880 South: Oakland, Cholita Linda

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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images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Highway 49--Gold Rush Country: Amador City, Buffalo Chips Emporium

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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.

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images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

San Francisco: The Pub at Ghirardelli Square

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. 

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images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Highway 49--Gold Rush Country: Amador City, Andrae’s Bakery

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

101 South: Woodside, Filoli

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Filoli  86 Cañada Rd., Edgewood Rd. exit off I-280, (650) 364-8300.  Tu-Sat 10-3:30, Sun 11-3:30; tour at 10:30am & 1pm by reservation; closed Nov-mid-Feb.  $20, 65+ $17, 5-17 $10.  No pets.  The bucolic drive in here is reminiscent of arriving at an English country estate.  Only in this case it is a 654-acre American grand country garden estate that surrounds a 43-room modified Georgian mansion built for William Bowers Bourn II in 1917 by his hunting buddy, architect Willis Polk.  

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 21-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.

Guided two-hour tours of the house and 16-acre mature formal English Renaissance garden include such delights 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 replicated after one on the Ireland estate the Bourns bought for their daughter.  Note that self-guided tours are also an option.

The gardens are spectacular in February and March, when more than 200,000 daffodils bloom; in April, when more than 70,000 tulips bloom; and in May, when the rose garden is at its peak.

Begin your visit with an informative 10-minute video intro in the visitor center, and end it with a visit to the exceptional gift shop.

In between, allow time for lunch or a snack in the Crystal Springs@Filoli cafe, which dispenses housemade wraps, paninis, salads, and soups and makes its own pastrami and Black Forest ham; picnicking is not permitted.

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images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

San Francisco: Bobo’s Lounge and Bobo's Steakhouse

Bobo’s Lounge  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 liquour, 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.   

 

 

 

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images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

San Francisco: Marina Green Park and Wave Organ

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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. 

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images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

Highway 49--Gold Rush Country: Plymouth, Amador Four Fires Festival

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. 
 
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image c2012 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

880 South: Oakland, Temescal Alley shops

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  #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 devloted to sacred arts stocks books, religious art and crafts, and gifts representing all faiths.

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