Friday Mom & I arrived from Vancouver. We checked in to our hotel in Union Square and rested before dinner. I reminded mom of a trip we took to San Francisco over 20 years ago at which time we were passing through Union Square in a taxi and saw Cindy Crawford & Richard Gere all dressed up outside one of the fancy stores. She didn't remember, but I was star-struck!
That night we had dinner at "Bouche", a delicious little French restaurant a few blocks from the hotel.
The next day we went to the Ferry Building for coffee and breakfast. There was a Farmer's Market with the most amazing selection of heirloom tomatoes and plum-family members that I've ever seen. I stocked up on Pluots for later.
Here we are attempting to go up to Coit Tower. We had to take a somewhat round-about route as one of our party felt the Filbert Steps were dangerous. Not naming names, but she might be in the picture below....
But we made it to the top anyway, and were met by yogis and panoramic view of San Francisco.
Bronwyn arrived that afternoon. After lunch, we parted ways for a few hours and I got some serious shopping done. I haven't bought new clothes in ages & San Fran was a good place to make up for lost time! Dinner at the Slanted Door was yum, but the service was pretty shocking. Maybe you need to be Ricard Gere or Cindy Crawford to get noticed in this town!
The next day we didn't have much of a plan other than a brunch reservation in Hayes Valley, which is apparently one of the hip neighbourhoods these days.
On the way we passed City Hall and another Urban Farmer's Market.
Hayes Valley was a pretty hip area. There were lots of cute stores, restaurants and a little park. There was also a area where shops were made out of shipping containers, including Ritual Coffee (yum!), a bike rental place and a beer garden. We had breakfast at Absinthe, where I had one of the most decadent brunches I've ever had: ricotta stuffed french toast with caramelized bananas and pecans topped with citrus whip cream AND a side of sausage. AND a belini. Oh my. Don't try this at home: this is vacation eating.
After over-indulging at brunch, it seemed that we ought to do something active... especially since we had dinner reservations at the highly recommended Zuni Cafe. We rented bikes from one of the shipping containers and made our way to Golden Gate Park.
We passed Alamo Square and the "Painted Ladies" on the way:
 |
| The painted ladies, one lady getting a fresh coat |
Golden Gate Park was cool, with lots of things to see. It was a Sunday so the roads through the park were closed for pedestrian traffic. There were tons of people - locals & tourists alike - out enjoying the sunny day.
 |
| The arborium, pretty flowers & picnickers |
 |
| Some Groovy Roller-skaters |
 |
| Free Swing Lessons (which this couple did not need - they were awesome! Just look at how his leg is bending - how is that even possible!?) |
 |
| Just riding along |
 |
| Ocean Beach, a HUGE beach at the end of Golden Gate Park |
 |
| Nice! Mom makes it up the hill on the 50lb bike! |
 |
| Nice cold brewskis on a hot day. Mom loved her IPA in particular! |
We ate at Zuni Cafe, which was recommended by two friends of mine. Despite showing up in our biking clothes and looking like ragamuffins, we got great service. We were recommended to have the roasted chicken with warm bread salad, which was their speciality. The prep time was an hour, so we had fancy cocktails and appies while we waited.
The next day we biked again - that's how we roll, literally. We took the bikes across the bay to Sausalito where we hung out for a bit then rode our bikes to another small town, Tiburon.
 |
| On the Ferry to Sausalito |
In Sausalito we ate at Fish, where our the chef is the nephew of one of our family friends & neighbours from growing up. The food was delicious, and worthy of the long line outside the restaurant!
 |
| Our ferry leaving Tiburon |
 |
| Golden Gate Bridge |
 |
| Pier 39, Coit Tower, the TransAmerica building and the SF skyline |
For dinner on our last night, we ate at Gary Danko, which I think is only Michelin Star rated restaurant I've eaten at (one star). Bronwyn made the reservation months ago, otherwise we never would have got in. The food was top notch and the service was the best I've ever seen. The wait staff manages to make you feel like you are their favourite table and they can't wait to take care of you - without feeling forced or phoney. It was a real treat!
After four days away, I couldn't wait to get home to see my lovely boys! Little did I know I was to be greeted by a grumpy monkey with 3 molars & one cuspid tooth coming in. He flashed me one weak smile before erupting into tears and snuggling with his daddy. We'll have lots of cuddles this weekend to make up for my time away!
