Four Fun Things

I’m dieing right now. I’m so behind on my weekly COJ posts and JUST read that you were in Hayes Valley tonight. I was literally next door. Ahhhhhh!!!!!!! OMG.

Ok, also an SF native and one of my favorite things is city recs:

– Liho Liho Yacht Club! They are a fantastic restaurant!!!! And the people who run it are awesome. They give SFUSD teachers 50% off of food. Big time generosity points. Rezzi will be impossible but if you go when they open at 5pm, you’ll get in. TDF cocktail menu and food.

– Chili House: Szechuan spot on Clement between 8th and 9th. Chef is famous. Their Peking duck is so good that people who don’t even like duck (weirdoes. JK!!!) like it. And don’t get me started on their mouth numbing (literally. Craziest food sensation I’ve ever experienced)Tan Tan noodles.

– 3rd and final food mention: burritos. I mean… you’re not in nyc so treat yourself! So many spots and debates about burritos: BEST veggie is CanCun, tacos from La Taqueria, burritos from ….. la Coroneta or…. poncho villa…

– ok one more: Arizmendi bakery co-op. IMHO: stellar croissants made with sour dough. Crispy outside, buttery goodness inside. And under $4. And it’s a co-op. My husb is obsessed with their cheese roll.

– Imperial Spa: Korean spa where they slough off your top layer of skin, which will result in so much self touch of your own arms. Could they be smoother?! No.

– rent bikes. Ride to tiburon. Drink a margarita and ferry back to SF.

– walk at Lands End. Great views of ocean, beach, bridge.

– shop at record store on Balboa and 36th, or ….. go to Harvest for some CA local goods :)

Have a blast!!!!!
XO

Burma Superstar and Ton Kiang are two amazing dinner options in SF. For lunch, check out Tartine Bakery in the Mission and pick up an ice cream at Bi Rite Creamery — take it over to Dolores Park to take in the view and enjoy. Have so much fun, I miss the bay and its magic all the time.

I hope you have time to get up to the wine country! Sonoma has the best old-fashioned Train Town, with a real miniature steam train among other rides. I think your boys would love it. Our town square is big, has a park and a duck pond for the kids to enjoy, then dinner on the patio at Harvest Moon Cafe and then walk to Sweet Scoops homemade ice cream. Wine tasting at Bartholomew Park Winery and take in its interesting History of Wine Museum.

Walk along the Marina Green and check out fort ross with great views of the GGB. Then get lunch in the marina or bring sandwiches on the walk from Lucca Delicatessen. Also cross the GGB to Mill Valley and run or walk Tennessee Valley Trail!

I’m sold on that cutting board! A slot for your phone would be SO handy! Now I just need a phone that can do what I want without me having to touch it because my hands always get filthy when I’m in the kitchen ?

I love lots of these places and ideas. Rich Table for fancy dinner, Lands End hike, Baker Beach over to Marshall Beach hike, the wave organ, Nopalito, birite ice cream, soup dumplings at Dumpling Kitchen, dim sum to go from Wing Lee Bakery, a manipedi at Silk, anything in GGP, etc. This place is the best on earth and why I can still see the hospital where I was born from my bedroom window! That said, the city is changing so quickly! For something that feels very old school SF, check out the Day of the Dead exhibit at the SomArts gallery. I take my third grade class every year. It’s a cool, funky space featuring lots of local artists. The exhibit is always beautiful and socially relevant.

Girl chefs to check out : Chef Nichole Accettola is amazing-check her out at Kantine.
Dominique Crenn is also phenomenal- you will need reservations at Petit Crenn.
Other great options: Tartine, Nopa, and Littlestar ?

Yay you’re coming to SF! Hit up Arsicault for to-die-for croissants (Bon Appetit named it the best bakery in the country) and The Assembly (http://theassembly.com) for a workout (active or restorative), an interesting panel, or just check out the gooooorgeous space. Enjoy your time here!

Excited to meet you guys on Thursday! I feel like people gravitate towards trendy new places in the Mission and in Hayes Valley, but I want to call out some of my favorites that go beyond that. I realize you may be sticking close to Hayes Valley, but maybe some readers planning a trip to SF aren’t!

Food:
-Ice Cream Bar (Cole Valley): I think it’s the best ice cream in the city. Controversial? Yes, but hear me out. Their cornmeal waffle cones are amazing. The caramelized honey flavor is perfect, and they are not stingy with samples. You can also get fun ice cream floats mixed with beer or wine. I think the best one is the Royal Red Milkshake, which has Flemish Red Ale, sherry, and morello cherry ice cream.
-Nopalito (NoPa): really good, slightly elevated Mexican food.
-La Taqueria (Mission): Came to fame in Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight bracket for best burrito, but after extensive testing I agree. No rice as filler, spot on carnitas, and you can order it “dorado” and they will brown your burrito up so it is crispy and delicious.
-The Mandalay(Inner Richmond): Call me old school, but I prefer this to Burma Superstar. My husband’s family has been going here for 30+ years, since it opened in 1984. The tea leaf salad and dry fried string beans are both a must.
-Zuni(Market St.): another SF classic that has lasted for a reason. The roasted chicken with bread salad is really, really good.
-La Ciccia (Noe): great Sardinian restaurant with a focus on seafood and pasta
-Souvla: current and hip, but lives up to the hype. My favorites are the sweet potato or the pork flavors. Also, the Baklava frozen yogurt is pretty great. You can order it with everything else, but ask for a stub so you can get it later, at the end of your meal.

Activities (I’m seeing a trend towards hiking…SF has so many lovely urban hikes):
-Hiking Land’s end
-Hiking above Baker beach and then going on to the Golden Gate bridge
-Wandering the SF botanical gardens in Golden Gate Park
-I really enjoyed the “Contemporary Muslim Fashion exhibit at the DeYoung, and you can go up their tower for a nice view (you don’t even need a ticket for that part).
-Check out the food stalls in the Ferry Building
-I love The Booksmith in my neighborhood, but every neighborhood has a great bookstore (City Lights, Dog Eared Books, Green Apple Books, etc)
-Hike up the top of Twin Peaks, or Tank Hill, or Bernal Heights…lots of choices!

to eat: Burma Superstar = YUMMMMM!!!

Yay, so excited that you are visiting SF and to hang out with all of you on Thursday!

Definitely thumbs up on Che Fico (I loved their pizza, but really anything on the menu is divine) and Burma Superstar (or their sister restaurant Burma Love on Valencia in the Mission).

As a Mission resident, I wanted to also give a shout out to:
– Dandelion Chocolate (get any of their drinking chocolate)
– Boba Guys (matcha strawberry latte with boba)
– explore the murals and street art (Clarion and Balmy Alleys are good places to start)
– Almanac Beer Taproom (local brewery with delicious seasonal sours and saisons with an great outdoor patio)
– Sightless Coffee (almond milk cappuccino)
– La Taqueria (their burritos are worth the hype! pro-tip, order the burrito “dorado,” and they will sear the rolled up burrito on the plancha so the outside is golden and crispy)
– Shizen Vegan Sushi (anything on their menu is great!)
– Revolution Cafe (little hole in the wall cafe that has great live music 7 nights of the week)
– Dog Eared Books + Alley Cat Books (sister bookstores with great selection that features local authors)
– Humphrey Slocombe (get the Secret Breakfast ice cream!)

Other favorites around the city:
– Mr. Tipple’s Recording Studio (small venue with delicious cocktails and great live jazz every night)
– Sunrise or sunset from the top of Corona Heights
– Glen Canyon Park and the Interior Greenbelt Open Space (both a bit off the beaten path, but two of my favorite green spaces in the city that make you forget that you’re still in SF)
– 16th Avenue Tiled Steps (gorgeous mosaic staircase)
– SFMOMA (the Magritte exhibit is still ongoing and really fun! plus they have a patio cafe on the 5th floor that is perfect for lunch and dessert!)
– for cocktails: Last Rites (fun tiki bar) and Wilson & Wilson (a speakeasy inside a speakeasy!)

I thought “A Star Is Born” was amazing! I always knew Lady Gaga was enormously talented, but I think this movie showcased both her singing and acting chops in a way I hadn’t realized before. Loved it!

1) I have listened to Shallow at least eleventy million times since seeing the film last week.
2) I love San Francisco SO MUCH. I got to spend a long weekend there in May with my husband. We enjoyed:
-The Sunday food truck picnic at the Presidio (I had some sort Nepalese dumpling situation that I can’t stop dreaming about)
-Inner Richmond neighborhood: dinner at Kitchen Istanbul in Inner Richmond neighborhood, ice cream at Toy Boat Dessert Cafe, and buying all the things at Green Apple Books
-Russian Hill neighborhood: Sweet little wine bar called Cafe Meuse, Shanghai Kelly’s for a great dive bar, Russian Hill bookstore (great selection of old comics and pulp romances), and Gioia Pizzeria

I just returned from gallivanting around my beloved San Francisco with my bestie to celebrate her 40th birthday, I’m so sorry we’re going to miss you! My personal favorite spot in the city is North Beach. Grab a controversial book on some kick-ass activism or deep philosophy from City Lights, and curl up at Vesuvios for a local beer and banter (rumor has it that the owner used to roller skate around the neighborhood in nothing but a clear raincoat and a thong back in the 70s!). Grab some dim sum a few blocks over, then stroll down Columbus, grab a pastry, and land in Washington Square for a chat with some friendly strangers on a park bench. I’ve repeated this routine so many times, I’ve lost count. The vibe is just so old school San Francisco, I love it!

Ice cream at Smitten (also in Hayes valley)! The Twitter headquarters are also nearby and a great spot for a quick lunch.

If you are there early and want to learn about local nonprofits we are running a big event two blocks from the store at SFJAZZ. http://bayareachangemakers.org also

Hayes Valley is the perfect spot to compare all the ice creams/yogurts/frozen treats in one four-block radius
Smitten, Sovula, Loving Cup, RT Rotisery, Salt and Straw, + Pressed Juice has soft serve fruit frozen treats. My fave is actually at RT.

I loved A Star is Born, but have felt in the days after seeing it that the character Ally failed Jackson. He was more open to love, more needing of it. And she wasn’t there for him. I’m an uber feminist, and know this is based on two (or three?) prior versions of the same story, but I wished this had ended differently. Because their chemistry was so good! And their performing together was next-level. She never recognized that she had sold out and strayed so far from the quality and integrity she had and they shared. I don’t know if Gaga’s part just wasn’t written as fully as it could have been, but Jackson/Bradley was really the Star that stuck with me.

I just donated my 10 year old off-white cords, so, yeah, sounds about right that they’d make a comeback this year.