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Thanks.  Sometimes I'm not with the most adventurous of eater, so sweet service, booze, and room are just as important!

I'd imagine the quality of product they can use might be a step up from, like, a Cecchi's. Even if it's just for the salad. Or quail, actually.

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When food takes second place to other pursuits. The dance performance tonight was great but long and followed by a brief discussion. Got back from the Mission late enough that restaurants around Union Square were closed.

So foot long at the Cable Car Lounge (and I wish I had a tape measure 😉).

 

IMG_0076.jpeg

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On 3/8/2024 at 2:35 PM, Wilfrid said:

Lucky with the weather. Beautiful day here. SFMoMA most of the morning then a hike through the Tenderloin to the eponymous museum.

This was great:

https://www.sfmoma.org/exhibition/zanele-muholi-eye-me/

On our to-go list, natch.

You've lucked out with the weather for sure.  Nice panorama of Washington Square.

Edited by StephanieL
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28 minutes ago, Wilfrid said:

And all roads lead, in the end, to Li Po.

I know it’s a little more than four years since I was last here; more disturbingly, I must have first drunk here in 1997 or 98, and there weren’t no tourists. Packed now with young people drinking Mai Tais.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was chatting with someone about my SF trip last night and they asked me if all the stories about a closed and deserted downtown were true.

I didn’t see that. Maybe there were closed storefronts but it was just like 2019 for me. Busy downtown on workdays, sad in the Tenderloin. And my phone says I walked 20 miles; it was just normal SF for me.

 

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On 3/26/2024 at 12:38 AM, Wilfrid said:

I was chatting with someone about my SF trip last night and they asked me if all the stories about a closed and deserted downtown were true.

I didn’t see that. Maybe there were closed storefronts but it was just like 2019 for me. Busy downtown on workdays, sad in the Tenderloin. And my phone says I walked 20 miles; it was just normal SF for me.

Somewhat normal for us too.  We stayed in a neighborhood far from the Tenderloin, but certainly made our way all around.  I felt it was slightly more deserted than during past visits, ghost townish at times, but we were never in Union Square, or near the intersection of Columbus and Broadway. 

Our meals included:

Tadich Grill - great Martinis, okay food but I got my first taste of Dungeness, so I was happy.

Chez Panisse Cafe for SE's birthday lunch. Will you be surprised to hear that it's still very good? (Though I was tempted when we drove by Everett & Jones, on San Pablo.)

Boulevard - SE's birthday dinner. Gorgeous bar (still), very nice meal, with much more Dungeness.

Yank Sing - in the gorgeous Rincon Annex, carts, dim sum, I missed this place (though Yuet Lee was always a favorite as well).

State Bird Provisions...quite good, especially the fried state bird.

La Ciccia - Will you surprised to hear that it's still really, really good?  With a waitperson whom we remembered from a previous visit, and the same kitchen staff, and an extended wine list. I just wish there was anywhere nearby to  pop in before dinner for a quick pop.  There is a great butcher shop up the street, which also sells some beer; is drinking a beer before dinner, on the bench at the bus stop right out in front of La Ciccia wrong?

Plow - only one of our favorite breakfast spots anywhere - considering we never go out for breakfast, the fact that we had to make it at least once, must mean it's worthy.  Up on Potrero Hill, where the views are stunning.

Zuni Cafe - Within walking distance of our airbnb, so on our last night, our first visit; we didn't have the roast chicken because I didn't want all the leftovers to go to waste, but otherwise a nice meal.

Elaboration to come, once I deal with pix and recovering.  Also a few meals in Sonoma.

Edited by MitchW
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When the pandemic hit, I was working in a building on Sansome and Clay. Lots of businesses in the area, with only a few empty storefronts (including a Walgreen's).  Cut to last week, and the number of empty storefronts has increased dramatically, including the big space on the corner of Sansome and Pine where a Target was. I don't think any space that was vacant in February 2020 has found a tenant.

OTOH, the number of tourists here at Fisherman's Wharf hasn't gone down, and we just got a square pie restaurant and a SoCal lobster roll place in Ghirardelli Square.  I hope some of those shuttered seafood restaurants reopen; they may have been tourist traps, but at least they were keeping the neighborhood going.

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17 hours ago, Wilfrid said:

I was chatting with someone about my SF trip last night and they asked me if all the stories about a closed and deserted downtown were true.

I didn’t see that. Maybe there were closed storefronts but it was just like 2019 for me. Busy downtown on workdays, sad in the Tenderloin. And my phone says I walked 20 miles; it was just normal SF for me.

 

The numbers are clear - Market Street is at 65% of pre 2020 foot traffic, Financial District offices at most at 60% capacity (likely far lower as many defaults haven't been processed yet). Condos that were at 96% capacity are at under 90% with deep incentives and negative outlook. 

It's easy to forget how busy things used to be. 

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Of course. I saw there's a push to reopen Market to cars, which some theorize might help. I think it most likely would have helped Nordstrom and WF stay in business, but it's unclear how much of an impact it would have on foot traffic.

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Anecdotally, Significant Eater and I got on the subway (giggle), which was 2 cars, starting above ground and then going under, towards the Embarcadero. Probably on our way to Tadich or Boulevard.It was a weekday. Rush hour. There were like 10 people on this thing.   

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On 3/26/2024 at 9:28 AM, MitchW said:

I got my first taste of Dungeness...

And today's news (as Ori has noted either here or there on IG, Foxface is serving the last of theirs):

Quote

 

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that it will close off crab fishing for most of the California coast starting at 6 p.m. Monday, April 8.

The closure announcement comes after aerial and vessel surveys this month showed that the number of humpback whales off the coast of California is increasing, resulting in an elevated entanglement risk.

 

Not necessarily a bad reason to close the season.

More...https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/cdfw-closes-commercial-dungeness-crab-fishery-and-restricts-recreational-crab-traps-in-the-central-management-area-limits-commercial-fishing-to-inside-30-f#gsc.tab=0

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