Art Exhibit in the City - China's Terracotta Warriors at the Asian Art Museum

Finally! What Mijo and I have been waiting for. Drum roll please... China's Terracotta Warriors are in town and on display at the Asian Art Museum.

The Asian Art Museum officially opened its new art exhibit called China's Terracotta Warriors, The First Emperor's Legacy. Mijo and I attended the Opening Night Party on Thursday evening so we can take a peek at these life sized ancient terracotta soldiers before the museum officially opened the exhibit to the public on February 22nd.

Dinner in the City - Manzoni

For Valentine's, Mijo and I went to Manzoni once again.  I wrote once again because we went there for Valentine's last year. Aside from the fact that this is a neighborhood restaurant, we really like the food they serve there and we do enjoy dining in there. 

I've included in this blog select pictures of the four course prix fixe dinner that evening plus the other pictures I've taken before.

Train Station in the City - Forest Hill Station

Have you taken the MUNI trains in the city?  If you have, do you have a favorite train station, either underground or surface station?  I know, I know that that question is a bit weird. How can you have a favorite train station, right?

If you ask me, I'd pick the Forest Hill station. Why not? It has a cute structure, nice details on its façade and interior, it is located in a sleepy village and it has been part of a couple of movies. It is very easy to romanticize.

Cocktails in the City - Tonga Room & The Hurricane Bar

If you've read a San Francisco guide book or have visited SF before, chances are you've heard about the Tonga Room at The Fairmont Hotel. 

Jim, Jose, Mijo and I went to the Tonga Room for our Thursday cocktail hour. Can you believe I've never been here before? It is themed so it is on the tacky-looking side of the scale. But did I have a great time? Absolutely!

Landmark in the City - Sunnyside Conservatory and Mini park

You've probably not seen nor heard of this San Francisco landmark located in the Sunnyside neighborhood of the city. It is called the Sunnyside Conservatory.

It is a landmark slash conservatory slash venue. I've compiled a few photos of this hidden gem and "botanic jewel" since its renovation in 2009.  

Check it out here and maybe dropby the conservatory the next time you're in the neighborhood.

Wine tasting in Sonoma - La Crema Winery

Our next wine tasting stop in our Sonoma day trip was La Crema.

If you are familiar with this label, La Crema makes good Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. While it was hard to romanticize their tasting room because it is located in downtown Healdsburg, their Pinots more than make up for it. I am a fan of Pinot Noirs and I was happy to finally taste some of their select Pinots not available in the stores.

Wine tasting in Sonoma - Rodney Strong Vineyards

Mijo and I took Friday off from work and headed to Healdsburg in Sonoma. It was sort of like an extended celebration of Mijo's birthday. We also took this chance to visit a couple of wineries. 

Our first stop was Rodney Strong Vineyard. We tasted their estate and reserved wines and they were all very good. Our pourer, Sheilah, was very knowledgeable about their wines and provided excellent suggestions about which wineries to try next or where to have a good lunch in town. We love this place!

Dinner in the City - Prospect restaurant

For Mijo's birthday, I took him to Prospect. He's the one who picked this restaurant from a list of three I gave him. 

As a summary, we were both happy with the quality and taste of the dishes we ordered and the dessert were beautiful as well as addicting. The ambience was topnotch. But what impressed us the most was the service. It was not only friendly and attentive, they were super quick. We were in and out of the restaurant in a little over an hour. Wow!

Tapas bar in the City - Canela Bistro Bar

One Friday afternoon, Mijo called me on the phone and reminded me to leave work early. He said he made a reservation at this tapas bistro at 8pm, after happy hour. I asked him which restaurant was it and he said it is a secret.

I must say I was too curious about this mystery restaurant. I tried to guess which one we were going to but Mijo did not give out any clues. The story ended well because both of us enjoyed the place and the food. The restaurant's name is Canela Bistro Bar in the Castro neighborhood of the city.

Cafe in the City - Cafeto Coffee Shop

One thing I really like about San Francisco is the availability of local cafes serving good coffee. Not the industrial and commercial ones like Starbucks or Coffee Bean but the locally owned neighborhood coffee joints. We discovered another gem of a cafe in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of the city. This cafe has been in this location for a while now but I first noticed it while having breakfast at Balompie Cafe 3.

A couple of weeks ago, Mijo and I felt adventurous and decided to try out this cafe for the first time. It was enjoyable but the coffees are very different and that is a good thing.

Cafe in the City - La Boulange Cafe and Bakery

Did you know that January 30 is National Croissant Day? I learned this from La Boulange Cafe and Bakery's Facebook post a couple of days ago. I subscribe to La Boulange's postings in FB.

So in honor of this delicious flaky buttery pastry and also of one of my favorite places that make croissants, I am posting all the pictures I've taken while buying, dining, drinking, sipping, or just hanging out at La Boulange Cafe Bakery. I don't care if it is a chain and not a mom-and-pop cafe. I am ok as long as it is a San Francisco chain.

Basketball across the Bay - Golden State Warriors + VIP seats

With the San Francisco Giants (baseball) capturing the 2012 World Series trophy (for the second time in three years) and the San Francisco 49ers (American football) playing in the 47th Super Bowl, it seems to me that the San Francisco's champions' spirit is rubbing off on the Golden State Warriors (basketball). Go Warriors!

Besides that, my name was once again selected at work for a pair of tickets. This time they were not Concourse Suite tickets. I could not believe it when I opened the envelope and saw V-I-P written on the tickets. Whoa!