Wednesday, July 31, 2013

I left my heart in San Francisco

I didn't really leave my heart there, but I sure had a wonderful time visiting the city for the first time last weekend. Tom has been there a few times and has been wanting to plan a trip for a while. Friends of ours also wanted to go so we decided on a weekend and finally made it there.

Union Square
We stayed at the Chancellor Hotel which is right near Union Square. It was a nice hotel and close to everything we wanted to visit.

view from Top Of The Mark
We visited the Top of the Mark restaurant and bar on the 19th floor of the Mark Hopkins hotel in Nob Hill. We had to climb straight UP those famous San Francisco hills to get there but the view was worth it.

Dream Girl and Passion Martinis at Top of the Mark
The martinis were worth it too! This place has pages and pages of martinis in their menu, it was so hard to decide. Tom got the 'Dream Girl' which was Stolichnaya Vodka, Grand Marnier, Lime Juice and Mint. Topped with Sparkling Kenwood Brut. I got the 'Passion' which was Plymouth Gin, Alize Red Passion Campari and Triple Sec. Both were delicious!

walking down
Luckily it was just a nice stroll down hill to get back to our hotel area.

Chips and Salsa at Jasmine
We had to stop for chips and salsa on the way at Jasmin's cafe. Tom is a salsa addict! It was really fresh and pretty spicy for me.

AT&T Park
Of course being baseball nerds we hit up AT&T park for the Giants and Cubs. The park is so much smaller than I thought it would be, Chase field in AZ makes it look downright tiny. The game was great but it was a little chilly for us AZ folks that are only used to 50 degree temperatures in winter.

Peanut Chicken
Later that night we got some Thai food at a place called Chabaa. This is peanut chicken and it was fabulous.

Dungeness Crab Melt at Buena Vista
The next day we went to the Buena Vista cafe where I got a dungeness crab melt. This was so good, and it was my first time having crab! I really liked it.

BLT at Buena Vista
Tom got a BLT, of course.

We did a lot of other cool things but the one place that really made my trip was our dinner at STRAW. This place is a carnival themed restaurant and is pretty unique.

Checking out the menu
You can see the sign on the door and the back of a Tilt A Whirl, which is actually one of the tables in the restaurant.

Creepy Carny sign
The sign is totally creepy, reminded me of something out of a Stephen King novel.

The Big Dipper
My friend's drink glass came lined with fundip. My drink was actually a big ball of cotton candy that they pour the drink over and it dissolves in the liquid. So fun!

Remember in the last post where I mentioned I am pretty open to trying most foods? Well when I saw the 'Ringmaster' on the menu I knew I had to get it. Here is the description "ground chuck burger/home-made glazed doughnut/cheddar cheese". Everything about that says ME.

the ringmaster
I will admit that I ate every single bite of that burger and it was delicious. Everything just worked together in some odd carnival dream world taste explosion. Fortunately we then walked straight up another San Francisco hill so I know I worked off at least a few bites of the donut at least.

It was an awesome trip with great friends and I would definitely recommend checking the city out if you ever have the chance.

12 comments:

  1. Aww so fun! I always feel like I leave my heart in SF whenever I go also. It's one of my favorite cities!

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  2. Sounds like an awesome time. I'm a salsa addict like Tom too!

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  3. I know it sounds weird, but I bet the combo of the salty burger/cheese goes so well with the sugary donut - no judgment from my peanut gallery!

    Can't wait to go to CA someday!

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  4. I love the concept of a carnival themed restaurant how cool! Crabmelt looks amazing and I bet that burger was to die for! My mouth is watering...Biz is right! Salty sweet combos are delicious!

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  5. Nice! I'm glad you had a good time! Also, I am so intrigued by that last burger, I would definitely love to try that!

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  6. Just WOW!!!

    Both of the drinks sounded awesome!

    And the foods....

    *DROOL!*

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  7. Dear Rhonda, It sounds like you had fun and made some very good memories.
    I am glad you tried some new foods and liked them.
    It is always fun trying new tastes.

    Blessings dearest. Catherine xo

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  8. It sound like you had a perfect weekends, sounds like so much fun!

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  9. Aww....you made me miss SF so much. I haven't been there for many years already. I can't wait to go for a short trip again. Wow, that burger looks decadent. I would love to try it and I probably will finish every single bite as well. :P yes, a walk afterwards sounds like a great plan. ;)

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  10. I love SF...haven't been in about 2 years but I still remember how good the food is everywhere. So amazing! I love that city.

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  11. Wow look at all those delicious eats, looks like a lovely time!

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  12. I leave my heart there every time I go. Such a gorgeous city.

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