Where to Eat

Boudin at the Wharf  160 Jefferson St., Fisherman's Wharf, (415) 928-1849, fax (415) 351.5579; www.boudinbakery.com.  L-D daily; $$-$$$.  Child menu.  Museum:  daily 11:30-6:30; free.  Choose from informal dining downstairs--both inside and outside on a heated deck—or more formal fare served upstairs in Bistro Boudin, with views of Alcatraz.  Among the best items are the ever-popular clam chowder in a sourdough bowl, meaty crab cakes, and pizzas.  A free tour of the Boudin Museum, an homage to sourdough bread-making, is also available upstairs, where the busy first-floor bakery can be observed below through a glass-walled catwalk. 

Bushi-Tei  1638 Post St./Laguna St., Japantown, (415) 440-4959, fax (415) 440-4030; www.bushi-tei.com.  D Tu-Sun; SunBr.  This gem of a spot features clear-glass entry and an interior of black and white asymmetrical walls mixed with old wood from Japan dating back to 1863.  Tables are scattered through three areas and include one large communal table in the main room, and place settings are a mixture of weighty silverware, rustic wood chopsticks with a ceramic resting holder, and assorted shapes of oversize white serving plates.  Menu items are made with the freshest ingredients and include flavorful Kobe beef from Texas as well as an assortment of fish dishes.  Black cod is served grilled through, instead of almost raw as is often the case elsewhere, and Sonoma duck breast and lamb chops are also options.  Desserts are a high point:  a black sesame panna cotta-style pudding, a spectacularly flavorful apple dumpling with caramel sauce.  No need to order special bottled water--the house water is micro-structured electrolysis water with a ph of 8.5-9.5.  One evening, the clientele ranged from a trio of sedate Pacific Height seniors to a young hipster with slicked down hair, 2-inch ear plugs, and dressed in a suit. 

Cafe de Paris-L'Entrecote  Closed.  (see page 61)  

The Canvas Gallery  Closed.  (see page 62)  

Gira Polli  Closed.  (see page 70)  

Golden Turtle  Closed.  (see page 70)  

Kara's Cupcakes  900 North Point, in Ghirardelli Square, (415) 351-CAKE; www.karascupcakes.com.  M-Sat 10-9, Sun 10-6; $.  Made from scratch and baked on site daily, these cupcakes are the best.  A personal favorite is Sweet Vanilla--a vanilla cupcake topped with heavenly Madagascar bourbon vanilla buttercream frosting.  Who needs a sit-down lunch?  

MacArthur Park  Closed.  (see page 76)  

COAST SOUTH

PACIFICA

Best Western Lighthouse Hotel  105 Rockaway Beach Ave., (800) 832-4777, (650) 355-6300, fax (650) 359-4036; www.bestwesternlighthouse.com. 97 rooms.  Heated pool (open year round); hot tub; sauna; fitness room.  Room service; restaurant.  Eight rooms here have a full-on ocean view, while the rest have a range of partial views.  The beach-front junior suites have a sliding door that opens to the sight and sound of the roaring ocean—no wimpy waves here.  It's a thrill watching a lone surfer and just relaxing to nature's stereo performance.  Time a visit well and luck might permit viewing passing whales, or maybe dolphins riding the waves like surfers, or even the great white shark that passes through twice a year.  Several trails run by the hotel:  The Coastal Trail leads a mile north into the foothills, and the Linda Mar State Beach trail leads south to a popular surfing spot. 

• Operating on the hotel's second floor, romantic Ristorante Portofino ((650) 359-0303, fax (650) 359-0900; http://ristorante-portofino.com.  L-D daily; $$-$$$.  Booths.) is decorated to resemble the inside of a ship.  Most tables have impressive oceanfront views and can hear the surf.  Many comfortable half-moon booths are available, and as the evening progresses and the sun goes down, atmospheric penlight stars and a moon are turned on.  Housemade pastas (including lobster ravioli and gnocci), fresh seafood, and a tartufo limoncello gelato dessert are all exceptional.  In the morning, breakfast can be dawdled over to that same incredible view. 

CARMEL

Where to Eat

Caffe Cardinale  Off Ocean Ave./between Dolores St. & San Carlos St., (800) 595-2090, (831) 626-2095, fax (831) 626-2091; www.carmelcoffee.com.  Daily from 7am.  Reached via a narrow passageway, this charming  spot has an in-house coffee roaster and features outside seating in a 1920s Mediterranean-style courtyard.  A bowl of water is put out for dogs, and "pods" of fresh coffee are sold for hotel coffee makers.   

La Boheme   Closed.  (see page 131) 

CARMEL VALLEY

What to Do

Heller Estate  69 W. Carmel Valley Rd., 11 mi. from Hwy. 1, (800) 625-8466, (831) 659-6220, fax (831) 659-6226; www.hellerestate.com.  Daily 11-5:30.  Promising "magical wines that dance on your palate," this winery uses only certified organically grown grapes.  A Sculpture Garden, with pieces by Toby Heller, is equipped with picnic tables. 

Where to Eat

Corkscrew Restaurant  55 W. Carmel Valley Rd., in Carmel Valley Village, 11 mi. from Hwy. 1, (831) 659-8888; www.corkscrewcafe.com.  L daily, D F&Sat; $$.  The interior of this color-washed bistro is a delight to dine in, and its outdoor garden, with tables covered in colorful provencal tablecloths, is heavenly on a sunny day.  Lunch items might include a Niman Ranch cheeseburger or a California BLT with avocado.  Save room for dessert, especially if fresh pear crisp with lavender ice cream is an option.  Drinks include raspberry lemonade or a flight of wines from the adjacent Georis Winery (4 Pilot Rd., (831) 659-1050, fax (831) 659-1054; www.georiswine.com.) .  After, it is just a few steps through the garden to the winery's official tasting room, which features a small corkscrew display and an excellent collection of Mexican folk art in its rustic gift shop. 

101 SOUTH

BURLINGAME

Where to Eat

Nectar Wine Lounge & Restaurant  270 Lorton Ave./Burlingame Ave., (650) 558-9200; www.nectarwinelounge.com.  L-D daily; $$$.  Reservations advised.  Diners are seated in a warren of spaces, under tall ceilings with skylights, and treated to a rotating display of contemporary artwork and peeks into the very large wine cellar.  And then there is the food.  One perfect parade of shared small plates began with a rocket salad tossed with toasted hazelnuts; followed by a sumptuous housemade chicken-artichoke-lemon sausage with Bloomsdale spinach; then by a barbecued pork biscuit that was just too, too cute and tasty; and then by a larger plate of Hawaiian walu fish served with roasted whole baby potatoes and asparagus; and concluding with a dessert of silky milk chocolate panna cotta accompanied by a trio of housemade cookies.  Diners can choose from a flight of three wines— "bad-assed reds" is one option—or order a glass or a half-glass "taste."  Most diners leave with a pleasurably exhausted palate. 

Pisces  Closed.  (see page 171) 

REDWOOD CITY

Where to Eat

Mandaloun  2021 Broadway St., (650) 367-7974, fax (650) 367-9863; www.mandaloun.biz.  L M-Sat, D daily; $$$.  The décor here—textured stone floor, high wood-plank ceiling, wrought iron fixtures—goes well with the seasonal Mediterranean menu.  On a warm evening, seating in an open-air courtyard off the entrance is sublime, while in cooler weather, the open interior room featuring a view of the exhibition kitchen is more welcoming.  Menu items include wood-fired pizzas and a pasta or two.  Many items are flavored with Middle Eastern spices, including the excellent crispy calamari with harissa aioli and the Moroccan-spiced olives and peppers.  Salads reflect the season--think baby beets with Sausalito cress and Frog Hollow Farms peaches with Serrano ham in the summer—and main plates might include wild salmon or rotisserie free-range chicken.  Cocktails are interesting and pretty, and desserts sometimes include churros with chocolate sauce or fresh fruits with warm zabaglione. 

PALO ALTO

Where to Eat

Spago Palo Alto   Closed.  (see page 182) 

Where to Stay

Dinah's Garden Hotel  4261 El Camino Real, (800) 227-8220, (415) 493-2844, fax (415) 856-4713; www.dinahshotel.com.  145 rooms.  Fireplaces.  2 heated pools; sauna; fitness room.  2 restaurants.  An impressive collection of Asian art is on display throughout this unusual property, including two life-size 19^th-century Indian processional elephant statues by the entry and a 2^nd-century Gandharan stone seated Buddha.  Each room is uniquely decorated.  One suite is has antique embroidered panels on the wall, sophisticated Italian leather chairs, and a Lifecycle bike placed strategically between the dining table and the bed; a large window covered by motor-driven drapes looks out over a serene lagoon, populated with koi and ducks, onto a stone Buddha.  The property's quiet gardens are tended by three full-time gardeners.  They feature the sounds of fountains and attract a white heron that sometimes can be observed fishing from one of the guest room porches.  Themed suites include the Railroad Baron Suite, stocked with a whistle and engineers cap and with a model train running on track mounted near the ceiling; the African Suite, outfitted with antique Jarred-wood furniture, an African Chief's armchair with carved lions, and an elephant dance mask; and the FDR Memorial Suite, which is wheelchair accessible, has an adjacent caretaker suite, and is equipped with an old-time radio that plays an authentic FDR fireside chat.  Rooms are stocked with fresh fruit, and pillows are topped with a Ghirardelli chocolate at turndown.  Parking is right in front of the room, and the Wall Street Journal is available in a distribution box by the lagoon. 

• The hotel restaurant, Trader Vic's (4269 El Camino Real, (650) 849-9800; www.tradervicspaloalto.com.  D daily; $$$.  Booths.  Valet parking.), is rich with more Asian art:  a pair of 19th-century Japanese bronze shi-shi lions, a raft of Oceanic/South Pacific art--mostly Paupa New Guinea, and an original Henry Moore tapestry.  Don't miss having a tropical drink in the Mai Tai Lounge, along with some appetizers—perhaps a crab Rangoon and a cup of bongo bongo soup.  Seating is also available on a veranda. 
• The popular Poolside Grill Restaurant (B-L daily.) serves breakfast.

101 NORTH

LARKSPUR

Where to Eat

E&O Trading Co.  2231 Larkspur Landing Circle, (415) 925-0303, fax (415) 925-1756; www.eotrading.com.  L-D daily.  The lofty-ceilinged main dining room here is augmented by two outdoor patios that are perfect for the area's often warm weather.  Drinks are particularly alluring and include exotic housemade cocktail elixirs—classic Singapore Sling, Lanai Cocktail made with fresh pineapple aged in glass for three days—as well as draft beers and housemade sodas.  Spicing of the Southeast Asian cuisine is mild.  Signature dishes include whole-kernel corn  fritters and banana spring rolls, and pad Thai, braised eggplant, and roti paratha bread are personal favorites.  Don't miss a trip to the restroom, if just to see the entry through a heavy metal bead curtain and the startling uni-sex wash-up area. 

Yankee Pier  286 Magnolia Ave., (415) 924-7676, fax (415) 924-7117.  L M-F, D daily; $$.  Though it isn't anywhere near water, this casual spot serves up a large selection of delicious fresh seafood.  New England clam chowder, a shrimp Louis, and a bargain beer-battered snapper fish 'n' chips with housemade tartar sauce are among the choices.  A burger, steak, and pasta are also options, as is their popular butterscotch pudding for dessert, and the bill arrives with a saltwater taffy from Marini's in Santa Cruz.  Tablecloths add panache, and an open galley kitchen with porthole swinging doors add atmosphere.  A casual covered front porch and open-air back porch, both with picnic tables, are options in good weather. 

I-80 NORTH

BERKELEY

What to Do

Act 1 & 2 movie theater  Closed.  (see page 282) 

Berkeley Iceland  Closed.  (see page 267) 

Where to Eat

Alborz  2142 Center St./Shattuck Ave., (510) 848-8877.  L-D daily; $$.  For description, see page 56.