Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Sunny Sundays With a View

Having just spent an evening Remembering Playland, a craving forced us back to the crash of Ocean Beach waves. This time, it was for brunch at the iconic lookout point that has had many face lifts, the Cliff House.


Still a huge hot spot for double-decker buses to drop off tourists, the restaurant that was established in 1863 shows them what they want, but especially opens it's arms to locals. They offer week day dinner specials and have two different dining levels depending on what style you are going for. The downstairs portion, Sutro's, is gorgeous, modern and costs a pretty penny. The upstairs section, Bistro, is more casual with a large wooden bar, wicker furniture and tiled floors. The waiter are loud and proud to spout off to you why it is so great to live in the most beautiful city in the world.


Our preference is Bistro as it is more in our price range and they make AMAZING Bloody Mary's. While we waited, we were served a basket of beautiful buttery popovers. Better than croissants, these little wonders made it hard to save room for the main course. We ordered the famous Johnson omelet with huge chunks of Dungeness crab, avocado and a dollop of sour cream on top. This isn't a cheap omelet (18.95) but you certainly get your a ton of crab and a priceless view.


It's true that this is a special occasion-kind-of-place, but when the weather is sunny and warm (a rarity in SF) then that's an occasion all on it's own. Head out there and stare off into the waves.

The Bistro at the Cliff House doesn't take reservations but most of the crowd there is to just look around and not eat, so don't get intimidated. Sutro's strongly recommends making reservations. The Cliff House is located at the end of Geary and the top of The Great Highway. They are open every day.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Dogtown, Alameda

The weather has just been amazing in the Bay Area the last few days. The sun is out and everyone is in a good mood. Time to head outside with the little man and let him romp around with some friends. Most dog parks are fairly small and not all that inviting. There are two in the Bay Area so far that are my favorites. One of them I just discovered in Alameda. (The other is in Novato)
There are two parks for two sizes of dogs, large and small. Since the dogs in the large park were running around at lightening speed and leaving their owners in the dust, we choose the “small dog” area. True, the park was smaller but still plenty of space to stretch his legs. There were water bowls, toys, benches for owners, poopie bags and lots of grass and bushes…pretty much everything you would want for your pooch.


Byron made several friends and left a lot of souvenirs. Seeing my dog happy always makes me happy. Even if you don't have a dog, sometimes it's nice to stop by a dog park with a cup of coffee or tea and giggle at the little guys. The fresh air, the smell of the salt from the bay and joy people radiate in the sun is just about as good as it gets.

The Alameda Dog Park is located in Lower Washington Park at 8th St. and Portola Ave. Parking is free.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Putting the Soul back in Food

Finch and I had an amazing discovery on one beautiful San Francisco Sunday morning. We had heard rumors of all you could eat fried chicken and cornbread brunch in the Tenderloin. There were even whispers that it was under $20 per person. We had to see if this was a dream come true or a cruel urban legend.


Farmer Brown is everything we wanted. The rumors were all true. This is one of those places that is so hip that it makes you grateful to live the city. A place like this wouldn't fly in a small town. When you first walk in, there are thumping beats from the live band. The dude on the mic is into it and you instantly get in a better mood due to their rhythm. We were seated right next to them and didn't mind at all.


Finch can never say no to a Bloody Mary at brunch and I had to try the mimosa. Both a little pricey ($9 and $7) but tasty. We were then shown the buffet. Hot fried chicken, homemade biscuits, thick country gravy (with or without sausage), a steaming pot of grits, spicy cornbread, crisp bacon, fluffy eggs, flapjacks, grapefruit, and an assortment of desserts including sweet potato pie. This was my first real experience with grits. I tried them Finch's way, with salt and butter, then my moms way, syrup on top and then the waitress' way, mixed with sausage gravy. I couldn't pick a favorite. Everything was scrumptious! The fried chicken especially deserves a spotlight. It is crispy and will leave grease all around your face. This place must really go through some napkins. The soul in the food, the music and the atmosphere had a lasting impression on us. For the rest of the day we were in great moods and our souls kept purring.


If you want to try Farmer Brown for yourself, it is located at:
25 Mason St (between Turk St & Market St) in San Francisco.
$16.50 gets you all you can eat brunch.
Brunch 9:00-2:30 Saturdays and Sundays
They are also open for dinner and soon for lunch (starting April 20th)

Sunday, April 11, 2010

An Evening at Playland

Not long ago the amazing little theater that could, The Balboa, hosted the premiere of a documentary about an amusement park on Ocean Beach in San Francisco called Remembering Playland at the Beach. Long before I was born, the amusement park had been torn down to make way for housing. Being raised in the small coastal town of Pacifica, about 15 miles down the coast from the city, I always dreamed of the perfect palace of dreams where heavenly inventions like It's-Its were born and where Laughing Sal would greet and terrify children.




It was a sold out show on a Tuesday at 7:00pm. To celebrate the opening, the theater sold It's-Its treats, showed a Donald Duck cartoon and then clips of old movies that had been filmed at Playland by the Beach. The crowd was also treated to a mentalist reading cards and sharing secrets of why it is so hard to win at carnival games. The documentary wasn't anything special, but the footage of the old rides, children giggling in the old Funhouse and tiny twinkling lights in the wet damp fog made it worthwhile. As we were leaving the theater, the It's-It truck pulled up and gave everyone a free ice cream! Two It's-Its in one night?! Oh yes I said.

After our dessert, we headed over to the whole-in-the-wall bar across the street called Hockey Haven. They were having Playland drink specials so I of course ordered the Laughing Sal, which was nothing more than a vodka cranberry with a splash of something else. It tasted good though and added to my to my jolliness.


Then low and behold! Four Laughing Sals came in for a drink before the next show. They even had a boom box playing recordings of the eerie laughing. Seeing these "ladies," was the perfect ending to an evening of homage to the long lost Playland at the Beach.


The Balboa is going to start showing this film again on April 23rd if you're interested in checking it out!

Monday, April 5, 2010

A Warm Afternoon in the Panhandle

We have a little dog named Byron. One of his favorite things in the whole wide world is to run around the long skinny strip of park attached to Golden Gate Park known as The Panhandle because on a map, it looks like the handle to a pan. Byron was raised going to this park and after we moved back to San Francisco, pretty much all he wants to do every morning and afternoon is visit it. Usually Finch and I avoid the three block walk to entrance of the park for many silly reasons. It could be too cold out or we don't have the time or Byron will get muddy and drag it back into the house and on and on. Really it comes down to us being lazy. But when the sun is out and the fog is not creeping over the horizon, we are more than happy to bring our little man to the park he desires so.

The other day, the weather was just too nice to ignore so I granted Byron his wish. He seemed to skip on the way to the Panhandle and once we arrived, I let him off his leash to enjoy some freedom. He ran up and down the long lawns playing with other dogs while I stood in the sun, watching others enjoy the warmth. Even with the "Area Closed" signs, people stretched out on the grass to soak in some rays. Spending time in a park with my pooch proved to be a lovely way to welcome Spring.