My Favorite American City - San Francisco

SF is vibrant and laid back at the same time. Home to the divine See's Chocolate Shop, excellent shopping, amazing ethnic restaurants, a sprawling Chinatown and one of the best urban public parks in the country, SF will never disappoint! San Franciscans as a group are the nicest people I've come across in the US to date - I never fail to meet kind, interesting folks in this town. An added SF bonus - no smoking in bars or restaurants!

Quick Tips:

San Francisco has freaky weather - it's cold in August and warm in December...check the forcast online (ie: CNN weather) before you go to make sure you pack appropriately.

Best Way To Get Around:

SF is a very walkable city (if you don't mind hills), and cable cars ( one way) and buses ( for 2 rides w/in a specific timeframe)are easy to use (and the cable cars are a lot of fun if they are not too crowded!). Renting a car to use within the city is a huge hassle, as parking is very limited and traffic is often terrible.

I stayed at the Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf for a business conference, and was very pleased with the service and location of the hotel. To start with, the lobby is quite nice, as are the conference facilities. The rooms are standard Hyatt fare - which isn't bad at all. My room was tastefully furnished, had a decent view, and was very comfortable (I had king size bed, a desk with computer port, several comfortable chairs, a very large bathroom and lots of closet space). It was very clean and I felt safe staying there alone. I was there for over a week and the staff (particularly room service) took very good care of me. I got a bad cold during my stay (got caught in the rain while shopping) and they brought me tea, Tylenol and grilled cheese sandwiches at all hours, and even helped me to get a prescription from my East-coast doctor at a nearby pharmacy. The staff were extremely helpful and kind, and made the stay very pleasant.

The hotel is located in a great, albeit touristy, location. The waterfront is just across the street, and I was able to escape my meetings and take a stroll along the water. Alcatraz is just across the bay, abd boats to the island leave regularly from a pier just a few blocks away from the hotel. Ghirardelli square is a block away, and there are all sorts of good restaurants within walking distance. North Beach, famous for its Italian restaurants is an easy walk. Two different cable car lines originate at points within easy walking distance as well (and both lines get you to Chinatown and Union Square in no time).

Overall, the Hyatt will provide you with great service and the predictable (and clean) rooms you would expect from the chain hotel. What Hyatt lacks in small-hotel charm it makes up for in service. Not a bad trade-off at all.

The King George''s rooms go for about $85-$150 - a great bang for the buck. Rooms are small, but they are well-organized and tastefully decorated with walnut furnishings. The rooms also provide all the amenities you could need: hairdryers, irons, dataport, etc... Plus, the location is excellent - Union Square, major shopping streets, and the theater district are only a few blocks away.

You can''t miss the elegant old King George - the hotel''s facade is painted dark green with white trim. Spotless, efficient and nicely situated, you can''t get a better deal.

http://www.kinggeorge.com/index1.html

Once again, we were sent to the Fisherman''s Wharf area of San Francisco on business - this time to the huge Sheraton at Fisherman''s Wharf. While not a choice I would make if traveling on my own, this Sheraton served our needs just fine. Like most hotels in Sheraton''s chain, the rooms at Fisherman''s Wharf were clean and nice but not spectacular, and service was dependable. The room included such amenities as a hair dryer, white terry robes and cable, but lacked an in-room safe. Most importantly, we had a high-speed Internet port in our room, which was very useful. Our room rate included a pretty good buffet breakfast each morning, which was available till 10:30 a.m.

The Sheraton is located within easy walking distance of two cable car lines, bus lines, Ghirardelli Square, and the ferry to Alcatraz. While the immediate area around the hotel is touristy, a short walk will get you to North Beach, with its outstanding Italian restaurants and funky shops. It is easy to access just about any part of the city from Fisherman''s Wharf - the cable car and bus routes are easy to follow.

In all, our experience at the Sheraton was a good one. What it lacked in trendy chic or small hotel coziness it made up for in convenience and efficiency. Plus, the staff was very nice and helpful. In all, the Sheraton is a safe bet.

We had the best dinner of our stay in San Francisco at Trattoria Pinocchio. Located on Columbus Ave. in the heart of North Beach, I anticipate this new restaurant will give the area's older establishments a real run for their money. My cousin and I, admitted gnocchi snobs raised on our grandmother's delectable secret recipe, decided to give Pinocchio's gnocchi a try. We are used to ordering gnocchi in restaurants and being disappointed, as nothing ever lives up to our grandmother's interpretation of the dish. We were very happily surprised to find that the gnocchi was (almost) as delicious as my grandmother's - a towering compliment coming from two gnocchi elitists! Pinocchio's potato gnocchi were delicate but firm and the light marinara sauce with fresh mozzarella was spectacular! My husband ordered Penne Vodka with Pancetta, and it was terrific. The sauce had just the right amount of cream, and they added lots of pancetta and a dash of Parmesan - it was excellent! The menu featured pasta, fish, chicken and meat dishes.

In addition to having great food, Pinocchio's staff was efficient, friendly, and eager to please. The restaurant's Tuscan-style decor is open, airy, and pleasant. Be sure to check this place out before everyone finds out about it!!

Pane e Vino is a terrific neighborhood Northern Italian restaurant, complete with cozy tables and a rustic feel. Their bread is out of this world, as are their pasta dishes (Their gnocchi is almost as good as my grandmother's - delicious!). They have an espresso ice cream dessert is that terrific. The service is good, and they let you linger over dinner so you never feel rushed. Don't miss this one, Pane e Vino is an excellent example of what an Italian restaurant should be.

Rose Pistola is a funky Italian restaurant (with a great bar) that attracts a young, hip crowd. I can only describe the menu as "California-Italian," if that makes any sense. The Liguorian fare is cooked with a California twist. I had an artichoke salad appetizer that was delicious, but definitely nothing like anything I have ever had in Italy. They have a large selection of interesting salads,pasta dishes and seafoods. The food is good, but not outstanding.

We waited a long time for our table, but the bar is so nice (and smoking is prohibited in bars and restaurants in SF) that we enjoyed having a drink there while we waited. Be aware that this is a very loud restaurant (they have a jazz trio playing by the bar), so I don't recommend it for a romantic night out. We also waited some time for our meal to arrive, but the food was good once it came.

I wouldn't recommend Rose Pistola for a quiet night out. But it's a fun place, visually interesting and the jazz music was pretty good. Plus, it's located in the funky North Beach section of town, so the loud, eclectic atmosphere kind of goes with the whole feel of the neighborhood. Go here with a large group of friends, when you won't mind the wait.

I love shopping in San Francisco's Chinatown, and Old Shanghai is one of my favorite shops. Upstairs, they have a wonderful selection of authentic silk jackets (padded and formal), pyjamas, blouses and cheongsams - all in fine quality silk with beautiful patterns and colors. The sales women are helpful but not pushy. Most recently, I bought a reversible padded 100% silk jacket with a beautiful blossom motif for $79 - a much better deal than I can get in New York.

Old Shanghai is also a good place to buy shams for throw pillows - they seem to have the most unusual and high-quality assortment in Chinatown, as even salespeople in other stores have commented on shams I purchased at Old Shanghai! I bought beautiful 14" double-sided silk shams for $14 each that feature traditional Chinese themes. Ceramics, chopsticks, silk purses and cases, Chinese boxes, jewelry and furniture are also available at Old Shanghai. I can't get enough of this place! I am glad we don't have anything comparable in New York - I'd be broke!

The former haunt of beat generation icons such as Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady, Vesuvio is a gritty, eclectic little bar with a lot of character and decent drinks. Dark, cozy, and crowded with stained glass, lava lamps and "antiques," its the perfect place to have a quiet drink with a date (and most of the tables are for two). Aim for a table on the second floor, which has a balcony that overlooks the bar and provides a great view of the interesting decor. Vesuvio should not be missed by devotees of the beat generation, but history and literature aside, this odd little bar is a treat for anyone interested in having a good drink in a place that invites quiet conversation.

This beatnik bar was recommended to me by a local who claimed the place was the real deal. I couldn’t agree more. It seems that nothing has changed here since 1959. The place is very casual and the bartenders seems to be as comfortable serving the sauced regulars as they are taking care of obvious tourists on the beatnik trail. Talking politics seems to be one of the favorite pastimes of the clientele (not uncommon in many of San Fran’s establishments). The walls are adorned with interesting memorabilia reflecting the eclectic interests of the people who have called this place home over the years. The reading materials are one exceptional characteristic of the place. Browse through a variety of left-leaning newspapers or the most recent issue of the New Yorker while sipping your beer or cocktail. If this doesn’t work for you, feel free to walk across the street and pick up something more substantial from City Lights bookstore – a San Francisco institution that boasts three floors of books. One note of caution – stick to the draft beer. The Tsingtao I ordered was so skunky that I was forced to leave it unfinished.

A bastion of great beer in one of the most touristy sections of the city, Jack’s is a respite for the bleary-eyed tourist looking to cool his or her heels while sampling one of the 80+ beers the place has on tap. Don’t let the location fool you—this place may be a self-averred “tourist bar” but the quality and quantity of beer makes it anything but. Visiting in the winter allows one to enjoy the comforts of the large fireplace while admiring the great woodwork and receiving special attention from the jovial and knowledgeable Irish waitstaff (although I would imagine the summer-time experience might differ slightly). If you are looking to try out some local brews, this is a great place for sampling. Typically, you can expect the draft line to include at least four lines of Anchor, San Francisco’s most famous brewery, as well as multiple selections from Pyramid, Prohibition and other Northern California microbrews. Some tried and true imports can also be found here including great ales from the UK such as Boddingtons and Tennent’s and beers from around the world such as Stella Artois, Pilsner Urquell and others.

Kozo Arts offers unique and stunningly beautiful handmade photo albums, journals, and address books, as well as picture frames, invitations, and assorted gift items. Kozo's bookbinders make each book in the shop by hand, covering them with paper from their extensive collection of gorgeous Japanese screen prints (some of these papers are beautiful enough to frame on their own). The helpful staff will work with you to create special orders, and are very knowledgeable about the origins of the designs on the screen prints. I purchased a photo album for my parents that was covered with a beautiful and whimsical scene of children playing - it is really exquisite. Kozo has so many beautiful things - it was very hard to make a decision. Smaller books (journals, sketch books, address books, guest books) begin in the $45 range; large albums begin in $125-$200 range. While a bit pricey, these albums are truly exquisite and worth every cent! Check out their website to get an idea of their work; however, I do not feel that the website shows their most beautiful items.

The Great Overland Book Company is a well-organized treasure trove of high quality used books. The small, sunny shop is filled with great finds that are thoughtfully categorized to make searching easy. Larger literary categories are broken into subcategories and topics, and of course everything is shelved alphabetically - there is none of the chaos that often prevails in small used bookstores. I was able to snag a 1942 first edition of Pearl Buck's Dragon Seed for $20 and and paperback copy of Maxine Hong Kingston's Woman Warrior for $5 (both books were in perfect shape). The selection was wonderful - I would have bought more had I more room in my single carry-on bag.

Overland is open every day from 11-7.

Located in the North Beach section of San Francisco on a very hip stretch of Columbus Avenue (City Lights Bookstore is across the street) Tosca Cafe harkens back to an era when gangsters and gun molls stole away to quiet banquets for a tryst. The place is right out of a 1930s movie -- complete with a long wooden bar, dark red vinyl banquets and formica tables with red vinyl and chrome chairs. The jukebox is the real thing - it still plays 45s (and it sounds it!). True to its name, the cafe is decorated with framed photographs of former opera divas, and features ancient recordings of arias on wax in the jukebox. Tosca draws a quiet crowd of people who want to enjoy each other's company - go elsewhere if you are looking for a pick-up joint. Decor-wise, the cafe has managed to maintain an authentic 30s look without going overboard on kitsch. Drink-wise, the cafe is also true to form. Martinis and cosmos are a good bet here, as are coffee drinks. I had a wonderful hot chocolate here made with melted Ghirardelli chocolate - delicious!

Open 5 pm-2 am nightly except Monday.

The beautiful Japanese Tea Garden located in the center of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is one of my favorite places. Painstakingly maintained and gorgeous in every aspect, this serene garden oasis provides the perfect respite from a hectic day. While the garden can be over-run with tourists during the busier seasons, those lucky enough to enjoy its beauty during the off-season are in for a real treat. Be sure to savor the garden slowly -- I think too many people plow through it and miss out on its exquisite beauty.

The oldest Japanese garden in the United States, the Tea Garden features a tea house that overlooks a small pond. A variety of teas (rice and green tea among them) and Japanese cookies can be ordered here for $3 per person (and it is well worth it!). The views of the garden from the tea house are wonderful.

The garden has several architectural features that enhance the beauty of the landscape. The high, graceful arch of the Moon Bridge reflects in the pond below to form a perfect circle. A towering red pagoda and Shinto gate also grace the garden. A large statue of Buddha and several large lanterns are placed among the network of winding paths. The horticulture is spectacular, and the garden is carefully planned so that plants are in bloom year-round.

A visit to the Japanese Tea Garden is a peaceful and most enjoyable experience. There is a small admission fee to enter the garden - $2.50/adults. The garden is open 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.

846 Market Street San Francisco (415) 434-2771

If you love chocolate, be sure to stop by See's Candies. They have many locations in San Francisco, which is the hometown of this incredible candymaker. My favorite location in the Market Street store - the staff is great and they give out wonderful samples! They have make nut clusters that are to die for, and their milk chocolate bars with almonds are sublime. My absolute favorites are the Milk Chocolate P-Nut Crunch and See's incredible Victoria Toffee. Just about anything chocolate-covered you could dream up, they have. It's heaven! While See's black and white checkered storefronts are common on the West Coast, us Easterner's aren't so lucky -- but at least they deliver!

No trip to San Francisco is complete without a visit to See's - it's the perfect gift for the people at home, too. They'll love you for it!

San Francisco's Chinatown is probably the closest I have come (so far) to actually visiting China. While I go to Chinatown in New York often, it just doesn't have the feel that San Francisco's Chinese neighborhood/business district has. The beauty of the culture is alive in San Francisco.

The "entrance" to SF's Chinatown is located at the intersection of Grant Avenue and Bush street, and is marked with a magnificent Dragon Gate. Grant Avenue, which is the "main drag," has street lamps in the style of elegant Chinese lanterns. Grant is loaded with small shops that are crammed with Chinese merchandise -- lace tablecloths, enamel chopsticks, and embroidered silk garments most notably. I bought a beautiful reversible silk jacket and also had a nice afternoon chatting with the ladies who ran the shop. It was a great experience.

The restaurants are also incredible - you really can't go wrong anywhere you stop. There are small noodle shops and large, grand restaurants. Try Gold Mountain for dim sum - yummy!

Unlike in New York, San Francisco's Chinatown holds truer to it's heritage. Even the architecture is reminscent of China. It's definitely worth spending a good part of a day poking around the streets and checking out the shops and restaurants - it's like walking into another world!

Check out the SF Chinatown Website: http://www.sfchinatown.com/Welcome.html