Return to San Francisco after 15 Years

The San Francisco Marriott occupies most the block of 4th St. between Market and Mission, a convenient location on the edge of the Financial District, close to the Civic Center, and with easy access to everywhere else by public transit (parking your car at the hotel runs $50 a day).

Flying into SFO, here are several ways to get to the San Francisco Marriott: Samtrans bus costs $1.50(?)o.w. and stops right beside the hotel. BART(the subway/metro) costs $5.35o.w. Exit BART at the Powell St station. Turn right when you leave the train, and the station exit brings you out at the corner of 4th and Market, a half block from the hotel. Shuttle vans start at $17, taxis and limo even more. BART is noisy, the trip door to door takes about an hour, but you don’t have to worry about traffic problems on the expressway. BART also connects to Oakland airport.

BART(Bay Area Rapid Transit) also extends to several East Bay cities, including Oakland, Richmond, and Berkeley.

Check in was fast and friendly. All the staff we encountered were friendly and generally helpful.

San Francisco Marriott is primarily a businessman’s hotel, situated only a block away from the Moscone Center, San Francisco’s convention center. That makes it a good buy for tourists on holiday weekends. Our 2008 Labor Day rate was $149, Saturday-Monday nights. This was the American Express Gift Package. We paid $199 a night, and got back a $50 Amex Gift Check every day. Only by Amex credit card.

This is not an inexpensive hotel, and for the price, it was a little off key. The problems were encountered, all minor announces, but they still should not have happened were: 1] the desk assured us we had a quiet location. It was only minimally so, some street noise, especially sirens, could be heard in the room. Hall noise, fortunately rare, came right through the door. On the other hand, there was no plumbing noise form other rooms and very little noise form the interior except the occasional hall noise. 2] The toilet seat would not stay up. About half the time, it came crashing down. 3] Really god awful pillows, all four of them on the bed. In hopes of getting a decent pillow, I called housekeeping and asked from a foam pillow. It was a bit of an improvement, but it left me with five bad pillows in place of four. 4] No blanket on the bed, only a European style comforter. I hate these things. They give you your choice of one temperature– too hot. I resorted to my usual solution. I removed the douvet, tossed the insides on the floor, and used the duvet as a blanket. Dutifully, the maid put it all back together every morning, so I had to take it apart every night.

On the positive side, the room was OK on quiet, if not perfect. The curtain did a good job keeping light out. The 37" LCD HDTV had a great picture, and an OK selection of channels, The bathroom had a night light, a dimmer light to use at night so as not to go blind from brilliance when you switch on the light if you need to visit during the night. There were two chairs, both reasonably comfortable, in the room, and a nice work desk with internet connection (extra charge). The room was not super spacious, but it was a long way from cramped space. There was a remarkably quiet mini-bar, good drawer space, and nice large closet, ironing board, hair dryer (not attached to the wall), and a terrific shower head. The coffee drinker liked the one cup coffee maker, but said the coffee at the nearby Jack in the Box(open 24/7) was better.

On balance, I would stay here again, and of the 6-8 San Francisco hotels in which I have stayed on visits, there is only one other that I would even consider staying at again.

Although we had no problems, the San Francisco Marriott is located within one block of two of the top five locations for robberies in San Francisco, 5th & Market and the Metreon.

There is a striking view of the hotel’s archeture from Yerba Buena Gardens, across the street (Mission) from the hotel.

We went to San Francisco for dim sum, and once there, we went to the Tong Palace for dim sum. If you do not know what dim sum are, read on. If you know, you can skip to the Tong Palace heading below. The maître d' at our favorite dim sum restaurant thought for awhile when we asked him how Dim Sum translated into English. He came up with "little snacks to eat while drinking tea." The Appetizer section of a Chinese restaurant menu gives a good idea of what dim sum are– egg rolls, spring rolls (they are different), pot stickers, fried won tons– but this is just an intro to dim sum. A good dim sum restaurant will offer 30-45 appetizer like items, and instead of handing you a menu, the waitresses circulate around the dining room pushing carts piled high with servings of the various dim sum. Ask the waitress what they are. Sometimes they speak English, but don’t count on it at an authentic place. A dim sum lunch for two will require 3-5 different items.


Beginners and intermediates might want to avoid items like stuffed
chicken (or duck) feet, tripe, and whole baby octopus. Safe starters are
baked(browned on top) or steamed(pale white in color) roast pork buns,
egg rolls, spring rolls, pot stickers, fried won tons, shu mai(steamed
pork dumplings), Pineapple bun, and shrimp or scallop or crab steamed
dumplings.

A bit more exotic, but still enjoyable for the American palate are Beef
Balls, Sesame Balls(a terrific Chinese desert), bean paste or sesame buns, and the
several versions of rice noodles, a dish we christened "slime noodles". A
sheet of rice noodle is wrapped around some roast pork or beef or shrimp
or scallops. Then the whole thing is steamed, and served with dark(sweet)
soy sauce.


As dim sum are to be eaten while drinking tea, you will be served a pot of tea, but first, they will ask what kind of tea you want. Typical choices of tea include 1] Jasmine, mostly for the Caucasians. Because non-Chinese Americans think Jasmine tea is a exotic tea that is an essential part of an authentic Chinese meal, Chinese-Americans make a point of not drinking it, at least
not in pubic. 2] Oolong, preferably several types. This is the tea Chinese most often drink. 3] Chrysanthemum tea is Oolong with Chrysanthemum flowers in it. 4] Half-and-half, is chrysanthemum and Pulai. 5] Pulai is the great Chinese banqueting tea, so untea like in flavor that it is an acquired taste, but worth acquiring.

THE TONG PALACE

We found ourselves in New China town, where tourists are rare and Chinese plentiful, in time for a late lunch after a visit to the Legion of Honor Art Museum. Our local host was not familiar with the dim sum options in this part of town, so we went looking for a place for dim sum for lunch. The first place we passed failed the test, but the Tong Palace showed promise. The test is simple: lots of Chinese still eating lunch at 2:00pm is a good clue to a good dim sum restaurant, and the Tong Palace did not disappoint. A constant stream of waitresses passed among the tables bearing trays of dim sum or pushing carts stacked high with bamboo steamers full of morsels. Steamed pork buns were par for a good dim sum place, shu mai had an interesting taste spin, and steamed dumplings of spinach and shrimp were terrific, as were something like pot stickers.

Dim sum lunch for three with tea: $20.

Early in San Francisco’s history, the Chinese were only allowed to live in the old Chinatown on Grant St. With the end of discrimination and more money in hand, San Francisco’s Chinese largely migrated from the Grant St China town to New China town, centered on Clement St between 12th and 22nd Aves. It’s a longish bus ride from down town, but the # 2 bus goes down Clement and there are a load of Chinese restaurants between 12-22 Aves.

You can get dim sum in old China town, but these restaurants cater primarily to tourists. For an authentic experience, head for Clement St.

Jeanne d'Arc four courses prix fix spinach goat cheese soup lamb shank breast of duck with raspberry sauce mashed endive grande marnier souffle & cream anglaise great atmosphere $38 wine $22 up veg soup mostly tomato, goat cheese spinach in puff pastry, entrees salmon, swordfish, prawns & scallops in tomatoes white wine, roast duck breastt raspberry sauce, duck confit, rabbit wh wine & mushroom, roast loin of lamb, steak au poivre flamed incongnac, fillet mignon forrester: mushroowm stuffei homatoe braised bok choi, mashed; gr marnier suffle or chocolate mousse.


Dinner at Jeanne d’Arc was hands down the best meal we had in San Francisco. For the money, it was one of the very best meals we ever had anywhere. In short, Jeanne d’Arc offered a great atmosphere, good service, fine food, and relatively low prices: $38 for a four courses meal of classic French cuisine. Wine starting around $22 a bottle.

Jeanne d’Arc only has a prix fixe menu of four courses. The appetizer course offered a salad or a hot dish of spinach and goat cheese in puff pastry, which we all ordered and it was superb. Next came "Summer Vegetable Soup", basically a watery tomato soup which was well done for what it was, but it was the least impressive part of the meal. For the main courses, she had Roast Duck Breast in Raspberry sauce, a fine variation on Duck a l’Orange. The slices of duck breast were perfectly prepared, slightly pink in the middle.

I had a first rate Braised Lamb Shank, with meat so tender that only a fork was needed to clean the shank to the bone. It was served with a classic, tasty, Espagnole sauce.

All entrees were accompanied by fine mashed potatoes, tasty braised bok choi, and a half a tomato stuffed with mushrooms. Then came dessert, a wonderful Grand Marnier soufffle served with a cream Anglaise on the side. The waiter helpfully instucted us on the proper procedure for adding the cream to the souffle. The other option for dessert was chocolate mousse.

The meal was very filling, almost too much so.

Other main courses included salmon, swordfish, prawns & scallops in tomato white wine, duck confit, rabbit in white wine & mushrooms, roast loin of lamb, steak au poivre flamed in congnac, and fillet mignon forrester. And all at the same price.

As the menu notes, Jeanne d’Arc is "Cuisine Traditionelle", a classic true French Bistro. It is not the ultimate in haut cuisine, nor does it try to be, but for what it is is, which is very,very good, it is very,very good. Don’t miss it. I recommend with out any reservations, that when visiting San Francisco, there are two meals you must eat: a dim sum lunch, and a dinner at Jeanne d’Arc.

Lunch on the waterfront is was a far cry from our lunch the day before in New Chinatown. To start, Chinatown cost $20 for three, the waterfront was $53. The waterfront places are more elegant than an authentic local dim sum parlor, and the former feed tourists, the later locals. Like all the kitsch around Fisherman's Wharf, Scoma’s exterior looked like a New England clapboard. sea captain's house. Inside was attractive, a long narrow building with a bar on one side and long narrow dinning rooms with an almost decent view of the city and coast. Bright and cheerful, the table were set with fresh flowers, white linen, and the usual eating tools. Service was prompt, made no mistakes, and friendly. As we had been walking all morning on an unusually hot day, we were thirsty. The staff managed pretty well to keep our water glasses full.

We lived in Maryland, near the Chesapeake Bay, for 20 years, and came to like crab cake sandwiches as one of our favorite lunches. There is a a rivalry between the coasts over which crab is best tasting, the west coast's Dungenes or the Eastern Blue crab, so, there was no question about what we would order– Dungenes Crab cake sandwiches for lunch for a taste off. The crab cake was very good but it was so different from the classic Maryland crab cake that they defy comparisons. It would be like asking which is better, a sirloin steak or a veal shank? One can have a preference, but that isn't the same as saying one is better than the other. Our preference is for the Maryland style crab cake, and it has more to do with the the preparation rather than with the type of crab (and, at our favorite crab cake restaurant at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, a crab cake sandwich is $4 less than at Scoma's).

The crab cake sandwiches came with very good fries, and it made a filling lunch. In short, it’s expensive, but if you must eat at the tourist trap that is the San Francisco waterfront, Scoma’s is good, safe bet, but be prepared to wait in season and pay top prices.

Scoma’s has an extensive menu, including four variations of San Francisco's most famous dish, Crab Louis; 13 pasta dishes, most with seafood; 12 shellfish; 10 items called "house favorites– Cioppino, Calamari, surf & turf, shrimp, and scallops; four steaks; 11 fish; and eight sandwiches– tuna, crab, shrimp, burgers, and steak. Prices start at $10 for soup or salad and go to $57 for lobster tail. Figure $12-20 for a sandwich, and about $30 for an entree.

There is also a three course prix fixe lunch menu (until 3:30pm) for $23 that includes choice of clam chowder or salad, choice of five entrees, and the chef’s desert of the day.

San Francisco is one of the world’s great cities to visit, and some say to live. It is certainly the best the USA has to offer. Years ago business took me from Washington DC to San Francisco several times, making San Francisco one of my favorite destinations until I got to know London, Prague, Rome and Vienna. After the first trip, I planned my visits so that I stayed in the hotel furthest away from the work site by cable car, a spectacular way to commute, but times change. We visited San Francisco over Labor Day weekend (2008) and didn’t even ride the cable cars which had been transformed from part of the local mass transit system into an expensive ($5 per trip) tourist ride with long lines to board. Our local host said the natives have abandoned the cable cars to tourists.

Based on several visits and a exceptional local host, a friend who live in and knows San Francisco from top to bottom, the top sights in San Francisco are: 1] the ferry boat ride to Sausalito on clear day; 2] a cable car ride; 3] Architecture, including Alamo Square and environs, Victorian houses, the Financial District, San Francisco row houses, and "little houses on the hillside, little houses made of ticky-tacky"; 4] the views from the top of Coit Tower or the Crown Room at the Fairmont Hotel (day and night views) if it should reopen. Be sure to ride the glass exterior elevator and see the hotel lobby; 5] the coast from Cliff House to the Golden Gate bridge; 6] Alcatraz is reached by ferry and visited on a guided tour. Advanced reservations are mandatory.; 7] Fort Point, underneath the Golden Gate Bridge; 8] Golden Gate Park and the nearby San Francisco zoo.

Beware: Chinatown (Grant St.), Fisherman’s Wharf, and Pier 39 are tacky tourist traps, overpriced and overrun with tourists who don’t know they should have stayed away and seen things worth seeing instead. Our local host insisted on taking us the waterfront. I asked, "Why did you bring us here?" He replied, "Everybody wants to come here." I said, "Everybody is a fool." He did not disagree. Still, we found some minor amusements. Pier 39 is so gross that its fun. The colony of sea lions that hangs out near Pier 39 are best seen from Pier 41. The Victorian game machines museum on Pier 43 are almost worth a trip to the waterfront, free entry, 25-50 cents to make the things go– see the great Earthquake in live 3-D photos. The National Maritime Museum on Hyde St Pier has a collection of old ships that can be sometimes visited. The problem is staff shortage in the National Park Service brought about by conservative Republican budget cutting. At high noon on our visit, only two of nearly a dozen ships were open. A commercial attraction next to the Victorian Games Museum has visits to a WWII Liberty ship and WWII submarine(fee).

Some other sights worth seeing after the above are 1] City Hall under the dome, the setting for several scenes in "Dirty Harry" movies; 2] St Mary’s Cathedral; 3] The California Legion of Honor, a small art museum with a good collection; 4] the Cable Car Museum; 5] the Grennwich Steps descending from Coit Tower; 5] The Garden Court(restaurant) at the Palace Hotel; 6] Yerba Buena Garden

There are a lot of decent but overpriced seafood restaurants along the waterfront. Be prepared to wait at high season for a high priced lunch.

Public operated facilities– the ferry to Sausalito, Tiburon, Larkspur, and Angle Island; Muni(buses and trams); The Legion of Honor Art Museum; etc.-- have good discounts for those over 65. The Muni fare drops from $1.50 a ride to 50 cents for seniors.

Getting Around

San Francisco is a walking city. Our local host took us uphill by bus and then we would walk down, a wise plan but I don’t know if a casual visitor could pull it off. Some of the better walks are 1] a tour of the fountains of the financial district (our local host knows this. I don’t know how you can do it on your own, but see what you can Google); 2] Ferry to Sausalito, then walk back over the Golden Gate bridge and though the Presideo; 3] downhill from any place.

Parking is difficult or costly. In three days, we saw one available parking space, and lots of double parked cars. Parking at the Marriott was $50 a day, near Fisherman’s Wharf, $18, which might have been just for the work day. On the other hand, public transit is pretty good, although a bit slow.

It used to be that the cable cars were a great way to travel around parts of the city, but with their transformation into a tourist industry, maybe son so much today. At $5 a ride, no transfers, the most sensible way to travel is with the 1, or 5 day Muni pass which covers busses, trollies, and cable cars at a greatly reduced rate– $15 for 3 days, unlimited rides. However, note that these are not 24 hour days timed from when you first use the pass. Instead, the first day you use it, even if it is at 11:59 pm, counts as day one gone regardless of the time. The problem here is the lines at the cable cars. These are really long in high season and your chances of getting on board at any stop between the termini is nil.

If you are not going to gamble on being able to use cable cars for routine trips, consider not getting a day or multi-day pass. Other Muni(busses, trolley) rides cost $1.50 per trip and include a transfer that is good for unlimited riding for 90 minutes, but figure two hours as the transfer slips are are only approximate in their timing.

The F line trolley, Market St to Fisherman’s wharf is a working museum of old, authentic trolley cars. During high season, it is packed with tourists making the mistake of visiting Fisherman’s Wharf. If you stay at hotel near the Civic Center, you stand a chance of actually getting on board.

BART is not part of the Muni system, and changes by distance traveled. It is of little use to the visitor except for the lines to SFO and Oakland Airport. It is also exceptionally noisy, you don’t want to ride BART if it can be avoided.

The least expensive way to get to SFO is by bus. It leaves the Transbay Bay terminal every 30 minutes and makes several stops on Market St. The Airport express bus does not allow luggage on board. BART from downtown to SFO costs $5-6, you can take luggage, and don’t have to worry about traffic tie-ups on the expressway. It takes about an hour.

To use BART, find the fare card machines, look up the cost to your destination, insert cash or credit cad in the ticket machine, select the cost of your fare (it starts at $20, handy for commuters, but tourists have to work down), etc. The ticket machine will issue a ticket. Insert it in the gate to enter. Keep the ticket, because you have to insert in the gate to exit at your destination. If you entered the exact fare, the gate opens and the machine eats your ticket. If you entered too much or too little, the farecard pops out of the gate machine.