Four Fabulous Days in San Francisco

Old Apr 13th, 2009, 12:04 PM
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Glad you had a great trip. I was up there in August and had a really nice 4 days. I've been flying up there, from L.A., since the 60s, when I was a small child, and have always loved a few days of walking and eating really great food. Happy Travels!
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Old Apr 13th, 2009, 07:41 PM
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Day 3- Monday

This morning we decide to try a different place for breakfast. About a block from the hotel is the Fisherman's Wharf Deli and Taqueria. I have a bacon, egg, and cheese burrito (huge and good at 5.99). D ordered a sausage and cheese omelette and ends up with a sausage, egg, and cheese burrito. Rather than wait for what he's ordered, he takes it. With a cup of coffee, breakfast was under $15 for two.

I get a text from our friend J which says, "We just landed. When do we start eating?" I love my friends. They are game for just about anything, love to eat, and tolerate my taking pictures of the food.

I knew they would be hungry once they arrived so D and I walk back up to Washington Square Park to the Liguria Bakery at 1700 Stockton St.
They sell one thing only there; foccacia in about 10 different flavors. Big slabs of it (about 12" square) sell for $4-$4.50 depending on the flavor. The shop is odd; there's nothing in the glass cases so if you've never been there it's a little hard to tell what you want by sight. I just take a guess and order 3; rosemary & garlic, black olive and green onion. They bring them out from the back and wrap them up in a neat little package of white paper. We head back to wait for our friends at the trolley stop near the hotel.

We walk them back to the hotel and they check in. Up in our room, we break out the foccacia to many ooohs and ahhhhs and give T her bottle of Amaro Lucano. She is thrilled!

We have bought our tickets for Alcatraz for 2:20 online (https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/index.aspx ) so we have a few hours before we have to be at the boat. Tickets do sell out in advance, so it's a good idea to buy them ahead of time online. In fact, later, when we arrive there is a sign saying there are no more tickets available for that day.

We decide to walk around Fisherman's Wharf and get a bite to eat. First, we return to Pier 39 to check out the seals again, and then go onto the part of the pier where there is food and drink. It's mega-touristy and just makes me cringe, but everyone else decides they want a drink, so we stop at the "Wines of California" shop where they all order wine flights (priced at $12-$15 per 3 glass flight). I abstain from the wine because drinking and boats don't mix at all for me.

After that, we walk to the far end of Fisherman's Wharf (near Boudin bakery) where J says she's had good seafood before purchased straight from the sidewalk vendors outside the restaurants. We check these out, but for some reason decide to go inside a restaurant called Nona Rose to sit and eat. Big mistake.
(Disclaimer; I work for a company which owns seafood restaurants and I used to be a professional chef in one, so I know my seafood, and yes, I'm picky).
What we had was a poor excuse for seafood; badly shucked oysters sitting on a watery tray of melted ice, ketchup masquerading as cocktail sauce, crab from a can, soggy fried calamari. I could go on but won't. Still full from the foccacia, I order nothing but lemonade and am happy with my choice.

From there, we walk down to Pier 33 where the boats dock for Alcatraz. They start allowing people to line up around 1/2 hour early. Everyone has the opportunity to have their photo taken in front of an Alcatraz backdrop, so the 4 of us do it together. The ride over takes about 15 minutes and feels fast.

Before I'd left home, a coworker had told me, "when you get off the boat, there will be a park ranger there asking everyone to wait and gather around. Ignore them and just walk up the hill. That way you won't get stuck going through the tour with 250 other people." Normally I'm not one to break the rules. In fact, it makes me downright uncomfortable. But we follow the advice and it was the best thing we could have done. No one asks us to stop and we arrive at the top and pick up our audio guides before the crowds arrive.

The audio tour is great. It's narrated by former guards, inmates, and even residents (a woman whose father was warden when she was a child). D gets his audio tour in French (just for fun and practice) and we note some cultural differences in the narration; mine mentions the 2 lane bowling alley, his does not. His mentions the bakery on site, mine does not. The prisoner's cells are fascinating and sad at the same time. The audio tour takes about an hour and we really enjoy it. J says it's better than when she was here a few years ago, before Alcatraz was made part of the National Parks system http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz/ .

We walk back down the hill and are the very last people on a boat waiting to go back. When we arrive at the dock, we check out the photos which were taken before we got on the boat. They are 5x7s and 2 for $22 (and you have to buy both). For once, they're not bad, so we decide to share and each buy one for a souvenir.
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Old Apr 14th, 2009, 05:19 AM
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Good morning! I posted this so late last night I just wanted to post again to bring it to the top. In general, I like the new version of the boards here, but I don't like that it's so easy for posts to get "lost" so quickly. Will try and do more trip report later...
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Old Apr 14th, 2009, 05:55 AM
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Fantastic photos as usual, Kristina!
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Old Apr 14th, 2009, 07:08 AM
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>>Fisherman's Wharf ........ restaurant called Nona Rose to sit and eat. Big mistake. .......What we had was a poor excuse for seafood; badly shucked oysters sitting on a watery tray of melted ice, ketchup masquerading as cocktail sauce, crab from a can, soggy fried calamari.....

This is why locals avoid the Wharf. And because locals avoid the Warf, the restaurants don't have to try & serve something that would make customers want to return. Mc Do, In-&-Out Burgers, and Hooters probably do a good business, however.

We took a CityGuides tour of the Wharf last year (history tour - not a T-Shirt tour). When we passed the large crab pots, I examined the just-delivered crab, and they seemed to be squirming - so at least they were alive when they went into the water. Don't know how long they sit before they are served, however. I like my crab to be alive the same day I eat them, and cracked less than 10 mins before I sit down to dinner or lunch.

Great trip report!!!

Stu Dudley
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Old Apr 14th, 2009, 07:44 AM
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This is a great trip report!

FWIW, Alcatraz has been part of the NPS for many years -- I think your friend probably meant that the audio tours are better than when the tours were run by real live park rangers. I don't know when it changed from one to the other.

Stu, I cannot believe you took a tour of the Wharf - what were you thinking
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Old Apr 14th, 2009, 08:09 AM
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It was a history of the Wharf tour - mostly pre 1950. No schlock stuff.

Stu Dudley
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Old Apr 14th, 2009, 08:14 AM
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I also wore a hat, large dark glasses, and face paint so nobody would recognize me at the Wharf.

Stu Dudley
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Old Apr 14th, 2009, 08:33 AM
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Great trip report ---- definitely makes me want to go back to San Francisco!
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Old Apr 14th, 2009, 09:30 AM
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What a great report! Thanks so much.
We live in Palo Alto and are outrageously lazy abot going into the city (too cold or foggy is or top excuse!)But your report made me determined to go more often.
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Old Apr 14th, 2009, 10:44 AM
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Stu-no, we didn't have whole crabs, just crab "cocktail". It most definately came out of a can. They coulldn't possibly shuck enough for as much as they sell. There's nothing necessarily wrong with canned crab either, it's just that this wasn't the good stuff. And yes, I knew better than to eat there. I usually get to pick the restaurants and I should have had a better plan for this meal.

sf7307- I don't know when it changed either, but my friend said she did a tour to Alcatraz about 3 years ago, but the boat left from a different pier. She said they had an audio guide too, but it wasn't as well produced.

MP07950-Thanks! I plan on going back again as soon as I can.

phidias1-Isn't that the way it always is? We never do the things in our own home town. I am ashamed to admit I've never been to the Ghetty museum here in LA.
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Old Apr 15th, 2009, 04:06 AM
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Had to hunt for you this am...busy day on the US boards...too bad you all didn't get to see the wharf as it was--when fishermen actually docked there with their catch...
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Old Apr 15th, 2009, 05:20 AM
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Mom, I'm sure it was great 'back in the day. Now it's a tacky shell of its former glory.

Sorry this report is taking so long but real life intrudes. Darn that!

Photos from the 1st half of day 3 are now online:
http://www.wired2theworld.com/sanfrancisco2009Day3.html
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Old Apr 15th, 2009, 07:09 AM
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After picking up our photos, we start walking down the Embarcadero toward the Ferry building. The plan is to get to the Hog Island Oyster company in time for their Monday Happy Hour (from 5-7 pm) when they have $1 oysters.
Along the way we stop at an artisan chocolate shop called TCHO which is tucked into an old Pier building.
We also get "surprised" by a homeless guy who hides behind a bush and then jumps out, startling passers-by. I'd actually read about this guy before coming and there is much debate about him online. He has the nerve to ask for money "for the adrenalin rush" after he's scared people. Inventive, yes. But in my opinion, one of these days he's going to startle someone into a coronary. So, sorry, but no "contribution".

We arrive at the Hog Island Oyster Company around 4:40 and it's already crowded. In fact, we're told if we want a table outside the wait could be about an hour. However, there are seats at the bar, four on a corner (2x2) and would we like them? In what is quickly becoming a dining trend for us, we say yes and take our seats at the counter.
Because Happy Hour does not begin for another 20 minutes, we order drinks to start at full price and peruse the menu. Sitting at the bar gives us a chance to watch the oyster shuckers in action and they are going full tilt given the waiting crowd, shucking dozens in advance of the orders they know will be coming. The oysters end which up flying out without wait.

By the time the drinks arrive, we can order off the Happy Hour part of the menu and we start with some of everything on it; 2 dozen "Sweetwater" oysters ($1 each), warmed Castelvetrano olives ($5), Grilled Sardines ($6) two enormous ones with breadcrumbs, baby bok choy and almonds, and Grilled shrimp ($9), three huge ones, with harissa chili sauce. Later, we order 2 dozen more oysters and a few more drinks.

In contrast with lunch, the oysters are served on a glistening mound of ice with the proper accompaniment of a perfect mignonette sauce. The sardines are freshly caught, moist, and perfectly grilled. The shrimp is tasty with the spicy sauce. Our "snack" for 4 is $123 before tax and tip. Note; most of our drinks (3 glasses of champagne, 2 glasses of wine, and 2 beers) were not at happy hour prices. Oysters are usually $2.25 each and up on the regular menu.
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Old Apr 15th, 2009, 07:31 AM
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>>by a homeless guy who hides behind a bush and then jumps out, startling passers-by. I'd actually read about this guy before coming and there is much debate about him online. He has the nerve to ask for money "for the adrenalin rush" after he's scared people. Inventive, yes. But in my opinion, one of these days he's going to startle someone into a coronary.
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Old Apr 15th, 2009, 08:34 AM
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Hey Kristina!

I can't believe this! I'm thinking (nothing definite yet) of a long weekend trip to San Francisco with my mom later this year (probably July, I know, summer in SFO can be chilly) and just today popped onto the US board to check out the posts...to my surprise...there you were!

I haven't started reading your report yet, but know that I am going to enjoy it!
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Old Apr 15th, 2009, 08:53 AM
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Kristina - Thanks for such a fabulous trip report and the links to your websites! I am enthralled! We're planning to go to SF later this year and this is a thread I've bookmarked (along with your website).
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Old Apr 15th, 2009, 10:38 AM
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Ok, I've read through your report and LOVE it!

I've decided that finding your trip report is a sign for me to book a flight to SFO! And knowing my love of Italy, SPQR is now officially on my radar for when I am there!

Now it's time to check out your pictures!
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Old Apr 15th, 2009, 11:08 AM
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And knowing my love of Italy, SPQR is now officially on my radar for when I am there!

Just know that they don't take reservations! Go late for a late lunch, or later for an early dinner
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Old Apr 15th, 2009, 11:37 AM
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sf7307...

Thanks for the tip...good to know!
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