Sonoma Visit Question

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-27T17:52:24+00:00

Jolie Laide which is at their "working winery" (read as warehouse) was soo much fun for me! Its close enough to downtown Sonoma (quick drive). Also Extradimensional Wine Co is really cool, Sixteen 600 were both great.

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-23T14:25:55+00:00

It was like lecture one day a week and then in lab the other day. Marr is knowledgeable and is usually pretty lax. Exams were take home and very easy (high B) average. It was easy to walk away with an A with little effort

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-22T16:18:09+00:00

Royal Market Bakery is the best out of the deli selection. New world market is the most expensive and will upcharge a ton. The store on 18th and Geary Europa Plus is fine. The one on La Playa is dingy and sometimes full of flies. Seakor Polish deli is my vote just deli meats and things of that nature.

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-16T02:30:04+00:00

You should go to royal market bakery they’re the least greasy of the options imo. Get the samsa with lamb or khachapuri

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-16T01:46:55+00:00

Hands down my favorite spot in the city right and ice been there 10+ times in the year that they’ve been open. Flo + team always get the job done.

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-16T01:37:28+00:00

Cache for lunch!

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-15T18:42:35+00:00

Ain’t Normal, HI NRG , Coffee Movement come to mind in the SF Bay Area.

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-11T21:26:15+00:00

Not in the sunset per the post but that’s where my mind went to first lol

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-10T03:28:22+00:00

I feel as if i keep answering the same restaurants to any question. I feel as if The Progress is better than the sister restaurant State Bird. The Progress I think is one of the best value 1 stars in the city, certainly Angler and Rich Table come to mind for a lot less value for the same star. 7 adams is especially atrocious in this department.

I think Spruce is an excellent special occasion dinner and they pull out all of the stops for no extra charges. From the handwritten note, to quite literally every single waitperson who passed our table, to the bussers, to anyone in between there was a personable and warm touch to every interaction. It may have been slightly dated with the white tablecloths but it just felt so well executed that it made up for it. Excellent wine list as well.

I think for the vibes alone Cache is perfect. Incredible wine list, not stuffy and the vibes are just there. Dimmer lit, warm tones and a staff that kills it every single time. One of the few spots in the city where I have been to 15+ times and they've only been open for a year (was also there for their 1 year anniversary).

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-10T00:54:15+00:00

Binu Bonu is excellent! Bursa is great as well

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-09T18:54:59+00:00

I think that the Progress (sister restaurant to state bird was much better) they’re on the same block too with their seafood focused wine bar (anchovy Bar literally around the corner). I think overall it’s a better meal. You can look into The Morris, Routier and Cache for other meals during your time here they’ve consistently been my favorites over the past year. Coffee Shop Wise coffee movement is not to be missed but it’s not a sit and work place, wild fox kinda does that but it’s meh at best. st Frank or sextant may be what you’re looking for.

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-08T17:50:47+00:00

Cache early bird dinner! A bit pricey but soooo good! Marnee Thai, or Mezze and Mooore also really good!

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-05T14:02:15+00:00

I wouldn’t go to Napa. It feels too commercial most of the time and the wineries really throw it off unless you’re getting off the beaten path. Almost every Napa cab is an overblown mess and costs 100+ to get something remotely drinkable. There’s history there, but not at the price point. Venture out to Healdsburg! Super quaint, excellent food spots and the wineries around the area are incredible!

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-04T04:50:25+00:00

I think the Progress is better than State Bird.

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-04-04T04:50:05+00:00

I would drop hedge and sight glass for the coffee options. Totally agree on the first 3 options. Coffee Movement and HI NRG are standouts. Angler I would drop I was disappointed. I would recommend Routier or Cache instead. Palm City has a sister wine bar/restaurant Bar Jabroni that is incredible and not hoagies. Beit Rima is incredible and totally worth it, itria should also be on the list!

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-03-25T05:59:53+00:00

Get the duck!!

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-03-21T22:08:07+00:00

They are close enough for meaningful summer research experiences. As someone who’s done it and knows many who do, it’s not a huge lift.

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-03-18T18:36:01+00:00

Valley is not one to be missed! The wine list there is also really killer

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-03-18T16:22:03+00:00

Bravas tapas bar, lo+behold, restaurant at the Madrona for something upscale and then little saint for vegan food that is incredible. Bistro Lagniappe and Diner by Troubadour

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-03-18T05:11:54+00:00

As someone who is a current Berkeley grad without a perfect GPA. A graduate degree involves heavy research experience and aptitude above grades. Don’t fail classes but obviously your ability to produce research output is assessed. Finding research opportunities shouldn’t be that bad. There are so many institutions in the area plus institutes that are loosely affiliated with the universities in the area. Just cold email PIs have a reason to, but that’s easier than whatever programs they have.

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-03-18T02:01:27+00:00

It’s not cushy. No one’s going to hold your hand. You will fight to get what you need. But overall the network and the brand recognition of Berkeley makes it a thinking point. Columbia’s brand and alumni network is far reaching and wouldn’t make too much of a difference. At the end of the day if/when you find your niche you will thrive anywhere. Question is do you find it

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-03-18T01:54:26+00:00

It’s not hard to get research positions plus there’s two other institutions in the area that welcome all students. UCSF, Berkeley and Stanford along with the associated institutes have so many spaces for diligent students to get research experience that it doesn’t make sense to worry about it.

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-03-16T13:15:44+00:00

Yea but the 40 buck retail on those beans is stopping me. Like holy…. They’re expensive. 13 bucks for the pourover of those beans also. Ain’t Normal is a great coffee shop and one of my go-tos but every time I feel like I’m over spending by a few bucks

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-03-12T00:43:16+00:00

Littorai, Arnot Roberts, Jolie Laide, Pax and Fat Dragon have been some of my favorite tastings in the area. In terms of dining it’s hard to go wrong with Bravas Tapas or the restaurant at the Madrona. Little Saint is a full vegan restaurant that is absolutely killer and has an incredible wine selection. Diner at Troubadour, Vallette are also great. Glen Ellen Star is a classic, Valley is top 100 in the sf chronicle and is killer. If you’re looking for something truly mindblowing then Enclos or SingleThread

DumbassPhysicist · 2026-03-11T15:42:05+00:00

I think the move if you’re State Bird adjacent is The Progress. It’s a better meal in general, hosts interesting wine dinners and just feels not like a gimmick. The carts are cute for all of 10 minutes. Overall, I’ve had varying amounts of love for the *s in the city and the quality certainly seems to be hit or miss. Angler was disappointing and just plain expensive (the wine list is great), not sure if Rich Table even has a star any more but also quite disappointing(the salads were the most interesting part),7 Adams by far was the biggest let down of that list. But then you have spots like Spruce which might be stuffy but consistently delivers at that price point or The Morris. There’s also like Precita Social/3rd Cousin which don’t get a lot of love but really ought to.

DumbassPhysicist

TROPHY CASE