Advice you can taste. Adventure you can feel.

Sexy in The City

Is it what’s inside, or underneath, that really counts?

What can make you feel sweet, sexy, empowered and seductive all at the same time? Scrumptious chocolates? Not quite. Flickering candlelight? Getting warmer. A luxurious bubble bath? Almost there. Fabulous lingerie? Now you’re hot!

Don’t you feel secretly sexy when you’re wearing an amazing lacey bra and tulle thong with an unassuming pair of jeans and a t-shirt? How about the amped-up seduction a pair of thigh-highs creates under that stunning dress? Ladies, fine lingerie is just as important as those coveted Manolos, Jimmy Choos and Louboutins you’re so in love with. It’s time to embrace your femininity and treat “the girls”, as well as your derrière, to the luxurious treats that are plentiful in San Francisco’s superb high-end lingerie boutiques.

The Chantelle t-shirt bra... a must have, ladies... Weotta have at least one!

The next time you find yourself strolling along Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights, latte in hand, stop by My Boudoir where you can find lingerie for every mood from sweet Cosabella and playful Princesse Tam Tam to sexy Millesia and seductive Marlies Dekkers.

Looking for the perfect t-shirt bra but with a little added flair and a matching panty? Search no further than Les Cents Culottes on Polk Street in Russian Hill where you can bask in brands like Aubade, Chantelle and Simone Perele. Even men are on their radar with underwear for him from Eminence, Coup de Coeur and Gregg Homme.

Want more? Visit Alla Prima Fine Lingerie in Hayes Valley or North Beach and you won’t be disappointed. You’ll find gorgeous Italian, embroidered bras and panties from La Perla that may make you want to prance around your flat wearing nothing but lingerie even on a rainy, winter San Francisco day!

And last, but not least. No lingerie list would be complete without the grand dame of them all. If you really want to be irresistible, a naughty little number from Agent Provocateur located on Geary Street in Union Square should do the trick!

Say goodbye to Victoria’s Secret and hello to “I’m all grown up now” sexy.

Sweet Tooth SF

S-U-G-A-R, Weotta love sugar… our bodies need it, our taste buds crave it and some of us can’t get enough of it. Lucky for us, San Francisco offers a lot of fantastic ways to get it… top-notch ice cream parlors, nationally acclaimed bakeries, and purely sinful chocolatiers… we have it all.

Where to start? How about breakfast at Tartine? This bakery has a line from the minute it opens to the minute it closes, and rightfully so… they just do a fantastic job on basically everything. For breakfast, try their delightful double pain au chocalat or the subtly sweet, yet perfectly flaky frangipane croissant. And for those of you with the need something a little sweeter get one of their creamy éclairs… it really is no wonder this little gem won a James Beard award.

Ok, now that you are on your first sugar high of the day take a nice stroll through the Castro and up the Haight to Cole Valley. Nestled in the heart of Cole Valley you will find your next stop, Boulange de Cole Valley. By the time you get there you should be about ready for your second rush of the day and excited for a little something sweet to get you going. How about a canele? This pastry is really something you must experience.  For those of you who have been to the south of France you know what I mean, and to find it in SF is really quite a treat. O yes, you should get a few of their delicate almond macaroons as well. These colorful, petite, tasty sandwiches of butter cream are just the thing to keep you buzzing through your afternoon.

At this point you are probably bouncing off the walls, but what day of sweets would be complete without every kid’s favorite, ice cream? Some of our favorite places are Mitchell’s in the Mission and Bi-rite Creamery next to Dolores Park. Both quite different… At Mitchell’s you get the down home, old-school feeling we all crave from our childhoods… you will seriously feel like you are a kid again.  But since you are an adult, you should try one of their more mature flavors like Kahlua mocha cream and rum raisin. Bi-rite, on-the-other-hand, screams San Francisco foodie nouveau with artisanal flavors like salted caramel, balsamic strawberry and lavender… all produced from the finest of cows, of course. O ya, they have homemade ice cream sandwiches… now there is unforgettable for you… get one!

What day of sweet indulgence would be complete without chocolate? So, to complete your day get a mellow cup of sipping chocolate at Bittersweet Café on Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights. Now, sipping chocolate shouldn’t be confused with hot cocoa… very different stuff. Sipping chocolate is way richer, decadent, and really warms the soul. If you have never tried it before get Bittersweet’s signature drink, the Bittersweet; it is basically melted bittersweet chocolate… can you say sinful satisfaction?

There you have it, a taste of SF’s sweetest sensations… Weotta get our sweet tooth on… one more thing… don’t forget to brush your teeth.

Party Weotta Style (Part3) "Let there be food"

Now that you have your drinks covered and you know about the most important food to have at parties, cheese, lets step back for a minute and discuss the rest of the food.

Food at parties is a must have. No, not just because without it everyone gets too wasted, but because food can really make an affair. As we wrote about a few weeks back, we love good eats and when we throw parties the food is always a highlight. For those of you who have come to our parties you know what we mean. Here are our rules: Yes they are boring and slightly scientific, but they all taste great.

1. Always have something fatty, like cheese, because fat is filling and slows down alcohol absorption
2. Drinking sucks electrolytes out of your system so have something salty, like cashews
3. Have a little something sweet, like chocolate, everyone loves it and it is actually really good for you
4. Presentation matters… when things look better they taste better… so don’t be the host that serves the hummus in the handy container it comes in
5. No forks or spoons for us… it is all about finger food because it is easy to enjoy while carrying a tasty beverage

The Sweet stuff: Follow Rule #3… as we said before we love chocolate, and one of our favorite things to do is to get big bars of dark chocolate, break them up and put a little coarse sea-salt on them. We often do this in combination with fruit. The large bars from Scharffen Berger Chocolate of Berkeley or the Belgian ones from Trader Joes are perfect for this. On a side note, Scharffen Berger is sadly closing their Berkeley factory where they had quite the entertaining chocolate tour.

Fruit: Berries are always good. We love doing balsamic strawberries or fresh raspberries… both go great with chocolate. Sometimes we will cut up a melon or two and wrap pieces in prosciutto… it just really depends on what is in season. If we do apples or pears we’ll often pair them with blue cheese or a soft brie like cheese (there we go with the cheese again, can never get enough).

Chips and salsa: We don’t usually do chips but when we do we like getting fresh salsa (look  in the refrigerated section) and good all natural crispy chips like Casa Sanchez. O yes, try not to do the Doritos. They are so unclassy, unhealthy and actually are quite expensive for what they are.

Crackers and bread: Bread is always better than crackers… fills the stomach a bit more and is so much more fun to eat. Here in SF we have some of the best bread in the country, so get a nice loaf of acme or beckmans and enjoy it with your cheese and dips. If you need crackers, get basic water crackers or go for pita chips… both are easy to pair with just about anything.

Meat: Deli meats are made for sandwiches and parties, especially cured and force meats. Some of our favorites are Fra’Mani Salumi and prosciutto di-parma. If you have a Crockpot, homemade meatballs can be a fun addition as well.

Seafood:  Usually skip seafood unless you really enjoy cooking like we do. In that case try your hand at a scallop, salmon or tuna ceviche. Here is an easy scallop ceviche recipe… we made something similar at our last dinner party. There is also the standard shrimp cocktail… everyone loves it and it is really easy. Lox is another thing people love, but it always goes too fast and there is never enough. We served it at our New Year’s Party and it felt like it was gone before the party started.

Veggies: Eat your greens, they can be fun too.  When we say greens, we really mean cucumbers; we love serving them with dips. And who can do without baby carrots? Seems like they have to be at every party these days… if you have the time, carrot sticks are a nicer way to go. But if you don’t have the time (and who does?) just serve the baby carrots… they are good for your guests.

Nuts: We prefer cashews because they are something most people really enjoy and they are classy and quite filling, unlike peanuts. Plus, salted ones are a great way to fulfill Rule #1 and #2. They go fast, mostly because people just eat them without noticing. Often times it is good to mix things up with some fancy mixed nuts or rice crackers. If you want to get really adventurous you can roast your own, but that is another post.

Dips: Hummus is always a good one to do with veggies, bread, chips and/or crackers. Often times we will get or make fresh pesto… it goes great with fresh bread. We will also usually do a dipping oil of (olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed garlic, parmesan, and balsamic vinegar).

Cooked dishes: If you want to do any cooked appetizers you will want to prepare them before the party so you can enjoy the company of your guests.  Trust me, I know how this feels… I am usually in the kitchen… lucky for me people always love hanging out in the kitchen

So now you know your drinks and your food, what could be next?

Christmas Shopping Weotta Style

Christmas is next week, yes next week – where did the year go? Have you done your Christmas shopping yet? If you are like us then probably not. But no problem, the weekend before Christmas is the perfect weekend to shop. You are probably thinking, packed stores, long lines, over priced knickknacks, picked over sweaters – Weotta be kidding, right?

No really, it can be fun and doesn’t have to be stressful. Here’s our top 5 reasons why:

5) Feel good about saving money. This year there are some great discounts to be had and the closer we get to Christmas the cheaper things get.

4) Excuse to buy yourself a little treat. With the discounts available you will have a little left over to buy yourself something special.

3) Explore your city. It’s a great excuse to checkout some neighborhoods you don’t get to all that often. Union street in the Marina is quite the scene, with good looking people strolling from shop to café to bar. Hayes Valley is pretty hip as well, with quite the collection of trendy stores.

2) Support local merchants. There are tons of stylish local boutiques all over your city, where the service is personal, the lines short and they have all sorts of one-of-a-kind items. For instance,  Enchanted Crystal (Union @ Laguna St ) where you can get lost for hours in their one of a kind art pieces, glass wears and jewelry from all over the world. How about Flight 001 in Hayes Valley (Hayes @ Octavia St), the ultimate place to find the perfect gift for the hip urban traveler on your list.

1) You can eat and drink your way through the day. There are all sorts of quaint coffee shops, cafes and bars to relieve your holiday shopping woes. Betelnut in the Marina (Union @ Buchanan St) is always good for a  cocktail or two, a snack and some people watching in between shopping on Union Street- try the happy buddha dumplings or the chili crusted calamari.  Citizen Cake Patisserie (Grove @ Gough St), not the restaurant- the patisserie, is a relaxing stop for a chocolate cupcake and cappuccino while shopping  in Hayes Valley; this time of year you can try their egg nog ice cream as well.

O ya, and don’t worry if you don’t find everything on your list in one day, “the internet” has your back.

So grab your favorite urban explorer- Weotta get shopping.

Family Visiting for the Holidays?

Family coming to San Francisco for the holidays?Wondering how to make the most of it without doing the same tired traditions…try this:

Find a local spot that you’ve always wanted to go to, but never did because it was always right there. For Bay Area natives, there are several options to consider, but one in particular is the new California Academy of Sciences. Round up the family and spend the day exploring the rain forest, planetarium, and natural history museum. You’ll feel like you’ve gone on a mini-vacation too.

Or, treat your family to a classic California Brunch by picking up fresh spices, organic vegetables and flowers at the Farmer’s Market. Take public transportation, bring some canvas bags to stay “green”, and load up your sacks with delicious camembert, lavender bunches and maybe some chocolate truffles to create a truly special ambiance.

If you’re really feeling the spirit of the holidays, and want to give more than you receive, check out a local volunteering agency. Visit Elders in the local area who may be feeling lonely or sad. Or, go to the Annual Holiday Christmas Block Party and help prepare grocery bags and register residents who are less fortunate than us, especially during these harsh economic times.

No matter what you choose to do this holiday, make the most of this gorgeous area with the ones you love. Try something new, you may end up making it a new holiday tradition for years to come!