Food Friday: La Mar

La Mar 1 1/2 Pier 100 



Hello, happy hour! I've come to live by the motto that every hour is happy. But, that doesn't mean that some hours can't be extra happy, especially when there's bomb bites and delicious drinks involved. Am I right? A few weeks ago, we were treated to post-work drinks and dishes at La Mar to experience some of their new items for the season. My office is just a short 10-15 minute walk away from La Mar, so I consider it a great spot to hit before making the journey home. Located along the Embarcadero, it's the perfect spot along the water to catch the sunset. I also love the bright colors both the restaurant and food/drinks embody - just adds to the "happy" vibes. Speaking of the food and drinks, let's talk about them, shall we?

Food Friday: "Only At" Hakkasan

Hakkasan San Francisco  1 Kearny Street



Modern Cantonese restaurant,  Hakkasan (yes, the one that moonlights as a club in Vegas) is celebrating 15 years since its first location in London opened, with a truly delicious experience - the "Only At" menu. At each of its 13 locations, the restaurants will serve their a unique twist on their classic menu, incorporating local ingredients and character. I was fortunate enough to experience the "Only At" San Francisco menu firsthand and lived to tell you about my night. We had 10 dishes and 7 cocktails - so much food that multiple to-go boxes were absolutely necessary.

Viansa Sonoma Photo Diary

Should I go ahead and start a new series on the blog called "Wine Wednesdays" and get it over with? Ha. With all the wine country trips I've made this year, I might as well, right? But seriously. Here we go with another one! In this previous post, you saw what I wore, so why not backtrack a bit and talk about there "where" part, shall we? A few weeks back, we were invited to get whisked away to an afternoon at Viansa Sonoma. For those who haven't been, Viansa is just at the entrance of Sonoma country. It's about a 30-45 minute drive from the city and one of the first wineries you'll see on your way into wine country. The property originates back to 1904, when the Sebasitiani family first purchased the land, but winery itself was founded in 1989. In 2014-15, the estate was redone - the vineyards replanted and wetlands that the property looks over, restored. Needless to say, it was a treat to spend the day at the beautiful property. These photos do it zero justice, but hope you'll humor me and scroll through anyways.

Food Friday: Brunch at Bluestem

Bluestem Brasserie 1 Yerba Buena Lane



You've seen Bluestem on my feed a handful of times. From the cake to most recently, the toast (which, you'll hear more about after a few scrolls down!). So, it's about time I do a proper post on the place. I've been going to Bluestem since way back when (exhibit a). It's located between the Fiancial District and the mall, so has always been a restaurant I suggest when people need somewhere to go before/after shopping, or when they need to host a client dinner. The restaurant itself is large enough to lend itself to many guests, so it's even great for larger get-togethers (they have a private space upstairs!). But, don't let the big space fool ya - it's homey as hell in there and the restaurants' owners are incredibly warm and thoughtful. Hence, Bluestem remains as one of the few restaurants that I regard deeply. The restaurant often switches up the menu, molding its dishes to whatever is in season, and this time around I was able to try their new brunch offerings.