A Romantic Spot » San Francisco

Da Flora – North Beach Hidden Gem

Joey Rosario — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:20:55 +0000

In my 6 years living in San Francisco, I never heard of this place. I discovered it by accident when walking through the neighborhood a couple of weeks ago; and what a discovery it was. In the land of Italian restaurants in almost every corner, you would think every restaurant is created equal. Most locals will tell you that you can’t just stumble into any restaurants in the neighborhood and expect a wonderful dining experience. You find a 1-star quality restaurant just as easy as you do a 5-star one.

The restaurant is small, cozy, intimate, charming and romantic. The burgundy red interior dominate almost the entire wall with a crystal chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling. The menu is handwritten and it changes from time to time. I consider the sweet potato gnocchi the signature dish of the restaurant. It is simply amazing. The creamy sauce complement the dish very well. The wine list is predominantly Italian wine. Let them recommend the wine and be amazed.

I have read many complains about the service at this place. Although it can be subjective, every one has their own idea of what a good service should be. I am not defending the establishment, but I do think some customers can be intolerable sometimes. This restaurant is not a known tourist spot and that’s part of the charm. Restaurant staff have characters and if you recognize them and work them to your advantage, your visit will be a memorable dining experience indeed.

Considering how small the place is, reservation is encouraged especially on the weekend.

Contact:
Da Flora – A Venetian Ostaria, 701 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA
+1 (415) 981-4664

Da Flora - A Venetian Ostaria interior

(images from flickr)

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

(images from flickr)

Japanese Tea Garden – A Magical Landscape

Joey Rosario — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:13:58 +0000

Japanese Tea Garden is located inside Golden Gate Park next to de Young museum, just east of Stow Lake. As you entered through the main gate, you find by a small pond with a bridge built over it that leads to the tea house. When you walk pass the tea house, you will find a Buddha statue on your left. You will pass a gate that will take you to an incredibly beautiful garden.

As you trace your path through the Sunken Garden, you will find Maple Lane, a gravel-like path, that leads you to Zen Garden. It’s a nice spot in the garden to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the simplistic of the Japanese Garden. It’s normally pretty quiet because it is located at the corner end from where the entrance is.

Located next to the Zen Garden is the Pagoda. Walk to the bottom of the garden near the main pond to appreciate the landscape with the Pagoda on the top of the garden. Once your circle through the main pond, you will find the famous Drum Bridge, the highly-arch-half-circle bridge. You can climb through it but please proceed with caution. You can end the visit by sipping a hot tea with light snacks at the tea house.

Free admission is offered on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 am – 10 am. It’s an ideal place for a wedding photo shoot.

Contact:
Japanese Tea Garden, 7 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, CA
+1 (415) 752-1171

Sunken Garden

Maple Lane

Pagoda

Fish in the pond

The Drum Bridge

Small stream

Crissy Field – Sunset by the Bridge

Joey Rosario — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:20:11 +0000

Located near the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, Crissy Field provides one of the best eye-level view of the bay. On a nice sunny day, you will see plenty of activities here. Family picnic, barbeque, kite-flying, kite surfing, etc. It’s one of the nicest place in the city to enjoy the weather and the water.

At the end of Crissy Field, there is a building called Warming Hut, that serves as a cafe and a bookstore. Near Warming Hut is a pier where you can enjoy the view of the sunset across the Golden Gate Bridge or you can just sit on the beach. It gets windy in the evening so you might want to wear an extra layer to catch the beautiful sunset.

The evening view

View from Crissy Field

The view of Golden Gate Bridge

Marin Headlands – Golden Gate & The City

Joey Rosario — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:27:12 +0000

San Francisco is one the most romantic city in the world. The list will not be complete without the inclusion of its most famous landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge. There are multiple places where you can enjoy the view of the Golden Gate Bridge but none is better than the view from the top of the hill on the north-west side of the bridge. This area is known as Marin Headlands.

Getting to the top of the hill is a bit tricky. You will have to first drive through the bridge and exit off the highway towards Sausalito right after the vista. Once you exit, take a first left and go underneath the Golden Gate Bridge and follow the road along the highway up the hill on Conzelman Road. Drive up all the way along the hill and right before it becomes a one-way road, park your car and enjoy the view of the Golden Gate Bridge with San Francisco backdrop.

It feels so peaceful from up there. If you want to create an ambiance, consider visiting in the late afternoon on a weekday. Bring extra layer as the weather can be a bit chilly in the late afternoon. I’ve seen couple sitting on the bench sharing a bottle of wine. It’s definitely a view and a moment not to be missed.

Looking towards San Francisco

View of San Francisco on a clear day

Stow Lake – Love In The Park

Joey Rosario — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 22:38:28 +0000

If you are a hopeless romantic, you can show that side of you by taking your date or significant other for an afternoon fun in the sun to Stow Lake at the Golden Gate Park. You can go on a boat ride around Stow Lake by renting a pedal boat or a row boat. Pedal boat might be fun for younger couple but row boat is definitely more romantic. Pack your picnic bag, rent the row boat and enjoy a nice afternoon in the park.

The lake itself feels very peaceful and soothing. There are plenty of ducks around the lake, even small turtles. You will feel like you are falling in love all over again. A word of caution though. If you want to rent a row boat, you better have good hand coordination. Rowing a boat is not as easy as you think. If you don’t know what you are doing, you might end up going in circle and nothing kills a romantic moment faster than a silly moment like that.

The Strawberry Hill is located in the middle of lake. You can row under the bridge that connects the main park to the hill. The Pagoda of the Japanese Tea Garden is located next to the lake and you will also see the man-made falls, the Huntington Falls.

This is a must-do for all the lovers out there. You’ve seen a moment like this in the movie and I am sure deep down you told yourself I wish I can do something like that. Well, now you have a chance to star in your own romantic movie.

Contact:
Stow Lake Boat & Bike Rentals, 50 Stow Lake Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118
+1 (415) 752-0347

The stone bridge on Stow Lake

Stow Lake

Huntington Falls at Stow Lake

Le Charm – A Charming Little Bistro

Joey Rosario — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:46:43 +0000

I stumbled upon this amazing restaurant through a friend’s recommendation. This small yet elegant French Bistro provides a cozy dining experience. The decor shows the French charm, deemed-lights on the light reddish The candle and the flower on the table add a touch of romance. The dining area is lit with a deemed-lights on the wall. The entrance bears a chandelier with lace curtains over the window.

Dinner entree is reasonable at around $20 although the best deal in the house is the three-course Prix Fixe menu at $30 a person that includes an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert. They have a good wine selection as well. The garlic-buttered escargot was splendid. It took me a while to let go of the plate even after I have finished it because the garlic sauce makes a good dipping for the bread. The main course, ribeye steak, was a bit too fatty for my taste. But its tenderness more than makes up for it. The dessert is a bit challenging because everything sounds so good. I ended up selecting the Orange Creme Brulee. It is now my most favorite dessert in town.

The wait staff is so friendly. She never rushed us and was attentive throughout. It ended up being a 3-hour dinner for us. Time flies when you enjoy the experience so much. I would have preferred to dine in the backyard patio; but it’s only open during the weekend or when it is necessary to do so to accommodate diners. I will be back to experience the patio dining.

Contact:
Le Charm, 315 5th St, San Francisco, CA 94107
+1 (415) 546-6128

Le Charm Dining area

Garlic-buttered Escargot

Ribeye Steak

Orange Creme Brulee

Russian Hill – Garden of Eden

Joey Rosario — Sat, 24 May 2008 22:42:09 +0000

This little garden on top of Russian Hill is my secret hideout. The garden sits on top of Russian Hill, stretches half way through Jones and Taylor at the very top to Taylor at the bottom. It’s accessible from Taylor through the steps that leads you to the walk across the garden. It’s accessible through car from Jones although I wouldn’t recommend driving a car there because Russian Hill is notorious for parking; and during weekdays you can only park for 2 hours before the Parking Nazi come around and give you a ticket.

On a nice day, it is a perfect picnic spot in the city; offering the view of the bay to the north and Telegraph Hill to the east. It can be a bit windy but on a nice San Francisco day, you should be able to enjoy the weather as much as the view itself. This could be a good spot to catch the fireworks. However, it’s always windy on both 4th of July or New Year’s Eve, so extra layer of clothes is highly recommended.

Secret Garden

View towards North Beach

Treasure Island – City View by the Bay

Joey Rosario — Thu, 22 May 2008 00:14:21 +0000

* Image by Clint Wirtanen (image from Flickr)

Treasure Island is located in the San Francisco Bay, between San Francisco and Oakland. It was built prior to the World War II as an extension to the Yerba Buena Island. Initially planned for and used as an airport during the war, Treasure Island became a Naval Base for the US Navy during the war.

There is only one way to get to the island. Its only access is through the Bay Bridge. When you make an exit (left exit) on the bridge, follow the sign towards Treasure Island. Then make a U-turn before entering the gate, and park your car on the side of the street. You can either get out of the car to enjoy the fresh bay breeze or stay inside the car to create the magic moment with your loved one.

What you will see is an un-obstructed front-row seat to one of the most amazing view San Francisco has to offer. On a clear day, you will catch plenty of activities in the bay with the city skyline backdrop. Night time view is just as amazing. The lights from the financial district buildings light up the night sky.

It’s also a perfect spot to catch the 4th of July and the New Year’s Eve fireworks, although it’s always foggy during the 4th of July or rainy-windy on the New Year’s Eve.

San Francisco City Skyline

View from Treasure Island

View in the evening

The View – San Francisco Panorama

Joey Rosario — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:43:17 +0000

The View is a lounge at the 39th story atop the Marriott Hotel in the SOMA (South of Market) district of San Francisco. The View offers a panoramic view of San Francisco. The place has two big rooms; a full bar and a view of the City Hall and Twin Peaks on one, and a piano for the live jazz/blues music and a view of the Bay Bridge on the other. Both rooms have big jukebox-shaped floor-to-ceiling windows that cover the entire room.

There are two elevators at the lobby so be sure to catch the high-rise elevator to the top floor. The place can be very loud at times with the live band but the deem atmosphere makes this place a must visit for couple. It offers cocktails and light snacks. Drinks are decent and pricey but you don’t come here for the drinks. Any tables by the window is a nice. It’s dark and romantic.

There is one spot that I think is the best in house. It’s in the room where the piano is. If you walk towards the elevator/bathroom, it’s on the far end before you make a turn toward the elevator. It’s tucked in a partially hidden triangular corner. Believe me, you will not want to leave if you get that spot especially if you are out on a date.

Contact:
The View, San Francisco Marriott, 55 Fourth St, San Francisco, CA 94103
+1 (415) 896-1600

View towards the bay

City view

Lands End – A Pacific Coastal Trail

Joey Rosario — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:34:25 +0000

Lands End is part of Golden Gate National Recreational Area. It is located on the edge of San Francisco coast line near the Ocean Beach. The trail connects two popular San Francisco landmark; the Cliff House and the Palace of the Legion of Honor museum. The entrance to the trail starts at the parking lot at the top of the Cliff House on the corner of 48th Ave and Point Lobos.

From the parking lot, you can walk down to the ruin of the Sutro Baths. If you are a thrill-seeker, you can enter the cave and come out on the other end and go down towards the beach or climb up the rocks to find a spot to relax. The view of the waves hitting the rock is breathtaking.

The Lands End trail starts from the parking lot and it was renovated in the past year and it has a concrete pavement for the first half a mile or so. The level of difficulty is easy to moderate. Part of the trail is wheelchair accessible. The view from the trail is incredible. On a clear day, it boasts the view of the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge.

At the mid point of the trail, there is a stair access to the beach. On the way down the stairs, there is a split off and you can either proceed to go down to the beach or you can walk towards the rocks and have a picnic there. On a warm spring-day (it’s San Francisco so it’s generally warmer in the Spring), it’s a beautiful place to spend the day with your loved one. Look at the view. It’s incredible.

The distance between the two points is about 1.5 miles. The round-trip hike/walk should take no more than 2 hours. At the end of the trail is the Palace of the Legion of Honor. There is no better way to impress a girl than to extend the date to the museum after a romantic walk along the coastal trail.

Contact:
Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
+1 (415) 561-3000

Direction: Take MUNI bus #38 or #38L to Point Lobos and 48th Avenue. Walk west on Point Lobos for a short distance to the Merrie Way parking lot.

Map

The Trail

Picnic at Lands End

The Beach