san francisco…no flowers in our hair

I was nervous that I wouldn’t like San Francisco as much as much as I was supposed to.  Everyone raves about how great it is, and how it is their favorite vacation destination, and I was really nervous that I wouldn’t share the same sentiments with everyone else.  Luckily, we had an excellent experience today, and I can definitely say that San Fran is becoming a big contender for “Most Awesome Road Trip City” award.

We began the day by finding an awesome parking spot in the financial district not far from Ferry Market.  We got there and immediately set to waiting in line for the famed Hog Island Oyster Company.  I first read about Hog Island when I bought my dad a cookbook for some festive occasion, then quickly set about to reading it one weekend while I was visiting him.  Since then, it has been on the bucket list of places I must see/dine at before I die.  I recommended it to him when he was here on his honeymoon and he and my stepmom, Cindy, had nothing but rave reviews for the place.  So I was thrilled when we got there and the line was relatively short, as it was our first meal of the day (lunch has become the first meal for most days since we are incapable of leaving hotels/overnight locations much before noon).  We ordered 18 oysters (sampler platter), the grilled cheese, and clam chowder.  While I tried everything, the clam chowder was mostly for me, since the broth was made with bacon.  Let me just say that Hog Island did not disappoint.  The oysters, of which there were 6 varieties, were all spectacular.  Ice cold and ranging from salty to creamy to sweet, they were just what I was hoping they would be.  The grilled cheese, made with Mezzo Seco, cave-aged Gruyere and Fromage Blanc was so incredibly good, I had to fight the urge to order more than one.  Made with the most delicious blend of cheese and sourdough bread, with a side order of house made pickled veggies (carrots, cucumbers, fennel and cauliflower)…this dish was such a winner.  The clam chowder was also out of this world.  Made with Hog Island Manila Clams, aromatics and fresh cream, it was altogether light and flavorful.  Not your typical thick chowder, but something otherworldly.  I could bathe in this.  Oh, and it had bacon in it.  Do I need to get in to how much I love bacon?  Do I?  No, I don’t.  Bacon drastically improves just about any dish, in my estimation.  Bravo, Hog Island.  This meal was one I would like to repeat at least once every week for the rest of my life.  The glass of champagne for me, and a wheat beer for Joellen was also a great way to start out the day 🙂

After lunch, we walked around the Ferry Market building for a good amount of time, admiring and staring and smelling everything we could.  We almost bought about a dozen different gourmet foodstuffs and then remembered that we had nowhere to store them/nothing to do with them.  That might be the only negative to this trip; what would we do with a package of wild mushrooms?  I can’t wait to get back in to the kitchen.  Seeing all of these incredible ingredients everywhere we go and not being able to cook with them is turning out to be more painful than I could have imagined.  So after torturing ourselves for far too long, we hopped on the back of a bike and set out for greener piers.

One perfect bike ride later (shout out to Kyle for his excellent cycling services), we arrived at Pier 39 ready to see some Sea Lions.  And we did, and they were cool.  I got a Diet Coke and Joellen finished her really awesome iced coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee, and with our renewed sense of energy (read: we were so tired we contemplated coming back to the hotel for a nap but decided to power through), set out to explore more of the city.  Joellen led us all around with her excellent navigational skills, first to Lombard Street, where we walked up a virtual mountain in order to see cars swerving down a flower-lined road (it was actually very cool), then over to the Cable Car Museum (also very cool) then to a cable car stop, where we waited and waited and waited until we were finally able to get on to one of the cars (apparently one has to wait a long time if they want to get a seat on one of these bad boys).  We rode for a while until we got to the last stop then headed back to the car for a quick revamp before dinner.  I would just like to say that we walked several miles during all of this, many of them uphill, and that there were at least 7 hours between lunch and dinner.  I was asked today from an unnamed reader if we ever got any exercise after telling them what we had been eating, so I feel compelled to let you all know that we do, in fact, walk a great deal during our travels (thanks, Dad).

Dinner was at a sustainable sushi place called Tataki.  Since Joellen has planned so many meals with me in mind, I wanted to do the same for her.  Tataki had many vegetarian options, and lots of different specialties to choose from.  After much debate, we decided to share the spicy tuna, the futomaki, the avocado, and the mix-it-up (spicy tuna with crab and avocado).  It was all so delicious I can’t even begin to describe.  Very fresh, very flavorful, very San Fran.  We also started with the edamame, which was perfectly salted, and we were gifted an extra spicy tuna roll on accident.  So yeah, we maybe shared five rolls, but three of them were really small, and you know what?  We’re on vacation.  It was awesome.  When we got back to the hotel, we decided to have a very small dessert of a Clairesquares shortbread with caramel and chocolate.  Hey, we walked a lot today, ok?

With a fabulous day behind us, we look forward to tomorrow’s stop: Monterey!  (Hopefully there will be equally good food, because San Francisco set a very high bar for the rest of California).

❤ Amy

dear chicago

Day two, Chicago. It won’t take most of you long to realize that I don’t possess the same wit and literary genius of my traveling companion; I do, however, hope to entertain you. So, relax and settle in for the ride. Please keep your hands and feet in while the train is operating.

The day started with a much needed sleep-in (thanks Kyle and Edie). Of course this was heavily impacted by the looming clouds…and quite possibly the four hours of sleep we got the previous night. Those that know me will not be surprised by this, as I have a self-diagnosed case of pre-travel-I-hope-I-have-everything-packed-that-I-need syndrome.

Eventually we made our way to the suburbs to meet up with Aunt Nancy, a most hospitable host. Luckily, Aunt Nancy also offered to be our fearless tour guide. So, off we go into the city. We had a lovely stroll around Millennium Park while the weather worked with us. Lunch in the park was an unexpected treat (Park Grill). Beginning with a burrata, shaved white asparagus, radish, and prosciutto flatbread. (in case you haven’t heard, burrata is the new black.) I ordered the black bean and farro burger – in a restaurant known for its burgers, it seemed the obvious choice. Though it’s a personal struggle not to order falafel whenever I see it on a menu. I made the right choice. Amy and Aunt Nancy went halfsies on a chop salad and a ham Panini with fig mustard and burrata (see). They enjoyed their meals very much. We all did. We continued our park venture, including a visit to the Lurie Garden and the Bean AT&T Cloud Gate…as much of a tourist destination as it is, it’s still pretty amazing. Don’t worry, we took pictures. I know, shocking.

The weather continued to be on our side, so we continued on foot throughout the city. We did a lot of walking. All of that walking eventually led us to Nordstrom on Miracle Mile. I’m going to leave the source of that destination a mystery. We exited Nordstrom right in time to battle the rain. Seasoned Chicagoans carry umbrellas in their pockets – thankful for Aunt Nancy and her multiple umbrellas. The rain was brief and we were saved by the sunlight. At this time we changed direction to meet up with my friend Dawn – a new Chicago resident (by way of Tampa and L.A.). Dawn, her four inch heels, and her roommate Kris accompanied us to Navy Pier. Though we could have chosen a quality establishment like Bubba Gump or Magaritaville, we drifted into the Navy Pier McDonalds for a beverage and break. A much needed break. I know Dawn’s feet would also agree with that statement. I’m sure $8 flip flops never felt so good. I think most Floridians would agree that Navy Pier feels a little like the beach. Same vibe, water views, boats, seagulls (apparently they enjoy lakes and seas). This Floridian welcomed the fresh air that drifted off of the water – quite a difference from the summertime Gulf of Mexico breeze. Navy Pier was the perfect end to our daytime adventure.

You know what happens when you get when you add a Joellen, 3+ miles of walking, and heat? Yeah, me neither. In a matter of 45 minutes I lost and found my money twice. I think Amy stole my car keys and then strategically (and invisibly) put them back in my bag. Thankfully, I recovered and was able to get ready for dinner in 20 minutes. It’s a skill that very much compliments Amy’s talent for getting ready.

Dinner was a long-awaited Chicago plan. We (I) chose Girl and the Goat. We are food people. I’ll save the special story of our bonding via food for another time. Really, I think that might be the story. So, you’re welcome. Anyhow. Dinner. Stephanie Izard was the winner of Top Chef Season 5 (Chicago). This is her restaurant. I’ll admit that this meal was for Amy. I wanted her to have a culinary experience by which to remember Chicago. And, I’d like to think my mission was successful. We started with Corny Goat Bread – a sourdough loaf baked with corn kernels, served with goat butter and a corn relish. A gastropub, its menu consisted of small plates organized into vegetables, fish, and meats. We initially indulged in the Squash Blossom Crab Rangoons (served with a chive yogurt). This was a first, but long overdue squash blossom experience for me. Tasty. Amy’s first course was the Goat Carpaccio. Thinly sliced raw goat meat served with goat tongue and olive vinaigrette and topped with smoked roe. Thumbs up from Amy, I think I even saw a little eye rolling. Next was my main dish, a Chickpea Fritter dish with a duo of green and fried chickpeas, eggplant and tomato caponata, and local mozzarella. The fritter was delicious. Creamy and flavorful. Thumbs up from me. The excitement really mounted as Amy’s main dish arrived. Hold on for this. Pig Face. Now that I’ve heard it explained a few times, I think I get it. Pig cheeks smoked and topped with very thin potato sticks and a well salted sunny side up egg. – all resting on a tamarind sauce and a drizzle of maple syrup. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel watching this consumption (I’m a vegetarian, for those of you meeting me for the first time via this blog). I made it. And I believe that she enjoyed this very much. Again, clean plate. We do that. We ended the meal with a wonderful Goat Cheese Bavarian cream atop an almond cake and topped with a caramel-almond brittle and blueberries. We’re both goat cheese fanatics – there couldn’t have been a more appropriate and delightful finish to the meal (and day). Sadly, Stephanie was not there. We stole the paper napkin ring and specials menu to compensate. It helped. So did the wine.

This concluded our day. Also, this brings my very brief summary of the day to a close. Please, no tips.

We’d like to thank Kyle, Edie Esme, Pascal (the Fire Breathing Dragon), the weather, Aunt Nancy, Bogart, Eileen’s bed, Dawn, DKM’s not-so-sensible shoes, Kris, McDonalds Fountain Coke, the sacrificed goat and pig, and Chicago for making this day special.

Joellen