San Francisco Revisited

While I'd never suggest that a first-time visitor miss the tour of Alcatraz, a stroll through busy Chinatown, or an elegant dining experience in one of the Pier 39 restaurants, if you've "been there, done that" or if "that" just isn't your thing, you may want to lose yourself in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the largest urban national park in the world, or become intoxicated by the ocean breezes as you stroll around the relatively quiet Berkeley Marina. If the stroll whets your appetite, the Marina area has a couple of great restaurants where you will be entertained by the sailboats playing in the Bay as you dine.

Looking for something even a bit more different? Check out some of the more unusual dining spots tucked away in Berkeley.

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While San Francisco has BART, do not confuse it with the highly efficient New York subway system. Our daughter and others complain that it will often not get you where you want to go. A car rental is recommended since a lot of the area's attractions are not in close proximity to one another.

This was really a first class establishment! The room was very spacious and nicely appointed. In addition to the usual amenities provided by the better hotels, the room was equipped with computer access, and a large desk was available for the business traveler. A microwave and coffee pot were tucked away in a specially built cupboard, so the large counter space in the bathroom (where most hotels stash the coffee pot) was fully available to accept our clutter. The bed was so comfortable that even one night's sleep on it helped my back, which I had injured just before the trip.

The hotel overlooks the Berkeley Marina. The grounds surrounding the hotel are beautifully landscaped, and there is a tranquil ambience about the hotel "campus."

The staff couldn't have been nicer. We've stayed in some very expensive hotels during our many travels, and many times the service has fallen short of our expectations. Check-in and check-out were absolutely the quickest and smoothest we've ever encountered.

Our deal included breakfasts, which were phenomenal! The dining room overlooked the marina, so the setting couldn't have been prettier. We could either order from the menu or partake of their sumptuous buffet. The choice was difficult, so I elected to enjoy the buffet one morning and ordered from the menu the next.

The buffet was extraordinary, offering fresh fruits, bagels, toast, potatoes, pancakes, waffles, bacon, ham, sausage, biscuits with gravy, and eggs (or eggbeaters, if you wish) cooked to your preference. The dining room staff was very friendly, and when I inquired if one of the buffet sauces was hollandaise and learned it was not, the egg chef hurried to the kitchen and brought me out a bowl of the sauce.

The vegetarian eggs benedict dish that I ordered the next morning (I decided my waistline couldn't handle two days of the buffet) was equally delicious, and I'd recommend everyone--even those who choose to stay elsewhere--to plan to "break the fast" here during their visit.

We went to C'Sar's at the recommendation of our daughter, who lives in Berkeley and has dined there before. It is not your usual dining experience, and although I have submitted a price range for an appetizer, main course, and dessert, in truth, there is nothing that would classify as a "main course."

The dining experience consists of ordering one or more "tapas" to share. Tapas are best descibed as appetizers. You can also order "bocadillos," which are very tiny sandwiches--two to three bites finishes it off.

The ambience of the restaurant is created mostly with lighting and music. Soft lighting reflects off a wall opposite a long bar onto a single picture. The floor is concrete, and the kitchen is in full view of the dining area, which consists of a long trestle table surrounded by numerous small wooden tables. The Spanish music creates a relaxing dining experience where diners can chat about the day and compare notes on the relative tastiness of the tapas ordered. And tasty they are. We were seated at a small table by the window that had a tiny bowl of olives to savor while we made our selections. Our daughter knew immediately that one of our selections should be the cheese fries, which turned out to be a huge mound of wafer-thin fries topped with cheese. Request the aioli dressing (as she did) with this one if you order it. The dressing is mayonnaise-based with just a hint of garlic. We also selected piquillo peppers and queso fresco, which were fried peppers served with delectable fresh Spanish cheeses, a swordfish dish, a salmon dish, and a tapa consisting of fried potatoes with herbs and sea salt during the course of our two-and-a-half-hour long dining experience. Each was a thrill to the taste buds, as was the jamon serrano bocadillo we ordered. While this isn't a restaurant to visit if you're ravenous and want to devour a lot of food in a short amount of time, it proved to be a pleasant, relaxing dining experience to cap off our day of exploration.

Skates on the Bay, as its name implies, overlooks San Francisco Bay, and offers terrific views from every table. Our waiter was extremely friendly and provided exceptional service. A basket of delicious, soft, warm bread with a heavy buttery-garlic flavor was brought promptly for us to enjoy as we perused the menu and watched the sailboats play in the Bay on what was a crisp, sunny afternoon.

Both my husband and I ordered the fish sandwich with fries. The food was good although I wouldn't rate it as "outstanding," with the exception of the soft garlic bread. However, there was plenty of it. Several hours later, we were still so overly full we opted for a dessert-only supper. I wouldn't mind returning here to try the dinner menu on a future visit to San Francisco and seeing the view with the bridges lit up in the night sky.

We chose to tour an area of the park that had an abundance of gardens. It proved a perfect place to enjoy a long, leisurely stroll on a sunny afternoon.

We entered the park near the Rose Garden, which immediately captured my heart, even though no roses were in bloom. There was a sensation of tranquility that overwhelmed me as we strolled the path through the garden. Benches sprinkled the tidy, seemingly secluded area where people sat reading or chatting quietly with a friend. Different varieties of the bushes were planted in separate sections of the garden, with each variety identified, and I hope to return sometime to see the abundance of flowers that have such beautiful names.

We next visited the nearby Japanese Tea Garden, which has an entry fee of $3.50 for adults. While it was beautiful with its variety of Japanese plant life and statues, it is a relatively small area, and I personally would not pay the fee to enter again. (There is also an additional charge if you want a brochure to guide you as you walk along the paths.) Central to the garden area is a "tea room" where you can spend even more money to buy a pot of tea and sit and enjoy the surroundings as you sip if such is to your liking.

The Botanical Garden area is directly across from the Japanese Tea Garden. There is no entry fee, and yet I enjoyed this garden more. Perhaps it was the wide variety of plants that stirred my senses more. I was particularly awed by some of the Australian vegetation, which looked like nothing I had ever before seen.

By this time the sun was beginning to set and the air was getting chilly, so we were able to visit only these three gardens. Regardless, we left feeling refreshed and relaxed and will return to explore other areas of the park on our next visit.

Jack London Square, once home to disreputable saloons and pirates, is reminiscent of a Caribbean marketplace, though much brighter and cleaner. Situated along the waterfront, the soft ocean breeze seems to intoxicate the shoppers with a calmness that is absent at the large malls. Here you can find the larger retailers, such as Barnes and Noble, Cost Plus, and the Bed and Bath Super Store sharing the strip with ethnic boutiques in which you can find everything from African gifts (Karibu's) to Japanese home accessories (Murasaki's) to Marine decor (Whales and Friends.)

You'll also want to check out the varied wares offered by the non-aggressive street vendors who line up their booths in the center of the square. They offer everything from spices to hand-crafted jewelry and clothing at reasonable prices.

When you tire of shopping, you may want to pay a visit to the cabin of the Square's namesake, which was relocated at an end of the Square by one of the writer's friends after London's death. Next to the cabin is Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon, a fun bar that has been crafted from the wreckage of a whaling ship, where you can whet your whistle. Or you may choose to visit Mr. Espresso for a cup of coffee to enjoy as you sit on a bench and enjoy the ocean view.

You might also be able to tour Franklin Roosevelt's "Floating White House," the U.S.S. Potomac, situated at the opposite end of the Square from Jack London's cabin, which was, unfortunately, closed for renovation during our visit.