I was sitting in Kitchen Story on 16th, sipping back the last of what was the best Bloody Mary I’d have ever had. I never knew how serious the bloody Mary game was – these guys absolutely killed it!! I sat there for a moment as my belly settled and groaned with satisfaction. In front of me the massacre – 3 mains plates stacked on top of each other and an empty tall glass… I was about to have the food sweats, and still with the robust vibrant flavours of KS’s signature ‘Millionaire Benedict’, a tasty side of what was left of Rach’s ‘Belly Rancheros’ (he couldn’t finish it and it was too good to leave!!), an extra side of the ‘Millionaire Bacon’, and the spices from THE best (San Fran’s people’s choice award winning) Bloody Mary. Maybe. Just maybe, there was a slight chance that I had over done it. That didn’t matter at the time as food bliss engulfed me and the onset of food coma was sluggishly on its way…
This was definitely one of the most memorable experiences from my 38-hrs in San Francisco and, not only was the food to die for but catching up with long-time friends in such a nice environment where the staff was friendly, the patrons equally as affable and the atmosphere was jovial. The good times rolled on until nearly everything was eaten…
So, what else can I recommend if San Fran is on your agenda?
Here are a few things that might interest you:
Evening 1
- Walked along Valencia to cocktail-bar, Wild Hawk. This was my first injection into the city’s social life. Just a drop in the ocean I’m sure but a cool and alcoholic drop. Free pouring all their cocktails, this was a great place to meet up with Tor’s friends and get a li’l’ tipsy!!
- Al’s place, in The Mission is a tasty spot for a meal with friends. Cozy and they had a nice playlist on playing 90’s hip-hop – it was as if they knew we were coming!!
- Golden Gate – I recommend either of the golden hours. Just pick which side of the bridge accordingly… Due to time constraints, we headed there in the morning, just after the storm had hit. The ways were high and the surfers were out.
- The Palace of Fine Arts – found in the Marina District, this monumental structure was originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition to exhibit art. Great for a stroll to soak up the details in the architecture – it was popular, the day i went, for post wedding ceremony photos.
- Kitchen Story – as mentioned above.
- Castro – A popular stretch of road that seems to go on for miles ending in the sea that has a theatre on mark by it’s iconic Vegas Esq sign ‘ CASTRO’ that reassures of where you are. I don’t recommend trying to shoot in the rain, though I did manage to get a shot I was happy with.
- Valencia St – busy with shops, however, you can’t pass through San Fran without trying the local tacos, checking out street art on Clarion Alley and hitting Fou Barriers for a coffee.
- Woman’s Trump March – Not that it will be on when you get there, but it was a buzz.
- Upper Playground, my favourite shirt store…
- Finally, after being shattered, we vegged on the couch and ordered Greek.
Castro District
Click here to view the San Francisco gallery
Travel Information
- Travel format: 38hrs – I flew in from LV after a work trip via Virgin America and flew out to LA on the same. Only issues were due to bad weather.
- Location: I based myself in Laguna, San Francisco.
- Accommodation: with friends.
- Places of interest that we visited:
- Wild Hawk Cocktail Bar
- Al’s Place in The Mission
- The Golden Gate Bridge – of course
- The Palace of Fine Arts
- Kitchen Story – I’m drooling as I type this!
- The area of Castro
- Valencia Street
- And, for me, Upper Playground.
- Other places of interest:
- Being a 90’s hip-hop fan, I would’ve loved to have had the time to go to Oakland or even got down to a local night – mic night perhaps…
DRGNFLY360 - Work In Progress Blog 
Go on, leave a comment