What is the single best thing we can do for our health?
It’s really no surprise that the single best thing we can do for our health is get exercise every day. As a person that thrives on adrenaline, being active and pushing my body to new limits, I don’t really have to be told to get outside and take a walk. If it were up to me, I’d opt for far more time outside and less behind the screen or in a seat. But sometimes in our busy, over stimulated lives it’s hard to remember that exercise is considered preventative medicine for far too many diseases that we’ve grown accustomed too. I often think that my activities allow me to see the world in a differen’t light, relieve stress and actually provide me with more energy. Check out this 9 minute visual lecture, by a doctor-professor that explains and backs up the importance of 30 minutes of exercise a day.
Dr. Mike Evans is founder of the Health Design Lab at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a staff physician at St. Michael’s Hospital.
Kids say the darndest things, but sometimes they are more right than adults. They speak what they think, while we questions our motives. Take a few minutes to listen and appreciate the moving art of life.
—
A Moving Art original short. This inspirational video was well responded at TED conferences and filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg motivates those around him as happiness is revealed. Music is by Gary Malkin and narration is from Brother David Steindl-Rast.
My good friend Vinnie on his birthday at Point Reyes, watching the sunset dip into the ocean. We all laughed at the thought of being entertained by the view, it’s far better than television!
The opposite of play is not work, it’s depression.
In fact play improves our work.
- Steven Keil
I watch TED Talks almost weekly for inspiration, but when I came across Steven Keil’s manifesto for play I was especially moved. It’s not brilliant, or a discovery of something we don’t already know, but the way he presents the need for play in culture is fascinating to me. It may be that I relate dearly to the subject matter or that it validates the way I live. I watched it twice and decided to share a few key points.
Keil believes that “The opposite of play is not work, it’s depression. In fact play improves our work” and thus he calls for a players revolution, for a drastic change in the way people think and behave. Although he addresses the “serious meme” that has infected his home of Bulgaria — and calls for a return to play to revitalize the economy, education and society, his sparkling talk has a universal message for people everywhere who are reinventing their workplaces, schools, lives.
What he finds in Bulgaria is that people are not living up to there potential. That society lacks innovation; they have poor heath, and have been dubbed the saddest place on earth. They also have few entrepreneurs, the assumed engine of the economy. He calls the operating system broken and believes they are last because they don’t value play. In fact, they de-value it by trying to be overly serious.
Some limiting factors:
Untrusting.
Controlling.
Restrictive.
Not valued.
Not having any FUN.
Fear is the enemy of play. The concept that needs to be broken in Bulgaria and everywhere is that the opposite of play is work. Where we feel guilty if you’re playing at work or doing something that can be perceived as fun. That thinking is backwards, because play improves our work. It stimulates creativity, increases productivity and improves our ability to learn. So much of our lives are spent at the workplace, it should be fun. Play doesn’t mean not serious, instead it promotes self-fulfillment, innovation, and creates meaning.
Playing is not just meant for kids and recess. We are all designed by nature to play from youth to old age. Keil declares, “Our brains are hard wired for play. Evolution has selected over millions and billions of years for play in humans and in animals. Evolution does a really good job of deselecting traits that aren’t advantageous for us and selecting traits that are competitive advantage. Nature isn’t stupid.” It’s proven that the more you play the bigger the brain size. They found that rat’s that play more have bigger brains. And bears that play more live longer.
The benefits of play are emotional maturity and decision-making ability. Play creates a synergy of ideas that maybe you wouldn’t have occurred before. Playing can be very social and it shows other sides of your personality. The people I play with or engage in exercise, the arts, laughter, etc. are the people I am closest too, I understand the most and am challenged by. I believe in Kiels closing statement, that we need a drastic change in the way we think and behave but we don’t need a workers revolution. What we need is a players uprising. Reinvigorating our lives, schools and work. Who cares what time you get in or leave work, the focus should be on providing results. I couldn’t tell you how much time I spent on the mountain or in the water when I am trying to get better at surfing, I can only tell you when I succeed and when the hard work comes to fruition. I believed that we should all rediscover play, innovation, and trust; allowing people to be thought leaders. Empowerment and constructive criticism goes a long way.
TEDx TALK: Steve Keil – A manifesto for play, for Bulgaria and beyond
I admit, I have a gear addiction. I have a few toys lying around and now I have a fourth bike. I would feel guilty if they did not all get used, but in just the last 7 day’s I have ridden all four of them. I am a typical gear junkie, who is constantly fixing things, making upgrades and enhancements. Over the years I have collected random parts and components and realized I had the makings for a new bike. I had a front fork, seat post, stem, saddle, brakes and a buddy offered me his old Schwinn Homegrown frame.
The beauty of a single speed is that you do not need many components. I stripped what components and cables remained on the Schwinn and and kept the crankset. I mapped out a color scheme and bought a few can’s of spray paint to get started. I stripped all the stickers, goo and dirt from the frame and fork, sanded and primed them and spayed them with multiple thin coats, followed by a gloss finish.
Instead of trying to salvage the old, bent and worn wheels, I found some reasonable white rimmed wheels on Nashbar. I peeled off the red racing stripes and now they look great. I also wanted to add my own feminine flair, so I got a purple handlebars and found a matching chainring and wire clamps for the brake cables.
For a single speed you do not need shifters, de-railer or any moving parts. All you need is a singleator, a rear cog, spacers to fit the wheel hub, a chain and chain ring for the crank.
After month’s of tinkering with the bike, finding parts and getting it dialed it took only two sittings to get it all put together. It helps to have a mechanic as a friend, because as we put it together we would throw parts around the garage, swap out pieces and realize we need something else.
At 25 years young, I’ve been feeling like the juice in my energizer battery is leaking. There is continually less time in the day to fit in my workouts, work, social life and should we say blogging… but that’s nothing new, if you gave me more hours in the day I would just add in more activities. What’s bothered me most is fatigue, struggling to get out of bed in the morning, or skipping workouts from being exhausted by a days work. Coming from the person who usually races out the door to squeeze in a surf session or bike ride before the sun goes down I knew I needed a change, but wasn’t sure just what that was.
Should I give up caffeine? Sweets? Or (God forbid) alcohol? Sleep more or less? up the workouts…
I consider myself a healthy person, and some of my friends or co-workers might say that’s an understatement. Although I’m pretty active, make most my meals from scratch, eat lot’s of veggies and fruit, I do enjoy my red wine, afternoon cappuccino and occasional sweet treat. And by no means am I a calorie counter, or one to follow fad diets; I admittedly have difficulties resisting the abundance of great restaurants I am presented with living in lovely San Francisco.
Earlier this winter, I stumbled upon this article in Outside Magazine – about this fascinating 21-day cleanse called Clean.
“The caffeine-free, fully cleansed, take-your-nap, buff-as-hell guide to a whole new you”
Which when followed strictly will supposedly rid your body of toxins and boost not only your mood but increase your energy. The only catch is you have to cut out refined sugar, alcohol, dairy, soy, red meat, shellfish, wheat, caffeine and various fruits and vegetables. So just abut everything you eat? But the seven Outside editors who went through a range of self-denial sufferfests, also yielded surprising answers about what you need for total health. At first glance I thought, WOW impressive, maybe this is just the thing I need. But the difficult part was deciding when to pull the plug… Luckily I had a motivated partner in crime who kick started the game. She bought the book and immediately prompted me to follow suit. Let’s start when you get back from Vacation, timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I had already cut out sweets and coffee for lent and was traveling to Costa Rica for a week of surfing, much needed Vitamin D and technology reprieve. I read the book on my trip and began promptly upon arrival home.
In addition to food’s you cut out, Dr. Junger author of Clean points out that our number one toxin is stress, followed by lack of sleep and hydration. We often eat when we are bored or because it is presented to us, not when we’re necessarily hungry. Our bodies are constantly working to catch up, and we never give them a rest. The cleanse is recommended as a once a year way to a reset your immune system, intestines and body chemistry. But Junger warns, that once you start, you’ll have a difficulty going back to the way you ate, and only now do I understand why.
In reflection, it is definitely a testament of control, personal will and organization. I still ate a ton, but very consciously, and planned much of my meals in advance, because you can’t expect a place to have much or any food that fits your ‘diet’ needs. My meals consisted of a green smoothie for breakfast, solid meal like quinoa or brown rice and fish with veggies for lunch and blended vegetable and bean soups for dinner. I snacked on nuts, apples, carrots, celery, seaweed, snap peas. If I really needed something sweet I had a medjool date. I drank more water than I ever imagined, rotated out with a few cups of tea – ginger, green, licorice and mint or detox, Yogi Tea’s are my go-to. (Please Note, I did not use the powders or any of the packaged cleanse, just followed the food guidelines)
A look back at the transformation that occurred over three weeks time, and how my view of food has drastically changed. I have already adapted much of the eating habits into my post cleanse routine, as my body has quite simply rejected a lot of what I used to eat blindly. Even when I was a competitive athlete I wasn’t fully in tune with what foods made me feel better, stronger, recover quicker and make my skin glow. I have already shared many of the secrets with friends, so I thought I would write about it.
CLEAN: A Revolutionary Program to Restore Your Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself
Elimination Diet:
You are supposed to ease your way into the cleanse, as to not completely shock your body. I had eliminated caffeine and sweets for lent, which was about 4 weeks prior to starting the cleanse. I started the cleanse one day after returning from vacation where my stress level was low, I had been very active and my body was feeling good. This made for a much more smooth transition when I eliminated more elements from my diet.
Week one:
I felt the effect much faster than I imagined, only a few days in I could literally feel toxin’s moving out of my body. I had some afternoon headaches and hit a wall at night where I would become very exhausted. The most curious symptom was congestion, which may have caused the headaches, but my sinuses were constantly draining. It was as if I was sick, but I wasn’t.
The first week I ate more than the prescribed amount of food, as I tried to maintain my normal level of activity throughout. My muscles felt heavy when I ran and they did not recover at the same rate as I was used to. I went backcountry skiing and my normal snappy movements were sluggish and my muscles sore and achy after the fact. I was also starving for carbs, I ate lots of quinoa and brown rice to fill the void but it wasn’t the same. I drank 3-4 cups of tea along with 7-8 cups of water a day.
Week Two:
I felt a drastic change in my skin. From head to toe, my skin felt smoother, softer and tighter. Although my face broke out, my arms, legs and body felt leaner. I lost about 5-7 lbs. in bloated weight and my muscles appear more defined. I also felt like my flexibility increased, which was most noticeable during yoga.
Alcohol and eating in social situations was likely the most difficult thing this week, with a black tie event, outdoor concert and NBA basketball game I found it challenging to be the one sipping water and picking apart my plate to find something edible. Everyone asks questions and you start to get tired of explaining why you are not eating, drinking certain foods – everyone seems to have their own opinion about what’s healthy and questions the logic behind your program. The best advice I can give is to share openly, and recommend the read about it and make their own decision.
Week Three:
Things started to click this week, it was as if my body was enjoying the diet, energized by what I was supplying it with and came to life. My focus was heightened, my thoughts, emotions were stronger and I was more aware of my surroundings and most noticeably the taste of food. I did not crave (too many) foods outside the diet. I slept soundly, and woke up with the sun, ready to start my day. My confidence increased and I would attribute it to the way I both felt and looked at myself. The whites in my eyes even shone more bright.
What I started to fear most was introducing new foods back into my diet. Rightly so, the smallest glass of wine left my stomach in knots, as did wheat make me bloated and cramped. Now that I had cleaned my body of much of it’s toxicity, the difficulty was to determine isolate what things made me feel good, bad, better or worse.
Epilogue:
I didn’t exactly ease out off the cleanse, I more than shocked my system with rich foods, sweets, alcohol and wheat. I quickly realized how poor I felt and what simple things really hit me in the stomach. Pineapple made me break out in hives (found this was common through the forum), coffee after 8 weeks without it almost made me throw up and wheat makes me bloated. I am still working to figure out a balance, but I definitely enjoy the affects of eating this way and will try and incorporate as much as possible into my day to day eating.
I remember a year back when my roommate did a cleanse and made these gnarly green kale, ginger and chia smoothies. I used to look at them and cringe. Now I’m making my very own ‘green smoothies’ EVERY day and loving the effects. If I stick to one thing, it will be liquid breakfasts!
If you’re looking for an opportunity to refresh your body, get in tune with your surroundings and shed a few office lbs. I would recommend trying this cleanse. Unlike others out there, it can be done with a normal workload, activity and social setting. It can also be a lifelong diet if you choose.
About The CLEAN Program
If your interested in doing the cleanse, I highly reccomend getting the Clean book through Amazon. It’s a little repetitive, but rather interesting. The 21 day cleanse is mainly focused on ridding your body of toxins that collect in a healthy manner and then restoring them back to a place they can support healthy digestion and cleaning. Here is the website too, it has all the resources if you don’t want to read the book. Dr. Junger takes a lot of his practice from working in the field without technology.
You can also signup to the Clean community, where you’ll have access to a forum and some of the Clean team will reply to your questions. It is a great place to ask questions, find answers and see if others are having similar symptoms or reactions to food and the cleanse. I was able to determine that breaking out in hives from Pineapple was a common reaction that others had experienced.
A few tips, If you so choose to do it:
1. Find an accomplice or partner to do the Cleanse at the same time as you. This person is a good confidant to talk about your symptoms, feelings and best of all, keep you committed.
2. Take detox bathes, they are the best – 30 minute hot Epson Salt bathes that literally pull toxins from your body, you’ll break out in a sweat or even breakout on your face, but they help the process, relieve stress and are a good way to end the day.
3. Plan ahead, make things in bulk. I cooked pots of quinoa all at once, batches of soup, doubled smoothie recipes or baked fish for a few days. It makes it easier to get your lunch ready for work in the morning. The last thing you want to be in is a time crunch, because it might be difficult to find the foods you can eat just around the corner.
4. Talk about it, people are curious and may poke fun, but most people find it fascinating. I found that the more I talked about the cleanse, the more accountable for what I was doing. AND I found that most my friends were interested in following suit, I got at least three or four people to buy the book.
5. Remember, it’s only 3 weeks! You can do anything for a short period of time if you set your mind to it. You’ll be surprised how fast it goes and how hesitant you will be to go back to the way you were eating, living before.
Although I was raised Catholic I have never been one to follow lent ‘religiously’ and give something difficult up for the entirety. This year I was motivated to give up not only sweets, but also coffee and caffeine. I am not a morning coffee drinker, nor do I have a big sweet tooth. But I do indulge in an afternoon cappuccino, warm cookie or bowl of ice cream every so often. Who doesn’t?
A few things prompted me to set this goal. First, I have been reading so much about the toxicity of sugar and some of the behavioral affects it has on people that I thought it would be interesting to remove it from my diet to see if I saw any benefits. Additionally, caffeine is something I do not want to be dependant on. I was catching myself drinking less water, more caffeine and becoming increasingly tired and more sluggish. Not exactly the results I was hoping for with this sweet smelling goodness.
An article I read asked how much do we love sugar? The amount may surprise you – the average American eat about 3,550 pounds of sugar and 313 gallons of high fructose corn syrup in a lifetime. And according to Dr. Robert Lustig, UCSF expert on pediatric hormone disorders and childhood obesity, it’s killing us!
The tipping point for me occurred on Tuesday, March 8, International Women’s Day, the day before lent started. I ate a cupcake to celebrate with lunch; we had cookies delivered to the office and cake at dinner. This sugar overload was enough to say whoa nelly you could use a break or your going to start looking like the Michelin woman.
I am making lent my ‘good excuse’ to practice discipline and restraint. I will have to turn down those girl scout cookies and sweet treats that seem to appear in my office. My goal is to rid my body of this so-called toxins and see if I reap any rewards from their absence.
THE GOAL: 6 Weeks Without Coffee and Sweets
(Also known as cappuccino, latte, blended ice mocha, chai, ice cream, fro-yo, warm cookies, muffins, cupcakes, pastries, chocolate, cake….)
Wish me luck, don’t temp me and I will report back.
[Illustration: Kenji Aoki / The New York Times; Prop Stylist: Nell Tivnan. Source: UI.S.D.A. 2009 Estimates. Photo: Annie Vranizan]
The advantage of living in such a fabulously diverse metropolis is that each night, if we so choose, we can eat at a different restaurant, taking into consideration budget and calories. More often than not, I catch myself at the same local favorites. What is in walking distance from home, easy and guaranteed to be good. In 2011 I want to get out and explore some of San Francisco’s diners, dives and diamonds in the rough.
I love yelp, but I thought it would be nice to get my friends input and personal favorites. In December I emailed twenty plus of my trusted – tasteful friends and asked them to share favorite must-go restaurants in San Francisco. I came up with five fun categories: 1. Quick and Cheap Eats, 2. Best Happy Hour Spot, 3. Neighborhood Favorite, 4. Ethnic Specialty (Indian, Asian, Italian, Spanish, etc.), and 5. Fine Dining – Date Night or Special Occasion $$$ and asked for one suggestions per, with a minimum of one sentence saying why.
Below you will find the consolidated list, organized or disorganized by neighborhood, topic or type of food. There is a little overlap, so * = recommended by more than one person. Feel free to add comments, suggestions and your own two cents. Enjoy!
1. Quick and Cheap Eats
Places that are fun, easy and don’t tax your wallet when you just don’t feel like cooking.
Pizza
Zante Pizza (Mission): Indian Pizza – sounds weird but is amazing.
Golden Boy Pizza (North Beach): SF classic, way better than north beach.
South Beach Cafe: cool little family run pizza/sandwich place. The antonio pizza combines all that is good in the world, carbs, fresh mozzarella and procuitto for 10 bucks.
Taco’s and Burrito’s
Don Pisto’s Tacos (North Beach): Tacos in North Beach? Yep, it’s delicious and nice to have something other than Italian available.
Taqueria Cancun (Mission): It’s always packed but the burritos are always good and very fast – it’s particularly fantastic around 2 in the morning to make up for the fact that you just spent part of your life in Bruno’s bar across the street.
The Taco Shop at Underdogs (Sunset/ 1824 Irving, between 19th & 20th): If you’ve heard of Nick’s Crispy Taco’s on Polk, then you’ll recognize the food at Underdogs. they have fantastic breakfast burritos, fish tacos, quesadillas, regular burritos, etc, and it’s a great place to grab a quick bite. of course, if you order a bucket of Tecate on special, you could be there for more than just 15 minutes…
Victor’s (aka “Guapos”): Where everyone is guapo! solid cheap mexican in SOMA.
Taqueria Vallarta (Mission): Inside one restaurant the have 3 stands and 3 different cooks that are all making different things. You can stop by the tamale lady at the entrance, the taco guy in the corner or go grab a carnitas super burrito (my personal fav) at the cash register.
El Burrito Express (Divisadero and Bush): The best cheap burritos outside the Mission. Their wet burritos cost $6 and are big enough to feed 2 people. At $7.50 their Cancun burrito with red snapper is off the charts.
Nick’s Crispy Tacos (Russian Hill/Polk): A quick dinner staple. Always guaranteed to be good. My favorite is fish taco, grilled, Nick’s way with guac and cheese.
Cafes: Sandwich, Salad, Breakfast
*Lucca Delicatessen: 1. If you love traditional Italian delis and cured meat you might have just found Nirvana. 2. This place WILL cure even the gnarliest of hangovers.
*Grove Cafe: 1. It has to be on this list and I thought this was the best section…although it’s not particularly “cheap” it’s also not expensive and is definitely quick and good for any meal of the day (breakfast, lunch, dinner or happy hour) 2. The Grove is where I frequent for lunch since it’s by work. A little more pricey, but yummy food and drink.
Marina Subs (Chestnut): The owner is a little asian sub nazi, but he makes the most amazing affordable subs. Fresh whole avocados on a large size sub, drink and chips for maybe $7. The bread is fresh and delish, and the best part is you can save your leftovers and the bread doesn’t really get soggy. Yummmy!
The Bagelry (Polk): For the best bagels. (Unless you love Noah’s…)
Sugar Café (Union Square/ Sutter): The most generous and best serving of granola, fruit and yogurt that really hits the spot.
Blue Barn & Pluto’s: Amazing salads, Blue Barn is more expensive than Pluto’s but in my opinion worth it, favorite is the Tostada salad.
Cafe Centro (South Park): For lunch. It’s not the quickest and it’s not like McDonalds cheap, but they make great sandwiches and salads.
Food Carts
*Off the Grid: 1. When in session, this taco truck stop is delicious and cheap. Runs in the spring, summer, fall months. 2. The “Off the Grid” food trucks is a melting pot of ethnic food, literally all in one dish. Korean style tacos, french fry nachos, and ramen are some of the choices among lavendar creme brulee and the best Dim Sum I have ever had. The trucks are at different places throughout the week: Valencia by the 101 freeway, Civic Center, Haight and it used to be in the Marina. Track it down, eat it, be happy.
Other great spots
Café Zitouna (Polk and Sutter): Open late, Moroccan and Tunisian food, delicious, fast and cheap. The owner (or guys who act like owners) take very good care of you including remembering your name between visits. http://www.sfcafezitouna.com
Tommy’s Joint: Greasy, quick, cheap, and filling. Mmm
Some think “Happy Hour” drinks, but also food, apps and treats that you would normally pay much more for at normal hours.
Apps and Food
*Palomino (Embarcadero): 1. Palomino – dangerously good deals on drinks and 1/2 off appetizers and pizzas w/views of the Bay. 2. I never do happy hour, but apparently it’s always happy hour there. They have great, full-sized pizzas for $5, huge plates of good, fried calamari for $5, flatbreads and dips, etc. And you’re right on the water and there’s lots of outdoor seating and heat lamps.
Umami Sushi (Cow Hollow/ Union): Great fish, but also hard to beat the half price bottle’s of wine, basic rolls and happy hour treats. Rolls/apps are around $4, cheapest bottles of wine for less than $15. Happy hours are 5-7PM Everyday.
B Restaurant and Bar (Downtown, right next to Moma and Metreon): Outdoor seating. $1 oysters during happy hour and good drink specials. Take note – Lots of cute girls dressed professionally from the financial district. http://www.bsanfrancisco.com/
Parea Wine Bar (Valencia in Mission): It’s a little Greek place with cozy booths where you can order a $5 glasses of wine and $5 appetizers – great place to sit with four or five friends and catch up. They often have live greek music, and if you’re lucky, some awesome elderly greek dancers!
15 Romolo: Best food/ drink happy hour. I honestly don’t even know if they even have a happy hour, but their beer prices are super low because most everyone orders non-beer drinks at this mixology speakeasy watering hole. The burgers and fries are de-lish. Modest sized packed with flavor, the Downtown burger is your normal tasty hamburger topped with pulled prok on top. The setting is a little sketchy, being in the middle of the strip clubs up an alleyway on Columbus. But anywhere that I can have three amazing customized drinks, a burger and fries for $30 makes my hour happy.
Wine
Dell’uva: Cheap bottles of interesting wine all day, good little pizzas and snacks
Amelie: For generous pours of wine and tasty appetizers. a5a steak lounge for unbelievable happy hr deals in the Financial District.
Beer
Zeitgeist (Mission): Bike friendly tamales (ala carte lady) and pitchers. Outside seating with picnic tables!
The Black Horse London Pub (Union/Vanness: not my neighborhood, but still probably the friendliest neighborhoodlike environment. Room for 10 people max where chivalry still lives. The bartender asks if you want another round by name and tells you to give up your seat to any young lady who happens to be standing. You are gauranteed to make at least one friend when you visit. Not to mention beers are kept cold in a bath tub behind the bar.
Tonic: 2 for 1 drinks, doesn’t get easier than that! Happy Hour goes til 7:00, so I can actually MAKE it there before the special ends. And they’re happy to let you bring in outside food from the neighborhood for something to munch on. More local midweek, with trivia night, surf movies and gummy bears!
Cigar Bar (on Montgomery): LOVE the outdoor atmosphere, drink specials and quesadillas!!
Tunnel Top (Bush and Stockton): They do not have a happy hour, per se, however any time of the day or night their drinks are very cheap. Quality, high-end martinis are about $7 and beers are about $3. Free trail mix if you ask (as much as you like). Tip big at the start of your night and they’ll take very good care of you. Cash only.
City Tavern (Marina): 2$ tuesdays, ok 2 $food, and all tap beers 2 bucks. then migrate to Blue light, then stumble home…
Rickhouse (Downtown/ Union Square): Awesome yummy yummy drinks. Punch bowls and floor to ceiling Whiskey! The bar tenders dress in old fashion attire, its dark and a really unique atmosphere. Good place for an after work cocktail.
Moussy’s: Great happy hour deals on tapas and wine, cool decor and vibe located below a french school.
Gitane: Little place, but fun place. Great cocktails. And Bacon Bon Bons.
The Mucky Duck (1315 9th Avenue, between Irving and Judah) – so their happy hour is pretty typical (4pm-7pm, M-F) you can’t beat their Bloody Mary’s. they are ridiculously loaded with garlic-stuffed olives and Jalapeños. they’ve also got darts, a pool table, a fantastic jukebox that is NOT constantly churning out Top 40 hits (think more along the lines of Led Zeppelin or the Rolling Stones) and a popcorn machine. i haven’t checked it out on weekends, but supposedly they have Trumer Pilsner specials with free BBQ at 11am; not a bad way to start the day.
Walking distance from home. Gems that others may not discover if they don’t live in the ‘Hood’, but good enough for a trek across town.
Lower Pac Heights/ Divisadero
*Tortilla Heights: 1. They have delicious chips and salsa that could be called your meal and great food and ritas. 2. Great places for drinks and just going out with friends. 3. Great for groups, price fixe birthday or group meal, I believe $20 for dinner, apps and a shot of tequila (hard to beat, also no mess with splitting checks). 4. Great food, strong margaritas, fun atmosphere, cheap prices. (Happy Hour 4:30-6:30 daily & Sunday 3:30-6:30 – 1/2 OFF Pitchers of Margaritas Tues-Fri!)
NOPA: Well worth the wait and may be the best in the city.
Little Star: Love the namesake Chicago-style deep dish pizza tastes better than fried bacon even though it’s totally vegetarian.
Blue Jay Cafe: It is a little oasis of Southern soul food with small plates and entrees at very reasonable prices. Get the $11 Burger.
Marina
*Pacific Catch: 1. Definitely the most reasonably priced, best tasting fish around! Table space is limited, so this is often my go-to take out spot when I need to grab dinner on the way home! 2. Love the Salmon Wasabi Bowl and salads. Cheap, delicious, and healthy. Best to do take out though so you don’t have to wait to be seated – not very spacious.
*Tacolicious: 1. Good social vibe, good food, good drinks. 2. Casual, bar seating with ever changing menus and the best salsas I’ve ever had.
* Mamacita: One ‘step’ up from tacoliscous, but excellent all around. 2. Tacos and salads are great and vibe of restaurant is fun and lively.
*Zushi puzzle: 1.Best raw fish in town. 2. Decor is super cheesy but the sushi is really good, as a result a waits can be long, plan accordingly.
Trattoria Contadina: It’s quaint, authentic and makes me think of Italy (make reservations)
Pacific Heights
La Mediterranee (Fillmore): love their lunch prices and their super yummy dishes. They also have daily specials. Wine Lovers! Share a bottle and get $10 off every Monday and Tuesday Night. (limit one per table with purchase of two entrees or more)
Curbside Café ( California and Fillmore): A betterer, more localer place in Pacific Heights. Awesome brunch, French inspired but they’re flexible in that they’ll make you anything you like. Ask for the crispy bacon. Tiny restaurant, group of four max, rarely a wait more than five minutes but definitely worth it. You can eat a hefty plate of eggs, French toast or fruit/yogurt with coffee for $10. - http://www.sfcurbside.com
Ella’s (Presidio and California): New favorite brunch spot. Service is always a little flaky, but the food more than makes up for it. Also, I can’t neglect Florio on Fillmore for a simple, delicious dinner and $14 half carafes of good wine. One of my faves on a rainy night.
Delfina pizza kitchen
Richmond
Bella Tratorria (Geary): Italian food. Off the beaten path, but well worth the trip. Owner is super friendly and food is Molto bene!
Russian Hill/ Nob Hill
Sushi Groove: This spot was a twice-a-week occasion for me. Cozy, attentive waitresses, good rolls – I’m going to shed a tear reminiscing…
La Folie Lounge: Right next door to La Folie on Polk St. Small, but elegant. Fun place for chill drinks and really awesome snacks. Think truffle deviled eggs.
Nook (Hyde St): A refuge to work on my laptop and not be judged and the great atmosphere and eats it always has there.
Sunset
Outerlands (45th and Judah): Absolutely hands down no question! It’s a hike, but it is so worth it. Warm, hearty food made fresh daily – hot open faced sandwiches, tasty salads, and the most delicious bread you’ve ever had. Their Sunday brunch is phenomenal too – orange cinnamon french toast, poached eggs with grits and collard greens, and many other delicious things!
Park Chow (1240 9th Ave, b/w Lincoln & Irving): Definitely a great place to take out-of-town guests, friends, family, or even a date. they have a pretty diverse brunch and dinner menu with lots of Californian/American fare, with affordable wines and excellent beers on tap. do NOT miss their specialty milkshakes which come in seasonal flavors (pumpkin anyone?).
Potrero
Goat hill Pizza: The all you can eat Mondays are really fun if you wanna gorge yourself!
4. Ethnic Specialty
(Indian, Thai, Italian, Spanish, etc.)
Hard to just say one…. But we these are the foreign favorites!
Indian
Dosa (2 Locations – Fillmore and Valencia): Bring your game face if you’re a spicy food fan! South Indian cuisine done VERY well (okay – so I’ve never been to south India, but I’ve dined at Dosa with people who have, and they love it too!)
*Burma SuperStar(Clement): 1. Delicious. 2. Classic, rainbow/tea leaf salads, spicy lamb, noddles in coconut curry. 3. Call a 1/2 hour ahead to put your name on the list
*Pakwan – Indian & Pakistani (16th valencia): 1 .BYOB, one of 2 places in the city that my indian co worker will take his full indian family. 2. Pakistani food. Standard chicken Tiki masala is always my go to favorite here, but everything is really good. (You might come out smelling like Indian food but it’s worth it!)
*Kennedy’s Irish Pub & Indian Curry House: 1. It’s the best Irish pub AND the best Indian food in San Francisco… under one roof… full menu till 1am… ffs. 2. I know this sounds lame but Kennedy’s off Columbus has such good quick Indian food. And it’s in a huge pub with pool table etc. Cheap yummy food and cheap drinks- love it.
*Amber India: 1. Butter Chicken, Spicy Lamb. My faves. There is a formal dining room, however I always eat in the bar. 2. Buffet lunch $16.95, is really amazing, you can try everything you might not want to order and go back for seconds.
*Limon (rotisserie): 1. Relatively inexpensive, insane chicken, large carafes of sangria and yucca frites. 2. Out of this world chicken! Any of the sides will knock your socks off too. Very reasonably priced too. Dont go to the Limon restaurant on Valencia because it doesn’t have the chicken.
La Mar(Embarcadero): Awesome ceviche and other Peruvian classics. Not to mention the stunning waterfront view of the bay.
Mi Lindo Peru (The mission): Cheap, authentic, delicious.
Sushi
*Sushi Bistro: 1. Best sushi in town, amazing. 2. Everyone has their favorite sushi place in the city, mine is Sushi Bistro in the Inner Richmond. It’s not cheap nor is it too expensive and they never fail to please. I have tried almost every roll on their menu and have yet to find one I dislike.
*Maru (on Powell between Sutter and Bush): 1. Amazing sushi considering their very touristy location. Don’t let that fool you. Sit at the bar if you can but the tables are equally good. Great for groups. Ask for, “something special” from the sushi master and you’ll never be sad. You can have a very good sushi dinner here for under $20 with a drink. 2. I love Maru, too.
Tataki Sushi: (California & Divisidero) Sustainable and health conscious sushi, GREAT happy hour from 5pm-7pm
Marnee Thai (1243 9th Ave, b/w Lincoln & Irving): Hands down the best Thai food in the city. the chef has been winning awards for almost 10 years and the menu offers a lot more than your standard Pad Thai (although that’s pretty awesome in itself.) must-try dishes are the Tom Yum coconut soup and the crab cakes.
*Jitlada Thai (Buchanan and Bush): (http://www.yelp.com/biz/jitlada-thai-cuisine-san-francisco): 1. Can’t go wrong with curries at Jitlada 2. Suuuuper tasty Thai food in a living room atmosphere.
Yukol Place (on Lombard): The Tom Yom at Yukol is really good.
House of Nan King (also check out Fang in SOMA): Get the Pea shoot salad and anything with sweet potatoes.
Eliza’s: Delicous, healthy Chinese food and not at all expensive.
Ah Lin’s Chinese restaurant: We go here all the time, it’s very tasty, not greasy chinese and the prices are great, especially for lunch!
Cyril Magnum for dim sum…
Other
Green Chili Kitchen (NOPA): The only true New Mexican food joint in the city. try it Christmas’d!
New Eritrea (11th Avenue and Irving): Order their veggie and meat combo for two – a huge hot plate of warm injera bread covered in all kinds of flavorful lentils, okra, lamb, chicken… very filling!
Not your every day dining destination, somewhere unique, that you may go for a date, celebration or just when your feeling like something that fine!
*Frascati: 1. Best fried chicken I’ve ever had. Best chocolate molten cake I’ve ever had. Romantic. 2. Another Russian Hill shout-out. This isn’t just a neighborhood bias though, this place is amazing. I’ve had two fantastic celebrations here (Birthday ’08 and New Year’s ’09) and definitely intend to have more in the future. Amazing food, très romantique!
Baker and Banker (Bush and Octavia): They make almost everything themselves, even have a bakery now and take care of you very well. If I had another vote here I would put La Gitane on Claude Lane. This must be the most beautiful interior I have eaten in. And the food is outstanding.
Absinthe (Hayes and Gough): Kitchen is open late (and the bar later). French food perfectly prepared. It’s an absolute treat for dinner and they have an amazing brunch as well. Expect to spend $30/plate at dinner at $12/plate at brunch. They have many types of Absinthe and will serve it the proper way (with tutorial). Excellent pastries. Valet parking at night. Top notch burger for $12. - http://www.absinthe.com
Spork: Modern hipster diner with cool vibe and unique amazing food.
Delfina (Mission): Everything about italian done right. (Must skip desert and get Bi-Rite creamery though)
Zuni Cafe: amazing wine list, best chicken in town, great oysters
Espetus: Brazilian all you can eat meat orgy even ghengis khan would be proud of.
Firefly (24th St and Douglass in Noe Valley):It feels like you’re at a friends home for dinner, amazingly prepared classic American/California food – Sonoma lamb, butter lettuce and persimmon salad, roasted brussel sprouts…and a small but great wine list.
Boulevard: Amazing food and great people watching.
Bar Tartine - feels like you’re in Europe (love the decor) and the dishes are really impressive – things you could never make at home.
Town Hall: Fantastic food, great service, and beautiful building.
Michael Minas: Lobster Pot Pie. You’ll never be the same again. (You can get a sm. version for only $20 off the bar menu.
Jackson Fillmore: Most amazing inventive Italian food. If you want non-pizza Italian dishes (think salad with endives, fennel, pomegranate seeds, pistachios and prosciuttto) this place is where to go. Small intimate setting, great wines not tooo bad on the wallet. The gnocchi is to die for and the owner is a hands on NJ transplant.
It’s not ridiculously fancy, but my new favorite restaurant in the city is Gamine in the Marina. Amazing, French food, not too expensive, great wine and in a cute little setting. I would eat there every week. *Hint hint… And if you go to Absinthe ask for Aaron, the sommelier… tell him what type of wine you like and how much you want to spend, and he’ll nail it.
It’s not outrageously expensive but I think Beretta is a great place for dates or special occasions. It has a fun, intimate atmosphere, a menu filled with intriguing flavor combinations and an excellent wine list. (Italian/Mission)
Contigo: Sort of a tapas style restaurant that’s not actually super $$, but has awesome food and an impressive selection of off-menu wines from time to time
Outerlands and Trouble Coffee (4001 Judah): So this isn’t exactly fine dining along the lines of Gary Danko, but for a date it’s a perfect opportunity to explore one of the lesser known ‘hoods near Ocean Beach. start your day out with a bike ride through the park and then put your name on the list at Outer Lands. head down to Trouble for a coffee, latte, and cinnamon toast while you wait for your table to open up. after you get seated, choose from Outer Lands’ ever-changing, fully local and organic menu over more freshly-ground coffee or a local beer. hint: open-faced fried egg, bacon, and Gruyère cheese sandwich is amazing.
5a: Best Breakfast:Bar Tartine in the Mission. Best coffee, they use Four Barrel, and most unique breakfast choices (instead of bacon the other week, my breaky sandwich came with pork jowels- weird but good). Also they’re master chefs at the bread, chewy crunchy and when dipped to make French Toast- divine!
5b: Best Dessert: I have a massive sweet tooth. So far I’ve tried and love Citizen Cake – had a quick macarron to go at the new location on Fillmore, it was so rich scrumptious. I know they also have drinks and food. Also, love love love the churros/ hot chocolate sauce at Tacolicious. This place also has amazing tacos, but the price point’s a little higher.
Next time you are struggling to pick a new spot to dine-about-town, you have a lot to pick from. Feel free to pass it along when your friends or out of town guests ask “do you have any restaurant recommendations”. Enjoy!
Big thanks to those of you who contributed restaurant recommendations. Please understand that this is a collection of ideas, opinions and suggestions. Everyone may not have the same taste, likes or desires. But I suggest you go check them all out and report back. Feel free to comment below if I missed any or you found a new treasure you feel so inclined to share.
Another year under the belt and life continues to accelerate rapidly forward. I took the opportunity to slow down over the holiday. And by slow down, I mean step away from my computer, spend time with family, get some fresh air, fresh powder and most importantly reflect on my life. During the many hours on the road between California, Oregon and Utah I thought about what I accomplished over the last year, what challenges I overcame and how I have grown. As I switched between my favorite podcasts, books, loud music and occasional silence, I let my mind wander, dream, question and explore the many opportunities that 2011 provides.
When I returned to San Francisco, a good friend and fellow adventure mate encouraged me to write my thoughts, memories, accomplishments and goals down (I highly encourage you to as well). I documented my most memorable experiences, events that I may or may not want to replicate, as well as skills I gained. These include everything from speaking engagements and forming partnerships, to climbing mountain peaks, making my first trip to the ER and getting my first stitches.
I set goals that both big and small, fun and serious, ambitious and easily attainable. They range from challenges to events, skills and the baby steps required to get their. I had a little fun with it and broke them into the following five categories:
Health and fitness
Adventure and competition
Volunteer and charity work
Personal
Professional and skill development
Here are just a few example’s of the day to day goals that I set for myself:
Write more. Blog more. If you take a glance at my blog, you can see my writing has been far from prolific. I mostly wrote about the speaking events, campaigns and work happenings. I am going to start using this site a little differently; instead I will showcase my life and the broad range of things I am passionate about. I am making it a goal to write more, write often and write about adventures, thoughts, inspirations and experiences.
Read more. Listen more. If you know me, I have never been one to sit still or sit back and read much. But when I do read, I enjoy it, I like to learn and I like to follow stories, history, economics or freakonomics and business. Listening includes NPR in the mornings, podcasts and books on the road. I even put together a reading list bookshelf at shelfari, and I am always open to suggestions.
Surf a shortboard. Much easier said than done, well at least for me. The competitive me wants to be good NOW! After two years of paddling and battling, I am finally confident on my longboard and most importantly riding waves regularly. Making the jump to a short board is like starting all over again, but the challenge is what makes it appealing. Not to mention the smaller lighter board to carry and to duck under the big waves.
Other goals include things such as building a bike from scratch, to launching a social good campaign, learning how to use my camera to it’s fullest potential and volunteering my time and money to nonprofits I am passionate for. I believe you have to be both a dreamer and a doer to accomplish things in life. Personal growth is a truly result of trying new things, challenging yourself and taking risks. Granted everyone is faced with unique challenges, but it is the ones that you present yourself that can guide your destiny. I encourage you to look forward and reflect back on your year, set some goals and document your achievements
