One of the things I love about living in Seattle is its proximity to some of my favorite West Coast destinations: Walla Walla wine country, beer-lovers’ Bend, and the urban foodie’s San Francisco. Whether I’m in the mood for a scenic Pacific Northwest road trip or want to be transported to another city in a matter of hours, it’s easy to find someplace to explore over a long weekend.
Over New Year’s, that destination was California. My husband and I wanted to get away for a long weekend before he left on a business trip, so on a Friday night we decided to fly to the Bay Area the next day to visit some friends. We bought our tickets, started packing, and caught our flight the following afternoon.
We went without an itinerary or plan, and just let the weekend unfold. During our first full day in the Bay Area, we packed up and drove into Livermore to check out some of the wineries. The next two days involved trips into San Francisco with another family. When you take a few food- and beer-loving people like us into the city, it turns out that they skip all the typical destinations–like Coit Tower and Alcatraz–and head straight for the aromas.
Our first stop in San Francisco was Blue Bottle Coffee in Hayes Valley. With a number of locations in San Francisco and New York, this Oakland-based roaster has built a solid reputation, and it definitely delivered. While we went there for the coffee and my cappuccino was perfectly executed, the pastries were the surprise of the visit: Not just your average coffeeshop pastries, the house-made olive oil and rosemary shortbread and stout coffeecake with caraway-pecan streusel were outsanding.
Located a short walk away from Blue Bottle, La Boulange caught our eye as a place to grab lunch–we did need to eat more than just coffee and pastries, after all.
Happening upon Miette while walking to the nearby Samovar Tea Lounge, we didn’t think things could get any better! This adored bakery is about the most charming shop we could imagine. If only we still had room for food at that point.
When we got to Samovar–our fourth stop in a couple of hours, we really regretted not being able to eat any more. With tea services inspired by Russian, Japanese, Moorish cuisine, and more, the menu was enticing and we made a mental note to come back on a future trip to San Francisco, and then bought tea to bring home as souvenirs.
With dinner plans with our hosts back in Castro Valley, we made one last stop in the city to have a beer at 21st Amendment Brewery. I’ve been on a gradual journey toward enjoying beer for a few years, and I am happy to say my tastebuds have finally learned to appreciate a good brew. Ordering my typical glass of red wine just wouldn’t have been the same as enjoying something made here, such as the South Park Blonde–a crisp and refreshing golden beer with a velvet undercurrent of wheat lingering on the tongue.
Perhaps the highlight of our San Francisco stops was a visit to the legendary Tartine Bakery the next day while on the way to the airport. The James Beard Award-winning bakers behind this beloved shop have created a bakery that’s hard to beat. Chocolate salted rye cookies… frangipane tart filled with blueberries… an open-faced croque monsieur with shiitake mushrooms on inch-thick bread… need we say any more?