The City that Never Stops Eating

If New York is the city that never sleeps, than I'm convinced that San Francisco is the city that never stops eating.  How can it with the veritable cornucopia of restaurants, stands, and markets representing every cuisine imaginable?

San Francisco is a favorite haunt of ours, and while the kids enjoyed some special time with their grandparents, Samuel and I had the opportunity to explore more of the tasty delicacies this city has to offer.

 

Every time we visit we try to avoid repeating what we've seen or eaten before.  This time, we were determined to ride the Cable Cars, and I was absolutely appalled to see people literally hanging off the side as we went up the crazy hill from the Financial District to Union Square.

 

 

At the Square we went in to all the crazy fancy stores we would never take the kids in.  We got a big kick out of Tiffany's and Louis Vuitton, and couldn't wait to get out of those places where everything is just too, too much!

 

We made dinner reservations at the Fog City Diner on the Embarcadero and loved the upscale classy interior that's totally contrary to the sleek dining car exterior.  All the silly plaques they have posted every where were hilarious!

The one on the coat rack said:

"Not Responsible for Stolen Items or The Style of Ugly Clothes"

The one mounted at our table said:

"Don't look at me."

It was super-chilly outside, so though the Dungeness Crab with Avocado Salad looked SO appealing, I went with the Classic Pot Roast, Root Vegetables, and Crisp Potato Cake, while Samuel went with the Pork Chop.  We were NOT disappointed!

 

After dinner we had planned on seeing a violin concert-FREE-but in the end all we wanted to do was grab some ice cream!  Our goal was to hit the Bi-Rite Creamery for Sam's Sundae which is chocolate ice cream with bergamot olive oil, maldon sea salt and whipped cream-sounds crazy-good right?  It was featured on the Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate, but blast the lack of parking and all the people who had the same idea as we did!  We tried for over 30 minutes (that's a long, long time for me!) to park within 2 miles of the place before we gave up and hit Mel's Diner for sundaes!

The Creamery will just go on the to-do list for next time when we take the whole family!

 

 

We struck a great deal on Priceline for the Hyatt Regency.  They went crazy with the Christmas decorations which made for a beautiful sight.

 

Yes, that's a pizza box, and yes we were still eating!  There's something about take-out in a hotel room-it's SO yummy!  And it usually is, except this happened to be the worst pizza on the planet!  Sometimes you take a risk and discover some incredible gems, and other times you take a hit!  Never go to Napoli's!

 

 

We had a incredible view and a super huge balcony.

 

 

The buildings here are absolutely amazing!

 

Our second day we scheduled a visit to the King Tut Museum at the De Young Museum.  After a day of tromping up and down hills my feet needed a break from my flats so Samuel ran back to the car for my...

 

Flip-flops!

 

Happiness is comfortable shoes!

 

My Pharoah!

Ha!

 

The exhibit was amazing and it truly is awe-inspiring to see all these ancient artifacts preserved from so, so long ago.  If you decide to visit too, be sure to buy your tickets at Costco.  Not only is it a better price than you'll find anywhere else, but it also comes with the pricier audio tour. 

 

 

We took the opportunity to explore the De Young Museum and it truly is a fantastic place.  Hands down, our favorites are the beautiful pieces of sculpture.

 

Lunch was spent at a San Francisco icon:  The Swan Oyster Depot!  This place is OLD school (literally it dates back to 1912!) and that's what makes it so charming.  The line is long outside the door, everyone coveting one of the nineteen stools that line a super-duper tiny counter.  The menu features nothing but the freshest of seafood, and the experience is truly like none other!

 

I munched on sourdough bread and watched the gal next to me go to town on three orders of oysters!

 

Our plan was to do the same (with only one order), but we totally chickened out.  When I asked her what they taste like she said their very briny, some are more salty than others, and that oysters are not something you savor and chew, you just kind of bite down once or twice to release the juices and then down the hatch it goes!

Noooo, thank you!

 

This place is a MUST-SEE!  The cash register is ancient (bring cash because there's no ATM or Visa here!), the staff fiddles with a relic of a radio for the local station playing Christmas music, and everyone feels like apart of history, apart of the family.

 

Because our tickets to the De Young Museum permitted us to visit the Legion of Honor free of charge, we could'nt pass that up.  By far this is our favorite art museum, even topping San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art.  The grounds are breathtaking-how can you top the Golden Gate Bridge in the background?-and the museum itself is so stately and grand!

 

I need to do this more!  Take more time to really think and ponder.  Life is too easily beset with things that don't matter (like yes, food :),  I want to make every second count!

 

I love Claude Monet!  My grandmother gave me a book when I was just a young girl called, "Linnea in Monet's Garden" and it completely enchanted me!  I would love to visit France, munch on crusty baguettes, and tour the beautiful countryside where he painted!

 

It's hard to believe this is a picture and not a postcard!  Not to say that my photographic abilities are anything to write home about, but seriously, was there ever a picture taken of this bridge that didn't look fantastic?

 

Like I said, we try to visit new places but we can't leave without seeing the best place of all, The Ferry Building Marketplace.  This time we did try something new, The Salumi Cone, at Boccolone.  It's literally a paper cone (think ice cream), that's filled with delicate swirls of thinly sliced cuts of-what else?-salumi, or Italian cured meats!  It was too rich for me, but Samuel was in heaven!

I am so grateful for this time I was able to spend alone with my husband.  One of my favorite lines from

The Family: A Proclamation to the World, reads:

"Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."

I testify that that is true!

8 Years Already?

The first weekend in February Samuel and I celebrated our 8th Wedding Anniversary in San Francisco!

We kicked off our trip at the place it all began...the beautiful Oakland Temple. On February 9th, 2001 Samuel and I were sealed for time and all eternity. It will always be the happiest day of our lives.

8 years later.
Not so fresh-faced but still so much in love!

After our session we crossed the Bay Bridge and entered the beautiful city of San Francisco. While I would never live here, I do love to visit.

We drove directly to Pier 39 and stopped for a quick to-go snack from a favorite eatery of ours, The Crepe Cafe. The Fresh Strawberry Crepe with Chocolate Chips is excellent, but this time we opted for the Turkey, Monterey Jack Cheese, Basil Pesto, & Avocado Crepe...yum!


We hit the road, crepe in hand, for Pier 33, where we had reservations for the 1:55 PM tour of Alcatraz! Neither of us have ever been, so we were excited to check it out.

The views from the ferry were beautiful, and we could not have asked for better weather! The sun was shining and the air was crisp and sharp! Sam was so happy he could get away with just wearing his t-shirt!

The island itself is gorgeous. And everywhere you turn, among the decaying buildings, are beautiful gardens.

The cell house is another story entirely. Very sobering. We each took headsets to take advantage of the audio tour, and I was so glad I did. The tour is narrated by former Alcatraz prison wardens and inmates, and it is chilling to hear them re-count what life was like there.


Our ferry docked just in time for dinner, and since we were headed back to Pier 39 we dined at the Crab House. I had read on "Yelp" that they are famous for their "Killer Crab" cooked in a secret garlic sauce. Sam and I love crab legs and we were not disappointed-especially considering we had a beautiful view of the sun setting behind the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. It was a perfect meal!

After dinner we finally headed to our hotel room to check-in. We were on the 15th floor in the Financial District, and we were surrounded by other high-rise buildings. By this time the sun had officially gone down, which means that much of San Francisco is just getting up! You'd think we would be exhausted, but all we really wanted to do was get out once more to catch the biggest event in town...

The 149th Chinese New Year Parade!

It's billed as the the 7th largest parade in the world, and it was all happening not two blocks up from our hotel! As we stepped out onto the sidewalk we heard the explosion of fireworks and music and we took off running-uphill!

As you can see, the floats were spectacular, but what really got us cheering was seeing Sam's former employer represented, "UPS"!
I had fun screaming,
"WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?"

The end of the parade route was about 2 blocks south of us, so unlike the thousands of people making their way for the firework finale, we were already there. We saw men with row after row of fireworks draped around their necks and hanging to the floor taking their position, and we knew we were in for some serious noise. And sure enough, when those fireworks went off it was as though an ocean of sound was erupting all around us!

Normally, I don't want to be wandering the streets of a strange city late at night, but the conclusion of the parade meant that Chinatown was officially open for business. Hundreds of people poured into shops for snacks or souvenirs, or they tried in vain to get an open table at the many restaurants that were overwhelmed with customers.

Of course after all the excitement Samuel and I had the munchies! We had already purchased souvenirs for the kids, and a bag of my favorite snack in the whole world, "Sourdough Snacks" (more on those later), but now we wanted some serious Chinese food. Luckily, a restaurant that was emphatically not taking any more dine-in customers, was welcoming take-out orders. And not minutes later did we walk away with spicy General's Chicken, Chicken Chow Mein, and my favorite, Egg-Drop & Mushroom soup. It was finally, finally time to head "home" for the night!

I include this picture as a lesson, to all those who would wake up at 1 AM, after two evening meals of "Killer Crab" and Chinese food, with the brilliant idea to down 2 cups of hot cocoa and a whole bag of "Sourdough Snacks". I woke Sam and simply said, "I am soooo sick."

He was not sympathetic.

The next morning we had our first day time view from our hotel balcony. In the distance you can see the Bay Bridge.

Sam was thrilled that he could look up and then down to make himself extremely dizzy. He did this several times before I told him to "get away from the balcony!".

Yes, that is my man.

We were several blocks from the famous Ferry Building Marketplace on the Embarcadero. What better place for breakfast than a building that houses some of the finest breads, cheeses, meats, and chocolate? From Acme Bread we purchased an a beautiful crispy baguette and from Cowgirl Creamery some of their signature Mt. Tam cheese. We rounded off the meal with some hot chocolate and a french pastry-voila!

Seriously, I could have stayed there ALL DAY LONG! It was that fabulous! But Samuel was getting the itch so we grabbed a couple of sandwiches to go, Sam's a meatball and mozzerella from The Golden Gate Meat Company, and mine a Cheese Sandwich from Acme (Mt. Tam cheese, fresh jam, arugala, & black pepper)...heaven!

Our next stop: Coit Tower!

Many years ago Samuel and I once got it in our heads that we would walk there. It looked do-able, especially considering you can see it from practically anywhere in the city. Needless to say, we tried...and failed miserably. And also got lost in the process! So this time, with map in hand, we were determined to DRIVE up and visit it properly!

The tower was built with funds from Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who left 1/3 of her estate to the City of San Francisco "to be expended in an appropriate manner for the purpose of adding to the beauty of the city which I have always loved". The tower, like so many building in San Francisco, is beautiful, and the murals in the rotunda-stunning, but the views from the top of the tower of the city are even more so.

When I told Sam that while I was glad we visited Alcatraz, I didn't think I ever wanted to return again, he replied the he could go back over and over.

Hence this shot of him kissing his favorite island.

A great shot of the "crookedest street in the world": Lombard Street!

After the tower we headed to the Fisherman's Wharf and Ghiradelli Square.

How can you pass up Fish n' Chips and fresh Shrimp and Crab Cocktail?

Or Boudin's Famous Clam Chowder?



Or Ghiradelli's ice cream sundaes?

Yes, we came, and ate...and ate, and ate, and ate.

Our blissful vacation was coming to a close. Before we left we took the Scenic 49 drive through the Presidio before stopping at beautiful Baker Beach.

We had a wonderful time. But seriously, you could put us in a box and in 5-seconds we'd be laughing over something stupid. Well, maybe we'd be fighting if the reason we're in the box in the first place is something Sam did...but either way, being together is what counts.

I love you Samuel Dodge Elmer!
Here's to 8...80...800...800 million...infinity years to come!

And to all you other lovebirds, take the time to reach for your sweethearts hand.

Give it a good squeeze and count your blessings!