Advice you can taste. Adventure you can feel.

Just in time for the weekend: SF Fleet Week! Time to party like Top Gun!

Excited for Fleet Week? Ready for the skies to light up with the supersonic blasts of the Blue Angels, to cruise the Marina, and to party like you are Tom Cruise in Top Gun?  If so, here is a little info to enhance your weekend…

-Go to a roof-top party: Many of you probably have been invited to a roof-top party or two… you should certainly go and do some of the best daytime drinking you will get to have all year. For those of you not invited to a roof-top party you can still go to one.  Just walk around the Marina, look for some of the larger roof-top parties, and walk on up. Yes you will be crashing the party, but most likely you will be a welcome guest for two reasons: (1) people are in a festive mood (2) many of the parties are often whole apartment buildings getting together hosting one huge party… no one will know anyone else. Oh ya, either way make sure to bring some booze.

-Have a filling American-style late lunch/early dinner around Polk and Union St: Why there? Because you are going to Big Foot Lodge next to continue your day of drinking and it is on your way.  Two easy places to go are Polkers Gourmet Burgers and Rex Cafe. Polkers has affordable, basic, and tasty burgers and fries that will quickly satisfy your hunger. Rex’s has more inventive food for a little more $, but it is a nice setting and always a good time.

-Go to the Big Foot Lodge: It is the kind of place I could picture the Top Gun boys, Maverick and Goose, having a few cocktails after flying… you will know what I mean the second you walk in the door. It is a place that is always full of fun people and has some of the most fun bartenders in the city. They make strong drinks and have some good beers on tap, and if you want destruction in a glass ask for a Road Kill shot. Oh ya, and if you are still standing at midnight, which is probably doubtful , I hear they may just do something crazy like light the bar on fire… what could be a better ending to a Fleet Week affair?

Springtime is Margarita Time

The much anticipated San Francisco springtime weather is upon us – let’s celebrate… ¡vamos a celebrarlo!

What better way to bask in the warmth of the sun than with an icy cold pitcher of margaritas and mouthwatering fresh ceviche! From the Mission to the Marina and the Financial District to SOMA, San Francisco is home to some of the best Mexican food north of the border.

The City’s Mexican food capital is the Mission district, so cha cha cha your way down to Valencia and 16th where you’ll find the always packed Puerto Alegre. Their carne asada nachos and steak quesadilla suiza don’t disappoint, especially if you were over-served when bar hopping across town the night before. You’ll never leave this mega-dive hungry, and after a pitcher of their ultra potent margaritas, you’ll be feeling no pain!

For those of you that like your Mexican food with a side of trendy, strut your stuff to the Marina for “the eat and be seen scene” at Mamacita’s on Chestnut Street. Dazzle your taste buds with the delectable ahi tacos or stick-to-your-ribs chicken enchiladas.

For a drinks only night, mingle at the eternally buzzing bar while sipping on fresh-squeezed pomegranate margaritas. After a long week, head out early for the 4pm Friday Happy Hour at Mexico DF Cocina and Cantina in the Financial District where you can drown your sorrows as you raise your margarita to yet another weak week on Wall Street.

Or, just say hit me with your best shot at Tres Agaves Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Lounge in SOMA where the seasoned aficionado can sip on some of the finest tequilas available. The uninitiated can get in on the fun too with a tequila cocktail or a perfect margarita poured with 100% agave tequila. Follow by devouring their delicious guacamole before heading over to watch the Giants game.

Weotta  have a Margarita or three… ! Arriba!

A Night in the Marina

Last Saturday night I decided to hang out with several friends in one of San Francisco’s most picturesque neighborhoods, the Marina.   Nestled between Russian Hill and Pacific Heights,  with beautiful bay views and the Golden Gate Bridge within walking distance, this small neighborhood transcends trendy. It is one of my favorite neighborhoods in all of SF and for good reason: it is full of attractive men and women, stylishly dressed patrons,  lots of fun intimate bars, exclusive boutiques,  and one-of-a-kind restaurants close enough to each other that a girl in the highest of heels has no prob hopping around. It truly is an experience for the uninitiated.

A proper night out in the Marina can take many turns, from trendy and hip, to downright divey.  Let’s take a look at one of the bars that dots Fillmore Street, a staple in the Marina pub crawl, the Matrix at Fillmore.

For those of you who don’t know, the Matrix has been a part of the Marina district since the mid-60’s. It was opened by Marty Balin, the lead singer of Jefferson Airplane, and has hosted music legends such as the Doors and the Grateful Dead.

Today, the Matrix is a cluster of lounge seats, dark lighting, inconspicuous “S-E-X” letter tables and sexy patrons. In the middle is a chic fireplace with comfortable lounge seating. On any weeknight the Matrix would be a perfect date venue, but on Friday or Saturday nights it’s a cluster of single men and women conversing, mingling, and of course checking out the procession of candidates who glide in through the doors.

Once you have your drinks, find a seat on the wall and watch the scene unfold before your eyes.  Better yet, for a little more privacy head through the short, dark hallway to the back room where a venerable playground of cushions, ottomans, and comfortable plush seating awaits.

After a warm-up drink at the Matrix, make a beeline for the Balboa Café across the street. This corner bar, with its brightly lit interior, is a stark contrast to the lounge feel of the Matrix.  Saddle up to the bar and order any one of the traditional cocktails that the attentive bartenders can muster up… a Manhattan, a gin and tonic, bourbon on the rocks. The venue oozes old school, where drinks are stiff, and the furniture and interior harkens back to a time and place when a bar was for drinking with your friends, not a game of beer pong.

If the night calls for another venue change, walk down Fillmore towards the bay, and at the corner of Chestnut and Fillmore sits one of the trendiest and coolest hot spots in the area, Circa.  Once you get past the bouncer and the tall, thin, impeccably dressed female patrons, you’re immersed in an expansive room with a large, almost circular bar. Here the libations have a tendency to run towards beer, mixed drinks and shots.  Don’t let the Banana Republic shirts and jackets donned by the young men scare you away, or the short Bebe skirts and dresses intimidate you.  Yes, the post-college crowd can dominate the scene; but if that doesn’t deter you, then by all means, come in and mingle with the stylish and hip 20 and 30-somethings.

For a late night bite, you can’t go wrong with Pizza Orgasmica right next to the Balboa Café.  Wait, you’re a little short on cash?  You’ve only got $6 in your wallet because you’ve been buying rounds of Patron instead of Jose Cuervo?   If your expensive tequila habit drains your wallet have no fear.  At Pizza Orgasmica you can get 2 slices for the lonely Lincoln and Washington inhabiting your wallet… make one a pepperoni, and the other a sausage with cheese.

If your palate requires a more “sophisticated fare”, i.e. a 24-hour joint, you have 2 options right around the corner on Lombard Street.  The International House of Pancakes, affectionately known as IHOP, serves up a cornucopia of delightful pancake pairings to curb your late-night hunger.  Feel free to top off the pancakes or Belgian waffles with strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream and/or 4 different types of syrup.  If you’re craving more of the mom & pop feel of a good old-fashioned 50’s establishment, head a couple of blocks down Lombard to Mel’s Diner. This long-standing San Francisco institution has burgers, fries, shakes, and an extensive menu of late night grub to help you forget how inebriated you are.

Enjoy your night out in the Marina, and stay tuned for more about one of my favorite neighbourhoods in SF…

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.

The Post-Thanksgiving Lull… What To Do???

Thanksgiving, what a blur; four days of eating, drinking and family time that just flies by every year. Right now we are all feeling at least 10 pounds heavier, perhaps a little jet lagged and hardly ready to get back to the daily grind. It is time we exercise, eat healthier and have a few drinks to reward ourselves before we do it all over again in a few weeks.

So Weotta go running, play some tennis, get on the b-ball court, or at least hit the gym once or twice. Eat fresh fruits for breakfast, salads for lunch and lean meats/fish for dinner. At the very least layoff the sugar; I know many of us need the rush of a Snickers or the boost of a Coke to get us through the day but try going for an apple or a cup of black tea instead.

Running and a light bite in the Marina: Park at Crissy Field and go for a jog or do some sprints along Marina green. It is the place to see and be seen with lots of good looking guys/gals working out in the latest fashion and great views of the bay and the Golden Gate – talk about motivation to get in shape. Afterwards head over to Plutos (Chestnut @ Scott) for a tasty big salad- one of the best cheap eats places in the Bay.

Tennis and basketball in the Mission: Yes, Dolores Park (Dolores @18^th) maybe the hipster hangout these days, but it is home to some pretty nice tennis courts and basketball hoops that are lite until 10:00pm. So grab a friend or two and get to it. Afterwards stop by Bi-Rite Market (18^th betweenDolores & Guerrero) for some gourmet fresh flavors- try the yam sandwich.

Pumping iron at Mission Cliffs: For those that enjoy the gym how about Mission Cliffs (Harrison @ 19^th) where you can not only pump iron but try your hand at some climbing as well. Climbing really is the total body workout, but you won’t notice until the day after because it is quite the mental challenge. Afterwards walk over to Café Gratitude (Harrison @ 20^th) for some cleansing, fresh vegetarian goodness – try the sushi bowl.

Eat well, exercise, and have fun doing it… Weotta be healthy!