window on my world: San Francisco – a culinary explosion

My adventures were far from over when my plane departed Bogota as I was bound for San Francisco. I first visited San Francisco as a 6^th month old in a Volkswagen van, and my memories of this trip are hazy to say the least. My second trip was in January 2012 on my train adventure around the vastness of the US (see 31^st January 2012 entry for my entry from then). This trip was less of a touristic orientation and more of dominated by wonderful company and divine food.

The fascination and draw I felt to the city in January 2012 remained and one can certainly see why it is the place where so much alternative art, culture, music and general out look on life started. The different parts of San Francisco offer so much diversity within the city itself that one is constantly stimulated and challenged through every sense. The culinary variety which I enjoyed over the course of the 4 days covered many parts of the globe and was truly sensational, and so I will recount the days around the food enjoyed. I should add however that with the food came divine company making each experience that much richer.

My first evening was enjoyed in the exquisite restaurant in the Westin Saint Francis in the company of Margaret and Paul. I submerged myself in the feast of fresh trout accompanied by wonderful Californian wine. We shared stories of foods we enjoyed, places we had visited and I recounted my adventures in Bogota. After a 12-hour trip from Colombia and a day of eating nuts (I’m sure you are aware of my distain for airplane food) the food and the wine were perfect medicine for an early night.

The next morning was a wonderful leisurely of doing nothing by drinking coffee and soaking in the sun in Union Square. Pete, Margaret, Paul and I watched the world go by, where Elizabeth and Tim joined us later. We simply moved from our coffee spot to a wonderful small French bistro where two men played jazz music outside – so San Francisco! The afternoon was spent at a wedding in Golden Gate Park which was beautiful in the glorious sunshine and early flowers of spring. Dinner once again was amazing as we tucked into swordfish, crab and steak at Mortons just off Union Square. Conversation flowed and was as stimulating to the senses as the wonderful food. After dinner Pete and set out on an adventure to find an art gallery which we did two hours later and enjoyed some great company and fabulous dancing.

Sunday morning and breakfast was in an old style diner from the 50s where the style and the food were certainly authentic. Wandering and postcard buying led us back to the French bistro and its jazz musicians delighting customers in the shade. Pete and I headed down to Fisherman Wharf as Margaret and Paul were homeward bound. There in some shade from the hot afternoon sun we enjoyed a delicious fish taco Californian style. Sunday night was to be enjoyed in the much-missed company of Ber and Sean, and where the four of us tucked into Turkish delights in the Mission district. The feast of a range of Turkish dishes topped off with wine and kanafa to finish.

Breakfast on Monday morning was a simple affair consumed in Ber and Sean’s suite, but the conversation was anything but – we spent 3 hours debating ethnicity, race and identity from all dimensions the four of us could think of. We came to no resolution but had a wonderful time discussing it all. Sean delighted us with a San Francisco tour in his jeep wrangler, brining back memories of mine own in Abu Dhabi, around the beaches in Sunset and up to Twin Peaks for an amazing view over the city. We of course ended the tour with food and the most incredible Mexican food from a taqueria in the Mission district. It was time to bid Ber and Sean farewell as Pete and wandered around the many intriguing streets of North Beach, Nob Hill and Russian Hill. The day ended with a feast of Indian food, some of the best I have had outside of Indian, in the Tenderloin district.

My tour of San Francisco and its culinary delights ended the following day with wonderful tea and snacks in the Japanese Garden followed by a return trip to the Mexican restaurant – it really was that good. I certainly will be going back to San Francisco again, but this trip was truly unique in its epitomic meeting of people in the one city for 4 wonderful days. Thank you Margaret, Paul, Elizabeth, Tim, Ber, Sean and of course Pete for sharing it with me.