Romantic Rendevous in San Francisco

What makes San Francisco such a memorable place to visit? To find the answer to that question, you have to experience the city’s diverse offerings for yourself, for there truly is something for everyone here. Whether it’s the hip entertainment, shops and cafes at Sony’s Metreon, or a quiet walk in Golden Gate Park, whether it’s the lively club scene at the Red Room in the Commodore Hotel, or the stately ambiance of the Palace Hotel, San Francisco has what’s important to you.

San Francisco is a unique city, where one size does not fit all. Like the Joie de Vivre Hospitality (www.jdvhospitality.com) group, which offers travelers a variety of boutique hotels, each with its own unique theme, San Francisco offers a kaleidoscope of activities to match your interests. Whether you are single or married, with children or without, straight or gay, young or not so young, you’ll find plenty of choices to make happy vacation memories here.

But, most of all, San Francisco is a romantic destination where you can fall in love again as you hop onto a cable car, dine in any number of romantic restaurants, or enjoy a moonlight cruise around the bay at night.

Quick Tips:

As with any vacation, you want to make the most of your time. In San Francisco, do this by grouping your activities together. Consult a map of the city, and you’ll see that seeing Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghiradeli Square and taking one of the Bay cruises is a good grouping. At SoMa (local talk for South of Market Street), there is a nice grouping of the Museum of Modern Art and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the Sony Metreon. Golden Gate park with the De Young Museum, the Asian Art Museum, the Japanese Tea Garden, etc. takes a good day to see. And, definitely plan to spend the day at the Palace of Fine Arts/Exploratorium, where you can enjoy the arts, have fun unraveling the mysteries of science, and relax on the lawn or feed the turtles in the lush park setting.

Best Way To Get Around:

Give yourself a true vacation by taking ground transportation from the San Francisco Airport into the city. There are plans to have the BART (metro) run from the airport, but it hasn’t opened yet. There are plenty of other options from private taxi and vans to the bus. We opted for a shuttle service, and the price per person for a one-way to the Bijou Hotel was plus tip. That’s a reasonable price considering that traffic here is not for sissies—and free parking spaces are rare.

The fun way to get around San Francisco is by cable car, lines can be long, especially on the weekends. Taking the bus is another option. But, along busy routes like Fisherman’s Wharf, they fill up quickly too. If you’ve never been here before, you must take the cable car at least once, even if you have to wait. Then you may find that the best way to get around is walking. So stretch out those hamstrings before you get here and wear comfortable shoes. You’ll see parts of the city that you’d never see on public transportation—and you might leave a few extra pounds, as well as your heart here.

Star Attraction: The Hotel Bijou

The romantic world of the movies is alive and well in San Francisco at the Hotel Bijou, conveniently located in downtown San Francisco at 111 Mason Avenue, near major attractions. Make reservations here, and you can be a part of the glitz, glitter and glamour of the silver screen as well.

You’ve seen all the chase scenes down winding Lombard Street, so you know that San Francisco is a very popular setting for movies. So that’s what inspired the theme for Hotel Bijou. The hotel is decorated with movie palace styling, dramatic Hollywood portraits nd original black and white photography of local theaters. Its Le Petite Theater, which serves as the area for complimentary continental breakfast in the morning) is decorated with velvet curtains, sconces and antique deco-style theater chairs. There are even complimentary double features every evening, as well as complimentary 24-hour coffee and tea service.When we were there at Oscar time, there was a small stylish reception with live TV coverage in process.

To help you enjoy the movies of today, there’s a 24-hour hotline in the lobby that connects you directly to the San Francisco Film Commission, where you can hear about casting call opportunities for "extras." Now, wouldn’t that be something to write home about?

In addition to the unique movie theme, the hotel has 65 rooms, each named after a motion picture. We stayed in The Jagged Edge Room, just down the hall from Mrs. Doubtfire and, one for the brave, The Invasion of the Body Snatchers room.

While the Hotel Bijou lets you enjoy the movie ambiance, other boutique hotels operated by the Joie de Vivre Hospitality group let you get away from the boring "everythingisthesame" atmosphere and enjoy a unique setting at each location. From the Commodore Hotel with it’s 1920’s luxury liner décor to elegant ambiance of the Mount View Hotel & Spa, the Joie de Vivre Hospitality group lets enjoy a unique experience every time.

For more information about the Hotel Bijou and the numerous other hotels in the group, call (800-738-7477) or visit www.jdvhospitality.com

Ambiance. Given the fact that you already have a special dining partner, ambiance is the next most important ingredient for a romantic dining experience.

Step into the Farallon at 450 Post Street in San Francisco, (415) 956-6969, and you and your partner will feel as if you have entered an underground sea world. With subdued lighting and soft, muted colors of verdigris and burnished gold, walls with graceful arches, artistic sea urchins and jellyfish light fixtures, interior designer and co-owner Pat Kuleto has set an enchanted stage for your dining pleasure. It’s reported to have cost $4 million, so enjoy it.

But a romantic dining experience is not created by ambiance alone. The service and the food must deliver or the setting means nothing. Fortunately, the service Farallon is prompt, courteous and most professional, without being intrusive. The cuisine of Chef and co-owner Mark Franz will challenge you to come up with words to describe how delicious and innovative it is. Seafood is king here, and you find unique dishes such as Seared Alaskan Halibut with black mussels, English peas, smoked ham and fennel chowder as well as Lavender Crusted Rare Hawaiian Tuna, with local sea urchin, black truffle capellini, green onions, and dungeness crab. But the Grilled Sonoma Poussin, with scallion mashed potatoes, Maine lobster and roasted cherry tomato vinaigrette was truly sumptuous.

The problem I have with Farallon is that it’s in San Francisco, and I live in Virginia. But that does give me another excuse to visit San Francisco again, doesn’t it. My friend, Elizabeth, who recommended this restaurant certainly does have outstand taste--literally!

Price Range: $75+

Dress code: Business Casual

Hours open: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mon. to Fri.; Dinner: 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Mon. to Wed.; 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday To Sat.; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sun.

With some 3,300 restaurants in San Francisco, you could spend a lifetime enjoying them all. But one of the best kept dining secrets is not in the city itself, but in nearby Salsalito.

In this boutiquey little town, you’ll find Ondine, a restaurant worthy enough to have the big "will you marry me" question popped here.

Romance has always been an on-going part of our 35-year marriage. But we weren’t here for romance on this particular night, but were enjoying the company of newfound friends, whom we found most enjoyable and compatible. But, even though there were four of us, the setting was still romantic. How could it not be when you overlook the Bay and have a night time view of the twinkling lights of San Francisco.

Our table was large enough for at least 8 people, and it had been set so that all of us had a great view, and no one had their back to the city to miss the charm of being here. Soft, subdued lighting made it even more conducive to enjoying the outstanding seashore view, and the gentle, melodic flow of live piano music by performer/composer Katherine Griffin added the perfect piece de resistance to the setting. Her music, many of it her original compositions, was relaxing yet intensely passionate. It was moody, but uplifting.

Now, at home, listening to her Piano Dreams: The Flame of Love (katherinegriffinusa@netscape.net) I wish I had paid more attention to it at the time. But I was truly busy enjoying the view, our new friends—and the service and cuisine—an artistic blending of taste and style that all of us will remember for a long while.

Executive Chef Seiji Wakabayashi and Sous Chef Daniel Amaya prepare dishes that are a treat for the eyes as well as the taste buds and combine a French styling with the lightness and freshness of the Orient. In addition to such innovative entrees as Diver Scallop "Pad Thai," with coriander fettuccini, julienne vegetables, shiitake and shimeji mushrooms, and Thai basil, you also find a tasting menu where the chefs let you sample a full range of their talents. The next time, I may come to Sausalito first.

Ondine is located upstairs at 558 Bridgeway in Sausalito, California (415-331-1133). Make reservations, but come early so you can enjoy shopping in the town as well.

Surprisingly enough, dining on a budget can be very elegant and innovative. When visiting San Francisco, for example, plan to have lunch at the Pierre Coste Dining Room operated by the students at the Hotel and Restaurant Department of the City College of San Francisco.

It’s out of the downtown area a bit, so plan to take public transportation. (The K Ingelside and BART are two ways. BART leaves you a block and a half away, while the K lets you out at the door.) But, once you dine here, you’ll definitely see that it’s worth the trip. If you have limited funds, you’ll appreciate the fact that the portions are large. The ambiance in this quiet while-tablecloth dining room is restful and, even though students are planning, preparing and serving the food, it’s quite a treat.

Actually, this is one of San Francisco’s dining secrets because it’s not easy to find. To reach it, I had to pass through two student cafeterias. (Do not stop here thinking that this is to be your special dining experience.) The dining room I’m talking about is the Pierre Coste Dining room just outside the busy, noisy student cafeterias.

We dined here with new friends, and enjoyed their camaraderie around a big round table, which made it very easy to enjoy conversation in this pleasant environment.

Deciding what to order for lunch was difficult because there were a number of items that I wanted to try. I decided on the pasta of the Day, Penne Pasta with Smoked Salmon in a light cream sauce, and I was definitely not disappointed. I certainly couldn’t eat it all, but I was very pleased with this dish. It was very flavorful, without being overly rich, and the pasta was cooked to the proper al dente texture, cooked, but not mushy, with just the right amount of bite.

One friend feasted on Tea Smoked Chef’s Salad, an excellent mix of chicken, Radicchio, arugula, mint, Thai basil and wild mushrooms with pickled ginger vinaigrette ($6.25), while another enjoyed the Grilled Salmon, a huge portion of salmon with watercress mayonnaise, tomato, red onion, and rosemary olive oil bread for $6.25. The Blondie’s Chicken "Dagwood," breaded chicken breast, three-pepper aioli, tomato, lettuce, jack cheese and foccaccia for $6.50 looked good as well. The soup of the day, was a big bowl of artichoke soup.

Even though all of us were technically full, that still didn’t stop us from ordering dessert. With a dessert cart such as this, who could resist. As you can see, it was laden with cakes, tarts, and cookies made by the pastry class students.

The hours are limited — 11:15 to 12:30, Monday through Friday, and no reservations are accepted. This is a lab where students are learning, so don’t always expect things to be perfect, although on the day my husband I visited, we had nothing but a positive experience.

The crowds at Fisherman’s Wharf were swarming, and, while we enjoyed the excitement, we wanted a quiet place to have lunch, so we kept walking toward Ghirardelli.

After all, while in San Francisco, we knew we had to pay a visit to this Chocolate Mecca. While we were there, we did, indeed, redeem our coupon for a bite-size piece of chocolate, and enjoy the street performers, but we also found our quiet nook for lunch.

When we were there, the Frjtz Restaurant was not overly crowded at all and, with its emphasis on crepes, almost reminded us of a quiet corner in France. We ordered our crepes and then sat in the sunroom, next to a weathered door with crackling white paint and a delicate vine entwining over it. We enjoyed the view of the Bay as we savored gigantic crepes, the Duchamp with mushrooms, rosemary chicken, fresh spinach and Swiss cheese for only $6.95 each.

The portions were huge, so we should have only ordered one, but we were secretly glad that we didn't, and the prices were certainly reasonable.

We picked up a menu to remind us of our luncheon and, now that I read it, I wish we had come here for breakfast as well. Their Hermitage, Smoked salmon and fresh chives omelette topped with a drizzle of roasted pepper mayo, maybe along with a Raspberry white truffle mocha or Cream Caramel Latte, sounds like a great way to start the day.

< And, it would be the perfect place to come for dessert at night to indulge in the Claudel, caramelized apples, cinnamon, almonds and whipped cream.

For more information and to plan what you’ll enjoy, visit www.FrjtzFries.com, located at 900 North Point in Historic Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco 415-928-3886.

You don’t have to be an art aficionado to enjoy the vast array of art museums and galleries scattered throughout San Francisco.

From modern art that excites you to the smooth lines of classical art that soothes your soul; from the soft, airy blending of watercolors or pastels to the bold, structured beauty of a gigantic sculpture, you’ll find plenty to gaze upon and be inspired by in artsy San Francisco. Best of all, many of these galleries are free.

It’s particularly enjoyable to see what’s new on the art scene at the various Academy of Art College Galleries scattered throughout the city. Here you’ll be able to take a break every now and then and pop in one of these little galleries to see the artists’ work showcased. In addition to ongoing displays, these galleries have special shows that add even more excitement to your trip.

The galleries we saw were at 625 and 688 Sutter, (cross streets Taylor and Mason); 410 Bush Street (at Grant and Kearny); and 79 New Montgomery (cross streets Market and Mission).

Complete your art appreciation tour of San Francisco with a visit to Rizolli or Borders Books where you can find quality art books to read on the plane on your way home.

It’s weird. When I travel, I like to get as far away as I can from popular "tourist attractions," which is exactly what Alcatraz Island is. But, last year, when I went there with my husband, daughter and son-in-law, we took a chance and, to our surprise, found out that we really enjoyed the experience.

I think it was so appealing because it’s so inaccessible, but also because the National Park Service is doing a great job to educate people about the site with its outstanding self-guided narrated tour—and keep it going because it’s in need of repair.

More than likely there will be a long line when you get to Pier 41, at Fisherman’s Wharf to get on. But maybe you can beat the rush if you go early. In any case, we felt that seeing The Rock, where Al Capone, and George "Machine Gun" Kelly were penned in was worth it. After all, how often do you get to go inside a jail, especially one that was maximum security for such notorious criminals. And, how much fun it is to have your picture taken behind these famous bars.

The other advantage is that you get to see the incredible view that some of these criminals had of the San Francisco skyline. How frustrating it must have been to see it and know that you couldn’t go there.

The cruise lasts 2 to 3 hours, and there are daily departures all year long. Wear your walking shoes because once you get there, you have a 12 percent grade to climb. SEAT (Sustainable Easy Access Transport) is available for wheelchair users and visitors unable to walk the quarter mile hill.

The next time we visit San Francisco, I want to try the Alcatraz After Dark because I think that the view of the city will be spectacular—and the tour much scarier. The ride will also be much more romantic.

For more information, visit www.blueandgoldfleet.com (415-7005-5555) for advance ticket purchase.

It’s a tourism conspiracy. There’s always something that is tantalizingly close, that you get a taste of, but really can’t enjoy while you’re on a trip. That, of course, means that you have to come back.

For us, it was an innocent walk down the street to stroll past the quaint shops of Sausalito before we enjoyed our outstanding Ondine dining experience. The view of San Francisco was inspiring, our friends enjoyable and fun to be with, and the breeze was just enough to remind us that we were lucky to be here.

Then we made the mistake of looking in the window of the Jeff Leedy Humor Gallery and his "Art That Makes You Laugh." I say mistake, because it, along with all of the other shops, was closed. So all we could do was press our noses against the window—and laugh. His "Heaven," is a heavenly light streaming in on a toilet surrounded by overflowing bookcases was our favorite because, for many bibliophiles, including my husband of 35 years, that is truly heaven, even though a bit off-the-wall.

And we roared to see Cainis Inteterruptis, a husband and wife sleeping in bed with the dog stretched out between them. That is what our dog believes is her rightful spot, although we fight it.

We felt we were posing for Leedy’s souvenir post card that shows the Golden Gate Bridge in the background with normal people walking along one side of the road staring at the ones on the other who are literally rolling in the street with laughter. These are the people, of course, who have been looking into his studio window.

If you get to Sausalito, do visit when the studio is open, which, according to his card, is "numerous days each week, we’re just not sure which ones, but definitely by 10 a.m. unless the bus is late and certainly open till 6 p.m., unless it gets busy which around dinner time it can." If you lucky, as we hope we will be on a future visit, the artist himself might be there.

But, until any of us can return, we have another option: the Internet. "What? His card reads, "You woke up in a cold sweat at 2 a.m. and realized that you forget to purchase a certain very funny image by the artist, Jeff Leedy, for a loved one. Fear not, simply go online to www.leedyart.com, and then you can go back to sleep. (1-800-289-1354).

When I become rich, I’m going to commission him to do a work of art—or at least buy one of his originals. For now, I have to enjoy is art vicariously through the Internet and his souvenir post card. Check out the site and, if you don’t laugh, you have a problem.

San Francisco offers a full menu of live performances that all lovers can enjoy. If you’re a jazz fan, you can enjoy the authentic American jazz sounds that come from the vibes, sax, flute or clarinet of San Francisco’s talented Roger Glenn. From a dramatic live-stage performance, to a one-person show, the nightlife options are diverse.

With some 90 theaters and small theaters, about 118 nightclubs and dance clubs, you’ll find plenty of ways to fill your nights with fun while you are here. And, while some shows like Shear Madness, have long runs, others change on a more regular basis, so there’s always something new and exciting to enjoy.

While I could tell you about what I experienced on a particular night during my visit, that wouldn’t be very helpful to you as you plan your trip to San Francisco. So here’s a magical key that will let you unlock San Francisco’s entertainment treasure chest.

It’s called www.sfarts.org, a comprehensive website of arts and cultural events in the city, and it can help you make the most of your time while in San Francisco. Here you will find information on music, film/ video, dance, festivals, literary arts, museums, galleries, theater, children’s events, special events, and a whole lot more.

Call up this site well in advance of your trip and check out the events and entertainment for the time you will be there and map out your plan.

Make reservations where it’s necessary, and you’ll be able to make the most of your trip—and not be disappointed by not getting tickets.