Hayes Valley Fun

Hayes Street, courtesy of San Francisco Days

I love going to the city for a lovely weekend brunch and a bit of window shopping. And, in my opinion, there is no better place to do this than in Hayes Valley, which has been one of the reigning hip neighborhoods in San Francisco in the past few years. Full of fashionistas, wealthy 20-somethings, and oodles of cute puppies, Hayes St (between Van Ness and Webster) is one of those must-see destinations. Especially if you are in the mood for some hipster-watching!

Ritual Coffee, courtesy of Scott Beale

Steven Alan Boutique, courtesy of mission:closet

Will and I are avid window shoppers, mostly because everything on Hayes is out of our price range. But it is home to some great shopping, including Steven Alan and Will's fav, Triple Aught Design. The area is one of those places, much like the East End in London, that used to be a seedier area of the city. Now, dubbed "ultra-chic," Hayes is often mentioned for great places and products on sites like Refinery29. It's also home to some fabulous eateries at different prices.

Chocolates! courtesy of Christopher Elbow

Price: Budget
You can keep this afternoon of shopping to a budget if you find a 2 hour parking space somewhere off of Ivy or Grove Streets. Saunter up and down the strip, making sure to stop at Christopher Elbow Chocolates for some free samples. If you can drop $4.50 on a beverage, try one of their incredibly decadent hot chocolates. Although, in comparison to their truffle prices, the cup of cocoa is a steal.
If you need to feed, Off The Grid parks its trucks in the area Thurs and Friday evenings. A few gourmet food trucks stay parked around Octavia and Hayes all week, and a few different pop-up shops also make an appearance.

Straw french toast, courtesy of Flickr

Price: Moderate
If you are looking for an awesome brunch, you could always try my favorite local chain, La Boulange. They serve up some of the best french roast in town, and a grilled cheese or simple pastry is always built to perfection. And while it isn't located on Hayes, but rather down the road on Octavia, Straw really is the place for some great carnival-inspired fare. You all know I'm partial to the jenga french toast, but there are some other pretty awesome menu items.

Absinth Bar & Brasserie, courtesy of Inside Scoop

Price: Splurge
There is only one place to splurge in Hayes--Absinthe. This buzz-worthy brasserie is well known for the libations it pours in the evenings. But the hidden gem is the awesome brunch. Well, ok there was still a line out the door when we went, but it is that good (and much more veggie friendly). Brioche french toast, croque monsieur, cinnamon sticky buns...you name it. And, of course, if you still want a drink they pour champagne cocktails and bloody marys all morning.

 

Off the Grid, courtesy of Flickr

Whatever your budget, I highly suggest you take an afternoon to wander Hayes Valley. Who knows what fun adventures will start there.

xoxo,

Antonia

The Cult of Beauty

Albert Joseph Moore "Midsummer." Courtesy of Art Knowledge News

It's been a few days, readers, and for that I apologize! But I've been very busy baking, and there are some awesome new recipes over at the fortuitous baker. Might I add--a great date night can be as simple (and cheap) as renting a movie, getting a frozen pizza (I just tried Freschetta's new Brick Oven Pizza...mmm!), and baking a sweet treat. In fact, recently Will and I had an Avengers marathon where we did just that!

 Oh and we built this sweet fort...

But I digress. The main reason I've chosen to post now is that the Cult of Beauty Exhibition at the Legion of Honor is only going to be around for another month.

Will and I went to this exhibition with my mom when it first opened. She is a member and had an extra comp ticket, but we also happened to go on the Bank of America "Museums on Us" weekend. I'm not the biggest fan of my bank, but this is one of their lesser known, but redeeming, bonuses. If you are a Bank of America customer, regular admission at participating museums is free (each first full weekend of the month). For locals, this means free trips to the Legion of Honor, the De Young, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, and the Tech Museum.

Now special exhibitions cost extra, but instead of playing $30 to see the Cult of Beauty and regular admission, it cost us $10 for one person. What a great deal!

The Cult of Beauty showcased the work of the "Victorian Avant-Garde 1860-1900"--basically the British Aesthetic Movement during the second half of the 19th century. For those of you in theater-- specifically design--this exhibit is swoon-worthy. For anyone who loves William Morris prints, or the Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts movements, this is a chance to see authentic pieces up close.

Christopher Dresser Teapot, 1879. Courtesy of Legion of Honor

I was in designer heaven. Having studied the Aesthetic Movement in school, I was familiar with the catalog of names--Morris, Burne-Jones, Dresser...you name it, they've got it! Some of the pieces came directly from the V&A permanent collection, which I had seen before. But instead of hiding up in the darkest corners of the old museum, only to be seen by those searching for them, they were showcased in all their glory. One of the highlights for me was the original peacock print for Liberty.

 courtesy of the V&A 

The exhibition is on a world tour, and the Legion is the only US stop. It is organized by the Victoria & Albert Museum (my favorite in the world!), Fine Arts Museums of SF, and the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. It only runs until June 17th.

When we went, Will, my mother, and I ate at the Legion of Honor Cafe, which is a little pricey. If you want do this on free museum weekend to keep costs down, the fun thing would be to take a picnic with you. If you go early enough, its easy to find close parking. The Legion is a beautiful building with an amazing view!

courtesy of Famous Wonders

courtesy of FoundSF

Price: Budget
A day out at the museum in San Francisco can be expensive. Yet with some careful planning it can be done for a lot less--and you can still have an amazing experience. I highly recommend seeing this exhibit before it's gone! The last free museum days for Cult of Beauty will be June 2nd and 3rd.

An Evening of Theater In San Jose

One of the things I love most in the world is a night out at the theater. I feel fortunate to have seen so many wonderful performances in my 25 years. My parents have always been supportive and taken me to see shows, and thanks to my work and friends comp tickets, the theater has always been an affordable option.

courtesy of San Jose Rep

On the flip side, however, I understand how expensive a night at the theater can be. At most theaters preview performances allow for discounted tix (for a show still in the dress rehearsal process). Other theaters, such as San Jose Rep, offer an amazing "Pay What You Will Night." As part of their community outreach program, the Rep offers just what they say--pay only what you can afford to see a night of great theater.

courtesy of San Jose Rep

Tonight's show is "The Understudy" by Teresa Rebeck, directed by Amy Glazer. This is a show about life backstage, making it catnip to any theater professional looking for a good laugh. I, for one, cannot wait to see it. And if you are looking for a great double header, you could see the show Friday night and then catch the encore production of "Charlie: An Adventure" in the patron lounge. SJ REAL (That's San Jose Rep Emerging Artists Lab) is sponsoring a "pay what you will" production of this original piece.

courtesy of Red Egg Theater

"Charlie" is a powerful show put on by the ensemble that makes up Red Egg Theater. Spearheaded by the talented Gina Marie Hayes, this company produces "daring and experimental adaptations" of classic stories, as well as new and groundbreaking works. I am happy to say that I designed the costumes for this production (no fun having a blog if I can't shamelessly self-promote on occasion!).

If you are looking for a fun, affordable night out at the theater, consider the Emerging Artists Lab and "Pay What You Will" night at San Jose Rep. Parking in the nearby Safeway Market garage is a flat $5 fee after 6pm, and there is some great food nearby. Check out my personal fav, Pizz'a Chicago, for some delicious deep dish.

courtesy of San Jose MetBlogs

For lighter fare, check out the ever-impressive Philz Coffee, just steps from the box office! Philz believes in brewing the perfect cup that is suited to your tastes. The baristas add the cream and sugar themselves, based on your recommendation. Seriously the best prepared cup I've ever had (Will and I always get the Tesora, cream and lightly sweetened).


Price: Budget
PWYW, split a small pizza, and splurge on a $3 coffee. It will be well worth it, I promise!
The Understudy starts at 8pm Thurs and Fri night (only Thurs is PWYW). "Charlie" performs at 10pm on Fri in the Patron Lounge to the right of the main lobby.

Mother's Day by the Bay

For me, one of the best things about visiting San Francisco is that my mom lives there! In the past few years we have had a ton of fun finding new places to eat--especially in her neighborhood, the Sunset District. The Inner Sunset (especially Irving Street between 6th and 12th) is quietly becoming a trendy new neighborhood. Cute boutiques are opening up, and there is some great cuisine, bakeries, and coffee shops.

My mom and I share a love of great coffee and baked goods. A favorite Sunday past time includes a steaming cup of coffee from the Beanery, and either a homemade snack or a trip to the local boulangerie. So we are still deciding where to spend our Mother's Day next weekend. For those of you who don't yet have something special planned, here are three of our favorite spots to go in the city.

Budget: Devil's Teeth Baking Company 

Outer Sunset

courtesy of TinyTinyFork

If you have been searching for the perfect cinnamon roll, look no further! Devil's Teeth makes the most perfect sticky bun I have ever had. My mom heard about this place from a friend and now it is one of our top morning treat items. This locally owned business also has other amazing cakes, pastries (the donut muffin), and breakfast sandwiches. Sundays are Beignet days, and they literally have an assembly line going to fill all of the orders.

You can split a cinnamon roll (the lovely staff will heat it up for you!) right there with a fresh cup of coffee. Or perhaps take a leisurely walk with Mom down to the ocean.

Moderate: Kuleto's
Union Square

courtesy of Kuleto's

My mother and I have a Christmas tradition. Every year we do a night out in San Francisco and see one of the big touring Broadway shows coming to the Curran or the Orpheum. We always start the evening off with a fantastic dinner at Kuleto's in Union Square. Attached to the Villa Florence Hotel, this Italian restaurant always has the best food--even for vegetarians! And the desserts are heaven--they make homemade gelato fresh every day (salted caramel was my favorite!) and awesome tiramisu.

courtesy of flickr

Though dinner can get a little pricey, Kuleto's also does a fabulous breakfast. Try the brioche french toast or some classic eggs benedict. But breakfast is only served until 10:30--so make sure to get there early! If they are all booked up, try Bar Norcini in the lobby of Villa Florence. Panini's, pastries, and pizzas abound (as well as some killer cocktails in the evening)!

courtesy of Kuleto's

Splurge: Crown & Crumpet Tea Room

Ghirardelli Square

courtesy of Remodelista

Last year, upon my return from England, my mom took me to this awesome British tea room for my birthday brunch! They do everything from a basic lunch right up to high tea in the afternoon. I am a sucker for a cream tea (a pot of tea, scones, jam, and clotted cream) and I must say they do it right. Their location in Ghirardelli Square is the prime spot for a social afternoon, and the decor is a trendier, brighter take on the cozy patterns and shapes from classic British tea shops.

courtesy of Crown & Crumpet

This year they are doing a "Mothering Sunday" event on Mother's Day, which requires special reservations (and is $48 per person). On holidays they book up rather quickly, but it is worth the planning and cost. Perhaps if you can't celebrate with Mom on the day, take her out for some crumpets on a weekday afternoon.



If you are cooking at home, or perhaps going out of town to visit your mom, maybe baking something special would be a nice treat! Here's a recipe for easy Cinnamon Streusel Muffins, and one for delicious Hummingbird Bakery Cupcakes! No matter what you plan on doing, I hope your Mother's Day is fabulous.

xoxo

Antonia

Free Chocolate Day!

I love going to San Francisco, but frankly, it can be expensive! Even before lunch and activities, the price of gas, parking, or BART can take a significant chunk of change. So I keep my eye out for deals and fun free things to do around the city, taking out some of the expense.

It comes as no surprise--I am a huge fan of chocolate. So when I saw that the TCHO factory on the Embarcadero offered tours, I immediately looked it up. And guess what? They were free! Sitting at Pier 17, mere steps from the famous Ferry Building, the TCHO chocolate tour was impossible to resist. Paired with a wander around the farmer's market, this free activity was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

courtesy of the Examiner

The Ferry Building Marketplace is always an awesome place to visit (and try free samples), but on Tues, Thurs, and Saturday mornings it also hosts the The Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. Each day hosts different vendors, so if you are looking for a prepared lunch, you do get variety! We went on a Thursday, since TCHO only offers tours on weekdays. Parking was relatively simple--there are lots for a $15 flat rate, but if you can find a meter, the price for a few hours is only around $5 (they do take cards). The Embarcadero BART station is also close. 

courtesy of Foodists

We started at the market, with a plethora of tasty treats to chose from. Permanent residents include the Acme Bread Company, Cow Girl Creamery, and the famous eatery, The Slanted Door (which now has Out the Door, a much more affordable to-go option). I opted for a delicious salted caramel vegan doughnut from Pepples, along with a coffee from Peet's (though the Ferry Building also serves Blue Bottle). Will chose "Tasty Salted Pig Parts" from Boccalone.

courtesy of Pepples

After a bit of window shopping, we strolled down to the TCHO factory for our 2pm tour. For those of you who have not tried TCHO, they are an artisan chocolate company that tastes, creates, and manufactures all of its chocolate at this one SF factory. Their products are sold locally,  as well as nationally through Whole Foods. TCHO's hook is that they are the "new American chocolate," distancing themselves from brands such as Nestle and Hershey. 

The tour was an hour long and broken in to three parts: presentation, tour, and tasting. The presentation was very informative, and I learned a lot about the science and history of chocolate making. I also learned some cool facts about the company (which help make up for the prices of the treats they offer!). They work closely with their growers around the world, and are proud to be both fair trade and slave free. The tour was a bit short (though there is less to see at the factory stage), but the tasting was really neat. They have devised a system to taste and savor chocolate, and it was pretty fun. We also had a really nice tour guide, I admit we did use our coupon a snag a few extra chocolate treats!

chocolately chocolate, my favorite! courtesy of TCHO

 So if you are feeling somewhat peckish, and want a fun, cheap way to spend an afternoon by the Embarcadero, consider these two hotspots. Definitely a place to take your out-of-town guests!

Price: Budget
TCHO factory tours are at 10:30am and 2pm Mon-Fri, and can be booked here. Reservations do need to be made online ahead of time, as there is sometimes a waiting list.

"In Paris" In Berkeley

Last week Will and I were fortunate enough to go and see Mikhail Baryshnikov in the play "In Paris" at Berkeley Rep. Since Will received comp tickets for working on the show, we were able to make a date night of it by including a delicious dinner in Berkeley.

Now Will and I love to check out fancy new restaurants in the Bay as often as we can afford it. Most of the time, because of my vegetarian tendencies, we end up eating Italian (which I adore!). There are some great places, including the scrumptious looking Pizzaiolo in Oakland, but this time I wanted to do something a bit cheaper and down-to-earth. So we decided on the ever-popular Saturn Cafe for vegetarian burgers and fries!

That's right folks, this beloved Santa Cruz institution now has a branch in Berkeley right off of Shattuck. The decor and menu are the same, and it is comforting to know that this vegetarian/vegan diner is now closer to my current home. What better place than Berkeley?

After a stop at the Ben and Jerry's store for some delicious dessert (Bonnaroo Buzz, anyone?), we took a leisurely walk down to the theatre.

"In Paris" is definitely a show I would recommend to all of my theatre friends.  I have sat through many experimental shows on my college campus, Yet I had never experienced something so out of the ordinary on a professional level.

The 80 minute play was adapted from a short story by Ivan Bunin, composed and directed by Dmitry Krymov. Starring Baryshnikov, Anna Sinyakina, and a stellar ensemble, this piece was a compilation of scenes that were driven by movement, music, and limited dialogue (note: all in French or Russian with English supertitles). The pace was slow, like an old film, and focused more on portraying the moment, whether solitary or between two people, instead of relying on fast action and rapid dialogue.

The design was a mixture of the low and high tech, marrying 2 dimensional set pieces (carried on and off by the ensemble) with clever use of projections. Everything gave off the air of being incredibly simple--from the illuminating lighting to the quick-change costumes--and yet so much thought was put in to each choice. You could see the influence of movement and dance in the action, choices, and the design. There were both incredibly funny and poignant moments throughout, and the primarily black-and-white design did transport you to Paris in the 1930s. Barishnikov had almost an hypnotic power onstage--it is easy to see how his performance has captivated audiences (and women) for decades.

As stated above, this piece was very experimental. It took a few days for me to process the show, and it is a play that lends itself well to discussion. However, there were people in the audience around us who seemed less than pleased. I think many people expected something different, and if they were paying full price it may have been a bit disappointing for them.

I, for one, was so happy to have been able to see the show. There is a lot of theatre that I would not get to see without comp tickets, and I am extremely grateful for these opportunities. Date night and theatre performance both get an A from me.

This was a wonderful date night. I love downtown Berkeley because there are so many awesome places within walking distance. We parked across from the theatre, which had a $5 flat rate after 6pm, and stayed on foot for the evening. This, and our choice of delicious comfort food over fancy fare, made the evening an affordable alternative to a night out in the city.


Price: Moderate
note: I categorize this date as "moderate" because we received comp tix. If we had  paid in full, the price of the date would be categorized as "splurge." However, Berkeley Rep does offer an under 30 discount--look around and you might find that the theatre is more affordable than you think.

new year, new blog!

It's good to be back, fair readers!

First off, I'd like amend a previous post and acknowledge the sad fact that Cafe Fanny has closed its doors after 28 years.  Though I only discovered it recently, the absence of delicious croissants makes my heart break...just a little. There is no substitute for Fanny, but if you want an amazing brunch alternative in Berkeley, head up to La Note on Shattuck. I highly recommend any of the french toast dishes (personal fav: pain perdue au chocolat!) or get your croissant fix with an assorted pastry basket.

plus they have an amazing outdoor patio

Now, on to business: I know it has been a good long while since I have posted anything, but this time I am back for the long haul. No, I haven't set out adventuring again...this time I will be putting down roots somewhere in the Bay Area. And while my life and career is evolving, I thought it would be nice to take some of the free time I now have and sit down to write again.

Even as a steadfast local, I have found that in the past year I have explored the Bay more than I ever had before. There have been plenty of theatrical performances, fine/delicious eateries, and whirlwind museum or sightseeing tours.

And while we're on the subject of changing careers (and limited funds) I am adding a new aspect to the blog--budget. I will be ranking the outings I blog about based on their cost:

*Budget
*Moderate
*Splurge

Disclaimers will be added, of course, for comp tickets (though if you have friends who can hook you up with theater, museum, or event tix, take it! And reciprocate, in kind). There is a lot of great stuff out there, folks! Even on a budget.

Finally, I am excited to announce that I have launched a sister blog, the fortuitous baker, where i will finally be posting my recipes (and general adventures in the kitchen). First post: Cinnamon Streusel Muffins!

Cheers!

Antonia