A Weekend Away From Hinsdale: San Francisco

Just one look at any of those street, and you couldn’t be anywhere else – it’s so beautiful, and there’s that location, and the sense of the free spirit. Who couldn’t become ravenous in such a place?

- Julia Child, Chef

It’s true–how could Julia Child be wrong about San Francisco, which is the place she refers to in this quote. After a four-day weekend there with my long-time friend, Chopra, I can safely agree that San Francisco, even the small portion I saw around Union Square, Chinatown and downtown, is a feast for the senses–from wine, cigar and Belgian beer bars to the wide range of global cuisine in the form of cozy Indian, classic French, a mixture of Asian and wonderful Spanish tapas restaurants.

Let me start out by saying that Chopra is the kind of friend everyone should be so lucky to have. He can challenge me to a weight-loss competition (and lose!), inspire me always to work at being my very best, and be a terrific amount of fun, no matter where we are. In this case, it was San Francisco.

The Wine

What is a California getaway without wine? I had an opportunity to visit two exceptional wine bars in San Francisco: Bin 38 and Terroir – both great places to taste and drink wines. Bin 38 even has heated sidewalks, which is great in the chilly weather here. Most notable was the Peter Michael 2006 Le Moulin Rouge Pinot Noir (Wine Spectator rating-93). It was smooth, with remarkable berry and spice flavors, just as advertised – a wonderful wine. We followed that up with a Dierberg Syrah—also well reviewed–reminding me that great wine tastes even better with great friends. We followed up our wines with a trip to the famous Redwood Room. Legend has it that the wood paneling there was carved from a single redwood, but I just like it because it is fabulously swanky. This could only be followed up by one of my favorite Indian restaurants in San Francisco, Shalimar—a place where Chopra and I always order crazy amounts of food, so we can taste a little of a lot.

The Workouts

Before arriving in San Francisco, I knew what it meant to have a long weekend with Chopra. That’s why I set up daily morning workouts with…an Irish junior Olympics boxing champion who now lives in San Francisco, working as a personal trainer. We awoke far too early to attend our hour-long boxing sessions, which are considerably more rigorous when your brain and gut feel like they are staging a revolt. And, this is what I mean about Chopra – I don’t know if he liked or appreciated the boxing, but he stuck with it, by my side each day, weathering the blows, jabs, but most torturous of all, just the early exercise.

The Breakfasts

Not surprisingly, we saved breakfast for after our workouts, when we had the time to savor the unique nature of these places, and possibly linger in nice places that showcase the city’s wonderful atmosphere. From Café Bellini on Union Square, where we could sit outside to a very unique establishment, BlueBottle, we found great places to recuperate from our late evenings and rigorous morning workouts. BlueBottle, in particular, serves insanely fresh coffee in what looks more like a science experiment than a coffee machine. Using “halogen siphon pots” that tap physics to make a delightful “globe” of coffee, it is as impressive to watch, as it is to drink. Check out this video, if you don’t believe me!

The Beer

It’s true, even wine drinkers can appreciate a good beer, especially in the right environment, and Chopra and I certainly found the right environment. We frequented the The Irish Bank, and I do mean frequented, in addition to a wonderful place that specialized in Belgian beer, The Trappist. Both of these places provide great beer in an environment that transports one to that location. The Irish Bank is just a classic Irish pub with such a great life to it that we visited it pretty much every day. The Trappist, too, has an unbelievable selection of the unique beers that come from Belgium, giving us an opportunity to taste Dubbels, Trippels and their many other, often lesser-known Belgian beers that they have on tap as well as in the bottle.

The four days passed quickly, and believe it or not between the wine, beer, food and boxing, we did manage to see some of the city as well. San Francisco is a special place – one I always look forward to returning to, as it always has something new and exciting to offer.

Sean Chaudhry