San Fran / Napa/Sonoma Recommendatoins

[Lucky777]

Guys,

I am flying into SF the end of February to celebrate my wife's birthday. We will arrive late Thursday evening and just head to the hotel to get some rest. We will spend Friday in SF going to stay near Fisherman's Wharf, and then head out Saturday AM and spend Sat, Sun & Monday staying in Sonoma/Napa area. I am looking for some recommendations for lunch and dinner in SF, and also wineries to visit during our trip. I have listed some below, and let me know feedback from personal experience...I plan to cover between 3-5 per day depending on how we feel.

Rudd
Far Niente
Cardinale
Plumpjack
Turnbull
Cakebread
Cade
Grgich
Heitz
Viader
Peju
Caymus

[JasoninDenver]

I like Talty and Zichichi at the north end of the Dry Creek Valley.

Hanzell is also very good outside of Sonoma.

Places to eat: Try Diavolo Pizzeria and Salumeria in Geyserville mid day. Most excellent and close to the wineries.

[Tools]

They are two vastly different areas..

NAPA is great for tourists, mostly a Cabernet area, but has restaurants and excellent hotels.. They have a nice Train Tour with wine and lunch that some find very nice.

Sonoma has more variety of wines, is more rustic, and decidedly less crowded.

Pick your wineries in one area and visit on one day, and do the other area on another day.. I wouldn't even try to visit both areas on the same day.

[Beefstockcube]

The best pork rolls in the world are in San Fran. Might not be romantic but I guarantee you'll buy two because they are that good.


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[limenko]

In Sonoma I suggest you go and visit Ridge, Arnot-Roberts, Gary Farrell and Littorai. If you are staying in Heladsburgb try to eat at the Dry Creek kitchen.

In Napa in addition to above I would try and hit up Corison and Forlorn Hope wineries.

In SF there are so many good dining options but if you only have to pick one place I would reccommend Cafe Zuni (and get their whole roast chicken) for a long decadent meal.

[hjsohn]

Here are my recommendations for food in SF!

Lunch
Hog Island Oyster Co. - It is located in the Sausulito Ferry Building. Definitely worth checking out and they also have really good ice cream price next to Humphry Slocombe.
Tartine Bakery - Probably the most famous bakery in SF.


Dinner
State Bird Provision, Gary Dankos, Nopa - Probably impossible to get a reservation at these places (worth a try though. reservation usually needs to be made in least a month in advance). Probably the most famous and well known restaurants in SF area. I suggest you try to going to them right when they open if you want to give it a shot.
Sotto Mare - Really good seasfood, Italian food located in North Beach. Not recommended if you want quiet and more romantic atmosphere, but the food is definitely top notch.
Suppenküche - More like German bar food/restaurant. Rowdy atmosphere, but best German food in the area in my opinion and have lots of good German beers on tap.
Frances - I just took my wife here for her birthday last week. Modern-American food located in Noe Valley.

Enjoy your time in the Bay Area!

[Lucky777]

Originally Posted by limenko

In Sonoma I suggest you go and visit Ridge, Arnot-Roberts, Gary Farrell and Littorai. If you are staying in Heladsburgb try to eat at the Dry Creek kitchen.

In Napa in addition to above I would try and hit up Corison and Forlorn Hope wineries.

In SF there are so many good dining options but if you only have to pick one place I would reccommend Cafe Zuni (and get their whole roast chicken) for a long decadent meal.

Dry creek kitchen is def on the list, thanks for the recommendation. Ridge is a great call, we will surely check them out.

[Lucky777]

Originally Posted by hjsohn

Here are my recommendations for food in SF!

Lunch
Hog Island Oyster Co. - It is located in the Sausulito Ferry Building. Definitely worth checking out and they also have really good ice cream price next to Humphry Slocombe.
Tartine Bakery - Probably the most famous bakery in SF.


Dinner
State Bird Provision, Gary Dankos, Nopa - Probably impossible to get a reservation at these places (worth a try though. reservation usually needs to be made in least a month in advance). Probably the most famous and well known restaurants in SF area. I suggest you try to going to them right when they open if you want to give it a shot.
Sotto Mare - Really good seasfood, Italian food located in North Beach. Not recommended if you want quiet and more romantic atmosphere, but the food is definitely top notch.
Suppenküche - More like German bar food/restaurant. Rowdy atmosphere, but best German food in the area in my opinion and have lots of good German beers on tap.
Frances - I just took my wife here for her birthday last week. Modern-American food located in Noe Valley.

Enjoy your time in the Bay Area!

Thank you! Hog Island we will surely check out. Buddy of mine suggested Gary Danko as well have heard nothing but wonderful things!

[Lucky777]

Originally Posted by hjsohn

Here are my recommendations for food in SF!

Lunch
Hog Island Oyster Co. - It is located in the Sausulito Ferry Building. Definitely worth checking out and they also have really good ice cream price next to Humphry Slocombe.
Tartine Bakery - Probably the most famous bakery in SF.


Dinner
State Bird Provision, Gary Dankos, Nopa - Probably impossible to get a reservation at these places (worth a try though. reservation usually needs to be made in least a month in advance). Probably the most famous and well known restaurants in SF area. I suggest you try to going to them right when they open if you want to give it a shot.
Sotto Mare - Really good seasfood, Italian food located in North Beach. Not recommended if you want quiet and more romantic atmosphere, but the food is definitely top notch.
Suppenküche - More like German bar food/restaurant. Rowdy atmosphere, but best German food in the area in my opinion and have lots of good German beers on tap.
Frances - I just took my wife here for her birthday last week. Modern-American food located in Noe Valley.

Enjoy your time in the Bay Area!

Got a reservation @ Gary Danko for the Friday night we are there, it was a late reservation, but I'm looking forward to it!

[Tmac478]

Great suggestions from @hjsohn.
I would add Boulevard, a great French restaurant which is close to the Ferry Building for a REALLY GOOD meal.
If you're walking around North Beach and you like coffee, visit Cafe Triest - Vallejo at Grant St. Great espresso and great atmosphere.

[CamSLC]

Heading there at the end of the month as well. Going to Gary Danko for sure.

[hjsohn]

Originally Posted by Lucky777

Got a reservation @ Gary Danko for the Friday night we are there, it was a late reservation, but I'm looking forward to it!

I am sure you'll enjoy it and as a plus looks like you will just miss the rain here in the Bay Area. Enjoy your travels!

[Lucky777]

Originally Posted by hjsohn

I am sure you'll enjoy it and as a plus looks like you will just miss the rain here in the Bay Area. Enjoy your travels!

Great, sure beats the snow we just got in NJ! I'll be there the 16-20th..wife turning 30!

[G8RDPM]

I've been there twice,so I'm no expert. There are other threads on TRF about this. I need to look back. OO Pumpkin(who I haven't seen in a while) recommended a hotel. Yountville was great.
I'll look back at older threads.
Food,scenery and obviously wine will be amazing.
Hopefully,Lord Trace will chime in!

[axl911]

Did everyone forget? One of the best place to visit and take in the views in SF is
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(Drumroll..)
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HQ Milton! ;)

[Danny83]

Well in San Francisco
1. House Of Prime Rib
2. Crustaceans
3.House of Nanking

Napa
1. Bottega Napa
2. Visit Beringer
3. Rutherford grill
4. Galpao Gaucho

[RGP]

While in Napa try to have breakfast in Caneros at the Boon Fly Cafe. Also two of our favorite wineries are Miner and Benzinger.

[Lucky777]

Originally Posted by RGP

While in Napa try to have breakfast in Caneros at the Boon Fly Cafe. Also two of our favorite wineries are Miner and Benzinger.

Awesome..we are actually staying in Yountville now..Sonoma would be too far away from where we really want to go.

[sea-dweller]

For the best cioppino (seafood stew) in the City, try Tadich Grill in "Fidi" (Financial District). It's an institution. For sushi, we love Ozumo. (also in "Fidi")

For a great casual eatery, a taqueria (quick eats Mexican restaurant) is something to try, try Taqueria Cancun in "the Mission" (Mission District). Other taquerias all over the City are fantastic. Try the "Mission-style" burrito. I had one yesterday and can still taste it's great flavors in my mouth! :)

[mjclark32]

Can't remember where we went in San Francisco, but for Napa we stopped at Mustard Grill, Auberge du Soleil -an unreal view- Morimoto, get the wagyu.
Vineyards we went to: Caymus, Cakebread, Alpha Omega, Robert Mondavi, Conn Creek, Silver Oak, Staggs Leap Wine Cellars
That's what I remember off the top of my head. Have fun!

[uscmatt99]

Originally Posted by Danny83

Well in San Francisco
1. House Of Prime Rib
2. Crustaceans
3.House of Nanking

Napa
1. Bottega Napa
2. Visit Beringer
3. Rutherford grill
4. Galpao Gaucho

This is good to see, my wife just booked us for Bottega later this month, have wanted to try it out for some time. Going to Bouchon the night before that. Now just need to line up some wineries other than our standard visits to Luna and Pine Ridge.

[G8RDPM]

OK,had dinner at Brix. Amazing scenery,very good food and not expensive.
Bottega in Yountville had great food as well.

French Laundry??? Couldn't get in. Supposed to be one of the best restaurants in the country!

The wine,scenery and food will be amazing!

[Lucky777]

Originally Posted by mjclark32

Can't remember where we went in San Francisco, but for Napa we stopped at Mustard Grill, Auberge du Soleil -an unreal view- Morimoto, get the wagyu.
Vineyards we went to: Caymus, Cakebread, Alpha Omega, Robert Mondavi, Conn Creek, Silver Oak, Staggs Leap Wine Cellars
That's what I remember off the top of my head. Have fun!

Clark,

How did you like Caymus? I will def hit Cakebread as their reserve tasting looks great, also I have heard A/O was fantastic as well. Caymus is an all time favorite of mine at home, but what do they have aside from Special Selection?

[G8RDPM]

Caymus had a great tour. Far Niente was a fave. Enjoyed Silver Oak as well. Dina bicycle tour which was fun.

Sterling was cool. Went on a gondola over the vineyard.

You'll have a great time!

[mjclark32]

Originally Posted by Lucky777

Clark,



How did you like Caymus? I will def hit Cakebread as their reserve tasting looks great, also I have heard A/O was fantastic as well. Caymus is an all time favorite of mine at home, but what do they have aside from Special Selection?

We really enjoyed it. They have a lot more. They'll talk to you about the Wagner family and how each kid has their vineyard, mer soleil, conundrum etc. it's a beautiful spot to sit and enjoy some great wine

Our tour guide at cakebread was really good too (the Mrs was into it)

AO is one we never would have gone to if we didn't have a friend involved. He set us up with a private tasting. Our tasting room guide was fantastic. Below is his card. I'd call and request a private tasting. They're extremely accommodating. We bought a case and joined the wine club (only vineyard we found that would/could ship to PA).




On a side note. Not sure what your transportation plans are, but Uber's are few and far between. We were staying a bit far away at the meadowood and we didn't want to use their service as it was a ridiculous amount.
We ordered an uber to us from the hotel. He got there and took us to staggs leap. Dropped us off. We did our thing, probably thirty minutes or so. Ordered another uber. Same guy came back. I asked him if I could just lock him down for the day and he'd wait for us at vineyards and lunch etc. no problem. For 8 hours it ended up costing under $200. I could probably find the receipt on the app.

[Spartacus]

Quintessa and Atresa stood out as the best experiences. I also liked Chandon's outdoor area. Darioush is a fun places as well...aaahhh too good places, I love that area.

I'm still trying to get a seating at French Laundry.

3 vineyards a day is a lot, may require rushing. Each time I go to wine country I learn and find new places off the beaten path that are quite enjoyable like the cozy Vincent Arroyo.

Enjoy it!

[Lucky777]

Originally Posted by mjclark32

We really enjoyed it. They have a lot more. They'll talk to you about the Wagner family and how each kid has their vineyard, mer soleil, conundrum etc. it's a beautiful spot to sit and enjoy some great wine

Our tour guide at cakebread was really good too (the Mrs was into it)

AO is one we never would have gone to if we didn't have a friend involved. He set us up with a private tasting. Our tasting room guide was fantastic. Below is his card. I'd call and request a private tasting. They're extremely accommodating. We bought a case and joined the wine club (only vineyard we found that would/could ship to PA).




On a side note. Not sure what your transportation plans are, but Uber's are few and far between. We were staying a bit far away at the meadowood and we didn't want to use their service as it was a ridiculous amount.
We ordered an uber to us from the hotel. He got there and took us to staggs leap. Dropped us off. We did our thing, probably thirty minutes or so. Ordered another uber. Same guy came back. I asked him if I could just lock him down for the day and he'd wait for us at vineyards and lunch etc. no problem. For 8 hours it ended up costing under $200. I could probably find the receipt on the app.

Clark thank you! I am a huge Belle Glos fan, and I should have assumed they would have something at Caymus because it is a Wagner company. I was originally going to stay in Sonoma, but changed my hotel today to Yountville because I believe it will be closet to where I want to be. I have been in contact with a driver, but he has not gotten back to me yet. If you happen to find your guy shoot me a PM, that would be awesome. $200 is a bargain!

[kings4sap]

If you are going to do Sonoma consider spending the night (or two) in Healdsburg. It is an awesome perfect small town with some great eating places and tasting rooms. My go to wineries off highway 12 are St. Francis, Deerfield Ranch (caves), and BR Cohn. All within a 5 minute drive of each other and about 15 mins from Healdsburg.

[fusionstorm]

This is very specific local knowledge I will impart to you and the forum. If you do not like (or cannot eat) fried chicken, then you should ignore the remainder of my post.

Thomas Keller, of French Laundry/Per Se/Bouchon/Ad Hoc fame has a casual place behind Ad Hoc in Yountville called Addendum. His famous fried chicken that's only available a few nights per month at Ad Hoc (which btw is a family style resto that serves a really good multi-course dinner for a very reasonable price point) can be had at his casual spot, Addendum, for lunch just 3 days a week. Last time I was there was December 2015, and I walked away with the following impressions:

1) their fried chicken is fugging amazing, and absolutely lives up to the hype.
2) everything else on their menu is not worth ordering. That's right, every side/accompaniment/dessert isn't worth what they're charging. Go to a local market or deli beforehand to get salads, starches, desserts, whatever. Just order a bucket of fried chicken.
3) they charge nothing for corkage b/c you sit outside at picnic tables right in the midst of the gardens where they're growing stuff for the Thomas Keller empire.

It'll be the cheapest gourmet meal you'll find in Napa Valley, and definitely one of the most memorable. Here's the chicken:

[fusionstorm]

And here's what my wife and I consumed with our chicken at one of Addendum's picnic tables (we brought our own stems):