Each of the seven Lute Suites is unique. Because of The Netherlands’ lack of restrictions to preserve 18th century architecture, these refurbished boutique hotel suites look more like a row of vintage homes overlooking the Amstel River than paintings by the Dutch Masters. They are individually styled, contain luxurious amenities and are gorgeous to behold….
At Golden Gate Park’s Steinhart Aquarium, I once saw a python in a terrarium squeeze a chicken so hard, its head exploded. No lie. So that’s the image I see in my mind’s eye when I view this beautiful Adrienne Vittadini Colette Python Satchel. This uber stylish, embossed python handbag with a $278 US price…
Though I’ve lived in the San Francisco area all but four years of my life, I’ve only ventured a mile and half into the Bay to Alcatraz Island twice. Once was earlier this week when I played tourist with my wife Ellen, my daughter Sara and her friend Julienne. “The Rock” was first built as…
When I was a 9-5er in SF ad agencies, I worked near Levi Square, the Financial District and North Beach. One of my favorite haunts has always been the Fog City Diner at the corner of The Embarcadero, Lombard and Battery. Plus, last time I was here, Danielle Steel was at the next table. (How’s…
Seven seconds. That’s all the time you have to see the riders cycle past you at 20-30 mph in a time trials or a stage. But that seven-second rule is not hampering the thousands of bystanders that line the scenic backroads during the first annual Amgen Tour of California Bicycle Race. Bringing the drama and…
In the world of retail shopping, nothing, but nothing, epitomized fashion, style and first-class service over the past 154 years like Marshall Field’s in Chicago. With a 13-story atrium, a 7-ton clock at State & Washington street on the Loops, this mammoth flagship “Cathedral of All Stores” will become a Macy’s on July 30, thanks…
Now, even if you’re not flying, you can have a room with a view — from 30,000 feet — with a FREE download of the cinematic Mac or Windows Holding Pattern Screensaver. This download is da bomb, turning your computer screen into an airplane window. And get this, it’s not a static page. It’s a…
I love watching surfing on flat screen TVs. I love rock ‘n’ rock music. I love relaxed family-style restaurants. At Wipeout Bar & Grill on San Francisco’s popular Pier 39, you can get a heaping helping of it all. I’ve been to thousands of eateries worldwide, but as a California-themed surfing restaurant, this one is…
My friend Monique chimes in from Budapest on one of her favorite restaurants: La Fontaine. “It is not very well known,” she says, “but it’s a neat, very romantic bistro where you get personalized attention, delicious food and fresh fish sometimes flown in from France. My Dad and his wife went there as well as…
I’ve chewed on sports bars for running. I’ve wolfed down sports bars for hiking. But I’ve never thought of a chocolate sports bar to ward off seasickness after scuba diving or when riding in a boat on open rough seas. Fortunately, Dive Bar is a convenient, high energy snack bar that’s delicious, nutritous and created…
Art Walk nights on St. Croix, USVI are quite an event. Enjoy warm Caribbean breezes, friendly people, free wine, cheese, and lovely displays of local artists’ work as you wander from gallery to gallery in downtown Christiansted. St. Croix is an off-beat tourist destination. Don’t be surprised if you find more locals than tourists on…
Definition Bag-a-holic: “one afflicted with the compulsive desire to acquire new bags (purses, briefcases, backpacks, etc). Symptoms: caches of little-used luggage paraphernalia; subconscious gravitation to travel-related stores. Treatment: sfbags.com.” I for one have long suffered from this condition. What friends and family don’t understand though, is that this obsession is not pathological. What underlies every…