san francisco eats

In planning our 3 day vacation in San Francisco, we were forced to make a lot of hard choices to whittle down our list of food recommendations into a mere 5-ish meals. So many places to try, so little time! Utilizing the collaborative power of Google docs, we managed to narrow it down to a handful of places that had been recommended by various helpful friends. I'm happy to report that they did not lead us astray. And luckily we spent most of our daylight hours walking so we had ample appetite for everything :)

It would take far too long to do an exhaustive overview of the delicious meals we ate, so I'll keep it brief and let the pictures do most of the talking.

1. The Cheese Board: Described as a "must-eat" in Berkeley, this worker-owned collective makes only one type of pizza a day. The whole experience of eating delicious pizza in the sun while surrounded by a cast of quirky Berkeley types was enough to make me want to move to California ASAP.

2. Zuni Cafe: I had read many enthusiastic reviews of their roast chicken, so this was one of my own top choices. The roast chicken lived up to expectations, as did the overall experience. A great showcase of fresh ingredients.

3. Foreign Cinema: Well-known as a brunch spot, this place scored high on all marks: great ambiance, wonderful interior, friendly service, and last but not least, amazing and creative food. We sat at the bar, which I would argue was even better than getting a table, since we got to see the bartender at work close-up.

4. The House: A friend recommended this place to me, describing it as great "Asian fusion" that wouldn't break the bank. While this description is certainly true, it did not prepare me at all for the level of food that we received. I generally don't get too excited about Asian food, but I must say, every dish blew us away with the taste and presentation. I will be coming back here for sure.

Overall, this was one, dining-wise, one of the best vacations I have had.  If I didn't leave my heart in San Francisco, I certainly left my stomach...

san francisco scenes

These past few weekends have been quite busy with various travel plans. I felt like I had just recovered from my weekend to New York when it was time to fly off to San Francisco for another weekend mini-vacation (a double date one this time, with one of my favorite couples!). And I just came back from a weekend in Whistler last night. I know, my life is hard...

The weather cooperated beautifully - with clear skies and highs in the 70's, we were able to cover a decent portion of the city in just a couple days. I've been to SF a number of times now, but on this trip, I saw it with a slightly different perspective. Having lived in two other major US cities now (NYC and Seattle), I felt like I appreciated SF's unique urban atmosphere much more. It has the public transportation and pedestrian-friendly feel of NYC, in addition to the relaxed vibe and beautiful scenery that I've come to love about Seattle. It also has a few more crazies than any city I've ever lived in, but I guess that's part of the package.

One of the highlights of the trip was definitely the bike ride to Sausalito. I had to restrain myself from stopping and taking pictures every few minutes, as we passed one picturesque scene after another. Someone needs to invent a head-mounted camera with a remote shutter click or something. And the sunset ferry back was a photographer's dream. After a hundred shots or so though, I decided to just pause and enjoy the view, which I sometimes forget to do when I'm stuck behind my camera all the time.

We also lucked out in our food choices, but I will save those pictures for another post. More to come on pizza, roast chicken, dim sum, and other deliciousness.

new york, i still love you (part iii)

Part of the magic of living in New York is really found in the small things. My last day there, I woke up at an ungodly (for Sunday) early hour to meet a friend for coffee; as I walked through the streets, the low winter sun cast slanted shadows on the buildings, throwing everything into stark relief. There was a quiet stillness in the air, the sound of a city that hadn't quite woken up yet. The smell of something warm and fried wafted from the direction of the corner deli. At that moment, I felt like I was right in rhythm with the city, like everything just fit in place.

New York has a curious way of embracing you while holding you at arm's length. You can never really know the city, even though you feel perfectly at home. You can know every single street, yet you walk among millions of strangers. I think I hold New York close to my heart because I feel like I "grew up" there, as I built the semblance of an adult life during those first years out of college.  I'm not so sure I could go back for good (I've gotten soft out here in Seattle), but I think a small piece of me will always be there, waiting for me to come back and visit.

new york, i still love you (part ii)

Sunday brunch is one of my favorite meals to eat out. It's early enough in the day that the Monday dread hasn't quite set in yet, and it's a great excuse to indulge in pancakes, bacon, and maybe even a cocktail or two (hey, it's ok to drink after noon, right?). I also love it because I've always used brunch as a catch-up time with friends. This weekend in New York, I was lucky enough to spend my Sunday brunch with a few of my favorite girls. Alice has already done a beautiful job (as always) with her post, so I'll just say that Freemans was the New York brunch experience that you often dream of but rarely experience. Our waiter probably thought we were a bunch of country bumpkins because every time he came by we were oohing and ahhing over this or that, but he treated us well all the same :) It was a fitting ending to my brief weekend in the city and a bittersweet reminder of all the things I miss about it.

Freemans
191 Chrystie Street (at the end of Freeman Alley - careful, it's easy to miss!)
New York, NY

new york, i still love you (part i)

I made my long-awaited trip to New York this past weekend, and despite getting mellowed out by my time on the West Coast, I still found myself irresistibly drawn in by the energy and excitement of the city. Damn you, New York - you will always hold an allure I can't deny.

I tried to maximize my limited amount of time by checking off a few long-standing items on my "to visit" list. One of the places I had been eyeing since last year was Locanda Verde, Andrew Carmellini's much praised Italian venture in Tribeca.

It's a beautiful venue, if a little cramped. I felt like I was being squeezed in my corner of the booth (and I'm not a big person...), but the food was effortless and satisfying, and the highly anticipated sheep's milk ricotta lived up to expectations.

Despite the rustic decor, it was definitely a New York scene.  I could spot the finance guys with their well-heeled girlfriends, downing $13 cocktails with their brunch fare (gotta ease the pain of 90 hour weeks with alcohol, obviously). And one of my dining companions reported back on some unfolding bathroom drama, as she overheard one girl consoling another who was in tears, Gossip Girl style. But what's the fun of New York without a little drama?

Locanda Verde
377 Greenwich St.
New York, NY