So, you are probably thinking, “gee, it sure has been quiet over there at Z.” But that’s not because not a creature was stirring, on the contrary, it’s because the z|creatures have been stirring up quite a bit! And at the the beginning of the month, we went and rocked San Francisco at our friend Penelope’s show, Deco the Halls.
Check out a little glimpse of the show, and watch a really fun video! Deco the Halls
This was a two-fold trip, one purpose was to work the show and sell some unique items that don’t normally find their way into z|modern or z|art, and the other was just to have a nice pseudo-vacation in San Francisco. And by pesudo-vacation, I mean EAT AT AMAZING RESTAURANTS AND RIDE CABLE CARS! So since you all were stuck here with sub-zero weather, snow, and the like, we’re going to help you live vicariously through our foodie adventure in SanFran.
After a bit of figuring out how the BART bus system works, we successfully navigated to the hotel, a mere 10 minute walk to the Concourse where Deco the Halls would be held. One of the many wonderful things about SF is that their transit system is great, so though recreational driving was missed, needing a car for basics like groceries and work travel was not. The items for the show were carefully packed in a box the size of a small apartment shipping crate so we only had to worry about ourselves, and the crate ACTUALLY showing up on time. Through a scheduling snafu, the crate did arrive early, but better than super late or not at all.
It was determined through many friends and colleagues that THE place we needed to visit was Swan’s Oyster Bar on Post street. So after settling in at the hotel and figuring out how to catch the bus on the trusty ipad, we were off!! Drooling all the way there, we were bummed on arrival because Swan’s closed at 5, and it was now close to 7. Nuts. After poking our noses in windows of a few different places, we settled on a small family run sushi joint called Nara just a door down from Swan’s. Of course, the usual rolls and goodies you’d expect to find at a sushi bar were present, but they had a knack for off the wall combinations, with great names like New Girlfriend and Victoria’s Secret. And OH MAN, was it GOOOOOOOOOOOD! And not horrendously expensive either (that part comes later in the trip). Check it out here if you are curious….Nara Sushi
Thursday was an “off” day, where we could explore the city and take in some sights. Being the Ferrari Tifosi that I am, Rando granted me a trip to the Ferrari store in Downtown SF, with a short jaunt to the killer fabric store Britex which has 4 floors of trims, fabric, upholstery, buttons, and more. That was truly sensory overload. Rando explored the finer stores like John Varvatos, and in typical Rando style had all the staff thinking he was a rockstar in from out of town. We also stopped in AllSaints, this 20-something designer clothing store with the most unbelievable decor either of us had ever seen. Completely industrial, but not overdone, and every detail thought out to perfection. Vintage early 1900’s sewing machines lined the windows, and giant gears and spools from weaving machines long gone punctuated the rooms. The decor was so awesome that I can honestly tell you I don’t recall what the clothing really looked like or what to compare it to, because it paled compared to the decor.
Lunch found us back at Swan’s, and waiting in line. At home, waiting in line for a restaurant means you picked the wrong time to go to (insert your favorite icky chain place here). At Swan’s it means the best is worth waiting for. I can truly say I have NEVER EVER had a dining experience like Swan’s. You sit at the counter, diner style, and the inside of the joint (and I mean JOINT!) hasn’t changed since easily the 50’s with handwritten signs for pricing, an ACTUAL cash register complete with KA-CHING! and fun calculating sounds, stools from the 30’s, and a sign on the restroom/broom closet that says “Le Pissuer”. No fancy menus, no places to use your laptop, nothing. And you know what? People didn’t do those things there! They joked with the ornery staff, talked with complete strangers, inquired how the “boy” (young family member on the staff) was doing in school…but these weren’t all locals at the bar, there were guests who had come from across the country, and even across the world to eat there. We befriended some Spainards from Barcelona on our visit, and had a great conversation with delectable food. Hands down, the favorite was the scallop sashimi, which was like no kind of sashimi or sea food I’d ever had before. You literally heard angels when you ate it. Really.
That evening we hooked up with Rex Ray, a well established artist and just fun guy to hang with. You really should go check out his stuff here, because he’s got some amazing pieces in his collection currently. Rex is a guy who’s very comfortable in what he likes, and has no bones telling you! With his wry sense of humor and down to earth sarcasm, dinner was a treat and very relaxing, and his recommendation for Italian at Bar Bambino was spot on. This wasn’t your typical spaghetti and meatballs place, this is what you’d get in italy in some small town where the locals go. I picked a goat cheese filled gnocci, which was light as a feather and unbelievably flavorful for such a basic dish. The gelatto was out of this world, and a fight almost broke out early on over the proscuitto and cheese plate. That evening was spent in food bliss to prepare for our big day of setting up the booth.
Just proving that no matter where you go, a bit of home follows you, Randy found a coffee place just down the way from the hotel called Vega, which the owner is a vintage scooter nut, and had raced at our track in Erie, Colorado. Partially disassembled Lambrettas lined the back room, and we have to say this was the best coffee we had the whole trip. Double the fun, Vega is also the name of my 3 1/2 year old itty bitty cat, you can compare pictures below! Lattes from Vega kept us going most of the trip, and we were very happy to find such a treat so close to the hotel!
Vega says it's rough running a Coffee bar in SF...nap time!
Coming up in our next post…It’s SHOW TIME!!!
