I spent the past 11 days on vacation in San Francisco, Napa Valley, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Yosemite, Las Vegas, and the Grand Canyon. Our itinerary was ambitious, I will confess, but it was completely feasible, and I will tell you why and how that was possible, from one young tourist who values food , drinks, and fun way more than sightseeing.
Being a savy traveler is not easy, especially when you decide to plan the trip out yourself rather than opting for an all inclusive third world country vacation. Although all inclusive vacations give you great deals, our expedition was to explore the great Southwest. To drive through the long stretches of highways that have been spoken about by John Steinbeck, Robert Pirsig, Hunter S. Thompson, and countless others. We spoke to plenty of locals along the way (and not just when we got lost) and I can confidently say that some of us got some insight into the types of people we wanted to become and where exactly we wanted to become them.
But to get back to the point, do extensive research before you fly out! Besides sites like Expedia, http://www.slickdeals.net is one I have been recently made aware of-and the site is a gem, affording us a normally $1500 suite at the MGM Grand (on the 23rd floor I might add!) for only $200 a night.
Find out the great bars and restaurants of an area you are about to visit beforehand, and read their reviews at these helpful sites:
Both are great websites to help you decide on what kind of night you want to have in a foreign city. A lot of great places in any city are not easy to come by, as tourists are usually impressed by popular franchisees and expensive drinks (cough Hooters), and those run abundant in any major city! When it comes to restaurant recommendations the concierge at a hotel can be pretty helpful, although my rule of thumb has been that if you see a place that is packed (with locals), you need to go in there. The following is a list of a few places in the San Francisco area that are really worth checking out:
San Tung Chinese Restaurant
1031 Irving St.
San Francisco, CA
This restaurant has over 1170 reviews on yelp-which is impressive on it’s own to persuade you to go there. While we came across this place on a recommendation, this restaurant was also the only place that was packed on the whole street on a Monday night at 9 p.m. Although it’s not an authentic Asian restaurant, they have popular Korean-Chinese dishes, including a genrous portion of free spicy kimchi as an appetizer. They serve alcohol, including a 1.5 L bottle of Plum Wine made by the Kikkoman corporation -which I have to admit, was delicious with the Cantonese black bean noodles, with floral and fruit notes on the nose and an almost velvety finish. But this restaurant is notorious for their chicken wings. Everyone is aware of their Dry/Wet fried chicken wings. The wings are, sweet, spicy and tangy at the same time with a deliciously crunchy batter that is perfectly contrasted with the spicy gravy (if you get the wings wet). After having been to the Hooters on Hollywood Blvd in LA, I think it’s safe to say San Tung beats this throw-down by a mile. Even the wait staff, which consisted of several older Chinese men, were adorable and chatty and very helpful in their recommendations. I don’t know about you, but this rarity is key in my dining adventures.
While our first night in San Francisco become one of complete debauchery after we discovered a bar that served $1 well drinks, it’s safe to say we will never do that again. Not because of the throbbing headaches the morning after, the all day long insatiable quench for water to help our dehydrated bodies, or even the fact that people woke up to find the bathroom in disarray and their luggage turned upside down -with no recollection of the past night. At the end of the day, I believe you can make sacrifices in your hotel room (if you must), and even compromise some of the meals you take in (having one sub a day or a bagel in the morning lets you have a much more expensive and satisfying dinner at night, it really is a trade off!).
Actually this is a good time to go on a diatribe about Farmer’s Markets.
San Francisco has a handful of thriving farmer’s markets which provide fresh, local produce and great anytime snacks and meals. Many of the markets are located in scenic locations which make the afternoon ideal for having a picnic. Also many of these places give out free samples so you can have a party in our mouth without even having to buy anything.
My friends and I tried the most tender and mouthwatering falafels, made with freshly grounded chickpeas. And honestly, they can give Mamouns on MacDougal St. in NYC a run for its money. We also tried various tamales from one stand, with one of my favorites being the Spinach and Queso Blanco tamale, drenched in an assortment of homemade hot sauces and salsas. At only $5 for two tamales, I can see exactly how Rachel Ray manages a $40 a day budget (although we tip far more generously than she does)
Although fresh pastries were offered at this farmer’s market, I made the wise decision not to be a fatty for once and opted for the fresh cherries, which were some of the largest I’ve ever seen. They were cheap at only $3 for a pound, and delicious. So sweet, and so cold.
But to get back to the point again, it is imperative not to sacrifice the quality of alcohol you put into your body, because you will immediately face the repercussions from it. And for some people, it could wreak havoc on their stomachs, and the overall next day (hah, you pansies).
So on our second or third night (this trip is slowly becoming a blur–I’m pretty sure I have less brain cells now than I did at the start of the vacay), by the recommendation of a bouncer from a different bar, we landed at:
The Elbo Room
647 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA
Located in Mission, this is a great dive bar for the 21-26 year old age group, where you can just relax and throw back a few. The music selection is more inclined towards the typical San Franciscan hipster but it is not burdening in any way. The place is not spacious and tends to get very crowded quite easily on the weekends, but on a random Tuesday night the atmosphere is just right. The seats lined up against the wall provide an intimate atmosphere, helped along by the dimmed lighting and candles. But this is no quiet bar, as the intoxicating drinks and diversions do not allow for that at all.
80’s Videogames (Ms.Pacman anyone?) and pinball machines are provided for your drunk gaming pleasure just around the corner from the bar, while a photo booth is located at the back, in case you needed some souvenirs of the debauchery you’re engaging in.
While I unfortunately do not remember the official names of the drinks we had, I will tell you two things:
- Try anything that has a lotus liqueur or extract in it. It is intoxicating, refreshing and delicious. I remember a certain Gin and Tonic I had which contained this lotus liqueur and I’m pretty sure I finished that drink in one long pull of the straw.
- Try anything that is garnished with cucumbers, for that is also refreshing, crunchy, and delicious. The Pimm’s Cocktail, a gin based drink that tastes like a sweet and sour spiced up lemonade, with hints of ginger ale and mint is well suited for any summertime night.
It’s always key to ease into your day after you have drank heavily the night before. Luckily in this area, the livin’ is easy.
San Francisco makes (practically) the rest of the state of California accessible to you through their public transportation system, -especially through the BART, (Bay Area Rapid Transit). We took advantage of the BART and went to Berkeley to visit the University of California and check out the quaint and trendy college town. The campus itself was expansive and beautiful, filled with large patches of grass for you to lay on, smoke on, feed squirrels fresh cherries on, etc. I think the group consensus about Berkeley was that we wish we had seen the place while in high school so we all could have tried harder to get into a real, scenic, college. The mountains that surrounded the campus were enormous, leading one friend to exclaim, “If I lived up there, I would parachute down to class everyday!”
Yogurtland, The Top Shelf Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt Store
http://www.yogurt-land.com for locations…
Quite possibly my favorite novelty in California at this moment is the Yogurtland franchiseabundantly scattered through out the state (although there is a Yogurtland on Bleecker St. in NY, it’s not the same experience). The self-serve concept is the best part, as you are provided a large cup to choose amongst 16 diverse flavors, ranging from Cookies n’ Cream, Peanut Butter, Taro, Green Tea, Dulce de leche, Mango tart etc. etc. About 33 different toppings are also offered, whether you want coco puffs in your yogurt or cheesecake bites or condensed milk (try that on top of the Taro yogurt with pieces of mochi, it was delicious!). During a “sluggish economy”, a Yogurtland is definitely a cure, with their prices only ranging from 30 cents to 39 cents an ounce, depending on location!
Jupiter Brewery
2181 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA
On a slightly lazy weekday afternoon, it was not easy to come by a packed bar. But upon the recommendation of the girls who worked at Yogurtland, we came upon this little gem, which is very reminiscent of the Harvest Moon on George Street, in New Brunswick.
With my new found appreciation for pale ales I tried Jupiter’s India Pale Ale, which is 20 oz, with a 6.8% a.b.v. My palate was not ready for how hoppy this ale was going to be. The spices helped the bitterness of the Galena and Centennial hops in the drink but the lingering finish left a sour taste in my mouth until we finally tried Jupiter’s brick oven pizza.
The Quaser Double I.P.A is also not for a beginning beer drinker, as one of my friends realized. At 8.5% a.b.v. The menu describes the beer as “Dark in copper color with a strong hop finish from Columbus, Galena and Willamette then dry-hopped with even more Willamettes.” What they’re really trying to say is that this beer is dense, bitter, and alcoholic, and the average person will not be able to slowly unlock the flavors unless they’re already a little buzzed and the tongue is more prone to not scrunch up from the intensity of this drink.
The Jupiter Dry Stout was probably the most notable winner of the bunch -creamy with the smoothness and richness of a Cadbury chocolate bar and espresso beans.
Probably the best decision we made that evening was to share a sizable brick oven Pepperoni pizza, which at only $13, led us to also order the homemade ranch dipping sauce for a few dollars more.
I’m not a fan of creamy dressings, but this was certainly an exception. Jam packed with garlic and fresh chives this dressing alone changed the whole experience of having a slice of pizza, contrasting the crispy crust of the pizza delicately, without overpowering the overall meal.
Okay, so that is enough for San Francisco, but tune in next week to read about why In n Out burgers are probably one of the best feature of Los Angeles, why nature is so friggin’ awesome (and cheap!), and the most economically efficient ways to make your buzz in Vegas last as long as possible.And to conclude with a quote from Oscar Wilde:
“It’s an odd thing, but anyone who disappears is said to be seen in San Francisco. It must be a delightful city and possess all the attractions of the next world”
