot was excellent, although next time I wouldn't bother with the beef (there wasn't much of it, and it wasn't great quality), and instead would go for the tofu. The vegetable teryaki makes an excellent light and healthy dish: both tofu and veggies are steamed, not fried. Yum!
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We had a very enjoyable meal here. Portions were quite large and the atmosphere was very pleasant. We tried the spicy teriyaki beef over rice, which was a nice change over the usual teriyaki. We also had a vegetable sushi platter; some of the items we liked, and some we didn't, but it was just that some were not to our liking, not that they were prepared poorly. In fact, it was obvious that our dishes were prepared with great care. Next time, we will simply order something else! (I think we would have been better off with the "Vegetarian Delight" sushi, or picking our own sushi, rather than the mixed platter).
Not that I think these two cuisines are the same... but with some of the Davis restaurants offering both, it seems appropriate to group them.
Latin American/Tex-Mex/Caribbean
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Wonderful laidback hippy atmosphere; nice music, even for an old fart professor. Breakfasts (veggie omelet is outstanding), sandwiches for lunch (the tofu-curry sandwich sounded weird but was deliciously sweet and tangy) and dinner (Carribean food — we tried the jerk chicken and the plum baked chicken — we especially liked the latter). There are so many interesting things on the menu that it's guaranteed we'll be back many times.
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Went to the North Davis location, and in short, I doubt I'll go back. First, this was one of those menus with several items slightly different from one another, and you are left to figure out how they are different. (I was looking at the burritos). Not a big deal, but annoying. Second, the place is noisy. Not (necessarily) lots-of-customers-talking noisy, but even without many customers (as there the day I was there), there is a loud hum (some kind of fan?), plus music, plus high ceilings to echo everyone's voices, trying to talk over the other noise. It just wasn't pleasant. Third, the food wasn't bad, but it was mediocre. Really, the salsas were all that I liked; I just kept adding more salsa to my burrito, and thinking, "Why aren't we at El Mariachi?"
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Love the veggie burritos here and the wonderful array of salsas in the salsa bar.
Middle Eastern
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The specials!! Oh, the specials! I love the specials, especially the vegetarian one (which is available all the time) and the pomegranate w/chicken one. They are served with rice and yogurt. Since they are specials, they are already prepared and can be served right away, so they make a fantastic "to go" meal. The specials are so good that it is hard for me to order anything else. I tried a dolmas appetizer once, served with a tomato-ey sauce. It was OK. I do like the burgers quite a bit, in part because they are very generous with their mushrooms. I don't like their kabobs or baba ganouj - go to Sam's for the former and Café Méditerranée for the latter.
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This place is a bit tucked away, so it's easy to overlook it — every time I go, I vow to go more often. The falafel is crisp and hearty, the baba ganoush is divine, the hummus has just the right proportion of lemon to garlic. I need to explore more of the menu (one way to do that is to order "five sides"), but so far I've not been disappointed.
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I think this is a good place to get some nice falafel and hummus in a pita. The chicken kabob in a pita is also very flavorful.
Pizza
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It's Sunday, and you've got a hankerin' for pizza. But Village Bakery is closed. Symposium is closed. What to do?? Lamppost Pizza is a fine alternative. While I wouldn't say it was amazing pizza, the bread was good, the sauce was good (the place where a lot of pizzas fail) and the toppings were fresh. I'd definitely get it again. As a nice bonus, it was prepared quickly.
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I've only had this pizza at Picnic In The Park, so maybe it's not fair to judge it, but I was unimpressed. It wasn't bad (you have to work really hard to make bad pizza), but the crust was tasteless.
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Symposium makes great pizza — there's no doubt about it. But it's a rich, dense pizza. Sometimes I'm in the mood for that, sometimes not. When I am, it can't be beat. (See review of other food served by Symposium under European restaurants).
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Uncle Vito, I grew up with N.Y. pizza. I know N.Y Pizza. N.Y. pizza is a friend of mine. Uncle Vito, you’re no N.Y. pizza.
The pie looked pretty, with veggie toppings fresh and nicely arranged, but it was basically flavorless. The crust was overly floury ("dusty," if you know what I mean), the cheese also had no flavor, and the sauce was only marginally better. Even with red peppers and parmesan cheese, it was still barely edible. There are better places to go in Davis for pizza; if you want a slice to go, head to Village Bakery.
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Let's just say that it's very hard to pass anywhere in the general vicinity of this place and not stop in for a quick slice of pizza. Love the vegetable pizza. And now I am starting to think that I prefer the plain (cheese and sauce) pizza — sometimes, nothing hits the spot like the basic food, and VB does it really well. Muffins, etc., are great too.
Thai
Ah, Thai food. A well-made Thai sauce is the nectar of gods. Davis is lucky to have so many good Thai restaurants.
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This is my least favorite of Davis' Thai restaurants. It's not so bad that I'd never go there, but I dislike it enough that I would never choose to go there, and would only go with someone else who for some perverse reason insisted. The sauces are bland and flavorless. And I find the atmosphere off-putting — they seem to be trying very hard to be hip, but they fail miserably.
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This is the easiest of the Thai restaurants to "fall into" for lunch when you're on campus. I almost never go here for dinner, though, in part because my partner doesn't like the peanut sauce (usually one of our favorite things). It is a bit unusual for peanut sauce, I admit, but I kind of like it.
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They have quality ingredients that taste good. Try the sweet and sour chicken with mango. (Here's a hint: it's not that deep batter fried stuff with gloppy pink sauce). I also like their curries. Service has been uniformly friendly and consistent. And they get extra points for the nice outdoor patio where you can bring your dog.
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It's disconcerting to eat Thai food in an American diner, but Californians should know by now not to judge a restaurant by its appearance. This was really quite a treat. They seem to put a particular emphasis on having a variety of fresh vegetables in their food, a big plus in my book. The fresh rolls had sprouts, carrots, cucumber, and avocado inside (shrimp optional) — an unusual combination, but very good — and the peanut sauce had a nice bite to it. Service was a bit slow at points, but they were extremely friendly and so it was hard to be mad. I hope this place does well. We'll definitely be back to try more dishes.
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Consistently tasty. Some of the menu options here lean more towards Chinese, so if you're not sure what you want (or if you have a mixed party that can't make up its mind), it's a good choice. I also like the choice of meat or tofu for many of the dishes, and the sauces are good. Also gets points for the dog-friendly patio.
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Good food here, and nice atmosphere. I like the way that they always ask if you want your tofu fried or soft (i.e., steamed); most places you have to remember to ask, and sometimes you get funny looks.
Vietnamese
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This place looks like hell from the outside. It looks like hell from the inside. Plates often linger on tables long after their diners have left. And yet, the place has a nice "mom and pop" feel, and the food is surprisingly good. And inexpensive. We'll be back.
Out of business
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I really like this Afghan restaurant quite a bit. They have an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet and regular dinners. The atmosphere is comfortable, the waitstaff is friendly, and, most importantly, the food is delicious — it is wonderfully spiced and flavorful.
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This is a Japanese restaurant that also serves Korean food. My partner and I tried the bimimbap and the beef sukiyaki. I liked these well-enough but the CP's partner thought the beef quality was poor, and the dishes a bit greasy. Not that I disagree with that, but I thought it was worth a second try (the flavors were good) — my partner disagrees — maybe we'll be back there eventually.
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2007-04-03 22:48:50 Welcome to the wiki. I'm glad you decided to join as there are not nearly enough professors on here. As it is right now, the wiki seems to be dominated by undergraduates. —WilliamLewis
2007-04-03 22:56:04 Thanks! Yes, it is good for me to hear the undergraduate perspective, but I agree that more voices are needed. (Hey, if you're out there, join in!) —CovertProfessor
2007-04-16 10:06:15 I totally agree with William— plenty of profs read the wiki but their contributions are regrettably scarce. I'll definitely check out the tuna melt next time I'm at Fuzio's and the muffins at village bakery. BTW, if you want to maximize the number of people who read your reviews, I recommend you put them on each restaurant's pages. Right now, your visibility is limited to (achem) wiki gnomes, or people who have seen your link on the dental fraud and faculty pages. —CraigBrozinsky
2007-04-16 11:41:41 Well, glad the gnomes are stopping by, anyway. :-) I suppose I've been torn about just how "visible" I want to be (I am "covert," after all), but then again, there's no point in my doing a lot of work if hardly anyone is going to see it. (And I won't motivate other profs to join in if I am too covert). I think I'd like to keep my restaurant reviews all together for now, but maybe I'll increase my visibility if I put a link on the Restaurants page. And really, I should be commenting on some professor-oriented things. I'm open to suggestions for places where that might be useful. —CovertProfessor
2007-04-16 13:38:04 For professor-oriented input, a couple pages that come to mind are UC Undergrad Neglect and UCD classroom etiquette. As for the restaurant reviews, you could have them both on the restaurant page and your own with a little cutting & pasting! : ) —LillianChow
Thanks — those are all good suggestions. It might take me awhile, but I'll get crackin'. —CovertProfessor
2007-05-02 22:55:06 Awesome reviews, keep up the good work, one day I will figure out a way to determine who you are, just to take your class. —DavidPoole
Thanks! :-) Of course, I'd love to have you in my class, but not if I have to blow my cover. Just take classes that you're interested in, and maybe you'll stumble on me anyway... —CovertProfessor
2007-05-03 03:10:09 Nice reviews added yesterday; I like the specifics. —JabberWokky
Thanks. I think specifics are very important for restaurant reviews, because every restaurant that is in business will have some people who like it. So, it helps to know what a person does, or does not, like about a restaurant. Then the reader can decide if that is something that is important to him/her. —CovertProfessor
2007-05-03 14:00:25 The Wiki does, indeed, seem to be heavily undergraduate-oriented, but there are a few like me who throw in the occasional thing, and I'm not even associated with the University. Anyway, good to see your entries here. —DanLawyer
Good to see yours, too. The wiki should reflect the community. —CovertProfessor
The top editors, accounting for a heavy percentage of edits, are not undergrads. The top ten editors have a percentage appropriate for the town. I'd say that the wiki has a heavy undergraduate orientation because Davis has a heavy undergraduate orientation. It's sort of like having the Las Vegas wiki being gambling oriented; if it weren't, it wouldn't reflect the actual city. Having seen the wiki operate for a few years now, I can say that we're coming into summer, when the edits slow and the non-student editors tend to stand out a bit more. —JabberWokky
Makes sense to me. I haven't been here long enough to get a sense of Davis as a whole, anyway. But the wiki has really eased that process, for which I am grateful. —CovertProfessor
2007-05-09 15:40:48 In my opinion a salad should only complement the main entree, and I don't like salads that are presented as meals. I love iceberg lettuce for the very reason that it has no nutritional value - whatever happened to eating food for enjoyment instead of nutritional "value"? Excepting the lettuce comments I like this page a lot. —TusharRawat
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Actually iceberg lettuce is a good source of Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Iron and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate and Manganese. On a 5 star rating system (of health value) by nutritiondata.com iceberg lettuce recieved 5 stars (as did most non-starchy vegetables). Yes it may not have the most nutrients out of all the lettuces, but to say it has no nutritional value is actually just perpetuating a myth. My nutrition major freinds gringe whenever someone makes this type of statement. However, its not your fault because it has been perpetuated by the media and even well educated people in the medical field. However, i do not perfer iceberg, since i thing it is not as flavorful as other greens. But sometimes its nice when you just want something crisp and fresh. By the way the best advice for eating vegetables, is eat the rainbow, very the types of veges as much as you can. Pretty much all veges are good for you, even iceberg. -MattHh
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You really need to consider portion size. Lettuce, iceberg or not, is mostly water, and though it may have big benefits in a salad sized portion, it doesn't make a big dent nutritionally if you plop a single leaf on a burger. A leaf of iceberg lettuce fulfills fewer than 3% of your daily dietary in all categories with the exception of Vitamin K (5%). In contrast, the equivalent amount of potato chips have about half as much vitamin K and are a better source of crunchy deliciousness. —CraigBrozinsky
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Ok, guilty (of perpetuating a myth) as charged! I checked into it and you are right — iceberg lettuce does have some nutritional value, although much less than most other lettuces. —CovertProfessor
I also am not a big fan of the "salad as meal," although they seem to be all the rage. And your point about eating food for enjoyment is well-taken. I can't say that too many of the tasty desserts that I eat are good for me. I guess I never thought about people eating iceberg lettuce for pleasure — I had more in mind people thinking they were eating something healthy, when in fact they are (from a nutritional point of view) eating a bowl of salad dressing. But for those like you who eat iceberg lettuce for pleasure — more power to you! —CovertProfessor
2007-06-19 17:30:23 thanks for the feedback, CP. Although the crisp text and rough bike was an intentional juxtaposition, maybe a change is for the best. —EliseKane
2007-06-20 13:20:27 thanks for helping with the links to the Blue page! —JessicaRockwell
2007-06-29 18:29:29 I agree with you about being against moving all Sacramento based pages from Davis Wiki. Something is lost indeed. I proposed a solution that I hope most people would agree satisfies everyone. —EdWins
It's not me deleting anything, I only edit my page and pages that apply to the community. I actually constantly refer other people to other sitters quite frequently as I am swaped most of the time. Sorry for the confusion ,but look elsewhere for the culprit. —ElizabethBarthel
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As WilliamLewis pointed out, there is
evidence that you've deleted competitors' names from the wiki. —CovertProfessor
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I only edited the page a couple of times and deleted by mistake at first and once on purpose, I wanted to do some research from people to find out the validity of the new students business and whether or not I could look to her as a referral because I believe other students should help students. I have since referred people to lone roan pet sitting and sorry this had to happen it will not happen in the future. As far as the comment about the dirty house and such there is only one case and they had a dog and cat(hearsay as far as i am concerned) please address all future comments to me directly and not on the business page if you please i will answer them and if you still feel the need to make comments then i or you can addd them to the page. Thanks for your advice, i have learned a valuable lesson
2007-07-17 11:06:59 Howdy,
It's actually accepted practice on Davis Wiki for individuals to do what they please with their own userpages. So, Elizabeth Bartel was acting reasonably when she removed the comment(s) from her own page. That doesn't apply to her pet sitting page, of course, since it's the community's page about her service and not a page "owned" by her.
That said, thanks for helping to keep the wiki contents legit. —GrahamFreeman
2007-07-17 23:31:16 Heh. You're just lucky I was busy creating the Hawaiian Barbecue page :) . —KevinChin
Heh... now I know your weak point...
2007-07-18 20:04:00 Dammit, now I want a hot dog. —GrahamFreeman
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Seconded, curse you professor, making me miss Davis all the more. ~Dave
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Heh heh heh... I've had my hot dog today. —CovertProfessor
2007-08-02 14:35:06 Hi Covert professor I am Leonardo Fasulo owner of Osteria Fasulo in West Davis I saw you question about the patio and bringing dogs , we welcome dogs and my customers love it and i was thinking of having a dogs night out,hope to see you soon, Leonardo —LeonardoFasulo
2007-08-04 09:55:28 zogm anyone who doesn't have a dog can be crossed off the list of potential CP's... —StevenDaubert
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Hmm... Or, I have a friend with a dog... —CovertProfessor P.S. What is zogm?
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ZOMG is a bastardization of the Internet shorthand term for 'Oh My God', OMG. The term is commonly used to express humorously overwrought excitement
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That is a good definition... notice how OMG is misspelled to further the sense of excitement? Damnit CP, don't point out the logical failings of my attempt to cull potential CP... —StevenDaubert
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I got some minor lulz out of this whole exchange. :) —WilliamLewis
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Zoh my god, it's hard for old farts like me to keep up! (Does that cull potential CPs, too — or are all Ps old farts?) But I wouldn't be very covert if I let slip *too* much relevant info. :) —CovertProfessor
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Or your admission could be subterfuge in and of itself. Aha! Didn't think we'd catch on to that, did you? —KevinChin
2007-08-17 11:10:25 You are a hamburger-linking maniac!! Nice job. —JabberWokky
Thanks! And I've been psyched to see the edits that others have made to the page — it's even better now. —CovertProfessor
2007-08-18 11:54:45 You know, when I left that note about the photo on the hamburgers entry, the thought went through my head "I'll bet CovertProfessor uploads a photo". —JabberWokky
Well, how could I resist? My first Davis Wiki photo, too, although I neither took the picture nor ate the burger (next time)! —CovertProfessor
2007-08-27 16:44:06 Hi CovertProfessor, welcome to Davis! I'm going into my final year at UC Davis and have had a few years to try out the Davis food scene. I'm biased because I currently serve there as one of my two jobs, but it seems you have had bad experiences with "Japanese food" in Davis and urge you to come to Zen Toro (I was a weekly regular before I started working there). If price is a concern try us out during lunch we have some good lunch combinations priced from $7-$10, and if you have some more moolah to spend, try out some of the nigiri or specialty rolls (three is a good number for two people). For rolls, in order of preference I recommend the SSC, Lobster Roll, Avo-Negihama, Ocean Kings, and Stuart, and our customers seem to like the ZT Crunch, Tataki Attack, Citrus Breeze, and New Age Bake California. As for entrees try the Hawaiian Kalbi Ribs, the Loco Moco, or Grilled Saba. If like many people on the wiki you desire off-the-menu items, try the Seafood Chazuke (rice and assorted sashimi with a special broth poured over it). PS - we make our own teriyaki sauce (it seems like bad teriyaki sauce is your pet peeve). —AlvinTsao
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Thanks for the recommendation — see my review above. And yes, I did like the teriyaki sauce! —CovertProfessor
2007-08-28 16:08:47 Tucos does allow dogs on the patio. At least, they did when I worked there. —ElleWeber
Thank you! —CovertProfessor
2007-08-30 23:14:03 Nice job splitting the Best Western pages. —WilliamLewis
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Thanks. This was something I found confusing when I first came to Davis, so I thought it might help others to split the entries. And you are right, we should keep the plain Best Western page with just the links. —CovertProfessor
2007-08-30 23:45:15 Could you tell us what department your in, or at least a general field (ie. physcal/math science, soc science, engineering, humanities, bio science, medical/health science etc.) Im just currious, you dont have to answer if you think that will give your identity away. —MattHh
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Isn't it obvious? :-) —CovertProfessor
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Um. . . Food Science & Technology? Viticulture and Enology? . . . Vet med? Ninjutsu? —KevinChin
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Hi! Out of curiosity, not trying to offend you, but how do we really know you're a professor? A couple of my housemates and I were just having a conversation the other day and we thought you have quuuuite a bit of time to edit the Wiki so much as a professor! -AmyLee
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Amy, you're right, you don't know — you can believe me or not, and it doesn't really matter to me one way or the other. You're absolutely right, though, that I tend to spend more time here than is good for me. But I have always been this way... I work a little bit, I play a little bit, I work a little bit... it's all on the computer, so it's just a matter of switching from one app to another. If I wasn't wasting time on the wiki, I'd find someplace else to do it. Small anecdote: As a high school student and a beginning undergraduate, I always thought that I had lousy study habits. Then I took a psychology of education class, and read about a study that claimed that studying for hours on end was actually *not* a good way to learn; that your brain needs time off (say, every 20 mins or so) for things to sink in. Whether that study was correct or not, and whether that applies now that I am writing, preparing lectures, etc., I don't know — but it's my story and I'm sticking to it. :) —CovertProfessor
2007-09-05 21:37:46 I believe it was necessary to out Talia because she was abusing her wrongly assumed anonymity to try to get revenge on the person who pushed her out at the Aggie. Talia has nothing to fear from Kacey at this point because she is not and has never been Kacey's underling. Of course, the childishness of her actions today could have adverse effects on her career should they reach a wider audience, but that's her own doing. You, on the other hand, aren't abusing your anonymity and have no reason to fear losing it. If someone did out you, I'd be the first person to bug Philip to memory-hole the edit. —WilliamLewis
2007-09-05 22:29:37 thank you for helping. —JessicaRockwell
Covert Prof- I edited the comment because 1) I am no longer a davis police officer, and 2) the paragraph is pejorative and implies that I directed threats of bodily harm to persons, which is not true. :) Hope you're enjoying Davis! It's a lovely town, really. —CameronMenezes
2007-09-12 23:39:33 Hi CP —StevenDaubert
2007-09-14 11:26:22 Hi CP. I'm a professor too, new to Davis this year. I appreciate the restaurant run-down. I'm a native Californian previously stranded in the Midwest for 6 years, so one of the things that drew me to Davis was the many ethnic food options. It's a bit overwhelming, though. I laughed out loud at your initial experience of Pluto—walked in and walked out again, completely daunted by the customer interface and the tyranny of choice. I did exactly the same thing a month ago before finally trying it out. Glad to know I wasn't alone! —CynthiaCCC
2007-09-17 15:16:39 I love the restaurant reviews. Try Chuy's Taqueria if you haven't yet— wonderful fish tacos. —BrianLum
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I'm not a big fish taco person myself, but my partner is, so we'll have to check them out soon. Thanks for the tip! —CovertProfessor
2007-09-17 15:45:04 Nearly an alliteration, awesome. Seems like the new year is off to a good start, thanks for the grammar correction, it is a common problem that `fects me. —DavidPoole
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Yes, I was pretty pleased with it, personally. (Ok, stop me now). —CovertProfessor
2007-09-17 16:15:17 zomg hai cp!
2007-09-21 11:15:47 i totally understand about not wanting to subject your dog to sitting alone in a cage. if you'd like to give it one more try, you might try making an 8am appointment (the store opens at 9, but the grooming dept. opens at 8, just knock on the doors and they'll let you in), try an evening appointment or ask the groomers when a low-volume time/day is so that you can minimize the amount of time your dog has to sit in a cage. or just give in to the joys of grooming your own dog. it's fun for everyone! water and fur everywhere! ;) —JennSuzuki
Thanks, Jenn, those are good suggestions. For now, we're giving Fo' Paws a try. I'll post my experiences here once we've been there a few times and can really judge them. So far, they seem like a better option for us because it's a small place where, even if the dog has to be in a cage, it is not by itself (the people are right there where the dog can see them and the people can talk to them). I should also acknowledge that Petco's setup might be less of an issue for a dog that was OK on its own in a cage, but not all dogs are used to that. And if Fo' Paws doesn't work out, we can try going back to Petco and get the early or late appointment, as you suggested. —CovertProfessor
2007-09-25 11:38:05 Thanks for moving the Dos Coyotes stuff to another page. That was a lot of well, pointless discussion. —BrentLaabs
Yeah, I kept hoping someone else would do it, but no one was rising to the challenge. Then I got inspired when I saw the $5000 pita page. —CovertProfessor
2007-09-25 12:46:45 Nice filibustering/tempest cleanup. —JabberWokky
Thanks! —CovertProfessor
2007-09-25 20:12:53 there's no joke about SOS and BPP that i know about. should it be deleted from the see also section? —JessicaRockwell
Looks like it's gone now. Good riddance. —CovertProfessor
2007-10-14 20:30:27 Sorry, I should have looked at it more carefully. The only explanation I can think of is it was a joke about parking at the Post Office, Toad Hollow, or the gravel lot behind the Post Office and walking across Pole Line or through the tunnel (which is actually something I have wanted to try someday). Weird. —NickSchmalenberger
Ah, yes, I think you're right — it must have been a joke. Well, if you can think of some other way to spell out the connection between Toad Hollow Dog Park and Toad Tunnel, go for it! —CovertProfessor
2007-10-18 23:37:08 Every once in a while I will see a professor in ali baba's or somewhere, and wish to ask if they are you, but then again that would be rather rude. Just to ask, what do you think of the veggie special at ali baba's at the moment? —DavidPoole
Have they changed it recently? Last I went I liked it. —CovertProfessor
2007-10-25 20:29:52 thanks for leaving a comment on my page —kelvinkay
2007-11-10 13:43:44 What type of dog do you have? —EdWins
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:( Alright, what dog group is yours? (Hound, terrier, toy, etc). I actually am curious, since you've mentioned the dog in so many edits but maybe don't want to be too specific. My girlfriend has a little Sheltie (a picture is on my page), but we never really had the opportunity to take her around Davis.
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I think he's in the non-sporting group? Not sure, I'm not too up on these things. Anyway, you should take your gf's very adorable Sheltie out and about! Davis is pretty dog-friendly as these things go... lots of restaurants with outdoor seating, a fair number of dog parks/runs, nice walking paths on the greenbelt and the arboretum. —CovertProfessor
2007-11-14 09:19:00 Replying to a rather old comment you left on Town Wildlife, Town Wildlife is for wild animals like Bats, Town Flora is for emus and other domesticated animals1. Some, like Turkeys, are both wild and domesticated and thus there is overlap. There is also Wiki Animals, which are companion animals of a variety of species. —JabberWokky
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If that's the intent, then maybe we just need to fix the pages. I think having coyotes and deer on the Town Fauna was one of the things that threw me off. As for the Town Wildlife page — are there any wild chickens in Davis? Maybe I've just missed them! Rabbits, I guess, are reasonably on both pages, along with turkeys (as you mentioned). Frogs, snakes, toads, turtles, and lizards all could be on both, but they're just on Wildlife. Snails, too. But that just increases the duplication, so... —CovertProfessor
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Fauna and flora are the animals and plants of a region, which to me at least implies the animals and plants that naturally occur in the area. So, fauna seems to be an incorrect title for a page of domesticated animals. —JimEvans
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Please see Town Wildlife/Talk — I started a formal discussion about renaming them.
2007-11-20 21:18:19 Actually, the problem I've had is that I've been running various flavors of Unix. Is it Mac/Windows only? —JabberWokky
I'm not sure, JW. Sorry. —CovertProfessor
2007-11-20 22:28:55 Hi there, CovertP. Thanks so much for the kind words and thoughts about our pet grooming shop. One of our customers turned us on to your comments when she brought her furry best friend in for a "spa" treatment today. I don't know who you are, but I'm sure glad you and your dog enjoyed our service. We aim to please, and we really do enjoy what we do. Thanks again, and we hope to see you and your canine buddy again soon. Fo' Paws staff. —cbenjamin
2007-11-24 09:15:01 excellent point about the burn out. But generally for me, I lower scores because im constantly comparing the restaurants to eachother. For example, i originally did not like Guads, but lately ive enjoyed them very much. to remedy this in my ratings i lowered other mexican restaurants scores and raised guads. Probably the best example of my score lowering comes about a couple months ago when i drastically lowered every japanese restaurant in davis by 1-2 points. I noticed that the scores were too high in comparison to the other cuisines (considering that the japanese food here is not done very well in my opinion). So generally i lower scores because I am constantly comparing the restaurants to eachother. I generally lower more often because there is a lot more room there. If i allready give a good restaurant an 8, and i think they are about 2 points better than any other restaurant, and ive allready given the other restaurants a 7. There is much more room for lowering the other restaurants than increasing the good one. —MattHh
2007-11-25 18:18:29 oops, sorry. i must have used the wrong clipboard (select & center-click vs. ctrl+c & ctrl+v). —ArlenAbraham
2007-11-26 19:08:09 hi covertprof - I was reading your restaurant review, and I tend to appreciate your taste in food. I got to the chinese section and I noticed there was no write-up on Hometown Chinese Restaurant! Hometown is located at the south davis chevron, and it may take some time to get your food during busy dinner hours, but don't let either of those deter you from giving the place a shot ( You can also call ahead to place your order for pickup ). You may also want to give Zen Toro a try - good sushi, clean presentation and a decent selection of rolls you will likely not see in other sushi restaurants. —rgysel
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I finally got around to trying your suggestions — thanks, both places were good! My reviews are above. —CovertProfessor
2007-12-02 07:39:05 I've added a border to the table on Taqueria Guadalajara to help distinguish the columns a bit more. Does this help? Also, is International House of Pancakes bugging you, or is it just the 3+ cols? —WilliamLewis
2007-12-07 11:25:28 This version or did you mean "and I didn't think that was [...]"? —EdWins
You're right, there's a missing "think" there. I've fixed it. Thanks for letting me edit it myself. :-) —CovertProfessor
2007-12-08 13:43:58 hi. so a few things. 1) it was obvious to me your comment was sarcastic. 2) you should come to the Wiki BBQ Jan 2008. 3) you may or may not find this interesting, but people refer to you as "he". i don't know your gender, and neither do these people. so why are they referring to you as male? it's totally contradictory when these people claim to see no gender online but then turn around and use gendered pronouns. a few times they have defended their use of "he" by saying that the things you're writing somehow show you're a male. i don't know what it is. is it your style of writing? the topics you choose? or the fact that 70% of daviswiki editors are male so based on probability you're a male? anyhow, i found this amusing and thought it should be shared. —JessicaRockwell
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If you do show up, don't feel pressured to decovertizise yourself, which honestly may be difficult being that professors are a bit rare on the wiki.. maybe you should get many more professors to join the wiki or come up with a clever disguise? ~Dave
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Jessica, even worse — do they assume I am male because they see "professor" and think "man"? Anyway, thank you for the invitation to the wiki bbq. But as Dave says, I'd probably end up decovertizing myself, and I'm not sure I want to do that. Though I do wonder, Dave — is it really so obvious who the professors are? I mean, not all of us walk around with sport coats with patches on the elbows and a pipe. (Does anyone do that anymore??) —CovertProfessor
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I keep threatening to get Sarah a pipe when she joins a faculty. She already has the coat with patches. Actually, given our sense of humor, I probably will give her one. By the way, I think I've used 'he' before just due to the constraints of language, but I'd not be surprised at all either way: I actually picture you as a fuzzy bust silhouette. Seriously. White background, dark gray fuzzy outline from the mid-chest up. I'm not sure if that's an improvement over assumption of gender, as I seem to have mentally pegged you as a tenebrous non-human. —JabberWokky
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I can live with that. —CovertProfessor
2007-12-14 22:05:57 Thanks for the link to the Vet Med Center... that's what I was trying to get at in the opening paragraph, but couldn't find the exact entry. —JabberWokky
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It just so happens that the other night we thought our dog might have a serious problem — thankfully, it turned out not to be. But it made me realize that I should have the emergency info at hand (duh). Well, it took me awhile to find it, which was disturbing. So, I hope I can help someone else out by making it easy to spot. —CovertProfessor
2007-12-14 22:38:11 Ha! I plead distraction due to looking for the correct Vet Med entry while riting what I rote their. ;) On a more sober note, I'm glad your dog wasn't seriously ill. Your scare may well have prompted revisions that will help another animal in need of emergency care. Somebody with a sick animal at 2am is likely not going to be in the frame of mind to do leisurely research looking for help. I hope that a "more than one pin on the map" system goes into place fairly soon, as it would be a good idea to map the parking as well. —JabberWokky
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I agree. I tried to figure out an address for the place to map it properly, but I don't think that UCD buildings have distinct addresses? Or, if they do, I couldn't figure one out for the Vet Med Center. So, linking to the campus map was the best thing I could think of. —CovertProfessor
2007-12-18 21:04:19 I like the last edit you made :) —ElleWeber
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Thanks. :) That so cal-ism drives me crazy!
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Not even people from so-cal put the word "the" before interstate. "I am guilty of putting it before numbers though." That page was apparently like some-other-planetism. —MattHh
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So, they say, "The 80" but not "The I-80"? That almost seems worse! But it seems to me I have heard people say "The I-80." Don't know where they're from, though. —CovertProfessor
2007-12-28 05:17:11 Yikes! Sorry about that. I forgot there was a separate discussion going on there. I only meant to delete the comments responding to mine. Thanks for noticing that! —RichLindvall
2007-12-30 23:53:34 Hi CovertProfessor! I'm glad to see that a UCD professor is representing! Love your reviews and I tend to agree with you. Iceberg lettuce? Gross. I'm so curious as to who you are and what you teach. Although it sounds like you came after I graduated from UCD. Anyway, good job on staying covert! —CurlyGirl26
2008-01-19 14:46:38 Huh, I swore I searched for Dimple before making a page, and neither the Downtown business listing page, nor the Tower page pointed to it. Of course, I can no longer find the Dimple page _I_ made, so I guess someone already integrated it, or at least deleted it. (I think mention of the Atari 2600 games and Timex Sinclair should be there; no time to edit current page ATM; Wiki BBQ to go to!) —BillKendrick
2008-02-23 23:04:42 Usted es mi inspiración. You are an extremely positive individual. I am glad you are here. :-) —incognitoTA
2008-02-26 08:43:32 I llike you willingness and bravery to jump right in.. I am trying to figure this out too. How grand of you to come to town and participate! Good luck -ksullivan (but, haven't figured out why it is not a link yet ;-) —ksullivan
2008-02-27 17:16:20 I think the best Mexican food in Davis is found at Taqueria Davis, which is near the intersection of 5th and L. I love it. They are consistently good and I eat there very often. My favorite's the California burrito, which adds potatoes to the mix. —YuanNiu
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I haven't been there yet... I will check it out. Potatoes on a burrito does sound good. One of the things that I like about El Mariachi is that you can get a vegetarian burrito that actually has vegetables in it. —CovertProfessor
2008-03-18 23:16:21 Oh no Kabul is gone. I figured id share my frustration with someone else :(. I guess Ill have to vote Kabul for "Best Place to Reminisce About" in Davis Wiki's Best of Davis 08. It makes me wish I frequented them more often, it was really a Davis gem. —MattHh
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Sorry for the late reply... yes, I am missing Kabul, too. I feel the same way — should have gone there more often. And there is (or is going to be?) a Japanese restaurant there? Don't get me wrong, I love Japanese food, but I can't see where this town needs another Japanese restaurant. —CovertProfessor
2008-04-16 19:15:07 where did you go? —ElleWeber
2008-04-21 11:43:31 Where did you go, Professor? Did we scare you away?! —CurlyGirl26
2008-04-21 14:02:16 Sorry I've been scarce! I've just been very busy lately. Maybe in the summer I'll have more time to contribute. I'm still out here lurking, though. And thanks for the comments, it's nice to be missed. —CovertProfessor
2008-04-22 13:03:16 hey c-prof...I know you're supposed to be covert and all...but can you tell us what exactly you teach? That doesn't reveal too much right? —ArianeMetz
2008-04-23 00:31:58 I'm dying to know, too! —CurlyGirl26
2008-04-23 00:53:32 BUT THAT GOES AGAINST BEING COVERT! DON'T DO IT CP IT"S A TRAP!!!!1!!!five —StevenDaubert
2008-04-27 10:37:26 Hay CP, whats a good "their," "there," and "they're" mnemonic? Thanks —StevenDaubert
2008-04-27 11:42:23 So does this mean that CovertProfessor is in the English Department?! —CurlyGirl26
2008-05-20 09:34:13 I can't really be sure why you are being asked, but those databases are horribly inaccurate at the local level (I say that as a regional publisher who uses them). I created Yolo with the history and a map to the location, although it doesn't really help with your actual specific question. I left the wording of the internet purchase note the same, however I'd be perfectly content to see it made ambiguous. What have you filled it out as in the past (assuming you were successful in having the item shipped to you)? —JabberWokky
2008-06-12 05:21:56 CovertProfessor you are one cool dude —DavidLiu
2008-07-20 22:46:12 If you ever go back to Dos Coyotes, I suggest the Navajo Nachos. They are delicious. I agree that their burrito selection sucks but in terms of nachos, they are awesome! —willowspirit10
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Hmm, ok, I will keep that in mind. Thanks for the suggestion. —CovertProfessor
2008-07-29 09:54:28 Covert Professor, You're reviews are extensive and helpful. Thank you! I look forward to more reviews!
So, being a Covert Professor makes you like a cyber Batman or Superman, eh? Well never know your true identity...not even Lois Clark?...but you're saving many Davis dwellers from the horrors of bad food:) —everdrw
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I like that image... if you're going to have a super power, "taster of good food" is a good one to have! —CovertProfessor
2008-09-15 10:03:11 How are they to respond on the page, if they will violate the HIPAA in doing so? —StevenDaubert
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They can respond in general terms: "These are my policies and practices: etc." No violation of HIPAA there. —CovertProfessor
2008-10-02 19:44:31 Arugh! An arrow through the heart! My answer regarding blueberries is "politically correct"? Question my parentage before wielding that appelation! (And it is a sign of the times that I feel I should add a "smilie" to the end of this to make sure you know I'm being humorous rather than actually being upset). —JabberWokky
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Don't sweat it, it happens to the best of us, jw. A blueberry isn't just a blueberry anymore. —CovertProfessor
2008-10-03 22:42:58 Nice review on hunan, I agree in every sense! —StevenDaubert
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Thanks. Sometimes I do believe that less is more. —CovertProfessor
2008-10-21 00:12:45 I've had classes where graduate students are the instructor of record. Perhaps there is a difference in classification between graduate students with teaching appointments and full time lecturers who do not carry out research? —WilliamLewis
2008-10-26 15:32:46 impromptu wiki folk gathering later, you should stroll! —StevenDaubert
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Thanks for the invite — very kind of you. —CovertProfessor
2008-10-28 18:05:33 you lose points for your blanket rejection of UNIforms —StevenDaubert
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I am sorry to hear that, SD, but if you'd been paying attention, you'd have already realized that I'm not out to win points. —CovertProfessor
2008-10-28 22:51:03 Hi, Covert. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on life as a professor. How is it different than you might have expected? Do you get to spend as much time as you would like on your research? What suggestions do you have for the future professors out there? —IDoNotExist
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I'll put my reply on your page. —CovertProfessor
2008-10-29 17:13:04 Hi, Covert. Most people who meet me find that they haven't, although some who haven't yet probably have. :-) But if I met you, how would either of us know? I obviously couldn't see you, as you are remarkably stealthy. And I wouldn't be there in the first place, even if I were (but I'm not)!
Thanks for your comments. I'd not heard about the service component before. What is it?
I've seen many profs working very very long hours up until they get tenure. How long does tenure take to achieve? What makes someone well qualified for tenure? What makes them unqualified? Is it all about being able to bring in funding?
I've also heard much of politics being a big thing among professors - fighting for lab space, funding, and whatever else professors fight over (what DO they fight over?) How do you handle the politics? What causes it? Can it be avoided? —IDoNotExist
2008-10-29 17:50:06 If a professor talks on the wiki, but can't hear themselves, do they make a sound? How do your grad students find you, being so covert? :-)
How hard is it to get grants?
What makes for a good prof. applicant? You must have been a great grad student to get a job at a place like Davis! —IDoNotExist
2008-10-31 18:37:04 re the UNIforms: To me it seems out of character for you to have a blanket rejection of the establishment based on just attire...
come hang out tonight at uncle vitos! ~20:15 - 20:30 wiki folks arrive! Better yet go and just get a spot in a corner and then tell us you went to further our intrigue! —StevenDaubert
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I don't think it's so out of character. Yes, I like to eat out, and I try my best to be fair in my restaurant reviews. But I am deeply disturbed by these uniforms. To me they reinforce the idea of women as cute and subservient, and I think it is selling food through sex appeal. Of course, there is a place for women to dress in these kinds of clothes, but it's not in the workplace. I find it particularly disturbing that it is young women who are wearing the uniforms, just at the age when they should be taking themselves seriously and thinking about the contributions that they will make to the world. I think it's bad for the employees themselves and bad for the image of women in general. This is a university town and we ought to know better. Some people think my view is outdated — well, I look at some of the things that have happened in the recent election, and regardless of what one thinks about Hillary Clinton or Sarah Palin, it can't be denied that both struggled to be taken seriously. I realize that the employees are probably freely choosing to wear these uniforms and may like them. But women make choices that are harmful to themselves and to other women all the time, so this would be nothing new.
Ask yourself this: does Sagat wear the uniform? I'd be surprised to learn that she did. And if not, why not? Would people take her seriously?
I think if you look back at the edits I've made on this wiki, I have taken strong stands on a number of issues. I never do so lightly. So, what sort of person would I be if I said that this was really important, but then I said, "well, but go ahead and eat there, the food is good!" Which is more important, the image of women in society or whether the food at a restaurant is good?
Thanks for the invite — sorry I can't make it. :-) —CovertProfessor
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Ahh...see this is why I thought you were an Anthro Prof...but then someone mentioned English. Now I am all screwed up (Since I am an Anthro AND and English major...) Aree's ongoing Saga—"Uncovering the true identity of the Covert Professor"—CONTINUES!!!!—ArianeMetz
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Maybe you should just think of me as an "everyprof." I am all of the disciplines. :-) —CovertProfessor
2008-10-31 23:33:24 One might almost think that you don't exist...but that would imply that we are the same person, and clearly, since I don't, you can't not exist too.
You know, I DID see a number of ninjas walking around tonight (Halloween). Perhaps you were one of them, as you are rather covert... :-) —IDoNotExist
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No one can be you, but everyone can be me... we are polar opposites. —CovertProfessor
2008-11-01 00:47:18 Hi CP! I just wanted to drop you a line and thank you for sharing your views on the uniform controversy. Forces some to not only consider another position, but to question their assumptions and look at things more critically. At any rate, I believe that the Wiki is better for it. Keep it up! —CurlyGirl26
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Thanks, CurlyGirl26. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but if I can get some people to think twice, that's good enough for me. —CovertProfessor
2008-11-01 10:56:29 So does that mean that if we run into each other, we are annihilated? :-) That could be a good CovertProfessor detector. If I suddenly cease to exist when I run into someone, then I've run into you. Oh, wait... —IDoNotExist
2008-11-02 12:17:35 w/e
I really wasn't asking in that context, just kinda morbid curiosity... —StevenDaubert
2008-11-05 01:53:01 ![[drama]](http://wikispot.org/wiki/eggheadbeta/img/inter.png){kind=small}
Pretty much, yes. —NickSchmalenberger
2008-11-05 11:04:46 I noticed you have not gone to Jade Garden chinese resturaunt, try the general chicken or the wonton soup, both are my favorite. Also there is a new dimsum/ shobu shobu resturaunt that you might like to try and review. —DagonJones
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You're right, I haven't tried either of those places — I will try to get to them soon. The dim sum place is particular appealing, not because I'm crazy about dim sum, but because I really like the other restaurant run by the same owners (Davis Noodle City). —CovertProfessor
2008-11-13 15:18:11 Where is this new Dim Sum place? I would love to get good Dim Sum in Davis, but I didn't think you could get it here... —IDoNotExist
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It's the Red Orchid Restaurant... but I can't vouch for it one way or the other. —CovertProfessor
2008-11-13 23:14:06 Thanks, extremely stealthy, well educated educator of educated people seeking more education! —IDoNotExist
2008-11-14 02:26:26 Symposium's pizza is tied for 2nd with Lamppost? Really?
Outside of that though, I love your huge list of reviews. It's really cool to get to see what one person thinks about everything, rather than what just a bunch of random people think about one place. —OscarSabino
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I think I know what you mean. Symposium's pizza is, for lack of a better word, a bit more upscale. It's a richer food. But for me, that makes it hard to compare to Lamppost's — a bit like comparing the proverbial apple and orange. Sometimes I just want a basic pizza, in which case I go to Lamppost. On the other hand, when I want a decadent treat (in case pizza wasn't decadent enough!), I go to Symposium. Anyway, thanks for the kind remarks. —CovertProfessor
2008-11-24 22:45:52 Yay! Professor input on the Concealed Carry issue. Thanks for weighing in, CP! Glad to know that I'm not the only one who has serious reservations about such a policy. —CurlyGirl26
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Thanks, CurlyGirl26! Yeah, it's like dropping a match onto spilled gasoline... —CovertProfessor
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The only solution to spilled gasoline is to spill more gasoline. -ES
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...or for a clear thinking person to use one of
these. —JasonAller
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For a less inflammatory version of what I meant by countering firearms with firearms, '"If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun." — The Dalai Lama, (May 15, 2001, The Seattle Times) speaking at the "Educating Heart Summit" in Portland, Oregon, when asked by a girl how to react when a shooter takes aim at a classmate'. It is a controversial topic...but really, has anyone proved that licensed concealed weapons carriers are equally or more likely to commit crimes with their firearms than members of the general population? I think the general sentiment, as expressed at least by CurlyGirl26 and perhaps others, is that not everyone can be trusted with a firearm, which is exactly right, and is the reason that SCCC is pushing to allow already-licensed concealed carriers to be able to carry on campus as well as off, rather than to just completely level the playing field by issuing every John and Jane Doe a gun. The scene from RoboCop 3, with that guy handing out weapons to every criminal in the jail? Not our aim. —BrendanChan
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If that's your position, then you shouldn't go around saying things like: "The answer to bullets flying is almost always more bullets flying," if only because it doesn't help your cause, but also because it's irresponsible. Even so, though, I think there is a fairly large leap from "'If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun" (which I pretty much agree with, though it very much depends on the circumstances) to "already-licensed concealed carriers [should] be able to carry on campus as well as off." I think there are certain conditions on a college campus which make having firearms there particularly problematic. I'll name two. First, as any counselor on campus can tell you, college is an extremely difficult time psychologically. Students are overworked, underslept, and overstressed. Professors and staff, too. Not good conditions for people to have guns. Second, many times there are large numbers of people (read: innocent bystanders) who are present, such as in large lecture halls or the MU. I'm sure you'll object by saying that this shows all the more why we need lawful gun carriers to counteract the actions of the unlawful ones — but my point is that adding more guns, wielded by individuals who are already psychologically on edge, in crowded situations, are the last thing that we need. —CovertProfessor
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Well said, CP! Thank you for pointing out the psychological aspect. All true. I have seen otherwise healthy individuals crack under the pressures associated with the rigors of being an undergrad or grad/professional student. I've also experienced first-hand what happens when one of those said students has their gun handy. Their legally owned gun. My discomfort lies with the fact that we are talking about students and guns on university campuses.—CurlyGirl26
2008-11-24 23:22:18 Excellent replies! I can imagine your qualifying exam questions about replying to false choices on wikis. :-) —IDoNotExist
2008-11-27 23:02:38 It's good to see other wikifolk on here on a holiday. :-) —IDoNotExist
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Agreed — and someone needs to keep an eye on the store. ;-) —CovertProfessor
2008-11-27 23:07:41 The wiki was down for a while earlier. I felt a great disturbance in Wiki Spot. It was as if a million edits cried out in terror, and were suddenly reverted. But then the wiki came back up again. —IDoNotExist
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Thank goodness! Long live the wiki! —CovertProfessor
2008-11-27 23:11:16 It seems that I might have run into you tonight, had I followed through with an urge to go to Baker's Square instead of eating healthy food. :P —IDoNotExist
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Alas, it wasn't meant to be... I was just passing by and noticed the lights on and people inside. —CovertProfessor
2008-11-27 23:19:26 I had walked by and checked it out as it was the only place open last year, so I was curious if it was open this year. Of course, neither of us actually exist, so none of this actually happened... —IDoNotExist
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Of course not. —CovertProfessor
2008-11-30 10:29:32 No, it was decent fog. I have yet to see indecent fog in Davis. :P —IDoNotExist
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Indecent fog wouldn't dare come into Davis. Not even on little cat feet. —CovertProfessor
2008-11-30 20:58:28 Thank you so much for fixing my mistake. I only meant to delete my comment and not the entire page...and was panicking, trying to undo what I did. It was such a relief to see it fixed. —kestrel
2008-12-09 23:58:43 The Colossus burger —StevenDaubert
2008-12-10 15:06:17 One of these days I will get around to doing nutritional info...
Man that thing is just plain unhealthy! —StevenDaubert
2008-12-10 15:30:33 Spice was something that I couldn't tolerate when I was younger, at around 16 I started dabbling in Death sauce. Now I'm used to sauces that are on the low end of insanely hot, so normal restaurant spicyness usually isn't. —StevenDaubert
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Difference between insanely hot and N.R.S.? *clueless* I don't draw distinctions except for "tolerable spicy" and "spicy to be conquered". —BrendanChan
2008-12-13 23:39:21 I gave the 2nd go around a little more thought —StevenDaubert
2008-12-14 22:22:23 I get fed up with the war on Christmas when Christmas has been waging war for quite some time
double standards
¯(°_o)¯ —StevenDaubert
You make the Baby Jesus cry when you say such things.—CurlyGirl26
2009-01-01 12:42:21 figured, but it's still kinda ruthless overkill to expect drunk grubs pizza to stack up to VB —StevenDaubert
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True, but it doesn't stack up to Woodstock's Pizza or Steve's Pizza, either. —CovertProfessor
2009-01-01 13:30:40 The comparison of Uncle Vito's pizza to Dan Quayle in the 1988 VP debates is a scary one:
-The pizza, like Quayle, is rather young for a Davis pizza place.
-Dan Quayle was potato (but not potatoe) free. So is Vito's pizza.
-Quayle was not a good debater. Neither is Vito's pizza.
-Quayle believed that everyone should conform to his set of values, even fictional TV characters. Vito's pizza comes in only one size. —IDoNotExist
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So many amazing coincidences! —CovertProfessor
2009-01-02 21:25:50 I plan to be in Davis for longer than most students, should I be covert as well?! —StevenDaubert
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If you want... but seems like your cat is out of the bag. —CovertProfessor
2009-01-03 01:31:15 Doesn't that depend on whether StevenDaubert is really StevenDaubert? He might actually be Shakespeare... —IDoNotExist
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So true! Or Jim Morrison. —CovertProfessor
2009-01-03 17:18:46 Is Jim Morrison really Shakespeare? Or Daubert? —IDoNotExist
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Hey, maybe so! —CovertProfessor
2009-01-05 10:46:42 Californians have a different standard for what is "cold" than people in many other parts of the country... —IDoNotExist
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I know, I've learned that. But still, it raises questions about what people "need" versus what is nice or pleasant. —CovertProfessor
2009-01-06 07:55:17 me of year, when I take my dog for a walk at night (on leash), both he and I come home smelling like smoke, and the air is really thick, especially on
It's probably just cleverly worded disinformation... "MY partner" and I were both leaning in this direction... —StevenDaubert
Hee!—CurlyGirl26
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I'm not getting something here... sorry to be dense. —CovertProfessor
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If you apply a scrutinizing eye to your actions (what you say, how you say it, and where you say it from) on the wiki, inferences can be made that drastically reduce the number of potential CP's. Daubert
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I have a male dog... that's not a new revelation. And the fact that I walk him shouldn't be a shock. —CovertProfessor
¬_¬ Just pay me no heed. With the information already gleaned I think could find out with a combo of some social engineering and data mining. On a random note, I think you need a comment archive. Daubert
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Ok, whatever — I still don't know what you're talking about. Have fun. I remember when I thought about starting up on the wiki, I thought that "guess the professor" might turn out to be too tempting of a game. I guess I should have heeded that inner voice. —CovertProfessor
W/e, just know that you have the wrong take on this situation. Daubert
2009-01-06 08:48:21 That's just what Covert would like you to believe! Or what Covert would like you to think Covert would like you to believe. Of course, Covert has already taken this into account, and changed their wording accordingly. :-) —IDoNotExist
2009-01-06 23:18:16 I think that Daubert has concluded that your dog is not a smoker. :-) —IDoNotExist
2009-01-07 13:35:33 CovertDog? —SunjeetBaadkar
2009-01-07 13:43:35 Unless the dog is very stealthy, it is probably pretty obvious that it is a dog. Of course, on the Internet, no one knows you're a dog. I might even be the covert dog! If I existed, that is. :-) —IDoNotExist
2009-01-07 14:28:49 Don't worry, CP. Daubert is odd. And I won't tell anyone that your use of the word "dog" is being misinterpreted as the wrong kind of dog. I know four professors with a raccoon dog, and seven with a prairie dog. I know one grad student who claims that Snoop Dogg and Nate Dogg hang around with his PI, and I know another professor who took a hiatus because he's on tour with the Dogs (since their drummer left in November of 2008). And there's probably a lot of professors I do not know in the department of engineering who walk around with their dogs. Nonetheless, the hunt is on. You're lucky I'm not still in Davis to track ya down :P (If you ask me though, you seem to be the kind of guy who likes prairie dogs. They're rather covert too, some of 'em.) —EdWins
2009-01-07 14:31:15 On a side note, I always enjoyed your reviews (or side comments) over the last few years in regards to (typical) dogs. I only wish my girlfriend and I were able to bring her pup out more often. —ES
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Thanks, ES. It helps that Davis is Canis lupus familiaris-friendly. —CovertProfessor
2009-01-07 14:40:41 Actually, having a dog is a *requirement* for being a professor. Most people think that you can't get a PhD without completing a dissertation. And they are right. But it is also the case that you must have a dog. Even better if it is a puppy, because you can use that to melt the hearts of the people on your committee. When you apply to be a professor, the first question they ask you is whether or not you have a dog. The second one is whether or not it has been trained. When you get your own lab, you are granted an allowance of grad students to feed to the dog (it is important that the dog remain healthy and strong.) They would use undergrads, but when grad students get consumed by their...work (yeah, that's it. They call it work, not dogs), nobody notices if they disappear. :-)
Right, Covert? :-) —IDoNotExist
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*gasp*. I'll have to direct my committee to my wikipage, and videos of my poor hamsters (RIP) such as
this one. It should melt hearts of stone! —ES
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It's true, oh nonexistent one, though it's a little known secret. It figures that someone who doesn't exist would be the one to notice the hidden requirement. —CovertProfessor
2009-01-11 23:49:20 Have you tried the food from the meat lab? It's very good, and may satisfy your cravings for steak... —IDoNotExist
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I keep meaning to go over there, but no, I haven't yet. Of course, then I'd have to cook it myself... —CovertProfessor
2009-01-12 00:07:39 You could bring it to the wiki social, which I might or might not attend (even I don't know if I will). I'm sure that someone there would take on the grilling duties for you... —IDoNotExist
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Ah, but just as a nonexistent one can't go, and therefore exist, a covert one can't go, and therefore be uncovert. Thanks for the suggestion, though. —CovertProfessor
2009-01-12 11:27:39 You could go as the SecretPostDoc! :-) —IDoNotExist
2009-01-14 02:13:17 Hey...how do I know that you aren't me? I mean, if you are sufficiently covert, I'd really have no idea that you were me, now would I? Furthermore, how do I know that I'm not you either? —IDoNotExist
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Well, perhaps I *will* be there, then, except covertly, and not really existing. Ouch, my head hurts. —CovertProfessor
2009-01-14 07:35:39 Well, no. Of course not. The pain is generated by the brain and nervous system of the person with the cooked hand in response to having their hand cooked. —IDoNotExist
2009-01-14 09:34:58 That's ok. Your head apparently doesn't exist (assuming that it is also my head). :-) —IDoNotExist
2009-01-14 13:56:30 If Covert is not me, then I would assume (again) that Covert indeed has a head, but is just very stealthy about it. It's only in the case where Covert and I are the same non-existent person that they would have no head (as you can't have a head if you don't exist.) —IDoNotExist
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Seems logical, assuming I can make that determination given the unknown status of my head. —CovertProfessor
2009-01-30 04:08:43 In response to the Crepehouse Uni UNIforms...
Sagat does not wear the uniform because she is constantly traveling back and forth between the unit and to various locations all over Davis. For her to wear the uniform, it would be great hassle as she would have to then change about 40 times a day between her casual clothing and the uniform. The uniforms are custom made and they are not made to handle the wear and tear of a casual outfit. Sagat cannot lift heavy boxes and cartons of gelato/milk while wearing the uniform that could quite possibly tear or become dirty. Also, it would not make sense for Sagat to wear the uniform outside of the unit because it would be unsanitary to bring it out in public over multiple trips and then wear it while making crepes or handling food.
Sagat is taken seriously from what I have seen, as she has made many accomplishments and she is a very hard worker. She works diligently to run Crepehouse Uni and she would not force her employees to wear something that she herself would not. If you look at the picture on the Crepehouse Uni page, Sagat is wearing one of the UNIforms. So to say that she does not wear the uniform as a matter of being taken seriously is a total misconception. Sagat does not wear the uniform to allow the convenience of constant travel and errand running. If Sagat had to change 40 times a day, she would never get things done. —ThUn
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Thou dost protest too much, methinks. —CovertProfessor
2009-02-02 14:57:35 Awesome! —IDoNotExist
2009-02-26 15:27:30 Are you the CovertChancellor, and does this mean that you've gotten a promotion (covertly, of course)? :-) —IDoNotExist
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Perish the thought, oh non-existent one! I have no interest in being an administrator. But who is this CovertChancellor of whom you speak? —CovertProfessor
2009-02-26 18:58:26 See http://daviswiki.org/Sockpuppets?action=info for some more Covert Co-ver-ri-tas —IDoNotExist
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Ah, a pretender. A jealous knave, no doubt. —CovertProfessor
2009-02-27 17:52:33 I liked your comment... —IDoNotExist
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Thanks. I'm glad you (and KellyM) brought the issue up. I probably would not have ever said anything otherwise, but it's worth discussing. —CovertProfessor
2009-03-02 23:23:11 Hey, Covert. I've been wondering for quite some time where the professors disappear to when they are not teaching or researching. (Not you, specifically.) I very rarely see professors around the city of Davis itself. Of course, that could be because I only know a small subset of the professorial population, or it could be because there are so many undergrads running around that they provide lots of obstructions for professors to hide behind. :-) But I would at least expect to see people in their 30s - 70s running around Davis who are *likely* professors, and I usually don't. So where are they? Do they cease to exist after their office hours? Do they run to random respites when not researching?
The same question also applies to postdocs. I don't see many of these around either... (of course, there are probably fewer postdocs than professors around to begin with.) —IDoNotExist
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Well, I'm not sure if the 30-70 set who are professors look much different from the 30-70 set who aren't... but you're right, there are a lot of undergrads around. Half the population of Davis, in fact. And then when you add in the children, teenagers, and non-undergrads in their 20s... plus the over 70s.... yeah, so there aren't as many in the 30-70 set as you might ordinarily find in a town. But we're out here. We go to restaurants, the farmers' market, the greenbelts and arboretum, various Davis festivals and whatnot... but it's true, a lot of the time we're in our offices or at home, working. Or, if you're me, on the wiki when you should be working. :-) But it's also true that not all professors live in Davis; there are a lot who live in the Berkeley/Oakland area. So, if they're not in lab, in class, or in their offices, they're probably not in Davis much. —CovertProfessor
2009-03-03 11:15:43 That would be quite a commute (from Berkeley)... —IDoNotExist
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An econ prof I had my freshman year who lived in Berkeley said there was a bus and that the commute allowed her to catch up on reading. —wl
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The train is also an option from Berkeley, and also allows you to get work done. —CovertProfessor
2009-03-03 12:14:34 Is Berkeley a nicer city to live in? I've always gotten the impression that it has 3 areas: UC Berkeley, the hills (with *very* expensive homes), and the flat area, which seems run down, and I'd guess is where the students can afford to live. —IDoNotExist
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I don't know much about the various neighborhoods to live in. But I think people like to live in Berkeley because it is a little more urban than Davis and because it is closer to SF. —CovertProfessor
2009-03-03 19:44:48 Do many profs live in Davis? —IDoNotExist
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I think a good number do (there are also a fair number who live in Sac or Woodland), but I don't know the statistics. —CovertProfessor
2009-03-05 09:25:53 Hah! re: Luci's. The effect is more impressive if you zoom out your browser. —KevinChin
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Needs more exclamation points, eh? I can do that. :-) —CovertProfessor
2009-03-07 00:34:01 What is your cute count cutely counting? —IDoNotExist
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I think it will become obvious over time. —CovertProfessor
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Very funny, a cute way to make a point." —Andrew
2009-03-07 11:43:11 So if someone were to do something, like say, use a lot of exclamation points (!!!!!!), would that increase the cute count, or does it only increase for things that you do? —IDoNotExist
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I'm not counting exclamation points or things that I do. —CovertProfessor
2009-03-07 14:57:42 Can you identify the 7 other times when the cute count incremented? (Or rather, can you tell us what they are? I'm sure YOU can identify them. ;-) ) —IDoNotExist
2009-03-09 18:07:38 Well, that's cute... —IDoNotExist
2009-03-10 19:05:26 Do dogs, or other furry life forms, increase the cute count at all? —IDoNotExist
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No, sorry... as cute as they are, they don't increase the cute count. —CovertProfessor
2009-03-10 19:12:27 An external bio on her. VMTH mention of her. Chief of Service of the Clinical Animal Behavior Service. Of course, that trainer obviously is not doing that in every or even many clients, but if she says that's what people have reported, I'd vouch for her. With her background and post, it's a noteworthy allegation, especially in contrast to the previous comment about being recommended there by VMTH doc's. —EdWins
2009-03-10 19:14:19 Just saw we left comments on each others pages...I don't know what dog psychology entails, I was referring to the "praise-based" part, which I imagine wouldn't include chokers and punishment. —EdWins
2009-03-10 19:15:20 Do certain events cause the cute count to increase? —IDoNotExist
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Yes, but it may be awhile before we witness one of those events... I can't predict how long it will be, unfortunately. —CovertProfessor
2009-03-10 21:22:44 Do those events involve (each of the following is a separate question): 1) One or more people
2) One or more animals
3) A combination of 1 and 2
? —IDoNotExist
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Is it possible that this is just one of those things that should be accepted and enjoyed rather than being studied and analyzed to death? —JasonAller
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#1. But I think that Jason is right. —CovertProfessor
2009-03-10 21:37:08 Only the extremely stealthy education oriented researcher can answer that question. But I enjoy solving interesting puzzles, and this seems to be one. —IDoNotExist
2009-03-10 22:11:21 Than I shall not guess... —IDoNotExist
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Thanks, one who is not there, I was getting a bit weary. But I do think it will become obvious in time. —CovertProfessor
2009-03-10 23:24:34 Well said, on my page and the one in question. —EdWins
2009-03-15 12:59:36 a) you still need a quote archive b) I still call it swirl —StevenDaubert
a) I'm sure you're right, but I also like the totality of the comments. b) Swirl was a much better name. Cultivé is a dumb name. —CovertProfessor
2009-03-18 04:40:21 Thank you for participating in a very reasoned manner in the Sredni discussion. You said some things that I was mulling over. —JabberWokky
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Thanks, JW. I do understand why people are annoyed with SV — as someone said already, he raised a number of stinks, got people riled up, and then tries to bail out, leaving a mess in his wake. But we've let plenty of people delete comments in the past — even when their removal ruined the surrounding conversation (generally, the rest of the conversation was deleted, too). So, it seemed to me that the gnomes were thinking of either 1) changing to a policy where people could only delete comments if the comments weren't part of a conversation, or 2) changing to a policy where people couldn't delete their comments at all (this is the policy that I think would be draconian). By saying this is about "policy" rather than this particular case, I am assuming that we would want to be consistent about how future cases were handled. Anyway, now we seem to be off on a tangent about the CC license, so I'm not sure where things stand. —CovertProfessor
2009-03-18 09:51:54 Ew. I'm sorry. —ElleWeber
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Thanks. It was pretty disgusting. —CovertProfessor
2009-03-26 02:16:59 No, I'd say that rates at least an eeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww +- w —IDoNotExist
2009-03-26 05:18:24 re: Cloud Forest Cafe: I see the beep as you head toward the bathroom as a short fanfare as you journey through the innards of the building in search of a greatly desired destination. In all reality, they probably have the alarm system set to do that to alert them to people coming in. It is a bit annoying compared to a simple hung bell. —JabberWokky
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JW, that's a very good description of it. —CovertProfessor
2009-04-07 22:02:28 I'm so thrilled that people are enjoying Thai Dynamite, too! I really want to see this place do well!
And yes, the "My Partner" reference is somewhat of an inside joke. I'm just being silly. It's an inside joke directed at my parter (who is also a wiki user; I'll leave it to you to figure out, if you wish :). As you know, I am anonymous here on the wiki, but my attempt to stay that way is only half-hearted (like, I'm not as anonymous as you). Anyway, it's just a joke because while I claim to be "anonymous", I drop lots of obvious clues about my true identity all over this place. —CurlyGirl26
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Ah, no, I hadn't realized that you had a wiki-partner! And I know that I'm not truly anonymous either (I suspect that anyone who knows me outside of the wiki could figure out that it's me relatively easily), but I'm anonymous enough for my purposes. —CovertProfessor
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Exactly. Same with me. It's enough anonymity to suit my needs. —CurlyGirl26
2009-04-08 08:39:15 If you take a look at the comment directly above hers on the page, you may figure it out. However, as an uninvolved looky-look, I may be completely wrong :) —ElleWeber
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Ah, an interesting hypothesis. The two comments do seem to mesh. —CovertProfessor
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Very astute observation. <smile> —CurlyGirl26
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Is there really such a thing as an "uninvolved" looky-look? Something grander is clearly afoot.
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Von Neumann machines are going to increase the density of Jupiter, causing it to fuse into a star?
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Just as the Bike Church is about to set up shop again, something comes along and screws up the whole solar system... FATE!
2009-04-11 10:46:42 you should at least move the comment box to the top instead of having it be 1/3 of the way down and I have to search for it, cause your nevar going to make cp/archive
but I digress
it's kinda like those commercials where everyone wants to be like mike, but instead of mike it's CP ^_~
on a slightly more serious note, check some of my more recent restaurant reviews, you will see lots of my partnering going on ¬_¬ —StevenDaubert
2009-04-11 15:48:24 I agree that it would be helpful to move the comments box, or to archive or restructure the page. It can be hard to find. —IDoNotExist
2009-04-11 20:38:15 You both are missing the handy item in my menu that says, "Leave a comment for the CovertProfessor." No scrolling necessary.
SD: It's hard to find what you've edited since your username page forwards to Daubert, and that page has no "user info" link. —CovertProfessor
2009-04-11 21:14:41 Ooohhh...you are right. Nice linkishness... —IDoNotExist
2009-04-12 07:06:30 Also with redirects, you can click where it says redirected from and go to the original page with what you want to see. —NickSchmalenberger
2009-04-12 12:08:23 Thanks, BL and NS, very helpful. —CovertProfessor
2009-04-27 17:46:53 Concerning the Hometown Cafe comments I've tried to revert and delete; I intend to eventually remove *all* anonymous, one-time comments that I feel are unfair to the target. For more info on my feelings, see [Anonymous_Criticism]. I created the page because I feel strongly about the subject. Leaving or failing to revert mean-spirited smash-and-grab anonymous criticism does *nothing* to improve daviswiki and potentially does much harm. I have no problem with leaving comments up along with a challenge to follow up for some length of time, but they absolutely do no good left up forever. I'm going to go back and revert your revert and I hope you will leave it alone. —JimStewart
2009-05-04 18:44:10 you are trying to badmouth my business. Stop. You dont know the facts. Please stop. Read what is written in the comments on the help computers page its not badmouthing, it simply what happened. —RealComputers
2009-05-04 18:49:19 Fool I deleted the comments on that page after having a wiki for about 5 minutes. I didnt understand how this worked yet. I am not trying to mess with them at all. Please just stop this. There is no reason for you to be harasing me. —RealComputers
2009-05-04 18:51:33 If you have such a big problem with this then delete my comments from help computers. —RealComputers
2009-05-04 18:55:07 I should not have to erase something that is entierly true, however the comment has been deleted so leave me alone. —RealComputers
2009-05-04 18:56:38 Please explain to me how removing a true statment ws the right thing to do? did you even read what was written? —RealComputers
2009-05-04 19:06:49 To everyone who has issues with me, Yes I edited some pages in a way I regret when I first signed on to wiki. I did not understand the nature of this site. Now I do and I am not trying to do anything to anyone. Please do not hold things that I did before I was used to wiki against me. I am not defending the fact that I deleted a page or two (though I knew they would promptly get undleted so I dont see why its such a big deal). In anycase, I know better now so please just leave it at that. —RealComputers
2009-05-05 10:45:06 What is this mysterious "BlueDot"? If it wasn't for their edits on westsacwiki I'd assume it was a wayward revert-bot. —MasonMurray
2009-05-11 12:29:48 Hi CovertProfessor,
I wanted to ask if you have been to other Vietnamese Restaurants outside of Davis? I cannot say either Sunrise or Bac Hoa Viet are good at all. Their food proportions are ridiculous for the prices and although they are owned by Vietnamese people (and the food is cooked by Vietnamese people), the quality or taste of the food is not all very tasty or near authentic to real Vietnamese food.
I would go outside of Davis for some real Vietnamese food. In Sacramento, on the streets of Stockton Boulevard and 65th Street is a great Vietnamese plaza with delicious food. If you happen to go to San Francisco or San Jose, the Vietnamese food there is even better than up here. San Jose has one of the largest Vietnamese populations. —missmochi
2009-05-22 23:00:51 hahaha loneshark "my partnered" on the black bear page —StevenDaubert
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HA! Indeed! —CurlyGirl26
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It's spreading! —CovertProfessor
2009-05-28 17:49:12 You might enjoy this product: http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Apostrophe_20Shooter#1004115600 —TheAmazingLarry
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Yes, I would definitely like one of those! —CovertProfessor
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Have you also noticed how often wiki editors ask questions but end them with a period instead of a question mark.
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Haha, sorry about that, I seem to be sort of "tone deaf" when it comes to proper and responsible apostrophe usage. —JoePomidor
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Slightly vulgar comic links:
We're here to help, The Bay Boys of Punctuation, and my favorite, Mr. Period Returns. (There's also In the Lair of the Semicolon, There are terrors that can not be borne, and linked just because of Mr. Period, On Perspective. I'm bored at work today <.< ES
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I like Mr. Period Returns the best, too, although I have been known to say M$. —CovertProfessor
2009-05-29 09:04:22 Oh, it's? (Think about it...) —JabberWokky
2009-06-05 17:05:26 Can we call you CovertTenuredProfessor soon? :-) —IDoNotExist
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I am every professor... the assistant, the associate, and the full. :-) —CovertProfessor
2009-06-05 17:28:55 You are *every* professor? Wow! You must have awesome funding. No wonder you got tenure track so soon!
When can I attend your Nobel prize ceremony? :-) —IDoNotExist
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Alas, being every professor keeps me so busy, I don't even have time to go myself. —CovertProfessor
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In your ascent to Nobel laureatedom, have you been more R-dent or SAS-ie? (or other?)
2009-06-05 20:46:56 That's OK. One of your other selves can go for you. You are all professors, after all! —IDoNotExist
2009-06-08 00:07:32 a) get to sleep b) have you tried davis Taqueria Californai burrito?
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a) Always good advice, but tough for a night owl. b) Not yet — should I?
2009-06-08 00:44:59 Do we get to find out what the cute count referred to? —IDoNotExist
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EdWins is close. —CovertProfessor
2009-06-15 21:04:54 Cindy's doesn't qualify as a decent diner in Davis?
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Ah, I thought someone might ask about this. Truth is, though I have been to Thai Dynamite, I haven't made it to Cindy's yet. Maybe I'll try to get over there soon. Is it good? —CovertProfessor
how about Don't dinner in woodland? (granted it's not Dtown) —StevenDaubert
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Doesn't count. :-) —CovertProfessor
2009-07-01 15:48:18 I witnessed the same kinds of things that are listed on the Stonegate page (although I don't believe I've added to that entry), but I received perfectly fine service. I think there is some kind of sexism, ageism, studentism or zero tolerance for ignorance or idiocy at play. Something sets off the owner resulting in zero respect for you and treats you accordingly. Either that or there's something invisible like a chronic illness resulting in pain flareups or otherwise non-obvious event that affects the owner. In short, there is really impressively caustic treatment of some customers, although I'm not sure exactly what triggers it. I'm hesitant to actually mention it on the page for fear of rampant unsupportable speculation. —JabberWokky
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Hmm, ok — I trust the report from you, JW. It could be some of both. Certainly, there is plenty of anti-student-ism in this town. I think the bad eggs have made many of Davisites anti-student. It isn't fair or right, but there it is. And I do know that "Pop" has some health problems (something I learned during my long stay in the office). Health problems can make people cranky and exacerbate already existing prejudices. Again, that doesn't excuse it, though, just explains it. Thanks for replying — that gives me an alternate view of things. —CovertProfessor
2009-07-01 16:39:56 I get the impression that they may not be very happy doing what they are doing, but have to anyway, and that may be what is showing through. I went out of my way there to be extra patient, even when it was a major inconvenience, because I knew there were issues there, and there were not many storage options in Davis. I shouldn't have had to do that, but with very limited options, it seemed prudent... It's a sellers market when it comes to the services that they offer. —IDoNotExist
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Well, I was pretty clearly cranky after my long wait, and they were nice to me anyway. So, who knows? Guess I caught them on a good day. —CovertProfessor
2009-07-03 22:05:38 I appreciate your comments and sincerity in wanting me to feel welcome, but from that first reaction I can say that I do not. However, I understand that people have used the Wiki in ways that are questionable and undesirable. May I suggest asking me the validity and goals of said Wiki to understand if it is in fact a business that is simply being made aware to the community before assuming that I have similar motives as another individual. While I seem to be having to defend my integrity without a proper welcome in the first place, let me clear it up by saying that I do not require a lecture from you about how this community functions. I fully understand the concept and the need for people to be actively involved (by editing entries, commenting, and so on) for DavisWiki to grow. Furthermore, I am completely aware of the ownership of the page I created and that it belongs to the community as a whole. There was no reason for you to assume I did not other than your suspicions. Perhaps next time you can post a proper welcome with links to the appropriate welcome pages in DavisWiki.
-Sam
P.S. To clear up the IP address situation. My friend was with me in the same room as I was creating this Wiki. I used her input to help me create the page and she posted an honest review. The comments posted on that Wiki yesterday affected me as well as her. But, hopefully clearing this up can help to put it behind all of us. —PKS
2009-08-02 21:22:36 Hey, Stealthy Instructor! I hadn't seen you posting for a long time (until just now.) Are you on sabbatical? Or perhaps wiki sabbatical? —IDoNotExist
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I took a bit of a wiki sabbatical... highly recommended for stress relief and getting work done. :-) —CovertProfessor
2009-08-04 20:06:09 Do you have grad students? Secretive ones? And how do they find you, since you are covert? Also, do your undergrads know when you are teaching? (They could think you are a TA or something...) —IDoNotExist
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The most covert are the ones that are right in front of you... hiding in plain view. I am seen, but not seen. —CovertProfessor
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Heh. Something like that. —CovertProfessor
![[WWW]](http://www.ghostscape.com/images/metalgear.jpg){kind=small}
?2009-08-05 13:51:19 I imagine that it must be harder to be covert than not to exist at all! —IDoNotExist
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Well, not existing would certainly make it a lot easier to be covert!
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Perhaps, but most people don't claim to see things that don't exist...most of the time. My flying unicorn, my free lunch, and my perpetual motion machine all agree with me!
2009-08-06 15:00:48 Please dont argue for the sake of arguing. Im not wasting anyones time. No one is ever forced to get involved. Its a choice. Further comments left by you will not be read, only deleted, as I dont want to argue. —RealComputers
2009-08-06 15:09:37 Its funny how you talk about wasting time as you continue to argue. If you were really paying attention to anything ive done on the wiki today, I think you would have to admit that I have acted more than appropriately. Seriously. I dont want to argue with you about anything at all nor do I want to have to keep deleting your comments just to keep argumentativeness at bay. —RealComputers
2009-08-11 19:48:19 Hello there, Thanks for the praise on my restaurant reviews. In answer to your question, El Mariachi's California Burrito derives its name from the central/southern California tradition (particularly in San Diego) of American/Mexican fusion. The California Burrito contains steak, french fries, cheese, and sour cream. It is an interesting combination, and quite well executed at El Mariachi's. It certainly requires salsa (or ask for guacamole), as the french fries do make it a bit dry. —RDRIII
2009-08-19 19:01:32 Your irritation was noted. Would you have preferred that the page stay on Davis Wiki? If that page stayed where would the line be drawn? —JasonAller
2009-09-01 12:19:07 I'm amused that the practice of bolding the title in the text is associated with me. It's actually writing "salt" — a mechanical device that forces a good practice. In this case, highlighting the actual subject of the entry forces you to make sure that the entry contains a very basic description that answers: "What is this, in terms that anybody arriving at this page with nearly zero context can understand?" It also draws the eye to that starting point that provides initial context for the rest of the text. It works for me, although I just used it early on to tag the ones I had made sure had a basic description of the subject. —JabberWokky
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Oh, I agree it's good practice — definitely draws the eye and makes the entry clearer. You're the one I've seen doing it most often, so I've just followed suit. —CovertProfessor
2009-09-02 22:32:22 The place where I've had the best experience with that in Davis was actually a car dealer. They take much longer (although you don't have to wait in line for the people ahead of you quite as much). On the other hand, they are *less* expensive, don't charge for fluids, do a good job, and give you a comfortable place to work with wifi while you wait. In terms of actual lost time, I actually lose more at the rapid fluid swapping places because I'm productive at the dealer. —IDoNotExist
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Sometimes dealers are good, sometimes not. Unfortunately for me, the Davis dealer for my car is not good. I think that Davisville Lube had wifi... someone had a laptop. And they didn't charge anything over and above their standard price for fluids. Of course, what I really want is a good, honest independent car mechanic. Haven't found one of those in Davis yet, but I've got my ear to the ground. —CovertProfessor
2009-09-02 23:17:16 If you find one, please let me know... —IDoNotExist
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Same here! —CovertProfessor
2009-09-03 10:46:04 Regarding car mechanics, we've been very happy with the service and honesty of both Redfield Machine and Triple A Automotive. —LillianChow
2009-09-14 23:19:14 It shows up for me... I assume you mean in seed. —JabberWokky
2009-09-15 13:02:25 No worries; I work with gifted artists and publishers all day who don't understand the web or databases at all. In comparison, the ability to say "Nope, I see it" and then you check your cache... that's a pure delight! —JabberWokky
2009-09-15 18:22:11 From talking to one of her customers I'm pretty sure its Landscaping but i've left her a voicemail and I should be able to scan one of her business cards too. I may also be able to get her to write on the page herself. —NickSchmalenberger
2009-09-16 01:46:23 If it's the same Jess who does landscape style work then there is a good chance that 3 degrees of Davis are two, or one —StevenDaubert
2009-09-16 09:27:59 http://daviswiki.org/Superdog_Inc._Better_Dog_Training?action=diff&version2=23&version1=22 and http://daviswiki.org/Superdog_Inc._Better_Dog_Training?action=diff&version2=31&version1=30. Really, arguing that a photograph of a bunch of dogs off leash means they're good? Constant dropping of the URL for the service? Those are two characteristics that really stand out and lead me to believe that the comments were left by the same person, or at the very least, two people who have collaborated. But on another note, I think we should delete Bonnie's comments. First she claims to be a customer and then admits to being involved with the business ("In regard to the Call Kurtis TV report, the "client" featured was sent to destroy our business by a competitor who was under a Permanent Injunction to not harass us and send others to do the same.") —WilliamLewis
2009-09-16 10:06:15 http://daviswiki.org/Superdog_Inc._Better_Dog_Training?action=diff&version2=4&version1=3. —WilliamLewis
2009-09-16 15:15:00 We don't want to have to lay off UC Davis students because a competitor badmouths us wrongly. Character assassination is not free speech, but "the refuge of cowards." This person makes us sound like expensive crooks. We do a good job and often are the dog trainer of last resort. Just look at the website and judge for yourself. We try and treat people right. Putting bad news stories about others then attributing them to our company is disingenuous, unless you think businesses that hire students and do a good job are evil. —judgemiller
2009-09-16 15:23:47 Bonnie Gordon was a client of Superdog and now works for us. Both true statements. We do have a Permanent Injunction signed by a judge and I can provide you with a copy. How would you like it if someone said you were a pedophile and you had no way to refute it? Everyone would always think that about you and remember the annonymous statement, not your weak pleas to consider the source. Be fair to us. If someone has something bad to say, you verify it and post it because it is true. Newspapers don't let people write things without a last name because people are honest when everyone knows who it is. Thank you. David Baron, (916) 927-7725 —judgemiller
2009-09-16 15:31:57 I'm a citizen too and me posting all over Davis that you are a pedophile is NOT an opinion or a different lifestyle I would be entitled to. Why. Because it is wrong and it would hurt you. Leave the bullshit down or verify it to make sure it is from a real person. David Baron (916) 927-7725 —judgemiller
2009-09-16 17:55:50 I would like to communicate with you off the wiki. If there is a way this is possible without breaching your anonymity, would you be willing to leave details on my page? Thanks. —WilliamLewis
2009-09-17 16:24:57 stonegate video and coffee - best pastries in davis, and best video rentals. the coffee sucks, but I choose to suffer a weak bean than support starbucks or peet's. And it is family run, the husband and wife ownership are in there 16 hrs a day 7 days a week, often with their kids running around. Probably the only establishment in davis which will recieve a positive wiki review from me. Their chocolate croissants are the bomb, and they have computers. —JustinMehlhaff
2009-09-18 11:14:06 iirc correctly she does design, and normal landscaping...
why the sudden energy on gnoming? —StevenDaubert
2009-09-19 23:57:10 Never put off procrastination until tomorrow... —IDoNotExist
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Excellent advice! —CovertProfessor
2009-09-25 12:59:36 What did he do? I must have missed it... —IDoNotExist
2009-09-25 14:08:29 Wow. Makes me think that some sort of metamoderation system might be needed for the wiki. We've had a rash of users who have a severely negative impact on it lately. But it would need to be done in such a way that no one can decide they don't like someone and cause them to spontaneously lose editing privileges. (Group consensus?) —IDoNotExist
2009-09-25 14:54:37 Perhaps each time you get reverted by a gnome, you lose the ability to edit for some amount of time. That time starts very small, but doubles each time. Over time, if you are good and don't get reverted, your penalty gets reduced. If you start a revert war and get reverted by gnomes frequently, you'll automagically lose your editing ability for quite some time, and the revert war will die almost immediately. —IDoNotExist
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Yeah, that could work. I don't know if others would go for it, but maybe? I guess one problem would be that some people think that some gnomes are a bit quick on the revert button. —CovertProfessor
2009-09-28 07:45:36 When I saw the "Young Americans for Liberty" entry pop up, I was envisioning a Glenn Beck group and was shuddering to see how that would go over locally. —JabberWokky
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Yeah. As you
said, "libertarian" covers a wide array of beliefs. It remains to be seen what this group is about. —CovertProfessor
2009-09-29 15:43:03 Students in the dorms aren't in Davis, how can they be included?
your numbers seem slightly high, are you including king and grad schools? —StevenDaubert
I've got the links up there now for the numbers. Of course, this doesn't show that 30K of the 65K is students. But as someone else said, students not living in dorms won't be excluded from the census. (Picture: "Sorry, you're a student — you don't count.") Living in Davis is living in Davis. —CovertProfessor
2009-09-30 02:58:32 ¬_¬
if you live in the dorms, you live in yolo county. Those census figures would go to yolo county, it's just like the trailer park over near research parkway, not in Davis, even though it clearly is. Same thing with el macero. It's not about them being students, it's about them not being in Davis. On a different note, 30k includes undergrad and all post grad students or just undergrads alone? —StevenDaubert
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Right — read what I wrote above more carefully: "students not living in dorms won't be excluded from the census." As EdWins noted, there are only about 5K students living in dorms. And yes, the ~30K number includes graduate students (don't they count too??) but I doubt it includes postdocs, since postdocs are not students. —CovertProfessor
2009-10-03 21:36:10 Hungry? —IDoNotExist
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Heh. No, just inspired by my wonderful YoloBerry yogurt this evening to do something I've been meaning to do for a long time. —CovertProfessor
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Mmmmm...Yoloberry..... —IDoNotExist
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Open until 11... — —CovertProfessor
2009-10-07 10:42:06 There is some very good discussion here that would likely be useful to future people seeking answers. Might I humbly propose some entry similar to Dental Questions, something along the lines of Academia Questions (as opposed to Academic Questions, i.e., this would have to do with the actual process of being in and rising into the world of formal academia, teaching, research, grants, application, etc). Basically, the process from undergrads looking to get into a PhD program on up (which overlaps a bit with those looking to get a doctorate to pursue industry careers, but that probably makes sense, as I know people who thought they were bound for a industry job who fell into positions in university research groups). The focus would be on UCD of course, for people passing through UCD as they obtain degrees or questions about UCD within the context of people seeking post-doc and higher positions at UCD. —JabberWokky
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That's a good idea. How about "Q & A for Prospective Academics" as a page title? And we could prime it by cutting and pasting relevant bits from my page. —CovertProfessor
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Excellent idea! —IDoNotExist
2009-10-13 12:06:30 The other was by request of the poster (Jon). I'm a bit hesitant to get into judgement calls regarding border cases, as that might place the legal responsibility elsewhere from the actual person posting the content. —JabberWokky
2009-10-27 13:19:45 It would be best if you stayed out of all future instances that have anything to do with me at all. —RealComputers
2009-10-27 18:26:28 BTW, grading exams was completely awful. It had it's ups and downs during the process, but now I'm pretty sure a good chunk of the pre-MED "must get a 4.0" crowd hate me right now :( —EdWins
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Oh well, there is no way to satisfy that crowd. No doubt you'll hear from them, trying to get points back. I had a few of those myself today. Again, not the best part of the job. —CovertProfessor
2009-10-27 20:30:39 How did the pizza compare to other pizzas in the area? —IDoNotExist
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I think that Village Bakery/Village Pizza makes the best "regular" pizza in Davis. Symposium's pizza is also very good, in my opinion, but only if you're in the mood for something a bit heavier and richer. —CovertProfessor
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I'm going to quote you on my page, please don't remove it —StevenDaubert
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Oh, good. I'd love to endorse your bunny rabbit with my pizza preferences. —CovertProfessor
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I would concur wholeheartedly your first statement, what comes in 2nd in "regular" pizza (or is that in your reviews) you need a comment archive —StevenDaubert
2009-10-27 23:55:11 Expanding on Daubert's comment, since you have so many comments and reviews in your page, it might aid navigation if each type of food were listed on a distinct page, or at least if there were a separate page that contained your reviews. Pages that archive comments by year would also be really helpful in making the comments easy to sort through. —IDoNotExist
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Agreed. There's no need for rigid homogeneity in the wiki. Having a Covert Professor's Picks would probably be fun, and anybody who wanted to could create their own "Picks" page... once there were enough, they could be crosslinked as a "best of Davis by critic" type entry named Picks. It would move a bit toward busting up the monotony of "phone number, dry description, too many reviews" that constitutes so much of the wiki these days, add some personality back, and might even prompt some editors to realize they are empowered to build out the wiki beyond what we've already got. -jw
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I do have a "quick picks" at the top of my page, as well as within page links to each type of food for longer reviews. I know you all have been after me to archive my comments for awhile... maybe one of these days I'll do it. :-) —CovertProfessor
2009-10-28 08:03:54 don't give in! —EdWins
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Heh. That is certainly the easiest path. :-) —CovertProfessor
2009-10-28 11:16:18 please drop it —RealComputers
2009-10-28 12:58:22 I want you to stop all communication with me. I want you to stope leaving me any comments. We have never gotten along so why continue to argue? Please just do not respond to this and let this be clean and over with. —RealComputers
2009-10-30 11:31:18 He was placed on a "cool down" ban a couple minutes before you commented. —JabberWokky
2009-10-30 19:50:59 I think ["Users/RealComputers] was also trying to remove the phrase "Royally Sucks" from the page if you go back and look at some of the edits. Nice grammer fixes by the way. —JasonAller
2009-10-30 20:11:19 Much improved... —IDoNotExist
2009-10-30 20:17:00 Mmmmm... ambiguous pronoun referent.... singular their.... =) —WilliamLewis
2009-10-30 22:02:32 http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/2008/01/19/scripts/english.shtml —IDoNotExist
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:-) —CovertProfessor
2009-11-01 14:27:30 the city is going to get sued if they ban fires. I know a nice older gentleman who has SAD and needs a fire or he will probably kill himself —StevenDaubert
2009-11-01 14:33:01 a camera that shows 1 frame a second in a private business is different than encouraging others to help force an agenda that is misguided.
We don't have AC or heating in our house, but we have a fireplace, you really advocate having us be cold cause we don't ride a heater and chose to find and cure wood that is suitable for burning? —StevenDaubert
2009-11-01 14:34:37 and the webcam thing is just people overreacting, what possible negative things can result from that? People randomly look at you all the time on the street, it's the same thing just over the internet and with less refresh —StevenDaubert
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I think there are few things more insidious than society's increasing tolerance of the loss of privacy, of which Yolo Berry is yet one more instance. It will come back to bite us. It is already biting us (Bush adminstration tactics, not completely ended with Obama administration; see also the UK)
What I advocate is that we find out whether there is a problem, and then take appropriate action to deal with the problem if one is found. Appropriate action might include money to help people financially if a wood fireplace is their only source of heating. Surely you don't think you have the right to harm the health of others for your own heating needs if alternatives are available? Surely you recognize that living in a society with others requires some restrictions on absolute freedom? I realize that you don't think there are negative health impacts from fireplaces. But my point is that we should find out and deal with the situation if there are. —CovertProfessor
2009-11-01 14:45:37 yeah, pick on homeowners cause they don't have a lobby like truckers. Our energy bill is 30 dollars a month on a 3/2. Fireplaces are such a non problem it's disgusting that so much energy is put towards making them the devil.
As far as the yolo berry camera goes, I would love to see how many hits they get on it and how long ips stay connected to the feed. it's not in a public corner going straight to the police who can then yell at you thru a loudspeaker ala UK. Worry about the patriot act letting the man look at what books you check out from the library instead of some misguided business owners trying to drum up support in the cutthroat yogurt business of Davis. —StevenDaubert
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If I am picking on homeowners, then I am picking on myself. We're all in this together. We're all neighbors. We're going to have conflicts. If it's not going to be all-out war, we need to listen to each others' concerns and find ways to solve them. You're assuming that burning your fireplace is not a health issue. I love a big roaring fire myself, but I can also tell that it affects my breathing, and I am a healthy person. I worry about the seniors in my neighborhood. Again, all I am saying is that this is worthy of study.
If it's on the internet, it's at the police station, it's at the government; it's everywhere. As for Yolo Berry, they are my favorite yogurt place in town and I frequent them frequently. Not sure what I will do now that there is a web cam. But if their customers don't like it — for whatever reason — Yolo Berry should know about it. Frankly, I think there are better ways that they can compete. —CovertProfessor
2009-11-01 14:54:01 yeah well I talk with wes and lee, I left them a message. I guarantee you they didn't expect the hippies in town to flip like they did over a silly webcam.
it's real neighborly to get policy made instead of walking next door and discussing things like adults. —StevenDaubert
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Glad you told the Yolo Berry folks; I do want their business to succeed.
My neighbors tell me that they haven't gotten much traction when they tried to discuss it with their fireplace-using neighbors. Gee, maybe they react exactly like you're reacting here, whaddya think? —CovertProfessor
2009-11-01 15:00:50 were all wrong and all bad people and everything gives you cancer more legislation is obviously the key did you see the article in the bee today about the people who live next to cigar smokers and are litigating now? —StevenDaubert
2009-11-01 15:39:36 Wood burning adds soot and other particulates into the atmosphere, along with various greenhouse gases. Conversion of plants to gases in an unfiltered fire is a good way to contribute heavily to global warming, along with acid rain and smog. The emissions are also potentially very bad for anyone with breathing problems. If you are taking an action that potentially harms others, then the burden is on you to mitigate it, since other people can't. It's no different than if you were blasting your stereo in the middle of the night and waking up your neighbors. While you may benefit from it in musical enjoyment, your neighbors are negatively impacted by it, and you are in a position to prevent them from being impacted at all.
The camera thing is scary for a different reason. Covert is right. Once the video is out there, it's out there for everyone. While I really don't think that there's likely to be an issue for someone knowing that someone else bought a chocolate frozen yogurt at Yoloberry (mmm...Yoloberry...), we do have a great example (the UK) of a country where small adjustments to the level of surveillance let to it being essentially impossible for anyone to do anything in the UK without being captured on video. See this recent article in the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/world/europe/25surveillance.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=uk%20%20camera%20family%20-balloon&st=cse —IDoNotExist
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Exactly. —CovertProfessor
2009-11-01 15:49:34 Reno has particularly bad air, and firewood bans and talk of it have been around since 1985. Since then, it's been talked about and mentioned a lot. Home fireplaces are big, big particle polluters. I'm a bit surprised that much of the Davis that touts it's environmental activism and love for eco-friendly bicycle culture among other things (which come up any single time someone wants to build houses) are yet still very keen on wood-burning and wave off some of the extremely well known detrimental affects. —EdWins
2009-11-01 16:03:15 not at all, it just means I have to integrate my comments and not attribute them to me —StevenDaubert
2009-11-01 23:49:59 I've noted a sudden increase in effective gnoming, now that there are fewer distractions... —IDoNotExist
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Yes, interesting! Suddenly, enthusiasm and time to do something positive. —CovertProfessor
2009-11-02 09:00:22 It (surprisingly to me) really upset somebody whom I respect. They objected to the comment referring to Davis as a small town, which in my mind is a poetic/cultural outlook description more than strict numbers, but to them meant "dinky" or small in numbers. The point was more about the location and proximal options than Davis itself. It was a minor addition, one I didn't really see it as worth debating, so I removed it. As a side point, it occurred to me that if a sizable university is in any location other than a major metropolis, the surrounding city is always a "University town", not a "University city". Something makes just about any municipality with a heavily influential student population a "town" rather than "city". It's probably similar to boat versus ship or house versus estate — more than just size dictates the appropriate term. —JabberWokky
2009-11-02 09:32:40 That's probably true for larger cities as well. Boston is often referred to as a university town (it has at least 5 major ones), but it's a big city. —IDoNotExist
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DC, Miami and Orlando don't fall into the term... Durham sometimes does. I think it has more to do with the visibility of the student body within the city, but that's a gut feeling without any significant thought on the subject. On the other hand, cultural nomenclature and connotation seldom holds up to over-analysis. To invoke a hoary cliche, it is what it is. -jw
2009-11-03 17:40:48 Wiki founder gets 15 minutes of fame in NY Times... http://s.nyt.com/u/DiB —IDoNotExist
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Very cool. Too bad he couldn't have gotten in a quick wikispot reference. :-) —CovertProfessor
2009-11-04 22:09:52 Did it remember its name when it was a young bike with training wheels? —IDoNotExist
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I think it did! —CovertProfessor
2009-11-07 16:32:33 Hey, I'm trying to cross link Growth Politics (which deals solely with the actual political actions connected to growth) to the various opinion entries. I'm guessing from your edit activity that you may have made a sweep through those wiki entries that relate to the topic, so if you notice anything that should really cross link that I missed, please add it. —JabberWokky
2009-11-07 19:55:20 Nice addition. I was thinking that lawsuits would make sense within the context of political action. In fact, you jogged my memory about the city filing against Dixon over the Dixon Downs plans. —JabberWokky
2009-11-10 20:35:25 Sophia's thai iced-tea($3) has free refills Cultive now is self serve, and has more flavors (even Pistachio!)
The last time I went to Fluffy Donut they were out of creme filled, but filled a chocolate long-john for me :)
How is there no Chipotle review? —GreatRyan
2009-11-10 21:00:04 One of these days I'll make a poor man's wiki restaurant review. Sure Chipotle isn't that great, but there's no limit to the size, only your desire to be polite holds you back! I asked for extra cheese six times once :) —GreatRyan
2009-11-13 00:06:58 Well, I thought that Internet Service Provider was kind of long and Service was a little redundant, but I agree it has a more recognized meaning. William pointed out to me that one reason for having service is that without it the acronym would be the same as for Internet Protocol which would be very confusing. Anyway, I'm definitely willing to go either way. —NickSchmalenberger
2009-11-13 01:10:08 Wouldn't that be Internet Protocol over an Internet Provider, or IP over IP = IP / IP = 1? —IDoNotExist
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Oh no — canceled out! —CovertProfessor
2009-11-16 10:27:56 I had my doubts also, some of these things I found were from several years ago. I think it is a better fit on the street pages for me. I don't have a route for looking for stuff, so finding these things for me is most connected with coincidentally being on that street. —NickSchmalenberger
2009-11-19 17:19:12 It's a common misconception that servers get paid less than the normal minimum wage. This is wrong. In California, the minimum wage is $8 with certain exemptions for apprentices and certain kinds of agricultural workers. Restaurant workers are not exempted. Additionally, a restaurant cannot use tips to go towards this minimum wage. —WilliamLewis
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Thanks for the information — I hadn't realized that California was different from most other states in that respect. I still think that servers in general work hard and don't get paid much, though. (And I have found the servers at Thai Nakorn in particular to be very friendly and accommodating). And I definitely don't see any reason why we should be suggesting that they be given less of a tip. Because the restaurant had the audacity to offer a coupon that is only for a small amount? That makes no sense. —CovertProfessor
- 1Of course, maybe I missed a thundering herd of wild emus that lives in front of Plutos. That would be cool!
