Anh-Minh Le
Eden and Eden
Okay, I have a new favorite store. And I’m almost afraid to share it with you, because shop-owner Rachel Eden doesn’t really maintain any backstock. So, if you see a dress in your size, you need to snap it up because it’s probably the only one available — not just in this store, in [...]
Rose and Radish
Once upon a time, Rose and Radish was a shop devoted entirely to floral arrangements. But we are so glad that owner Cate Kellison decided to expand the storefront, creating a gallery-like space for modern pieces.
Rose and Radish stocks lamps, tabletop accessories, adorable knick-knacks such as little animal bobbleheads, and even large-scale furniture (I love [...]
Bi-Rite Creamery & Bakeshop
Hopefully, the cold and rain are behind us now … at least for a little while. Not that bad weather would stop me from dropping in for a couple of scoops at Bi-Rite Creamery & Bakeshop.
Brought to you by the folks behind the popular Bi-Rite Market (just across the street), the creamery specializes in small-batch, [...]
O Chame
On a rainy or blustery day — as we had this weekend — there are few things that can beat a delicious, steaming bowl of udon noodles from O Chame. I have ordered udon from dozens of restaurant menus, in the Bay Area and in Japan, and as far as I’m concerned, this is as [...]
Peace Industry
After repeated trips to Iran, husband and wife team Melina and Dodd Raissnia developed an interest in hand-made felt rugs. In 2005, they opened a rug shop in San Francisco — offering modern yet organic designs. The name? It’s rooted in the couple’s previous work, which involved making peace flags.
Any of Peace Industry’s designs can [...]
Americano
So you’ve been meaning to try Americano, the restaurant in the Hotel Vitale, but every time you walk by after work, it’s packed. People spilling out into the patio — laughing, drinking, consuming — having a great time. Which you’re not opposed to. But some times, you just don’t want so much of a scene [...]
La Mediterranee
Way back when I was a student at Berkeley, I dined at the La Mediterranee outpost on College Avenue all the time. But in recent years, after my departure from the East Bay, the restaurant sort of fell off my radar … That is, until I recently met up for lunch at the Fillmore location [...]
Miette Confiserie
Warning: If you are counting calories, you may want to walk right on by this new candy shop. Should you be lured in by all of the prettiness — pink floral wallpaper, soft pastel fixtures — and all of the sweetness — rows and rows of apothecary jars and vintage dishes filled with treats — [...]
Daiso
A few weeks ago, I was driving through Daly City, along 280, when there — at Serramonte Shopping Center, glowing in the fog — was the word “Daiso.” Big and red, on the side of a building that used to be a Good Guys.
It was already past nine o’clock, so the store was already closed [...]
Bernadus Lodge
Located just a couple of hours south of San Francisco, I love Carmel as a weekend getaway destination. There’s the shopping (have you been to the gigantic Anthropologie downtown?!); the spas at Pebble Beach (not to be missed); and the excellent dining options (especially if you’re a seafood fan).
Tucked away in Carmel Valley is Bernadus [...]
