January, April & Everything in Between.
Last post: January 14th, 2010
Today’s post: April 9th, 2010
Here’s a snippet of whats happened in between, in no particular order:
- Stumbled upon Tropisueno and I can easily call it my favorite Mexican restaurant in the city (I have been there about 15 times in the last 3 months)
- Ousted as Mayor at Jeremy’s
- Discovered the BEST late night hot dog stand in SF (right in front of 1015 Folsom; bacon wrapped dogs…yum)
- The return of Sunday Streets
- Discussion of the Warriors moving back to San Francisco (in Mission Rock)
- Went to India for two weeks and learned that Taco Bell opened up there AFTER I got back
- Launch of the Zip Line to promote Vancouver Tourism
- Release of the iPad
- Taylors Automatic Refresher announced their rebrand to Gott’s Roadside Tray Gourmet (and not to mention handed out free grub back in March)
- Mavericks Surf Contest said to have the biggest waves ever surfed in a competition
- Manor West opens up in old Boss space
Whoa. Time flies.
Bye Bye, Lumpia! :(
After three and a half years, one of my favorite Filipino Restaurants (actually, I dont even know of another filipino restaurant in the city), Poleng Lounge, is shutting their doors.
Last call for dinner: Sunday 1/17/2010
Last call for drinks and nightlife: Sunday 1/31/2010
Tear. Sniffle. Tear. Sniffle.
New Restaurant Opening: Ironside
You may have seen tweets about this back in July or maybe the last time you were at The District you heard someone talking about it?
The owners of District opened the doors of their second establishment, Ironside, today September 21st on 2nd street, at the corner of Townsend Street. It is located in the same building as Chronicle Books.
Right now, they are serving Breakfast and Lunch and even serves batches of freshly baked cookies at 3pm. They are only open until 4pm for now, but will soon be open until the wee hours of the night, serving happy hour and dinner.
As a South Beach resident, it is often hard to find a late night eatery. But now, all that has changed. Who knows? It may just replace by every-now-and-then Delfina fix.
A Taste of South Beach and Mission Bay Street Fair
What: Yet another street fair, this time in my ‘hood, South Beach.
When: Saturday, September 19th from 12noon – 6pm
Where: South Park (a cute little park nestled between 2nd Street and 3rd Street and Bryant and Brannan).
Why: Well, there are many reasons: Outdoor fun. Forecast calls for great weather. Local restaurants will be selling their signature dishes and drinks at a reduced cost. Entertainment stage with live performances.
Restaurants and Bars that are rumored to be participating are:
- 21st Amendment
- Bacar
- Brickhouse Cafe
- District
- Flytrap
- Hennessy’s Wines & Specialty Foods
- Hotel Utah
- Little Skillet
- MoMo’s
- O’Neill’s Irish Pub
- Panera Bread
- Paragon
- Pete’s Tavern
- South Food & Wine Bar
- Tres Agaves
- The Butler and The Chef Bistro
- Zuppa
The event is free, however, fair organizers will request a $10 donation at the entry way. For what, you might ask? To benefit the South Beach/Mission Bay Business Association and other non-profits.
My Favorite Places in San Francisco
You’ve probably come across this icon on Google Maps. It symbolizes Favorite Places: A Collection of Favorite Places Around the Globe. Now I am far from being a world traveler, but what I do know well is San Francisco. So without further ado, here is an exploration of my favorite places in San Francisco.
Bakar Fitness and Recreation Center @ UCSF Mission Bay
When it comes to gyms, this one’s the cream of the crop. With a rock climbing wall and an outdoor pool on the roof, an indoor pool, squash and racquetball courts, basketball court, every possible group fitness class out there, and state of the art cardio and circuit training equipment, it just can’t be beat. It is a gym that makes working out fun again.
Delfina Pizzeria – Mission
Just the other day, I made a post about the best pizza in San Francisco, according to the locals. For me, Delfina Pizzeria is just phenomenal. Every time I take a bite into the Salsiccia Thin Crust, I feel like I’m in heaven. They have two locations now, the original in the Mission and the newest in Pacific Heights. There is something about the Mission location that makes it my favorite. And of course, can’t beat the fact that Bi-Rite Ice Creamery and Delores Park is right across the street.
Tuttimelon – Marina
It seems like Frozen Yogurt places are popping up all over the place. There are probably over 15-20 different Frozen Yogurt brands within San Francisco city limits, but the one brand that always makes me wanting more is Tuttimelon. They have several locations throughout the city, but the Marina location is my favorite. The staff there is super friendly, and their toppings just always look pristine, not to mention, they are never out of my favorites: gummi bears and captain crunch! Yum!
Being a doggy-mama, you can bet on me knowing some of the best dog parks in San Francisco. This hidden gem is my favorite dog park. A cute oval shaped park, with a kiddie playground in the middle, surrounded by cute little boutiques and cafes, make it feel like you are in some remote European town, playing fetch with your pooch.
Ferry Building Farmers Market
I pretty much never have an excuse to do nothing on a Saturday morning. The Farmers Market is pretty much the most ideal way to spend a Saturday morning. With an abundance of fresh flowers, organic produce and veggies, and other little nick-nacks, it is always bound to be a great way to start your weekend.
Swig
I may be a little biased about this place, but hey I cant help it. I randomly met my beau here. It will always hold a special place in my heart. PS, the bartenders here make awewome drinks.
Town Hall
When it comes to restaurants, this is number one in my books. The ham and cheese toast with the decadent jalapeno cream sauce and the buttermilk fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy are my staples here. And when I am feeling even more gutsy, I top off my meal with the Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Cake. ( G’on, log onto Open Table and make that reservation.)
Union Square
I am not talking about the shopping, but in fact THE actual Union Square. That area right on top of the parking garage. On nice sunny days, I grab the current book I am reading, get a Jamba smoothie from the downstairs of Macys, and find a nice little spot right on the steps of Union Square.
Best Pizza in San Francisco, according to the Locals
The other day I posted a question on twitter. “What is your favorite pizza place in San Francisco?”
I got a lot of responses, and surprisingly, not one of the answers were repeated.
Here is a list of the responses I received from twitter:
@marthaflynn just ONE pizza place? Arinell’s in a jiffy. Gialina for sit down.
@outcyde @marthaflynn Good call on Arinell’s. Never heard of it until not. Its right by my favorite pizza place, Little Star. Will try it.
@dolemite43 Za (Russian Hill)
@Chanslor My favorite pizza is Marcello’s in the Castro, although I heard from an Italian that Pizza Nostra in Potrero is the best in SF
@nataliejtaylor Deep Dish Patxi’s, Thin crust Pizzeria Delfina (Mission)
@joanna415 Serrano’s all day
So, there you have it! The local’s favorites when it comes to pizza! I’m hungry now. Off to get some pizza!
Street Food Festival
You and I both know that San Franciscans love to party. Day or night. Weekday or Weekend. We are always finding one excuse or another to have a festival, throw a party, eat, drink, and be merry.
And this Saturday, August 22nd, is no exception to that rule. La Cocina is teaming up with 7X7 magazine (no affiliation to me and my blog) to throw the first ever Food Festival in San Francisco.
This is what’s going to go down. Folsom street between 25th and 26th street is going to close down. Starting at 11am all the way through 7pm, the foods of San Francisco’s streets are coming directly to you. Casual. Ethnic. Affordable. It’s all coming straight to you.
The event is free. The cost of food and drinks is not. But they claim that nothing will be more than $8. Know before you go – the vendors will only accept cash for food/beverage payment. You can pre-purchase a Passport of Savings so you don’t have to worry about lugging around all that cash.
All proceeds of the event will benefit La Cocina
Just another event which makes San Francisco all the more wonderful to live in!
Kasa Indian Eatery to Open 2nd Location
Hot off the press!!!!
Just heard that one of my favorite Indian eatery’s in San Francisco is expanding from one to two locations. Yippee! Now, instead of making the haul all the way over to Noe Valley/Castro, I have the option of making the even longer haul to the Marina. Why oh why couldn’t they have scoped out SoMa instead? Oh well, I shouldn’t complain. At least we have a NYC equivalent to Kati Rolls here in San Francisco.
Owners Tim Volkema and Anamika Khanna (who happens to be the eatery’s talented chef) are currently scoping out a space right next door to the currently-being-renovated Plumpjack Cafe on Fillmore Street.
Now all we have to hope for is for Anamika and Tim to decide to keep the eatery open after-hours for some late night kati-roll grub. Now that would be the perfect end to a rambunctious night in the Triangle.
Farmers in the Metron
The other day, my boyfriend and I decided to head over to the Metreon to watch “Drag Me to Hell”, which was nothing but a “drag”. Anyhow, upon walking into the Metreon’s corner of 4th and Mission entrance, we noticed something going on in the side room on the left. A Farmer’s Market at 6 in the evening. On a Monday. I mean, I know San Francisco is known for having some of the finest Farmers Markets in the country, but a Farmer’s Market that happens every day, for 10 hours a day, this was something we had to check out.
The Island Earth Farmers Market is open in the Metreon 7 days a week. 10 am to 8 pm Monday through Saturday and 10 am to 7 pm on Sundays. They have about 50 vendors that come in everyday to offer their goods. From African food to Crepes to Dim Sum and Mediterranean foods, the options are endless. Samples are also very easy to come by. Aside from farm fresh, organic food, there are a lot of vendors selling orchids, hand made jewelry, and blown glass. There is something for everyone at the Island Earth Farmers Market in the Metreon.
I do believe that there hasn’t been much promotion and marketing about this Farmers Market, because the evening that I visited, there was something missing. People! So the next time you are headed over there to watch a movie or play in the arcade, make some time to check out the Market in the Metreon.
The Cosmopolitan
Tonight, to watch the Laker game (yes I am a Bay Area girl who is a Laker fan, and damn proud of it!), I went over to The Cosmopolitan on Spear Street. Given my close proximity to this nice little spot, I was surprised this was my first visit there. Pleasantly surprised.
The Drinks: They have 7 different Cosmo’s to choose from: The Cosmo, Classic Cosmo, Sparkling Cosmo, Ruby Cosmo, Raspberry Cosmo, Pomegrante Cosmo, and Sake Ginger Cosmo. My favorite being the Sake Ginger Cosmo! In addition to their delicious Cosmo’s, they have Manhattan’s, Mojitos, Martini’s and more. The bartenders carefully executed their skills and pouring probably one of the finest drinks in San Francisco.
The Food: Not a fan. I ordered the 7″ pizza. My friend ordered the Niman Ranch Burger. And we shared an order of the Parmesan Crusted Fries. All three were mediocre. Since we were seated at the bar, we had hopes that the food was come out quickly. We were wrong. Food came out one by one. And the fries didn’t come out until the very end, after we were done with our entrees. They didn’t bring mustard. They didn’t bring ranch. And the Ketchup was kind of grainy. I definitely would not go back for the food.
TVs: Not an ideal place to watch a sports game. They have three or four small TVs (isnt this the day and age of flat screen TVs? aren’t they super cheap to get these days?) in the corners of the room, and no one else there really seemed to interested in any of the sport games that were playing. This definitely is not a place to get together with your friends to watch a game. You can keep going to Pete’s Tavern for that.
So overall, I highly recommend The Cosmopolitan for its amazing drinks, and overall nice vibe. The crowd was your after-work Fi-Di crowd, somewhat professional. Just make sure you eat beforehand.