Flying With Faber - April 2014
San Francisco – I Just Can’t Stay Away
By Stuart J. Faber
Those folks who are acquainted with me or who are familiar with this column know that for more than 20 years, I’ve been making an annual New Year’s excursion from Los Angeles to San Francisco.I have visited just about every major city in the world. San Francisco rates among the most beautiful, vivacious and intriguing. On every visit, it looks the same and also looks different. With each visit, I discover new nooks and crannies everywhere I turn. The city exudes the panorama of Hong Kong, the diversity of New York, the enchantment and romanticism of Paris, the bustle of Berlin and the intrigue of Budapest or Istanbul.The AirportMy airport of choice is Oakland International (KOAK). Oakland and KSFO are virtually equidistant from the city. The Oakland field is more general-aviation friendly. One ILS runway, 27R/9L, is reserved for GA. KaiserAir, 510/569-9622 is my usual stop. Landmark Aviation, 510/633-1266 is the other FBO. Kaiser can arrange for a rental car, which can be left at the FBO upon your departure.As soon as my airplane is tied down and our feet hit the city streets, Cheryl and I commence an extensive walk from Union Square, down to the Embarcadero, then along the waterfront to Fisherman’s Wharf. We keep moving along the bay front – sometimes we even walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. On other days, we might hit a few neighborhoods: Union Street, Haight Ashbury, The Marina or the Castro. If we grow weary, we catch a friendly cab or hop on the Cable Car.For a few hours, we break ranks – Cheryl hits the shops, such as Saks, Barney’s of New York or the Westfield Mall, and I might visit a few of my chef friends or stop at the Museum of Modern Art. At mealtimes, we reconvene.Hotels
The choice in San Francisco ranges from small bed and breakfast establishments to world-class hotels. For this trip, we selected Parc 55 Wyndham. (Parc 55 Wyndham Hotel, 55 Cyril Magnin St., San Francisco, CA 94102, 415/403-6651, www.parc55hotel.com)I have a number of favorite hotels throughout this city. At times, I enjoy accommodations on the waterfront. On other occasions, I look forward to my headquarters on Nob Hill. When my visits are concentrated with downtown activities, I select a hotel as close to Union Square as possible. The Parc 55 Wyndham offers the best of several worlds. It soars above the street, which means that views of most of the city from Nob Hill to the Bay are spectacular. The location could not be more convenient. Step out of the doorway and you are just a block from Union Square. The Westfield shopping center is across the street. The Museum of Modern Art is four blocks, Chinatown is 1.5 miles, Fisherman’s Wharf is two miles and the Moscone Convention Center is four blocks.The hotel offers an array of amenities including a 24-hour fitness club, spa services, free internet, a complimentary boarding pass printer and concierge service. Most important, the hotel is pet friendly.Although the hotel has more than 1,000 rooms, we always felt as
if we were in small, cozy spaces. We selected one of their luxurious executive suites. The rooms, extremely large and tastefully appointed, had commodious work areas, laptop safes, gorgeous views of the skyline and HD flat screen televisions.If you are planning a conference, get-together or business meeting, I can’t think of a better venue. You can select from more than 30,000 square feet of event space dispersed between 23 meeting rooms. High-speed wireless is available in all of the meeting rooms. The business center has computers, fax, copy and printing services. If you are planning an event, the conference service team is one of the best in the city.The hotel has two excellent restaurants which I heartedly recommend: Kin Khao serves excellent Thai cuisine and and Cityhouse serves wonderful steaks and other American selections.RestaurantsIt is indisputable that San Francisco is one of the leading culinary destinations of the country – perhaps the world. On this trip, my goal was to re-visit a few of my favorites. It’s often the case that a return visit to a great restaurant meets with disappointment. The owners become complacent, lose their star chef or sell the place to a new owner who thinks that he or she can cut corners. The following four restaurants were not only as good as I remembered them, they were even better.
The Velvet Room at the Clift Hotel (495 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94102, 415/775-4700, www.morganshotelgroup.com)I’ve been a fan of the Clift Hotel for several decades. For many years, the Clift was operated by Four Seasons Hotels. Under their authority, it was a superlative hotel. I thought there was no room for improvement – until Morgan’s Hotel Group took over. The exterior has not changed. The façade remains as early San Francisco design. But take one step inside and you are in a different world – modern, energetic and glowing with deep, vibrant colors. For those who insist that modern interior design is cold and rigid, I invite them to stop in at the Clift lobby. I guarantee, they will extend their visit and be drawn to the Redwood Room for some refreshments amongst San Francisco’s new young and energetic crowd. The Redwood Room has become the premiere hangout for the city’s young elite.The skeptical visitor will not stop there – all that will end is the skepticism about modern design. The Velvet Room will further draw them within. The elegant and dramatic room, complemented by lush velvet curtains, mahogany and leather banquettes and hand-blown Murano glass lamps, sets the stage for what I promise to be one of your most unique, romantic and memorable dining experiences in San Francisco.The cuisine, along with the service, is sensational. In this stunning setting, the fare is innovative, yet down-to-earth and extraordinarily comfortable. I began with a hearty cannellini bean soup flavored with a juicy ham hock. The salad wedge with Noskie bacon, cherry tomato and bleu cheese was outstanding.I was in search of the ultimate steak, so my assignment required helpings of beef for two nights in a row. The 32-ounce cowboy cut is seared outside and perfectly cooked red rare within. The juices flowed like a bubbling brook and the meat cut butter tender. A sample of maple-glazed short ribs was remarkable. The buttermilk-fried chicken was the best north of the Mason Dixon Line. Don’t pass up the lobster mac and cheese or the roasted heirloom potatoes. For a vegetable, I chose the cauliflower gratinee. This dining experience will long be remembered by us as one of the best of the best.
Garden Court, Palace Hotel (2 Montgomery St., San Francisco 94105, 415/512-1111, www.sfpalace.com.)The Palace Hotel, a member of the Starwood Luxury Collection, is virtually synonymous with San Francisco. Originally built in 1875, the hotel perished in the 1906 earthquake. It rose again in 1909 and has been a San Francisco landmark ever since.The moment you walk into the Palace, the sensation of historic San Francisco is apparent. The stately walls, marble columns and wood trimmings evoke the combined feeling of Art Deco and Victorian San Francisco. The atmosphere is stately, yet the modern amenities are unobtrusive.A San Francisco tradition for decades, Sunday brunch at the Garden Court is an experience you won’t want to miss. We were seated beneath a glass dome ceiling adorned with shimmering Austrian crystal chandeliers and surrounded by soaring marble columns. The chefs create a selection of made to order crepes and omelets, sushi items, dim sum and other Chinese delights, roast beef, fresh fish and shellfish, breakfast breads and pastries, seasonal California cuisine and, of course, sweet dessert temptations, all accompanied by a live jazz group. 
Alexander’s Steakhouse (448 Brannan St., San Francisco, CA 94107, 415/495-1111, www.alexanderssteakhouse.com.)
At the age of 14, Marc Zimmerman embarked on his culinary journey in a small family owned Italian restaurant. His instant passion for food led him to attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York.
After honing his skills at New York’s Craft, Le Bernardin, and Café Gray, he joined the Las Vegas kitchens of Nobu Matsuhisa and Takashi Yagihashi.In 2010, Marc moved to San Francisco to open Alexander’s Steakhouse as Chef de Cuisine and today, he reigns as executive chef. Alexander’s Steakhouse is a major addition to local avant-garde San Francisco cuisine. Marc has ingeniously created leading-edge interpretations of the classic American steakhouse with hints of Japanese influence. Featuring a variety of classic cuts such as Porterhouse, T-bone and New York, they specialize in Certified Angus Beef grain-fed from the Mid-West. They also highlight dry-aged steaks and offer the freshest and most luxurious ancillary products available. The award-winning wine list is designed by the brilliant, yet unpretentious Sommelier, Johnny Slamon.We launched with a generous helping of plump day boat scallops with eggplant, sweet miso and hearts of palm.I have always been a proponent of cooking steaks on extremely high heat – Marc does the opposite. The dry aged Omaha prime 24-ounce T-Bone and the Angus Rib Eye both delivered a level of flavor, tenderness and juiciness the likes of which I have rarely experienced. Undoubtedly, I will have to search extensively to duplicate the quality of these steaks.For those who wish to explore other entrees, I strongly recommend the Antarctic sea bass, the California squab or the Maine lobster. The truffled fries are crisp and flavorful. The mac and cheese is delivered with four delicious cheeses. Every selection at Alexander’s is an artful and culinary masterpiece.Tadich Grill (240 California St., San Francisco, CA 94111, 415/391-1849, www.tadichgrill.com)Whenever I am asked to provide a list of my favorite restaurants in the world, I don’t have to travel very far to list one of them: Tadich Grill. Virtually every one of our visits to the Bay Area includes a stop at this restaurant.Tadich Grill, founded by a group of Croatian immigrants, began as a coffee stand in 1849. The first location, designed to serve the fishing crews, was on the wharf. The restaurant moved to various locations until it ended up on California Street.Today, The Grill is primarily a fish establishment. Seafood items are so fresh you can almost hear the wiggle. The San Francisco sourdough bread is the best in town. One of the most popular dishes is the cioppino. Fresh shell fish and seafood are immersed in a rich tomato based broth. It’s great to dunk a hunk of sourdough and just slurp up the nectar. Dungeness crab and shrimp ala monza are served in a light cream sauce over steamed rice. Sonoma rack of lamb is mesquite grilled and served with roasted potatoes. Oysters Rockefeller, a classic, is baked with spinach and a four cheese blend.The restaurant accepts no reservations, so you had better arrive just before opening time if you want lunch. For dinner, you just have to wait – but it is well worth it. On one occasion, we stopped by for dinner. The place was packed. We had parked nearby and our dogs were in the car. Apprehensive over leaving them, we decided to eat separately. I spotted one empty seat at the counter. “You go first,” Cheryl suggested. I offered no resistance. As I finished my last bite, I called her on the cell phone so that she could poise for my seat and leap on it as I relinquished it. The transfer was seamless until the waiter cried out that I was sneaking out on the check. We tried to explain. I suggested that he add Cheryl’s meal to my check and that she would pay for both meals. His response was that, once I gave up my seat, I also abdicated all propriety rights including the right of transfer. Technically, the seat belonged to the next waiting guest. Fortunately, there was no single-seat guest waiting, so he finally waived the legal niceties. Cheryl enjoyed her meal, paid the bill, left the guy a generous tip, brought the doggies a crust of sourdough and everyone was happy.
