Issue #26 February: The Joys of Being Back Home 💗

Plus the best brunch spot right now, a new fair at SF Art Week, and where to splurge for a romantic date night.

After my holiday trip to Shanghai, it’s been nice getting back into my routine and exploring my own city. SF was busy this month hosting the Super Bowl in Santa Clara. There was even a casting call for Bad Bunny’s halftime show, but alas I didn’t meet the physical requirements. I spent this month catching up with friends and checking out new spots. Here’s everything I did. 😊 

Eat 😋 

Hilda and Jesse (North Beach, SF)

Hilda and Jesse is a reminder why dining in San Francisco is so fun. Despite having a Michelin-star, the atmosphere is light and casual with t-shirts that say “gayest pancakes ever” hanging on the walls. My friends and I went for brunch and while we knew we’d have a good time, we were blown away by just how creative and delicious the food was. We opted for a la carte so we could try more dishes and loved everything we ordered: avocado “toast,” chop salad, chicken with porridge, sunchokes with furikake, and the star of the show, a double stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes with blackberry maple. If brunch is this good, I can only imagine how amazing dinner is. 🥞

Chicken Fried Palace (Mission, SF)

Chicken-fried steak is my favorite TV dinner so I was very excited to try Chicken Fried Palace. The menu is pretty simple. You chose a protein, a side, and a sauce. I was going for beige so I chose steak, hashbrowns, and a classic white gravy. They also offer other Southern diner classics like biscuits, pancakes, patty melts, and collard greens. Their tagline, “save room for pie,” is not a mere suggestion, but a serious call-to-action. The apple and quince lattice pie, which I took home because I could not eat another bite, is the best apple pie I’ve ever had. 🥧

Blue House Coffee (Ingleside, SF) 

Asian-inspired coffee is having a moment right now so my friend and I decided to check out the Blue House Coffee pop-up that was happening at our favorite store in Chinatown, On Waverly. The coffee shop is a small operation with a storefront in Ingleside, but hosts pop-ups all over the city, developing quite a following. We tried their signature drink, the Miso-ccino with miso and brown sugar. It was the right balance of savory and sweet with an umami finish. We enjoyed the coffee with bites of their Chinese-donut cookie. ☕

Shop 🛍️

Freda Salvador (Pac Heights, SF)

It’s been an especially wet winter in California, making us all break out our rain gear. Luckily, I snagged a pair of Freda Salvador’s Brooke rain boots during their Black Friday sale and have been wearing them almost non-stop ever since. They’re stylish and comfortable and super lightweight so great for travel as well. The brand is female-founded just across the bridge in Sausalito, California. Their shoes are manufactured by heritage factories in Spain, Italy, and El Salvador–all offered at reasonable price points for the quality you’d expect from any luxury brand.

See 🖼️

Art. Fair. Mont (Nob Hill, SF)

SF Art Week snuck up on us last month, but we did get a chance to check out a new fair at the iconic Fairmont Hotel. It was hosted in the Pavillion Room with access to the outdoor garden space. While most art fairs like FOG can be overwhelming, Art. Fair. Mont was intimate and just featured a small group of contemporary galleries from all over the world. Some cool stuff included a sculptural lamp from GCS Agency and Mark Schoening, a digital artist from Minneapolis.

Watch 📺

Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette (FX/Hulu)

When Love Story first started filming in NYC, the Internet had a lot to say about the fashion, mainly that it wasn’t right and the show needed a new costume designer. Carolyn Bessette spent her career at Calvin Klein in the 90s and her classic style is still an inspiration for designers today. I think the backlash worked because the show looks incredible. Sarah Pidgeon stars as Carolyn Bessette and sweeps through the streets of NYC in Levi's jeans and a simple tee. Her office looks include a men’s white button down over a black pencil skirt while her evening ensembles are black slip dresses worn with an oversized blazer and a cigarette in hand. How could JFK Jr. played by Paul Anthony Kelly not fall in love with her? I’ve watched the first few episodes and cannot get enough of this era. We all know how this tragic story ends, but imagining what it might have been like to witness their love story is irresistible.

Read 📖

Workhorse (Caroline Palmer)

The heyday of NYC's magazine era is probably the most fascinating time period of American culture to me. Endless expense accounts, towncars with personal drivers, closets of designer clothing and accessories, and glamorous parties and red carpet events. (Such a stark difference to when I started my own publishing job out of college right after the 2008 recession.) Workhorse is a novel about female ambition and how to wield it when social class, influence, and pedigree are stacked against you. Clo is a young editorial assistant at a glossy fashion magazine and defines herself as a workhorse–someone who needs to, well, work, for her position and any privileges that come with it. Her colleague and frenemy, Davis, is a showhorse–someone who is born into Upper East Side society and effortlessly glides through the world in beauty and grace. The book is lengthy, over 500 pages, but I devoured every word, laughing out loud at every sharp observation.

FAQ ❓

Q: I failed to make a Valentine’s Day reservation. Where should I take my date to make it up to them?

A: Honestly, Valentine’s Day is probably one of the worst days to dine out along with other high-pressure occasions like New Year’s Eve. Restaurants are usually overcrowded, understaffed, and in order to make service a bit easier, will offer an overpriced tasting menu that is just fine. So making plans later is actually the smarter move, but the restaurant needs to be worth the wait. Like Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steakhouse at the newly renovated Westin St. Francis in Union Square. Upon entering, there’s a stunning bar at the center of the lounge area surrounded by massive ornate columns and giant palm trees. Up a small flight of stairs is the equally beautiful dining room filled with stylish guests taking photos of their lobster pot pie. Everything was delicious, but standouts include the caviar “twinkee,” crab cake pop tart, truffle agnolotti, scallion potato cakes, and of course, the wagyu strip, which was even better the next day. The food is rich (as are the prices), but your date is worth it. If you want to continue the fun, swing by Steph Curry’s bourbon bar next door, The Eight Rule. 🥩 🥃