Frommer's San Francisco 2012 (Frommer's Color Complete)
Language: English
Pages: 432
ISBN: 1118027477
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
- Free full-color, foldout map
- Completely updated every year
- Insider advice from our local experts who tell you where the locals go at night, where to find the best new restaurants and food trucks, where to take your kids, and the best free museum hours and other free attractions. You'll also here from local celebrities: Top Chef Just Desserts winner, Yigit Pura, reveals his favorite spots for sweets; Sommelier of the Year Eugenio Jardim shares his favorite wine bars, from budget to splurge; and drag queen Heklina gives quick takes on every single gay bar in the Castro!
- Where to find the best hotel at every price point, absolute best burrito in the Mission, the best Dungeness crab, the hippest new cocktail bars, the restaurants with the best ocean views, where to find the Bush Man on Pier 39 and other local oddities--plus full coverage of Napa, Sonoma, Berkeley, Oakland, Sausalito, Marin, Muir Woods and Mount Tamalpais.
- Insightful commentary on San Francisco's cultural icons, from Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac to Ken Kesey's 3-Day Trips Festival to Harvey Milk and the gay rights movement--plus the best walking tours for discovering this history.
- Opinionated reviews. No bland descriptions and lukewarm recommendations. Our expert writers are passionate about their destinations--they tell it like it is in an engaging and helpful way.
- Exact prices listed for every establishment and activity--no other guides offer such detailed, candid reviews of hotels and restaurants. We include the very best, but also emphasize moderately priced choices for real people.
- User-friendly features including star ratings and special icons to point readers to great finds, excellent values, insider tips, best bets for kids, special moments, and overrated experiences.
8-block walk. Group tours are available during the week by appointment. The 11am tour costs $12 for adults, $8 for students with ID, $5 for seniors, and $2 for children 17 and under; the 1:30pm tour, which is half an hour longer and includes a slide show, costs $15 for adults, $8 for students with ID, and $5 for seniors and children 17 and under. All but the Saturday-morning tour (which leaves from 3325 24th St. at the Café Venice) leave from the center’s 24th Street location. A
more to it than a notable name. Its focus on the big red varietal means its 30,000 annual case production is focused on fine Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon. (An additional 70,000 cases are produced annually at their Alexander Valley winery in Geyserville.) Tastings in their Mediterranean-style tasting room, which include a keepsake bordeaux glass, are $10. No picnic facilities are available. 915 Oakville Cross Rd. (at Money Rd.), Oakville. 800/273-8809 or 707/944-8808. www.silveroak.com.
simply one of those things you have to do at least once in your life. • A Stroll Through Chinatown: Chinatown is a trip—about as close to experiencing Asia as you can get without a passport. Skip the ersatz camera and luggage stores and head straight for the food markets, where a cornucopia of critters that you’ll never see at Safeway sit in boxes waiting for the wok. (Is that an armadillo?) Better yet, take one of Shirley Fong-Torres’s Wok Wiz tours of Chinatown. • A San Francisco
415/882-1313. 131 units. $87–$295 double; from $519 suite. Continental breakfast $10. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Parking $40. Bus: 14 or 80x. Streetcar: Embarcadero. Pets accepted. Amenities: Access to adjoining health club and large, heated indoor pool; room service. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, free Wi-Fi. The Hotel Griffon ★★ Among San Francisco’s small boutique hotels, this is a top contender. Ideally situated on the historic waterfront and steps from the heart of the Financial
St. (at Howard St.). 415/255-2742. www.asiasf.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $9–$20. AE, DISC, MC, V (Mon–Wed $25 minimum). Sun 7–10pm; Tues–Thurs 7–11pm; Fri 7pm–2am; Sat 5pm–2am; cocktails and dancing until 2am on Fri–Sat. Bus: 9, 12, or 47. Streetcar: Civic Center on underground streetcar. BART: Civic Center. Manora’s ★ THAI Manora’s has been cranking out some of the best Thai food in town for 20 years and is well worth a jaunt to SoMa. But this is no relaxed affair: It’s