The Road Linds Travels

When’s the last time you traveled to San Francisco in the spring? Spring in San Francisco is like hot chocolate by a cozy fire or fall in New England. Cherry trees bloom as the divine scents of sidewalk cafés waft through the air. It’s not unusual for a light sprinkle in the afternoon to give way to bright sunshine in the early evening. Sounds of passersby grateful for the longer days fetch bouquets of spring flowers at the corner store, and everyone vyes for the coveted outdoor seating at the local wine bar.

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SPRING IN SAN FRANCISCO WILL TRY AND STEAL YOUR HEART

Living in the high desert these past few months makes any retreat to a metropolitan area special. I, of course, love Los Angeles. It’s home for me, but there’s something special about San Francisco. Furthermore, I’ve found that spring in San Francisco is particularly special. Now, it could be the fact that I traveled there specifically to see my all-time favorite musician, John Mayer, in concert, but I managed to make the most out of a 3-day, 2-night excursion.

Below, I’m sharing my itinerary for a lovely weekend well spent in spring in San Francisco, including a few mini-reviews of places to stay and eat. If you’re not careful, the city may steal your heart.

Driving from Southern California, we broke the 7-hour drive up. We stopped off at one of our favorite wineries, Ancient Peaks, in Santa Margarita, about halfway to San Francisco. And if you’re coming from the north, it’s just as easy to include a little bit of wine tasting in your road trip as you pass through the Napa/Sonoma area.

It was a gorgeous Friday morning when we arrived. This particular winery has a great café, so we ordered some lunch to enjoy alongside our tasting. Rosé to sauvignon blanc to chardonnay to pinot noir and some delicious blends, I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the start of a great weekend.

ROAD TRIP

If you’re like me, you enjoy a good road trip. I mean, this is The Road Linds Travels, after all. Of course, there’s so much in a name, but the ability to enjoy the road I’m traveling is undoubtedly part of it.

The next three and a half hours consisted of many green, rolling hills, ear-popping, sunshine-drenched, clear blue skies, and great tunes. Just as the steady stream of San Francisco skyscrapers popped into view, John Mayer was crooning “Wild Blue,” – A fitting ditty for one of the first beautiful days of spring in San Francisco.

We checked into Hotel Nikko at 222 Mason Street near Union Square. We parked our car at the super convenient Mason Street garage, where we left it for the next couple of days. Our feet and Uber were going to be our transportation for the weekend.

HOTEL NIKKO & ANZU

Hotel Nikko, a 4-star hotel, was lovely. Everything from the concierge to the front desk to the waiter and busser in the hotel restaurant, Anzu, was what one would expect from a 4-star hotel. In fact, much of the experience was better than some 5-star hotels I’ve stayed in. Once upon a time, I was a mystery shopper, and I frequented Ritz-Carlton’s all over California. From Japanese-inspired decor and dining to their charitable efforts toward housing San Francisco’s homeless pets, Hotel Nikko truly rivals the best of the best.

After a long day, we couldn’t have thought of a better way to enjoy dinner than right downstairs at the hotel restaurant, Anzu. Don’t skip out on the Misoyaki Black Cod or the Umami Caesar with garlic prawns! Pair your dinner with the sauvignon blanc, and you won’t be disappointed. The service is efficiently attentive, and the atmosphere is relaxing. Bon appetito!

BRUNCH AND VINO TO BEGIN THE DAY

The following morning, it was lightly sprinkling. We opted to walk anyhow, and I’m glad we did. We walked so much, my shin splints protested, and my phone’s health app congratulated the 6-mile accomplishment.

Brunch was at The Fly Trap, a cozy, historic restaurant in the SOMA district. Dining on the house-made gnocchi and a heavy glass of Bordeaux, I reveled in the incredibly delightful decor, complete with a quirky fly swatter-adorned wall leading to the boudoir.

Following brunch, we took a brisk mile walk to a wine bar and shop known as DecantSF. Opened by two sommeliers in 2019, it did not disappoint. I tried their sommelier flight and canned octopus – I wasn’t very hungry, but when in Rome, I mean San Francisco!

The sommelier flight was the bartender’s choice. I only asked that she not give me anything sweet. She delivered, and I came away with the brand/name of an Italian wine I thoroughly enjoyed: Schiava. It’s a red blend and tastes a lot like pinot noir. *kisses fingers*

Afterward, we grabbed espresso at Sightglass coffee, a pretty impressive coffeehouse in San Francisco’s SOMA district. We admired the decor, while taking mental note of ideas for the WOW WAGON.

UNGRAFTED & UNGRATEFUL

The clouds gave way to radiant sunshine by late afternoon. We had dinner reservations near the Chase Center, where we were seeing John Mayer perform later. It was within walking distance, and I reserved an outdoor table for two at 4:30. We Ubered from the hotel, which was easy and convenient. One thing I love about San Francisco is that getting an Uber in that city is probably one of the most efficient modes of transportation. It could be because that’s where Uber got its start.

Anyhow, I digress. Ungrafted is a lovely neighborhood wine bar and restaurant in the Dog Patch neighborhood. It’s not cheap, but as I bit into my grilled octopus and took a swig of a delicious red blend, I decided it was worth it.

But then, after only an hour, our waiter decided that it was appropriate to tell us that he had many reservations for outdoor seating. In other words, hurry the fuck up and get out of here. Mind you, we had just ordered our second glass of wine as dessert. It was an immediate turn-off.

I don’t care how nice he thought he delivered his message. It was rude. We were paying customers who had reservations. There was no one waiting for a table, so I don’t know if he got the time wrong, but I felt rushed for no good reason. As a frequent diner-outer, I should never feel rushed – period. I could maybe understand if I didn’t make reservations and it had been over an hour and a half, but this just wasn’t the case. Ungrafted will never see my return, unfortunately for them.

JOHN MAYER, UBER, AND A BRUNCH TO MAYBE REMEMBER

John Mayer was spectacular. I made a fanboy out of my partner, if you can believe it. I think he talks about John Mayer more than I do now.

After the show, Uber wanted to charge $50 for a 3-mile ride back to our hotel. So we walked about a mile before hailing an Uber half the price and adding to our many steps that day. The following morning, we were met with semi-hungover brains and stomachs hungry for some brunch grease. After dropping off a signed copy of my book, Swipe Write, at a Little Free Library somewhere around the Cathedral Hill neighborhood, we opted for brunch at Balboa Café.

While it took over twenty minutes just to get a cup of coffee, our waiter was super kind and apologetic, excusing himself as he’d been out until 4 in the morning. Honestly, it made me smile. As I often say, I appreciate honesty over bullshit any day of the week. Sadly, honesty is so rare, it’s refreshing. As long as I got my coffee, I didn’t care if we had to flag him down for the check. Also, the chilaquiles are bomb.com.

After brunch, we made a pit stop about half an hour south at one of my favorite wineries in the town of Half Moon Bay. La Nebbia (the fog in Italian) is just off San Mateo Road, tucked amidst Christmas tree farms and towering eucalyptus trees that fill the air with a heavenly aroma. We enjoyed a tasting, some more grease in the form of chips and jalapeño-stuffed olives, and a bit of people watching set to the tune of classic Sinatra. The gorgeous sun-drenched sky was a welcomed accompaniment as I daydreamed about curling up for a nap on the picnic table. Alas, the nap came later as we made the 6+ hour drive home.

For two currently overworked, weary travelers, it was a wonderful way to spend 3 days and two nights in the spring in San Francisco. We can’t wait to return in the WOW WAGON soon.