Category Archives: Bay Area

Restaurant Review: Nopalito

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Considering I usually find myself walking past Nopalito a few times a week, I was kind of ashamed it took me as long as it did to get around to finally trying it. The place is always packed with people and overflowing with a fun, lively energy every time I wander by, so I had a feeling I was missing out on a great spot right under my nose—which turned out to be exactly the case.


Photo courtesy Jessica C., Yelp

The sister business of sorts to nearby NOPA, the awesome bar and restaurant that many consider to have rejuvenated the North of Panhandle / Western Addition neighborhood it resides in, Nopalito is smaller, more intimate and much more casual all-around. Nestled up next door to the Falletti Foods market, the restaurant specializes in serving upscale Mexican food with extra attention paid to using local, organic and sustainable ingredients and practices whenever possible. Continue reading →

cityseekr Loves Tasty Treats

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WHAT: Burrata bruschetta, hazelnut and honey / $7

WHERE: Delarosa Restaurant, 2175 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA

I feel kind of bad sharing the information about this dish with you, because at $7 it is pricey for an appetizer, and tasting it would require a trip to the well-manicured neighborhood of the Marina, which has an annoyingly wealthy suburban air about it. The interior of Delarosa, with its canteen-like atmosphere, is not among the most appealing in town, but the food is top notch, and the bruschetta pictured above is the most exciting item on the menu. One serving consists of two pieces of toast with big squishy lumps of burrata (mozzarella + cream). The taste contrasts intriguingly with the sweetness of the honey and hazelnuts. Even though Delarosa is not exactly a romantic place, the burrata bruschetta will make for a terrific appetizer for a date.

Top Five Bay Area Hikes

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The San Francisco Bay Area has been blessed with such a wealth of great hiking – it would be a shame to let the winter chill deter folks from getting out and enjoying the trails. The following day hikes are a selection that covers some of the most beautiful landscapes of the Bay Area, as well as the breathtaking, the inspiring and the unexpected. Bundle up and lace on your boots; they were made for walking, after all. A sad note – due to lack of funding, many of these parks have cut back on their services / opening hours – be sure to check their websites before you decide to visit.

 

1.  Mount Diablo – Mitchell Canyon / Eagle Peak Loop  (7.8 mi. / 12.5 km)

Level: Moderate to strenuous

Just before the fog cleared. Photo by Korrena Bailie.

With a 2000-foot elevation gain, a mostly exposed trail and a variety of terrain, this Mount Diablo hike is wonderful to do in the cooler seasons. Spring time is particularly impressive, as the mountain is a-bloom with millions of gorgeous wildflowers. Start from the Mitchell Canyon Staging Area on the north side of the mountain – this hike offers stunning vistas of the Bay, including a peek-a-boo view of the Golden Gate Bridge, red rocky outcrops towards the summit, beautifully situated picnic tables and a host of birds, butterflies and flora, including manzanita and yerba santa. Being typically Bay Area, the views can be obscured by fog but this generally clears up by early afternoon. When I hiked there in November, I stumbled upon a cackling crowd of wild turkeys who’d obviously survived the Thanksgiving rush.


2.  Point Reyes National Seashore – Tomales Point Trail (11.4 mi. / 18.3 km) 

Level: Easy to moderate

Photo by Don DeBold. CC BY 2.0

Don’t be put off by the length of this hike – very little elevation is gained or lost and it’s one of the most unique hiking experiences in the Bay Area. On the peninsula at Tomales Point is a herd of over 400 tule elk, a breed that was native to California. In 1978, the elk were released from a breeding program into the Tomales Point enclosure and they have thrived ever since. On this meandering hike, which gives outstanding views of the ocean, you can get up close and personal with the elk, who are largely unbothered by the presence of curious hikers. On the weekend, a park docent is stationed above a popular elk gathering point, armed with binoculars and a keenness to answer any questions you might have. This hike can get very foggy, which means that an elk may be much closer than you think (I jumped a mile when a male bugled only a couple of meters away from me) and the winds can get oppressively strong, so be sure to bring appropriate clothing. Continue reading →

Postcards from San Francisco

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Hello! My name is Ayeon Song and I’m currently working at cityseekr as an editorial intern. I am a participant of  the WEST Program, created by the Republic of Korea and the United States to train global leaders. I fell in love with San Francisco because of the kind people, beautiful scenery and delicious food. I love to experience new things, and I can’t wait to introduce you to my experience here in SF through the cityseekr blog. Carpe diem!

 

San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in the United States; it’s famous for sights like Union Square, Alcatraz, Lombard Street and Coit Tower. But I think my favorite tourist attraction here is the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Golden Gate Bridge was constructed by Joseph Baerman Strauss, a chief engineer who was ahead of his time. When it was believed that no one could build a bridge over the “Golden Gate” because of insurmountable difficulties, Strauss proved everyone wrong. Continue reading →

In Defense of the East Bay

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San Francisco’s Best Kept Secret

A bit of background for you before you begin: we here at cityseekr are based in San Francisco. Not surprisingly this means a large majority of our staff in the office all live here and, of course, they love it. And don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a pretty cool city too. However, we also have a small but ever-present constituency of residents and natives of right across the water in the East Bay (myself included), and sometimes our spot gets a bad rap and is thoroughly under-appreciated here in the office.

It has become clear to me that many, if not the majority of San Francisco residents look down on their easterly counterpart and often express these superior opinions much to the chagrin of us proud East Bay folk. I mean, sometimes trying to get San Franciscans to cross the Bay Bridge (or BART under it) can be like pulling teeth! So I, being a proud Oakland native and resident, have decided to step up to the plate in defense of the East Bay. Hopefully I will prove that while SF may always be the big boy on the block as far as Northern California is concerned, the East Bay is most definitely nothing to be scoffed at… and in fact if they believe the stereotypes they use as excuses not to go there, they should probably be scared to do so.


Lake Merritt

Okay. So we all know what San Francisco is famous for and why people visit. You got your Golden Gate Bridge, you got your Coit Tower, and you got your Fisherman’s Wharf. But what you also have is this: PEOPLE. Lots and lots of people. Everywhere you go. Wanna cross that bridge? Be prepared to cross it at a snail’s pace due to the hundreds of other tourists with the exact same idea. Wanna go to the Wharf? Be prepared for overwhelmingly giant crowds and overwhelmingly jacked up prices. The city is, essentially, one big tourist trap. Now many of you may be thinking, so what? All those people are there because it’s worth seeing. True, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t many other things worth seeing and doing outside the city as well, off the beaten track – a method that has become very popular these days. Continue reading →