Hella SF - Ashley & Emily
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Hella SF

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Hella SF

Last week, I had a very special visitor. A friend of mine and Emily’s from back home had her brother’s wedding in San Francisco, so she took a few days off from her very important job (chef at the Ritz Carlton in Denver) to spend a few days with me before the wedding festivities began. On her last visit here, we ended up not making it to any of our lunch or dinner reservations and prioritized cocktails and fun over food and productivity. We vowed to be more responsible this time. Since Colleen has been to San Francisco so many times before, I didn’t have to play tourist hostess. As much as I love going to Union Square and Fishermen’s Wharf, it was nice to be able to just explore different parts of the city and eat at some really amazing restaurants.

When Colleen landed, our first stop was Judahlicious. This cute cafe is located in the Sunset district right next to Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach.  They are known for their organic, vegan, and gluten free menu. I have a pretty intense obsession with acai bowls and this one has been on my list to try. The waffle sounded too good to pass up so we split that and the whole meal was incredible. We sat outside and enjoyed catching up and some much needed sunshine.  

Our next stop was Lands End and Sutro Baths. Colleen had only ever been to the restaurant here (The Cliff House) but never explored all the amazing trails right below. Joe brought me here a few weeks ago for a walk and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite places in the city to visit. The views are amazing and there are so many different things to see. You can check out the historic ruins of the Sutro Baths, check out the Legion of Honor Museum, and of course catch a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge. You can wander the trails for hours and that’s what we did.

After our hike we were feeling pretty accomplished. We had no plans for the day so we decided to go back to my place and wash up and figure out our next move. Since Colleen is a chef, I wanted to take her somewhere really cool. We looked up the recent James Beard award winners and decided to go to Trick Dog. My close friends Brian & Thera have been raving about this place forever; but I had never been before. We had time before our dinner reservation so we decided to head there and grab a drink (ok it was more like 3). I texted Brian to tell him I was finally going and they were actually nearby so they met us as well. The bar was definitely worth the hype.

The space is amazing and the cocktails are top notch. I normally always drink vodka or wine- but since I was at a place specializing in handcrafted cocktails I decided to step outside of my comfort zone. I went with the #6 which is Tanquerey gin, Alessio vermouth de Torino, Mandarin Napoleon, almond, jasmine, olive and chocolate. I would never think to put any of that together, but it was awesome They are known for mixing super unique things into their drinks. Some of the drinks had marshmallows, carrot, oatmeal, and even balsam fir. I highly recommend this spot. It’s a really fun experience.

I think the photos of the manimal fries speak for themselves. So. Effing. Good.

So weeks in advanced I knew that I had to bring Colleen to Mr. Holmes Bakehouse. They are famous for their cruffins. They only make 100 a day and they put them out at nine AM sharp. People line up early for them and they are gone within minutes. Our plan was to wake up early and get there around 8:45- but considering the cocktailing we did the night before, we were a tad behind schedule. We got there and literally got the very last cruffin. We didn’t even ask what flavor it was, peanut butter something, it was SO good. I will be going back there for sure.

After Mr. Holmes, we went to meet her mom, future sister-in-law and friend Jamie for mani-pedis. I took them to my favorite place in the Marina (shout out to JoyJoy nails). Everyone was hungry for lunch after our pampering so we went to Palm House- which is always good and has the cutest decor. After this we headed to the Tipsy Pig to watch the Warriors win game one! What a great series that was- and I am so happy that I got to watch the beginning with Colleen! It was an amazing three days with my friend and I was so sad to see her go. Happy Early Birthday Coco, I love you so much.

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