San Francisco 2009
Hello from San Francisco! President Obama stopped by to see me – his cavalcade drove right past my hotel a short while ago. I was here for work for the first half of the week but now I’m just here for pleasure. And pleasurable San Francisco always is. SF never fails to disappoint literature-loving vegans. Obviously I’ve not been cooking anything, but I have managed to snap a few photos of stuff I’ve eaten. Although I brought my dSLR, this has been a more shopping-heavy rather than scenery-heavy trip so far, so I haven’t actually taken it anywhere with me and these are all iPhone photos.
I arrived Saturday morning and met up with my friend, V, who quickly whisked me off to vegan brunch in the Mission near her apartment. Here she is awaiting her next mimosa:
My hotel is close to Golden Era, where I ate several times last year. I’ve only made it over there once so far this year, and I got the pho.
It’s a little culty at Golden Era: these Supreme Master postcards are slipped under the glass on every table. Nonetheless, the food is amazing so I keep going back.
I should have taken photos of the crazy weather on Tuesday, but I was in my work conference and didn’t have a chance. It was like a hurricane though, with severe winds and heavy rain. From the hotel in which the conference was being held, I watched about a dozen people have their umbrellas turned inside out and then whipped out of their hands (Tuesday night, the streets were positively littered with broken, abandoned umbrellas), I saw two newspaper vending boxes blow over (they are so heavy and squat I found this amazing), I saw a man get beamed in the head with a flying sign, and I feared the street lamp by the hotel was going to blow over. It really did look like a hurricane. By the time my sessions were over for the day, it had calmed down, and I never got caught in any heavy rain myself.
Although I usually run through Chinatown on every trip, for whatever reason, I’ve never devoted a few hours to really exploring it. Until yesterday.
I was very happy to finally visit The Wok Shop in person, and they have a bunch more stuff than they do online. Amazingly, the only thing I walked out with was an Italian oil can: nothing really wok-related. I’ve been needing the oil can for a long time, though, and it was cute and I was trying to be on my best behavior, purchase-wise.
There’s a vegetarian Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, but they were closed on Wednesdays. Fortunately, nearly every restaurant has several veggie options. I got a lunch special that started off with hot and sour soup …
… and ended with “hot tofu”.
Another thing I’d never done before was head over to Berkeley, although I did want to go to school there. A friend’s co-worker had sent me a list of Bay Area used bookstores and as most of them seemed to be in Berkeley, I figured I’d better check it out. It was amazing. SO MANY BOOKS! I was in book heaven! One bookstore even had FOUR resident kitties! When I’m away from home, I really miss being able to pet kitties and end up chasing down any strays I find and showering them with (sometimes unwanted) attention. Here are two of them, waiting to be fed after scampering around the store being totally adorable:
Between City Lights yesterday (which is located right on the edge of Chinatown, and which one of my very favorite bookstores in the world, and which is where I bought four books) and Berkeley today, I have purchased over ten books. I’ve also already read 3 and a half books since I got here; three of which I brought with me. I have a lot of books to lug home.
Another great thing about Berkeley is it’s very vegan-friendly. Soy cheese is an option at every pizzeria, for example. Not by the slice, though, so I had to order an entire pizza for myself:
I just took what I couldn’t finish back to the hotel with me and ate it a few hours later.
And my food adventures don’t end there! Tomorrow night I have booked a table for V and myself at Millennium for a special pre-birthday dinner for myself. I’m very excited! That will be my last night here, then Saturday I head home to Mark and Brachtune. Mark reports that Brachtune is doing very well and is pigging out, eating 3+ meals a day, which is great news.
And with that, I need to go get ready to hit the town with V tonight. I will report back on my Millennium experience in a couple of days!
trinity Said,
October 15, 2009 @ 11:03 pm
Your trip looks so fun! And that pho looks amazing… I had vegetarian pho only once- in Portland- and I think about it pretty much all the time (That reminds me, I should do some research. Surely I can find veggie pho SOMEWHERE in north Texas).
Your vegan brunch photo is sweet, too. I like how all V and all the people behind her look so happy and brunch-y.
trinity Said,
October 15, 2009 @ 11:03 pm
Your trip looks so fun! And that pho looks amazing… I had vegetarian pho only once- in Portland- and I think about it pretty much all the time (That reminds me, I should do some research. Surely I can find veggie pho SOMEWHERE in north Texas).
Your vegan brunch photo is sweet, too. I like how all V and all the people behind her look so happy and brunch-y.
Sarah Said,
October 16, 2009 @ 12:18 am
haha Supreme Master TV! I was on that tv channel back in Feb when I was at a summit on capital hill for climate change. They are really focused on animal rights and vegetarianism, so they brought like 30 HUGE wooden signs for the protest. I saw them and I was like SWEET! And then realized I could barely hold it up, but the camera man kept coming to our area since I was holding one. I tried going to the website, but a lot of the programming was not in english.
your pho looks amazing. gaw, like trinity said ill have to find it somewhere in my area.
Sarah Said,
October 16, 2009 @ 12:18 am
haha Supreme Master TV! I was on that tv channel back in Feb when I was at a summit on capital hill for climate change. They are really focused on animal rights and vegetarianism, so they brought like 30 HUGE wooden signs for the protest. I saw them and I was like SWEET! And then realized I could barely hold it up, but the camera man kept coming to our area since I was holding one. I tried going to the website, but a lot of the programming was not in english.
your pho looks amazing. gaw, like trinity said ill have to find it somewhere in my area.
Anna Said,
October 16, 2009 @ 6:19 am
for some reason the picture in my head of a man getting hit by a sign really made me giggle, I must be a horrible person! lol
Looks like you found some great food, I wish we had any choice let alone all that choice over here in England…
Anna Said,
October 16, 2009 @ 6:19 am
for some reason the picture in my head of a man getting hit by a sign really made me giggle, I must be a horrible person! lol
Looks like you found some great food, I wish we had any choice let alone all that choice over here in England…
Michelle Said,
October 16, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
Oh, I LOVE Golden Era!! My fiance and I go there at least three times every time we visit San Francisco (which isn’t nearly enough). Our favorite item on the menu is the drumsticks with that lovely sweet n sour sauce. I am drooling just thinking about it. We were actually just in San Fran in August, and went to a place called Weird Fish. They have beer battered seitan and chips. Deee-lish!
Michelle Said,
October 16, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
Oh, I LOVE Golden Era!! My fiance and I go there at least three times every time we visit San Francisco (which isn’t nearly enough). Our favorite item on the menu is the drumsticks with that lovely sweet n sour sauce. I am drooling just thinking about it. We were actually just in San Fran in August, and went to a place called Weird Fish. They have beer battered seitan and chips. Deee-lish!
Jes Said,
October 16, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
SF is one of my favorite cities. I haven’t been there in awhile but it’s such a great place. And whatever bookstore that is with the cats–I think they stole my boy. Seriously that Siamese looks just like Mistoffelees!
Can’t wait to hear how Millennium is!
Jes Said,
October 16, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
SF is one of my favorite cities. I haven’t been there in awhile but it’s such a great place. And whatever bookstore that is with the cats–I think they stole my boy. Seriously that Siamese looks just like Mistoffelees!
Can’t wait to hear how Millennium is!
Mo Said,
October 17, 2009 @ 11:23 am
So much yumminess in one post!
Mo Said,
October 17, 2009 @ 11:23 am
So much yumminess in one post!
Josiane Said,
October 17, 2009 @ 10:08 pm
Visiting a vegan-friendly city is so much fun! Looks like you had an enjoyable time! I’m looking forward to reading about your dinner at Millenium.
Josiane Said,
October 17, 2009 @ 10:08 pm
Visiting a vegan-friendly city is so much fun! Looks like you had an enjoyable time! I’m looking forward to reading about your dinner at Millenium.
Ksenia Said,
October 18, 2009 @ 10:10 am
San Francisco seems to be a great place….and what is even better, vegan-friendly 🙂 I love used books stores too! They are not very popular here, but I remember the book shop & café we found in Krakow, two years ago. It was a cozy place, with little tables and armchairs where you could sit and drink a cup of tea or coffee while reading a book. Actually, it looked more like a library than a bookshop: you could spend there hours, reading and sipping at your tea and nobody would tell you anything…because everybody was doing the same xD
I am glad to hear that Brachtune is doing very well 🙂
By the way, my parcel is ready (about time too, will you think xD) and I will send it to you tomorrow :))
Ksenia Said,
October 18, 2009 @ 10:10 am
San Francisco seems to be a great place….and what is even better, vegan-friendly 🙂 I love used books stores too! They are not very popular here, but I remember the book shop & café we found in Krakow, two years ago. It was a cozy place, with little tables and armchairs where you could sit and drink a cup of tea or coffee while reading a book. Actually, it looked more like a library than a bookshop: you could spend there hours, reading and sipping at your tea and nobody would tell you anything…because everybody was doing the same xD
I am glad to hear that Brachtune is doing very well 🙂
By the way, my parcel is ready (about time too, will you think xD) and I will send it to you tomorrow :))
Erin Said,
October 26, 2009 @ 4:05 pm
Oh, you were hanging out in my neck of the woods! Very cool. I haven’t been to Golden Era yet, but I’ve been to Lucky Creation a few times and it’s pretty good. I’ve been working in Berkeley for about a year and haven’t even begun to explore all the food options. It’s pretty overwhelming to be here when you come from somewhere not-so-vegan-friendly.
Erin Said,
October 26, 2009 @ 4:05 pm
Oh, you were hanging out in my neck of the woods! Very cool. I haven’t been to Golden Era yet, but I’ve been to Lucky Creation a few times and it’s pretty good. I’ve been working in Berkeley for about a year and haven’t even begun to explore all the food options. It’s pretty overwhelming to be here when you come from somewhere not-so-vegan-friendly.
Stella Said,
November 12, 2009 @ 3:01 pm
I’m going to San Francisco next month, and these posts were really helpful, thanks! I’ve been before, but my boyfriend has not – I am so excited for him! Golden Era is cracking me up – we have a very similarly “culty” place here in Austin, also associated with the “Supreme Master” (whose face I actually saw on the side of a city bus the other week!): Veggie Heaven. Now I have to go check this place out, for a comparison.
Stella Said,
November 12, 2009 @ 3:01 pm
I’m going to San Francisco next month, and these posts were really helpful, thanks! I’ve been before, but my boyfriend has not – I am so excited for him! Golden Era is cracking me up – we have a very similarly “culty” place here in Austin, also associated with the “Supreme Master” (whose face I actually saw on the side of a city bus the other week!): Veggie Heaven. Now I have to go check this place out, for a comparison.
Jim O'Shea Said,
February 13, 2010 @ 11:34 am
How was the wok store in SF?
I’ve been looking to buy an authentic wok online from them for a while, but I wanted to be able to touch it first. Buying something online is much different than being able to chose in a store where you can feel the wok’s weight etc. Wish I could make it to the west coast, but unfortuately I’m stuck in snowy NY!
I did however end up buying a carbon-steel wok from woksfordinner.com. Like I said, I wish I could have seen it first, but for $18 I figured, what the hay. Purchased online and was thrilled with the purchase.
renae Said,
February 13, 2010 @ 5:33 pm
Hi Jim,
The Wok Shop was not like their website! Well, the sell the same stuff (though the store has a lot more), but their website seems so clean and simple, while the shop is rather small and cluttered (in a good way; I like cluttered kitchenware stores) – just packed with stuff. They are very good at customer service, though. If you have any questions, email them and they’ll get back to you right away with a personable answer. I have this wok from them and I really like it. Although it’s cast iron it is probably about the same weight as carbon steel.