Archives for May 2016

Once a upon a time, on a weekend in May, three blondes and three brunettes boarded a plane and made their way to the City By The Bay.

You see, one of the brunettes was going to get married (we tried to convince her to do it in this bargain dress we found in a window in China Town, but she refused), and the other ladies wanted her to have one last fling before the ring, so after much discussion, the ladies settled on San Francisco.

The following is the tale of their adventures and a guide on how to plan an epic bachelorette weekend in San Francisco.

Let me just start by saying that I am so glad we settled on San Francisco for my sister’s bachelorette weekend for a few reasons: first, I had never been to San Fran, and I always wanted to go, 2) the weather is always gorgeous, and 3) if you are foodie (like me), then San Fran is the place to be because it is a gastronomical playground!  The only con was that we did not have enough time to do (and eat) everything we wanted.  That being said, if you are looking for a great girl’s weekend, a romantic long weekend, or an awesome bachelorette weekend spot, look no further.

DAY ONE:

Upon arrival on a Thursday morning, we checked into our Union Square boutique hotel and set out to fill our bellies. But first, a little bit about the hotel and the area in which it is located.  Union Square is San Francisco’s shopping district.  Within mere blocks of our hotel were store-lined streets– everything from high-end shops (like Jimmy Choo, Goyard, and Dior), mid-range shops (like BCBG, Zara, and Lululemon), and department stores (like Saks and Nordstrom).  If you live in a big city like Miami or New York, the shops are the same as the ones you have back home, but it’s still fun to shop in other cities!  If you live in a smaller town, like Baton Rouge, where one of the girls on our trip was from, this is a nice excuse to get some shopping done in a place that maybe has more options than your hometown.  In any case, there are some things you should know about shopping in San Fran: first, the sales tax is 8.75% which is higher than our sales tax down here in South Florida, and second, the stores in San Fran charge you 10 cents per shopping bag!  That’s right ladies, 10 cents per shopping bag!  I was wondering why the sales clerks kept asking us if we wanted a bag.  Like, duh, what are we supposed to do with our goodies?!? Carry them around town in our hands?  So, I finally asked.  A nice sales clerk advised us that the city of San Fran passed a law requiring stores to charge for bags in order to reduce the impact to the environment caused by disposable bags.  Being a lawyer, this intrigued me, so I looked it up, and wouldn’t you know, there is such a law, and it is called the Checkout Bag Ordinance.  So, my advice to you is that if you think you are going to do some damage, bring your own canvas tote or buy one large shopping bag and stuff that sucker like a stocking on Christmas! Of course, this would not deter us, and we would be back to help boost the local economy in an environmentally friendly way, but first, let’s eat!

Our first stop, was a place called Marlowe, which was recommended to us.  I sometimes worry about taking recommendations from other people unless I know that they are just as discerning as me when it comes to food.  You know they are going to ask you afterwards what you thought, and if you are like me (brutally honest) and you didn’t think it was that great, it could get a little awkward.  Also, I eat a pretty strict diet during the week– no carbs, no sugar, no dairy, and basically no fun.   When the weekend rolls around or I am on vacation, I want to splurge on my calories wisely. I don’t want to waste them on mediocre food.  Finally, I am a food snob. There, I said it!  The dining experiences that just knock my socks off are few and far between.

Back to Marlowe.  Upon first glance, the lunch menu seemed limited and had a heavy Southern flair to it, which is funny because we couldn’t geographically be further from the South and because we were bringing an actual Southerner (and a Southerner by marriage) to the joint, but the reviews were great so we decided to give her a shot.  The restaurant is small, but very cute.

I have a thing with tile, and I loved the tiled walls and floors, and, in particular, the mosaic at the front door, but we didn’t come to admire the decor. We were hangry at this point, so we just started ordering.  We started with the crispy brussel sprout chips and the chicken fried okra.  Both were small dishes, but both were very good, so they did not last long.  Now, my understanding is that they are known for their burger, and we ordered the burger and it was good, but, in my opinion, the warm open faced deviled egg sandwich is not properly appreciated.  This dish was a party in your mouth! It had eggs, bacon, cheese, and pickled jalapenos on top of a warm toasted crusty bread.  It was delicious.  I wanted to order another. I want one right now.

Isn’t she a beauty? You can get it with salad or fries, and I opted for salad because I knew I was in for a diet-busting weekend.  Plus, we were about to enter a sweet sugar haven: Sugarfina, a luxury candy boutique!

This is not your run-of-the-mill candy store.  It really is a boutique with candies displayed in the most beautiful way.  It reminds me of the confectioneries you would find in the Marais District in Paris. It’s like a fairy-tale candy dreamland!

They are best known for their champagne gummy bears, which are imported from Germany and made with Dom Pérignon Vintage Champagne.  I almost felt guilty about visiting this sugar paradise without Chad.  He would’ve been weak in the knees and overwhelmed by the sheer selection of treats.  But, since I am the #BestWifeEver, I put together a little tasting box for him and filled it with the Champagne Bears, the Pale Ale Pints (beer flavored gummies that are also imported from Germany), the S’mores (marshmallows covered with chocolate and graham crackers), and the Athena Black Cherries (black cherries dipped in superfine dark chocolate and coated with a thin candy shell, which are imported from the island of Ios in Greece). Once we were able to pry ourselves away from this heaven, we split up because half of us had to distract the bride (i.e., go shopping), while the other half had to get to work (i.e., prepare the bachelorette suite)!

Before dinner, we decided to have a little bachelorette fun at our hotel.  This required hours of advance planning, numerous consultations with Etsy and Pinterest, the bible of ideas for such occasions, and an entire checked luggage.  Mindy, our resident expert on all things Southern, advised that all brides had to have a proper lingerie shower so that the bride would be ready for the honeymoon, and, just like that, our theme was born!  But we did a combo lingerie shower/panty party.  Some of our significant others back home were disappointed to learn that this did not mean that we dressed up in lingerie and had a pillow fight, but there was plenty of glitter!

I bet you are wondering what is inside those cute little Kate Spade totes.  Well, wonder no more.  Here is what’s inside:

Since we were going to Napa the next day, I loaded that bag with snacks, our itinerary in a frame which could later be used to house our favorite memory from the trip, travel sized toiletries, an “Oh-Shit Kit” (which is basically a hangover survival kit.  You know, Advil, Alka-Seltzer, etc.), ponytails, and a little bottle of champagne covered in glitter to get the party started!

Here is what the panty line looked like.  These panties track the stages of life and are supposed to last you a lifetime.  This helpful poem will give you an idea of how it works!

Now, all we needed was our bride-to-be!

Cheers to a successful lingerie shower/panty party, but its dinner time! By the way, if you want to sip some of the best and sweetest rose ever, do yourself a favor and pick up this bottle of angel nectar:

Those who know me, know that I am not a drinker.  As in, I don’t drink.  I don’t have a religious or health reason for it.  I just don’t like the taste of alcohol, so I don’t drink it.  I’ll give you a minute to recuperate.  To me, all of it tastes bitter and unpleasant.  Don’t get me wrong, there are very few alcoholic beverages that I will tolerate, but they are usually super sweet, like ports, ice wines, or plum wine. But, sometimes I don’t even like those, and after a few sips, I am tired of drinking them.  But this pink dream right here might have changed my mind. In fact, all of the girls (some who are winos or stiff alcohol drinkers and beer drinkers) agreed that this was one of the best rose wines that they had ever had. Whenever six women agree on anything it’s a miracle!

I did some research on it to find out why it was so fantastic and this is what I learned: Bugey Cerdon is made around the town of Cerdon within the Bugey region in France; it is the only sparkling rose which is made in the “methode ancestrale”  which means spontaneous fermentation in the bottle; the style of rose they make is unique to that area; it is made mostly from the Gamay grape; and it has a low alcohol content, which is probably why I loved it so much.  The taste is sweet, fruity, and floral.  Trust me, it’s yet another party in your mouth.  It is not expensive, but it is hard to find. We stumbled upon it in a local craft spirits market in San Francisco, but I have since had to search the internet far and wide to order a few bottles.

Okay, back to dinner.  Literally everyone that I consulted with about our San Francisco trip told me that we HAD to eat at The Slanted Door, a modern Vietnamese style restaurant.  And so we did.  By the way, you HAVE to make reservations if you want to eat here.  The restaurant is located in the Ferry Building, so it makes for a nice view, especially at night (see below), and it was packed!

It’s a small(ish) share plate concept restaurant where you order for the table and the food comes out as it is ready.  We ordered from the raw bar, a few appetizers, some rolls,  a couple of meat, poultry, and seafood dishes, a vegetable dish, and some rice, so basically the whole menu.  The food was delicious!

At the end, they bring a big blob of cotton candy out for the whole table, and who doesn’t love cotton candy?

By the time we were done with dinner, we were beat! It had been a long day of travel and running around with a three-hour time difference for us East Coast girls.  Plus, we had to rise and shine pretty early the next day because we were on our way to Wine Country!

DAY TWO:

On our second day, we took a day-trip out to Napa Valley and to Sonoma.  While this is definitely do-able in a day (it’s a little over an hour away from San Fran), it is a quick trip.  If you have the time, I would spend a couple nights here because it is so pretty and there is a lot to see (and so many places to eat!), even if you don’t drink, like me! In my opinion, the best way to do this is to hire a car service or private tour company to plan the itinerary for you.  It is a little more expensive, but totally worth it.  They have a lot more knowledge about the region and relationships with the wineries.  As a result, they can make your reservations for you and plan out the trip in an order that makes sense.  Many of the wineries do not accept walk-ins.  Also, they can tailor your experience to your preferences.  For example, we asked to visit smaller, more local boutique wineries.  If you want to do some of the higher-end wineries, private guides are definitely the way to go.  The good guides will also make your lunch reservations for you! Apparently, Napa is pretty strict with DUIs, which is another reason to leave the driving to someone else.  So, with all that in mind and because none of us wanted to tackle the logistics and the driving, we hired Myles from Timeless Napa Wine Tours, and we were glad we did! He was very responsive and helpful in our pre-trip planning, he took care of all of the details for us (including picking up a few wine shipment boxes to bring with us!), and on the day of, he showed up right on time with a smile, a good sense of humor, and a stocked Mercedes sprinter van (drinks, music, phone charges, the works!) to get these bachelorettes to wine country!  If you are thinking about hiring him too, you tell him I sent you, and I am sure he will take great care of you!

Myles was ready with rose mimosas, and we were off on a very scenic drive through wine country!  By the way, by the end of the day, I had a new appreciation for the phrase “Rose All Day!”  I am pretty sure it originated here.

But, before we got on our way, Myles made a little pit-stop so we could take a gander at that Golden Gate Bridge!

Okay, wine time! Napa sort of reminded me of the Tuscan region in Italy.  Don’t get me wrong, Tuscany has Napa beat in terms of scenery, but Napa ain’t too shabby.

Our first stop was to a small boutique winery called Porter Family Vineyards. We were greeted with a little rose.

And then we were given a tour of the beautiful grounds and their cellar.

And then it was tasting time!  The nice thing about this place is that they do their tastings in private rooms inside the cellars so you are only with your own group.

While the other girls tasted, I ate all their cheese, crackers, and chocolates! It’s only fair.  I poured all my wine into their glasses! When we were done, all the ordering was done right in the tasting room.  The best thing about this place is that they sell a fully padded, collapsible, and reusable wine luggage that had a strap and wheels and holds 12 bottles of wine for only $60.  Seriously, this thing is genius.  I’d like to meet the crafty lush who invented this! I wish I had one when we went to the Stellenbosch and Constantia wine regions in South Africa, the Tuscan region of Italy, in Paris, and when we visited wineries in Santorini and Crete!  See where I am going with this–  you buy it once, pack it in your suitcase, and then save boatloads on shipping wines back or buying extra luggage or overweight luggage fees, and you don’t have to worry about the bottles breaking in your stuff!  This was the only winery we visited that sold such a contraption, and even the gate agent at Jet Blue was impressed by it.  Had we known we were going to buy so many wines (enough to fill three of these bad boys!), we would’ve bought two more.  The only con is that they don’t seem to sell it online, but you can get something similar here.

Once we had petted all the property dogs, Myles loaded us up and whisked us off to our next winery, giving us a tour of downtown Napa and Yountville along the way.  Up next was an artisanal family winery called Bell Wine Cellars.

We were again greeted with more rose and the sommelier who would be showing us around the property.

This winery had a bit more of a commercial feel.  The entrance and wine shop were very nicely appointed.  They took you to see their large vats, their storage room, and the vineyards, but there were several other large groups there touring at the same time, so it did not feel as intimate as the first place. But, the property was beautiful, and our tasting was held outside on the patio next to the vineyards.

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While at the first winery the girls tasted reds, here, they tasted whites, and I, well, I ate all the cheese and crackers!  By this time, we were all starving– even me! So, we piled back into the van, and headed to lunch at Bouchon in downtown Yountville.

Now, I will admit, this was not my first choice.  The French Laundry was.

Hello, lover…but, my sister said that sometimes, when you are with a group, you have to make compromises, even if it at the expense of your blog!  In hindsight, I think she was drunk, and I decided to be a team player, BUT, had I known it was mere steps away from Bouchon, I may have not of been so nice, especially since being a team player cost me dessert (you know, like basically the reason I came here to begin with).  Anyway, I have never eaten at The French Laundry (cue single tear roll down cheek), and both are by the same chef (both are also French inspired menus), and the food at Bouchon was good (not phenomenal, just good), but if I were you, I would book The French Laundry.  Reservations must be made three months prior to your desired dining date, it’s a tasting menu, and it is pricey ($310.00 per person without alcohol), but it’s iconic and you only live once, so go for it. Do it for me!  Okay, back to things that actually happened on this trip.  Here is what lunch looked like at Bouchon:

Okay, so after lunch, we were ready to hit our last winery.  At Rutherford Ranch Winery, we were scheduled for the chocolate and wine pairing tasting.  I can’t tell you much about this place because we were not offered a tour or any information on their operation. It seems like a big winery with lots of vineyards, but again I don’t know.  This was my least favorite experience. First, my impression was that the employees seemed overwhelmed by the number of people there, which was a lot.  Before we got there, a bus load of people had piled in.  Also, there were children in the tasting rooms.  I have nothing against kids, but I don’t think Napa is a family vacation spot. Just saying. Once they regrouped and set us up for a tasting on their pretty patio outside (which, quite frankly, was preferable to the chaos that was going on inside), it seemed that we were assigned a B team member, as in he did not seem to know that much about the wines.  But, hell, I didn’t care.  I was there for the chocolate, and I ate almost everyone’s chocolate, and it was good!

By now, it was pretty late in the day, but not too late to visit a tasting salon, so that is just what we did.  Next stop, JCB Tasting Salon! Now, this is one of the most over the top salons ever. If gold, crystal, and leopard had a three-some, the product would be this tasting room, excuse me, SALON.  It’s as if someone said let’s just open a store and sell a bunch of fancy shit that doesn’t match all in one place and let’s get Bobby Trendy’s ass in there to design it (I know you remember Bobby Trendy from the Anna Nicole Smith Show, so do not pretend like you have no idea what I am talking about). Anyway, its like a store and a tasting room all in one with an upscale grocery store thrown in for good measure.  You can buy jewelry, crystal, candles, home accessories, perfumes, books (but fancy ones), wine, and french epicurean delights all in one place!  But, the reason to come here is for the people watching.  Apparently, wearing leopard or leather is a requirement.  Also, they have a huge Baccarat chandelier in the middle of the place that spins!

Doesn’t look like much from the outside, right?  Just wait…

This sucker spins.

Oh, look, more rose!  That’s four glasses so far in case you were counting. I mean, even their glasses are over the top.  They are like cartoonish big…

Anyway, this place was too much, so we finished our drinks and headed back to San Fran because it appears we hadn’t eaten enough, and we had dinner reservations to get to.

On the next trip, in addition to staying overnight, I think I would visit some of the higher-end wineries, like Silver Oak, Duckhorn, and Cakebread, not because fancy wine is going to change my mind about the taste of wine, but because I think Chad would really like it, especially Silver Oak, which is one of his favorites.  I would also add a champagne, excuse me, sparkling white wine, tasting as well, just to round out the experience.

To end the night, we got all dolled up and went to dinner at Perbacco because my sister loves Italian food and this weekend was about her, and, apparently, about compromise.

The food was good (the scallops were actually really good), but the service could’ve been a little friendlier.  Our waiter had the nerve to remind us that his tip was not included in the bill.  Thanks, guy, but this was not out first time in a restaurant and we can read.  We know how this goes.

If I were making the dinner decisions, I would’ve chosen State Bird Provisions or Liholiho Yacht Club, but that’s me.  Okay, so Day Two was in the books, and now it is time for our last full day of fun in San Fran!

DAY THREE:

On Day Three, we finally got around to doing some of the San Fran sites!  Because our wish list of things to see was so jam-packed, we again hired a private driver/tour guide, and tasked him with showing us the entire city in half a day. First stop was Lombard Street.  Our driver was not permitted to drive up to or through the winding roads of Lombard Street on account of a limo that once got stock, so these bachelorette ladies had to hoof it up a  VERY steep street.

As in that one right behind us, which doesn’t look that steep in these pictures, but you walk it my friend and then tell me what you think.  Once we got up, we had to elbow our way through hundreds of Asian tourists to get these shots, so I hope you enjoy them!

I’d be SO pissed if I lived here and had all this commotion outside my house everyday, but I don’t, so off to Haight-Ashbury! If you love hippies or you are a hippie, then you have found your home.  If you are a music lover, there is something here for you too.  If you want to buy medical marijuana, you may want stop by.

Did you know that both Jimmy Hendrix and the Grateful Dead lived here? On the bottom left is Jimmy’s house, and on the bottom right is where the Dead lived (you like what I did there?).  According to our guide, these are private residences now, but that does not stop the Dead-Heads from dropping by to pay homage. 

Next we went to the Castro District, one of the first gay neighborhoods in the United States.

It is pretty evident that you are in a gay neighborhood when you get here.

But just in case you missed this cue, they give you a few more reminders, like this fabulous cross walk:

Or this helpful building sign:

The nice part about being here is that there is a sense of acceptance and, in the spirit of Harvey Milk, activism is still alive and well.  On the day we visited, people were campaigning for a gay judge and there was a puppy adoption and paleo and gluten free bake sale!

Our guide explained that public nudity is tolerated, and that it was not uncommon to see completely naked people in the streets.  Unfortunately, on the day we visited, everyone was clothed.  Trust me, I was on a mission to find a nude person, but it was an epic fail.  What was not, was the plethora of adorable street signs for businesses, like this one for a hot dog stand:

Up next, we were promised an off the beaten path view of the Golden Gate Bridge, but to get there, we had to do some hiking.

Doesn’t look so bad, right.  It is.  It is steep, it is narrow, it is slippery, it is windy, and there is a drop straight into the water. But if you survive, you reach a platform that you have all to your self with a great view!

Okay, time to drive by the Painted Ladies, you know, the establishing shot for the T.V. show, Full House.

By now, we were starving, and we still had a tour of Alcatraz ahead of us, so we needed to eat and it needed to be fast — In-N-Out burger to the rescue! We visited the one at Fisherman’s Wharf and killed two birds with one stone.

Up next, a tour to Alcatraz Island!

Before boarding our Alcatraz Island-bound boat, you take a photo that you can purchase when you return.  Here was ours:

Now this crew must’ve seen this gaggle of bachelorettes coming because the next thing we knew, this skipper asked us if we wanted to visit the captain and drive the boat!  Yes, yes we do…

Hola Capitan! He literally let us drive the boat, wear the hat, and play on the radio.  He did not let us blow the horn.

Because of this, we got the best view on the approach.

Then it was time to go to prison.

This is the receiving room where the showers were located and where you got your prison outfit, a very nice denim number I might add.

You also pick up the audio tour here, which is narrated by former inmates and guards.  It was very interesting, and I would recommend it.  It’s also free!

This was a solitary confinement cell. While that did not seem pleasant, I have to say, the view from the prison was spectacular.

Did you know, that in 1969 an Indian tribe that called themselves Indians of All Tribes occupied Alcatraz Island for 18 months until the U.S. Government forcibly ended there occupation?  Me either.  You can learn more about it here. The rangers do a nice job of offering free specialty tours, like the secrets of Alcatraz Island.  Also, on the day we visited, a former inmate was there giving a talk and signing his book. I thought this was very interesting, and I am glad we did it. But, it was time to get back to San Fran because we had dinner plans, and this next place you do not want to miss!

So, remember how I told you that I am a restaurant snob, and that very few restaurants knock my sock off?  Well, this one did. It’s called Rich Table, and its story is SO San Fran.  It got its start on Kickstarter!  We did the tasting menu and you should too.  The whole table has to do it, and, subject to allergies and dietary restrictions, the chef chooses your dinner!

It was $89.00 per person without alcohol, and it was worth every penny.  It was the perfect ending to the perfect weekend getaway!

So, all in all, I loved San Fran and will definitely be back.  When we didn’t have private drivers, we used Uber to get around or walked.  There are plenty of things that I wanted to do but didn’t get a chance to fit in, like Muir Woods.  I would also like to explore the Mission and Marine Districts a little more, have a longer stay in wine country, and there are countless restaurants that we didn’t get to.  I think it would also be cool to visit for two weeks and drive the PCH from San Diego, to LA, to Malibu, to Santa Barbara, to Big Sur, to Monterey, to San Fran (with wine country overnight), and visit all the little stops in between, but that’s another trip.  In case you were wondering, the total cost of this trip per person for flights, hotels (in shared rooms), and all tours/activities (including gratuities for the guides/drivers, but excluding meals, shopping, and Uber rides) was approximately $1,000.00.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post, and maybe it gave you some ideas for your next getaway!  If so, I’d love to hear from you! Send me an email or leave a comment below. Until then, Cheers to your next adventure!