Help with Sonoma/San Fran Itinerary
 

Hello all-

My boyfriend and I will be traveling to Sonoma for 2 nights and San Francisco for 3 nights in July. We already have places to stay (Union Square in SFO) and would like ideas for restaurants, things to do and "must sees" while there. In Sonoma I need help with the same (we love wine and want to do a few tastings and maybe one tour) (We are in our mid-twenties and love good food, and great atmosphere)

If you like Italian food I would recommend Ristorante Milano. It was on Pacific Street I think (off Polk). It is a small intimate place, the food was superb and the service great. The prices were not that bad. We ate there last week and thoroughly enjoyed it.

We also did a Muir Woods and Sausalito tour which we liked a lot, especially the fact that it didn't eat up an entire day. We chose not to take the bus back from Sausalito and instead took the ferry and then strolled around Fisherman's Wharf. (FW didn't do a lot for us however).

We also enjoyed riding the Cable Cars and found Golden Gate Park a beautiful area for strolling.

>>My boyfriend and I will be traveling to Sonoma for 2 nighs<<

Sonoma the town, or Sonoma the county??? I think there is more wine related stuff in and around Healdsburg in Sonoma county, than there is in the town of Sonoma and the immediate area around it.

I suggest that you do a search on "San Francisco" and "Sonoma". There is tons of stuff posted about these two destinations. You know what your own interests are, and "things to do" and "must sees" are pretty general. Also, what days will you be here - the list of things to do on a Wednesday might be different than things to do on a weekend. Chestnut St in the Marina district is a big scene on Sat night with hundreds of people your age "out on the town". Not so active on a week night.

Click on my name & you can get started on reading about San Francisco attractions from past posts my me & others.

Stu Dudley

While in SF, you should walk over to Belden Alley and eat some place there. I recommend Plouf but there are several other good spots as well on that street. It's one of the few places in SF where you can eat outside if the weather is warm.

For romantic, you can take a cab to North Beach and have a souffle at Cafe Jacqueline on Grant. It's fabulous!

In Sonoma, the girl and the fig is very good. Last month we were in Sonoma and also enjoyed the Harmony Club at the Ledson Hotel for a romantic dinner. (They have a piano player in the evenings.) The hotel is very elegant, located right on the plaza there. :)

Where are you staying in Sonoma? We like the Sonoma Mission Inn. Ledson, Sebastiani, Blackstone, Imagery, Kunde, and Chateau St. Jean are all very good places to wine taste. Have a great time! My son and his girlfriend just left for SF! Lucky ones! ***kim*** ((#))

If you get to down towm Sonoma be sure to go to the cheese store and then get some french bread from the Sonoma Bakery..soooooo good. Actually they sell it at the cheese store also. It's the best.

Another great restaurant right off the square in Sonoma is Dela Santini. It's Italian. They have a delightful outdoor dining area in the back. Reminds me of dining in Italy.

Sonoma Square has great shopping too.

Depending on where you are staying in Sonoma, there are so many places to taste. The nice thing about the Somona vs Napa area is that most wineries in Sonoma/Healdsberg do not charge for tastings. A few wineries that I like to go with friends are as follows: Healdsberg Area - "J" - great sparkling wine and pinots with a good tasting menu to go with wines (although they charge). Chateau Souverain - a large winery right by Healdsberg with really good and moderately priced wines with absolutely beautiful grounds and a nice restaurant, Hop Kiln - also moderately priced wine in a very pretty setting. There are many more of course. Near Sonoma Chateau St. Jean, Beuna Vista, Gloria Ferrar (for champagne tasting/cave tours which are fun). Actually the Enoteca tasting room right on the square of Sonoma is fun as well. Lots of good restaurants in Sonoma as well as in Healdsburg. As far as SF - since you are in Union Square, you can easily walk to China town/North Beach/SOMA - you'll be amazed how short the distances really are once you start walking so don't get fooled by the maps! I'd suggest you spend a day just walking around downtown SF (Union Square, China Town, North Beach) - take a cab if you get tired. I wouldn't focus too much on fisherman's wharf unless you especially want to see Alcatraz because fisherman's wharf is kind of yucky in my opinion. You might consider a Giants game at Pac Bell park if they are playing when you are here - it's a really fun atmosphere and most people hang out before the game at the bars right around the park (MoMo's, Town Hall, etc.). There are so many really excellent but also really expensive restaurants (such as Acqua, 5th Floor, Gary Danko, etc.) but I'll try to list some places that are really great but not so $$$$. My friends and I to go to the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero with friends and hang out (BTW - I am in my low 30's and work in SF). The Ferry building is right on the water (obviously)and has been renovated and has lots of good local food shops (bread, cheese, wine) in an open market environment with several bars/restaurants where you can sit inside or out. Slanted Door is a great restaurant located in the Ferry Building. Another kind of fun hangout if you love wine is "VinoVenue" right on Mission and 3rd. They have a ton of wines that you buy by the "taste" using a prepaid type of card so you can taste one oz. pours of really great wines on a self-service basis. If you like chinese dim sum for lunch (where they cart around the food), Yank Sing is awesome. My family from out of town loves to eat dim sum when they visit. Be warned that on weekdays, Yank Sing is filled with local business people eating lunch so you might call ahead. You should also drive around the Presidio and see the golden gate bridge from that angle - it is a great classic SF picture spot. Also, you can take a ferry (or drive accross the golden gate) to Tiberon or Sausalito for great outdoor views/bars/restaurants. I like to take a ferry from Tiberon to Angel Island and hike around the island - especially on a clear day as the views of the city are fantastic from the island. Plus you finish off your hike on Angel island by returning to Tiberon and having a drink at Sam's or another outdoor bar! Take a look at "citysearch.com" and look at local reviews of restaurants/sights/bars for add'l tips.