Stereogum will be updated sporadically over the next week because we’ll be on vacation in San Fran. If Britney gets another puppy or something, text me so I’m not out of the loop. Until then … any suggestions for things to do in the area? So far I’ve got this and this.
check out the museum of modern art. it’s worth the trip
I recommend the sea lions and the Musee Mechanique @ the otherwise dreadful Pier 39.
the pez museum (http://www.burlingamepezmuseum.com/) outside sf in burlingame is cool if you like pez. the owner is really nice and chatty, but i warn you, it’s more a couple of rooms than a museum. still sweet. and japantown is swell too. right by the fillmore.
Taqueria Cancun in the Mission. Quite possibly the best burrito in America.
I had no idea SF was so known for its burritos. Everyone keeps telling me, “You gotta get a burrito!”
citylights.com, small bookstore co-founded by lawrence ferlinghetti, specializing in beat lit, amongst other things.
Glad to see you’ve already got Amoeba taken care of.
Go to City Lights bookstore. If you’re lucky Lawrence Ferlinghetti (sp?) will be there to check your bag.
Dim Sum in Chinatown. Check out the streets on which they filmed the “Bullitt” car chase.
If you drive down the coast a bit (lovely drive), check out Duarte’s Tavern. (http://www.duartestavern.com/) Great seafood and you have to save room for pie.
Forgot to say that Duarte’s is in Pescadero.
I totally don’t see the appeal of the Mission. The burrito didn’t blow my mind, and looks-wise it reminded me of Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
go to diddy riese in los angeles. ice cream sandwhiches for one dollar, you choose your own types of cookies and flavor of ice cream to put in between. usually has a line out the door.
maybe it’s just me, but i love going to look at the buffalo in golden gate park. and the ruins out at the cliff house are awesome. there’s a number of good shows going on next week as well…
Fisherman’s Wharf has some killer chowder, many entertaining homeless people, and all the touristy museums you could ever want in a lifetime.
The Anchor Brewery (makers of Anchor Steam Beer) has a tour/ tasting you can do that is pretty sweet.
Also, check out Rasputin music. While not as collosal as Amoeba, it is still huge and has a lot of hard to find items.
Enjoy northern california.
There’s a graffiti that you just have to go see!It’s near a public bathroom (near the Maritime museum) and I should have taken note of what it said, but I didn’t. It was written in a spiral manner and something really mind-blowing. If you see it, please take a picture! I don’t live in SF. I was visiting. It was pretty.
Yep, SF is famous for our burritos. You can get one the size of your head. I recommend Pancho Villa, it’s the first place I take all my out of town guests. Also, for high falutin drinks – hit up Absinthe (trust me it’s totally worth the money you’ll drop there). For dirty dive-y fun, around the corner try the Rickshaw Stop. But you simply must try one of the Tiki bars we are also known for – trader sam’s, tonga room, and the newly re-opened trader vic’s. Woohoo! Apparently, I’m some sort of alcholic mapquest.
go to OTSU (http://www.veganmart.com/) Really beautiful hand-made products as well as other stuff… awesome store.
Go to Aquarius Records in the Mission on Valencia. Good stuff. As well as the McSweeney’s Pirate store just a couple blocks away.
And, if you can get tickets, go to the Audium!
The Tonga Room is a scream. Go during happy hour and plunk down the extra dosh for the not-great-but-alcohol-absorbing pu-pu buffet. There’s a “rainstorm” every half-hour and a cheesy live band and a dance floor.
blast! i was going to suggest aquarius and dave eggers book store too! but oh well, i’ll continue to suggest it. amoeba is ok, the one in SF is probably the worst of the three. but definitely visit aquarius! its microscopic but absolutely worth it, i found the most amazing things there.
oh, have a wonderful time!! san francisco is magical. i adore it.
Write me when you get here…I not only live (literally) the corner from the aforementioned, formidable Taqueria Cancun, I’ll get you free drinks at Cha Cha Cha across the street!
1.) Tonga Room
2.) Silver Oak Vineyard (Napa)
3.) Duckhorn Vineyard (Napa)
4.) Blondies Pizza
Zeitgeist is the bar spot I always make point to visit. 30 or so taps with a big old beer garden area with plentiful picnic tables. Nice jukebox.
You really musn’t miss these gardens/art installations:
Cornerstone Gardens
http://www.cornerstonegardens.com/
23570 Hwy 121 (Arnold Drive), Sonoma, CA 95476. 707.933.3010
i love how you can buy hard liquor in any convienent store…
go get smoked out by that greco-roman collesieum looking thing by the duck pond…
and there’s a sausage shop that sells the best fucking sausages really close to Haight Ashbury intersection…
can you tell i’m not a native?
Zuni Cafe (Market St/Rose Alley, near Civic Ctr) for their whole roast chicken served on a a tuscan bread salad and a caesar salad.
oh…and you gotta drive down Lombard Street, see the painted ladies (of Full House fame) and go to the top of Twin Peaks to take the ultimate panoramic view of SF…Crissy Field is nice for Golden Gate stizz…
go to The Castro
continue your diner travels at st francis fountain in the mission (24th and York), a perfectly preserved ’40s soda fountain.
I know it sounds cheesy, but going to Alcatraz is actually kind of cool if you have time. Make sure you take the audio tour if you have time.
Pancho Villa for burritos, yes.
Zeigesit for happy hour — everyone is puffing bowls at the picninc tables along with their pints.
Beauty Bar has cool rock DJs most nights.
Try EXCELLENT guatamlen at family owned San Miguel.
See cool used mod furniture and art at X-21.
Aquarious Records by all means.
Hit Kilowatt for good rocker bar.
go to the top of Twin Peaks for crazy nice view.
Ti Couz for buckwheat crepes and mimosa when hungover.
This is all in the Mission.
more bay love: must go see a show at Great American Music Hall. Also check out Walzwerk on S. Van Ness for German food.
No matter what, do a lot of walking. S.F.-proper is an extremely compact place, what with all the geographical boundaries surrounding. You can, with relative ease, get from most points a to b on foot and really see the city. The weather is usually pretty nice this time of year too.
There are a few hills though…
you should go to bimbo’s in north beach – the club is old-school awesome. kevin’s spacey’s singing bobby darin songs there on sunday (which should be…. weird.)
get dinner at three seasons in the marina (on steiner). best pan-asian food, mmmmm. tasty sushi next door at ace wasabi.
and you can hit up upper playground in the lower haight – they sell records & ricky powell shirts. what could be bad?
have fun in sf!!
Hey, I sell Robert Mondavi wine. Try their Frescobaldi line, it’s the best.
Breakfast: Mama’s (on Washington Square)
Lunch: Cha Cha Cha (the Haight)
Supper: House (North Beach)
Coffee: Peet’s
Shopping: American Rag (Van Ness)
View: Twin Peaks
If you’re in Chinatown, you must hit around the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. Find Ross Alley, walk down it. You’re there. Nice and small ladies make cookies and you can buy bags for a dollar, eat the burnt outcasts for free and even take a picture with the ladies (also one dollar); they have the fastest fingers!
The best cookies are the unfolded ones, looking all like slim sand dollars.
SFist is hosting a party on Thursday, December 9th at Milk, a club across the street from Amoeba records on Haight and Steiner. It’s free and open to the public! Happy Hour drink specials, DJs, and the Future Primitive Sound collective rocking the spot after ten. Come say hey, Scott!
Yes, Taqueria Cancun is the BEST.. best nachos, burritos, best everything! on Mission Street between 18th and 19th. Right near my house. Pancho Villa is bland.. someone commented about them being good, but they are so bland. It’s rediculous. I live the mission and eat way too much Mexican food. The area looks kinda sketch but it’s not. It’s awesome!
YUM!
Besides Burritos there are lots of other things to do, what kind of things are you interested in, clubs, bars, touristy things, shopping?
There is the Pirate store on Valencia which sells pirate stuff! Typical shopping zones like Union Street, 24th Street and Haight.
There is the Sutro Bath ruins down on the beach… http://sfphototour.tripod.com/sutro_baths.html kind of shows/tells a bit about it.
There is the academy of science & the planetarium located in Golden Gate park.
At night Delores Park offers a spectacular view of the downtown area.
If you travel north over the golden gate bridge there is sausalito & Tiberon and Muir Woods and Mt. Tamalpais if you’re into all that nature-like stuff.
It’s freezing here, well we probably have nothing on the east coast. And you’re bound to see Neckface graffiti everywhere. A bit of NYC right here.
Holy crow that’s a lot of good recommendations! I have to second the rec’s for Great American, Amoeba and burritos. After any Great American show go to the Hemlock (hemlocktavern.com) a few blocks away, that’s most likely where the band will end up, but it’s a great place to have a pint anytime. And do come to our SFist party (www.SFist.com) — because we know you’re down with our Gothamist brethren.
Hot Cookie in the Castro, right next to the Castro theater. Best fucking chocolate chip cookies ever. I hear the little restaurant around the corner, Orphan Annie’s, is pretty good too.
actually, Zachary’s pizza in Berkeley is the best pizza in the bay area. it can be an insanely long wait on the weekends, but well worth it.
for the east bay check out the Smokehouse for burgers (cow and veggie) the Center for Creative Reuse, the Ameoba (which i like lots more than the SF branch) Mod Lang records, the Bulb, and countless awesome BBQ joints.
Check out this site for good suggestions about what to do in SF:
http://sf.flavorpill.net/mailer/issue135/index.html
My suggestions:
Art: SFMOMA, Yerba Buena and 49 Geary
Food: Pancho Villa (Burritos), Firecracker (Chinese), Moki (Sushi), Millinium (Veggie), Barney’s/BJ’s (Burgers)
Shopping: Valencia Street, Hayes Valley, Grant Street and Union Square
Music: Bottom of the Hill, Hemlock, Slims, etc
Sites: Alcatraz, GG Park, GG Bridge, Marina Green
Out of SF: Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Highway 1 and Big Sur
Have fun.
Good show at Bottom of the Hill next Fri the 10th with Fuck, Built Like Alaska, and Panty Lions
And burritos! Yummy.
There’s an “Art of Modern Rock” poster exhibition, book, and poster sale this weekend, and there’s a book release party on Wednesday.
More info here:
http://www.artofmodernrock.com/
Browse through these sites. They’re indispensible.
http://www.sfgate.com/traveler/guide/
http://www.sfstation.com/
http://www.sfbg.com/
http://www.sfgate.com/eguide/
San Francisco— if you’re going to Amoeba, definitely check out the indie movie theatre on the Haight. It’s really cool & they have lots of old and rare films. It’s also next door to a cool Hookah bar/Thai restaurant. It’s on the same side of the street as Amoeba, maybe 3 blocks up.
hop on bart and check out the east bay. berekely, go to telegraph avenue, they have amoeba there too, just cool place and has some history, good restrants in that area also.
golden gate park in SF. it is the biggest park in the US so it’ll take some time to go through it all.
I’m so late on suggestions, but here’s a few not yet mentioned, that are great
– Ferry Building (Slanted Door and Hog Island Oyster Co. and the best!!!!)
– the Maxfield bar in The Palace Hotel (it survived the 1906 earthquake and has a huge original Maxfield Parish)
– Gimme Shoes on Hayes and all the cool spots along the way
–Tosca it’s legendary and the best spot in North Beach (then stroll down to Specs)
–I live in Napa Valley and suggest you DO NOT go to Mondavi. Go to Plump Jack, Miner Family, Sinskey, and see my friend Art Roger’s photo exhibit at Mumm.
welcome to Cali!
Stereo,
Be warned, the place is littered with hills and the public transportation for the city is MUNI, (read: buses). It is NOT an easy walk everywhere, don’t be fooled.
Scoma’s in Fisherman’s Wharf is an old timey celebrity high class seafood eatery. Better than a burrito, and get the crab.
SFMoMA is not that interesting, it’s NYC MoMA part II. It’s like leaving the Gap to go see Old Navy. Speaking of which, most of the shops ARE shops you could visit in NYC.
Pez museam is kinda lame, and way far.
Auntie Charlie’s in the tenderloin is a must.
you have to have dim sum. it’s practically mandatory if you’re going to be in san francisco.
but PLEASE, don’t have dim sum in chinatown.
go to TON KIANG in the RICHMOND district. it’s absolutely terrific. i don’t care how long the wait is, it’s worth it.
don’t go to pier 39.
don’t go to fishermen’s wharf.
oh, and PLEASE go to TARTINE BAKERY in the mission neighborhood.
best banana cream tart. ever. or any dessert, really.
check out DELFINA for dinner.
or TOWN HALL, BURMA SUPERSTAR (good burmese food), CHIKA (sushi), LE PETIT ROBERT.
i could go on and on.
city lights (it’s been said but that place is badass and steals all my money everytime i visit)
modern art museum (depends what they have on exhibit)
don’t know if this has been mentioned, but i have always loved the planterium ever since i was a little kid and still go there when i am at school in berkeley.
FULL HOUSE HOUSE!!!!
Taquaria Cancun on Mission and 19th
House of Nanking (I think on Broadway?)
Ti Couz- A Briton Crepery, so awesome (14th and mission)
Arrow Bar (Sixth and Market) – dance/coke/drink dive
Are peeps still going to the Hemlock? I moved a couple years ago…
And definatly Zietgeist.
Brunch at Dotty’s True Blue Cafe in the Tenderloin- get there early! The line goes around the block, and the block is populated by trannie hookers and junkies.
come to the hemlock (in the tenderloin which you NEED to go to on a weekend night anyhow) to see lower forty-eight (www.lowerforty-eight.com) for some good ol’ sf noiserock! oh yeah, and i’ll be there. the hemlock is the dive/indie/tattooed/hipster bar of love. smoking room so you don’t have to freeze your butt off on the sidewalk. surrounded by the sleaze of the ‘loin. and good cheap drinks!
hipster bars: arrow, hemlock
see shows: bottom of the hill, cafe du nord
get seitan philly cheesesteaks: jay’s in the mission (21st and valencia?)
visit a starbucks-free neighborhood: hayes valley
see movies: the lumiere
shop for vinyl: aquarius records in the mission
have a fancy dinner w/ a date: frascati in russian hill
see comedy: punchline or cobb’s in north beach
stay: phoenix hotel
score some hookers and rock (or just a cheap pool game): corner of geary and leavenworth
el farolito in the mission is by far the best place to get a burrito at 3:30 AM. definitely a late night spot. Also, don’t miss Magnolia on Haight St. Its on the other side of the road as Amoeba and they brew their own beer and have happy hour at 10:00 PM. Cha cha cha is good, but always crowded. Their sangria rules though. There is a little bar a few doors down from there that has a silver door (don’t remember the name) but it has hipster jazz music and cheap beers. if you want to drive somewhere and see a facotry, i would suggest jelly belly. it was good. and mondavi was good too, it’s very pretty there… ahhhh i love sf.
oh, and go to muir woods, and get ice cream in sausolito (sp?) and if you have a chance drive down to big sur, you won’t regret it.
i’m not a fan of the SF location amoeba, but be sure to check out rasputin music in union square.
All these places mentioned and no one says anything about Arizmendi Bakery in the Sunset? They’re at 1331 – 9th Avenue near Golden Gate Park and have the absolute very best bread in San Francisco. Go there, and make sure to get their pizza of the day (not to mention their otherworldly pecan roll) too! Link at: http://www.arizmendibakery.org
The MOMA is nice, and there is a great peruvian restaurant on Van Ness, right across the street from the Cathederial Hill Hotel. Great paella.
Alcatraz at sunset. Ghirardelli chocolate. In-N-Out. MOMA. Bubba Gumps at Pier 39. For fun, Kevin Spacy singing at Bimbo’s 365 Club. Definitely take the BART to UC Berkeley and experience the view of the bay from the Camponile and Amoeba and other campus treats.
Vietnamese food of the gods at TU LAN on “sleazy 6th” (6th & Market) downtown. Shitty location, amazing spring rolls. Also, great (read HUGE) burritos can be had almost anywhere in town. Try EL BALAZO either in the Haight, or downtown behind San Francisco Center. You won’t be disappointed.
Have a great trip!
i’m very amused by the “dim sum to go” that defines SF’s chinatown. where else can you hike up a flight of stairs that’s a sidewalk while stuffing har kow in your face? NOWHERE ELSE BUT SF. have fun!!!
http://www.foopee.com/punk/the-list/
by far, the most complete gig listing for sf i’ve ever seen.
my recommendations:
+dec. 6: Bottom of the Hill, S.F. Mirah (WA), Dear Nora, Willow Willow, Leyna Noel 21+ $6 8:30pm/9pm
+dec. 8: Bottom of the Hill, S.F. Arcade Fire, Heavenly States, Citizens Here And Abroad a/a $10 8:30pm/9pm (it’s sold out but sometimes you can get tickets at the door)
+dec. 31: Bottom of the Hill, S.F. Rogue Wave, Kelley Stoltz, Herms 21+ $25 8:30pm/10pm
+jan. 1: Bottom of the Hill, S.F. 5 6 7 8′s (Japan), Fevers, Bobbyteens, Flakes 18+ $12/$14 8:30pm/9pm
Okay I have to say this as an Bay Area native…please do not call it Frisco or San Fran. We really, really hate that. Also they are called Cable Cars..not a Trolly (yes there are streetcars/light rail but…) the cable cars are pulled by cables running underground.
I would walk Lombard (the crooked street)besides drive down it, tons of stairs with amazing views on the hills (just ask around), A fan of the original North Beach Pizzaria, Drive over to Treasure Island via the Bay Bridge at night for an amazing view of the city. Alcatraz! the ferry ride alone. man I miss the fog, but clear winter days are the best in The City.
Mitchell’s on San Jose Ave. for the world’s best ice-cream. Hands down. Bar none.
The Greater San Francisco Tourism Host Committee warmly welcomes Stereogum to Our Faire City. Now, on to the business at hand… To hell with the turf wars over who has the best burritos… Tacos are where it’s at, and for the very best tacos in the galaxy, visit one of the El Tonayense trucks parked on Harrison at 19th Street or 22nd Street in the Mission. These ain’t no roach coaches… the trucks are spotless, and the tacos are to die for. Don’t miss the al pastor. Seriously.
I would definitely recommend a trip to Valencia in the Mission. Go to Dave Egger’s pirate shop – 826 Valencia – between 19th and 20th. If you ever needed a glass eyeball, or some lard, this is your spot. The best part is that any purchase you make benefits his non-profit literacy project for kids. Paxton Gate, next door, is also a really great shop. They have a preserved bug collection, and other odd objects. City Art gallery inbetween in also a great spot to visit. Closer to 16th street on Valencia (16th has lots of great restaurants like Ti Couz, which someone mentioned, Pakwan (INdian), Picaro? (tapas), there is also the Bombay Indian ice cream place. They have the yummiest cardamom ice cream.
Definitely Hayes Valley for shopping. For touristy stuff, North Beach and Chinatown are really fun.
I STILL don’t understand why “frisco” is a dirty word. I live here and have no problem with it. Why in the world did it turn into something evil??? People here freak out when you say it and it makes me really angry. I’m going to start promoting Frisco… yeah, frisco baby.