Carrie's SF Picks

Downtown:

- winter: ice skate at Union Square (& get hot cocoa at Starbucks across the street at Macy’s 4^th floor and watch the Zamboni!)

- cable car ride up to Fairmont; Tonga Room (excellent tiki bar; used to be the health club. Carrie was married on the boat in the middle of the pool!)

- Breakfast at Sears (only breakfast, not known for other meals – get the Swedish pancakes)

- John's Grill (see the Maltese Falcon – or ignore it and just eat steak. Yum)

- Tadich Grill (Carrie’s Dad’s fave – oldest SF restaurant)

- Starlight Room (there may be a drag show, there may be a cover – the view is AMAZEBALLS)

- China Town: Far East Café, shopping on Grant Ave, dim sum galore

- Cafe de la Presse (get newspapers from anywhere!)

- Cafe Claude (get the citron presse – tart and yummy!)

- FLLW building at 140 Maiden Lane (1949)

- Stookey’s Club Moderne 895 Bush (Carrie’s friend’s new deco bar)

- Whitechapel 600 Polk at Turk – another of Carrie’s friends created this gin bar for time travel – a MUST!

- Uncle Vito’s Pizza on Bush and Powell (owned by Carrie’s ex-husband. Actually very good pizza!)

Market Street:

- street car to Castro Theatre (January = Noir City film fest! first: Twin Peaks bar)

- Zuni Cafe (famous for oysters, hamburgers)

- Chow at 14th/Church (organic food, always good)

- Twin Peaks for view (see photo above!)

Haight Street: 

- Deluxe (where the 40s crowd used to go when there was one)

- Amoeba, Rasputins (record stores!!) 

- Relic Vintage (ask for Oran, Carrie’s friend)

- Big Legs = Piedmont Boutique (for fishnets, wigs, cheap earrings, gloves, costumes)

Mission: 

- Tartine (best croissants outside of France)

- Rosamunde sausage (Mindy often DJs reggae on Sundays)

- Mission Pie (everything is good; the pie is excellent)

- tacos at La Taqueria (Zagat rated!)

- Thrift Town & Mission Thrift

- fresh fruit markets

- 1972 BART station (Brutal)

- Mission Dolores (get your history on)

- Makeout Room for live music (Thursday nights)

- de angelis (best vintage furniture, on Valencia)

- Casanova (dive bar with great collection of black velvet nudes)

- Arinell's pizza (NY style; the best!)

- St. Mary's Pub (just past 30^th, tiny place with great DJs)

- Front Porch / Rock Bar (best fried chicken; fab soul food which you can eat in the restaurant or in the bar across the street)

North Beach: 

- Cafe Trieste (coffee!!!)

- Caffee Greco (coffee, pastries and gelato – lovely place to sit and look out the window)

- Vesuvio (since 1948 and still looks the same inside. Stained glass, random chairs, Victoriana. Love)

- City Lights books (books, check their event schedule for readings & book-signings)

- Victoria Bakery (not safe if you are on a diet!)

Embarcadero: 

- walk along water

- Red's Java House (cheap marginal burgers, excellent view and you can sit right on the water)

- Pier 23 (for live music)

- Fancy food at Ferry Building (all local, none cheap)

- Take ferry to Sausalito for lunch at The Trident (MUST SEE INSIDE! Amazing 60s/70s history)

- Hyatt and Embarcadero Shopping Center (70s chic)

Levi's Plaza: 

- Levi's museum (rotating display at Levi’s HQ, also employee cafeteria is excellent and open to public)

- brutalist fountain (walk in it and get your feet wet!)

- Filbert Steps up to Coit Tower (just under 400 steps up; see the famed 30s murals inside the tower)

Fisherman's Wharf: 

- Crab season (= Nov to May) Scoma's is GOOD but $$$, get fresh on the water and ask them to steam it for you!

- Sour Dough Bread Bowl (addicting, nothing like it!)

- Fisherman's Grotto #9 (get spaghetti; crab cakes are good – otherwise this is not the BEST food but the atmosphere is vintage fantastic – since 1935)

- penny arcade / musee mechanic (old and sometimes freaky mechanical amusements. Carrie hates Laughing Sal)

Ft. Mason: 

- Green's (best veggie restaurant in the US)

- old tile benches on the water (if you can find them – walk along the right side of the Festival Pavilion)

Presidio (1776):

- Bowling

- Presidio Social Club (GREAT FOOD and cocktails, can sit outside, parking)

- walk from Crissy Field to Fort Point (see seals and surfers)

Golden Gate Park: 

- Conservatory of Flowers (fab on a rainy day; built from a kit in 1878)

- Japanese Tea Garden (ogle the koi and stay for tea after you walk around the gardens)

- De Young (amazing art exhibits; TOWER has stunning 360 view of SF; go for free Friday night events)

- Archery range at 47th ave (lessons are offered on Saturday mornings)

- 70s Parcourse at Polo Field (there is also a modern parcourse at Crissy Field)

Palace of Fine Arts (1915 Maybeck):

- nice for picnic (feed the ducks and pretend to be a Victorian)

- A16 on Chestnut (ask for Shelley, Carrie’s cousin)

Great Highway:

- beautiful drive along the ocean (occasionally closed for sand)

- Cliff House (fancy place to eat brunch)

- Louis’ diner at top of hill (same great view, no attitude)

- Hike around the ruins of the Sutro Baths (feel like you are at the edge of the world)

SOMA / Potrero Hill / Bayshore:

- Tour Anchor Brewery (best lunch but need to reserve in advance)

- Vega 1246 Folsom Street (M-F only – get the Macau Iced Coffee)

- Twisty street (Vermont)

- Farley's coffee (and the used bookstore across the way)

- The Ramp (oysters, burgers, beer, dogs OK since 1950)

- The Old Clam House (every meal begins with a shot of hot clam juice. Which is delicious, really!)

- Silvercrest donuts (greasy spoon with pool table and pin ball, started life as a dry goods store 1870s)

- Alemany Market (Sat = Farmer's, Sun = flea mkt)

Stay tuned for more to come in Carrie’s Bay Area picks!

You can also see this post on my LinkedIn page