Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3202
Loc: Chicago
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In 2004 and 2005 we planned a San Francisco/Wine Country trip only to cancel it later for various reasons. We just booked the 2006 edition of this annual folly. We’ll be leaving (hopefully) on August 31st for 2 nights in San Francisco at the Mandarin Oriental and two nights in Sonoma at the Ledson Hotel.
I’ve asked for restaurant recs before and hope those suggestions are still valid. Any new recs will be appreciated. We’ll try to get in at Gary Danko in S.F. and, of course, The French Laundry in Yountville. Any other suggestions for food and drink would be appreciated.
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JoshA
Reged: 08/28/05
Posts: 2272
Loc: Virginia
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A lunch or dinner on the patio at Domaine Chandon is memorable.
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lstr8r
Reged: 07/28/05
Posts: 30
Loc: Pleasanton, CA
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Hope the trip comes through this time for you. August is likely to be cold and foggy in SF, so come prepared. Weather will be nicer in Sonoma and Napa Valleys. Here are a few very biased restaurant recommendations:
For the wine country:
The French Laundry, Yountville. Arguably the best restaurant in the country. Call your bank to have them increase your credit limit.
Domaine Chandon, Yountville. Dittos with JoshA. Just a smidgeon below TFL, easier to get in.
Buchon. If you can’t get in The French Laundry, try Buchon across the street, also owned by Thomas Keller. (More) reasonably priced.
In the city try:
Ana Mandara, Ghirardelli Square. Modern Vietnamese with a French/American flair. Gorgeous interior, great, creative food. Don Johnson built this place as a location for filming some scenes for his Nash Bridges show, so it's very theatrical looking inside. Don’t let the touristy location and it’s actor/owner fool you; it’s one of the best restaurants in town. Frequented mostly by locals.
Fleur de Lys, Union Square. Very French, very quiet, very romantic, very good. Been at the top of the SF food chain for ages.
Isa, Marina. Italian. Great food in an intimate café setting.
Café Pescatore, North Beach. Italian. Great for lunch. The best fried calamari.
Can’t recommend any of the restaurants on Fisherman’s Wharf, except maybe the crab pots on the sidewalk. Go somewhere else for seafood.
You can also take a look at yelp.com and search by type of food or by neighborhood location. Lots of reviews. And don’t forget to do all the touristy stuff. Those of us who have lived here all our lives still do them….
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JoshA
Reged: 08/28/05
Posts: 2272
Loc: Virginia
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Turns out we will also be doing a Mendocino and Sonoma wine country tour the first week in August so the suggestions are timely. I'm looking forward to checking out the Roederer Anderson Valley winery. Any thoughts on Mendocino eateries and activities?
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lstr8r
Reged: 07/28/05
Posts: 30
Loc: Pleasanton, CA
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It’s been a several years since I was in Mendocino, so I’m sure things have changed quite a bit. Then again, maybe not; Mayberry didn’t ever seem to change much. Based on memory, here are my recommendations:
Places to eat were:
955 Ukiah, The Moosse Café (correct spelling), The Mendocino Hotel (Ollalieberry pie!), and The Mendocino Bakery and Café for breakfast. MacCallum House Restaurant looks impressive, but had terrible service and mediocre food.
Things to do:
Wander through all the quaint little shops around town. Mendocino is kind of a pleasant blend of Cape Cod and Haight/Ashbury. There was a toy store, home and garden shops, art galleries, and apparel stores. At the very end of Main Street was a tiny shop that made spectacular jams, and next door a shop that made the best hand made chocolates. Always emptied my wallet in those two shops on the way out of town. Get outside. The ocean, tide pools, the headlands (past the end of Main Street), and there’s a hiking trail inland into the redwoods though I forget the name. Fort Bragg is several miles north, and has a botanical garden, excursions on the Skunk Train steam engine, and MacKerricher State Park. Little River is a few miles south, with restaurants, inn, and a little golf course.
By all means, do visit Anderson Valley. I don’t drink, so I can’t vouch for the wine, but the apples and other fruit available at roadside stands are exceptional. The drive from Sonoma up through the Anderson Valley to Mendocino is very beautiful, and Highway 1 vistas will stop your heart.
If you’re going stay overnight, there are lots of delightful B&Bs and inns in Mendocino, and you can walk everywhere. If you plan to do it all in one day, better start early. With stops, plan on 2 or 3 hours travel time each way. Have a great trip, and eat some dark chocolate almond bark for me….
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3202
Loc: Chicago
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Thanks for the input. Do you know how far in advance you can book a table at Domaine Chandon or Buchon? TFL is two months, so I'll start trying on July 1st.
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lstr8r
Reged: 07/28/05
Posts: 30
Loc: Pleasanton, CA
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Sorry, don't know how far in advance you can make reservations. July 1st sounds reasonable to me, though. You can make reservations online at a lot of places, too; maybe that's an option. Oh, you mentioned Gary Danko....haven't eaten there but it looks really nice and I've heard good things about it.
Have a great trip!
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JoshA
Reged: 08/28/05
Posts: 2272
Loc: Virginia
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I guess I better start thinking about restaurant reservations since I'm within 2 months. We will be staying 3 nights in Mendocino at Stevenswood and 3 nights in Sonoma at Occidental so we should have plenty of time for explorations other than wine and food. The redwoods and the seacoast are both of interest as well as other outdoor stuff. Any suggestions?
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lstr8r
Reged: 07/28/05
Posts: 30
Loc: Pleasanton, CA
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The north coast is all about the outdoors, so you’ve picked the right place. Just remember that the journey is as important as the destination. The scenery is spectacular, but plan extra time to stop and check out all the quaint, funky things to see and do along the way.
From Mendocino, you can drive south on Highway 1 all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge and SF, or north to the Redwoods National Park. Each a full day’s drive round trip. If you’re interested in National, State, and Regional Parks, check here:
http://www.parks.ca.gov/parkindex/default.asp?tab=2
The parks always have hiking trails and usually some biking trails. Close to Mendocino try MacKerricher State Park, Russian Gulch State Park. The north coast has a few beaches, but mostly rugged coastline with tidepools. Salt Point has some of the best; check the tide tables. The north coast is sparsely populated, but there are several quaint little towns with shops, boutiques, etc. Try Albion, Little River. After SF, you’ll think you’re in a time warp. For events and activities, try Mendocino or Fort Bragg (largest town on this section of the coast).
Sonoma and Napa Valleys have more than just wine. Exquisite little towns with tons of character, many of which dodged the Big One of 1906. As a result, there are lots of Victorian homes to go with the antique shops, restaurants, boutiques, art galleries, B&Bs, and day spas, all of which are as good as they get. Weekends can be a little hectic with Bay Area daytrippers on the wine tasting tours, but weekdays are much quieter.
In Sonoma Valley, I’m not too familiar with the town of Sonoma; the Occidental can probably fill you in on that side of the valley, as well as make recommendations and reservations for you. On the west side, try downtown Petaluma (antique shops, great food, entire neighborhoods of Victorians on the west side of town). Santa Rosa/Rhonert Park area is probably the only area you won’t find interesting. And DO avoid 101 south in the morning and north in the afternoon….wicked ugly Santa Rosa /SF commute.
In Napa Valley, try Yountville (charming town, killer food, boutiques, shops and galleries at Vintage 1870, the best hot air balloon rides), St. Helena, Calistoga (day spa central). Tons of stuff to do. Drive the Silverado trail which loops around the valley, or you can rent bikes and peddle around it. Take an early morning champagne balloon ride. Golf at the Silverado in Napa.
Hope this helps.
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JoshA
Reged: 08/28/05
Posts: 2272
Loc: Virginia
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Thanks, lstr8tr. Good suggestions that we'll keep with us on the trip.
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3202
Loc: Chicago
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Dining reservations:
San Francisco:
1st night: Gary Danko
Second night: Fleur de Lys
Wine Country:
1st night: The Girl and the Fig
2nd night: Domaine Chandon
The French Laundry has 15 tables and I called the morning I was "eligible" to make reservations...too late.
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