Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
16
Nopalito
$$
MEXICAN
Head south of Golden Gate Park's border for upscale, sustainably sourced Cal-Mex, in-
cluding tasty
tortas
(sandwiches on Mexican flatbread), tender
carnitas
(slow-braised
pork) tacos and cinnamon-laced Mexican hot chocolate. Reservations aren't accepted, but
on sunny weekends when every park-dawdler craves margaritas and tangy fish ceviche,
call ahead to join the waiting list.
(
415-233-9966;
www.nopalitosf.com
;
1224 9th Ave;
11:30am-10pm Mon-Sat, from 10:30am Sun;
;
6, 43, 44, 71,
N)
17
Pretty Please Bakeshop
$
Since you asked nicely, pastry chef Alison Okabayashi offers you all-American treats:
mini-cheesecakes, red velvet cupcakes and salted- caramel brownies. Best of all are up-
scale, preservative-free versions of Hostess (RIP) cakes: Ding Dongs are buttercream-
filled chocolate cakes dipped in Guitard ganache, and Twinks are cream-filled sponge
cake in seasonal pumpkin or classic vanilla.
(
BAKERY
415-347-3733;
www.prettypleasesf.com
; 291 3rd Ave;
baked goods $1.50-5;
11am-7pm Tue-Fri, to 6pm Sat, to 5pm Sun;
;
1, 2, 33, 38, 44)
Understand
The Fog Belt
Not sure what to wear to a day in Golden Gate Park or dinner in the Avenues? Welcome to San Francisco's fog
belt, where coastal fog drops temperatures by up to 20ºF (7ºC) on the short trip from Downtown - you might
need to wear a coat in July.
Why is it so foggy west of the Haight? California's inland Central Valley is ringed by mountains, like a giant
bathtub. As this valley heats up, warm air rises, and wind is sucked through the only opening it can find: the
Golden Gate. Misty air hovering over the chilly Pacific gets pulled into the bay, and the city's western end dis-
appears behind a veil of fog.
For a more exact assessment of the fog situation, view satellite imagery on the National Oceanic and Atmo-
spheric Administration (NOAA) website (
www.wrh.noaa.gov/mtr
). When the fog wears out its welcome, head
