Mini SF Trip Report
 

Just have to tell you that I had a wonderful time in San Francisco last Wed. - Fri. The weather was absolutely beautiful - sunny and warm - and I was so ready for it after all the rain.

I started the day with a SF CITY GUIDES TOUR OF THE LANDMARK VICTORIANS OF ALAMO SQUARE conducted by Ellen Dudley. Her knowledge and enthusiasm for Victorians made the tour so interesting.

Our tour started at 824 Grove St. at the Brune-Reutlinger House. To our amazement, Richard Reutlinger came out on the porch and invited us in to view his home and gave us a personal tour. He has lovingly restored the home and I understand it has been featured in magazines:

http://tinyurl.com/k82qq

Because of Ellen's detailed hand-out and descriptions, I now understand the different styles of Victorian architechture. I can identify an Italianate Flat Front, San Francisco Stick or a Queen Anne Tower House. I will never be able to drive down a SF street again without scrutinizing the Victorians to determine their style. The tours are free but a very low key request for donations to the program is made at the end of the tour.

I was delighted to meet Ellen's husband, Stu Dudley, at the end of the tour. Stu posts here on Fodors and has given me great tips on SF as well as helping me plan our Provence trip this coming June.

I headed over to Polk Street because I was determined to eat lunch at SWANS no matter how late it was getting for lunch. I sat at the counter (the only place to sit) and had the crab salad. The meat was sweet and extremely fresh and since it was now almost 3, devoured it.

I had passed a WHOLE FOODS GROCERY STORE one block off of Van Ness and decided to browse. Checked out the Truffle Oil section and bought some fresh strawberries and veggies. I now have a grocery bag and look like a native.

Took the trolley car from VanNess down California Street and got off near the Ritz. Walked down the street to Pine and our hotel the NOB HILL LAMBOURNE. We have stayed in this little hotel before and really like it.

http://tinyurl.com/q95ph

Our room had a mini kitchen with fridge, microwave, coffee pot, sink, and dishes. Rooms are a decent size. At 6 p.m. wine and cheese is served in the "living room" which is a relaxing place to sit and read the paper, stare at the paintings or out the window. The cheese on Wed. was a brie but with streaks of blue cheese, very delicious, almost French tasting, and a plain brie, served with an assortment of crackers my favorite being the poppyseed crackers.

Breakfast is also served in the "living room" in the morning. Juice, coffee, tea, yogurt, whole wheat toast, mini muffins, eggs, cheese, bagels with choice of cream cheese, butter, and strawberry jam.

My only complaint is that all rooms have queen beds (no kings) and the mattresses are not as comfortable as at the Rex but then I have back problems. Next time I will bring my egg crate back pad (my husband will love that).

Thursday I spent shopping (MACYS was having its annual flower show) and inspected the CITY HALL which is very regal inside under the gold dome (pardon, is this Invaldies). It is very lovely just too bad you have to walk down Market to get to it or through the tenderloin. Next time I will take a taxi or bus.

Well, my mini report is getting rather long but was unable to change the title.

For lunch I headed over to the GRAND CAFE http://www.grandcafe-sf.com/ (wow, now I really feel like I am in Paris). I ordered a salad and the steamed mussels with white wine, Pernod, fennel, creme fraiche and shoe string potatoes. Absolutely delicious and the place is beautiful.

Walking back towards Union Square I almost passed by the Christopher-Clark Fine Art gallery but was amazed to see Toulouse-Lautrec prints/lithographs in the window and went in to have a look around http://www.clarkfineart.com/ I was amazed to see for sale works by Renoir, Manet, Matisse and greats. Another gallery a couple doors down has an amazing collection of Chagalls. The prices are amazing as well.

Next I walked down Maiden Lane and checked out the fabrics and dishes at Pierre Deux, passed by Diptyque, and further down Maiden Lane there is a nice candle shop with French products - I think the name is Candleir??

For dinner we ate at CLEMENTINE'S on Clement Street and were not disappointed. I had the duck breast with foie gras sauce served on a bed of mushrooms and with a little pat of truffle butter on top. The place has the feel of a little French Bistro and was packed even at 8:30. Reservations essential. If you get there before 7 p.m. you can order the 2 course special. http://tinyurl.com/khd9n

Friday we walked around Union Square, checked out the Conga Line forming to celebrate dance, and headed over to the Grand Cafe. My husband ordered the lamb sandwich and I ordered the lobster club sandwich with truffle fries. He really liked his lamb but not sure I would recommend the club sandwich - the filling was delicious but the bread was plain white bread.

Well, making my list for next time. Never enough time to do everything but we did enjoy ourselves!

Dear Ronda:

Great trip report!! Glad you enjoyed SF and lucked out on the weather!! Cloudy, cold & windy in No. Cal today.

MY

Ronda....report on! Good job.

We need another trip to SF and now we just may go! ;)
Nothing like a tourist's perspective to get the "tainted" SF juices flowing again.

The tour sounds very nice.
"Stu Dudley"... hmmmm name does sound familiar. ((I))
BTW...we love the Gr Cafe and you hit the nail on the head about stepping into Paris.

Alohaaaa MichelleY...Sacto GTG sometime this summer? Maybe when sunbum comes down for a visit? Just mowed my lawn before the rain begins...again!
I'll drop you a line off board so I dont' "DB Cooper" this fine SF thread.

Kal, Stu posts quite a bit here on the "SF Board" and on the European Board. Just put StuDudley in the search box. He has excellent ideas for SF including what to see and what to eat. I have found his SF recommendations to be wonderful.

You should check out the www.sfcityguides.com website before you come again as they do update their schedule from time to time.

Ronda,

Very nice report. Thank you for sharing.

Sandy

Ronda...Just me being a :O) again.
We ALLLL know and love our "SF Stu".
Lo siento, senorita! :)>-

Hi, Ronda, did you like the flower show?

I was inside going to the post office, and then checked out a couple of windows going to Market St - what a disappointment this year!

Their "Italian theme" looked like too much tasteless greenery. I wonder which flower company they'd hired this year.

OK Kal, you got me!

Faina, yes, the flower show was a disappointment. The only thing Italian about it were the huge Tuscany posters on the front of the building and the shopping bags. Down in the cellar there was also a display by an Italian Restaurant selling Italian honey, pasta, but nothing fantastic.

Faina, where are you traveling to? I saw your post re the little prayer.

Ronda, I looked for this prayer for a friend, and the search didn't help much, so I topped it, just in case... no real plans for a trip, just dreams, dreams :)

Will have "a quickie" to Lake Tahoe on Memorial day, after that - who knows?

Dear Ronda,
Don't you just love Diptyque? It's such a temptation to live in a city where you can just walk to Maiden Lane and drop major bucks on sweet smelling stuff!

I love Grand Cafe and have had many happy meals (not, for heavens sake Happy Meals) there. I've always loved the bit "rabbit" sculpture and hope they are still there.

I'm glad you enjoyed our town!

I'm glad to see the Grand Cafe getting such compliments; it's one of our favorites.

I also love A16 when we can get in.

Ronda and Faina: Share your disappointment of the Macy's flower show, it was done in-house, nothing italian-looking, flowers were so fake I had to ask a salesperson if they were artificial.

Being a native of SF, I would say that while you disliked having to walk through some of the poorer areas of the city, keep in mind that to get a true feel of the city, one needs to emcompass all of its populations and neighborhoods....

for instance, if one just stayed in the Pac Heights and North Beach and Marina Area, I don't think they would really get a feel for the unique diversity this city has to offer.

As for City Hall, many of the locals abhor it....we are in a debt and the mayor spends 1 million on a golden dome....not too many of the native san franciscans appreciated it...myself included.

>>we are in a debt and the mayor spends 1 million on a golden dome....not too many of the native san franciscans appreciated it...myself included.<<

I appreciate it!!! The dome "shines out" over much of the city and you can see it from quite a distance. Many people on my wife's walking tours take pictures of it from Fulton & Alamo Square. That Golden Dome will last at least 50 more years, and I think 1 million is not that much to spend for something that millions of people will enjoy.

Stu Dudley

Ha,ha just read my own post....I meant "big rabbit sculptures". That's what happens when you log on furtively at work!

Hi Stu....the point that I was trying to make, is that for a city without the money to provide adequate schooling, the lowest percentage of households with children in a major US city, homelessness, etc. that spending 1 million on a dome is ridiculous.

But then again, it was done by a mayor who had disparaging remarks said about the city's working poor.

Ah, I miss what the city used to have...it seems to be losing a lot of its beauty......I have lived here my entire life, and I can say without a doubt that the city has lost a lot of its diversity.....

Shanghainese, I want to hear what that salesperson told you :))

>>Ah, I miss what the city used to have...it seems to be losing a lot of its beauty<<

1. I think the entire Embarcadero has a lot more "beauty" than it had just 5 years ago. I was always opposed to knocking down the Embarcadero freeway. Wow - I was wrong!!!

2. The entire SOMA, and recently around ATT park is a wonderful area now. It was mostly no-man's land just 15 years ago.

3. Hayes Valley is a lot nicer than it was 10 years ago. It was real scary to drive down Oak or Haight back then. Now we walk down these streets going/coming from restaurants in the evening. We hang out at the shopping area of Hayes now - would not do that 30 years ago.

4. My wife was a housepainter in "Do-City" (Divisadero, between Waller & Grove) back in the mid 70s. They had to get there very early in the morning before residents woke up to insure the painter's safety. Now it is a lot nicer - not unsafe at all. Many have said it's the new "upscale" area to live in.

5. Alamo Square is much nicer than it was 20 years ago.

6. The Embarcadero Center area was not that attractive 35 years ago - much more enjoyable now.

7. The Crissy Filed area is much more beautiful now.

8. I think even the Noe Valley is better now than it was 30 years ago.

9. The Mission was a little scary when we lived close by in the 70s. Now it's a much more enjoyable area to visit day & night. We feel perfectly safe there in the evening - didn't in the 70s.

10. Just within the last 6 months, the Octavia street corridor has "opened up" - making that area more pleasent to live/spend time in. I also opposed the tearing down of the Central freeway - I was wrong there too.

11. I think the Presidio will be a major spot of beauty when everything is completed to convert the old military buildings into a different use.

12. Victorian Houses - they were tearing them down in the 60s & early 70s. The City was the major culprit. Now, they sell/rent for a premium. There are fewer abandoned buildings now (of any kind) than there were 30 years ago.

13. I think they could have done a better job with Union Square, but it's a more pleasent area now than it was a few years ago.

Stu Dudley

Stu:
Regarding item #4 on your list.
I was dating an instructor at Ann Halprin's Dancer's Workshop on Divisadero during the early 70's, so I was on that stretch of Divis a lot and I concur about its recent rise to respectability. There was a "Do-City" barbershop and, if memory does not fail me, also a "Do-City" BBQ joint in the 'hood. Any ideas about the origin of the name? I'd be very interested to know.
Thanks,
dovima

>>"Do-City" barbershop and, if memory does not fail me, also a "Do-City" BBQ<<

You have an excellent memory. We always thought that "Do" was short for DivisaderO.

Stu Dudley

Stu--I really just think we are coming from very different perspectives. I used to live very close to you and when I was growing up, I remember loving all the "painted ladies". I also remember that my neighborhood was far more diverse and friendly. Now, it is nothing even remotely close to what it used to be.

I agree that crime laden areas are not good for a city.

I do not agree with gentrification and kicking out the poor to make more room for those of higher income. My friends and I all discuss that the city is not what it used to be....I think the latest stats on SF being a very non kid-friendly city is part of what makes it different.

We can discuss the "redevelopment" of the Divisadero and Fillmore areas and how that took out a lot of the diversity of the city.

I think that because you give tours and things like that, your perspective may be very, very different from mine. I am viewing things as a native SF-er, non-home owner, and a person of color....and that could lend us to have very different ideas of what is good and bad for the city.

To me, they could have cleaned up Hayes Valley without inputting overpriced lingerie stores, a saki store, and overpriced eyewear.....to me, non of those stores really reflect myself or my neighbors who live in that area. I agree that tearing down the projects was good, but they could have left some of the ethnic heritage of the neighborhood.

Ronda, great report. Now I somehow have to fit in a trip to take one of the tours.

Stu---I also notice that you say a lot of changed and gentrified neighborhoods are more "enjoyable" now....would you agree that they could have made these areas more enjoyable without gentrification? What if in the Mission, instead of massive selling of houses, evictions, etc. that pushed many families out (the dot com area was very scarey for renters like myself), they instead did more to stop crime while letting the decent and hardworking families still reside there?

I just find it so disheartening that "redevelopment" often includes massive removal of people, only to raise the rents for new people to move in, and then voila! suddenly there is adequate police support and the neighborhood becomes safer. Sigh.......

I love the houses and the scenery of the city, and for all its aesthetic changes, I think far too many people have had to leave this place because of its hostile attitude towards some of its natives.

Ilovetotravel

I was only commenting on your statement about the City loosing it's "beauty" - and I intrepreted that to mean the physical beauty.

I agree with almost all your comments, observations, and opinions about diversity and gentrification. Unfortunatly, I don't have a solution that will maintain a "correct" (whatever that means) balance. I don't think anyone else has either - but San Francisco is perhaps doing a better job than most other cities.

Stu Dudley

I enjoyed your discussion on SF and was surprised to check this morning and see 24 posts on this mini report.

I didn't mention, I really like go into churches. The church I enjoy the most in San Francisco is Notre Dame Des Victoires at 566 Bush Street right across from the Stockton St. Garage. It is a small church with beautiful stained glass.

I like to park on floor 4 or more in the garage and look across at the top of the church. A unique view of a church. I have been in the church when the organist is playing and it sounds wonderful.

They have a display showing how the church originally looked when built in 1856, how it looked after the earthquake (all but part of the facade fell down), and how it looks now. The church's facade is modeled after the Basilica of Notre Dame des Fourvieres in Lyon, France. Since I will be in Lyon in June, I will have to find the church.

There is a small picture on the following page of the SF church:

http://www.page-turnbull.com/organiz...re/notre1.html

And on rows 5 and 6 on the following photo page, the church in Lyon:

http://www.worldisround.com/articles/123502/index.html

Ronda, thanks for the detailed trip report. I'm glad that my City was so good to you. The links that you added are a great addition.

We have yet to try Clementine's. Opinions have varied from several valued 'foodie' friends, from fabulous to horrible. I guess that with your good report, we will have to try it.

Stu...... As a native San Franciscian and a resident of Noe Valley since 1968, I would agree with most of your opinions of the various areas - except Noe Valley. This was such a peaceful, out of the way neighborhood with great shops and caring people and believe it or not .... parking.

Over the years it has become crowded, expensive, and has lost it's neighbor charm.

It has turned into a 'I've got mine, where is your's" type of mentality neighborhood. Million dollar plus homes are the norm, Range Rovers, BMW's etc.. I loved living her for many years, now I wish I could afford to move. Yeah, I know that my $27,500 house is worth a fortune, but where else can you live near SF for not that much less, and still enjoy the benefits of SF. I love the City, but I wish that I could love it as much as I did before.

Nina

It is refreshing to read a visitor reporting about a non-tourist restaurant like Clementine's in the Inner Richmond. This is a solid French Bistro, and it's a true locals destination. The oft-recommended, oft-repeated tourist dining places at Union Square are simply getting tiresome.

I'm glad that you also went out of your way to partake at Swan's.