Yelp Drinks Week!

Posted on March 2, 2012 by ShannonElizabeth

It’s no secret that I’m a lover of all things Yelp (I get made fun of for my ‘Elite’ badge, but I wear it proudly) and when they announced their third annual Drinks Week, I was immediately on board! A number of cities are participating and San Francisco has 25 or so bars that are part of the deal. Each participating location has three cocktails on special at 50% off their normal price for the entire week. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of weeknight drinking as I like to be a full functioning human during work hours, but with a week like this, I had to make an exception. Naturally.

There are still a few days left to indulge, but thus far we’ve done a decent job of checking out a few places in the Financial District and North Beach. My favorite part of events like this is actually checking out new spots. There are a number of places that I wouldn’t likely go without the incentive and being able to scope out potential new lunch/dinner/drink spots is always fun. With so many places in the city, it’s easy to overlook the hidden gems.

The following spots are participating in the event through Sunday. I’ve starred the ones that we’ve already been to and put in a mini review of some of our experiences thus far! Follow me on twitter — I’ll be checking in as we explore the city!

15 ROMOLO *
I’m typically a big fan of 15 Romolo (the vibe, the drinks, the people) but I was unimpressed with the drink that I ordered (The Seventh Veil). While it was the end of the night (read: my memory could be a touch blurred), I left wishing I would have just paid $3 more and gotten my standby, a good old G&T.

+ The Seventh Veil (reg $10 :: YD $5) Sparkling wine, Rhuby rhubarb liqueur, Aperol, St. Germain elderflower liqueur

AMBASSADOR http://bit.ly/TkQhY
BAMBOO HUT http://bit.ly/zzPgch *
I had never been to the Bamboo Hut before Tuesday, but have popped in twice this week just to snag their Volcano Bowl for $10. I’m kind of a sucker for kitschy tiki bars, and this place, while a little raw, is fantastic. The bowls are great for 3-4 people and they’re not shy with their pours.

+ Bamboo Hut’s Legendary Volcano Bowl (reg $20 :: YD $10)

BARRIQUE http://bit.ly/nOHXDP *
My roommate has raved about Barrique forever so this was the perfect time to pop in and check out the famed wine spot. While I’ve become a fan of red wine (I’m growing up apparently), I opted for their Gewurtztraminer to prevent the grey-tooth syndrome that is classically involved with drinking too many glasses of Syrah.

Wines on special range from $4.50 to $6.

BLUESTEM BRASSERIE http://bit.ly/qC07Dt
BOTTLE CAP http://bit.ly/zkZ9g5
BUTTER http://bit.ly/1ac4Em
CANTINA http://bit.ly/6DOGru
CIGAR BAR http://bit.ly/3KBfrM
I had been to Cigar Bar on one other occasion and knew that it was worth popping in for Drinks Week. I ended up trying both their Tears and Tequila and Lunch at the Park drinks. Lunch at the Park was my original order but after finding the taste of celery way too overwhelming (was not a fan of that drink), the bartender was kind enough to send over a Tears and Tequila on the house. The T&T was a hit all the way around. We all ordered them and were all impressed! Worth a go if you’ve never had a drink with a kick.

+ Tears and Tequila (reg $12 :: YD $6) :: cucumber, red peppers, lime, muddled, frida kahlo tequila, espellette salted rim rocks 
+ Lunch at the Park 1972 (reg $10 :: YD $5) :: celery, dill, muddled then strained, 209 gin up 

CLIFF HOUSE http://bit.ly/fSuVFM
DOSA on FILLMORE http://bit.ly/eqmjm
DOSA on VALENCIA http://bit.ly/15UMMw
EVE http://bit.ly/mM1IE
FIFTH FLOOR http://bit.ly/ccGDH8
HiFi LOUNGE http://bit.ly/ysxHtN
HOBSON’S CHOICE http://bit.ly/dTxrOA
MADRONE ART BAR http://bit.ly/offY6h
MARENGO on UNION http://bit.ly/fmWWIJ
MR. SMITHS http://bit.ly/8NYYVi
NECTAR WINE LOUNGE http://bit.ly/wVnsg9
OLIVE http://bit.ly/I6s1z
OOLA http://bit.ly/1uADZt
ROYAL EXCHANGE http://bit.ly/h8gTx1 *
I like Royal Exchange as a happy hour spot in general and was excited to grab their Cosmo for a mere $4. I was so excited, in fact, that I got two of them. I mean, for that price and that kind of deliciousness, it would be wrong of me to pass it up.

+ Raspberry Cosmo (reg $8 :: YD $4) :: Raspberry vodka, lime juice, Triple Sec and cranberry juice

RYE http://bit.ly/55IOhb
TAVERNA AVENTINE http://bit.ly/i2U9sQ
I hadn’t been to Taverna Aventine before Tuesday evening, but had heard great things about it. As luck would have it, they offer a complimentary cheese plate on Tuesday evenings so we really scored big on this one. Five drinks and a cheese plate out the door for $16. Can you really beat that?

+ Moscow mule (reg $10/$6 at happy hour :: YD $5/$3 at happy hour)

TXOKO http://bit.ly/y7zeV3
Txoko (pronounced Tcho-Ko) has been on my list of places to check out. Basque-inspired small plates in North Beach would naturally pique anyone’s interest, right? Their drinks were okay (I’m not much of a whiskey fan and didn’t much love the Pisco) and the vibe was decent. Their kitchen was closed by the time we went in (11P or so) so the place was pretty cleared out. As much as the thought of it had appealed to me beforehand, I’m not sure that it’s necessarily on the top of my list anymore. Just okay.

+ Elevation (reg $10 :: YD $5) :: Pisco Porton, lemon juice, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

TUPELO http://bit.ly/xGrAqK
UPSTAIRS BAR & LOUNGE (Upstairs at the W Hotel) http://bit.ly/zQ024I

For those of you that have already gone out and experienced, what are your thoughts? Any newfound favorites? For those that haven’t, you still have three days left. Get out there and enjoy!

xoxo,

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Welcome, Zeus!

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ShannonElizabeth

Lest I forget one of the most exciting parts of my Monday, I have to share some pics of the newest addition to Boat Shoes’ family: a baby Boston Terrier!

Cutest face ever?

Boat Shoes & his little brother!

Can't wait to babysit!

Welcome to the family, Zeus!

xoxo,

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President’s Day Weekend: Snowy Tahoe!

Posted on February 23, 2012 by ShannonElizabeth

Pretty Northstar!

Three day weekends are always a perfect excuse for an extended weekend getaway and President’s Day Weekend was no exception. We had headed up to Tahoe to ring in the New Year but there was absolutely zero snow during that excursion. With snow finally on the ground and Northstar awaiting our arrival, Boat Shoes and I headed up to Tahoe’s North Shore and were joined by a group of friends on Friday evening.

By all accounts, I’m much more of a summer person than a winter person. I love sunshine and warmth and am a bit averse to rain, cold, slush, etc. Yes, I think snow is pretty but I also think it’s terribly cold and a bit of a pain to walk in (it’s much prettier when you’re staring at it from inside a toasty cabin). For that reason, I never really took to snowboarding and skiing much, but this weekend I decided to give snowboarding a whirl for the first time!

Heading up to the mountain!

Admittedly, I was more than a little frustrated during the first part of the day. Call me crazy, but falling repeatedly and taking 25 minutes to get down a bunny slope isn’t really what I had in mind. After a brief lesson and some guidance from Boat Shoe Boy, though, I was actually kind of getting the hang of it by the end of the day. Though I’d have a difficult time spending $90+ for lift tickets the next few times I’m up there, I’d definitely hit up a nearby (read: less expensive) slope to hone my skills a bit more. For anyone in that same boat, check out Diamond Peak or Mt. Rose for more affordable tickets. :)

With my instructor -- still smiling AFTER our day of snowboarding!

Our friends joined us later that evening and while I wasn’t able to snowboard Saturday or Sunday (people aren’t kidding when they say that you’re going to be sore in places you didn’t know existed after your first attempt at boarding), we had an incredible weekend! We all headed to Northstar together on Saturday and embarked on an evening out after a day in the snow. After a mediocre dinner at Spindleshanks (lesson learned, Bite will always be the go-to dinner spot up there), we headed to the ever-so-classy Crystal Bay Club where I lost some cash playing the nickel slots (clearly, I’m a big time gambler) and Boat Shoes won some playing big boy games.

Lady love at Northstar.

Sunday brought a day of relaxation. While the other kiddos spent their day on the slopes, Boat Shoes and I hit up the Squeeze In in Truckee for brunch and spent a day lounging.

Building a snowman!

 To cap off a perfect weekend, we cooked in on Sunday night, played boardgames — girls won, of course! — and enjoyed our last night in always-gorgeous Tahoe before saying goodbye on Monday morning. All in all, an incredible weekend with an amazing group!

Goodbye, Tahoe!

What did you guys do for the three-day weekend? Was anyone else in Tahoe?

xoxo,

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Valentine’s Day!

Posted on February 14, 2012 by ShannonElizabeth

Despite winning Open Table’s amazing Valentine’s Day contest, I’m typically not the biggest fan of this holiday (I use that term very loosely). I really can’t get behind the roses that are 60% more than normal or the prix fixe menus at restaurants that somehow offer the same food for twice the normal prix fixe price. Also, and I mean no offense to anyone that has gotten engaged or married on Valentine’s Day, but I think taking that step in your relationship on February 14th could possibly be the most cliche move of life. I mean, you can put a little more thought into it, right? Having said that, I did notice three new engagements pop up on my facebook feed. Clearly those guys didn’t get the memo.

Clearly logic trumps emotion in my being from time to time. I’m happy to say that Boat Shoe Boy and I are keeping it low key tonight with some delicious pho from our neighboring hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese joint (that — gasp! — doesn’t have a prix fixe menu jacked up to the heavens), likely followed by a magically cheesy rom-com. Sounds like perfection to me!

I did, however, run across a few things that made me smile so I had to share. I realize the following set of valentines could be offensive, but pretty funny, right? I may or may not give some out next year. No, really. Please don’t embargo my love. 

A friend of mine also shared a site that is sure to sweep any economist off of his or her feet. If you like this:

this:

or this…

…then be sure to check out their site for eleven other ways economist say I love you. After you’ve looked through them, print and hand out to all passersby to gauge their reaction. If I would have seen these yesterday you know I would have done that (with credit to the original creator, of course). Too brilliant to pass up.

 Cheesiness of Valentine’s Day aside, I hope you’re all having a great one and taking a moment to reach out to all of the people that you love. It’s always nice to have a reminder to reach out to friends and family and send virtual hugs.

Lots of and lots of love!

P.S. The history of Valentine’s Day is actually way more interesting that society would have you believe. Check out some of the proposed origins of V-Day and it may make you appreciate the basis for Valentine’s Day a bit more.

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OpenTable Winners!

Posted on February 11, 2012 by ShannonElizabeth

On a bit of a whim, I entered Boat Shoes and I into the ‘My Food Valentine’ contest courtesy of OpenTable. The contest rules were simple: enter one photo of yourself and your favorite foodie into OpenTable’s flickr pot. From there, five winners are selected to receive dinner for two (in the form of a $200 gift card). If I ever I see a contest like this, I’m pretty apt to enter though I never actually anticipate winning any of these things. In this case though, the stars aligned ever so perfectly and the awesome folks at OpenTable sent me an email to let me know that I was selected as one (I think the very last one, actually) of the OpenTable winners for the contest! (You can find us on their blog, too.)

This is the little gem that managed to score us a fantastic dinner in the city:

At the House of Prime Rib.

Since we have a decent amount to work with, I’m looking at booking an anniversary dinner for us in the city. Gary Danko is quickly moving to the top of the charts (it’s Boat Shoes’ most favorite in SF), but there are too many fantastic restaurants here to make any rash decisions. Also on my mental list right now: Boulevard, Town Hall, Foreign Cinema, Harris’ and SPQR. I’ll be honest, I have had a hard time getting around tasting menus; perhaps in large part because I don’t eat meat and find it difficult to spend $75 on a 3-course mostly vegetarian meal. Still, a number of the most highly acclaimed spots in the city offer tasting menus (e.g. Acquerello, Quince and La Folie) so I think I may have to dive in this once.

For foodies out there — what are your thoughts? 
Any great restaurants in the city that are worth putting on our radar for a big night out?

xoxo from SF,

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Booked: Tampa!

Posted on February 9, 2012 by ShannonElizabeth

This has been on the books for a while, but Boat Shoe Boy recently booked our tickets to Tampa for his friend’s wedding and made it 100% official! I’ve been to Florida on one other occasion and my experience was limited to Orlando, which I don’t think is very representative of Florida as a whole. Needless to say, I’m excited for a little Floridian sunshine (though not excited about Floridian humidity… uggh) and a cross-country adventure!

Yahoo’s stats would lead me to believe it’s going to be a gorgeous high-70s/low-80s while we’re there so I’m hoping and praying that it’s actually that amazing. With weather the way it’s been here (sunny & 70 in February), I’m not sure I can trust weather patterns anymore, but my fingers are seriously crossed on this one!

P.S. Do you guys consider Florida the East Coast or the South?
Or is it a bit of both?

Cheers to Florida!

xoxo,

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New Hard Drive = Goodbye, Photos. :(

Posted on February 7, 2012 by ShannonElizabeth

Nightmares.

As much as I love the Genius Bar at Apple (and am so grateful for the incredible service), I’m a bit bummed about the fact that I had to have my hard drive replaced. After seeing the ominous grey screen of death for hours, I knew that my Mac needed some special attention from the experts. Apparently my poor computer (barely a year old) had a fatal error on the HD that required the entire thing to be replaced. They were kind enough to do it on the spot and give me the old hard drive to attempt recovery, but still; photos, documents, music, applications… Poof!

Fortunately, I’ve uploaded lots of photos to facebook and to my blog so I haven’t lost all of my snapshots. Plus, thanks to Google docs and similar sharing sites, I’ve kept a lot of documents in a place that I can access from anywhere. (Note to readers: back up your drives now or keep documents on a shared site so you can access them if something like this happens to you!) Sadly, I had some amazing photos from a recent excursion that I won’t get to share (until I recover them from my old HD, that is). I still have a few fun photos to share that are from my iPhone, though. As luck would have it, apps like Hipstamatic and Instagram do a pretty good job of helping me stock up on iPhone shots. Stay tuned — I’ll be recapping this past weekend of pure gluttony. Due in part to the fact that the Super Bowl was on, and in part to the fact that we were just being fat kids for a weekend, our food intake involved a mix of tater tots, buffalo wings, a bacon cheeseburger between two (yes, two) donuts, frozen sangria, chips and dip. We threw in a veggie platter for good measure, of course. Needless to say, I’m going to be having a number of dates with Crunch this week.

xoxo from San Francisco,

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Sending Kids Abroad for University

Posted on January 31, 2012 by ShannonElizabeth

Gotta love the international experience -- India, Canada, Peru + the US represent!

In response to a great article in Foreign Policy magazine, Outsource Your Kid, which notes the growing concerns of increased tertiary education costs and decreased perceived value for graduates.

If junior is willing to travel a little bit further — to colleges overseas — the world offers some incredible bargains for quality tertiary education, with the option of free language and culture immersion thrown in. Tuition costs for foreign students at some of the best universities in Asia, Europe, and Africa can be as low as $4,000, well below half the median cost of college in the United States.

Of course, just because a Kia is cheaper than a Lexus doesn’t mean it’s necessarily better value. What matters is the cost to quality equation. But before assuming that U.S. college education must be of unbeatable excellence, it is worth mulling over a 2006 assessment of adult literacy which found that fewer than a third of four-year U.S. college graduates were fully capable of tasks like comparing viewpoints in two editorials; interpreting a table about blood pressure, age, and physical activity; or computing and comparing the cost per ounce of food items.

Yes, yes, and yes. I definitely think that more and more the value of an international education trumps a domestic one. In addition to the fact that many top-notch international universities charge a fraction of what upper-level US universities get away with, there is a whole other facet that cannot be quantified. The value of cultural immersion, mastery of foreign languages, and general exposure to new experiences is something that is truly invaluable. While undertaking graduate studies abroad (still in an English-speaking country, but within a much more international environment), it was apparent that most US students lacked some valuable skills. The majority of us spoke solely English fluently, with the occasional individual speaking a second language (typically Spanish, French or Chinese). After beginning the job hunt and wanting to attain a position within an international organization, it became clear that speaking one language was not going to get me anywhere. English can get you by in the world, of course, but when it comes to setting yourself apart and adding value to your resume, being able to speak multiple languages can only help.

Languages aside, international experience and exposure is something that employers (at least in the field that I’m interested in) tend to value greatly. For the majority of us, by the time we finish university and obtain an international position (if we’re that lucky), we’ll be nearing our mid-twenties. Make that late-twenties to early-thirties by the time you get a few years of requisite experience under your belt. If you had that experience while undertaking your studies, you’re killing two birds with one stone, so to speak. Not a bad deal.

Moral of the story? I think I have a better/different perspective on the world than my parents did while they were looking into my education. I would, without a doubt, have my child look into undergraduate education abroad. Not only is it really a more affordable option, but I think it’s all around more valuable for them academically, socially and culturally.

What do you guys think? Would you be willing to send your kids to school internationally?

 xoxo from San Francisco,

* Italicized texts marks original quotes from @FP_Magazine.
Read the article in its entirety at Foreign Policy’s site.

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San Francisco: A Trek to the Palace of Fine Arts

Posted on January 30, 2012 by ShannonElizabeth

Crystal clear day in SF.

 One of my secret resolutions for 2012 was to explore more of San Francisco. Like many other people, I tend to fantasize about international travel and cross-country excursions but rarely take the time to appreciate the city that I live in. Growing up in Northern California, I’ve always taken the city for granted a bit. Despite living here now (along with the countless trips of my youth), there are still so many places to explore, restaurants to check out and events to uncover. With my lovely new camera in tow, my goal for this year is to take time — weather permitting — to hop on a bus to uncharted territories (read: the Mission, the Inner Sunset, the Castro, Hayes Valley, etc.). Yes, I’ve been to all of these places, but I haven’t really spent enough time exploring and taking in the unique vibe that each district has to offer. For a $2 bus ride, you can get almost anywhere in the city, so it’s certainly an easy and inexpensive way to spend a sunshiny afternoon.

Palace of Fine Arts!

With the sun shining on Saturday morning, Boat Shoe Boy and I grabbed breakfast at nearby Nook, our neighborhood go-to for caffeinating. After a quick bite, we decided to jump on the bus and head to the Palace of Fine Arts, a place that I had yet to explore, for a jaunt and some quality photo ops. I’ve technically been to the Palace of Fine Arts before during a mini trek to the Exploratorium a few years back, but never spent any real time exploring the grounds. This time, I wanted to take it all in. Heading down from Nob Hill, we jumped off of the bus at the end of Union so we could trek through the Presidio en route to the waterfront.

Walk through the Presidio.

Not that I don’t love living in a city, but sometimes it’s nice to escape to a quiet pocket of the world, right? I tend to think that that involves a weekend road trip to Napa or down to Carmel, but it’s always refreshing to realize that there are some very un-citylike parts of San Francisco to explore, too. As a side note, how stunning is that image of the park, the bridge and the blue sky? It’s amazing how much some sunshine can add to your day. Cha-ching.

Palace of Fine Arts

Gorgeous day for a picnic.

After perusing, we made our way down the waterfront to Fort Mason Green for a quick stroll. With my cousin, B., and her boyfriend in town from the Peninsula for the day we headed back to the Marina to link up with them and grab a drink while getting our fill of Vitamin D. As per usual, we headed to our two staples: the Balboa Cafe and Tipsy Pig. The day quickly turned into the evening, so after some epic people-watching at Tipsy (I am truly amazed by the amount of makeup that is used within a 4 block radius of their location — I swear 75% of MAC’s blush sales can be attributed to girls that live in the Marina), we headed down to Delarosa per B.’s suggestion. Admittedly, I’m not a huge pizza person, but I was pretty in love with Delarosa’s food and drinks. Order the margherita + a ‘salty dog’ (without the salted rim) and you, too, will be in heaven. In my opinion, Delarosa > Pizzeria Delfina.

The night continued in North Beach with a quick stop at Tope and then on to Maggie McGarry’s. All in all, a successful day of city exploration. The weekend, we’ll be heading to McCormick & Kuleto’s for a company-hosted soiree followed by a night in Union Square (a good excuse for me to finally get some shopping done). Still on my city tour agenda: shopping in the Haight, a night in Hayes Valley and a foodie excursion in the Mission.

Check back as I continue my tour of San Francisco!

xoxo,

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Deal of the Century: Restaurant.com!

Posted on January 21, 2012 by ShannonElizabeth

We clearly like eating out... why not do it for less?!

I’m a notoriously ruthless deal monger, but even Boat Shoe Boy was proud of me for this one (and that’s seriously saying something). For anyone out there that likes saving money (who doesn’t?), you’re probably already familiar with restaurant.com as any self-respecting deal-huntress should be. Normally, you can get $25 gift certificates for a mere $10 through their site and there are a number of awesome restaurants, lounges and bars that participate in the scheme. Yes, there are stipulations but they’re clearly laid out by the merchant (e.g. must spend at least $35, must purchase 2 entrees, valid for food only, valid for dinner only, etc.). Not all merchants have the same restrictions, but there is usually something in fine print worth noting.

Regardless, I’ve just scored such an incredible deal through this site that I had to share! I have $250 worth of gift certificates to 10 restaurants in SF that I’ve been wanting to try + a $50 gift certificate to restaurants.com itself to purchase future deals with. My grand total? $37.50. No, seriously.

Here’s the deal: Find the restaurant you want, add the $25 gift certificate to your basket and use promo code ‘NEW’ when ordering. All of your $25 certificates (normally $10 each) will be reduced to $3. I actually added two $25 gift cards that were normally $20 each through the site and they were still marked down to the promo price. Such an incredible deal and such a great way to try new restaurants in your city or on your travels! Who wants to spend more money dining out than they have to?

Get online and get shopping! I’m not sure how long the promo lasts since it’s not really being advertised. Leave me a comment if you end up purchasing, though — I’d love to hear where you’re all going with your (nearly) free dining bucks!

Happy deal hunting!

xoxo,

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