Life in the Foggy City

Walking/cycling on Golden Gate Bridge (bring a jacket!), visiting the museums, eating dim sum (surprisingly, the best places are _not_ in Chinatown) and all other types of cuisine, and shopping in Union Square or other cute neighborhoods, like Union Street, Haight/Ashbury, Fillmore. . .

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Most of you have two legs - use them! But seriously, if you are able and if you only have time to explore the city, walking is a great way get around. There are plenty of Muni bus lines, BART, and taxi cabs to get around. The Muni is quite inexpensive - just one dollar for a one way + transfer usable w/i 2 hours. BART takes you from SF locally to all around East Bay and ranges up to about . However, if you will be here for more than a few days, you may want to have a car to get out of SF.

One may think that the intimacy of a boutique hotel is compromised by fewer amenities, but I didn’t notice any essentials missing. I was prepared for a luxurious and relaxing weekend at the Hotel Palomar and I certainly got what I expected: stylish decor, down comforter, local chocolates by Joseph Schmidt (you know, those decorative, disc-shaped truffles) with turndown service, full mini-bar, room service, stereo/CD system, friendly staff, WSJ, NY Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle, quick check-in time and easy self-serve check-out service option, and a gym. What I enjoyed best was the classy, subdued and relaxing atmosphere, along with the most comfortable bed; yes, even more comfortable than my bed at home. My only complaint is that for some reason, we had bathrobes on the first night, but they disappeared and did not reappear again for use on the second night. Hmmm. . . lucky, I don’t usually use bathrobes.

The Palomar houses one of the city’s best restaurants and sophisticated bar in town, called The Fifth Floor (on which they are situated) ensuring that you don’t ever really have to leave the building. Unfortunately for me, I did not check the times they were open and attempted to dine there on a Sunday night, when they are closed. Palomar’s ideal location allows guests to be just a block away from the SF Shopping Center, the Sony Metreon movie theaters, and the Yerba Buena Center, two blocks away from the MOMA, and a short walk away to the corporate offices in downtown or South of Market dotcoms that are still alive.

Joe’s Ice Cream is a delightfully tasty and inexpensive homemade ice cream parlor and grill found in the Richmond District. Based on its homey appearance yet busy cash register, it is easily identifiable as an historic, well-loved, neighborhood business. Joe’s Ice Cream has actually survived since World War II, and has been sold once, 20 years ago; it is family owned and run. Traditional and not-so-traditional flavors of ice cream are made and sold, including Chocolate Peanut Butter, Pumpkin, and Boysenberry. Nothing beats homemade ice cream, especially when it’s scooped on top of a cone and dipped in chocolate! Besides frozen treats, the shop offers grill items, including hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as chili, chicken salad sandwiches, and simple classics - - - all at bargain prices!

Today, I tried out the Japanese restaurant that I always pass while shopping in the Embarcadero Center (downtown SF). Fujiya is a Benihana-type restaurant where your food is cooked right before your eyes, either by a restaurant chef using a grill, or by yourself, using a shabu-shabu pot. It isn't often that I go to one of these restaurants; I usually imagine that the flashy, entertaining chef will be used as a novel substitute for tasty food. Although a balance is preferable, I favor delicious food over cooking presentation. On this occasion, I was part of a large, organized, group lunch and logistically, the professional chef tables suited us best (besides, if I'm going out to eat, I'm not looking to cook my own food!). The entrees (consisting largely of chicken, prawn, and beef dishes served with rice, veggies, salad, and green tea) and their prices were fair/satisfactory; nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary. Warning: the meal feels a little messy - between all the chopping, mixing, and stirring of the food in front of you, it is not uncommon to have a piece of zucchini or onion fly into your water cup. The shabu shabu may be even more dangerous; all patrons who choose to go that route tied plastic bibs around their necks! All in all, Fujiya is a mediocre, entertaining restaurant, appropriate for a big group of friends (or people you don't want to have to talk to since the grill and overhead fan and clanging of cooking utensils drown out all other noise). Don't expect gourmet sushi here.

Expect very traditional French Bistro fare at Bistro Vida. Never having been to this restaurant before, I booked a table for a Monday (yes, it IS open on Mondays) for a small birthday gathering for my sister. The proprietor, Ali Elsafy, was most friendly and helpful in preparation for our dining experience.

Entrees available included pork loin, lamb chops, seafood stew, fish, and mussels. My lamb was quite good, however, my appetizer Caesar salad was not quite "the best Caesar salad" I have ever had, as the server promised.

I’m not really sure if you need reservations; certainly not on Monday nights, that’s for sure! A great thing about the location of this restaurant is that it’s a great midpoint for people wanting to meet midway between San Francisco and San Jose/South Bay. Also, there are several other good restaurants on the same street in case you’re in the mood for something else.

Delicious Italian food and creative, colorful decor can be found at Locanda San Pietro. This is a delightful addition to the many Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, and Japanese restaurants in my neighborhood. I’ve observed Locanda San Pietro since it opened earlier this year, read positive reviews in the paper, and have seen its patronage grow over the months.

My parents were in town and wanted to eat something non-Asian. I had been waiting for an opportunity to try this elegant-looking restaurant, so Thursday night was the perfect time to go. Although we were able to get a seat without advance notice, I would encourage reservations for popular times like weekends. From the menu, I selected a simple Caesar salad and a light, but tasty, sea bass with long green beans. A refreshing trio of sorbets (delicious chocolate cabernet, watermelon, and berry) completed the meal.

This is a nice, romantic place for a date (lots of candles).

Zuni Cafe is a clean, airy restaurant with plenty of windows to prevent claustrophobia amongst the buildings in San Francisco. I’d heard plenty from friends about Zuni Cafe and finally got around to going there for dinner last week with a few friends. I imagine that the weekends are a little more interesting, as there is a piano for live music in the proximity of the bar. More for friendly gatherings than romantic dates, we were able to leisurely enjoy our meal and catch up on our latest goings-on. Fish was a popular choice for our group; quite good and not 'fishy' (I hate fishy-fish). Their thick, crusty bread was fair; it would be far less messy if they supplied bread plates to their patrons. But overall, the meal was satisfying. We shared a nice, warm chocolate cake, but for once I was too full to eat much of it!

paul K offers ideal pre-theatre dining. Food was good, service attentive, location just 3 blocks away from the SF Opera House (so that you can park in the theatre lot and walk to/from the restaurant in heels), and I was able to make a reservation within the week for a Friday night.

The Mediterranean restaurant has only been open for the past year or so, but seems to have attracted a lot of attention, by the look of its full-house each weekend. I suppose it isn't too difficult to pack the place, as it only holds about 20 tables. Unfortunately, the lack of space makes one feel somewhat like a sardine, which may make New York diners feel at home. . .

I enjoy trying lots of different items on the menu, which is why dim sum works so well for me, and all of the Med. appetizers looked so good that I shared a sampler plate with my companion. It included very tasty ground lamb skewers, humus, babaganoush (sp?), ribs of lamb (super tender and delicious but also really fatty), pita bread slices, marinated baby artichoke hearts (not overly vinegary, thank goodness) and other goodies.

Since both of us hate feeling too full while sitting watching a show for 3 hours, my dinner-mate ordered a well seasoned chicken breast entree while I opted for a fresh salmon & pasta dish. Light but still tasty, I even had room for dessert - a simple creme brulee. paul K makes homemade sorbets, which my friend certainly enjoyed (flavors were red wine, passion fruit, and berry); I noticed just about every other table ordering at least one of the sorbet desserts. I think I'll try one of those next time. . . www.paulkrestaurant.com

Fringale is a small, comfy, French restaurant located in the more seedy neighborhood of SOMA (South of Market). A block further South and you'd be watching drug deals from the window. But I'd been wanting to try out this place for some time, having read rave reviews in Zagat's and newspapers. Make a reservation far in advance because it only seats about 30 people but it isn't squishy, thankfully.

Fringale offers a warm, relaxed, well-lit (but not overly bright) atmosphere. Service was attentive, not overbearing. Our server had a genuine French accent, which I'm glad did not come with attitude or upturned nose.

Food means a lot to me; this establishment did not disappoint! This week, SF had an "All About Dining" special event where many of the fine restaurants offer a 3-course menu for $20 for lunch and $30 for dinner. I chose this set plate option, not necessarily because it basically gave me a free dessert, but because it really did sound good!

I thoroughly enjoyed my delicious frisee with stuffed chicken salad and blood oranges, a tender, flakey, unfishy pink salmon filet on a bed of sweet leek and onion, and then - drum roll please - I exchanged the almond pudding cake dessert for a flourless chocolate cake with mixed berries and creme fraiche! Oh my goodness, talk about heaven! Now, I can say that I have easily eaten a good 30 different flourless chocolate cakes (and I'm not a pastry chef); this one was one of the best. Rich and not overly sweet (just as I prefer), kind of oozing in the middle; the only thing that would have made it more enjoyable is serving it warmer. What balanced that out was the fact that the middle was not runny, but more like a pudding. I don't think my writing does it justice but if you are a chocolate lover, try this dessert out when you're in SF! The strawberry/blueberry/raspberry sauce and thick, fluffy creme fraiche were nice additions as well.

Unfortunately, I'm allergic to crab, but from what my friend said, her sculpted crab salad was excellent. I did try her seabass, which is her favorite, but was somewhat disappointed that it was a little overdone. :{ But her dessert, breadpudding, was really delectable, as mine was, but not the right choice for chocolate-lovers.

Despite the delicious food, I do have a word of warning - according to our server, the cold drove a few ants into the restaurant and onto the table! Eeew. I thought about moving to a table away from the window but decided not to fuss. I imagine that the tables away from the window were untainted. Because of the food and nice atmosphere, I would definitely return to Fringale.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that the value of the place is excellent; appetizers run from around $8-13, entrees from $18-28, desserts are $6-7.

While most people enjoy picnicking amongst the trees on a nice summer day, it’s even more enjoyable when accompanied by live music. In the Sunset District of San Francisco, hundreds of locals flock to picnic and listen to concerts at Stern Grove. . . for FREE! Each Sunday, during the summer months, a different genre of music is scheduled to entertain the masses. Today, a few friends and I attended the SF Symphony concert, which played Copland’s Fanfare to Man, Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto 2, and Beethovan’s Fifth Symphony (da da da duuuuuuuhhhhm. . . da da da duuuuuuuhhhhm. . . ). Although we arrived about an hour early and parking was easy to find (within a few blocks), the place was already packed with people who had staked out their “claim”. A grass area lies in front of the stage on the left as one enters; on the right is a somewhat steep hill with several paths. People were strewn along, as well as between these aisles, and amongst the trees. If you come as “late” as I did, be prepared with blankets and the mentality that sitting/lying on an incline isn’t so bad, and you’ll be okay. Of course, another option is to donate $50+ to reserve a seat. As for the concert, it was good - a relatively short program that kids can sit through and popular tunes that most can recognize. From our perch, we could not really see the symphony, but who really needs to see them play; we could hear just fine. As we listened, we stuffed ourselves with the fruits of our earlier labor: brie and bread, wine, roast chicken, curried potato salad, fruit salad, and lemon cake with chocolate chips. For those who are not so inclined to bring grub from home, a few food vendors set up shop at the entrance to the Grove. Since performances vary from week to week, there’s likely to be at least one which you would want to attend. Aside from the music and the food, it was a great time to socialize with friends and even visit with relatives who also happened to be there, celebrating Father’s Day. Next time, I just need to get there earlier.

The famous Golden Gate Bridge, distinguished by its unique 'International Orange' paint, truly is a phenomenal structure. After a long week of sedentary work in the office, a friend of mine and I decided to walk across this historic bridge for a little exercise and fresh air. We certainly got both, walking two miles each way, with heavy winds. Luckily, the sun was still shining to offset the blasts of air that twice blew my cap off (no, I wasn't angry). Anyway, plenty of tourists as well as locals who want to exercise may be found at this monument. The view of the cityscape and the ocean from the bridge (and from either end) is amazing, especially on a sunny day. Although I generally don't like fog (I believe I mentioned this earlier), it was especially picturesque to see it moving from the Pacific towards the downtown area of SF.

I call Golden Gate Park San Francisco's smaller version of NY's Central Park. It offers so many things to do that I never tire of walking/jogging through it. If you wish to stay indoors, you can choose between the Natural History Museum, Asian Art Museum, and glass conservatory. For outdoors lovers, popular gardens include the Japanese Tea Garden (paid admission), rose garden, Shakespeare's Garden, a botanical garden featuring plants from around the world, and the arboretum. Several lakes can be found; most popular is Stow Lake, which surrounds an 'island'. Park goers can rent paddle boats and bicycles at this spot. Besides people, you'll also see ducks and turtles enjoying the scenery. The most interesting things that I've found include a field of buffalo, a fly-fish casting pool, horse stables, a waterfall, and an archery field; oh, and a guy who exposed himself (while I generally feel safe in the park, I would recommend taking a buddy). Every weekend I see people taking advantage of this public space: people playing sports - golf, soccer, football, softball, enjoying picnics, napping, jogging along the paths or on the track, cycling, rollerblading, reading. Golden Gate Park is a great place to feel far away from the hustle & bustle of the city.