the
treats of san francisco
By Elina Fuhrman
Zooming
underneath the Golden
Gate Bridge in a
Bell Jet Helicopter
after a Cable Car
ride to North Beach
and a stroll through
Chinatown, one travelgirl
discovers why Tony
Bennett left his
heart in San Francisco.
Don’t
go looking for the
crooner’s
heart, but yours
will beat pretty
fast savoring the
aroma of fresh bread
and roasted coffee
billowing out of
Caffe Roma in North
Beach, where I began
my first full day
in the City By The
Bay. Later, my heart
raced as the chopper
pilot shoved the
throttle forward
and left to fly
smoothly over Fisherman’s
Wharf. Then it stopped
for a moment when
I looked at the
check for dinner
at The Fifth Floor,
where I indulged
in a long list of
culinary fantasies.
As
one of 14 million
visitors a year,
you’ll still
feel individually
welcomed and embraced
by this city’s
urban thrills and
down-to-earth comforts.
San Franciscans
are bound together
by zestful, laid-back
living. Health,
(West Coast well-being),
food (must-have
quality ingredients)
and purity (with
a purpose!) are
the hot topics and
the icebreakers
as you navigate
the city’s
social hills and
valleys, meeting
people who have
come and stayed
or lived here their
whole lives. It’s
a city stuffed with
entrepreneurs and
dreamers, eager
to please those
of us who might
get snagged by a
couture shop just
for dogs or a tiny
factory dedicated
to crafting handmade
chocolate truffles.
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Down-to-Earth
Comforts
San
Francisco’s hotel scene
is just like the city itself:
creative, hip, a bit quirky,
but all about comfort. When
it comes to setting up your
personal Presidio, you’ll
be well cared for in almost
any of the new crop of smart
boutique hotels between SoMa
and Union Square. Here are
a few where
you can’t go wrong:
Hip
Places to Spend the Night
Palomar
is a chic, Art Nouveau-inspired
hotel that sits on the top
five floors of a 1907 office
building in SoMa, just one
block from Union Square. You’ll
find elegant simplicity, smoky
colors and leopard-print carpet
in the rooms. Pour yourself
a glass of wine, pop a CD
in the player and start dancing.
Even if you’ve never
tried it, make time for yoga
in the morning. A yoga basket
can be delivered to your room
and Palomar has its own yoga
channel. Palomar is also home
to the world-renowned Fifth
Floor restaurant.
Miss your pooch? Don’t
think of leaving her behind
with the Palomar “Lap
of Luxury” pet package.
Every canine creature comfort
is thrown in — from
a properly fitting robe to
a visit by a local stylist
(massage and manicure included)
— to a commemorative
leash, collar, custom tags,
signature bowl, and a toy.
Not to go on, but the package
also includes breath mints,
daily bottled water, a leopard-print
bed and, of course, “pick
up” bags to take on
strolls.
Also pet friendly is Hotel
Monaco, housed in a
historic Beaux Arts building
in Union Square. Even if you
don’t bring your canine
companion, the hotel offers
guests one of its pet goldfish
to share the expertly detailed
accommodations with you. Delightful
rooms and suites feature bright
custom fabrics, canopied beds,
great linens, and thoughtful
goodies. I’m still not
sure whether my goldfish,
“Kiku,” was a
he or a she, but Kiku was
handsome, quiet, non-judgmental
and stayed in one place when
I was talking. Monaco’s
décor is on the fun
and flashy side, and its neoclassical
lobby is grand, with just
the right feel for hosting
daily wine receptions for
hotel guests. Don’t
stare at the lady sitting
on the couch next to the fireplace,
go have a seat and get your
fortune read. When your bed’s
turned down for the night,
you’ll find your own
finned-friend fed by the attentive
housekeeping staff and ready
to hear how your day went.
If your tastes edge towards
modernism and cool luxury,
Diva
could be just the place for
you. Owing to that functional
art movement of the 1960’s
and 1970’s, the sleek
rooms combine stainless steel,
cobalt blue glass, faux concrete
and hardwood surfaces under
nifty halogen lights. Fresh-cut
flowers, colorful bedclothes,
uncluttered baths and loads
of amenities make it homier
than you might expect. Customers
rave about the service, which
is warm and understated, perhaps
compensating a bit for some
over-the-top décor.
There’s a California
Pizza Kitchen doing room service
and a Starbucks at one end
of the small lobby. Who could
ask for more?
Oh, you say you need more
than salad and pizza downstairs?
Yet your tastes still lean
to the clean and sleek? Ian
Schrager’s Clift
could be your option, though
plan on paying more for high
drama and high tech. The rooms
are small and very European
in style, but Schrager’s
designer, Phillipe Starck,
would have it no other way.
Like other Schrager properties,
there’s an intentional
emphasis on drawing you downstairs
to the public rooms where
the atmosphere is charged.
Clift’s Redwood
Room lures in a crowd
for martinis at its enormous
redwood bar, said to be carved
from a single trunk. Plasma
screens broadcast digital
paintings and glam hairdos
bunch up on warm leather sofas
and tufted booths, where patrons
can be seen from any direction.
If you want to rub elbows
with the up-and-coming bands
when they are in town, stay
at The Phoenix.
A self-described “rock
’n roll hotel,”
the Phoenix
isn’t for everyone.
Located in the edgy and shabby
Tenderloin neighborhood, the
hotel’s draw can it
be its drawback — the
visiting artists get noisy.
On the other hand, this might
be your chance to hang with
the likes of Gavin de Graw
or Ryan Adams at some very
bargain prices.
There’s proof that necessity
is the mother of invention
at Metropolis,
where a traveling mom invented
the concept of a “Kids
Only” room, where jumping
on the bed is encouraged.
Metropolis’ down comforters,
maple wood furnishings and
modern touches are impressive
alone, but for the children,
bunk-bedding, a chalkboard
and plenty of crayons are
welcome surprises. After a
career on the road, the owner
decided to try giving the
little ones their own space
while creating Zen touches
for the ‘rents, including
a New Age library and meditation
room.
Except for Clift, these trendy
boutique hotels are homegrown
SF mini chains. Diva belongs
to the five-member Personality
Hotel Group, as does Metropolis.
Palomar and Monaco are sisters
under the Kimpton Group. The
Phoenix is in good company
at Joie de Vivre, along with
16 others. The groups are
charmingly competitive, offering
an imaginative array of special
packages that punctuate individualized
experiences. At Diva and Personality’s
other properties, travelgirls
are especially catered to
with clever themes such as
“Shop ‘Til You
Drop,” “Girls’
Night Out,” and “Cheap
is Chic.” Kimpton’s
“Sex in the City”
and “Great American
Love Story” packages
are love inspired and deluxe,
and their “Shopper Survivor”
and “Cosmo Girl”
packages are tailor-made for
travelgirls. Telling you all
the witty extra amenities
that go with each would ruin
the surprise.
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Urban
Thrills
Another day begins and you
shift gears from Tony Bennett
to Karl Malden. The cable
cars are packed as you descend
the Powell-Mason line, leaning
out with your arms waving,
hoping one of those police
chase scenes won’t
hurtle past any minute.
Explore
Your Options
Whether it’s Asian
food or a taste of history
that whets your appetite,
go ahead and sign up for
the Wok Wiz walking tour
of Chinatown. The owner,
Shirley Fong-Torres, leads
groups through the historic
streets lined with red lanterns,
noodle shops and stores,
telling tales that bring
you closer to the residents
of America’s second-largest
Chinese community. One of
San Francisco’s biotech
firms made Shirley’s
tour part of an “employee
bonding” day and I
was lucky to tag along for
the walk. In just a few
hours I learned how to properly
greet Chinese people, how
to read their stares, and
was given a thorough explanation
on the importance of religion
within the community. Our
group was also introduced
to a traditional Chinese
tea ceremony.
But it’s Shirley’s
own story that gives you
a glimpse into San Francisco’s
personality. Her father
came to America at the beginning
of the century during the
Gold Rush, but he didn’t
get rich and was embarrassed
to go back to China. So
he stayed and then sent
home for a bride. Several
women were brought to San
Francisco for him to choose
from. He chose Shirley’s
mother because she was the
oldest girl, 18 at the time,
and he was afraid nobody
in the village would want
to marry her. He became
an American success story
when he started several
restaurants and sent all
of his children to college.
In between the tea and
one of Shirley’s quizzes
on how well we know our
Chinese food, I learn that
Chinatown survived the worst
earthquake in the city’s
long history of earthquakes.
Community lore says it was
thanks to the prayers and
good karma of its landed
Chinese. The only thing
shaking today is the perfect
Mohito I enjoy at Luna
Park, a funky restaurant
in the Mission district,
while I contemplate my next
move.
An afternoon at San
Francisco’s Museum
of Modern Art is
a good choice, especially
on the first Tuesday of
the month, when admission
is free. Its permanent collection
of paintings hosts several
works by Picasso and Matisse,
but the thrill of SFMOMA
is found in its collection
of photographs, architectural
renderings and design pieces.
You’ll find Ansel
Adams’ “Winter
in Yosemite” and Maplethorpe’s
“Orchid.” Frank
Gehry’s corrugated
cardboard chair, a vase
designed by Frank Lloyd
Wright, and multimedia installations
erase the line between art
and living. The special
exhibits change frequently,
but devote themselves to
the expanding notion of
art all around us, with
a heavy emphasis on graphic
design and even fashion
as art.
For a different angle on
things, San
Francisco Helicopter Tours
can give you a thrilling
30-minute helicopter ride
around the Bay, including
a pass under the Golden
Gate Bridge. They’ll
pick you up at your hotel
and have you staring at
the Primerica pyramid as
if you were filming the
commercial yourself. As
you zoom over Alcatraz,
thinking about how someone
would dare to escape, the
entire Bay spreads out below
you.
Back on land, I had an
appointment at Mario’s
Bohemian Cigar Store
in North Beach with Tom,
a tour operator who specializes
in walking and eating tours
of the city’s entrepreneurial
up-and-coming boutiques,
restaurants and gourmet
provisioners. There are
no cigars at Mario’s
anymore, but some great
coffee and delicious sandwiches
served on hot focaccia bread
are available. Tom puts
in an order for a curry
chicken sandwich to be ready
when he is heading home.
The entire morning is like
a live television show,
complete with celebrities,
TV personalities and great
food. We walk from a coffee
shop to a bakery to XOX,
a truffle boutique run by
a former Westin St. Frances
chef who decided in a very
San Francisco fashion that
his quality of life would
be better if he abandoned
his four-star cuisine and
focused on what he loves
most — chocolate truffles.
By noon, I have tasted every
carb imaginable and I’m
thinking of how many hills
I need to climb to expend
the calories I just took
in. But Tom is relentless.
Back at Mario’s he
shares his focaccia sandwich
with me, while filling me
in on the history of North
Beach, known as the hub
of San Francisco’s
Italian community. The soul
of the neighborhood is truly
European and the espresso
is as good as in Rome or
Florence. I could have easily
spent an entire day hanging
out at various cafes and
restaurants, but I had to
go shopping.
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Shopping
San Fran Style
Each
San Francisco neighborhood
has its own shopping district
and deciding where to shop
is no small matter. While
Union Square is the undisputed
mecca of San Francisco shopping,
where you can treat yourself
to a Neiman’s or Armani
spree and admire countless
jewels and designer clothes,
I favored the young and
upscale feel of Fillmore
Street and Union Street
shopping. After spending
an obscene amount of time
at Bella
& Daisy’s,
a dog bakery and boutique
on Union Street, I left
with a rhinestone and green
leather collar for my Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel puppy
and a pink pillow with an
inscription “Pampered
Princess.” I barely
resisted buying a doggy
skirt and a polo shirt,
which looked adorable, but
luckily for my wallet, were
the wrong size for my pooch.
Next,
I enjoyed browsing through
Heidi
Says,
a trendy boutique on Fillmore
that resembles Heidi’s
own closet more than a store.
Packed with her handpicked
favorite fashions from Nanette
Lepore, Trina Turk and a
few lesser-known labels,
Heidi gives you uncluttered
selections that will stand
out in a crowd. Heather,
another small store just
next door, carries cleverly
combined vintage and contemporary
jewelry, eye-catching accessories
and contemporary clothing.
The merchandise at Paper
Source
occupied me for a while
as I touched practically
every piece of the store’s
vast collection of unique
cards, elegant paper and
stationery. When I stepped
into Hydra,
a bath and body boutique
offering the yummiest smelling
handmade soaps and bath
salts, such as Peach Bellini
and Coconut Lemongrass,
I was ready to relax. A
quick stop at La
Nouvelle Patisserie
for a truly French croissant
and café au lait
recharged me and I set out
to hunt for bargains.
If
you are like me and appreciate
a good deal, head to Chinatown
and shop at one of the neighborhood’s
numerous outside kiosks,
or at its jewelry and gift
shops. On one
corner, I spotted a tea
set for $3 (that’s
right, three dollars) and
a pair of fashionable, sparkly
flip-flops for only a dollar
across the street. There
are plenty of bargains to
be had at homegrown San
Francisco institutions such
as Levi’s, Bebe, The
Gap, Banana Republic and
Old Navy. You might be thinking,
“Oh, I can find those
stores anywhere,”
and that may be true, but
trust me, these clearance
racks must be seen to be
believed. I am shocked by
the size of the Loehmann’s
Outlet
here: four stories tall!
And if that doesn’t
cover you in discounts,
there are three storeys
of just shoes housed in
a Loehmann’s
Shoes Outlet
across the street. Despite
my glee, I keep things under
control; only two cashmere
sweaters and a pair of boots
make it back to the hotel.
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Guess
Who’s Coming to Dinner?
Maybe
Sidney Poitier should have
dined out that fateful night,
rather than be hosted by
Kathryn Hepburn and Spencer
Tracy. He might not have
wound up with the girl (Kathryn
Houghton), but hey, he sure
would have eaten better
at the Fifth
Floor.
Seated
amid modern paintings, accented
by lime green and purple
velvet drapes, a cozy repast
at the Fifth Floor begins
with Mumm champagne and
tasty crudités as
my waiter explains the delicacies
awaiting me in the kitchen
led by Laurent Gras. I go
for the Lobster Cappuccino,
which is a divine froth
of lobster reduction and
cream laced with prawns,
chestnut and perfectly tender
lobster meat. I think of
a San Francisco Magazine
critic’s turn of the
phrase “taking The
Fifth,” because now
I feel guilty. When my second
course arrives, cocoa caramelized
Foie Gras set upon gold
tomatoes, I am in heaven.
For the main course, the
Fifth Floor’s Skate
Wing soars above any other
I’ve tasted. Sitting
on an artichoke meat bed
and drizzled in bordelaise,
the tender ribs of fresh
skate are seared to perfection.
Next comes the cheese course,
a collection of wonderful
shapes and varieties, the
perfect complement to my
last few sips of Merry Edwards
Pinot Noir.
Masa’s
is equally serious when
it comes to invention in
he kitchen. Veering toward
the high-end of traditional
décor and cushy toile
dining chairs, it has a
whole different feel from
the Fifth, but stands out
in other rewarding ways.
For a start, try the sashimi
of Yellow Fin tuna (this
dish looks like a colorful
painting), made with the
freshest of fish set on
white bone china. The seasons
help guide what’s
on the menu; another highlight
during my visit was a perfect
lobster risotto made with
morsels of shrimp and fresh
chanterelle mushrooms. If
you stick with fish, try
the Mediterranean Dorade,
fresh from the plane ride
here. And if you’re
still confused by the term
“French Fusion,”
why not let Chef Gregory
Short, veteran of the Napa’s
French Laundry and Laguna’s
Montage, strut his stuff?
You’ll find Masa’s
six and nine course tasting
menus tempting and stuffed
with delights like pan-roasted
squab, seared foie gras,
Maine crab and tender duck.
At
the newly reopened Cliff
House,
another San Fran dining
institution, I had lunch
overlooking the Pacific
at Point Lobos. Its origins
date back to 1863; the seaside
clubhouse hosted the city’s
brand-name families and
catered to visiting Presidents.
At the turn of the century,
it boasted acres of indoor
baths, water attractions
and diving pools beneath
glass domes. Through fires
and rebuilds, its third
1909 clubhouse structure
stands today, owned by the
National Park Service. Two
new restaurants, Sutro’s
and the Cliff
House Bistro,
serve up seafood specialties
to go with the incredible
view.
You
also won’t want to
miss lunch at the bustling
One
Market,
across from the Ferry Building
Marketplace. One Market
is a veritable food factory,
serving hundreds at a time,
but the friendly, expert
service staff makes you
feel like your party’s
the only one. With its extensive
menu, there’s something
for everyone.I breeze through
the marketplace across the
street after my lunch and
make a point to come back
later for a snack at the
Tzar
Nicoulai Caviar Bar,
one of dozens of specialty
stores, stalls and booths
lining the Ferry Building
Plaza.
Another
trendy lunch spot worth
mentioning is Café
Tiramisu,
a Northern Italian restaurant
on the very hard to find
Belden Place, a narrow alley
between Bush and Pine Streets.
You won’t believe
you are in America when
you see this gem. The outdoor
seating offers some of the
best people watching in
the city and you can even
practice your Italian with
the café’s
authentic wait staff.
Leaving
San Francisco, I’m
stopped by security guards
as I prepare to board a
red-eye that will take me
back East. The x-ray machine
has spotted the tiny manicure
set that came with a feathered
key-chain and lip gloss
in my “Girls Night
Out” amenity bag.
I start to explain, but
as the rubber gloves go
through my carry-on bag,
I realize maybe I’ve
left something behind at
my hip hotel…Could
it be my heart?
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