3 days in San Francisco for mother-daughter
Dec 14th, 2006, 04:16 PM
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3 days in San Francisco for mother-daughter
My college-age daughter and I are going to spend 3 nights in S.F. She is going to look at graduate school in Palo Alto, so we will have a car. Any special restaurants or other places we should see in the city or around Palo Alto? We are able to splurge on this particular trip. Thanks!!
Dec 14th, 2006, 05:18 PM
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What kinds of things do you like to do? SF is a sightseers dream, lots to take in. A harbor cruise is a good way to see the city. Alcatraz is interesting. Let us know what types of food you like and what you like to visit, museums stores etc and you will get more info! Have fun!
Dec 18th, 2006, 01:09 PM
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Mary, thanks for your reply; we actually like all kinds of food; in particular, fresh, organic, well-prepared food and restaurants that are upscale, but not stuffy. I avoid anyplace that's smoky, but I think that California doesn't allow smoking in most public places. We also like to be outdoors (like at farmer's markets), but we are going in February, so would that be too chilly for the harbor cruise? Of course, my daughter might like to check out a store that sells cute, but not overly expensive, clothes. A cool museum might be interesting, too. Wine-tasting might be good, too.
Dec 18th, 2006, 03:45 PM
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There are lots of good threads on SF but based on your post about liking farmer's markets and wine tasting, you should check out the Ferry Plaza farmers market and shops. It is a restored Ferry building focused on the farmers market plus other permanent gourmet food shops/restaurants. Really fun and you can wine taste there as well plus if you get lucky with the weather you can sit outside.
If you have not been to SF before, the best way to experience it is on foot as you can walk through a very diverse set of neighborhoods such as Union Square (shopping), China town, North Beach (Italian), etc as the downtown is surprisingly small. You can take cable cars/cabs etc to hopscotch around as well. I typically take family friends on walking tours of those areas plus then drive them around the broader areas such as the Presidio (great views overlooking the Golden Gate bridge), through areas such as Pacific heights if you like to see gorgeous houses and drive on Lombard (the crooked section especially), and perhaps take a stop at Golden Gate Park.
There are several great museums in SF (Asian Art, modern, etc) and of course tons of great restaurants (all non-smoking) with California cuisine. The mecca of organic, fresh and simple preparation is Chez Panisse in Berkeley and although the main restaurant is very tough to get into, you might be able to try the more casual upstairs cafe (wonderful food). In SF proper, perhaps let posters know what type of food/budget as there are so many great places.
If you have not been to SF before, the best way to experience it is on foot as you can walk through a very diverse set of neighborhoods such as Union Square (shopping), China town, North Beach (Italian), etc as the downtown is surprisingly small. You can take cable cars/cabs etc to hopscotch around as well. I typically take family friends on walking tours of those areas plus then drive them around the broader areas such as the Presidio (great views overlooking the Golden Gate bridge), through areas such as Pacific heights if you like to see gorgeous houses and drive on Lombard (the crooked section especially), and perhaps take a stop at Golden Gate Park.
There are several great museums in SF (Asian Art, modern, etc) and of course tons of great restaurants (all non-smoking) with California cuisine. The mecca of organic, fresh and simple preparation is Chez Panisse in Berkeley and although the main restaurant is very tough to get into, you might be able to try the more casual upstairs cafe (wonderful food). In SF proper, perhaps let posters know what type of food/budget as there are so many great places.
Jan 13th, 2007, 02:18 PM
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If you like fresh, organic (and don't mind vegetarian), Greens is excellent and has nice views over the water. They also have a nice selection of wines by the glass, which is excellent if you want to do your own wine pairing with each course (like we gluttons did). Enjoy!
Jan 16th, 2007, 11:16 PM
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University Ave. in Palo Alto is a stretch of blocks comprised of cute restaurants, stores and cafes. If you like Greek I recommend Evvia Estiatorio, located on University and Emerson. It is an upscale restaurant with very good food and atmosphere. Call ahead and make a reservation.
Also, Caffe del Doge is an authentic Italian coffee bar a couple of blocks away. They have a couple of locations in Italy, one in Tokyo, one in Budapest, and then one in Palo Alto! Make sure to try the hot chocolate.
Also, Caffe del Doge is an authentic Italian coffee bar a couple of blocks away. They have a couple of locations in Italy, one in Tokyo, one in Budapest, and then one in Palo Alto! Make sure to try the hot chocolate.
Jan 24th, 2007, 07:08 PM
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I just got back from Palo Alto and tried Evvia Greek restaurant due to baybee's recommendation. It was GREAT! Food was delicious and atmosphere very fun and cozy. We also love Limon in SF in Mission district. You need reservations for both places. Something else I hadn't done before was shopping in downtown Burlingame. Cute stores, especially lululemon, which has awesome yoga and workout gear.
