Let me know. I enjoyed some information from this board before my last trip to Europe, and now that I'm back in my City by the Bay, I'd like to help people have a good time in my town, San Francisco. Tys
I would love to get some of us regulars to write up travel notes for thier own cities. I am working on some for Santa Fe. If you would like to write some for San Fran - please do and email them to me. They will go HERE.
Write the notes as if you had a friend coming to visit - things to do, restaurants, coffee shops, a rundown on the neighborhoods. Something that you might like as a reference if you were a visitor.
I have a friend coming to San Francisco in about a week, and she'd love to have tips from locals on nifty places! In addition to restaurants locals frequent, other ideas might be dayspas, coffee shops, good places to people-watch, bookstores, walks, outdoor markets, off-the-beaten-track shops.
SALLY WATKINS, Certified Travel Counselor sally@century-tvl.com www.sallywatkins.com Italy Specialist Certified Swiss Specialist Certified Aussie Specialist My business depends on referrals - please tell someone today!
There is a fantastic Farmers'Market at the Embarcadero every Saturday morning. I still love to go to North Beach, grab a sandwich at Molinari's Deli on Columbus,then to Stella Bakery for some cookies or sfoglatelle( the only place I can find them this side of NYC),and sit at Washington Square park for a little picnic.Have a coffee at Graffeo, an old local coffee shop on Grant St. City Lights bookstore is a good place to go into and browse. Chinatown sort of melds into North Beach at that area. There are many places to eat and people watch on Columbus Ave. It does get pretty congested, especially on weekends. The Marina district is a great place for a leisurely walk, all the way to Fort Baker, which has great views of the Golden Gate Bridge (as long as the fog doesn't roll in). There are great little places to eat and shop on Chestnut Street right in the Marina area, or take a walk to the Palace of Fine Arts.
Posts: 976 | Location: San Francisco bay area | Registered: 12 May 2003
I just wrote up a 'how to tour SF in your car' thing that Pauline I suspect will post somewhere here.. or email me and I'll send it to you.
To respond to the typical 'tips' question with some random loves:
Alamo Square Seafood Grill, Fillmore, at Grove. You must tell them Tys (sounds like nice) sent you. French, quaint, very reasonable prices, great great food, great people.
The coffeeshop at Grant and ..something, across the street from the entrance gate of China Town. Have a long sidewalk sit there. Have a coffee, then a beer, then another coffee. Read some European magazines.
Truly Mediterrinian on 16th, at Valencia. a Middle Eastern Take away place. Have the Chicken Shwarma, with extra sauce... bring napkins.
Hike at Lands End. Park above the old Sutro Baths and hike the whole way into the woods.
Go to Lower Haight and try and fit in.. but don't get a tattoo or anything pierced just for me. On Fillmore, at Haight: Metro Burger. There's one table outside. Sit, have a burger. Even their veggie burger is great. Squat and Gobble next door. Very SF local. Excellent breakfast food. Bean There cafe, Waller and Steiner. Sit outside. talk to the person at the next table.. but be interesting, and be nice to the dogs.
Go to the 'real' Irish bars in the Innner Richmond. Like 5th and Clement. Gorgio's pizza, Q, Plough and Stars, it's all good.
quote:Originally posted by gloria: ... I still love to go to North Beach, grab a sandwich at Molinari's Deli on Columbus,...
I'm related {by marriage} to the Molinari family! I was just trying to think of my Uncle Molly's first name, and don't know it - he was only ever "Molly" to the family! LOL
Posts: 14265 | Location: The Beautiful San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 06 August 2001
Tys, you know your city! :-) I second Truly Mediteranean. The falafel is also very good, if you want vegetarian. The cafe across the Chinatown Gate, Cafe de la Presse, I like that one as well. Sally, if your friend likes outside dining & french food, a short distance from the Chinatown gate there is a street called Belden full of French restaurants, a nice place.
Great article in the SF Chronicle today,7/16, in the Food section, written by Bill Daley, covering 10 very good places to eat in the city in different neighborhoods.
Posts: 976 | Location: San Francisco bay area | Registered: 12 May 2003
A friend and his wife from North Carolina will be traveling to San Francisco in October. Don't know the exact dates yet. They have never been there.
I lived in Marin County for thousands of years, and worked in San Francisco for hundreds of years, but have been gone from that area now for nearly 12 years, and lost touch with all that is there, and therefore could use some help in advising them on where to go, what to see, place to eat, etc.
For example, do reservations still need to be made to see Alcatraz? Is the Northpoint Restuarant still there and as good as it was (near Washington Square, but cannot remember if it is on Powell or ?), is the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park still up to par and worthwhile seeing? What are the good playhouses/theaters there now? (We saw "Cats" "Les Miserables" "The Music Man" and tons of other plays in SF). Anything in a good theater along those lines playing there these days?
Anything at all that might be interesting for tourist from North Carolina to see, do and eat.
Any help would be very much apprecited.
Thank you.
--Marv
Posts: 162 | Location: North Carolina, USA | Registered: 16 August 2002
Reservations for Alcatraz are highly recommended, especially for the summer months and weekends.Are you speaking about North Beach Restaurant? It is still there, haven't eaten there in many years. Moose's Restaurant on Washington Square is a great place for cocktails and dinner. Club Fugazi in North Beach still is presenting Beach Blanket Babylon for over 20 years now. It's still a great show, and I think visitors would get a kick out of it. Have not been to the Japanese Tea Garden for some years, either. The de Young Museum at Golden Gate Park is closed until 2005 for reconstruction and the Academy of Sciences is also under construction, although, still open to visitors.
Posts: 976 | Location: San Francisco bay area | Registered: 12 May 2003
Although the de Young is closed, the Palace of the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park is open. I was there over the 4th of July weekend to see the Illuminated Manuscripts exhibit (fascinating!), and took a few moments to admire the beauty of the setting ... a hilltop overlooking the entrance to the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. SF Fine Arts Museums website HERE
The San Francisco theatre scene is still lively. We recently saw Chekov's "Three Sisters" - maybe a bit gloomy for a vacation - you can check the upcoming schedule for ACT HERE.
Posts: 14265 | Location: The Beautiful San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 06 August 2001
Thank you Gloria and Colleen for your responses. Yes, North Beach Restaurant is what I meant . It is unfortunate that the de Young is closed, as that is something they might have enjoyed, but I am glad that the Legion of Honor is open. I went into the sites provided, and they are helpful.
I am also suggesting to them side trips to Sausalito and up to Muir Woods. They previously had decided on a wine country tour.
I know this is touristy and does not have the "best" food, but when we lived in Marin County and visitors came, we always took them to the Tonga Room (in the Fairmont) as it is an unusual place that they could not experience in their home states. From an "entertainment" stand point, such a place is interesting to people from other areas.
There is a Moroccan restaurant called Pasha in SF. Any feedback on it? And, of course, a visit to SF would not be complete without a good Italian restuarant, and the only one I could think of was North Beach (my daughter LOVES the fettuccini alredo there), but I don't know how good they are now. For an Italian lunch, I used to go to Caesars on the corner of Bay and Powell (worked near there), and it was always good, and always packed with locals. Noisy place, but always great service and good food (certainly not excellent) at a reasonable price. Is it okay or is there a better place?
Thanks for all your help!
--Marv
Posts: 162 | Location: North Carolina, USA | Registered: 16 August 2002
Marv, For an "entertainment" standpoint, since you will be at the Fairmont, take the elevator to the top and have an expensive drink, then sit and admire a panorama of SF. Take the cable car down to Fisherman's Wharf/Ghiradelli Square, and have an irish coffee at the Buena Vista(Larry makes the best one).Actually, the breakfasts there are pretty good.Don't forget the dim sum at Yank Sing!
Posts: 976 | Location: San Francisco bay area | Registered: 12 May 2003
couple other points (as well as agreement with what's been said so far): - the tea garden is just as nice as ever.. but is that worth it? I prefer to go deep into the Botanical garden (free, bigger, more variety) and also a walk around Stow Lake ..even a boat rental (get the motor putt putt boat) if it's a nice day.
- the Asian art museum now open downtown is supposed to be very nice.
- there's a million other/different Italian places around North Beach.. my advice would be to walk around and decide by the look (and the wait) of a place. Couple I think are great though are on Green, between Columbus and Grant: one is a family style seafood place (on the sign there's a fisherman in a yellow slicker) and the one up near the corner of Grant.. Stanelli's.. or something like that... both feel more authentic to me.
- I gotta vote no on the Tonga room.. sorry to be negative, but I don't think the wait, the price, the parking hassle, and the price.. did I mention the price? is worth that weird floating band island thing.
- I would also like to encourage French restaurant visiting.. hit Hyde Street around California.. go to my favorite: Alamo Square Seafood Grill on Filmore, stroll Upper Fillmore and try and get in one of those restaurants.. I guess I'm saying..try other spots than North Beach!
An "inner Neighborhood" you never read about in the guides...
I was going to do a bunch of these at once, but thought I'd post them separately instead:
First, some ground rules for those of you visiting SF. Yes, people who live here really do get agitated when someone says 'Frisco' or 'San Fran' .. You can call it 'The City', 'SF', or even 'This crazy town'... and yes, we are all more liberal than the rest of the country. I'm not saying we know what we're talking about, but just assume we know this, and don't need it pointed out. Neighborhood names and areas are quite important to residents, and not just for property value reasons. As with a number of cities in this country, what part of town you live in in some ways defines you. To that end, I'd like to tell you about some of the 'inner neighborhoods'.
Hayes Valley This is Hayes Street, from about Laguna to Franklin, with a few interesting spots off a block or so. A great thing about this neighborhood is how easy it is to get your fill of restaurants, coffee shops, fashionable, hip clothing and shoe stores, antique shops and people watching. Take a walk up and down this entire street, stopping wherever you like. Some spots I highly recommend: coffee shop at corner of Linden (the half block S. of Hayes) and Laguna, Fritz, on Hayes, for fries and their back garden, the coffee shop next to Absinthe restaurant--make sure you sit in their garden, and Flight 001 the odd travel gear store.
Topic Closed
- you can check the upcoming schedule for ACT 
