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Food, Films & Four Neighborhoods in San Francisco

There are worse work trips to take than San Francisco in June. I was in town for the 33rd Annual Frameline Film Festival, San Francisco’s international LGBT film festival, and the largest and longest-running festival of its kind in the world. The festival is held annually over the two weeks leading up to Pride, which in San Francisco as in New York is celebrated on the last Sunday in June.

June is a very, very nice time to be in San Francisco. The weather, which was sunny, clear, and reminiscent of some luscious tropical island, inspired the urge to run around outside and see lots of things. It’s hard to find down time to explore the city when there are so many good films showing at the festival. Fortunately, over a week’s time I was able to squeeze in a little of both, and in the process got to know the character of four distinct neighborhoods.

The Embarcadero

Foodies looking to retreat to a quiet corner of the bustling downtown area should head for the downtown waterfront on the Embarcadero. You could probably eat three meals a day for a week in the Ferry Building before you started to consider there might actually be other places in the city to check out. The Ferry Building Marketplace is the neighborhood’s foodie hub; a light airy space containing numerous gourmet specialty shops, cafés, and restaurants.

About ten years ago I came across a recipe for caramelized black pepper chicken one of the easiest, tastiest and quickest dishes I know. To this day I’ve made it countless times for friends who are always impressed at how delicious and unique it is. I knew it was from a restaurant called The Slanted Door; imagine my surprise when I found The Slanted Door in the Ferry Building. I stopped at one of their outdoor tables on the bay for lunch and had a terrific meal of Slanted Door spring rolls followed by Rice Noodle Stir Fry.

Subsequent trips to the Ferry Building (and there were many) brought me to the Acme Bread Companywhere the sourdough cheese roll offers a luscious fusion of tangy dough and cheddar, and the ham and cheese turnover is a buttery, flaky treat. Mijita offers authentic flavorful Mexican food; there’s nothing like fresh spicy tacos consumed while sitting outside just on the edge of the bay. Don’t miss the gelato from Ciao Bella, but be prepared to choose between more flavors one might think were possible. If it helps I loved the chocolate hazelnut best.

All through the summer the crowds at the Ferry Building swell Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays for the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. The Market’s self-described tagline, "sustainable street food meets the best local produce," is an apt description. Some of the areas best chefs turn out excellent dishes on street carts, made from local ingredients which can also be bought at the market food stands. There’s also a fun selection of arts and crafts from local merchants.

If you want daily access to this culinary wonderland, and the many great restaurants located on “restaurant row” across the street, check into the Harbor Court Hotel, one of several Kimpton Hotel properties in San Francisco, and one of the only hotels perched directly on the bay. Kimpton Hotels are always a good deal and super gay-friendly, and this particular location boasts a stunning view starring the Bay Bridge. At $109-$309 per night, it’s affordable upscale lodging in 31 cozy, well-designed rooms.

Harbor Court offers essential modern amenities like Aveda products, iPod dock, and free internet access for guests who choose to sign up for their loyalty program. It’s refreshing to see that Kimpton wears its rainbow proudly; everyone who signs up for the loyalty program is asked if they want to receive the LGBT newsletter, and Kimpton offers special promotions for stays during Pride. Court Hotel is connected to the YMCA in the same building and offers five floors of yoga, weights, cardio machines, a swimming pool, and a full size basketball court.

If that’s not enough to work off all that food, the bay waterfront provides a scenic backdrop against which you can stroll, jog, bike or blade from the Ferry Building all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. Along this scenic route you’ll pass the departure points for numerous boat tours and cruises, the famously touristy Fisherman’s Wharf area, as well as several marinas, parks, and even a small sandy beach. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious continue your route across the Golden Gate and check out Marin County’s spectacular view of the city.

Union Square

Shopaholics may want to stay closer to the shopping action around the nearby Union Square area, which offers the full spectrum of national retail stores from North Face to Prada. Here you can find all the usual suspects in good-looking apparel (Banana Republic, Zara, Levi’s, etc), as well as the higher end names (Coach, Armani, Gucci, Chanel), in a bustling downtown setting.

Those in need of cozy bed and a nearby shopping bag repository should check into the Triton Hotel, another Kimpton property that’s located on the doorstep of Chinatown and central to everything in the downtown area. Offering all the same amenities, gay-friendly service, and inimitable style as its sister locations, the Triton is a more laid-back and spirited, occupying a unique place at the intersection of the space where art geek meets rock & roll chic. Not sure what that looks like? Let’s put it this way – you can check out the latest issue of celebrated artist Shepard Fairey’s hot magazine Swindle in your room, and if you’re familiar with that magazine you know what I’m talking about. I was fortunate enough to stay in the Kathy Griffin suite (!), which was designed by every gay’s favorite D-lister and fag-hag-tastic comedienne.

Hayes Valley

Up Market Street toward the Castro, a ways from the Union Square area is the more recently developed Hayes Valley neighborhood, a hipster chic area which is a lot quieter than downtown and home to more locally-owned stores and restaurants. Check out the unique offerings at Propeller Modern, a furniture and house wares store with a great eye for design and style. I’m not even sure how to describe some of the store’s brilliant and unique offerings, but I did get to try sitting on a gothic throne and they sell that really cool alarm clock that gives the appearance of a block of wood with LED light. After puzzling over Propeller, pop into Christopher Elbow for beautifully crafted artisanal chocolates in a boutique setting.

For dinner I’d recommend, no wait – insist – on nearby Bar Jules, whose daily menus change to reflect the most recent offering from area farms and sources of sustainable meat and fish. I met a friend for an incredible dinner; we started with Prosciutto and Fresh Mozzarella, and the Wood-roasted Asparagus with Preserved Lemon-Olive Relish, and it would be impossible to say which was better. Their Poussin with Roasted Apricots and Chicken Liver Toast was equally delicious, and with the menu changing every day you always have a fresh excuse to return.

The Hayes Valley is convenient to a fun variety of nightlife. It’s not far from Fulton Street, and a couple other areas known for bustling nightlife. A coworker introduced me to nearby Asia SF which is a whole experience unto itself. Their slogan, “Why just eat when you can feast all your senses,” pretty much sums it up. Getting a table here can be a challenge as you’re competing with multiple birthday and bachelorette parties for space to enjoy fabulous drinks, good food, and of course the transgender dance performances which are the signature highlight. You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone in the room who isn’t celebrating something, the show is indeed impressively spectacular, and it’s all rowdy good fun.

The Castro

And then there’s The Castro. Home to the marvelous Castro Theater, the Frameline Film Festival, and of course quite a lot of queer culture and history, and the setting for much of the film Milk. The GLBT Historical Society is currently presenting “Passionate Struggle: Dynamics of San Francisco's GLBT History,” a limited-time exhibition mounted in an empty store front on the corner of Castro and 18th Street. Open through October 19, 2009, the exhibit shows a fascinating cross-section of queer history as seen through four points of view: People, Places, Politics and Pleasures.

Visit the Castro during the last two weeks of June and catch the latest and greatest in LGBT independent film during Frameline. Exhibiting every year at three local theaters, Frameline attracts queer filmmakers from around the world to take part in screenings, parties, events, and panels about independent film. The films cover an impressive amount of territory in all the L,G,B, and T categories and break new ground in areas of interest to our community. Feature films, documentaries, and shorts programs come from around the country and around the world, and it’s frankly impossible for anyone not to find something for them.

Castro Street and the surrounding area also offer a selection of great (and very gay) shops, restaurants, and nightlife. Kenneth Wingard offers a fun showroom filled with items whose only common trait is great design sensibility. Furniture, books, t-shirts, wall art, and more bedeck the shelves and walls of this groovy boutique. Check out their web site, which does a great job of showing off their style. The geekier at heart should visit local comic book shop Whatever… which in addition to a strong selection of comics, toys, and graphic novels, also offers a featured section promoting the work of local gay comic book artists. And a section of bacon-themed products; I bought the Gummy Bacon because, how do you not?

For dinner you must try the long-running neighborhood favorite La Mediterranée whose warm atmosphere provides a relaxing environment in which guests enjoy wonderful Mediterranean food. The best way to sample everything is to get one of the mixed platters which offer a generous selection and serving of such dishes as hummus, baba ganoush, tabouli, spicy chicken in filo, and their incredible pomegranate chicken drumsticks, whose meat falls off the bone.

Down the other end of Castro check out Nirvana, which aptly describes the feeling you’ll have while enjoying the Thai restaurant’s signature cocktails and delicious dishes. I especially love the Thai Chicken Noodles. It’s a little heavy on the sauce but what a sauce - spicy and sweet and served over sautéed soba noodles with chicken strips.

LGBT nightlife has always held a strong foothold in this neighborhood and the latest additions and changes seem to be going over well with locals and tourists alike. Check out the newly refurbished Q Bar across the street from the Castro Theater, which has a new look and a new energy. And up the hill a bit Trigger is the new hot spot. A popular bar with enough energy to fill a small club, Trigger draws a slightly older crowd with a little bit of a West Hollywood vibe.

Finally don’t even think about leaving Castro, or San Francisco for that matter, without sampling a confectionery masterpiece from Hot Cookie. Located almost on the corner of Castro and Market, this tiny institution is just big enough to hold a cookie counter where one can sample fresh-baked cookies big and small, plus brownies and other sweet and sticky treats. If you’re feeling like a bit of a hot cookie yourself you can pose in a pair of hot cookie underwear and get your photo added to the wall, whose presence is almost enough of a reason to stop in.

I swear I saw films too. I did, I really did. And the proof is that now and in the coming months you can watch many of the feature films, short films, and documentarieson these pages! San Francisco’s just too fun a town to visit and not explore though. So whether you’re in town for the festival, for an event, or just to hang out, be sure to get around and check out everything it’s got to offer.

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