First Time in San Francisco?

LOCATION
(Rating - Excellent)
Aside from the fact that the Prescott is on Post Street, where one finds stores of top name brands, it is also a block away from Union Square, another hub for shopping and dining. Nob Hill, SF MOMA (Museum of Modern Art), and the Yerba Buena Garden are short walking distances away as well. Fisherman's Wharf is about a $7 to $10 (depending on how much your driver feels you need to see the sights and take you via the long or short route) cab ride.

ROOM ACCOMMODATION
(Rating - GOOD)
We had specified a queen-size bed, but ended up with what seemed to be a full-sized bed. The room, though very small (compared to other hotels in the same price range), was tastefully furnished. However, the age of the Prescott showed itself in the creaking of the floors and their bathrooms.

AMENITIES
(Rating - POOR)
The Internet service in-room was nonexistent in the 5 days we were there. The tech-support staff wasn't much help either. However, the hotel's own terminals on the ground floor worked just fine based on the 2 times we had to go down to use them, for a fee of course.

SERVICE
(Rating - FAIR)
A 20% gratuity is automatically added to your check, and so we tested their "service." On our first room-service order, we gave the customary tip. On our second day, upon ordering room service, we intentionally omitted the customary tip. After which, we asked for some ice to be brought to our room. Well, let's just say, we had to go cold on that one and never forget the customary tip on our succeeding room service orders.

As an afterthought, on the days we were there, the hotel traffic didn't seem that heavy, though the room we were given fronted the main street, Post, and was also right in front of the construction in the building fronting the hotel. I would suggest that travellers planning to stay there check first to see if the construction is still ongoing, thereby request a room away from that side.

If, like us, coffee is the first thing you want upon waking up, then Prescott may not be the best choice as, although coffee is complimentary, one has to get it from the what the hotel calls their living room on the ground floor.

Overall, we have decided that our next trip will have us checking out other hotels.

We dined on a Friday night, arriving at Scoma's a little before 7pm, and were the eighth party on the waiting list. The wait was about 20 minutes, which was not bad, as it gave us time to shoot some sunset pictures, wharf-side.

I suggest, though, that one call ahead for reservations to avoid wait time.

Luck was definitely on our side, as not only was our table by the windows, but we had Hero, the Armenian waiter (as he proudly told us to describe him), serve us! Hero is definitely a treat all his own, aside from Scoma's treats!

My husband had the Dungeness Crab Cakes Dinner, while I opted to be more adventuresome and try the Lazy Man Cioppino.

The crab cakes (3 pieces) were just as we liked them – moist.

The Lazy Man Cioppino is a concoction of fish, clams, shrimps, scallops, prawns, and crab meat combined with a tomato-based thick broth that reminded us very much of Italian pasta sauces. Garlic bread comes as its side. This dish is good enough to serve two. (BTW, their menu also lists the same dish as Cioppino Alla Pescatore, with one slight DIFFERENCE - the crab comes with its shell. Thus, the name LAZY MAN Cioppino has the luxury of the crabmeat already taken out so you don’t have to wrestle with the crab's thick shell.)

 

Both dishes are definite MUSTS!

The perfect ending to such sumptuous food would be to walk the wide wood gangway just outside. As Hero told us, not to do so would be like being invited to a buffet without eating.

And to that, we say, “Amen.”

Its facade/entrance is a bit inconspicuous, so, as a tip, Colibri is adjacent to Hotel Diva.

Entering the restaurant foyer, one gets the impression of a small, tightly packed restaurant that is, judging from the clientele we saw, a favorite after-office destination.

Without any reservations, we were politely told that they were full but that they could accommodate us if we would not mind making it a fast dinner before the next reservation booking. Such service certainly earned them positive points from us!

Our first impression of the place being a tight squeeze was wrong when we were ushered in farther past the bar and the main dining hall to an adjacent room made more intimate by its muted light/candlelight away from the main street entrance.

Colibri is a tapas-style restaurant, meaning each order is smaller in serving size and good for only one person. We found this piece of info very helpful, as indeed we found ourselves finishing our food to its last morsel and wanting more.

PACHUGA RANCHERO ala NATA (for $11) was a chicken breast smothered in creamy guajillo chili sauce. Sautéed spinach with shallot and garlic came as a side.

CARNITAS (also at $11) is a dish made from tender chunks of pork Michoacan-style and served with guajillo and arbol chiles salsa. This dish deserved a side/extra order of rice, which I did, and I would urge one do the same to fully enjoy this very tasty dish. Simply yummy!

If not for the set time we had to dine, we certainly would have ordered more of Colibri's VERY tasty line-up.

So, here’s a great tip: call ahead for reservations and savor at your leisure. Of course, Colibri will be a definite RE-VISIT next time we are in SF.

The restaurant's tagline describes it all, "A Garlic Restaurant," and for garlic lovers, it's love at first bite.

Located in the restaurant and shop-lined Columbus Street, the first problem one has to contend with will be finding a parking spot. It’s no problem for tourists like us, who took a cab from our hotel, The Prescott, on Post Street. Cab fare from the hotel was at $10. Take note, though, that it could be less, as going back to the hotel was just $7. I guess that the sights we saw that were happily pointed out to by the first cabbie explains it all. The ride also included some sightseeing "detours." It wasn’t too bad, though, as we learned that the area where Columbus Street is located is divided into what is called the "Little Italy" and Chinese (or did he say Oriental?) side.

We dined on a Wednesday night and would suggest to call ahead for reservations. When we arrived, there was quite a crowd waiting, but we were ushered right in. It was great for dinner-hungry tourists like us after a whole day of taking in the sights.

Inside, the decor comes strong with red and black - yep, Dracula’s color, no less! There were empty bottles that looked to me liked those used for "aging" wines together with clumps/strands of garlic hung from the ceiling.

Once seated, service is fast - real fast!

Some entrées on the menu are distinguished with a tagline and a caricature of a man (fangs and all) in black-and-white duds and a cape (throw in some red as well). Yep, you guessed it!!

For starters, it was the BAGNA CALDA ($4.95), oven-roasted garlic cloves in olive oil and butter, served with their house-baked buns. Take your pick. Spread it on or for real garlic lovers and just enjoy it one clove at a time.

The main entrées we chose were the GARLIC ROASTED PRIME RIB ($17.95 for the Lite Cut) and the TIGER PRAWNS GARLIC ROASTED with BABY PASTA. Both dishes we consider a 10!

From the moment we came in, no table was ever left empty for long. We noticed that as one is vacated, it is soon occupied, and this might explain why as soon as our plates were empty, they were hurriedly whisked away, a sign that our time was up. As we stepped out of the restaurant, there were still people arriving (at near 9pm).

As wonderful as the food and service was, Stinking Rose may not be one’s choice for an intimate/romantic dinner. It definitely is a choice for people who just want good food, fast.

Not to be missed if you’re in San Francisco is Napa Valley, synonymous with wine.

Though we are not into wines, we definitely will not pass up any chance to get some good photos and Napa is definitely one!

We started a little after 8am, and after a 15-minute Starbuck’s boost, were on our way. This was no package tour, so we had all the time to stop and take the sights on the way. The ride was a breeze, considering it was a Saturday when most Napa trips are taken both by tourists and locals alike.

In less than an hour, we were at Yountville where one can find the Napa Valley Tourist Bureau. Great stop if you want a map to all the wineries and not lose precious time checking each and every winery you see on your way. Afterall, there are probably so many that you can waste a day and not get to see some of "THE" wineries. The map is NOT free though. If I remember correctly, it was about $2-3. I also grabbed some really beautiful Napa photo refrigerator magnets, postcards and notecards from the same tourist office.

Napa Valley Tourist Bureau
6488 Washington St.
Yountville, CA

We had difficulty finding it just by following the Tourist Info sign from the main Interstate, so just in case, it is in front of the Villagio Resort and Spa on Washington St.

Given enough time, Yountville itself presented such beauty even in the area around the Tourist Bureau Office. We would have wanted to sample the food in the café-like palces we saw but looking at the winery map we had gotten hold of, we decided to get going.

As soon as we left Yountville and took the road to all the wineries, it was then that the weekend traffic made itself felt (and seen) as it was nearly a 2-lane highway all the way to Calistoga except for some doubling of lanes in the center of towns like Oakville.

There are 25 wineries listed/shown on the map and we after asking for recommendations on which ones to visit we were on our way. We thought three wineries would just be enough with the time we had, and so we had the following picked out.

* Domaine Chandon
* Beringer Vineyards
* (Robert) Mondavi Wineries
(Please see separate journals for above wineries.)

Four to five wineries may be possible to squeeze in a day trip if unlike us, you will not spend so much time taking photographs of the beauty all around. Better yet, plan an overnight stay in Napa and make it a two-day sojourn--our game plan for our next visit.

DOMAINE CHANDON
California Drive
Yountville

Open: 10am to 6pm
Tours: 11am to 5pm

Approaching the entrance of Domaine Chandon, we were immediately struck by the artistic archway announcing the winery name. The archway, lily-filled pond/river, wooden bridge, a fountain, and stone-cobbled paths are just a few of what makes this winery special. All around, more pleasant surprises dotted the grounds, and not to be missed is the rock-mushroom plot and the stone/metal art-pieces.

The wine-tasting area looked more like a restaurant, which, in fact, is situated just across. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we decided not have our lunch there and try our luck on our next stop. Peeking through the glass doors of the restaurant; we saw the formal, yet casual, air it had.

The decision not to delay our journey for another 30 minutes for lunch at Domaine Chandon presented itself to us immediately soon after.

Once back on the highway and on our way to our next pick, the Beringer Farm (which happened to be the farthest amongst the three we chose to visit), the drive was a slow one, with bumper-to-bumper traffic on the one-lane highway to Calistoga. Since it was past noon, we decided to just have lunch.

Again, this was a small problem, as nearly all the restaurants we thought were good choices were all packed, based on the overflowing parking lots, more cars, and people waiting. One particular restaurant we really missed out on that appeared to be a winner was "The Mustard," located just in the outskirts of St. Helena (or was it Oakville?).

However, just with our experience in the restaurants in SF, it appeared that it was another waiting game was on for lunch. What’s more is we were told that it would be an hour at least before our turn for a table. No surprise, gauging from the more than 30 people milling around. It wasn’t our idea either to enjoy what the bar had to offer while waiting, especially on empty (and VERY) hungry stomachs.

Our next option proceed to town (St. Helena), where on a weekend, parking was another problem. However, the main street was a treasure of shops, so finding a parking spot much farther out (nearly out of the main town) was a blessing, as it afforded us to walk and enjoy each and every shop on the way.

We decided on SUPREEYA's THAI HOUSE on Main Street. Their fish entrée that day was just too hard to resist. They had very simple decor--Oriental, of course.

They had great taste and serving sizes for the VERY reasonable amount. For three main courses, appetizer, and drinks for three, the total bill was about $40.

As much as the town was something we would have wanted to check out, we had to make it a quick stop to get to Beringer Vineyards.

BERINGER VINEYARDS
2000 Main St.
St. Helena

Open 10am to 6pm

Built in 1876, Beringer is as beautiful as Domaine Chandon. The whole grounds seem to transport one in another country in a different century. The driveway is bordered by lush greens on one side and a grand old state manor-like house as picturesque as one can ever imagine. If it wasn’t for its well-maintained state, manicured lawn, and the fact that it sits in such beautiful surroundings, the house could nearly transport you back in time with its gable, turret, and Beringer family emblem proclaiming old and rich in the same breath.

And just like in the olden times, one formally enters Beringer via a big stone structure complete with archways, only to find oneself into an inner courtyard with curving steps leading up to what looks like a small fortress with a small difference: café-like umbrellas beckon one to hurry up those steps and see more beauty from that vantage point.

And you won’t be disappointed, as the beauty of the grounds simply just goes on.

For souvenirs, we visited two gift shops within the grounds. Aside from wines, (sorry, can’t say anything about them since we don’t drink) and usual souvenirs like shirts, key chains, postcards, etc., there are other cool stuff to take back home. I particularly loved their bath items.

Tip: Allot a minimum of 3 hours for your visit. Of course, earlier than late afternoon is best.

Taxis and shuttle services are readily available just outside the terminal.

We chose the first one we saw by the curbside, a red van proclaiming itself "Lorrie's Shuttle." There were already two other couples (four passengers) inside, so we were delegated to the last row. Tip: For convenience and if you are not as excited as we were to get going on our sightseeing, wait/look for another shuttle where you can get better seats and/or have better air-conditioning.

Fee from the airport to our hotel, The Prescott (right smack in downtown SF by Union Square), was $15/person.

Upon payment, you are handed a coupon, which you can redeem for a discounted rate/fare on your next trip back to the airport.

It is advised that you call 24 hours ahead of your scheduled return pick-up.

We had earmarked a tour of Carmel/Monterrey, but were disappointed to find out that tour was not scheduled on Tuesdays. We had called Tower Tours the day before (Monday) for the following day’s sightseeing. It was too much a chance to pass up, so we booked for their Muir Woods/Sausalito Tour instead.

This was the second best option because it would take us to two more sights NOT to be missed in SF. More importantly, for people like us, who were squeezing as many sights in 6 days, the tour was for only 3.5 hours, giving us the remaining half-day after the tour for more gallivanting around the San Francisco.

So, having missed out on Carmel/Monterrey, we made our bookings for the Muir Woods/Sausalito tour the following day.

Once booked, we were told that we would be picked up from our hotel and were requested to be waiting at the lobby by 7:15am the following day.

And indeed at 7:14am, we see a Tower Tour bus pull in front of the hotel. Anyway, the pick-up bus then proceeded to the Ghirardelli Square, where Tower Tours is located.

As it turned out, this was the converging point, as we were told to proceed inside, where we could then pay the tour fee. It was $41/person for the Muir Woods/Sausalito Tour.

Once paid, you are then instructed to go outside and board the bus for your designated tour. By 7:45am, we were on our way. Contrary to the big bus we were picked up in, the bus that we were on for the tour proper was a much smaller one (for 25 to 30). It brought back memories of school field trips, which was so much fun. There were only 17 of us that trip.

The ride is not only very comfortable, but was also made more enjoyable by the very jovial and entertaining personality of the tour guide/driver. We know they definitely are supposed to have that personality, BUT this one (unfortunately, I forgot to note down his name) deserves much kudos. With every bit of info he provided, there was sure to be something funny to go with that tidbit.

Tips:

Missing out on the Carmel/Monterrey tour was really a bust, so I suggest you check and make reservations way ahead for any tour/s planned.

We recommend booking the 8am tour, as not only is the ride made more scenic by the early morning sky and color all around, but it is much cooler wandering around the Woods and Sausalito.

Tower Tours
865 Beach St.
San Francisco, CA
Phone: 888/657-4520
(Ground floor of Ghirardelli Square)