First off, read Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. It's a novel that follows an anti-hero through the realisation that he's the Grim Reaper. Turns out that he runs a curio shop in San Fran and his adventures point out some of the great or at least eclectic and interesting parts of this town. Love the book. It's non-stop silliness and gives you something to look for in town. Chris Moore. San Fran. Weirdness. It simply all works.
Get ready to walk. It's a great city to walk through. Probably for my wife and I especially since we ate and drank our body weights on a daily basis.
I'd spend a few days in the city as it's a great place to be central to shopping, dining and sights.
Dining:
Harry Denton's Starlight Room. This is old skewl. In fact it was old skewl when Frank Sinatra was around. But imagine that time, go ahead, close your eyes and think waiters in tuxedoes, waitresses in floor length gowns - but slit up to "here". Now find your way to the St Francis Hotel, just off Union Sq. and got to the top floor. Go before sunset as the view is awesome. Take a stroll around, have a $18 ($7AUD with the exchange) martini, watch the sunset, listen to some live music and then push on for a proper meal.
But where? Funny you should ask......
Empress of China. Since you've now fortified yourself with a drink walk into Chinatown (towards the pier - away from Union Sq.) Walk slowly and keep a keen out for the Empress. It's upstairs, and you take lifts to access it, but you'll seen signage up front. This is also dated, but great. It's got the obligatory wall of fame when all the famous people have their photos posted there. You'll be looking a long time to find mine, but you will see former President's and other head's of State. Once seated, you'll have the North American version of Chinese cuisine. The wait staff wear dated green tuxedos and are simply lovely. This is always a stop when my wife and I are in town. Usually for a late lunch.
The Posh Bagel. Great breakfast, if you like coffee and bagels. Word of warning, the coffee in NA isn't as good as it is in other parts of the world (we're currently being spoiled in Queensland, Australia), so be patient. However, you will do better at places like this than at Starbucks. The options for bagels range from dry or light cream cheese to a "breakfast bagel" which is the counterpart to the Queensland "fully loaded" hamburger; egg, bacon, avo, capsicum, onion, really anything that you can run a knife through.
Carnelian Room. The food is good, fine, not great but the view is mind blowing. We went for dinner, at sunset and the view eclipsed the food. I'd recommend brunch at sunrise, although this might be too early for your hours. Check and see, but the morning light should be good all the same.
Scomas'. This place looks like a dive but puts up a really good plate. Wander down to Fisherman's Wharf / the Pier areas, say a couple of hours before you want to eat. Go to the end of Jones St (past the massive bakery) (corner of Jefferson and Jones) and turn down the alley called Al Scoma Way. Step over the crazy homeless guy that's aways there, avoid the garbage and stacked crates and steel yourself to walking the next 400m. You'll open out at the end of Al Scoma Way in a collection of luxury vehicles and a modest restaurant that's lined up out the door. Since they don't take bookings, you'll leave your name and be asked to wait 90-120 minutes. Then you can walk back towards the pier, listen to the hollering of the sea lions, watch the seals and work up an appetite.
The Stinking Rose. Do you like garlic based cuisine? If yes make a reservation; if not then locate this place on your GPS and stay 2 blocks clear of it.
Bubbles Lounge. Champagne inspired wine bar. It's great. My wife and I spent two lovely nights there and the bartender was this erotic, lithe gal with a black dress and shoulder / sleeve tat that shook martinis like they owed her money. She was at once oddly hypnotic and terrifying. The best story that came from here, was from a friend that went with a bunch of her girlfriends, proceeded to get drunk enough to be uninhibited and obnoxious, left Bubbles and proceeded across the street into the Church of Scientology where they proceeded to play "Mock the Scientologist". Bummer to have missed that go.
Notable that I haven't tried:
According to GQ The Alembic is one of the top 25 bars in America.
There's a kind of poetic humor to the drinks at this pubby cocktail bar on the Haight, where the minimum tattoo requirement for employees must be five, maybe six. The smoky and sweet Vasco da Gama, our favorite whiskey drink in the country, is served on the rocks with global ingredients: Buffalo Trace bourbon, masala-spiced apple syrup, Islay scotch. The Gilded Lily is a sparkling Chartreuse-and-gin cocktail topped with edible gold dust. It's perfect for Dubai, and perfectly ironic on a street where the homeless mumble Ginsberg's "Howl."
There's a kind of poetic humor to the drinks at this pubby cocktail bar on the Haight, where the minimum tattoo requirement for employees must be five, maybe six. The smoky and sweet Vasco da Gama, our favorite whiskey drink in the country, is served on the rocks with global ingredients: Buffalo Trace bourbon, masala-spiced apple syrup, Islay scotch. The Gilded Lily is a sparkling Chartreuse-and-gin cocktail topped with edible gold dust. It's perfect for Dubai, and perfectly ironic on a street where the homeless mumble Ginsberg's "Howl."
1725 Haight Street
415-666-0822
www.alembicbar.com
According to Delish the Comstock Saloon is one of the top 13 bars in America; 415-666-0822
www.alembicbar.com
Star bartenders Jonny Raglin (whose Wonderlust cocktail is pictured left) and Jeff Hollinger run this 1900s-style bar, where they serve period-appropriate cocktails and snacks like whiskey-cured gravlax on rye toast with dill sour cream.
155 Columbus Ave.; 415-617-0071;
Read More http://www.gq.com/food-travel/restaurants-and-bars/201010/25-best-cocktail-bars-in-america#ixzz1nMWpgIRk
The General Store. http://www.visitgeneralstore.com/visit.html
Attractions:
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA).
The Big Pagoda. Modern Art / modern Asian home furnishings. Run by a couple of gay guys who are hysterical. The shop is interesting enough, the boys - a riot.
Vampire Tour. You think I'm joking, ordinarily I might be, but this time I'm serious. We've been rained out on this tour (and HAD to seek refuge back at Harry Denton's) but it provides a great history of the city, different view of things and a great way to walk off some of the food and booze that you'll consume.
Alcatraz Tour. There are a couple of forms that this takes. One is a tour of the Bay in which you land on The Rock and tour the facility. Sort of interesting from a historical point of view, a little eerie, but worth enough doing. There are also versions where you just head straight to and from the island or just tour around it without landing. If you like this sort of thing, then you should land and check it out. Probably takes a couple of hours and then that's good for the rest of your life.
Fisherman's Wharf. Gold Coast sort of tourist vibe. Ok. Fine. Whatever. Good enough to do while you're waiting for your table at Scoma's or if you want to duck in somewhere for a coffee. The Sourdough Bread Bakery does a decent job, but a little on the over-rated side.
Walking Tours. You can walk/tram/cable car everywhere and my wife and I loved doing so. Walk about and earn your dining experiences. Coit Tower, Lombard Street, China Town, Russian Hill (suburb) are all great and easy to get to from the CBD. Other places that are great are Golden Gate Bridge, Presidio, Battery Park and Golden Gate Park are further afield but also cool.
The Cliffs or the Cliff House comes up from the Basic Instinct movie and hosts magnificent views. Having said that this is on the far west side and along the Pacific Ocean, so sometimes the view is only limited by the curvature of the earth, whilst others it will be so foggy that you won't be able to see how many fingers you're holding up on your hand.
Take some warm clothes, especially a wind breaker, some fleece and something for a bit of rain. You're not in Queensland anymore Dorothy.
At that time of year, you'll have your choice of pro sports and the baseball team may be leading the league again. Not likely for either the Gridiron or basketball efforts. But like anything it will depend who's in town as to how interesting the game (which ever) may be.
Wine Areas
Heading north there are plenty of wine tours and sights to take in. There is outlet mall shopping through Premium Outlets, where the popular brands from previous seasons are being offered at deep discounts. You'll likely already find the prices better in NA than here, to the Outlets are better still. www.premiumoutlets.com/centers/index.asp -
Book early on the wine tours.
Do you have a preference for wine house or type? If you let me know, I'll make a couple of inquiries with people who've been, one who runs a wine bar in Canada and is connected, I'll hook you up if I can.
Other
If you head inland you'll find some real mountains, which are pretty cool. There is actually a decent range that separates the wine country proper from places like Sacramento. Alternatively, you can head up to the Mendocino National Forest which is what I'd consider a proper mountain wilderness.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6BdkOyoCAPkATlA!/?ss=110508&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=FSE_003853&navid=091000000000000&pnavid=null&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&ttype=main&pname=Mendocino%20National%20Forest-%20Home
If you like military then Oakland has the naval depot
The famous Berkeley university is also on the other side of the bay and Stanford is south of SFO.
The General Store. http://www.visitgeneralstore.com/visit.html
Attractions:
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA).
The Big Pagoda. Modern Art / modern Asian home furnishings. Run by a couple of gay guys who are hysterical. The shop is interesting enough, the boys - a riot.
Vampire Tour. You think I'm joking, ordinarily I might be, but this time I'm serious. We've been rained out on this tour (and HAD to seek refuge back at Harry Denton's) but it provides a great history of the city, different view of things and a great way to walk off some of the food and booze that you'll consume.
Alcatraz Tour. There are a couple of forms that this takes. One is a tour of the Bay in which you land on The Rock and tour the facility. Sort of interesting from a historical point of view, a little eerie, but worth enough doing. There are also versions where you just head straight to and from the island or just tour around it without landing. If you like this sort of thing, then you should land and check it out. Probably takes a couple of hours and then that's good for the rest of your life.
Fisherman's Wharf. Gold Coast sort of tourist vibe. Ok. Fine. Whatever. Good enough to do while you're waiting for your table at Scoma's or if you want to duck in somewhere for a coffee. The Sourdough Bread Bakery does a decent job, but a little on the over-rated side.
Walking Tours. You can walk/tram/cable car everywhere and my wife and I loved doing so. Walk about and earn your dining experiences. Coit Tower, Lombard Street, China Town, Russian Hill (suburb) are all great and easy to get to from the CBD. Other places that are great are Golden Gate Bridge, Presidio, Battery Park and Golden Gate Park are further afield but also cool.
The Cliffs or the Cliff House comes up from the Basic Instinct movie and hosts magnificent views. Having said that this is on the far west side and along the Pacific Ocean, so sometimes the view is only limited by the curvature of the earth, whilst others it will be so foggy that you won't be able to see how many fingers you're holding up on your hand.
Take some warm clothes, especially a wind breaker, some fleece and something for a bit of rain. You're not in Queensland anymore Dorothy.
At that time of year, you'll have your choice of pro sports and the baseball team may be leading the league again. Not likely for either the Gridiron or basketball efforts. But like anything it will depend who's in town as to how interesting the game (which ever) may be.
Wine Areas
Heading north there are plenty of wine tours and sights to take in. There is outlet mall shopping through Premium Outlets, where the popular brands from previous seasons are being offered at deep discounts. You'll likely already find the prices better in NA than here, to the Outlets are better still. www.premiumoutlets.com/
Book early on the wine tours.
Do you have a preference for wine house or type? If you let me know, I'll make a couple of inquiries with people who've been, one who runs a wine bar in Canada and is connected, I'll hook you up if I can.
Other
If you head inland you'll find some real mountains, which are pretty cool. There is actually a decent range that separates the wine country proper from places like Sacramento. Alternatively, you can head up to the Mendocino National Forest which is what I'd consider a proper mountain wilderness.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/
If you like military then Oakland has the naval depot
The famous Berkeley university is also on the other side of the bay and Stanford is south of SFO.
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