God.. I love San Francisco, Part 1..

I am not a religious person, trust me... However someone helped me to find my favorite city on earth and I think that same person caused me to open that big heavy door tonight... More on that in a minute.

We have arrived in SF, a wonderful place indeed at least to us. A town full of beer and all things good (from a daytime drinkers standpoint).. I first had an Anchor Steam with my lunch and of course took a picture... Now, I can think of plenty of better beers, even in the SF Bay Area but some how nothing compares to the taste of an Anchor Steam Beer outside with one of those touristy sourdough bread bowls of clam chowder.. Maybe not THAT authentic to all.. But to me, it's what I do!

After this I, as always proceed to the Buena Vista Cafe which is where the modern day reincarnation of the "Irish Coffee" came from and the bar keep Larry has been there about as long as they have been... A great libation for the cutting cold and otherwise ill-mannered weather of the city of San Francisco..Only so many of those though and you need a beer..

La Trappe was the rather heavy door we found en route to somewhere else, however we quickly forgot about that other place. Whatever it was.. I am sure it did not involve beer the way this place did.. Mike the owner was tending the bar during happy hour when we found this place and he proceeded to sell me on the a Peres Noel, from De Ranke Brewery which was a wonderful start. We sat there for hours. As we were finishing our first selections we were informed of the newest addition to the draft lineup which was Beautification from Russian River Brewing, a very rare treat for my "east coast ass" to drink from the tap most matter of factly was utterly wonderful and and we had dinner there as well which began with a well thought out cheese plate and fresh potato leek soup and continued with a rabbit stew and mussels with the traditional frites. All were superb, as was the place itself perhaps the closest I have been to Belgium without actually being there. Mike the owner, as mentioned was around for a while and gave us little history about the building which dates back to the turn of the century (at least after the earthquake and fire) and spent many years as Italian Restaurants but has been in the family since the 1920's and has quite a history and it shows even with the glorious updates he has made the the place. There is a picture of the taps below, we wanted to take more but somehow forgot about the camera and everything else at the time...

More to come, it's hard to write when there is so much else to do but I can not help but sharing as much as I can. I am sure I will say this again, but if you are reading this and have never been to SF book your ticket now!


Cheers!