Everybody's Favorite City

On a Friday night in late September when the weather is perfect, this place was slammed, with people spilling out of the doors waiting for a table. The bar was crowded and all the tables where full of fashionable 20 and 30-somethings out for the night. Ace Wasabi's Rock 'N' Roll Sushi is in the Marina district, off of Chestnut street (the main shopping street).

I went with a group of ten, and were seated right way because of the size of the group. It was loud, boisterous, and very fun. The sushi was amazing and the service, even though it was crowed, was great. We sat for a very long time and where never pressured to leave, our waiter was very friendly and helpful with the specials. I had a mango lobster roll that was to die for, and a tofu salad that blew my mind. For 10 fairly hungary collage students our bill was $178 including tip (but we didn't get any alcohol).

Meat! Meat! And more meat!

Espetus is a Brazilian steak house that will leave any meat lover in a post food-gasum comma, after many delightful hours of meat! My good friend (an avid carnivore) took 6 of us to dinner here for her 30th birthday. It was amazing, and this is coming from the vegetarian of the group.

So there is who it works...
You walk in to a beautifully decorated place on Market and Gough, the walls are wood and brick and stacked high with wine bottles. Sit down, order wine and help yourself to the salad bar at the back of the restaurant and come quickly back to the table. This is where the fun begins. On the table is a metal wheel that can be turned to green indicating "Bring on the meat" or to red saying "please let me eat my meat for a while." This wheel can be turned as many times as it takes for you to be done!

When on green, a endless stream of men will come from the kitchen with meat on swards, and offer it to you. If you want some of that kind of meat, they use another sward to cut a portion, then you pick it up with your tongs, put it on your plate and continue eating.

Meat comes in every flavor and style at this restaurant, beef, pork, lamb, chicken and shrimp, in many different forms.
There is even chicken hearts for those bravely of heart... no pun intended. But for those less fond of meat the salad bar is equally amazing. A fabulous selection of salads, coozcooz, and fruit. Cheese bread and fried plantains also come to the table.

This restaurant is great fun but you pay for. Each person is charged no matter how much or little meat they eat, nearly $40 per person. When I went it was around $400 for a group of 6 plus wine and dessert. Just a warning.

BRING ON THE MEAT!

This is a coffee shop not a restaurant but it doesn't seem to be a category for that. The Sea Biscuit Café is a little place 5 blocks from the beach, where the local surfers, 20-somethings and randoms, hangout. Inside you will find a eclectic assortment of furniture to lounge on while drinking coffee, strong spicy chia or the beer and wine they also offer. The walls are painted with ocean scenes and there is a TV that always shows waves crashing. This is one of those places where people will actually say 'hi' to you. I went there after living on the SFSU campus for 5 months, I asked for a drink that wasn't on the menu (apple cider with chai), and the girl behind the counter made it for me with no problems or complains. I brought my books and studied there. As people came in and out they were very friendly and some even stuck-up conversation with me, which is very rare in SF.
I love this place, it feels like home and the bathroom is amazing... I won't tell you more you must see for yourself.

It's called Dim Sum, but I have in the direction of say Dim YUCK! I have never been so disappointed with such a highly recommended place. Many people recommended it in several magazines. The food was greasy, cold, and really, really yucky for lack of a better word.

My friend and I are both big Dim Sum fans (I have even gone to China and ate at the little places like this). We ordered our favorites and sat down to chow down. After the first few bits I was already feeling sick. The chicken bun was OK, but I was not completely convinced it was chicken. We did go a little late in the day for Dim Sum which is normally for breakfast or lunch, but still. The place was really cheap (two people $5) but I don't know if the food was worth even the cheap price.
I give this place a big thumbs down!

This is my absolute favorite Thai restaurant! It's a total hole in the wall on the lower side of Haight/Ashbury. My boyfriend and I go there at least once a week, it is our little tradition. Our cute waitress always smiles and laughs at us for coming in so often, and we don't even need the menu any more. It's all about the green curry with tofu, and the #19 with tofu. Number 19 is a fantastic flat noodle dish that is smothered in best peanut sauce ever. (The menu reads "hot peanut sauce", but it mean hot in temperature not in spice.) Their fresh spring rolls are amazing, and the sticky rice with mango will bring tears of joy to your eyes.

Other favorites are their soups and the pai-thai, and the Thai ice tea is a must. They are always busy but there is rarely a long wait. The walls are covered in music posters and records, the music playing is always random, and they have two TVs playing VH1 or MTV on mute. Like I said, my boyfriend and I love this place. I'm a student so price is very important. Main dishes are $6, and two people can get stuffed for $20 including tip!

I collect boxes. I have shelves and shelves of boxes of every type, and among my favorites is one that my boyfriend gave me for my birthday 2 years ago, Bruce from One of a Kind made it, and it is divine. One of a Kind sells everything wooden, pieces made with such love and attention to detail that it is hard to scan the store without being in awe of the art pieces for sale there.

www.oneofakindsf.com
On their website you can see a sampling of their products, but these masterpieces cannot truly be appreciated without holding them in your hand, feeling the wood, and hearing the story it will tell you.

One of a Kind is in Ghirardelli Square, and the whole area is most delightful during the Christmas season, when it is all light up and festive.

(800) 901-2663

OK I selected bus tour but you can do this one on your own.
The 49-miles scenic drive through San Francisco is the LONGEST way to navigate a city that is only 7 square miles but it is also the best way to see the city. You can fallow the signs or pick up a map (on line or at a AAA office). The drive weaves its way through the city passing historical land marks like the Army Base in the presidio (the original site of the Spanish army that accompanied the missionaries), Mission Dolores (the first non-native building in what was then called Yerba Buena), and The Palace of Fine Arts (built by Bernard Mayback for the 1915 Worlds Fair, and it the only remaining building from that fair). The drive fallows the coast on the Great Highway and circles the Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park before heading to the top of Twin Peaks for an extraordinary view... if its not foggy!
After the Twin Peaks the drive continues through Chinatown, North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf.

All and All the drive takes about 4 hours with some stops and in well worth it.

The first time I took this drive I was with the Yerba Buena chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America. With over 200 antique bikes we navigated the beautiful city one clear day in early November. The bikes were beautiful, the ride was amazing and the views were spectacular.
I highly recommend brushing up on your San Francisco history before taking this drive or grab a guide book that will highlight the importance of the historical land marks, it make the journey much more fun.

This place is amazing! I went in there with my best friend and my sister, just to look. The staff were so nice. Normally vintage places with high quality stuff are really snobby but not La Rosa. I was greeted by a man in an all-vintage get up with a smile. He asked me if I needed help finding anything, I replied, "No I’m just looking." This answer would normally earn me a dirty looks, but instead he said, "Well, feel free to try anything on… even if you don’t think you will be buying today" and gave me a wink.

The selection was wonderful. Dresses, shoes, coats, men’s wear, hats and jewelry from 1920s to 1960s. Everything is in great condition and relatively good prices (it still is in San Francisco). We wandered the store for at least a half and hour looking at all the amazing clothes. I tried on several shirts and dresses, the staff was always very helpful with information about the style of the garment and how to accessorize and stay in period dress. In the end I found a 1960s black strapless dress with red and black stripe top part that fit like a glove. I fell madly in love and had to have it.

I love this market! It is on the stretch of Noriega that has all the things a girl could ever need. Noriega Produce Market is the sister store to the natural food store on Haight. It has amazing fresh produce at good prices, with sales every day on a variety of items. The have bulk food (granola, chocolate covered raises, nuts etc.) at a good price but the selection is pretty small, it's a small store. As for their dry food (food in boxes and such) the selection is limited and the prices are a bit high. But you can always find a good bottle of wine to match whatever dinner you are making.
There are so many things I love about this market.

1. Parking... that's right this is one of the few places in the city where parking doesn't make you want to give up your car for ever. There is plenty of parallel parking in the neighborhood and lots of slots right in front and on the other side of the street. This is a big bonus!

2. People... the staff at Noriega Market are always friendly. Unlike some other natural markets in the city, they are not totally snotty about what you are wearing and who you are. Go in a business suit or jeans and a t-shirt, lots of tattoos or lots of make-up and the staff will great you with a smile. There is no judgment about how "hippie" or "green" you are, which is a nice change of pace.

3. Location... right next to a Mexican restaurant, a café, a pub, a surf shop, and only a few blocks from the beach. This is the perfect place for a traveler or a local to escape the craziness of the city. Grab a bottle of wine, some fruit, bread and cheese and head to the beach for sunset (or fog-set as the case may be). The beach is normally windy but on a good day it is the perfect place for a romantic picnic. Or park on the street, watch the sunset and come back to the market to grab fixings for dinner.