Leaving (a piece of) My Heart in San Francisco

Dear San Francisco, How did six years go by in the blink of an eye?  It seems like only yesterday I arrived - hardened and slightly bitter from my two years on the east coast.  It was my second time moving to a city sight unseen and, unlike my first attempt, I instantly fell madly, head over heels, hopelessly in love with you.  With your majestic cliff sides, sparkling bay, countless parks…you were like...

Opaque: Dining in the Dark

Last week, our friends Dawn and Marq invited us to join them at Opaque, a restaurant that allows its patrons to experience dining in a completely unique way:  in the dark.  This European trend arrived to SF a few years and the point is for the diners to use their senses of taste, touch, sound and smell, rather than sight, when eating.  All of their servers are either blind or visually impaired and are specially...

Hump Day: 10 Years in the Making

"10 years ago today, I left my cold, snowy Midwestern home to get on a plane to San Francisco. When I landed, I was greeted at the airport by my good friend Alan, the 70 degree sunshine, and cool little apartment in Noe Valley. I remember thinking that moving here was the vacation I always wanted to take; a chance for me to really get to know a place for longer than a few days. I never thought that vacation would...

Hump Day: French 75

A few weeks ago, I went with my French friend to a French bistro in Union Square.  It was all very...French.  Obviously, I was in heaven.  We arrived at Cafe De La Presse around 3pm on a Saturday and decided that it was time to start drinking.  After I perused their cocktail list, I settled on a French 75 because it sounded light bodied, crisp, and boozy. Someone please tell me why I am just discovering...

Weekend Update: Green and Gold

What a great weekend for so many reasons! #1 - It was absolutely beautiful.  High-60s and blazingly sunny all weekend, it was a nice reminder of why I love where we live.  It's never too hot or too cold around here and there's just nothing better than a Beach Day in the middle of January. #2 - Lots of great food!  We had Zushi Puzzle for dinner Friday night with Shawn, Kate and Jason. ...

2011 San Francisco Restaurant Guide

Last week one of my favorite San Francisco restaurant blogs, Eater SF, updated their 38 Essential San Francisco Restaurants.  Most of the places included on this list are top of the line, rather schmancy establishments, but a solid list nonetheless.  I often get asked for restaurant suggestions from friends and co-workers, so I decided to put together my list of Top Restaurants in San Francisco by category. ...