• Home
• Amazon Store
• Free
• Cheap
• Photo Opps
• Resources
• Contact

Quirky San Francisco

• Cliff House

  11Jul
  Categories: Architecture, Cocktails, Dinner, Food, Lunch, Photo Opp, Relax, Tourist Activity, View Click Here to Leave a Comment
  

  Cliff House Sunset View

  

  The Bar

  

  Front

  

  Side

  

  Main Dining Room

  I’ve been going to the Cliff House for over 60 years. Wow … I’m old!!! But I digress.

  I grew up in Pacific Grove, on the Monterey Peninsula, and I recall my parents getting dressed up to go to “the city”. Mom would wear gloves and a hat and Dad wore a tie, hat and smoked a pipe. They were a smart couple (and still are, actually).

  We’d visit the San Francisco Zoo (originally named Fleishhacker Zoo), Golden Gate Park, do some downtown shopping at Gumps or City of Paris (now the Neiman-Marcus store … with the beautiful stained glass ceiling that’s patterned after Galeries Lafayette in Paris). Sometimes we’d come for the day or maybe spend the night; so we’d have two days to enjoy the sites. Over the years, we did it all, and often had a late lunch at the Cliff House before driving back home down Highway 1.

  The Cliff House I recall was beautiful as a kid, but over the years had become more and more worn and just plain tired. In 2004, it was totally rebuilt for the 5th or 6th time. Even though the current version is very modern bent, it’s still beautiful in a new, clean and opened way. It’s still a great spot to enjoy a meal, a snack, or a drink. I think the best time to go is late afternoon or early evening. Sunsets are beautiful, but it’s a joy even on a cold foggy day. The new design is opened and lets everyone get a first class view through the big expansive windows to the west.

  If you’d like to see a couple virtual reality photos, click here.

  I don’t have any old photos of the Cliff House, but they’re easy to find … just do a search and click on images, or click on this link to the Cliff House Web site. You’ll see that it’s been rebuilt several times and each time, I think it’s gotten better, although, the Victorian version might still be a stunning site on the cliffs overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean. I can imagine sitting there, sipping a bowl of clam chowder, watching the sun sink slowly into the horizon.

  For more info about the Cliff House, click here.

  
  View Larger Map
  Tags: Cliff House

• Roli Roti

  06Jun
  Categories: Food, Lunch, Outdoor Click Here to Leave a Comment

  

  If you love perfectly prepared rotisserie chicken and meats, you’ll love Roli Roti – a truck with a built-in rotisserie. Thomas Odermatt has become the authority for rotisserie due to his past in Switzerland, working in his father’s butcher shop and rotisserie. He uses only top quality meats and game. Chicken is the most popular and boy is it good. Unfortunately, it takes a little planning because the truck isn’t available all the time. Check their Web site for details and plan to go early because they run out. Also, you might plan to stand in line, but it moves quickly because they’re very organize … remember he’s Swiss.

  You can get whole chickens or just meals and if you like, with perfectly roasted potatoes too. YUM! You might even catch Thomas there too. It’s quite obvious he loves what he does and always takes the time to chat with customers. More info and schecule … go to: www.roliroti.com

  Here’s the front page blurb from their site:

  RoliRoti is the country’s first and finest mobile rotisserie, serving only sustainably-farmed  meats and organic produce at their seasonal best. Available only at select farmer’s markets or for the catering of private parties, RoliRoti’s cuisine is prepared according to the innovative  recipes of Rotisseur Thomas Odermatt, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the art of rotisserie grilling and an expert in organic farming. One taste and you’ll understand why the
  luminaries of the gourmet food world all agree that you will never find better grilled meat than at RoliRoti.

  
  Tags: BBQ Chicken, Roli Roti, rotisserie chicken, rotisserie truck

• Grove Café Downtown

  20Mar
  Categories: Breakfast, Coffee, Dinner, Food, Lunch Click Here to Leave a Comment

  

  This tiny San Francisco chain is a great spot for so many things. This is their newest location and convenient to most all parts of downtown (and my loft … yea). Mission and 3rd is a popular corner – Peet’s Coffee, St. Regis Hotel and Yerba Buena Gardens/Park are the well known corners.The SF Moma is 1/2 block away and it’s only 1 block south of Market.

  They’re opened for breakfast, lunch and dinner and offer specialties, like Eggs Florentine, lasagna, chicken pot pie, plus a variety of salads, soup, cookies, beer and wine. There’s more, but you get the idea. AND, they also have FREE WIRELESS (with purchase … you get 30 minutes for each $5 purchase … it’s fair and they’re not stingy about it, which is great).

  They really are anxious to please. The young staff smiles a lot and act like they care, which I find very refreshing.

  The only thing I didn’t care for was the choices of music and sometimes the volume, but we’ll see how it goes. Hard rock isn’t my favorite, but I’m hoping it changes throughout the day. (I may need to get chat with the owner because my partner and I own a music licensing company and we also do music for restaurants, hotels and shops. And to help owners afford the service, we’re offering barter for the rest of this year! That service is: MixtEmotions. Check it out and if you know any  business owners who want to make sure their music handled professionally … and actually brings in customers, and makes them want to stay and spend money … have them contact us.)

  

  

  

  
  View Larger Map
  Tags: beer, downtown breakfast, downtown dinner, downtown lunch, The Grove Cafe, wine