All my trips revolve around food. Seeing friends, sure. Seeing sights, sometimes. But food is always number one. And for short ones like my recent 1.5 days in San Francisco, it’s all about packing in as much as my stomach will allow.
Having visited SF a handful of times already, I’ve seen most of the neighborhoods, so my friends recommended Eaman and I spend our day off from wedding festivities in the Mission, which I had been to during my last visit, and Hayes Valley, which was new to me. Both areas are filled with cafes, trendy boutiques, and popular eateries (i.e. Pizzeria Delfina), but Hayes is slightly more upscale—like New York City’s SoHo or West Village.
Here, 6 things to eat, drink, and do, but first, let me set the scene…
I had always wondered why Californians were so passionately pro-California. As an East Coaster without much experience on the Left Coast, I was baffled by the superiority complex. Also, having been born in New York and spending my formative post-college years in Manhattan, I was contractually obligated to always lend a pfft whenever a Calfornian got on his or her high horse. But after driving up the scenic Highway 1 (or Pacific Coast Highway or PCH) last week to a wedding in San Francisco, I get it. California is friggin’ awesome. The classic route traverses some of the most dramatic and awe-inspiring vistas I’ve ever seen—a mix of yell0w-green hills, verdant mountains, and spooky bluffs—and it never failed to impress me that everything we were seeing was encapsulated into one state.
Our route involved going inland around nearby Orange County and L.A. (which we can visit anytime) and starting the PCH in Santa Barbara. As it got dark towards the tail end of the Big Sur region, we decided to hit the faster inland route. I wish we had more time to stop and explore—2 weeks would’ve been ideal—but we had to get to SF that night. So we stopped for brunch and wherever a view piqued our interest, and though we rarely paused for more than 10 minutes and were really booking it the last few hours, we spent a whopping 17 hours in the car. Not for the faint of heart.
Yes, we were a tad delirious when we rolled up into the Applebee’s in Gilroy* for something, anything to eat. Yes, I was completely bleary-eyed when we stumbled into our friends’ SF apartment. And yes, it took us a few days to recover from the exhuastion, but it was still worth it. Absolutely. And here’s my photo diary that explains why:
When I think Santa Barbara, I think beaches and glitz, but the downtown area is funky, beautiful, and quaint. It reminded us of The Hamptons, Orange County, and a university town rolled into one. Brunch at Tupelo Junction Cafe was wonderful because you could tell just how fresh everything was, from the berry compote in my baguette-style French toast to the meat in Eaman’s burger. And for good measure, we hit up one beach, Goleta Beach by UCSB’s campus. Those are some spoiled and lucky students right there.
I’ve walked by Hanna’s Gourmet in the quiet neighborhood of Normal Heights a handful of times. Cute, intimate bistro, small space, multicultural menu—those were my first impressions. But the menu was what always held me back. I think the notion of “if they do everything, they do nothing well” often holds true, and I assumed that a menu that pulled from cuisines all over the world was bound to be a misstep. Now that I’ve tried Hanna’s, I can get the foot out of my mouth, apologize to dear Hanna, and tell you that this place is one of the best restaurants in San Diego. In fact, the meal I had there was one of the best in my life! (And I’ve been fortunate enough to eat at really spectacular places, so I’d like to think my opinion carries decent weight.)
Ethiopian-born Hanna Tesfamichael moved to the States in 1983 and went on to study food and nutrition at SDSU. Once she accumulated all those culinary skills, she worked at a catering company in La Jolla and finally launched a brick-and-mortar restaurant on Adams Avenue in 2011. That global perspective and nod to nutrition is evident in her menu that pulls from South Africa, India, France, and other countries. In addition to the eclectic menu, Hanna also offers a rotating selection of a few dishes from one country each week. When I first came across the restaurant, the “world tour” menu was from Iran. For the World Cup’s first week of games, it was Brazil.
Best of all, there’s now more room to sit! Back in 2011, Hanna’s Gourmet was just a couple of tables with a to-go counter. Now there are about a dozen tables with a roomy patio. The space itself feels like home. Hanna brings out the dishes and checks on your experience, while the patrons are regulars who aren’t afraid to champion the restaurant as San Diego’s best. (One guy wasn’t shy to stop and tell me that.) From what I’ve heard, many have done the brunch thing at Hanna’s, but you should definitely check it out for dinner. Here’s why:
Hale Holistic. June was a tough month for me. I went back to working at home, for myself, and by myself after 3 wonderful months filling in at San Diego Magazine, and that meant relearning the freelancer hustle. Frankly, it’s exhausting. I also dealt with Teddy’s mystery GI issues—a new antibiotic has him back to normal for now—as well as his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad behavior. It was like he forgot all commands and was a wild heathen at the park. There was also that general feeling of blah. I spent a few weeks wallowing and then snapped out of it because I realized being so negative and putting so much pressure on myself would get me nowhere.
