San Francisco: Day 1

Christmas in Fog City!

Mom and I thought it was about time we took Darian to San Fran so she can see where my brother and I were born and where my mom spent her first years in the US.  We tried for Darian's spring break but a series of mishaps (missing planes, phantom tickets--don't even get me started!) forced us to move our plans to Christmas instead.  We got in late Christmas Eve and we slept in on Christmas, rising just for a wonderfully greasy brunch at Han's Coffee Shop.  I got the Spicy Sausage Breakfast and Mom got the Short Stack.  I honestly don't know how they make such huge pancakes and manage to still cook them through and keep them so fluffy!  Darian puzzlingly got the Chicken Sandwich.  More adventurous eaters should definitely try their Korean specials like Bimbimbap or their Korean Pancakes.

We then proceeded to drive around the city to the beach, across the bridge and even to our old house, and also up and terrifyingly down the two steepest hills in San Fran.  We then capped off our first rainy day in Frisco at Bob's Steak and Chop House for a perfect Christmas dinner.

The Crab and Lobster Bisque and Salmon Platter with fresh bread

We started off with some Crab and Lobster Bisque and the Salmon Platter with a bit of the fresh bread.  I find it strange that the bread was not sourdough but maybe that is presumptuous of me?  Anyway, the bisque was wonderful, with perfect chucks of crab and lobster and not too sweet or salty as most bisques are.  The salmon platter was nothing special but was a good start to the Christmas dinner.  We also got some Cesar Salad that was wonderfully anchovy-ish, just the way I like it---so much so that we scarfed that baby down before we got a chance to take a picture.

Mom's Roast Duck with Baked Potato

Mom got the half Roasted Duck with Peppercorn Sauce and a side of Baked Potato.  The roasted duck was perfectly cooked, soft and juicy with a perfectly crisped skin but I did find it on the salty side.  The baked potato was surprisingly the star of Mom's dinner as it came with full condiments of sour cream, broccoli, bacon and cheese for you to personalize.  Darian couldn't stop stealing bites from Mom.

My Prime Rib and Sautéed Potatoes with Peppercorn Sauce and Creamed Corn

Darian and I shared the 12oz. Prime Ribeye, probably the best I've had but that's not saying much since I usually go for the filet mignon.  Either way, it was perfectly tender with such a great crust on it I was tempted to go into the kitchen and ask for grilling tips.  Darian, the potato enthusiast of the family, was not impressed by the Sautéed Potatoes with Peppercorn Sauce but I thought it was fine.  Good crust with a soft center and a nice oniony sauce.  The best part, however, was the Creamed Corn.  Sweet and creamy, I only wish I could steal the recipe for every time I had company over to impress them!

There was no time for dessert since we had to run to the screening of Les Miserables.  Totally worth it.  My mom and I were in tears by the end when the entire cast was singing the finale, Do You Hear the People Sing?  I mean, definitely a different experience from seeing it live and the storytelling seems rushed in a film format but still great, just don't expect the singing to be on par to theatre, but where the film falls short musically, it makes up in emotion.  Anne Hathaway is heartbreakingly the perfect Fantine and Hugh Jackman is great as well.  Amanda Seyfried seems to struggle with some of the high notes as Cosette and Russell Crowe lacks the deep richness of other Javerts but both were still good.  Highly recommended!