Browse Category: outings

Brother & Joy in SF

Ferry Plaza

I’m a little behind on my postings but I guess it’s better late than never.  Last weekend Brother and Joy came up and we had a good time eating, drinking, exploring, and drinking some more.  On Saturday morning we went to the Ferry Plaza to check out the Farmers’ Market.  We got to taste lots of yummy fruits and samples and checked out the cute stores inside.  Unfortunately the peanut monster attacked the Brother again and he ended up having to yak in a quiet corner into a plastic bag.  Poor guy.

red carpet

Later that morning we headed up to Napa.  We stopped for lunch at Genova and then headed to Nickel & Nickel for their Cabernet Release Party.  They served 11 wines along with a spread of cheese and appetizers.

Jes & Brother

It was set in one of their underground cellars and even had valet service and a red carpet entrance.

Wine in a Box

We went home with a pretty wooden box filled with our favorite wines and a good buzz that lasted the rest of the afternoon.

Ad Hoc

We tried to stop at Mumm for a champagne tasting before dinner but they were running so behind that we decided to head out before the waitress was able to say hello to our table.  For dinner we went to Ad Hoc, which is another one of Thomas Keller’s creations.

Lamb and Potatoes

It’s a casual restaurant offering a different menu each day and serves everything family style.  It was complete with a salad straight from The French Laundry garden, succulent lamb and potatoes, savory cheese with honey, and two different desserts!  The Bangs joined us but they had to get a separate table across the walkway.

Chinatown Breakfast

On Sunday, we ventured out to Chinatown for jook and fried dough at Washington Bakery & Restaurant.  Mmmm…that really hit the spot.

Fortune Cookie Factory

We also walked around looking for cheap t-shirts and visited the Fortune Cookie Factory.

Bi-Rite Creamery

Afterward, I took them to Bi-Rite Creamery and then Fisherman’s Wharf for some snacks before their flight back to LA.

Here are more photos from the weekend (including Debbie’s birthday dinner).  And here are photos from our day in Napa.  It was fun seeing you two again!!!  Come back soon!

Surprises for Debbie

cousins

On Friday night, Brother and Joy flew up to visit and our first stop was Vaso Azzurro in Mountain View where Debbie was having a surprise bday dinner with friends.  I told Pish that I would be there but we told no one that I’d be bringing some extra guests.  Debbie was genuinely surprised to see us and it was a lot of fun being there to celebrate her special day.  It’s always great to see the cousins again.

Sunday Streets in the Mission

street closure

This morning I got up early to take Jes to the airport for a 9 am flight to NYC.  Once I got home, I got a message from Ryan that they were going out to The Mission for Sunday Streets.  “Sunday Streets” is basically a relatively new idea that involves closing down streets in certain neighborhoods to allow residents to roam the streets, get some exercise, and get a taste of the local shops and flavors.

jack and daddy

Jack had a great time running in the middle of the street making sure to stomp on each of the manholes.  He almost got to play with a ladybug that landed on Ryan’s shorts (above photo) but it got smushed.  Boo…  There were lots of people riding bikes, rollerskates, and pushing strollers.

horchata

I got to check out the different stores along the route and we stopped for lunch at Chavita’s Numero Dos, which turned out to be rather tasty.  Jack LOVED the horchata and I don’t think Michelle got much of her drink.

slide

We also stopped at a playground and tried to convince Jack that going down slides was fun.  I’m not so sure he was convinced.  By the end of the morning, we were all tired and full and had a fun day in the sun.

auntie beak and jack

Thanks for taking me along, guys!  Bee-too-bee had fun!

Here are the rest of the photos.

The Marina District x2

Tipsy Pig

The Bangs live in the neighborhood called The Marina.  They have a gorgeous view of the GG Bridge and have lots of cute stores up the street from their apartment.  Unfortunately, it’s also deep into the city and parking is really hard to find.  As a result, we don’t venture out there much and the Bangs get sad that they have to come out to our ‘hood most of the time.

Pulled Pork Sliders

So, on Friday night, we went out to their area for Happy Hour and dinner.  Bang, Jes, and I took the bus over and we had an evening at The Tipsy Pig.  We snagged a table out in the patio (without a reservation) and convinced the manager to get us an order of bacon mac & cheese from the kitchen.  We also tried the pulled pork sliders and a couple of salads.  They were all pretty yummy.

Renegade Craft Fair

The next morning, I rode the same bus and met up with Vyl near her apartment.  We walked over to Fort Mason and checked out the Renegade Craft Fair.

Eleen

They had a lot of really cute things and we also went to visit Eleen at her booth that was tucked away in the back.  I picked up a few gifts and also got a cute elephant wallet from Eleen!  Yay!

It’s just another awesome weekend.

I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary today but I’m having a fun weekend so far.  It started last night when Jes and I went out for drinks and some late-night Thai food.  I love Friday nights. We also met up with Jon and Janelle, who are up here for the weekend.  They’re staying at the Mandarin Oriental and it’s so pretty inside!

In the morning, I went to Farmers’ Market and officially decided that it’s one of my favorite things to do in SF.  Every time I go, I find something new and yet find all my favorites there each time as well.  I give myself one hour to shop and I end up spending way more time just wandering, sampling, and shopping.  Today, I came home with fresh corn, basil, and Japanese cucumbers.  I also bought spring rolls from Out the Door, an iced coffee from Pete’s, and some pretty dahlias for my coffee table. With sunny skies and pleasantly warmer temps, the walk home was nice.

patio

Later in the afternoon, I went over to the Sokol-Juns to have some Little Skillet fried chicken and Coors Light in their patio and scored a borrowed Crackberry Curve from Ryan.  Ah…it’s nice to have a smartphone again.  My temporary Sony Ericsson was ok but it certainly was a dumbphone.

beakafied crackberry

Here’s a picture of my beakafied crackberry.  Woot!

3rd and 1st Place

#1

Jes has been in search of the next best bowl of ramen for the past 2 years since we moved up to SF from the OC.  His #1 is at the food court at Mitsuwa in Costa Mesa called Santouka Ramen. It has tender pork, a good salty taste, and comes with a soy sauce egg on the side.

#2

His #2 is at Ramen Nakamura in Waikiki. It’s hearty, comes with gyoza and fried rice, and their broth is so savory.

#3

Last night we had dinner at Katana-Ya and I think we found his #3.  Since this one is the only one we can access immediately, I suppose this is his local #1 thus far.  We have been to so many ramen places and he always leaves a little dissatisfied.  Thankfully we’ve finally found something worth going to again.  I had read about this place and had it bookmarked but when Susie mentioned to me the other day that it was her favorite ramen place in the city the deal was done.   So on our usual Wednesday night dinner, we had to get some.  Ah…now we don’t have to go to Costa Mesa or Hawaii for good ramen.