If you're going to San Francisco...
In the summer of 1999...
I was 18 years old.
I had just completed my freshman year of college.
I visited San Francisco/Napa for the first time.
That was fourteen years ago. And, until recently, it had been that long since I last visited the Bay Area. When my friend, Emily moved to SF (as the locals call it) a little over a year ago, I promised to come visit just as soon as time would allow. And what better than a long holiday weekend in November?
Being that all I had, in terms of days to take from work, was Veteran's Day (Monday), I wanted to maximize my time in California. And, by that, I mean not spending a ridiculous amount of it in the air. After all, the flight time from coast to coast is roughly 6-hours!
JetBlue is so 5 years ago, by the way. Virgin, my friends, is the only way to fly to San Francisco. From the sexy mood lighting in the cabin - electrical outlets in every seat - and the ability to order food, drink, and retail products from your personal in-flight monitor to the awesome/hysterical pre-flight safety video, Virgin is the shit. Period.
After Emily picked me up from the airport, she drove me through a few of her favorite neighborhoods prior to our brunch reservations. I made sure that we cruised through The Castro, a predominately gay/lesbian neighborhood, with which I became intimately familiar after having read And The Band Played On.
Nopa
560 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117
For brunch, Emily and I scored two seats at the chef's counter at Nopa, one of SF's most popular restaurants...
Autumn Cocktail: La Guita Manzanilla, pear liqueur, allspice dram
Cream biscuit with pear butter
Date and crescenza cheese scone
Kale salad: Asian pear, walnuts, oregano, pecorino
Brisket with roasted root veggies, toasted croutons, and horseradish creme
Custard French toast with caramelized apples and maple butter
Before you start judging, I will have you know that Emily and I *split* all of the above dishes. And, yes, they were just as fcuking fantastic as they look!
Flour + Water
2401 Harrison St, San Francisco, CA 94110
After brunch, we drove by a few more sights before returning to Emily's apartment so that I could nap. For dinner that evening, we enjoyed a pizza and pasta carb-fest at local Italian favorite, Flour + Water. In fact, I'm *still* dreaming about the white pizza we shared that was topped with hen of the woods mushrooms, nettles, shallots, garlic, and fontina cheese.
On Sunday, Emily, her friend, Katherine, and I headed to Napa via the Golden Gate Bridge!
Once in "wine country," our first stop was at Oakville Grocery, a fabulous gourmet market/cafe to pick up some snacks - my favorite being Tout Sweet Patisserie's incredibly delicious pates de fruits!
Swanson Vineyards
Does it get any more charming than this?
Andaz Napa
After a long day of wine tasting (I know, rough life!), we checked in to the Andaz Napa. What a fabulous hotel!
The Thomas
For dinner, we walked to The Thomas (which no longer exists), a restaurant that was opened about a year ago by New York-based AvroKo.
Freshly-baked focaccia and olive oil
Roasted beet salad
Arugula and fried goat cheese
Kale and dried apricots
Pork ribs
Blue cheese-scalloped potatoes
I really enjoyed my experience at The Thomas. From the fantastic venue - first floor is the bar, second floor is the dining room - to the Sunday Supper deal, this place is a local winner!
For breakfast, we grabbed a bite at the hotel's restaurant, Andaz Farmers Table.
Freshly-squeezed juice for the taking
Goat's milk yogurt with grapes and granola
After checking out of the hotel, we drove to O'Brien Estate Winery for our first tasting of the day.
Paradise!
Between sips of wine, we nibbled on cheese, nuts, and grapes.
The Girl & The Fig
110 W. Spain St, Sonoma, CA
For lunch, we drove to Sonoma and ate al-fresco at The Girl & The Fig.
A trio of cheese and accoutrements
Seared scallops
Brie-cheeseburger and fries
Croque monsieur
Burma Superstar
309 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118
After visiting two more wineries, including Ram's Gate, which was my overall favorite, the three of us drove back to San Francisco. On our way, I learned that the infamous maximum-security prison, San Quentin, is located in ritzy Marin County! Random.
For my last handful of hours in San Fran, Emily and I decided to do what we do best...eat! We were able to score a two-top at local favorite, Burma Superstar.
Le menu
Rainbow salad
Tea leaf salad
Coconut rice
Spicy garlic shrimp
I really enjoyed my visit to San Francisco and Napa. As a total NYC food snob, I was very pleasantly surprised by the abundance of outstanding local producers, gourmet shops, restaurants, and cocktail venues. I think I've met my West Coast match.
~~~
Until we eat again,
Lindsay, The Lunch Belle