Why San Francisco’s Cool Renaissance Makes A Great Getaway!
San Francisco is having a Renaissance with art and culture at the forefront. The city is buzzing with an array of exciting spots to eat, shop, explore and take in the cool culture and live music this vibrant creative hub is known for.
The Ferry Building
My first stop is always the Ferry Building, one of San Francisco’s most iconic landmarks that debuted in 1898 with its grand Beaux-Arts architecture and towering 245-foot clock tower. The heart of this historic waterfront destination, a vibrant culinary marketplace features top-tier artisanal food vendors, cheese shops, bakeries, and restaurants that celebrate the region’s rich culture and culinary heritage. Locals and visitors alike love the bustling outdoor Saturday morning Famers Market. Alice Waters, famous chef and Chez Panisse owner who pioneered the farm to table movement, said, “ My weekly visit to the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market brings rhythm and meaning to my life.”
Eat In This Epicurean Epicenter
Hog Island Oyster Co Photo: Maxine Albert
A visit to acclaimed Hog Island Oyster Co renowned for their amazing seafood including outstanding oysters is a must. Sitting on the patio with family, gazing at the stunning bay views, taking in the fresh sea air, we savored exquisitely fresh sweetwater, highwater and Kumamoto oysters and bliss inducing chipotle Bourbon oysters which arrive bathing in decadent bourbon-spiked butter. The clam chowder is just the right consistency of creamy with bacon, buttery potato and clams galore. Adding to the feast, tastiest mussels, steamers and rustic seafood stew, paired with Rosé for the Bay, Poseidon, Carneros wine, made a glorious San Francisco afternoon.
Hog Island Oyster Co Mussels Photo: Maxine Albert
Another standout, Alora, just a 5-minute walk north from the Ferry Building set right on the waterfront, offers a refined dining experience with impressive coastal Mediterranean fare and California accents. This elegant restaurant delivers superb dishes artfully presented and gorgeous water vistas. I relished the best Muhammara made with walnuts and pomegranate seeds with fresh Zatar flatbread, melt in your mouth crudo with sumac, mt Lassen trout, labneh, citrus, pickled radish, spiced tuille crudo and grilled to perfection branzino with a colorful array of yummy vegetables paired with fine California wine.
Alora Photo: Maxine Albert
Alora Photo: Maxine Albert
Barcha Photo: Maxine Albert
In a city that is endlessly flavorful, Barcha, a temple of gastronomic inspiration, deserves high praise for its outstanding cuisine. Located downtown on Freemont Street with a stylish, exotic ambiance and shimmery hanging lamps, Barcha’s menu reflects flavors from South of France, Spain, Tunisia and the Middle East. Master chef’s creative, perfectly executed dishes like the amazing homemade hummus with roasted corn, feta, peppers, harissa yogurt, a masterpiece of sweet and savory Persian saffron rice with barberries, pistachio, almond, chick peas, carrots, tahini with lamb, oh so tasty beef dumplings with aleppo and Persian Tahdig, crispy saffron rice, melt in your mouth duck leg, ancient spices and a dusting of herbs - will dance on your palate.
Barcha Photo: Maxine Albert
The staff are delightfully attentive, friendly and well informed. David, my server, gave me excellent suggestions and you could tell that he, along with the others – really cared about and took pride in the food. The whole experience was such a pleasure; I can’t wait to go back.
Art and Culture: In San Francisco, art spills into the streets and becomes part of daily life. One sees mosaics on stairways such as the renowned the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps, painted facades in the Mission and art installations like The Big Art Loop that transform city streets into an open-air gallery with 100 large sculptures. Even a casual walk can feel like a curated experience in this vibrant city.
Mattisse Exhibit SFMOMA Photo: Maxine Albert
The creative capital is home to outstanding museums with world class exhibits. I loved the Matisse exhibition at SFMOMA - A Modern Scandal - Femme au chapeau (Woman with a Hat) which shocked the art world. CityPASS allows easy entry to museums and other top attractions.
Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park Photo: Maxine Albert
Another standout: "Monet and Venice" with those dreamy cerulean blues of the Grand Canal at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park near the not to be missed Botanical Garden and Japanese Tea Garden. Post the museum visit, the annual San Francisco Folk Festival in Golden Gate Park with great local musicians and singers and the friendly crowd groovin to the sounds was a fabulous homage to San Francisco’s renowned music scene and a lot of fun!
San Francisco Folk Festival in Golden Gate Park Photo: Maxine Albert
Stay: I can’t think of a better place to park yourself while exploring the picturesque city than the The Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, with its stunning historic grandeur and prime downtown location on Montgomery Street near BART, Muni and The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Originally opened in 1875, The Palace was the largest and most luxurious hotel in the world. Destroyed in the great fire in 1906 it was completely rebuilt and opened again in 1909. A legendary social and political hub, this timeless treasure continues to be the landmark hotel in San Francisco with a history of hosting presidents and celebrities.
Palace Hotel San Francisco, A Luxury Collection Hotel
San Francisco Palace Hotel Suite
Rooms: The gorgeous property feels like a Royal Palace with its marble floors, imposing columns, and ornate ceilings. Elegant rooms and suites in various categories feature solid oak doors with monogrammed brass doorknobs, light blue walls with white moldings, grand eleven- foot ceilings, expansive windows, refined furnishings in neutral tones of cream and wood and custom one of a kind pieces that create the feel of a posh, private residence. Large beds with plush Frette linens are supremely comfortable for restorative sleep. Luxurious marble bathrooms contain TOTO washlets with heated seats and a menu of options and bathtubs that call out for indulgent soaks. Luxe Frette robes and slippers. Le Chemin by Byredo bath products and Sahajan bath salts are truly fit for a Queen.
Garden Court Restaurant, San Francisco Palace Hotel
Amenities: The famous Garden Court Restaurant, an architectural gem with Italian marble columns, Austrian crystal chandeliers, and magnificent domed roof with more than 70,000 panes of stained glass, makes an unparalleled breakfast or afternoon tea. And the gorgeous Pied Piper Bar with 16-foot eponymous Maxfield Parrish masterpiece dazzles above the century-old oak bar in the same spot since the hotel’s reopening in 1909. Guests love the sky-lit, glass-ceiling indoor heated pool with loungers where they can relax in style. Adding to the guest experience, local fashion brand Zasta Studio a "sustainable luxury" and high-end wearable-art fashion brand recently opened in the Palace Hotel.
Dawn Club: Photo: Bill Adams
Near by Night Spots: The lively city is home to some great live music venues with two of the best steps from the Palace Hotel. The classy art deco inspired Dawn Club on Annie Street and glam Local Edition Lounge on Market Street where guests view the city’s history via newspaper clippings adorning the walls, feature jazz, blues, swing, salsa and more plus dancing and fabulous high end cocktails like Rosebud and Ava Gardner.
I never tire of the thrill and wonder of riding San Francisco’s iconic cable cars while taking in the sights, architecture and splendor of this beautiful hilly city.