San Francisco ~ Mendocino Road Trip

Golden Gate Bridge, Northern California Coastline, Hendy Woods Redwood Trees, Powell Street Cable Car

A fun 3 1/2 days of adventure, San Francisco and the northern California Coast are absolutely gorgeous in the month of June. You can never be sure when “June gloom” will set in and blanket the bridges and coastline… opa for the weather on our side as we were treated to a great road trip, beautiful photography and some fantastic meals. I met my friend Matt downtown, and together we grabbed a map, our cameras and some snacks, and we were off.

North on the 101 and through Petaluma on the 116N we drove past a unique eatery in this very quaint town, with a surf board in a tree and a purple toilet used as a plant holder in the parking lot. We were in Sebastopol, CA, we were hungry, and the Papas And Pollo sign was intriguing enough to stop in. A great little Mexican food place decorated with chickens and surfboards all over the ceilings and walls, Bob Marley from the speakers, my curiosity had me ordering their Carne Asada tacos which were really good. They use organic ingredients when available, and the food is fresh and local. They accommodate gluten-free restrictions, the paleo plan, and are very friendly in this casual spot. Check out their interesting menu online – Sweet potato stuffed with roast smoked pork, the naked burrito (any burrito on a bed of lettuce), nachos, salads, fish tacos… something for everyone. It’s also the place I was introduced to Purity Lemonade – soooo delicious and fresh!

Papas And Pollo surfboard, a giant Echium fastuosum along the coastline, Matt photographing Mesembryanthemum edulis, Mendocino’s Headlands Beach

Back in the car heading up Hwy 1 along the coast. So many flowers blooming along the shoreline to admire. It was fun to hear Matt talk about the Mesembryanthemum edulis, the giant Echium fastuosum, Lupinis macrocarpus, California poppy and Madia madioides… he is a “leisure-time plant collector, explorer and garden blogger” with an amazing site full of beautiful photos and plant stories – growingwithplants.com. To me, they’re California beauty I name “the yellow one, the purple one, the orange one or the red one”, smile.

The drive between Jenner and Mendocino was pretty, passing Sea Ranch, Anchor Bay, and Point Arena providing endless photo ops. And then, Mendocino. Take a stroll through Harvest Market @ Mendosa’s for your gluten-free snacks, local produce, some wine, cheese, and then head over to Mendocino Headlands Beach before sunset to take in the view (and evade the sand fleas). Dinner at the Mendocino Hotel on Main St. was tasty – they were gluten-free aware and served a great salmon meal with veggies and wine in their Victorian Dining Room. Per their site online: Local – Fresh – Seasonal – Organic. Good service and food, great company.

Breakfast at Goodlife Cafe & Bakery… gluten-free breakfast burrito, potato salad, pumpkin muffin and fresh brewed iced tea. Opa!

The BEST part of gluten-free dining in Mendocino was breakfast at Goodlife Cafe And Bakery — OMG! To find this organic, gluten-free cafe with such amazing choices made my morning. How to choose?!

The place looks like an artsy, small coffee house, it was pretty busy on this Thursday morning and every dish I passed looked wonderful. My gfree breakfast burrito was so good, I’ve re-created it at home as part of my new recipe Sunday menu. Instead of cole slaw as a side I asked for their potato salad — unlike ANY potato salad I’ve had before (and my mom’s is pretty great!). Of course, the gfree pumpkin muffin I bought as well, thinking it would make a great snack on the drive to Napa, but I couldn’t resist eating it right away. So good!

If we had we a cooler I would have loaded up on some more goodies for the road. Again, something for everyone, fresh and delicious.

After a quick good-bye to Mendocino shorelines, we’re off to Hendy Woods State Park to treck around some redwoods down the 128 Hwy. Tall trees! It’s an interesting feeling standing among them – my smallness (at 5’10”) was pretty cool. (Humboldt Redwoods State Park and Redwood National Park, both further up the coast, would surely REALLY amaze me. I’ve heard it’s a necessary trip next time.)

Mendocino shoreline, Hendy Woods State Park redwoods and little me, grapevines along the 128 Hwy, Firepit at Westin Market St.

South through the back roads to Calistoga and eventually Napa, lush vineyards and wineries temp you to stop in. It is now an unexpected 100* on this day, so our original thought of sipping wine and eating lunch out on a picnic bench among the vineyards turned to finding a suitable restaurant indoors with air conditioning. Good thing for the iPhone maps and yelp reviews. Bistro Don Giovanni was superb! The moment we walked in we were greeted by friendly staff and Giovanni Scala (co-owner and maitre d’). Very charming and quite a fun conversationalist. The ambiance was rich, dark Italian decor, huge booths and a fantastic menu. And yes, they know all about ordering gluten-free. Once again, we happened upon a place where sustainably-farmed local fruits and veggies, and organic meats and fowl, were incorporated into not just lunch but an “amazing dining experience”. Quote me. Take a peek at their menu online – you will want to make the drive to Napa just to try it! I had a Caesar salad (sans croutons) and the Grilled Berkshire Pork Chop with roasted potatoes and garlic, aged balsamic. And, of course, fresh, fabulous brewed iced tea. This stop was just the rejuvenation needed from the long drive, and the atmosphere and genuine care of the owners make it a sure place for a return visit.

Pulling into the Westin San Francisco at Market Street in the evening, the outside lounge with the bar and fire pit was a great place to chat about the last two days, unwind, and dine on some CPK (to go) from across the street. CPK has a variety of gfree items – the White Corn Guacamole & Chips small plate and a half California Cobb were perfect. UPDATE – October: CPK has added their Field Green salad back onto their lunch menu, and is now offering (three) gluten-free pizza’s again. Great news! It goes to show when enough people offer their opinions on food choices to restaurant management, changes can be made ;o). Good for you CPK!

San Francisco skyline, Adventurecat catamaran cruise in the bay

For my solo Friday adventure I caught the ‘F’ streetcar down Market St to The Embarcadero. I jumped off at Pier 39 with 15 minutes to run to Gate J and onto the Adventurecat catamaran for its 1pm one-and-a-half-hour cruise. This was the best $35 spent in SF! Captain Mike gave us quite the ride out the windy route to Alcatraz, under the Golden Gate Bridge, around the shoreline of SF and back. The thrill of seeing the Golden Gate from so many different angles on this trip – first driving over it and viewing it from both sides, to now boating below it – was great. (Next trip I will rent a bicycle to ride over it.) Met some great people on board, compared sight-seeing notes, and mostly enjoyed the laughing and speed we felt on this jaunt. A definite must-do again.

Captain Mike on the Adventurecat, Ghirardelli Square park and beach, Kara’s Cupcakes

Pier 39 is your basic tourist hang-out. Lots of restaurants, shops, and live entertainment in the center square. I stopped into Neptune’s Waterfront Grill & Bar for the view, ate a burger (sans bun) and grilled asparagus, and headed for Ghirardelli Square. A beautiful day for kickin’ it in their park, relaxing on their little beach, and indulging in a beautiful, gluten-free chocolate cupcake from Kara’s Cupcakes. They’re located next to Ghirardelli in the Fountain Plaza, and are an artisan bakery creating fresh cupcakes daily, using organic, local products. They even donate all uneaten cupcakes to local charitable organizations in San Francisco at the end of the day. It was a very tasty, very rich cupcake, and they are very FUN people to chat with!

I’ve never ridden the cable cars before (!!) so I hopped on the Powell Street cable car (after an hours wait) and took the fun ride up the hills and through the streets of San Francisco. (Fun facts: Andrew Hallidie arrived in San Francisco in 1852, and after witnessing a horse-car accident on one of San Francisco’s fearsome hills in 1869, he tested the first cable car system near the top of Nob Hill at Clay and Jones Streets in 1873. The Powell Street cable car service started in 1888. In 1982 the cable car system was rebuilt and the historic cable cars were refurbished. Too bad they removed the cable cars in Los Angeles all those years ago, it was a fun ride!

Powell Street cable car, Puccini & Pinetti salmon dinner, San Francisco street, Lori’s Diner

My final destination after a quick hotel stop to refresh was dinner at Puccini & Pinetti on Ellis Street. They consider their cuisine “Cali-Italian”. Per their website, “Locals can’t get enough of the gluten-free and dairy-free dishes at the energetic, yet casual atmosphere.” I enjoyed their Grilled Salmon with roasted corn, cherry tomatoes, mashed potatoes and salsa verde (salmon, again?!!). Take a look at their online gluten-free menu – it’s HUGE! With dinner choices as Short Ribs, Chicken Marsala, Bistecca, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Arrabiata, and the list goes on, and on, and on…. I have a lot of sampling to do next time. They also have eye-catching breakfast and lunch menus – no wonder they are such a popular eatery. The ambiance was great too, and at my window-table-for-one I enjoyed people-watching on the inside of the restaurant as well as on the streets.

Next morning my flight left in the afternoon, so I reunited with Matt and we stopped in at Lori’s Diner – the old time 50s diner where we sat at the counter and ordered up breakfast. They do not have a separate gluten-free menu, however the waitress brought me eggs, bacon and fruit which were ‘safe’ and usual diner tasty ;o). The decorations, juke box, and Elvis and Marilyn memorabilia were pretty interesting, too.

After some touring, shopping and trekking at Union Square, an iced tea break was a must before my flight, and Emporio Rulli provided a beautiful outdoor seating area to watch all the San Franciscoans and tourists scurry around with full shopping bags and sore feet. Well, mine were sore. I enjoyed quite an adventure the prior few days, and as usual, walked miles. I hopped on Bart to the SFO airport, and voila, there was Max’s Eatz And Bakery between gates 20-38, with a line of people waiting for their Pastrami Ruben. Good thing I still had two slices of Udi’s g-free bread in my bag (I’m always prepared at airports), the very friendly cook made me a delicious pastrami sandwich, and I even grabbed a bag of their peanut butter gfree cookies from their bakery for the plane ride home. They have mixed reviews on Yelp, however I found them to be prompt, friendly, and accommodating to my request. And the pastrami was delicious!

So much more to see in San Francisco next trip…

• The sculpture garden
• Muir Woods
• North Beach’s ‘Little Italy’
• Golden Gate Park
• Caffe Greco
• Alcatraz Tour
• Segway Tour of ‘Advanced Crooked Street & Hills’
• Samorai Tea Lounge
• Pica Pica Venezuelan Restaurant

Definitely fun!