22


GAY SAN DIEGO


August 13-August 26, 2010


TRAVEL


www.gay-sd.com


CITY BY THE BAY Devouring the


Venturing up to the Bay Area


made for a fun-filled, three-day trip—and it’s incredible the amount of eating and sightseeing you can experience during such a brief window of time. The goal was: fun, food and fabulousness. Ambitious as it may seem, we choose to frequent an array of old and new, traditional and eclectic landmarks during our outing. The first call of order was the


Weekend jet-setters Kevin Leap (left) and Steven Persitza stop for a photo- op in front of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. (Courtesy Leap/Persitza)


By Kevin Leap and Steven Persitza


states, due to their profoundly diverse cultures. Despite any differences, enough similarities exist to make a San Diegan feel right at home in the City by the


M


any people feel that Northern and South- ern California should be entirely separate


Bay—amazing restaurants, great old theatre venues, concert halls and a robust downtown. Yet San Francisco seems much more deeply steeped in history and tradition—and there is a much more apparent gap between the haves and have-nots. Sparkling bayfronts and a really cool bridge or two add to the similarities, but in an entirely different way.


food—and, boy, a lot of it was ordered! Bistros, steakhouses, seafood and Italian all loomed heavily in the festivities. Alfred’s Steakhouse (650 Merchant St.) became the first evening’s feast. Alfred’s has been around for more than 70 years and this old-school manner of dining just never seems to go out of style. Here steak is cooked with an Italian flair, and a martini stirred tableside is a must. Layered in nostalgia, years of experience and pre-historic red flocked wallpa- per, Alfred’s knows how to do it right.


Harris’ restaurant (2100 Van Ness Ave.) on Nob Hill took up the gauntlet the following evening and brought dining to an exquisite level. Everything about the venue was over the top—from comfort to service and the amaz- ing dishes, Harris’ deserves all of its accolades and top ratings. Make sure you get a hotel with a mini fridge because these leftovers make for the perfect post-Castro feeding frenzy.


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Another fave is the Waterbar,


(399 The Embarcadero) on the south end of Rincon Park on San Francisco’s scenic Embar- cadero. Right on the bay, this place embodies seafood. A huge circular oyster bar captures you the second you walk in, only to be


in three days


There is nothing like sauntering down a street with no expecta- tions and entering an inviting doorway to enjoy a grand meal, surrounded by an embarrassing count of Williams Sonoma and Kenneth Cole shopping bags. Scala’s Bistro (432 Powell St.)


(left) Scenes from the campy and popular San Fran- cisco production, “Beach Blanket Babylon” at Club Fugazi. (Courtesy Charles Zukow Associates)


(below) San Fran- cisco’s scenic Twin Peaks area, with houses in fore- ground. (Courtesy Leap/Persitza)


out-done by two floor-to-ceiling glass columns filled with sea life. It doesn’t get any fresher than this (although, no, they don’t dish these fishies out). The food is awesome and the view matches the vibrancy of the food. Lunches found us scurrying


about Union Square where ample shopping was to be had—and entirely too many sales afoot.


was the perfect place to allow the credit cards to cool down. Former Top Chef competitor and Executive Chef Jennifer Biesty adds celebrity status and a paparazzi luster to the place, even though it stands on its own just fine. Dine at a window seat if you can, since few cities offer better


see Bay, pg 23


GAY SAN


DIEGO


Resume to: David Mannis dmannis@sduptownnews.com


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