Just Go There: San Francisco

Lombard Street

Baker Beach

Alamo Square

Palace of Fine Arts

View of Golden Gate Bridge from Pacific & Fillmore

So, I lived in San Francisco for 7 years and probably spent more time there last year than I did in Minneapolis since Jeff was working on a project at AAA, and may be going back soon, which I definitely would not mind as it is an incredibly beautiful city with a ridiculous amount of things to offer. If it weren't insanely expensive and if we had as many close friends there as we do in MN, we'd probably still be living there. But, I'm glad I can live in Minneapolis and just visit SF whenever I start to miss it. Here are a few of my favorite things to do/places to go/restaurants and bars to frequent:

Favorite Restaurants:

*Home SF - at Church & Market, sit outside on the patio by the fire, its not expensive and they have great comfort food. I usually get a salad with a side of their amazing mac & cheese, but everything on the menu is fab.

*Betelnut - on Union near Fillmore - amazing Asian fusion..definitely my favorite restaurant in SF. I get the little dragon dumplings with ginger vinegar, glazed pork short ribs with Thai basil and garlic, szechuan green beans, and jasmine rice. So good! You can go down the street to Matrix Fillmore after for some good cocktails by the fireplace but get ready for a cheesy Marina crowd - we always called them CHUDS. Think Andrew Firestone and the people he would hang out with. I knew them - and they are lame. But its a cool space if and not too annoying if you get there earlier.

*Tommaso's - on Kearny & Broadway in North Beach - amazing old school Italian, cheap, delish pizza and pasta

*Sushi Groove South & Wish Bar (across the street) - 11th and Folsom, love the sushi, cocktails and tasty beats by the DJs. If there's a wait you can put your name in and go across the street to Wish Bar - my favorite bar ever - for a "Little Jefe" cocktail. Om Records used to host a happy hour every Friday but now I think it's just once a month. But its the best place in town to hear some fantastic house music over awesome cocktails. We prettymuch spent every Friday night there. There's also another very small Sushi Groove in Russian Hill - the trolly from Ghiradelli Square will take you right to it.

*Anchor & Hope - great seafood restaurant in SOMA near a lot of great bars like John Collins, Harlot and 111 Minna.

*Beretta - fanatastic Italian comfort food on Valencia. If there's wait they will most likely direct you to the hip La Cantina around the corner and get an awesome cocktail, and may want to go back for some Mexican food another night.

*The Front Porch - just had drinks there but its a cool concept with rocking chairs outside and I've heard the food is great. We always struck up random convos with cool peeps also sitting on the front porch, and I actually ran into an old friend I worked with about 12 years ago last time I was there.

*The Slanted Door - similar menu to Betelnut since its Vietnamese, also amazing and down in the new Ferry Building, definitely a cool spot to check out.

*Deep Sushi - Church & 30th in Noe Valley, they have a great sushi happy hour in the swanky sake lounge and amazing sushi.

*India Clay Oven - Fillmore & Haight,by far the best Indian I've ever had. A must do if you like Indian food.

*Foreign Cinema - Mission & 22nd, fab restaurant with a back patio and they show old movies, but you can also just go there for a glass of wine or cocktail. They also have a yummy brunch.

*Bi-Rite Creamery - Salted Carmel - Best. Ice. Cream. Ever. Right by Dolores Park in the Mission - cool area, near Italian staple Delfina.

Walk off all those calories by lacing up the tennies and get walkin to these gorgeous SF spots:

*Baker Beach and the Presidio - you'll get a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge from Baker Beach, but beware as you get closer to the bridge because it is a nude beach and you will most likely see several old, naked, most likely gay, men.

*Walk through Chrissy Field all the way to the base of the GG Bridge and watch the surfers catch waves right beneath the majestic bridge.

*Visit the Palace of Fine Arts - there is an Exploratorium musuem that's cool but not necessary to visit. It's a relaxing place to watch the ducks swim in the pond, and you'll probably see at least 4 wedding parties taking photos there.

*Golden Gate Park - check out the DiYoung Museum with very cool Dale Chihuly sculpture out front, and the Arts & Sciences museum with a living green roof and amazing aquarium. Both are near the Japanese Tea Garden where you can sip tea amongst the cherry blossom trees. There is also a lovely Botanical Garden nearby. And if you enter the park near the Haight on the weekend, you will find a lot of hippies playing congas in a drum circle.

*Coit Tower in North Beach - free and you'll get a great view of the whole city and North Beach is a cool area - the Italian part of town

*Check out Pac Bell Park and the Embarcadero area, go to a Giants game if you can - its literally on the bay.

*Walk around Fillmore neighborhood around Fillmore and California, get an iced blended at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and head up the hill to Pacific and Fillmore for a fabulous view. Then walk down Fillmore into the Marina neighborhood.

*Check out Hayes Valley near Hayes and Gough for hip little bars, restaurants and boutiques.

*Walk around Marina neighborhood - Union and Chestnut streets, my favorite clothing store is called Ambiance - there is one on Union, one on Haight and one on 24th in Noe Valley.

*Visit Haight street - Amoeba Records is a fab music shop and you will see many interesting peeps and Victorian houses. At Cole street venture up a few blocks into Cole Valley and have a cup of coffee in the backyard patio of Cafe Reverie.

*Take the touristy but fun trolley from Giradelli Square to downtown through Russian Hill, another super cute neighborhood of restaurants and shops.