Oakland: Cholita Linda; restaurant review

880 South

Cholita Linda  4923 Telegraph Ave./51st St., Temescal, (510) 594-7610.  L-D M–Sat. 

In this festive, colorful, high-ceilinged spot, salsa music is loud, potted plants are tall, and big windows let in plenty of light.  Order at the counter, then select a seat.  The menu blends Mexican, Peruvian, and a few other cuisines.  Soft corn-tortilla tacos are the go-to dish here, and the delicate fried-fish and tasty carnitas versions are my own favorites.  I hear good things about the carne asada and tender, flavorful pollo al pastor (using spit-roasted chicken), and a tofu version is also an option.  All tacos are enhanced with cabbage slaw and baja crema.  Sides include fried plantains (5 pieces), a good but simple rice and beans, and chips with salsa or guacamole.  Aguas frescas are served in a tall Ball canning jar (mango, strawberry, and blackberry are usually an option, and combining them is permitted).  Larger plates and sandwiches are available, including a Cubano Sandwich described as “excellent!” that is made with pulled pork shoulder, black forest ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, pickles, and aioli and on crunchy grilled French bread.  Outside seating is available on a small back patio. 

After, you’re just a hop, skip, and jump from the shops of Temescal Alley. 

  


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Way more things to do in Oakland. 


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images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Amador City: Buffalo Chips Emporium; restaurant review

Highway 49--Gold Rush Country 

Buffalo Chips Emporium  14175 Hwy. 49, (209) 267-0570.  B-L W-Sun; $.  No cards. 

Some folks buy just a simple cone here and then sit outside on one of the weathered benches to leisurely watch the busy world drive by.  Others prefer to sit inside what was once the town's Wells Fargo Bank and indulge in a fancy fountain item.  Breakfast includes omelettes; lunch brings on sandwiches and burgers; and the house specialty is homemade pie.  Many of the antique decorations are for sale.

More things to do in Amador City.

More things to do in nearby Sutter Creek.

More things to do in Gold Rush Country.
 
More ideas for exploring Northern California. 

images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

San Francisco: The Pub at Ghirardelli Square; restaurant review

San Francisco

The Pub at Ghirardelli Square  851 Beach St./Hyde St., in Ghirardelli Square, (415) 351-0500.  L-D daily; $$. 

Not your typical dark Irish pub, this sleek spot has a bright contemporary industrial decor accented with rustic grey-wood wall planks and leather banquettes.  It is located on the ground floor of Ghirardelli Square and opens to the street and park and to views of the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.  Music is loud and surfaces are hard, so it gets noisy.  It is the antithisis of cozy, yet welcoming.  Booths and sidewalk tables with bay views are also available. 

The best news, though, is that the kitchen produces some excellent barbeque, and prices are fair for this touristy area.  I loved my pulled pork sandwich topped with slaw, and the brisket with its exceptional sauce is outstanding.

We accented the dishes perfectly with a draft Lagunitas IPA and Stella Artois Lager.  Raves are also given to the burgers—the Gucci with mushrooms and truffle aioli, the espresso rub with bacon and blue cheese (decaf is not an option), and the quinoa and kale for vegetarians—and to the mac & cheese—choose the version with foie gras, truffle, chili, or blue cheese with buffalo-wing sauce.  The Tommy tater tots tossed in a sweet-spicy sauce with blue cheese and the southern fried chicken also interested me but there simply was no space.  Portions are generous.  The perfect dessert is chocolate chip cookies made with Ghirardelli chocolate, but you can also wander up into the square and get a famous sundae.

More things to do at Ghirardelli Square. 

More things to do in San Francisco

Way more things to do in San Francisco. 


More ideas for exploring Northern California. 

images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Amador City: Andrae’s Bakery; restaurant review

Highway 49--Gold Rush Country

Andrae’s Bakery  14141 Old Hwy. 49, Amador City, (209) 267-1352.  Thur-Sun 7:30am-4pm. 

Hand-shaped, unsliced organic breads are made here from scratch daily.  A dense multigrain seeded loaf with a tinge of licorice from fennel seeds is my personal favorite.  Pastries include a variety of delicious scones and cookies (the crunchy chocolate nib cookies are very popular) as well as a Basque pound cake studded with walnuts and dusted with powdered sugar.  Also look for housemade crackers and tortilla chips, premade sandwiches, and a selection of craft beers from around the world, Amador County wines, and cheeses.  This is the place to pick up perfect picnic fare and edible souvenirs.
 



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images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Woodside: Filoli; things to do

101 South 

Filoli  86 Cañada Rd., Edgewood Rd. exit off I-280, (650) 364-8300.  Tu-Sun 10am-5pm; Nov-Dec Thur-Sun only; tour at 10:30am & 1pm by reservation.  $22, 65+ $18, 5-17 $11; tour $10 additional.  No pets.

The bucolic drive in from the road here is reminiscent of arriving at an English country estate.  Only in this case it is a 529-acre American grand country garden estate that surrounds a 56-room modified Georgian Revival-style mansion built for William Bowers Bourn II in 1917 by his hunting buddy, architect Willis Polk.

exterior of mansion at Filoli in Woodside, California

Named for the family motto--“Fight for a just cause; Love your fellow man; and Live a good life”—the mansion features a water-green ballroom with a 22 1/2-foot-high ceiling and gold leaf gilding extracted from Bourn’s Empire Mine in Grass Valley.  It is the property’s crown jewel.  (The mansion is the setting for the 1978 film "Heaven Can Wait" and is seen as the exterior of the Carrington home shown at the beginning of TV’s "Dynasty.")  The mansion has 4½-foot-thick walls that allow servants to go room to room unseen, English-style, and is surrounded by Irish yews and gigantic, very old oaks.

ballroom in mansion at Filoli in Woodside, California

men's after-dinner drawing room in mansion at Filoli in Woodside, California

Flowers are harvested from the gardens and displayed in the house.  A guided one-hour overview tour is included.  While here, you’ll want to stroll through  the 16-acre mature formal English Renaissance-style gardens that include such delights among its various “rooms” as two manicured English knot gardens, a garden designed to resemble a stained-glass window in Chartres Cathedral in France, a practical cutting garden used for mansion floral arrangements, and a sunken garden.  Also take note of the garden’s collections of camellias, rhododendrons, and azaleas; its significant collection of fruiting trees, especially apples and pears; and its 1 mile of hedges.  The gardens are spectacular in February and March, when more than 200,000 daffodils bloom (24 varieties are represented); in April, when more than 70,000 tulips bloom; and in May, when the rose garden is at its peak.

Sunken Garden at Filoli in Woodside, California

roses in Chartres Cathedral Garden at Filoli in Woodside, California

detail of fountain at Filoli in Woodside, California

More activities include 1-mile self-guided interpretive trail and 7 miles of hiking trails accessible through docent-led hikes.  Begin your visit with the informative 20-minute video intro in the visitor center, and end it with a visit to the exceptional Clock Tower gift shop located in the former Carriage House.  If you’re lucky, you might encounter Percy, the wild peacock who roams the grounds.  This property is owned by the National Trust and is one of its 28 sites, a California Historical Landmark, and a member of the Bay Area Historic House Museums.

giant pink tulips in bloom at Filoli in Woodside, California

orange tulips in a row at Filoli in Woodside, California

gift shop display at Filoli in Woodside, California

In between, allow time for lunch or a snack in the Quail’s Nest Cafe, which dispenses housemade sandwiches, salads, and soups and prepares its own pastrami and Black Forest ham.  Beer and wine are on the menu, and an afternoon tea is served from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.  Picnicking is permitted only in a designated area adjacent to the parking lot.

pastrami sandwich at Crystal Springs Cafe at Filoli in Woodside, California

dessert array at Quail's Nest Cafe at Filoli in Woodside, California

In December, Holidays at Filoli features artisan markets, Tuesday teas, garden lights, blooming camellias, and Santa on Saturdays; $35, 5-17 $18; afternoon tea $75.

Things to do in nearby Palo Alto.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
updated 4-18-19

San Francisco: Bobo’s Lounge + Bobo's Steakhouse; restaurant review

San Francisco

(Note:  These restaurants have changed quite a bit.  This old review remains until I revisit and provide a new description.)

Bobo's Lounge (now Bobo’s Burger Bar)  1434 Lombard St./Van Ness Ave., in the Marina, San Francisco, (415) 683-7007. 

After a spectacular afternoon spent at the nearby Marina Green, Wave Organ, and Palace of Fine Arts, we headed here for refreshment.  Judging from the outside of this bar, I wasn’t expecting such accomplished cuisine.  Turns out charming chef-owner Andrea Froncillo has a past filled with experience that includes previously owning and chefing at Bobo’s Steakhouse (see below), and so the kitchen turns out delicious items and capably matches them with wonderful libations.  Extensive appetizers and small plates include mild Shishito Peppers (I enjoyed this with a beautiful and tasty orange Italian Spritzer made with Prosecco and Aperol liqueur, recipe), perfect Poached Shrimp & Seaweed (these are really gigantic prawns and the seaweed greatly enhances the dish), Asian fusion Italian Potstickers (stuffed with sausage and flavored with mint and black sesame seeds),  and a meaty crab chowder paired deliciously with a light, peachy Vioginier.  For the “Main Event” plates, we delighted in a more serious whole-fried Branzino Chinese (striped sea bass) and a plate of supremely tasty American Kobe steak (wagyu) sliced in bite-size pieces and served with creamy smashed potatoes that had been flattened with a skillet and then fried to perfection.  The paired Angeline Pinot Noir was perfecto.  And all the while Frank, Dean, Louie, and the gang keep things melodically mellow.  The bar’s interior is a step into the 50s past, with a crimson-and-gold harlequin decor featuring colorful Venetian theatrical and Cirque du Soleil masks, red-glass chandeliers, and banquette-lined walls.  Our feast coincidentally, and magically, ended with Tony Bennett singing “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” as we shared an apple crisp and a ginger-infused creme brulee paired with a grappa and port.  I’ve also heard raves about the mac and cheese, cupcake lasagna, crab enchilada, baby lobster tails, lamb lollipops, baby octopus, baby back ribs, and a dessert of bombolini (mini Italian donuts) with warm chocolate ancho chili sauce, but the menu changes regularly and items come and go.

 

 

 

Bobo's Steakhouse  1450 Lombard St./Van Ness Ave., next door, (415) 441-8880.  Reservations advised.  D daily. 

A few doors down, this posh three-floor restaurant is a traditional steak house.  It is smallish, with red-and-black-striped accents, and offers cozy seating in an assortment of intimate rooms.  Diners come for the a la carte dry-aged steaks (the bone-in filet is reputedly the best) and whole Dungeness crabs.  Sides include twice-baked potatoes and macaroni and cheese.  Mussels, shrimp, and even burrata (a fresh cheese from southern Italy) round out the menu.   



More things to do in San Francisco

Way more things to do in San Francisco.

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images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
updated 2-9-19

San Francisco: Marina Green Park + Wave Organ; things to do

San Francisco 

Marina Green Park   Along Marina Green Dr., Marina District, (415) 831-2700.  Dogs ok.  Free. 

When you take a nice walk beside the bay here, your view includes the yacht harbor, Alcatraz, and peeks of the Golden Gate Bridge.  The huge expanse of grass that is the green is perfect for a picnic, flying a kite, and throwing a Frisbee.

Wave Organ  1 Yacht Rd./off Marina Blvd., Marina District, (415) 561-0360.  Free. 

Located at the eastern tip of the breakwater forming the Marina Yacht Harbor, this unusual musical instrument is reached by a road that runs behind the Golden Gate Yacht Club.  And though it is directly across from the Marina Green, a water channel requires that you park near the club and then walk back along the breakwater path.  Designed by Exploratorium artist Peter Richards in collaboration with stonemason George Gonzales, this tiny park consists of more than twenty pipes extended down through the breakwater into the bay and provides a constant symphony of natural music.  You can relax in a small granite-and-marble amphitheater and listen while viewing the San Francisco skyline.  The organ plays most effectively at high tide.  (On my most recent visit I heard nothing.)  It’s the perfect spot for a picnic or a frolic in the shallow waters of an inviting sandy beach with a straight-on view of the Golden Gate Bridge. 

More things to do in San Francisco

Way more things to do in San Francisco. 

More ideas for exploring Northern California.   

images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Plymouth: Amador Four Fires Festival; things to do

Highway 49--Gold Rush Country

Amador Four Fires Festival  May 2, 2015, 11am-4pm.  At Amador County Fairgrounds, 18621 Sherwood St., in Plymouth.  Tickets: $75-$105. 

The approximately 50 wineries in the Amador Vintners Association—which includes Jackson, Amador City, Drytown, Fiddletown, Ione, Plymouth, and Sutter Creek--will gather here to celebrate their local wines in a County Fair-like atmosphere.  Amador Four Fires Festival is so-named because it represents the four world wine-making regions that strongly reflect Amador winemaking tradition—southern France (Rhone varietals such as Syrah and Grenache), Italy (Barbera, Sangiovese, and Vermentino), Iberia—Spain and Portugal (Tempranillo, Garnacha), and heritage California (old-vine Zinfandel).  More than 200 wines will be poured for sampling.  Accomplished local chefs will prepare food pairings consisting primarily of open-flame items that will include  huge pans of paella, spit-roasted chicken and lamb, and an entire side of beef cooked on an iron cross.  A marketplace will be stocked with a cornucopia of items to eat on the spot or take home, including chocolate, baked goods, cheese, cider, craft beer, olive oil, and honey.  Cooking demonstrations and seminars with winemakers will also be part of the mix.  Book area lodgings early, as they are limited.  Alternatively, book a room in Sacramento and shuttle in.  Proceeds benefit the Amador County Fair Foundation. 

These are some of the winemakers who will be in attendance:

Jeff Runquist/vintner-owner, Jeff Runquist Wines

Jennifer Hunt/tasting room and wine club manager, Renwood winery

Jim Gullett/owner, Vino Noceto

Charlie Havill/owner, BellaGrace

Chris Leamy/winemaker, Terra D’Oro & Montevina Wineries

More things to see and do in Plymouth. 
 
More things to do in Gold Rush Country.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

image c2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Oakland: Temescal Alley shops; things to do

880 South

Temescal Alleys  Off 49th St.; ½-block east of Telegraph Ave.  

These alleys are lined with unique shops that are perfect for gift-hunting, plus casual snack stops for refueling.  They are pedestrians only.  Originally the narrow roads were home to stables for trolley horses.

Temescal Alley

Temescal Alley

●Ali Golden  #470-E, (805) 340-7086. 
This sparely furnished designer boutique displays a casual women’s clothing line, all of which is Bay Area-made.

●Crimson  470 49th St., (510) 992-3359. 
Stuffed with botanical delights, this shop has a large selection of air plants and potted items as well as lovely botanical body products, vintage gardening books, and plenty more.

●Curbside Creamery  #482, (510) 250-9804. 
Regular dairy as well as cashew vegan ice cream is available in cones or sandwiches.

●Homestead Apothecary  #486-C, (510) 495-6549. 
You’ll find everything for what ails you here—elder flowers, Echinacea, gingko leaves—plus lovely botanical cards and a few other related items.

●Marisa Mason  #484-D, (510) 325-0019. 
Jewelry is handcrafted using original designs right in the studio in the back of this shop. 

●Temescal Alley Barbershop  #470-B, (510) 761-5074.  No reservations. 
Men and women alike line up on the bench outside, waiting their turn to sit in the antique chairs of this old-style barbershop.  Haircuts, beard trims, and straight-razor shaves are the specialties. 

●Walrus  #470-G, (510) 545-9784. 
Home accessories here are repurposed, used, and vintage items.   You’ll find everything from felt dryer balls to sturdy antique school chairs. 

Alley 49

●Doughnut Dolly  CLOSED  #482-B, 9510) 338-6738. 
It’s hard to believe, but only one thing is sold here—hand-rolled doughnuts dusted with either granulated or powdered sugar.  You get a choice of four fillings pumped in by hand from funnel dispensers.  I chose their signature Naughty Cream, which is a thick mixture of vanilla bean and crème fraiche, but Mexican chocolate and a couple of others were also available.  When they run out of a flavor, there is no more available that day.  Owner Hannah Hoffman is a graduate of the Chez Panisse kitchen.

●Esqueleto  #482-A, (510) 629-6216.  Tu-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm. 
This shops owner relocated here from New York with her namesake line, Lauren Wolf Jewelry.  In her desert-like gallery she represents both local and international contemporary jewelers, ceramicists, and fine artists.  Art shows change regularly. 

Around the Corner on Telegraph

●Ruby’s Garden  5026 Telegraph Ave., (510) 595-5325.  M-Sat 10am-6pm. 
This gigantic one-room shop has a vast inventory of children’s items.  Prices are good, and many items are unusual.  Some used items are also for sale.  Bring new or gently used children’s books to donate to their collection bin for the East Bay Children’s Book Project.

●Sagrada  4926 Telegraph Ave., (510) 653-7196.  Tu-Sat 10am-5pm, Thur to 7pm. 
This shop devoted to sacred arts stocks books, religious art and crafts, and gifts representing all faiths.

More things to do in Oakland.

Way more things to do in Oakland.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers; last image courtesy of Sagrada website