I Left My Heart in San Francisco

Thanks ladies for all of the great San Francisco tips you shared!  I followed a bunch of them and want to say thanks - and point you towards some amazing stuff. Like Maple Glazed Bacon Donuts...

And piles of $1 cuteness...

And mostly just to share my vacation photos because I didn't make anything all weekend (sorry). But the good news is, leave a comment on this or any post this week and you might win yourself that crazy cute socktopus pictured up there on the left!
Get the full scoop on our Bay Area blast after the jump...

San Francisco There We Went

After dropping off the bean with her grandparents in sunny Sacramento, we headed to the East Bay to check out our old college. Man, doesn't it all seem so much awesomer in retrospect? All those activities waiting to be activitied!


We stopped by my ex-apartment right off Telegraph and I learned something really important:

That I will never wear a maxi-dress again. (Jacinda said: it's an optical illusion...unless you gained 75 pounds in your ass since the last time i saw you.) HA!

Of course we went up the campanile.


And checked out the Cal game.


Then walked down telegraph ave. - nothing had changed AT ALL. We hit up our favorite lunch spot Cafe Intermezzo where I saw this little DIY'd lamp made out of cassette tapes. I wish I had thought of the cassette tape garland for Erin's 80's Prom Night Party.


We were amused to see this sign:


Yeah right. Like I said, nothing has changed:

Yes, that's cookie monster smoking a doobie.

We hit up Bows & Arrows where we discovered these adorable shoes for s. They're rubber like crocs but one hundred times cuter! Go get 'em!


Then we headed into the city. We stayed at the super cute Hotel Tomo in Japantown, right around the corner from the restaurants and shops on Fillmore.


I took reader Ali Smith's advice and hit up Ichiban Kan for piles of $1 japanese treats for the girlies.


All of this stuff is for packing lunches. Lunch is WAY CUTER in Japan. I bought some molds for hard boiled eggs, so now Scarlet's eggs are shaped like bunnies.


Of all the ten million treats I bought her, the $1 pink binoculars were most definitely her favorite. Isn't that always the way?


Over in the mission the line for Tartine was out of control, so we enjoyed a Maple Glazed Bacon Donut and a Caramel de Sel donut from Dynamo Donuts. Why has the gourmet donut trend not hit LA yet? Actually, it's probably for the best if it just stays in SF, or my maxi-dress nightmare may become a reality. If I wasn't so full I would have totally tried the Strawberry Earl Grey. I mean seriously! So good!

We also enjoyed some squid ink pasta at A16 in the marina, some crab cellophane noodles at Out The Doors in j-town, and some Roasted Shishito Peppers at turn-of-the-century-style Wayfare Tavern. I'm so down with the prohibition-era trend in restaurants right now, too fun.

In the Mission I met up with an old high school friend (what up Archana!) who put me to shame with her law degree and running of several charity funds doing good all over the world. We hit up Dolores Park Cafe but bypassed the crazy line at Bi-Rite Creamery. She directed me to the finest shops in the city -and I knew they'd be good because reader Wendy from Kid n Kitties told me they would- including 826 Valencia, the pirate supply shop/ kids tutoring center, where i picked up some awesome books and a postcard to stick above my desk and comfort me when I'm writing. Oh, and a postcard to rub it in to Jacinda how close we are to the ocean:


Also had to hit up Paxton Gate and their kid's shop for some taxidermy viewing. They wouldn't allow pics but I snuck one in:


Look at the cute loot I picked up!


And on the advice of reader Vanessa, we also hit up the new-to-us Ferry Building for some fresh seafood, fresh sourdough bread, and the Cowgirl Creamery shop (Carleton's favorite cheese ever is their Mt. Tam, and he knows his cheese). I tried to get Carleton to recreate his iconic Marie Claire magazine spread but he wasn't super accommodating. I guess that means I can't scan it in for you. Can I?


We stopped in the Haight where Carleton bought me an adorable dress, but the shop clerk was such a jerk when I exchanged it because it HAD A HOLE IN IT, that I won't be telling you where. Bitter. ANYWAY! We stopped over in Dogpatch to check out a friend's loft and eat some crazy delicious beignets at Just For You Cafe before taking the long way home across the Golden Gate. That bridge is so dang gorgeous, no matter how many times you see it. We tried to hit up the park at Fort Point as recommended by reader kekubski, but the traffic was so wild we had to skip it and get back to our baby, who we were jonesing for by then!


Back in Sacto we packed up the Volvo for the sad goodbye. But we'll be heading back shortly because look at the heartbreak in her eyes at leaving her Meemah! Gah!


Thanks again everyone for your thoughtful advice. Now get yourselves to San Francisco!

And remember, leave a comment on this or any post this week and you could be the proud owner of an adorable socktopus as pictured up thereon the left!