Oh man, my buddy had the same thing happen at a car wash in Nampa. Some old guy just said "those look stock" about his tires and he had new wheels ordered by the weekend. Funny how one random comment can live in your head rent free like that.

Let it sit" applies to cheap wine too, swishing it around makes way more difference than the price tag.

Tasted fresh uni right off the boat in Half Moon Bay once and it ruined me for restaurant stuff forever. The good ones are sweet and creamy like butter with that ocean kick, but the bad ones turn mushy and bitter fast. That $18 one you got was probably sitting in a tank for days or came from a bad batch, cause fresh off the dock is a whole different food. Sea urchin goes bad quick, like within a day or two, so timing matters way more than the price tag. You basically got the best version for free, which is honestly kind of unfair to every restaurant now.