San FranCelia

I know, I know… I haven’t posted in ages.  How could I leave the city of San Francisco alone for so long, you must be wondering, and it’s true; I’ve been away MUCH too long.  The health stuff mentioned in my last few posts has been keeping me away, but I’m hoping to be back in full force this New Year, with better and better haunts for everyone to try.

A place I’ve recently discovered will definitely be added to this list, I’m sure.  I’ve gone on a gluten and dairy-free diet as of late, and this is one of the places that has options galore for a high-maintenance gal like me.  Thai Spice, located on Polk Street in between

Clay and Washington serves up some of, if not the, best Thai I’ve had in the City.  With rice noodles and coconut milk being their staple ingredients, Thai has fast become one of the food options that I can still go out and eat with naught a worry.  Not only is their establishment located in the fun and hip location of Nob Hill, but everything from the tables to the décor to the amazing dishes you are served are presented like, well, presents.  Wonderful ambiance and feel then leads you in to some downright amazing Thai food.  Not only do they have the best Pad Thai I have ever eaten, but their other dishes are equally as remarkable and leave you wanting to try everything on the menu.  Dishes to definitely check out – the Pumpkin Curry with tofu or chicken and the Spinach Rolls appetizer.  Both are simply incredible, and I have no doubt from the ooh’s and ah’s from friends that the other dishes leave nothing to be desired – except maybe a second helping (portions aren’t small though, so you really won’t even have to worry about that).  There are plenty of wines, beers, teas, and Thai teas to pair with these dishes, as well, which make for a fun outing anytime.

Service is easy and relaxed, where they know what is in their food and also can suggest favorites.  It’s not a pretentious, overly expensive place though looks swanky from all aspects.  I don’t know how they do it, but that God they do.  It’s rare to find an affordable, delicious, and all around relaxing spot in such a posh neighborhood, but Thai Spice is breaking the mold and doing it night after night.  Definitely check out this healthy and delicious spot that will keep you craving it long after you leave.

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To be a true San Franciscan, you must be a fan (at least in part) of the Giants.  Now I’m not going to pretend that I’m that into watching baseball on TV – I mean, come on… it’s about 10 minutes of actual play time, and the rest is just watching what I like to call “fat athletes” – think golfers (yeah, you know what I mean) – stand around looking intense and only slightly interested in the game at hand.  However, when I go to AT&T Park on the Embarcadero in San Francisco, the game takes on a whole new feel.  You walk up to the stadium, which is located in the SOMA district of the City, and the huge brick structure of the stadium feels reminiscent of a time when baseball truly was America’s favorite pastime. It’s extremely beautiful, and very welcoming in a way.  Right on the water, it’s easy to see the ocean from your seats, which adds a very luxurious and unique feel to the game.  Being such a new stadium – it opened to the public in 2000 – everything has that shiny and fresh feel, which is always fun.  A night at AT&T Park is the perfect event for almost anything.  You can go on a date (makes the men happy as clams when you make sporting events dates, don’t ya’ know), work get-togethers, or family outings.  You can get extremely cheap tickets in the bleachers, which aren’t even bad seats.  In fact, that’s where the home run balls head most of the time.  Definitely makes for an enjoyable night.

I went to the park for their game against the Marlins recently (we won!), and it was such a perfect night at the ballpark.  Being on

the water, it can get chilly, so the food vendors have wised up and started selling things in the crowd like hot chocolate and warm cookies.  Not what you think of normally for a baseball game, but this is San Francisco, after all – it’s all about being comfortable and contemporary.  Of course all of the regular options are available, so we decided to go with the old stand-bys – hot dogs, peanuts, beer, and kettle corn.  Delicious!  It’s pricey of course, but well worth it while enjoying the game.  Everything comes in large portions, so it’s best for your wallet and your waistline if you share.  The group I was with – my honey’s work colleagues – was super fun.  One of his co-workers visiting from India hadn’t ever seen a game before.  What a fun treat to be at his first game!  He was explained the rules, and from that point on was glued to the diamond’s action.  It’s fun when you see someone light up from a baseball game – it’s truly an enjoyable  American sport where the ambiance and thrill of the stadium, food, and crowd takes you away for awhile.  It certainly gives me motivation to watch sports. 

A definite must, hit up a summer game, as not only is it a San Francisco tradition, it’s also a blast for everyone involved.  The long summer nights make for a really fun way to spend not only a weekday evening, but a weekends night, as well, as most people go out afterwards in the area making the scene both casual and rowdy (especially after a win!).    With this type of experience at the game, you really might not care if you ever get back.  Enjoy!

Peace and love Xo

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It was a lovely weekend in the City by the Bay last weekend – nothing is better than that, seriously.  With perfect temperatures (too rare, unfortunately) we decided it was time to make a pilgrimage to Ocean Beach.  Being at the western most point of the City, it’s always the most foggy area, so when it’s nice, it looks as though someone has left the bread out and the ants have started swarming – people in masses flock there and the beach looks positively speckled with a group so pale it’s a bit funny.  After an hour and a half, we were burnt to a crisp… ah, the traumas of being a San Franciscan who doesn’t carry sunscreen and yet still thinks it’s a great idea to go to the beach because, hey, it’s not even that warm, right?  Ha!

Then over to the Marina to hit up the Apple Store (very Silicon Valley of me, don’t you think?) and grab lunch, and we walked all over the district to find something not only tasty (of course), but also a place that allowed us to eat in a relaxed spot al fresco.  Popular to most, the Bay Area burger chain, Barney’s, is a delicious find whether it’s in the East Bay or Noe Valley.  In the Marina, though, is something special.  First of all, I don’t think you can get a better burger in the City than at Barney’s – any of the chain.

It’s fresh, perfectly cooked to order, and they have about 20 different types to choose from in case you don’t necessarily feel like a regular old cheeseburger (think any type of topping – very gourmet).  We ordered a Caesar salad to split, then also split the Three Cheese Burger cooked medium rare with a side of skinny cut fries.  The burgers are huge, so if you have similar tastes, it’s great to share whenever possible (particularly those of us who are being budget conscious).  This can be hard, because usually the guys can pack these away entirely (who am I kidding… so can I.  Not a bad way to get stuffed though, I say…yum!) 

Why I think the Marina locale, specifically, is something worth making a special trip for (because I really love the Noe Valley location, too) is their back patio.  It’s this gorgeous tree covered and hidden away spot that has both picnic tables and regular tables mixed together to create a really intimate and relaxing place to spend a lazy Sunday.  The crowd is the always present Marina ‘hung over bunch’, and while spending the night at the bars with this group I could usually live without, Sundays in the Marina are always subdued as most people either aren’t awake and coherent, or they just want to relax and recoup (the small minority are up at 6am running and have been more productive in 2 hours than I’ll be all Sunday… but they’re not eating burgers so the joke’s on them).  On a beautiful day, this is definitely a place to go with either a group of friends for an early lunch, or for a late lunch date in the warm sun with your honey.  Right now there are flowers in bloom, so it gives off an especially lovely feel.  The service, too, is great here – no frills and overpowering niceties, but they get you what you need quick and the food comes out delicious and hot.   Definitely a burger place find.  Now all we need is weather like this more often than once in the summer, and we’d be all set.  Happy eats.

Peace and love Xo

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