San Francisco is a feast for the mind, the spirit, and the senses. Yet everyone’s love affair with San Francisco is different.
If, like me, you’re passionate about food, you’ll find the Bay Area to be a foodie paradise. Dining out is a religious experience, and the debut of a new restaurant is accorded all the respect of a Broadway play opening in New York.
As you might expect, San Franciscans also eat well at home. Devotees of farmers markets and specialty stores, they are consumers of organic produce, artisanal cheeses, a staggering array of ethnic foods, European-style breads, and ethereal dessert confections offered up by Bay Area bakeries.
Come, stroll the markets with me and savor the sights and aromas. As the fog lifts, let’s begin at San Francisco’s waterfront, where the Ferry Building Marketplace is all the rage. Grab a cappuccino as we start at Far West Fungi, with all its culinary mushrooms and medicinal mushroom supplements, and make our way through the arcade to end at Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, the Parisian-style “caviar café.” Now it’s on to Whole Foods on Fourth Street, where we might taste Humboldt Fog, the cheese that Lea and Brooke like so much in Patterns in Silicon. On the way I’ll point out our striking Museum of Modern Art and the SOMA District, where Lea gets clues to Keith Whitten’s murder at a cyber-café.
Next stop is the Japan Center, where Lea and Paul enjoy a romantic afternoon in the book. If we’re lucky the ikebana society will have a display of gorgeous flower arrangements. On the other hand, don’t be alarmed if you hear strident drumming—it’s probably the sound of Taiko drummers practicing. When we get to the Kinokuniya bookstore, you’ll see for yourself that San Francisco really is the gateway to the Orient—its thousands of books and periodicals are virtually all in Japanese. And I don’t know about you, but I’ve certainly worked up an appetite. Let me buy you lunch at Isobune. Their floating sushi bar is a lot of fun.
Now the sun is finally out, so let’s head for Napa Valley. (Don’t forget to look back at the city as we cross the Golden Gate Bridge—it’s one of my favorite views.) Our first stop will be Sterling Vineyards, where we’ll take a gondola ride up over the valley to the tasting room. Then it’s on to Clos Pegase, the elegant estate winery with a modern sculpture garden. On the way back to the city I think you’ll love Copia, the wine country’s wine and food cultural center and museum.
Where to go for dinner? In these parts, that’s a serious question. But, since you’re leaving the choice up to me, I’ll opt for the restaurant Gary Danko. I think it’s something you’ll probably remember for years. Tomorrow night, we can drive over to the East Bay and eat bistecca fiorentina at Prima, one of Lea’s favorite restaurants.
As the fog horns call and we stroll back to your hotel, take a deep breath and savor the tang of the sea in the air. By the time your head hits the pillow, I wouldn’t be surprised if you too have fallen for San Francisco.