Fun In SF

Getting around:

Herb Caen, a San Francisco Chronicle luminary, used to say that almost everything you’d want to do or see in The City you’d find within a 20-minute walk. While that's not exactly true, it’s always an adventure to lace on your walking shoes and try. If you’re not keen on walking, however, here are some other options:

Uber and Lyft are plentiful; indeed, at any time during daylight, up to 7,000 Uber drivers are prowling around, to the consternation of locals whose own commutes take longer, and finding a parking space is as difficult as finding the truth.

“Clipper Cards,” Bus and BART passes, are in a plastic sleeve in the Lizzie's Condo Binder. The cards have cash value stored on them, so you can use the cards like cash to get around on public transport. Don’t toss the cards after using them. If they don't have much money on them, simply go to the Walgreen's Pharmacy on Franklin and Post (or almost any other Walgreen's) and they will be able to add value to them; you can also purchase an additional Clipper Card at Walgreen's if needed. Don't forget to return the Clipper Cards to the plastic sleeve for the next visitors...or for you when you return to Lizzie's Condo.

Places to eat:

SF is a foodie paradise and almost every restaurant seems at the very least to be “good.” Our guests have listed a few places to recommend. If you’ve found a gem, send the Innkeepers an email and document your discovery in the "Guest Book." And nab a paper menu if available and put it in the Guest Book.

Zuni’s—John and Ray went there three times! “Everything on the menu is great,” they said.

Brenda’s French Soul Food—“the gumbo is to die for.”

Alborz Persian Cuisine, a block and one-half away, on the corner of Sutter and Van Ness: good, not great food and service.

Octavia, two blocks away on Octavia and Bush, is a marvelous neighborhood bistro with a creative, quite tasty menu and a semi-zen vibe. Be sure to order a side of their homemade bread. Make reservations as soon as you can.

Sen’s Mediterranean Bistro at Embarcadero Center Four is pricey, but has very good food, an extensive wine list, an impressive view of the “new” Bay Bridge.

Elite Cafe on Fillmore is a venerable eatery, more famous for its "authentic" San Francisco-ness than its good, cajun food. Their biscuits are yummy, though crumbly, and shrimp and grits may be the best thing on the menu. But don't expect the wait staff to have graduated at the top of their class at charm school.

Jane Bakery (not Jane’s) at 925 Larkin, between Geary and Post, has excellent breads, very good coffee and a more than decent breakfast menu. It's frequented by students, writers and locals from Russian and Ukrainian neighborhoods.

Jane Bakery on Geary and Fillmore has baked goods that rival B Patisserie, says Andy, and has a different feel from the Larkng Street bakery.

Lunch at the top of Nieman Marcus at Union Square: when you want ambiance and excellent food and are willing to pay a dollar or so more for it, is a special place. The chicken consommé and popovers that are served to everyone at the table prior to getting your orders are, as Rae says, “to die for.”

B Patisserie at 2821 California, near the corner of California and Divisadero, is Andy’s favorite pastry shop/cafe. We agree. It's a must!

Coqueta, at Pier 5 the Embarcadero, offers Spanish cuisine. And it does everything right from helpful, efficient service to creative small plates within an impressive space. May get loud, but nothing could spoil the great food!

Pane e Vino, on Union at Gough, is another one of San Francisco's "warm, homey trattoria" with great food and inviting ambiance. Three enthusiastic recommendations: the fettuccine ai formaggi is as rich as Croesus, the scalopppine vitello ai funghi is delightful, and the minestrone has a beef stock with a thousand year pedigree.

Mary Byrnes' discoveries and re-discoveries:

Foreign Cinema (Mission District) for dinner--Interesting ambiance, sophisticated menus, excellent wine list.
Burma Superstar (on Clement Street in Richmond District) for lunch and dinner--Extremely popular, lots of buzz, extensive menu.
Farm: Table (754 Post Street) for breakfast and lunch--"Local San Francisco micro-cafe specializing in mostly local, sustainable, and homemade ingredients." emphasis on "micro": Very limited indoor seating.

Piperade: Simply spectacular food and service. All the small plates and the lamb entree were delightful.

Where to shop for groceries and other items:

Whole Foods is five blocks away at the corner of Franklin and California. It opens at 8:00am. It also has a public electric vehicle charging station, part of the SharePoint network.
According to Google Maps, there are three Safeway stores within a mile or so of the Sutterfield.
Two pharmacies, both of which are well stocked with other necessities: Walgreens on Franklin and Post and CVS on Sutter and Van Ness.
Silk Nail Salon...if you need pampering: 1425 Franklin, 415-885-3277
For serious and recreational shoppers, high-end stores are scattered seductively around Union Square and other, more eclectic stores are located throughout The City. And though you won’t mistake SF shopping for 5th Avenue, it’s far better than Fresno.
Two quaint shopping/strolling areas are comfortable walks away on Filllmore and Divisadero Streets, between California and Post. You'll find high- and low-end (though charming) stores and interesting cafes and bistros.

Places to visit that may not be in San Francisco guidebooks:

City Lights Bookstore—a North Beach institution (261 Columbus Ave, near Broadway) founded by the poet and Renaissance man, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Go there to visit Genet, Brautigan, Kerouac and Ginsberg (Allen, not the Notorious RBG).

Angel Island--"Angel Island State Park, the largest natural island in the San Francisco Bay, offers some of the best views of the surrounding Bay Area [and has] great hiking trails...." It also has quite a history as the Ellis Island of the Pacific. (https://www.parks.ca.gov/angelisland)

The great surf beaches along the Bay: ha-ha

Hanging out in #519 and sucking up the SF ambiance.

Feedback:

Send feedback to the Innkeepers if you've found interesting places, great food, things that work well or don’t work at all, and good poetry. And add comments in the Guest Book as well

Other Services:

Wonder Cleaners—1368 Sutter, 415-928-4888. We use their service to wash the sheets and towels.

Urgent Care--Dignity Health Go Health (gohealthuc.com) is 10 blocks away on 1801 Divisadero in Lower Pac Heights; use their website to check wait time and to schedule an appointment. Take the #2 or #3 bus or LYFT or Uber.