There’s no denying the curb appeal of San Francisco and the Bay Area. Check any “most beautiful cities” list like this one from Forbes, and you’re bound to find San Francisco prominently featured. But venture beyond the stunning cityscapes and you’ll find a wealth of picturesque open spaces and sprawling parklands that can make for a leisurely and memorable excursion. Here’s a list of some of the Bay Area’s most scenic drives: Continue reading The Bay Area’s most scenic drives
Every foodie worth their bamboo roasted sea salt knows that for three-star Michelin-rated dining in the Bay Area, there’s The French Laundry and The Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley. They probably know about our six two-stars, including Coi, Benu and Saison, and even the 34 one-stars. Continue reading Michelin no-stars are still pretty good
There’s a point when you’re hiking up the moderately inclined trail at the Marin Headlands Coastal Trail at Fort Cronkhite, legs pumping, eyes focused on the trail and the surrounding flora, that you come to a level spot and pause to survey the scene. You turn around and… holy cow, what a view: the gleaming Golden Gate Bridge, the sunlight dancing off the ocean, boats trailing plumes of white as they cruise in and out of SF bay, and the city laid out in a patchwork beyond. And you’re only a quarter of the way up the 960-foot summit. Continue reading Best hike for amazing views of San Francisco Bay
What’s up Chocolate & Beer festival? How come you advertise 10 beer companies, but when I drive all the way out to Richmond I only count five. And when I walk up to the table of another, Lost Coast, they’re already out of beer and packing up to leave, and it’s only 3:30. Don’t get me wrong, I like beer, and I’m happy with what you did have*, and for the sunny day by the water at Craneway Pavilion. But that was a lot of money to shell out for an entrance fee, and the price of a beer on top, for just four lousy beer companies. I could’ve had more choices and paid less at pretty much any of my local beer joints, and driven out to Beach Chalet if I wanted a water view. I couldn’t even get a good happy beer buzz. I know you tried to spice it up with the chocolatiers and live music and the jumpy house for the kids, but just like your neighbor to the south, there was no there, there. The whole event was just one big shrug. I’m not unhappy I went, but I doubt I’ll be back next year, especially with a number of other beer fests +.
*Drakes from San Leandro had a variety of beers on tap. Moksha, a craft brew from India though brewed locally, had bottles of their full-bodied amber lager. Trumer Pils had their usual. And Rosie’s Shipyard Ale brewed by Assemble (formerly the Boilerhouse Restaurant) adjacent to the pavilion may have been my favorite. And that was it.
…and freshest, and most authentically Japanese. Located in San Jose’s Japantown, the San Jose Tofu Company is a two-person shop with a woman at the register and a man making tofu in the kitchen behind. And it’s one of the only such shops in the Bay Area to trade in just tofu. They sell a few complimentary items, like rice, ginger and vinegar, but people come for the freshly made hard or soft tofu and still-warm soy milk, and they line up outside to get it. (Actually, the place is so small it only fits one or two customers at a time, but still!) You’ve never had soy milk or tofu that tastes this fresh or good, and for vegetarians and Asian cooks, it’s a must-visit. They also sell okara – basically the film that gets skimmed off during the tofu-making process. It’s considered old people’s food in Japan, but it’s highly nutritious and versatile. The shop sells it plain or as unohana, a dish with sesame oil, diced veggies and soy sauce.
You can make the drive worth-while by checking out the small Japantown, with a number Japanese shops, restaurants, noodle houses and sushi places to choose from.
Another option for fresh-made tofu is Thanh Son Tofu, a Vietnamese run shop in South San Jose.
Here’s a heads up for what promises to be a stunning addition to the Bay Area cityscape. On March 5, in honor of its 75th anniversary, the bay bridge will be lit with 25,000 white LED lights. Each light is individually programmable by the artist behind The Bay Lights project, Leo Villareal, to create complex algorithms and patterns for a dazzling display across the bridge’s west span (the east span will come later). Villareal said it will incorporate 255 levels of brightness, and the lights will be sequenced so the bridge mirrors its surroundings.
The project will continue for two years, with nightly lighting from dusk to midnight. And because it uses energy efficient LEDs, the cost of lighting bridge should be just $30 per day, while it’s estimated to bring an added $97 million to the local economy.
California is a tough place for an eco-friendly building to stand out, with every new construction or rehab touting its green credentials. And since the state instituted the CALGreen building codes in 2011, almost all new buildings are required to be the equivalent of LEED certified, which means builders have to go the extra green mile to gain any recognition. Not only that, the progressive attitude toward environmental issues and sustainability has put California on the forefront of green building practices for decades. According to the US Green Building Council (USGBC.org), California has over 1,700 LEED certified buildings, by far the most of any state in the country. Check out this list of LEED certified buildings in the Bay Area. Continue reading The Bay Area’s greenest buildings
No snow? No problem. You can still have a white Christmas in spirit in the Bay Area, with a number of surefire holiday events and attractions: Continue reading 6 Bay Area attractions to get you in the holiday spirit
Tomorrow is the first Wednesday of the month, so you know what means: free entrance at the San Francisco Zoo! Yeah, that’s right. When was the last time you thought about the zoo, or made a visit, if ever? You wouldn’t be alone. There’s not many cultural t0-do lists of San Francisco that include the zoo. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth checking out. I mean, how often do you get to see a gorilla up close and personal? If you do go, I recommend taking a small child to enhance the experience, like I did on a recent visit. Continue reading A day at the easily overlooked San Francisco Zoo (and why you shouldn’t completley write it off)
Personally, I prefer Thanksgiving at home, where all I have to do is cook and eat, or just eat, lazing around in my old socks and watching movies on Netflix. The idea of getting dressed up and going to a nice restaurant for dinner seems like a lot of work, plus I tend to feel bad for the poor stiffs who have to work that day. Continue reading Where to go for Thanksgiving dinner in the Bay Area
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