Good evening, folks. This is your Captain speaking. Whether you’re a sophisticate, sporty type, or just a small fry, we recommend you set your course for San Francisco’s Fisherman Wharf and drop anchor for a few nights at the Argonaut Hotel. Run by those stellar life-style know-it-alls at the Kimpton Hotel Group you’re gonna love…
Earlier this year, my family celebrated a milestone birthday at Fleur de Lys in San Francisco, heralded by Traditions & Qualité in their 2007 Edition of Les Grandes Tables du Monde Guide as one of the world’s best French restaurants. This book highlights 140 venues for having “the most luxurious settings, the creativity of the…
I’ve driven by Alegrias on Lombard Street in the Marina District for years on my way from Marin County to other San Francisco restaurants that were downtown, in Chinatown, North Beach and beyond. So I’m thrilled that I finally had a chance to sample their traditional Spanish cuisine featuring tapas, paella, Spanish wines and sherries….
Whenever I spy a Top Ten list in a publication, I always check to see if I’ve experienced it. In Sunset Magazine’s new list of the Top Ten Favorite City Boutique Hotels in the West I’ve stayed at three: Portland’s White House Bed & Breakfast in Oregon; Pensione Nichols Bed & Breakfast in Seattle and…
The service is new, but the hospitality dates back a few centuries. San Francisco is now the seventh U.S. gateway for Aerlingus, offering four non-stops per week with their celebrated Irish Service. They kicked off the service with fares of just $199 one-way for travel in January and February 2008, but it’s now a bit…
It’s the classic tug-of-war. The locals want to keep it small, like it’s been for years. The newcomers, coming from the city, have found wide open spaces and affordable real estate prices. A place they can escape to and build their dream home on a lake. Yvonne Barnette, a resident of Lake County for the…
It was no surprise that I would throughly enjoy my stay at the San Remo. Our Editor, Gil Zeimer, highly recommended it, as did his colleague, Paul von Beroldingen, so I know I was in for a treat. What did surprise was how far beyond expectation it rose. The attentive staff, the location, the accommodations,…
I just had a walk-through at the Holiday Inn on Fishermans’ Wharf, courtesy of my colleague Anita Hubbard. All I kept saying was, “For a Holiday Inn, this is very impressive.” It should be. The 585-room hotel at the foot of Columbus Street, a block from the Wharf, two blocks from Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square,…
For the second straight year, The French Laundry in Napa County’s Yountville was the only restaurant awarded the coveted three stars by the San Francisco Bay Area and Wine Country French Michelin Guide. Its critics visited 600 restaurants multiple times, dining on 36 cuisines. Of those, 384 made the initial cut and only 34 were…
San Francisco has a new wine list—one that’s dedicated to the southern hemisphere. South Food and Wine Bar at 330 Townsend Street highlights food and wine from down under. And with perfect pairing, the chef will titillate your taste buds. Australian celebrity chef Luke Mangan has never been one to sit still. With two chic…
Call it aerobic shopping. Call it running and shopping. Or call it the Nike Women’s Marathon or the first-ever Nike Half-Marathon. Today, I’m proud to join my wife, daughter and about 15,000 other mostly women to walk this fundraising event for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through the streets of San Francisco. Beginning at Niketown…