The next time you are dressed in your Sunday best and in search of sunny brunch spots in San Francisco, look no further than Sacramento Street's The Magic Flute Garden Ristorante.

Presidio Heights, situated west of Pacific Heights and just north of Laurel Village on California Street, offers outposts of delight from Divisadero to the east on Sacramento all the way west to Spruce.

The Magic Flute is one of them.

The Magic Flute Interior

The Magic Flute is located between Spruce and Locust on the south side of Sacramento. The romantic "Garden Ristorante" and Italian cuisine make this a superb "rugged elegant" place of taste regardless of the weather ... but especially on a sunny day.

Their back patio is reminiscent of the old Tuba Garden days that were once the draw across the street.

In fact, The Magic Garden even has a Tuba Garden Restaurant sign planted in their garden outback.

Philip LaCavera's patio is worth the wait when the sun is shining.

The tables in his garden are made of white Italian marble each with a black iron base.

For those who prefer the warmth of the sun but not the brightness there are plenty of umbrellas to provide shade.

Yellow daisies and cherubs spouting water abound.

On cooler days, the patio is heated.

If you didn't know you were in San Francisco, you'd think you might have emerged in a small garden cafe in Florence.

A Tuscan Village Trattoria in San Francisco

The Magic Flute's seats in front are romantic no matter the time of day or night ... lunch, brunch or dinner.

The warm washed walls inside are painted a Tuscan gold color.

The service is as warm as the ambiance.

Our server let us know that it would be 10-15 minutes before our brunch would be served once we put in our order. She was right on the mark.

California-Italian cuisine is the fare served at The Magic Flute.

Salmon Nicoise Salad, Vegetarian Spring Frittata ($11.50), Eggs Benedict, Grilled Spicy Lamb Burger ($13) and Homemade Soup ($6) were a few of the Sunday Brunch menu items that caught our fancy.

A few of their specialty drinks include:

The Magic Cosmo "Cosmopolitan" (Tommy's margarita mix, low-proof vodka and cranberry juice)...$6

The Magic-Rita "Margarita" (Tommy's margarita mix and low-proof vodka...$6

Magic-Mary "Bloody Mary" (tomato juice, low-proof vodka)...$6

The Sacramento Street Screwdriver (Orange Juice and low-proof vodka)...$6

Brunch is served from 10am - 2:30pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Brunch at The Magic Flute

Save room, if you can, for their delectable desserts.

We looked fondly at the cheesecake and the chocolate cake, but refrained.

While the girls chose vanilla bean ice cream, I indulged in their fresh fruit (kiwi, strawberry and mango) a la mode.

With four other spoons reaching for a taste it was not long before my dessert was done.

The total brunch bill for five which included one entree per person, no alcohol and only two bottles of sparkling water: $150 (tip included)

For The Magic Flute's address, hours and menus, go to:

Make your reservations now for Mother's Day. This year your opportunity to indulge in that special woman takes place on Sunday, May 8th.

A Little Girl's Heaven Across The Street

Across the street, Dottie Doolittle was touting their new Ralph Lauren line for kids. Immediately, we were on a mission. With at least one family birthday in April, May, June, July and August, we had our work cut out for us. But as usual, Dottie Doolittle delivered.

Beginning tomorrow, Maggie will begin a major remodel of her store. Infant clothing will be moved from the back of the store to the front on the first floor. Big girls clothes (Size 7 and up) will now be upstairs.

Signs of Maggie's winery appear both on the walls and on the shelves. Look for her olive oil now.

The shop will be open throughout the remodel.

We look forward to profiling Dottie Doolittle in RuggedElegance.com.

We hope with the changes she has in store one of our kids' favorite San Francisco stores will be found on these pages more often.

The Rugged Elegance Companion "Places of Taste" Guides

We also anticipate including this children's boutique in the next edition of our Presidio Heights "Places of Taste" guide when she is finished.

Fast Fashion Finds for Females

Before lunch, we discovered many fast finds in Cheryl Lund and Brenda Alessandria's unassuming flagship fashion boutique for women called Designer Consigner.

If you're not shy to pick up designer labels previously worn at a fraction of the original cost, this also could be the place for you.

We walked in, spent 45 minutes and left having spent $10 for every minute we were there.

I found a fabulous fur and brown suede three-quarter-length coat. When I asked my husband to guess what I paid for it, he said $700. Of course, he was absolutely delighted when I responded, "$50!"

In addition, we found a Saks Fifth Avenue brown leather embossed bag, a Versace Sport shirt, a Holt Renfrew Studio cashmere sweater, and a pair of sexy Kookai pants for my friend Carolyn, who recently hosted a "Mom's Night Out in Hong Kong" trip for seventeen San Francisco women.

After brunch I made "the mistake" of bringing my husband and children into the boutique to see if we would add Designer Consigner to our community of Rugged Elegance Select Establishments.

While the aesthetic of the shop on the surface may not pull you in, this is one example where one should not judge a book by its cover. Within minutes, both my husband and kids were discovering "gotta have" finds. The prices are what get you. It's hard to imagine finding an original, looks-like-new, perfect-fitting black velvet Giorgio Armani suit for less than $200, other than perhaps your sister's closet.

Another $150 later, we took our two ponchos, two more shirts and an additional handbag and headed home. Quite satisfied we all were, including my husband. Now, that's a first!

Spring Sale at Sue Fisher King

Unexpectedly, we ended up spending the better part of the weekend on Sacramento Street in Presidio Heights.

On Saturday, in search of Sue Fisher King's Spring Sale, we found Parisian beach towels by Emanuel Ungaro that were market down from $125 to $62. We also found an 800 count Old World Italian flat sheet by Gennaro Sferra Bros. that was market down from $510 to $357. No additional fitted sheets were available, so we settled for a 406 threads per sq. inch 100% Egyptian Cotton weave fitted sheet that was not on sale for $135.

Sue said she plans to only carry the 400+ count from now on. Both are scrumptious.

Anichini Bed Linens at Sue Fisher King

Sue also carries Anichini bed linens, Mirella Spinella's silk velvet bedcoverings, Cecchi & Cecchi lambswool and cashmere throws and blankets and Anke Dreschsel embroidered, beaded pillows.

For Sue Fisher King's address and hours and a link to her web site, go to:

Add The Decorator Showcase to Your May Weekend Adventures

Just off Sacramento Street, there is a sweet treat to be found on Cherry Street throughout the month of May in San Francisco's Presidio Heights.

Beginning Friday, April 29th, the beautiful Presidio Heights mansion at One Cherry Street will be transformed by the 2005 San Francisco Decorator Showcase.

A special Opening Night preview will take place on Friday, April 29th.

The showcase will be open to the public from April 30th to May 30th, 2005.

More than 30 of the Bay Area's leading designers will make over the interior and exterior of this elegant home, providing it with the ultimate "staging" for its debut on the premiere property real estate market.

This year, the designers who have donated their time to decorate the home include:

Martha Angus of Martha Angus, Inc., the Master Sitting Room

Vernon Applegate & Gioi Tran of Applegate Tran Interiors, the Family and Media Room

Kimberly Ayres & Lawanna Cathleen Endonino of k.a.l.c., the Master Bath, Laundry & Wet Bar

Michael Burg of Michael Burg Interiors, the Bedroom

Lisa Chadwick of Dolby Chadwick Gallery, the Third Floor Hallway

Melanie Coddington of Coddington Design, the Guest Bedroom

Scott Colombo of Scott Colombo Designs, the Garden & Terrace

Mary Conrad of Lightbox Design the Linen Closet

Charles de Lisle, Marion Philpotts, & Jonathan Staub of Your Space, Inc. the Dining Room

Geoffrey De Sousa of de sousa hughes, the Living Room

Angela Free of Angela Free Design, the Master Bedroom

Grant K. Gibson of Grant K. Gibson Interior Design, the The Atelier

Shelley Gordon of Shelley Gordon Interior Design, the Library

Christel Heinelt and Thad Warren of Lushart Decorative Painting, the Bathroom

Jennifer Hershon and Jo Ann Hartley of Hershon Hartley Design Inc., the Kitchen, Great Room and Butler's Pantry

Jay Jeffers of Jeffers Design Group, the Bedroom/Retreat

Ashley Roi Jenkins of Ashley Roi Jenkins Design, the Powder Room

Tish Key of Tish Key Interior Design, the Massage Room, Exercise Room & Terrace

Kay Kimpton of K Kimpton Contemporary Art, the Entry and 2nd Floor Landing and Hall

Steven Miller of Steven Miller Design Studio, the Bathroom

Katherine North, of Northbrook Design, his Bath

Steven Platzman of Addison Fine Arts, the Gallery/Hallways

Michael Siniscal of Maison Michel, the Wine Cellar

Caroline Vesey of Caroline Vesey Design, the Dog Walker's Retreat

A follow-up story will be written after seeing the property. Those designers who have created a "rugged elegant" room will have a link to their web site from the story that is posted.

The English Tudor mansion at One Cherry Street was built in 1914 by architect Houghton Sawyer.

Learning a lesson from the 1906 earthquake, Sawyer was one of the first architects to use reinforced concrete in single-family construction. With its beautiful walled-in garden, and its location adjacent to the beautiful forest of San Francisco's historic Presidio, the home feels like a country house in the middle of the city.

The Kingdom of Belgium purchased the mansion in 1960, and used it as the residence for its consul general until 1982.

It was also owned briefly by famed San Francisco attorney Melvin Belli.

Visitors to the 2005 Decorator Showcase will feel as though they have been invited to an exclusive, high-end open house, as the elegant mansion was recently listed on the market by Malin Giddings of TRI Coldwell Banker (more information at www.sfproperties.com).

This year, the San Francisco Decorator Showcase will break new ground by being the first major Showcase in the country to offer visitors an audio tour. The audio tour will include a room-by-room description of the mansion, with commentary by leading design experts.

The San Francisco Decorator Showcase is an annual benefit for San Francisco University High School’s financial aid program.

Since the first Showcase in 1977, more than $8 million has been raised, benefiting hundreds of students.

2005 San Francisco Decorator's Showcase

This year's Decorator Showcase house will be open to the public six days and one evening each week.

The hours will be 10 am to 3 pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 am to 7 pm on Thursday; and 11 am to 4 pm on Sunday and Memorial Day, May 30.

The Showcase home at One Cherry will be closed on Mondays (except for Memorial Day).

The audio tour will be included in the price of admission.

Tickets will be available at the door for $30; $25 for seniors.

For more information and to schedule group tours, call 415.447.5830, or visit:

Inspire & Be Inspired.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, "sumptuous Saturdays and Sundays in San Francisco" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King, Rugged Elegance, LLC

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