Quick & Dirty in San Francisco

Although Rose's is a popular weekend brunch spot in the very yuppy Cow Hollow area of San Francisco, the place was even hopping on a Friday around noon. Still, we were able to walk up and grab an indoor seat with no wait since the outdoor tables were all taken.

The food is somewhat overpriced, but reliable California-style Italian (i.e. a fairly thin crust pizza with "unusual" ingredients).

I had a nice salad and a slice of my companion's pizza. I thought the food was good, but a week later, my fellow NYC-dwelling companion is still thinking about the pizza. There's also "cozys" = pita-type things, pasta, and entrees on the menu.

Try to score a nice outside table, but the inside is okay, too. While our waiter was slow and unattentive, the staff was nice enough to set aside a forgotten pair of sunglasses.

Pros: good launchpad for Marina/Cow Hollow/Presidio area, good food
Cons: bad service, a bit overpriced

This was the final stop for two NYC night owls in a desperate search for either booze or food.

Club Six was closed, Japantown joints were closed, fellow burritorea Cancun Taqueria on 14th & Mission was closed, and Beauty Bar on Mission was closed...

But El Farolito came through. And judging by the 20 or so other people waiting in line, San Francisco is in dire need of late-night joints.

El Farolito is one of SF's more famous burrito joints, but less frequented because it's further away from the Valencia nightlife corridor.

Get your $5 ready, stand in line, and prepare little plastic containers of salsa. FYI, chips are no longer free.

What to order: super burrito or torta.

Housed in a large multi-story pink compound, the Hong Kong Flower Lounge is hard to miss, that is if you happen to be driving around in Millbrae on the "Royal Way."

This last time I was at the Hong Kong Flower Lounge was for a wedding rehearsal dinner party in a private room, but I have been here for dim sum and dinner before.

The multi-course dinner was average, and I can't rate the cost, since I didn't pay for it.

Dim sum is good here, but not among the top in San Francisco or in the surrounding areas.

So, if you're staying in San Francisco proper, there's no reason for making the special trip out to Millbrae, unless you want to stop somewhere on the way to or from the airport.

Don't freak out when you walk in. Murasaki is unassuming, a bit run-down even, but a great place for sushi purists.

I was happy to see that the sushi chef is still the same guy who was working there when I was living in San Francisco years ago. He's just as courteous as ever, and the sushi is still top quality.

If you're looking for ramen, teriyaki, bentos, etc., this is not the place. Although they do have some non-sushi food on the menu, it's not their strong suit.

We had an assortment of sashimi listed only on the small white board by the sushi bar, one roll, a great eggplant appetizer, and two beers. That was plenty. They were also nice enough to give us some free green tea tiramisu.

I should also say that this area -- the Inner Richmond -- is really part of what I call New Chinatown, and as such, is rife with good ethnic food (the popular Burma Superstar is just two blocks down). Unfortunately, the parking in this area can be hell. If you see someone pull out and you're not sure if it's a valid spot, just swoop in for the kill and read the signs afterwards.

Yes, the food here is just okay. Yes, the main reason to go here is for the great view of Sutro Baths and as part of a larger beachgoing itinerary.

But is it still worth waiting in line with the other tourists (and some locals) to snag that window seat? Yes.

High school teens serve up standard diner fare at Louis', a shack perched right above the ocean and the literal washed-up ruins of a weird public bathhouse.

Thankfully, the owners decided not to make the prices sky-high despite its one-of-a-kind location. At the same time, they haven't done much in the way of making the food one-of-a-kind, either. That's probably because the tourists supply a constant stream of one-timers. I should also say I saw some ketchup consolidation going on.

Anyway, I still recommend this place. And breakfast at Louis' and poking around Sutro Baths is definitely a Quick & Dirty combo.

It's not too clear from any visitor map I checked out how to drive to Twin Peaks, but I just drove in the general direction of the peaks (look for a giant radio tower), and soon enough, I ran into some signs that showed the way. One thing I realized by being a tourist in a city that I had lived in for years is that SF is a very tourist-driving-friendly town.

Getting back to the peaks themselves: Twin Peaks provides the best view of San Francisco, hands down. Now, note that I didn't say "the best view of the ocean" or "the best view of the Golden Gate Bridge." I'm talking about the city itself. But because of the fog, you really have to choose your day to get a good view. With SF's fogginess, you probably won't be able to see the GG bridge, but you can see how Market Street cuts it right in half.

It only takes 10 minutes or less to get up the "peaks," so I'd spend some time actually going up the steps to one of the them. It only takes about 5 minutes. It's much windier up there, so just watch your step.

I can't remember what Crissy Field looked like before it was redone, but it's gorgeous now. There's a nice boardwalk-type walkway set a bit off from the water, so even if you're wearing high heels, you can take a walk through this park. Plus, being that the beach is integrated with the city itself (right by the GG bridge), you really have no excuse not to stop by and check it out.

Those equipped with swimsuits and towels can, on a particularly nice day, sun tan and take a dip just like you would in SoCal.

This time I was cold wearing a T-shirt and shorts, so I went back to the car for a clashing faux motorcycle jacket. That proved to be enough.

While SF weather usually prohibits true beach activities, find yourself a nice mini-dune to lie beside, and you'll be just dandy gazing up at the puffy clouds. Even though I was a bit cold from the wind, I went as far as my mid-calves into the water, and I do think it was doable.

Also, Crissy Field is great if you don't have time to head out of the city to hit Stinson Beach or Half Moon Bay.

Even if you don't make a point of seeing the Palace of Fine Arts, you can't help but spy the pinkish dome if you're driving in the Marina area.

While there's really nothing to do at the Palace, the place still has a lot of appeal. It's just really pretty and nice, and the fact that it's utterly useless adds to the mystery.

So what exactly is it? The Palace is not really a palace, but a dome and a bunch of pillars, surrounded by a small park and man-made lake. There's an Exploratorium of some sort adjacent to the Palace for the kiddies, but other than that, you won't see anything happening here except for lovebirds taking wedding pictures.

The place also has a few claims to fame. I think a Nicholas Cage movie had a key scene there, as well as a few others.

You really only need 10 or 15 minutes to see this place, unless you want to relax in the grass and read a book.

The foggy and mysterious Presidio occupies a huge chunk of the Northwest corner of San Francisco.

It's best explored by slow drive in a car or bike, but I would recommend a car because of the steep hills. I wouldn't worry too much about following a map or a specific route, because you'll likely see much of what you want by meandering through the roads. I would make a point to stop by Baker Beach and Fort Point, though.

Although the Presidio is a national park, the place has a ton of interesting-looking former (and current?) military housing, two golf courses, beach access, the fabulous Fort Point underneath the GG bridge, and more.

It's hard to describe what's so great about this park. Although the area was apparently just sand dunes before the military came in and transformed the place, when I'm in the Presidio, I think I'm in some kind of prehistoric, mystical California.

The lushness plus fog plus varying landscape just equals magic.

Imagine seeing what this place looked like in its heyday ...

From the Cliff House website: "In 1881, Adolph Sutro bought most of the western headlands of San Francisco foreseeing the growth of the city to the western shore. Five years later, Sutro Baths opened to a dazzled public at a cost of $250,000. Spread over three acres, the artistic detail and engineering ingenuity were impressive ... A classic Greek portal opened to a massive glass enclosure containing one fresh water tank, five salt water tanks at various temperatures and a large salt water tank at ocean temperature. Together the pools held 1,685,000 gallons of sea water and could be filled or emptied in one hour by the high or low tides. There were 20,000 bathing suits and 40,000 towels for rent as well as slides, trapezes, springboards and a high dive for up to 1,600 bathers. Balmy temperatures and abundant plants enhanced 'California’s Tropical Winter Garden'."

But it gets better: "For those who worked up an appetite while swimming, three restaurants could accommodate 1,000 people at a seating. There were natural history exhibits, galleries of sculptures, paintings, tapestries and artifacts from Aztec, Mexican, Egyptian, Syrian, Chinese and Japanese cultures. An amphitheater, seating up to 3,700 people, provided a variety of stage shows. Up to 25,000 people could easily visit the facilities each day for a mere ten cents ( twenty five cents for swimming). Sutro’s dream was realized as the San Francisco populous streamed to the Baths on one of three five cent railroads connecting to the city." What's left now is still interesting, if you use your imagination. You can still see some foundations of the building, and even ladders and wooden beams. Walking along the ruins, you can also see the famed Seal Rock (covered with seagulls), meditate and enjoy the crashing waves, or, as I saw one person do, perch Karate Kid-like on a wooden beam.

From here, you can grab a bite either at Louis' or the fancy and square-looking Cliff House, continue on down to Ocean Beach and check out the surfers, or make your way into Golden Gate Park.

Also, wear some decent shoes (like sneakers or Tevas, no flip-flops).

Incidentally, if you want a nice public bath experience, check out Kabuki Springs & Spa. For $20, you can steam, sauna, hot dip, super cold dip and shower all you want, with complimentary cucumber-infused water and sea salts to scrub with.

I've only known the famed City Lights in its tourist incarnation, so I have no idea what I'm missing out on.

It's still a great independent bookstore that I could easily spend a day browsing around in. With that said, it just doesn't have the feel of a local bookstore. While I was there, I only saw tourists and even a class of Chinese kids who were shushed by their teacher. Maybe that's because it's in North Beach, primo tourist spot, or maybe because it's so famous.

Generally, I shun the North Beach area, but it's still very beautiful and full of quirky sights and sounds (as well as sex shops, clubs, etc.).

But if its books you're after, also check out the used bookstore right on Broadway, kitty-corner after leaving City Lights.