Taro’s coworker who lives in San Francisco gave us two suggestions on places to go while we were up north. The first was Forbes Island, which we went to after our day trip at Alcatraz. Forbes Island is actually a restaurant, but the story behind it is very interesting. Forbes Thor Kiddoo built the original island in Sausalito and moved it to San Francisco; it was originally a private floating home and now it serves as a restaurant. This isn’t any ordinary restaurant, though. You have to take a boat to get there because it floats next to the sea lion harbor and you are literally dining in a boat! The dining area is underneath and we actually saw a fish swim by one of the port holes. On top of that, it has its own lighthouse which you can climb and get a view of the harbor. Plus despite it being a built island, it rocks back and forth as you dine.
The experience was very unique and not like The Hornblower or any other boat which you might dine on. It’s small, intimate, and from what I understand, more of a local place than a tourist attraction. The food was reasonable and we ordered off the Passport Menu. Our starters were soup and a baby green salad. Taro had the Pan Seared Flat Iron Steak – Mustard Cognac Creme Sauce, Potatoes au Gratin, and Haricot Vert – while I had the Wild Mushroom Risotto – served with fresh Vegetables, Herbs, Goat Cheese, and Balsamic Glaze. The potatoes au gratin stood out the most while the risotto was unlike any I have tried before. There were a lot of vegetables in it and the best way I can describe it was “crunchy.” It was different, but good because it was filled with different types of vegetables. For dessert, we ordered one of each since it was a three course meal – Chocolate Mousse – Hazelnut and Pecan Crust Cake topped with Whipped Creme – and Berry Napoleon – Hazelnut Tuiles, Respberry Sauce, and Mascarpone Creme. Having one of each, they actually complimented well together; it was a nice mixture of chocolate and fruit. Overall, for $35, it was a steal; in addition, there was a wine pairing for $18. In general, that price isn’t bad, but what stunned us was that they were full glasses of wine. We didn’t know that and we each decided to have a tasting so by the end of the night, we had three full glasses each!
We had a great time at Forbes Island and what was fun about the end of the night was that Forbes Thor Kiddoo himself drove us back to the dock. I think it’s great that the owner invests his own time in making sure his patrons had a good time in the boat he used to call home.
To end the night, we went to go see Beach Blanket Babylon, the second recommendation from Taro’s coworker. The play was hilarious and I loved all the political, celebrity, and fake celebrity (like Jon and Kate) references made in the play. At times, my stomach hurt from laughing and I really enjoyed the elaborates hats and wild costumes, singing, and dancing. It was a fun show and something that I definitely will not forget!
Sunset view from the top of the lighthouse, which was amazing:
A picture of us while we were waiting for the boat:
Of all the times I have visited San Francisco, not once have I ever been to Alcatraz. Interestingly enough, neither has Taro. So for this trip, we decided that this was one place we wanted to visit. Taking the ferry, we headed to the legendary and infamous Alcatraz Island, also known as The Rock. In the daytime, there is a beauty to this island that once held under 200 prisoners. There is wildlife – both plants and native and protected birds – living amongst the broken down, decrepitated remains of former buildings. Despite looking like they might tumble at any minute, these bits and pieces of structure that still stand have a beauty to them. The buildings that are still in tact but are clearly empty also stimulate interest and intrigue just based on their structural elements. There were interesting arches, staircases, and color to the buildings that occupy the island.
One of the highlights of Alcatraz is their main prison. This is where famous criminals like Al Capone and Robert “Birdman” Stroud were housed. In the daytime, the prison is not eerie or strange, but I can only imagine and shiver how the night tour must be like. There is a haunting feeling to the place, though, especially when you see the solitary confinement cells. You have the option of actually going into one of the cells and a worker at Alcatraz closes the cell and leaves you in there for no more than a minute. Taro tried it and he said it wasn’t too bad. The idea of prison in a pitch black cell that doesn’t allow light in? No thanks; I’ll definitely pass.
The self-tour of Alcatraz Island was pretty interesting, especially listening to the narrative background through the headphones. It gave a much better perspective of the use of the prison during the 29 years of its operation. Although the main attraction is the prison itself, the view from Alcatraz and the garden and wildlife surrounding the prison are also things to take in while there.
I am glad I had the opportunity to visit Alcatraz not just because it is a well-known tourist attraction, but because I was able to learn more about the historical aspect of it. In addition, capturing the beauty, although haunting at times, of an island that was once used as a federal prison is definitely out of the ordinary.
Before we headed off to Alcatraz, we happened to stumble upon the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. I love going to these open markets where you can buy fresh produce and people watch. This Farmers Market surpasses the ones close by to us though. There are multiple vendors cooking up breakfast dishes and lunch items, stalls with vacuum-sealed meat and fish, and performers every few feet away. I walked around distracted by piles of fresh fruit and flowers, the smell of Korean food at one corner while freshly brewed coffee steamed from the next, and listened as a saxophone crooned in the air while a man a bench away composed his own tunes with a guitar, cymbal, and harmonica. All the while, Taro is standing patiently in line getting our lunch from Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie.
Roli Roti caught our attention because it literally looked like a converted truck with a rotisserie grill. All you could see was meat on large rotating metal sticks and we just had to try their food. Since Taro was craving chicken, he ordered a quarter chicken while I tried their porchetta sandwich. You can’t beat pork loin rolled into a pork belly wrapping. We really enjoyed both the chicken and the sandwich, especially out on the pier with a bunch of other people enjoying their food as well.
If you are visiting San Francisco, I highly suggest attending the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on a Saturday morning. There is plenty to look at, but on a nice, sunny (but slightly chilly) day, there is no better place to be. Also, there are vendors across the street selling arts and crafts items; we actually picked up two beanies for our trip to Japan and what was really neat about it was Erin Cowan of Topi actually crocheted my beanie right then and there! If you need a hat, you should check it out because they are super soft and warm!
We saw these mushrooms that you could buy and grow at home. It looks like it comes on a large block (the texture is similar to the stem of the mushroom) and you can grow them at home. I read the pamphlet about them and it’s amazing because within 24 hours, you can have mushrooms to pick! Supposedly they grow quite large and I was quite tempted to get one, but I wasn’t sure if I could fly it back. I’m sure it would not have been a problem, but it might have been a little strange and awkward. The best part of it was that they were also selling t-shirts that said, “Got shrooms?” I almost died.
Lunch, courtesy of Roli Roti Gourmet Rotisserie, which was delicious!
One of the most interesting sources of entertainment by the Ferry Plaza was a group called Jugtown Pirates. Their music was extremely catchy and I loved that it was under the genre of Bluegrass or as they describe it, psychedelic. What was also really neat was that if you donated $5, you could get a CD so I, of course, picked one up.
We picked up some great pieces from an artist from San Francisco, Takashi Honda:
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