San Francisco

BAY BEAUTIFUL
San Francisco’s famed
Ferry Building Marketplace
is home to great restaurants
with views to die for
If You’re Going To
San Francisco...
Sure, you could wear flowers in your hair, but check out why
the reinvented City by the Bay is worth revisiting
BY • HIKO MITSUZUKA
original settings. This is relaxation to
the nth degree; I still have dreams
about that massage.
The City by the Bay has culture
covered with, among many points of
interest, the fascinating Exploratorium
(located at Pier 15) and the beautiful
San Francisco Museum of Modern
Art. Now matter how many MOMAs
you’ve visited in different cities, S.F.’s
is definitely a sight to be seen.
If you’re looking to channel your
inner jock, there’s always a ball game
to cheer on at the gorgeous AT&T
Park. We took in an exciting match
(isn’t that what baseball fans call
it?) between the L.A. Dodgers and
San Francisco Giants, but most of
the excitement was had at the park’s
food vendors. We haven’t seen such a
variety of nosh at any other sporting
BRUNCH BUDDIES
The Starlight Room’s real
stars, the cast of Sunday’s
A Drag Brunch
event since…well, it’s been a while.
However, if you want to buy a
one-way ticket back to Homoville,
there’s also Explore San Francisco’s
Historic Folsom tours every third
Saturday of the month. Once home
to more than 30 gay bars and
bathhouses, and still known as the
stomping ground for leather daddies,
Folsom Street boasts a unique history
and several important landmarks
POSH DIGS
The perfectly situated Hotel
Palomar guarantees visitors
easy access to attractions and
high-class service and amenities (for your pets, too)
(exploresf.biz).
Speaking of history, there’s
also the GLBT History Museum,
located in the heart of the Castro
on 18th Street. It’s a rich and eyeopening lesson that’s definitely worth
checking out. (Don’t
think owning Milk on
DVD will suffice.) Rare
artifacts (matchbooks
from every LGBT
establishment that ever
existed in the area!)
and video screens
provide some rare
lessons that you won’t
get anywhere else.
To cap it all off
in grand fashion, the
Sunday’s A Drag Brunch
at the Starlight Room
on the 21st floor of the
Sir Francis Drake Hotel
was a delightful affair
to behold. Some of SF’s
finest queens strut their stuff in this
old-school venue with a view. From
Shania to Gaga, every musical diva
gets her spotlight on the stage—we’ve
never seen such flawless makeup—
and it all complemented our mimosas
and deviled eggs. Who knew a little
bit of country and a little bit of rock ‘n’
roll goes so well with broccoli quiche?
Till next time, SF. I eagerly await
our next encounter.
THE
NITTY
GRITTY
STAY:
Hotel Palomar
hotelpalomar-sf.com
EAT:
Chocolate Lab
chocolatelabsf.com
Clairesquares
clairesquares.com
Jasper’s Corner
Tap and Kitchen
jasperscornertap.com
Newtree Café
newtree.com
Fifth Floor
Restaurant & Lounge
(at Palomar)
fifthfloorrestaurant.com
PLAY &
BE MARY:
AT&T Park
giants.mlb.com/sf/ballpark
Blazing Saddles
blazingsaddles.com
Exploratorium
I
T’S ARGUABLY the Manhattan of the West
Coast, a hilly metropolis filled with plenty of
history, plenty of delicious nosh and plenty of
colorful characters worthy of populating any one
of Armistead Maupin’s signature Tales Of The City
novels.
San Francisco and I have always had a loving
relationship. Our romance began sometime in
1999, when I was a wee student tourist seeing the
sights with family. From there, it blossomed into
a full-fledged affair, with me ditching Los Angeles
to go up north and play with my “mistress city” for
a weekend. I didn’t hit on the Castro until 2003. I
experienced my first Chinatown excursion one year
after that. In 2006, I grew to appreciate the city’s
rich history (literary and cultural). And it wasn’t until
2009 that I experienced its Pride for the first time.
(Hot damn, what a party.)
But of course, like any large city, there’s
simply too much to see and do for a weekend trip.
44
that has been catering to cardio
seekers for years. A scenic bike ride
to the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge
brought me along the bay, past
picnickers and puppies, kite fliers
and kickballers. If you’re ambitious
enough, huff and puff all the way over
to Sausalito and take the ferry back
to the wharf with the other bicyclists.
Just try not to get caught in the
legendary San Francisco fog—it’s a
doozy to get through.
Naturally, such vigorous pedaling
requires some rejuvenation. That’s
where the Spa at Hotel Monaco came
into play. Whether it’s with their
Refresher Facial, Spirulina Body Wrap
(lavender body oil? Yes, please) or the
50-minute Aroma Journey Massage,
the well-trained staff at this tranquil
haven will work your body back to its
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2014
So naturally, I jumped at a chance to experience
even more sides to the city during a recent visit.
Kimpton Hotels, always an ally of the LGBT
community, has plenty of luxurious properties to
accommodate any visitor. From the historic Sir
Francis Drake Hotel in the heart of downtown to
the recently renovated (and Fisherman’s Wharfadjacent) Argonaut Hotel, Kimpton’s got the city
covered. The Harbor Court has magnificent views
of the Bay Bridge (at night, check out the Bay
Lights display, the world’s largest LED sculpture)
and is conveniently located near the Ferry Building
Marketplace. My accommodations of choice? The
Hotel Palomar, situated in the midst of everything
and equipped with one killer menu, thanks to their
Fifth Floor Restaurant.
A chocolate walking tour (yes, you read that
correctly) by Gourmet Walks kicked off our jampacked weekend. Beginning at Justin Herman Plaza
and ending at Westfield Centre, this three-hour
smorgasbord of delectable delights introduced us to
several culinary treats we could’ve never dreamed
of, like the buttery shortbread at Clairesquares.
Other notable stops: Chocolate Lab, a café
featuring an array of truffles, cakes, tartlettes and
cookies, and Newtree Café, where you can sample
some organic, fair-trade goodies from the geekycute Belgian shopkeeper behind the counter. And
remember, the calories don’t count if you’re just
sampling.
Dinner at Jasper’s Corner Tap and Kitchen,
named after the first surveyor of the city, Jasper
O’Farrell, consisted of burgers, ale and a bowl
of their house-made spiced nuts from Chef Mike
Ransom (make it a priority to try their signature
cocktail, the Hibiscus Paloma). Needless to say, our
taste buds were working overtime.
And if you’re looking to burn off all of that
pub food and mounds of dark chocolaty goodness,
there’s always Blazing Saddles, a bike rental shop
exploratorium.edu
Ferry Building
Marketplace
ferrybuildingmarketplace.com
GLBT History Museum
glbthistory.org/museum
Gourmet Walks
gourmetwalks.com
San Francisco
Museum of Modern Art
sfmoma.org
The Spa at Hotel
Monaco
monaco-sf.com/san-franciscohotel/spa-services