California Official Visitor's Guide 2022 - 25

PREVIOUS PAGE: ALANNA HALE. THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE/HEARST NEWSPAPERS/GETTY IMAGES; YUVAL HELFMAN/COURTESY AUDIUM; LORENA MASSO/COURTESY LA COCINA; LIZ HAFALIA/THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE/GETTY IMAGES
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‹‹COLD
‹‹COLD
DRINKS BAR
Semi-hidden up
a stairway inside
Chinatown's China Live
complex, with entry
behind a discreet door
emblazoned with bats,
this scotch-focused
bar cultivates a glitzy,
old Shanghai vibe with
creative libations and
white-tuxedo-clad
bartenders. It also
features a menu from
the exceptional Eight
Tables by George Chen
kitchen.
Audium
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AUDIUM
This state-of-the-art
" theater of sound " is a
custom-built space that
specializes in spatial
sound art, opened in
1967 near Nob Hill.
The main auditorium,
enveloped in darkness,
deploys 176 speakers,
sloping walls, a fl oating
fl oor, and a suspended
ceiling to create eff ects
that cannot be achieved
anywhere else.
34 SUNSET
SQUARES PIZZA
Think you've tried every iteration
of pizza? Think again. Chef Dennis
Lee, known for popular Korean restaurants
Namu Stonepot and Namu
Gaji, made a pandemic pivot to pizza
and off ers a unique approach. The
dough is made using a three-day
cold fermentation process, the
sourdough starter is fed with kimchi
juice, and toppings include mapo
tofu, bonito fl akes, and bulgogi beef.
35 CHOCOLATE
COVERED
Owner Jack Epstein cheerfully
presides over this sliver of a store
sitting discreetly along Noe Valley's
commercial corridor. He cultivates
San Francisco's most diverse and
delicious array of gourmet chocolate
from around the world, including
bean-to-bar companies both notable
and obscure. Epstein will help you
fi nd just the right cacao creation to
fi t your fancy, and his operation also
specializes in custom gift boxes.
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33
MOUNT
SUTRO
FOREST
The 900-foot hill and
underappreciated park
in the Inner Sunset is
home to an 80-acre
eucalyptus forest that
is more than 100 years
old. Hikers climbing to
the top often see the
fog rolling in off the
Pacifi c, which clings to
the 100- to 200-foot
treetops.
36 LA COCINA
MUNICIPAL
MARKETPLACE
This food hall opened in the funky
Tenderloin neighborhood in April
2021. It is one of the biggest endeavors
yet from La Cocina, a nonprofi t
culinary incubator for women of
color and immigrant women that has
produced some of the Bay Area's
buzziest restaurants in the last
decade. Options include Senegalese
stews, Creole po-boys, Salvadoran
pupusas, and North African-inspired
soups and sandwiches.
37 KABUKI
SPRINGS AND SPA
San Franciscans have pampered
themselves at this traditional
Japanese-style bathhouse in
Japantown for 50 years, soaking and
steaming with dips in the 55-degree
cold-plunge pool in between. A
meditative atmosphere is carefully
cultivated-staff strike a gong to
remind any guests whose volume
rises above a whisper-and other
spa treatments are available. Check
the schedule-there are designated
women's, men's, and co-ed days.
38 POPOS
The city's Privately Owned Public
Open Spaces are a collection of
public plazas, rooftop terraces, and
parks that are tucked inside private
developments. Some off er works
from renowned sculptors (555
Mission St.), others sport stunning
views (23 Geary St.), and many are
great spots to people watch (101
California St.).
39 TROUBLE COFFEE
A few blocks from the Pacifi c Ocean,
this small coff ee shop in Outer
Sunset is known for launching the
gourmet toast trend with its thick,
buttery slices of cinnamon toast.
Owner Giulietta Carrelli was merely
recreating a beloved treat from her
1980s childhood, and now,
boom! $15 avocado toast
is everywhere. She
might even share
the story with
you as you enjoy
your brew or a
refreshing
La Cocina
Municipal Marketplace
young coconut she serves with a
straw and a spoon for digging out
the meat.
40 MARTUNI'S
PIANO BAR
The drinks at this Lower Hayes
Valley hotspot pack a punch, all the
better to dilute any stage fright at
one of San Francisco's last surviving
piano bars. Grab a table and start
with the signature gin martini,
served in a proper martini glass.
Talented local crooners belt
Broadway hits, and the crowd often
joins for a sing-along. In the mood
to show off your musical prowess?
Choose your song carefully-there
are no teleprompters.
41 DOGPATCH
NEIGHBORHOOD
This industrial neighborhood on
the city's east side has recently
been getting its due thanks to
an infl ux of foodie and arts
destinations. Spanning three
warehouses, the Minnesota Street
Project hosts 13 permanent galleries
as well as a handful of pop-ups.
A few blocks away, Neighbor
Bakehouse whips up everythingbagel
croissants and ginger monkey
bread that sell out before noon.
Venture over to Harmonic Brewing's
taproom to try a
Prague Rock
Pilsner.
VISITCALIFORNIA.COM | 25

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California Official Visitor's Guide 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of California Official Visitor's Guide 2022