San Francisco and what to do in it

For another amazing meal, try 1550 Hyde, which is walking distance from where you are staying.

at night the place is a club. during the day you can actually see that all the walls are painted red and there's weird ass shit hanging from the ceiling. it's wicked creepy.

doctor to a friend of mine after unwisely dunking his head under the water in a public hot tub as a young man: 'how in the world did you get the clap up your nose?'

Antica Trattoria at Polk and Union is the best Northern Italian restaurant in SF.

Pascal Rigo has one of his Boulanges on Polk a block away and Le Petit Robert, a decent and fairly cheap French bistro style place. On Van Ness between Green (or is it Vallejo?) and Union is

YaYa
2424 Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA 94109-1826
(415) 440-0455

Yayha Salih's amazing Iraqi restaurant.

http://www.scionxpressfest.com/images/banners/sf.gif

The Vietnamese sandwiches at Saigon Sandwich in the Tenderloin were super good, and cheap. Not as good as the ones I've had in Seattle, but better than the one I had in Chicago last weekend. The place was a tiny little hole-in-the-wall.

I think the most enjoyable meal I had in SF was at a tiny little Italian place called L'Osteria Del Forno, at 519 Columbus Ave. in North Beach. That's like a mile from Broadway & Van Ness. I honestly liked my lunch at this place much better than the lunch I had at Chez Panisse Cafe in Berkeley the day before.

http://auntcharlieslounge.com/numbertwo.htm

I don't know if I'll go again but it was fun and actually really good, though expensive.

The Yankees are in town.

Cote Sud
Côté Sud is a French bistro located in San Francisco, in the Castro district. Come taste our fresh take on traditional French country cuisine. Your dining experience will be enhanced by a great wine list and attentive service, at very reasonable prices

Cote Sud is proud to serve organic and natural products. The Centennial Commemoration of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire Menu for $19.06.

First Course
Soup du jour
or
Salade Composee-Sonoma mixed greens in house vinaigrette
or
Moules Mariniere-Steamed mussels, white wine, shallots & cream

Second Course
Bavette Grillee-Grilled Skirt Steak, green peppercorn sauce, pommes salandaises
or
Saumon Roti servi avecfenouille sauté et sa sauce citronnelle saffrannee-Roasted salmon served with sautéed fennel lemon grass saffron sauce
Blessotto aux legumes-Saffron Barley Risotto, seasonal vegetables (vegetarian)

Third Course
Poached pear, Port & Cinnamon
or
Crème Brulee
or
Sorbets
Menu is available Monday to Thursday all night and weekends 5:30pm to 6:30pm only at a price of $19.06.

Located at 4238 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114. Please call 415.255.6565 or click here for more information. Promotion valid 4/1/2006 - 4/30/2006.

Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Hwy aka PCH)
Highway 101
Interstate 5

Highway 1 will take about 12-15 hours depending on traffic, but has probably the most amazing views and points of interest (Monterey/Big Sur/San Simeon/Cambria/Pismo) between SF/LA.

Highway 101 has some ocean views (Avila/Pismo and then again from Santa Barbara to Ventura) and a few points of interest between LA/SF, but is a little faster: 9-10 hours.

Highway 5 has no views (unless you like flat, hot farmland and a brief 60 second glance at thousands of cows standing atop mounds of their collective feces), but could take as little as 7 hours.

How much time have you budgeted?

I hear about this place called El Lay

the Huntington Library is nice - the Japanese garden especially - but I wouldn't say it's essential. if you go to Pasadena, the Gamble House is an architectural must, Cal-Tech is beautiful, and the Norton Simon is a great art museum. in LA, there's Wright's Hollyhock House, and the Schindler houses in Silverlake (as well as THE Schindler house, whch is ok). Getty is interesting architecturally, for the view, and has some of the best exhibits now. these are all relatively quiet places, as is UCLA if classes aren't on. check what's on at the Hollywood Bowl (and Greek Theatre)? Pasadena is hotter than LA.

there's also Gehry stuff - Disney Hall, obv, the Chiat-Day-Mojo building in Santa Monica/Venice, the Venice Beach House, the Gehry House in Santa Monica, Edgemar and Santa Monica Place in Santa Monica, and the Aerospace museum in Exposition Park (not necessarily worth a detour, but there are also gardens here)

There's also art deco LA - the Wiltern, etc. Which isn't far from Gehry's Loyola Law School. Not the most bucolic part of town, tho.

And why not, I'll rep for Marina del Rey. Embrace the tackiness.

What is there to do in Santa Barbara?

Henry Miller Library is nice, but a short visit.

It's uh... in a weird location, not far from there at all though.

why not?