Anh-Minh Le
Farmer Brown
The first thing you should know about dining at Farmer Brown: Get a reservation. The second: The neighborhood is not the greatest (described as “on the cusp of Union Square and the Tenderloin”), but you can easily walk from the BART station or take advantage of the secure parking at a lot next door.
The third, [...]
Craft Gym
If your New Year’s resolutions involve picking up an art or craft skill, then this is the place for you. Workshops, studio passes (per day or on a membership basis), private lessons, finishing services (for those who are good at starting projects), and special events are all possible.
The crafts here run the gamut: candlemaking, tilemaking, [...]
Sibby’s Cupcakery
Although I don’t spend much time in the kitchen, I’ve often heard that baking is more difficult than cooking. Why? Because baking is more of an exact science, whereas you can usually play around with ingredients when cooking.
So, when my husband and I recently hosted a little dinner party, we decided we would save ourselves [...]
NOPA
Finally! Just this month, the folks at NOPA decided to allow for reservations one month in advance. Previously, you had to call the same day, starting at 2pm. And the phone lines were *always* busy. In fact, when I called on Friday afternoon for a Saturday night reservation, it took me about 20 minutes to [...]
SF Museum of Modern Art
Opened in 1935 as the first museum on the West Coast devoted to 20th-century art, the SFMOMA is still a favorite stop amongst locals and visitors alike. The museum has been at its current location, which was designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta, since 1995.
Daily tours are available (except on Wednesdays, when the entire museum [...]
Lemon Twist
Any time I come across a store that says it will make clothes to order, it’s definitely a good day.
Lemon Twist is a lovely boutique just off of Hayes Street. The staff is so friendly. Featuring lots of great patterns, the clothes are hip yet totally wearable. And, if you like the style of a [...]
Heath Ceramics
As the temperatures start to drop, visions of lounging by the fireplace, sipping tea from a lovely Heath Ceramics cup, start to dance in my head. But what makes this vision even better? That said Heath Ceramics cup was picked up at a discounted price from the factory store — after a tour of the [...]
Westfield Shopping Center
I waited a couple of weeks before venturing into the much-hyped new Westfield — adjacent to the old one, which features Nordstrom as its anchor department store. The recent addition to the mall, which finally makes use of the former Emporium building, includes lots of shops and eateries.
My favorite places in the new space include [...]
Town Hall
When Town Hall opened a few years ago, my husband and I instantly fell for the place. But, with so many other restaurants to try in San Francisco, it sort of fell off of our radar as well … Until some friends were coming into town and we needed a comfortable yet cool dinner option [...]
Manka’s
For our anniversary this year, we spent the weekend at Manka’s —which might best be described as a rustic resort in the Marin County town of Inverness.
Manka’s offers several types of accommodation (including rooms above their main lodge, as well as cabins) and a much-touted restaurant. We stayed in Cabin 125, which is on [...]
