Rugged Elegance, LLC: RE: San Francisco

Wed, 04 Jun 2003 20:43:34 GMT

RE: San Francisco Is Moving! Due to the tremendous response we've gotten, we've decided to give RE: San Francisco site room to grow by moving it to a new, improved location: http://www.ruggedelegantliving.com/sf/ Please re-set your bookmarks as all new posts will occur on the new site. As part of the move we are also transitioning to a Moveable Type content management system, which will allow us to add more editors while providing better search and categorization capabilities. Thank you your continued support. Growth is good. -Tim

Wed, 04 Jun 2003 04:10:12 GMT

Union Street Festival -- June 7 & 8 Union Street Festival The 27th Annual Union Street Festival is one of San Francisco's largest free art festivals. More than 100,000 attendees come from all over the Bay Area to enjoy the event. The festival features 200 artists, 20 gourmet food booths, live entertainment on two stages, bistro style cafes, spacious wine & beer gardens and a large family adventure area with children's activities and hands-on art projects. Union Street -- Gough to Steiner -- 10am to 6pm

Wed, 21 May 2003 01:24:23 GMT

Great Resource: Take Transit Trip Planner Jennifer had a lunch in Tiburon today and our car was in the shop. What to do? After striking out on the rental car front, I turned to Google and found a great resource for planning a trip in the Bay Area via mass transit. It's called TakeTransit Trip Planner. Simply enter your starting point, destination and the system will provide you detailed directions to get you from Point A to Point B using mass transit. Jennifer captured this shot from the ferry traveling in style from San Francisco to Tiburon. From the dock she was able to walk to the Tiburon Yacht Club. The first thing she said to me when I asked her how it went was "Boy, was that good for my soul. The salt air, the incredible views, the charming couple from Boston. All on the most magnificent sunny day. What a secret to be shared." -Tim

Mon, 19 May 2003 17:23:53 GMT

San Francisco Chefs: The Chronicle's 2003 Rising Stars San Franciso Chronicle:

Every year for the past decade The Chronicle's Food staff has selected a crop of young chefs who we think will soon be stars on the national stage. The group's alumni include chefs such as Michael Mina, Traci Des Jardins and Loretta Keller, whose talent, creativity and skills have put them at the top of the dining establishment. We're confident this year's picks will do the same, in the process shaking up culinary expectations and setting trends across the country.

Fri, 16 May 2003 18:26:01 GMT

San Francisco's New Farmer's Market Minneapolis Star and Tribune

Great food cities and spectacular farmers markets go hand in hand. Everyone benefits. Farmers prosper, and consumers and chefs gain access to fresh, affordable, locally raised foods, sparking the kind of satisfying, knowing-where-your-food-comes-from culinary culture that's sadly absent from so much of American life. Remarkable markets also enrich city living in a way that no number of publicly financed stadium-seating multiplexes could ever hope to emulate. This scenario is far from unreachable. San Francisco, arguably the nation's most food-obsessed urban enclave, recently christened a year-round showcase worthy of its passionate love affair with food and drink. The Ferry Building Marketplace, an $90 million renovation of a tattered, 105-year-old Beaux Arts landmark, is a glittering new home for the city's largest farmers market, several restaurants and shops for more than three dozen of the Bay Area's finest owner-operated artisinal food producers.

Wed, 14 May 2003 20:57:11 GMT

Smart Eaters Go Wild With Salmon San Francisco Chronicle:

The flesh of this hard-swimming Pacific native tastes wonderful, especially when it's caught wild, in season, close to home. Now is the time. California's wild salmon season opened May 1 and the fishing fleet sped straight out to the Farallones, chasing reports of a monster school of glittering, fat kings gorging themselves on ocean critters.

I recommend indulging in the salmon at Ana Mandara, a high-end Vietnamese restaurant owned by Don Johnson. Make sure to ask for wild salmon, which is much higher in beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids. The atmosphere is wonderful and the fish is out of this world. Eat right. Live better. -Tim

Wed, 14 May 2003 07:39:36 GMT

Bicycle Breakthrough? San Francisco Bay Guardian:

On Bike to Work Day, San Francisco is poised for 20 new bike improvements. For pro-bicycle activists, Bike to Work Day on May 15 is like a glimpse into a utopian future, one in which pedaling commuters outnumber those in cars.

Wed, 14 May 2003 01:27:47 GMT

Parnassus/Ashbury Heights Renovated Flat w/Huge Deeded South Garden SanFrancisco MLS Photos:

$895,000 - Opportunity to live in a house-like lower flat with huge deeded south garden on a double lot. Perfect for those wanting the best of indoor/outdoor living! Detached Queen Anne flat on an extra-wide lot with virtually every room overlooking the huge, deeded south garden. Beautiful gourmet kitchen opens to dining room. Double parlor living room w/fireplace, and second parlor as bedroom. Tall ceilings, beautiful finishes. Master bedroom plus small 3rd bedroom, 1 pkg in garage. Dog ok! 1st showing was Sunday 5/11/03.

Check out this gorgeous 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath house-like property listed by Sotheby's Janet Schindler. If you are a San Francisco buyer looking for a great agent, contact Rugged Elegance Real Estate specialist, Kaycee Pomeroy! - Jen

Thu, 08 May 2003 20:56:26 GMT

Centenarian Proves You're Never Too Old To Surf San Jose Mercury News by Mary Anne Ostrom:

Katherine Young just turned 102 years old. At that age, she's given up on mahjong, she no longer gardens and she doesn't pay much attention to her Underwood typewriter. But she has discovered the Internet -- and she may very well be the nation's oldest surfer.

This is certainly an inspiring story! I guess you're never too old to learn new things. -Tim

Wed, 07 May 2003 03:18:32 GMT

Rainy Day, Beautiful Sunset This is how the day ended in San Francisco. Click on the thumbnail for a larger version of the photograph. -Tim

Tue, 06 May 2003 16:04:42 GMT

Discover Peace & Quiet In The San Francisco Bay Area San Francisco Chronicle by Tom Stienstra:

This is what makes the Bay Area great, with countless hidden spots amid 1.2 million acres of greenbelt, 1,000 miles of waterways, 100 miles of coast, 125 major parks and 43 lakes. You can create your own private spot -- and feel the power of place - - any day of the year, no matter what the weather.

You don't need to go far to experience the beauty of San Francisco. The photo above is the sunrise from our front door -- in the middle of the city. -Tim P.S. Please click the thumbnail of the photo to enjoy a larger version.

Mon, 05 May 2003 06:30:00 GMT

Going Navy; Grueling Fitness Class Takes the SEAL Route to A Hot Body San Francisco Chronicle:

When my editor asked me to check out the Navy SEAL boot camp class at Crunch Gym in San Francisco, I thought it would be a cake assignment. I knew a little about the Navy SEAL teams' fitness regimen (SEAL is an acronym for Sea, Air and Land). I'd perused SEAL workout books, hoping to glean some tips for sculpting a toned body. I enjoy working out, I eat healthy food and I'm a competent runner. How hard could it be? Boy, was I in for a surprise.

Thu, 01 May 2003 13:45:17 GMT

Riding The Wave Of Interest In Latin Cuisines, Ceviche Is Seizing The Moment San Francisco Chronicle:

At hot San Francisco restaurants like Limon, Fresca, Alma and Destino, variations on citrus-marinated seafood are seducing diners who may have finally tired of Caesar salad. Low in fat, bold in flavor, and popular from Mexico to Chile, ceviche is rapidly adding local fans.

Wed, 30 Apr 2003 18:10:17 GMT

The Seasons of San Francisco As we sat outside Peet's Coffee at Fillmore and Sacramento this morning enjoying our morning coffee, I told Jennifer that I felt 100% over the nasty head cold which I had had for the past two weeks. She suggested that it must be the result of starting to take fish oil again. "Actually, I said, "I think it's the glass of Scotch that I indulged in last night." The UPS truck in front of us just pulled away. The little plaque on the side of the big brown truck said, "Jimmy O'Sullivan. 16 years of Safe Driving." No mean feat here in San Francisco. Congratulations Jimmy! It's been an unusually rainy April here in the City by the Bay. This morning, however, has been beautiful and sunny, although I see some clouds starting to creep in from the south. The weather here in San Francisco takes some getting used to, even though I've lived here for 15 years. I grew up in Wisconsin where we had distinct seasons -- winter and the 4th of July. In San Francisco, the seasons are much different. For one, it doesn't rain from late April until late October. Summers are cold and foggy. September and October are spectacular and the best time to visit. The period from April through June is the second best time to visit because the weather is good and everything is green from the winter rains. November through March is the rainy season and we can get some incredible storms. After putting considerable thought into this, I've come to the following conclusions about the Seasons of San Francisco:

Summer is Winter.
Fall is Summer.
Winter is Spring.
Spring is Summer.

If you want Winter, you need to drive to Tahoe. -Tim

Tue, 29 Apr 2003 22:22:29 GMT

San Francisco's Top Restaurants Here's an interesting guide to the top restaurants in the San Francisco as chosen by SFGate.com, which is run by the largest local newspaper -- The San Francisco Chronicle. I was initially amazed by some of the rankings, for instance Gary Danko (#19) and Hawthorne Lane (#51), until I realized that these numbers were simply assigned by location and had nothing to do with the quality of the restaurant. There are some notable omissions, for instance I did not find either Aqua or Postrio, which both made Zagat's Top 40 list. What do you think? Let us know via the Comment link below. -Tim

Mon, 28 Apr 2003 20:27:38 GMT

Apple's New Music Store: Officially Impressed Updated as of 5:04PM Apple seems to have straightened out the server problems they had earlier today and I am officially impressed! As I write this, I am Jerry Jeff Walker's "L.A. Freeway," which I just downloaded from the Apple Music Store. This song brings back lots of great memories. The Apple Music Store is everything that you would expect from Apple, clean, elegant and inspiring. The interface is intuitive -- if you can use a web browser you can use the Music Store. You can either browse or search, quickly and easily. Purchased music ends up right in iTunes -- no need to import a file. I have found all the music that I have searched for: Eagles, Jimmy Buffet, Sting, Nora Jones, Faith Hill, Springsteen, Neil Young. I love the ability to listen to 30 second snippets of music prior to downloading a song. This feature will enable me to explore lots of new music without leaving home and, I'm sure, spur incremental purchases on my part. The Music Store validates my continued loyalty to Apple and gives me yet another way to impress my PC-challenged friends and family. -Tim P.S. Here what the New York Times has to say. Posted Originally at 1:27PM Cnet: "Apple Computer on Monday unveiled its latest line of digital music products, including a long-awaited Internet music store and ultrathin versions of its popular iPod portable MP3 player." I downloaded iTunes 4.0 from Apple's web site. I found out that AAC support required QuickTime 6.2, so I had to download that as well. I restarted my Mac to check out iTunes. The most interesting new feature is Apple's Music Store, which is implemented like a browser window within iTunes. (See screen shot 362K.) Everybody and his brother must be trying to access the server farm, as I've had a difficult time getting through. I keep getting "504 Error There was an error in the Music Store. Please try again later." I was able to get through for a period of time and listen to a snippet from U2's "It's A Beautiful Day." The snippet sounded great. I attempted to buy the song for 99 cents, which brought me to a registration screen. Despite repeated attempts, I was not able to complete the registration process as the server at the other end was too busy (405 error). We're inspired by what we've seen. Hopefully Apple can get the server problems resolved, because the Music Store looks very promising. More later. -Tim

Sun, 27 Apr 2003 21:28:09 GMT

Beautiful Day in San Francisco It's a beautiful day in San Francisco. We enjoyed brunch with a great friend of ours and admired the view from our roof deck. This view looks to the east. You'll see downtown San Francisco in the foreground. Discerning eyes will pick out Mt. Diablo in the background. -Tim P.S. Click on the thumbnail picture to get the full-size version (638k).

Wed, 23 Apr 2003 23:55:49 GMT

San Francisco: Now Vs. 1958 In "Vertigo" I found a fascinating web site which compares San Francisco as seen in the 1958 movie "Vertigo" to how it looks currently. If you love San Francisco as I do, you'll enjoy this site.

Wed, 23 Apr 2003 22:12:17 GMT

Teresa Marchese, Rock Solid Fitness Trainer in San Francisco If you are a woman living in San Francisco and want to get into great shape, look no further than Rock Solid Fitness. Started in 1998 by Teresa Marchese, Rock Solid Fitness inspires and empowers women of all shapes, sizes, ages, and circumstances to strive for and maintain optimum physical fitness. I love rising at the crack of dawn while the rest of the world is asleep. There is nothing like soaking up the Golden Gate bridge, watching the early morning swimmers and seals, listening to the seagulls and the crashing of the waves along the shoreline while getting in shape. Surrounded by other hearty women who would rather work outside with a trainer than in a gym, this competes with my best days in Boston when I rowed six days a week on the Charles River. One of these mornings, I'll try rowing on the open water of the Bay. Until then, Rock Solid Fitness is my answer to living well and staying fit. -Theresa's biggest fan, Jennifer