San Francisco Trip Report
Apr 5th, 2006 | 10:30 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 69
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San Francisco Trip Report
I scurry up to San Francisco on a handy Southwest Airlines flight when the remarkable Paul Dance Company (http://www.ptdc.org/) arrives for its one or two week residency at the Yuerba Buena Center for the Arts in either March or April.
I spent my first two nights at the Adante Hotel (http://www.adantehotel.com/), which I've been using as a budget accomodation for years, since back when it was the Geary Hotel (and then the Hotel Nuvo and one or two other incarnations). I booked a room with a queen-sized bed at the rate of $59/night, which is a great deal for a clean place just a short walk from Union Square. The room was away from busy Geary, with no view save that of the window and brick walls of the adjacent building. So the room was quiet. When the hotel came under new management a few years back, they had the rooms painted with different "themes" (mountains/lakes, etc.) -- kind of silly, but I rather like it. And the walls of the bathrooms have a handful of different fish painted on them. (My bathroom featured one cleverly "speared" by the hair dryer.) The continental breakfast is included in the rate, and comprises merely bread, small blueberry muffins, and juice/coffee. Which is fine with me, as I don't require hefty breakfasts.
I had arrived with a full afternoon ahead of me; it had been raining, but during a lull I opted to hop the #42 Muni bus up Van Ness to Ghirardelli Square. I like the place, despite the touristy Fisherman's Wharf location: it's on the less frenetic far-western side of the action, and, most importantly, it's the site of Frjtz Fries (http://www.frjtzfries.com/), where I had a perfect light lunch of one small cone of fries with chipotle mayo and a refreshing glass of Stella Artois.
What to do with time on one's hands when it's visit #66 (since 1976) to the City by the Bay? Walk down and appreciate some fine views of that very bay from the dilapidated but perfectly-situated Municipal Pier, for starters. The Golden Gate Bridge was looking particularly dramatic with some very ominous gray-black clouds moving overhead but a wonderful patch of blue sky breaking through. The seagulls, as usual, made wonderful foreground material for photos of the pier, bay, and bridge. From there, I walked east Jones, where I was fortunate to catch my favorite of the historic streetcars that ply their way from the Wharf all the way to the Castro: a Milan streetcar, painted orange with interior hardwood seating and much of the original Italian advertising intact.
Dinner was at my favorite restaurant ever: Millennium (http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com/). It's vegan, so carnivores -- unless their minds and palates are very open -- need not apply. I've been eating at Millennium since it was loacted in the Abigail Hotel in the Civic Center; since 2003, it's been in an attractive corner of the Savoy Hotel at 580 Geary. Reservations are a must and the food is pricey (main courses run around $20 these days), but I've never had a bad meal there. The very freshest ingredients and superb presentation. And the waitstaff know their stuff. I had an Indonesian Tempeh which was divine and went very well with the particular glass of Gewurtztraminer my server had suggested. And for dessert? Their to-die-for Chocolate Almond Midnight cake, a silky dream if ever there was.
The Paul Taylor Dance Company delivered a terrific evening of dance with three terrific pieces comprising Program A. (I'd also see them Friday and Saturday nights for Programs B and C, respectively.)
The next morning found me preparing for a day trip to Sacramento (about which I'll post a separate trip report). Returning early evening, I walked up to have dinner at one of the '50s-themed Lori's Diners, selecting the one at Powell and Sutter Streets. Unremarkable food, but quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive with my 20%-off coupon I'd printed from their website. (I'd stick with their breakfasts, no matter what time of day you're dining.)
On Friday, I checked-out of the Adante and moved one block east to the Savoy Hotel (http://www.thesavoyhotel.com/). This is where I stay when I still want to stay on something of a budget but wish to jazz it up a bit. I had booked a Deluxe Bay Room with Queen Bed for $109/night in order to finish my stay on a high note of comfort. (One of the room perks is a bathrobe, which I admit to being a sucker for.) The Seely mattresses are ridiculously comfortable; in this particular room, the hot water in the shower took a couple of minutes to really get hot, which had not been my exprience in other rooms on prior visits. Other than that, though, the room was terrific (unlike other rooms, too, it had a hardwood floor).
I had planned to have a nice light lunch at a favorite spot, World Sausage Grill at 2073 Market...only to discover as I arrived that they had recently closed. Sigh. Their hot dogs (they had veggie dogs, too) were really quite good, and the woman and her son who ran the place were so nice. Recovering from that disappointment, I continued down into the Castro and stumbled across the fairly new Zig Zag, on Castro just before 18th Street. It's kind of French bistro-y, with panini, crepes, etc. Most importantly, they had veggie panini, and the one I had was quite tasty.
Before spending an hour or so at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) -- currently hosting an evocative exhibition of photos from the 1906 earthquake and fire -- I had a really poor cup of hot chocolate ($2.50) at Giacomo Coffee Bar's little cart parked in front of Macy's. It had been voted best hot chocolate in one of SF Weekly's recent reader's polls, but, seriously, I have had better cups of hot chocolate courtesy of packets of generic hot chocolate mix and hot water from the tap here in my office.
After a quick nap, I went downstairs to partake of the hotel's wine & cheese reception (4-6 p.m.) before catching a #30 Muni-Stockton bus through Chinatown to North Beach.
My ultimate destination? Dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant anywhere, L'Osteria del Forno (519 Columbus). I had an early dinner, since they don't take reservations and have only ten tables. Friday is my favorite day to dine there, as one of that day's specials is their divine pumpkin-stuffed ravioli ($13) and is preceded by a basket of their wonderful rosemary bread. (I just had tap water since I had had sufficient amounts of wine at the hotel, heh.) I finished with their equally remarkable and delicious tiramisu ($4.95), which has pretty much spoiled tiramisu anywhere else for me. Oh, and it's cash only, so be sure to hit the ATM before arriving. And if you do happen to be there during a busy time and have to wait a half-hour or so? Worth the wait.
I was feeling incredibly lazy on Saturday; once I eventually stirred from my room, the energy to make my way to the Mission and some good food at Herbivore (983 Valencia) -- another place with good veggie food -- just wasn't there. But the conveniently located (as in across the street from where I was then standing) Quizno's was, so I had my very first experience at one by having a veggie sandwich and bottle of o.j. there. Okay sandwich, nothing spectacular, of course. But at $7 it didn't hurt the wallet at all.
Fortuitously, the sun was finally shining after several days of rain. The Muni #5 bus was filled with folks with the same idea I had: Golden Gate Park. I went directly to the Japanese Tea Garden ($3.50) to take about one billion photos of the cherry blossoms. I continued west to Stow Lake and walked along the south shore before managing to get myself lost on the way further west. I finally found my way to the exit at 30th Avenue and Fulton, where I returned downtown via the #5.
For dinner that evening, I went to the Civic Center (524 Van Ness @ McAllister) branch of CPK. I'm not a food snob, and I think the pizzas at California Pizza Kitchen are awfully good, usually. I just beat the pre-theatre/opera/whatever crowd and enjoyed a traditional cheese on honey-wheat dough before hightailing it to the Yerba Buena Center to see the PTDC. (But not before snapping a few photos of the gorgeous, floodlit City Hall with a crescent moon rising behind it.)
I had to get something of an early start on Sunday for my flight back home to L.A., and I grabbed breakfast ($5) at the hotel (it includes croissants, muffins, cereal, juices) before hopping the BART to Oakland ($3.15) and the shuttle bus ($2) from the Oakland/Coliseum station to Oakland aiport. (I've never flown into SFO, as Southwest's Oakland hub is perfectly nice and there are far fewer delays since there's no fog.)
First time or sixty-sixth time, San Francisco is the number one weekend (short or long) getaway for me.
I spent my first two nights at the Adante Hotel (http://www.adantehotel.com/), which I've been using as a budget accomodation for years, since back when it was the Geary Hotel (and then the Hotel Nuvo and one or two other incarnations). I booked a room with a queen-sized bed at the rate of $59/night, which is a great deal for a clean place just a short walk from Union Square. The room was away from busy Geary, with no view save that of the window and brick walls of the adjacent building. So the room was quiet. When the hotel came under new management a few years back, they had the rooms painted with different "themes" (mountains/lakes, etc.) -- kind of silly, but I rather like it. And the walls of the bathrooms have a handful of different fish painted on them. (My bathroom featured one cleverly "speared" by the hair dryer.) The continental breakfast is included in the rate, and comprises merely bread, small blueberry muffins, and juice/coffee. Which is fine with me, as I don't require hefty breakfasts.
I had arrived with a full afternoon ahead of me; it had been raining, but during a lull I opted to hop the #42 Muni bus up Van Ness to Ghirardelli Square. I like the place, despite the touristy Fisherman's Wharf location: it's on the less frenetic far-western side of the action, and, most importantly, it's the site of Frjtz Fries (http://www.frjtzfries.com/), where I had a perfect light lunch of one small cone of fries with chipotle mayo and a refreshing glass of Stella Artois.
What to do with time on one's hands when it's visit #66 (since 1976) to the City by the Bay? Walk down and appreciate some fine views of that very bay from the dilapidated but perfectly-situated Municipal Pier, for starters. The Golden Gate Bridge was looking particularly dramatic with some very ominous gray-black clouds moving overhead but a wonderful patch of blue sky breaking through. The seagulls, as usual, made wonderful foreground material for photos of the pier, bay, and bridge. From there, I walked east Jones, where I was fortunate to catch my favorite of the historic streetcars that ply their way from the Wharf all the way to the Castro: a Milan streetcar, painted orange with interior hardwood seating and much of the original Italian advertising intact.
Dinner was at my favorite restaurant ever: Millennium (http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com/). It's vegan, so carnivores -- unless their minds and palates are very open -- need not apply. I've been eating at Millennium since it was loacted in the Abigail Hotel in the Civic Center; since 2003, it's been in an attractive corner of the Savoy Hotel at 580 Geary. Reservations are a must and the food is pricey (main courses run around $20 these days), but I've never had a bad meal there. The very freshest ingredients and superb presentation. And the waitstaff know their stuff. I had an Indonesian Tempeh which was divine and went very well with the particular glass of Gewurtztraminer my server had suggested. And for dessert? Their to-die-for Chocolate Almond Midnight cake, a silky dream if ever there was.
The Paul Taylor Dance Company delivered a terrific evening of dance with three terrific pieces comprising Program A. (I'd also see them Friday and Saturday nights for Programs B and C, respectively.)
The next morning found me preparing for a day trip to Sacramento (about which I'll post a separate trip report). Returning early evening, I walked up to have dinner at one of the '50s-themed Lori's Diners, selecting the one at Powell and Sutter Streets. Unremarkable food, but quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive with my 20%-off coupon I'd printed from their website. (I'd stick with their breakfasts, no matter what time of day you're dining.)
On Friday, I checked-out of the Adante and moved one block east to the Savoy Hotel (http://www.thesavoyhotel.com/). This is where I stay when I still want to stay on something of a budget but wish to jazz it up a bit. I had booked a Deluxe Bay Room with Queen Bed for $109/night in order to finish my stay on a high note of comfort. (One of the room perks is a bathrobe, which I admit to being a sucker for.) The Seely mattresses are ridiculously comfortable; in this particular room, the hot water in the shower took a couple of minutes to really get hot, which had not been my exprience in other rooms on prior visits. Other than that, though, the room was terrific (unlike other rooms, too, it had a hardwood floor).
I had planned to have a nice light lunch at a favorite spot, World Sausage Grill at 2073 Market...only to discover as I arrived that they had recently closed. Sigh. Their hot dogs (they had veggie dogs, too) were really quite good, and the woman and her son who ran the place were so nice. Recovering from that disappointment, I continued down into the Castro and stumbled across the fairly new Zig Zag, on Castro just before 18th Street. It's kind of French bistro-y, with panini, crepes, etc. Most importantly, they had veggie panini, and the one I had was quite tasty.
Before spending an hour or so at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) -- currently hosting an evocative exhibition of photos from the 1906 earthquake and fire -- I had a really poor cup of hot chocolate ($2.50) at Giacomo Coffee Bar's little cart parked in front of Macy's. It had been voted best hot chocolate in one of SF Weekly's recent reader's polls, but, seriously, I have had better cups of hot chocolate courtesy of packets of generic hot chocolate mix and hot water from the tap here in my office.
After a quick nap, I went downstairs to partake of the hotel's wine & cheese reception (4-6 p.m.) before catching a #30 Muni-Stockton bus through Chinatown to North Beach.
My ultimate destination? Dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant anywhere, L'Osteria del Forno (519 Columbus). I had an early dinner, since they don't take reservations and have only ten tables. Friday is my favorite day to dine there, as one of that day's specials is their divine pumpkin-stuffed ravioli ($13) and is preceded by a basket of their wonderful rosemary bread. (I just had tap water since I had had sufficient amounts of wine at the hotel, heh.) I finished with their equally remarkable and delicious tiramisu ($4.95), which has pretty much spoiled tiramisu anywhere else for me. Oh, and it's cash only, so be sure to hit the ATM before arriving. And if you do happen to be there during a busy time and have to wait a half-hour or so? Worth the wait.
I was feeling incredibly lazy on Saturday; once I eventually stirred from my room, the energy to make my way to the Mission and some good food at Herbivore (983 Valencia) -- another place with good veggie food -- just wasn't there. But the conveniently located (as in across the street from where I was then standing) Quizno's was, so I had my very first experience at one by having a veggie sandwich and bottle of o.j. there. Okay sandwich, nothing spectacular, of course. But at $7 it didn't hurt the wallet at all.
Fortuitously, the sun was finally shining after several days of rain. The Muni #5 bus was filled with folks with the same idea I had: Golden Gate Park. I went directly to the Japanese Tea Garden ($3.50) to take about one billion photos of the cherry blossoms. I continued west to Stow Lake and walked along the south shore before managing to get myself lost on the way further west. I finally found my way to the exit at 30th Avenue and Fulton, where I returned downtown via the #5.
For dinner that evening, I went to the Civic Center (524 Van Ness @ McAllister) branch of CPK. I'm not a food snob, and I think the pizzas at California Pizza Kitchen are awfully good, usually. I just beat the pre-theatre/opera/whatever crowd and enjoyed a traditional cheese on honey-wheat dough before hightailing it to the Yerba Buena Center to see the PTDC. (But not before snapping a few photos of the gorgeous, floodlit City Hall with a crescent moon rising behind it.)
I had to get something of an early start on Sunday for my flight back home to L.A., and I grabbed breakfast ($5) at the hotel (it includes croissants, muffins, cereal, juices) before hopping the BART to Oakland ($3.15) and the shuttle bus ($2) from the Oakland/Coliseum station to Oakland aiport. (I've never flown into SFO, as Southwest's Oakland hub is perfectly nice and there are far fewer delays since there's no fog.)
First time or sixty-sixth time, San Francisco is the number one weekend (short or long) getaway for me.
Apr 5th, 2006 | 10:54 AM
#2
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 19,419
Likes: 0
I agree, the Paul Taylor dance Co is exceptional!
Nice report, and you give all the hotel and restaurant names and bus numbers... BUT haven't you noticed bus # 42 was discontinued maybe 5 years ago? If it was a bus it must've been #47, they made it a loop to replace 42.
Have you taken a free tour of City Hall? They take you inside of offices.
Nice report, and you give all the hotel and restaurant names and bus numbers... BUT haven't you noticed bus # 42 was discontinued maybe 5 years ago? If it was a bus it must've been #47, they made it a loop to replace 42.
Have you taken a free tour of City Hall? They take you inside of offices.
Apr 5th, 2006 | 11:05 AM
#3
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,360
Likes: 0
Trip No. 66,! - time to get a pied a terre here - right, I know, dream on.
Your reference to the Millenium Restaurant starting out in the Abigail Hotel reminded me that Millenium currently occupies the spot of the long-gone Savoy Brasserie. It was the only place in town where a truly authentic Marseille bouillabaise was served - with the sauce-type stuff to spoon into your bowl and the toasted bread with garlic, yum.
Your reference to the Millenium Restaurant starting out in the Abigail Hotel reminded me that Millenium currently occupies the spot of the long-gone Savoy Brasserie. It was the only place in town where a truly authentic Marseille bouillabaise was served - with the sauce-type stuff to spoon into your bowl and the toasted bread with garlic, yum.
Apr 5th, 2006 | 11:43 AM
#4
Original Poster
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Oops, indeed it was a #47! I wonder if all those many trips I took on the #42 during my early visits have just ingrained that number in my head when I think of Van Ness buses. Heh.
FainaAgain, yes, I had the pleasure of one of the City Hall tours in '99, not long after the retrofit. Things I do every visit: eat at Millennium; take the F-Line whether I need to or not; and snap a photo of the City Hall dome from some new angle.
dovima, oh, don't think I haven't given that some thought! But it would take some doing to give up my $800/month (thanks, local rent control!) one-bedroom apartment here in a nice L.A. neighborhood and cushy municipal government job to do it. Hee.
FainaAgain, yes, I had the pleasure of one of the City Hall tours in '99, not long after the retrofit. Things I do every visit: eat at Millennium; take the F-Line whether I need to or not; and snap a photo of the City Hall dome from some new angle.
dovima, oh, don't think I haven't given that some thought! But it would take some doing to give up my $800/month (thanks, local rent control!) one-bedroom apartment here in a nice L.A. neighborhood and cushy municipal government job to do it. Hee.
