Hello San Francisco

Hello to the land of sourdough, a big golden bridge, and a place that has as many great restaurants as it does hills! We decided to take some much deserved time off and visit SoNorCal for a few days this month. We were not disappointed one bit! It is even rumored that I may have commented on liking the Bay Area better than sunny San Diego. Blasphemy!

After an 8 hour drive and stop at a friends house in Menlo Park, the four Wiktors landed at our home for the next few days. Not to gush, but what a great hotel find. We stayed in a huge, 3 bedroom condo at the Wyndham Canterbury and couldn’t have been happier especially considering the bill. After a night of sleep, we were ready to take in the sights. Alcatraz was first on the list, so after a quick bite at Cafe Capriccio, we cruised down to Pier 33 to catch the ferry. The tour was great and I’m happy to report that all of us made it off The Rock without any VX gas scares. After landing back on the mainland, we grabbed a bite to eat at the famous Molinari Delicatessen for a sandwich that rivaled any I’ve had. We rounded out our day with a quick trip to Fisherman’s Wharf for some crab chowder and then dinner at Jasper’s Corner Kitchen, a gastro pub right around the corner from the hotel.

Tuesday was a day in the markets of the Ferry Building and on the streets of Chinatown. While at the Ferry Building we grabbed a cup of joe (really a cappuccino but who’s keeping track) at the famed Blue Bottle Coffee. It lived up to its name and takes the cake for the best coffee on the trip, barely edging out Four Barrel Coffee (more on that later). After checking out a fortune cookie factory in a Chinatown back alley, we grabbed some lunch and Sophia finally got to “eat rice with daddy” like she’d been asking to do over the past few weeks. After the kiddos got a nap, we trucked over to Jane On Fillmore, another awesome coffee stop, then headed for the Golden Gate Bridge. Other than Will forgetting to look at the camera for the big photo, the Golden Gate visit was not a disappointment. While we were on the north side of the bay, we stopped into Fish in Sausalito for more happy eats.

Wednesday came quickly but we had a solid plan for the day. It started with breakfast at farm:table. All lower case AND a colon in the name? Can you get any more hipster than that? Jokes aside, it was a great place to grab the most important meal of the day prior to hopping on one of San Fran’s famous cable cars. After riding up and down the hills, Dad was off to the California Academy of Sciences with the kids while Mom relaxed for an afternoon at the spa. Another great meal with some friends closed the day and we were off to bed.

Thursday morning we made our final stop at Four Barrel Coffee, another fantastic San Francisco coffee shop that ranks amongst the best in the nation. While the ambiance at Four Barrel easily beats out Blue Bottle, the top coffee goes to Blue Bottle according to my hack of a pallet. Really it’s like picking the best car between a Ferrari and a Lamborghini though… being number two ain’t exactly like losing. Can’t wait for another excuse to make the trek north and visit again.