Quick Picks in San Francisco
I just got back from a quick trip to San Francisco. I don't have my camera with me so I'll have to add a new entry later but here are some quick picks from my trip:
Yet another reason why I'm starting to find Kimpton to be my favorite small chain. Whimsical, reasonable prices and great little touches for Kimpton InTouch members. You can't beat the location... caddy corner from Chinatown's Gateway Arch.
Two simple dishes was all it took to show me the light as to why this restaurant earned a Michelin star. One of my dishes begged to be licked clean. I went for lunch and ate at the bar but I imagine reservations are strongly recommended at this celebrated eatery.
Located in Mint Plaza, I really loved 54 Mint. It was the Italian feel - every single person I spoke to... from Claudio, one of the partners, to Nicola and everyone inbetween, was Italian. Italian run through and through led to an authentic Italian experience... a leisurely pace and not the most smoothly run operation but, ironically, that's what I liked about it. It was real and the people were fantastic. I had a nice rughetta salad to start and scrumptious octopus carpaccio.
Was I in Paris? Seriously... this French owned cafe has absolutely nailed it. I had breakfast so I can't speak to the cafe's "real" menu... all I know is that the experience was great. They had the "right" chairs (straight out of a typical Parisian cafe), French staff and just the right feel. If you've been to France before, go here and you'll know exactly what I mean.
Other...
An eminently walkable town, use your feet to get around. So much to see and do. On a related note, to get to and from SFO, be sure to use BART. Roundtrip tickets cost roughly $16.00 and offer a safe, comfortable ride into the center of San Francisco.
