Silicon Valley Recommendations

Parent Cafe
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<p>Well, as a displaced Silicon Valley girl…I’m telling you, there is no excuse for a Valley visitor to miss San Francisco. If I were you I’d just do the scenic 49 Mile Drive–look it up. You get the unforgettable views of the city and bay and you go over the Golden Gate Bridge. And all you are doing is driving through. Finding parking and a place to eat will take you too long–too much effort, really. If you simply drive through, then you will make it from Cupertino, to San Fran, and back to Cupertino in a couple hours–the time between lunch and dinner. I did this a few weeks ago. Boy, does this East-Coaster miss her old home :(</p>

<p>As for the food…I don’t think you can really go wrong anywhere in the Bay Area, so no stress :)</p>

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<p>San Francisco isn’t about the pre-fab tourist attractions at all. Just walk – around Chinatown, Russian Hill and Nob Hill, Golden Gate Park – and eat and shop. Try to catch a concert in Stern Grove. If you really need to do something touristy, ride a cable car.</p>

<p>The Asian Art Museum was always sensational, and I think it has reopened in a new facility recently. That’s the only really great museum in SF, as far as I know.</p>

<p>If you like rock-type music, a visit to Amoeba Records on Haight is a must. The only comparable places are the Amoeba stores in LA and Berkeley. When we go to SF, the kids and I negotiate with my wife over how much time she’ll let us spend there. </p>

<p>If you want a truly satisfying, but lowbrow culinary experience near Cupertino, try Colonel Li’s Mongolian Barbecue in downtown Mountain View. Last time we were there, the all-you-can-eat price had soared to $12 or something. It is one of my kids’ favorite places in the Bay Area. Also, if you drive over the ridge to the coast, stop for a burger and brew at the biker bar right at the summit in La Honda.</p>

<p>(I also fourth or fifth Chez Panisse or its upstairs.) (Also, Sausalito won’t seem as cool to Floridians who have seen lots of nice boats docked by cute houses before.)</p>

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<p>I second walking around Chinatown.</p>

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<p>I think I’d focus on San Francisco for the weekend since you don’t want sun. The wine country is a time investment and a fair amount of driving and it gets kind of sunny. And if you want to see the ocean I would take a picnic or get sandwiches in Half Moon Bay and drive down Route 1 a ways, maybe to Princeton-by-the-Sea (I kid you not) and see the cliffs and the Pacific which is so different from the Atlantic.</p>

<p>As far as what to do in SF, let’s say you have a Friday and Saturday night and Saturday and Sunday morning…well, I’m actually not the city expert. I just like to walk around, go to Union Square for the department stores, go down to the Marina, wander out to the Asian museum., absolutely have to go to SF Chinatown it is a kick…I can tell you where people are eating though.</p>

<p>Here are some of the faves on the Chowhound board for SF.</p>

<p>Fancy
Gary Danko</p>

<p>New
Perbacco</p>

<p>Peruvian
Limon, Mochica</p>

<p>Chinese
R&G Lounge for Hong Kong, Koi Palace for Cantonese seafood (actually in Daly City), Shanghai East for Taiwanese/Shanghainese (actually in San Mateo)</p>

<p>Italian
A16
Incanto
Delfina’s
Oliveto’s (East Bay)</p>

<p>California Hip
Myth
Town House</p>

<p>Picnic/Farmer’s Market
Ferry Building on Saturday morning</p>

<p>You are from Florida, so you don’t really need Vietnamese, right?</p>

<p>As far as SF hotels, me I like the Hotel Triton. It is reasonable, really goofy, right near Union Square and Chinatown, and above Cafe De La Presse which is good for breakfast. If you want fancy or have way a lot of Starwood points, the SF St. Regis is truly beautiful and has a wonderful bar to sit in. Very new San Francisco, very urban, very Architectural Digest.</p>

<p>Edit: BTW, JHS, isn’t the biker bar you refer to the original Alice’s Restaurant of Arlo Guthrie’s song?</p>

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<p>Alice’s Restaurant? I thought that was in Western Mass. somewhere – Pittsfield or Stockbridge or something. The place in La Honda is (was? - it’s been 20+ years, although someone I know was there recently) a great place to sit outside and have some beer amid the sequoias.</p>

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<p>I like R&G lounge a lot too but it’s a bit expensive…</p>

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<p>Amazing, AM. I was going to put up a post about birth order and here you remind me of it. We’re going to have to go there when the time is right. I wonder how many first-borns are on here and subsequently fuss with each other? I’m the last of 4 so we’re always easy to please. Mrs. p2n, however, is the only girl and thus like the oldest girl. I’ve always found such analysis amusing.</p>

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<p>I second Mallomar’s post about not missing SF. One thing unique to SF is the topography. Most big cities have not nearly the steep hills, & this makes for quite a ride, literally. It’s just scenic, picturesque, charming, even if you do not have time to explore the wider neighborhoods. We had a relative from Mexico City, which is itself at least “hilly,” but she found the whole steep-hill thing in SF a surprising & somewhat mind-blowing experience.</p>

<p>As to Sausalito, I don’t think there’s any need to don a flame retardant suit, but I will just note that the view from GG Bridge & from The Other Side, with the fog cascading from the tunnel & down the slopes is an ethereal experience, quite literally. It’s what photographers practically die for to capture. And when one is coming north off the bridge, you feel as if you’re the cinematographer on a movie set. One doesn’t need to spend a whole day in Marin or something, but one could also drive across the GG Bridge, park the car, take a ferry ride from the lovely Larkspur Landing. There’s a reason it’s called The City By the Bay. (“The Bay” may be worth experiencing.)
:)</p>

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<p>If you are into it, check and see what is playing at the Opera. Such a lovely venue!</p>

<p>I agree: you have to walk around SF. Union Sq and Chinatown, plus what’s that restaurant in the Carol Doda area-- Italian place, very classic, cappucinos etc? Also check out the Castro Street scene. Is Double Rainbow still there?</p>

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<p>

It was not the original Alice’s Restaurant, but it <em>is</em> called Alice’s Restaurant – in fact, not 10 minutes ago, my kid told me on the phone (I am in NY right now) that he’d eaten there this afternoon. And loved it.</p>

<p>And Su’s Mongolian BBQ in Santa Clara (right near the University!) is way better than Colonel Li’s, plus their all-you-can-eat is only $9 (I am pretty sure) and the owners and staff treat you like family. Highly recommended. Grandfather makes me little specialties there sometimes. :)</p>

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<p>I had a good time in Cupertino staying with an Internet friend I’d never met before. I had a surprisingly good time visiting The Computer History Museum. <a href=“http://www.computerhistory.org/about/[/url]”>http://www.computerhistory.org/about/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;