NOLA X SAN FRANCISCO

It had been a little over 3 years since I visited the Bay Area and San Francisco specifically. Basically within 5 hours or so, one could travel from the deep south to one of the most eclectic cities in the world. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to get back. Even though I spent 3 days in the city, it’s the FOMO that always gets me when I think about my experiences. Per usual, I spent most of my time eating, drinking and walking around. To be honest, because of the eating and drinking, I didn’t do enough walking around.
With that said, this San Francisco feature is the first in several I’ll be posting towards the end of the year, titled NOLA X “City – fill in the blanks”. So below you’ll see where I stayed, what I ate, and some of my street pics. Even though we all know New Orleans is magical, and no one ever really wants to leave, but if you do, there are the places to visit. So here’s my NOLA X SAN FRANCISCO.

STAY

HOTEL CARLTON— 1075 Sutter St

Located in the Nob Hill neighborhood, Hotel Carlton, a Joie de Vivre Hotel, is on several best places to stay lists, and it was a fantastic place to stay. Based on what I had planned to do around town, and with the short amount of time I had, Hotel Carlton was perfect for me. Colorful, historic, and supremely comfortable, Hotel Carlton was one of the most interesting places I’ve ever stayed in. One of the coolest features of the hotel is the daily wine hour and see a Local Vocals show. It’s a great opportunity to meet some of the guests staying in the property as well as pre-game before the nightly festivities. Hotel Carlton also has a sublime house restaurant that just killed it. You’ll see that below. Here’s some images from Hotel Carlton…


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Hotel Carlton
Hotel Carlton

EAT + DRINK

Phlox CommonsLocatedinside the Carlton Hotel. This was an oasis for me. To have such a cool and intimate place to relax, begin and end the day was a fantastic part of my trip.

“Approachable appetizers and hearty entrees are supported by a thoughtful and extensive curation of locally produced beer and wine. Phlox Commons is a gathering place for friends and strangers to enjoy the flavors of California.”  — The Absolute best description of Phlox. I loved my time at Phlox. Whether it was the fantastic fruit plate I had for breakfast or the dinner I had that brought me back to my childhood, Phlox is totally gush worthy. Nestled quaintly within Hotel Carlton, the staff could not have been more considerate and accommodating. The food and the experience are top notch. I have recently switch over to tea, and Ryan made me the best Chai latte I’ve ever had. Kudos to the team over there for sure.


Phlox Commons
Phlox Commons


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Miller’s Rest1085 Sutter St.

Located next door to Hotel Carlton, Miller’s Rest is a substantial and inviting modern pub. After a good flight, I made a few stops right off the plane, and found myself slightly early for check-in. Luckily around the corner I found this great pub and grub spot. Miller’s Rest is a new spot that was just what I needed. It’s a great space with a super comfortable bar, open late-ish, has a great selection of booze (which I later learned a liquor license is hard to come by) and beer. I spotted the fried chicken sandwich with poutine and I was in heavy. Cracked open a beer and slowed it down a bit.


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Wes Burger N’ More2240 Mission Street

Located in the heart of The Mission, Wes Burger is burger and visual heaven for me. Walking right in from the street, I was immediately taken back by the super cool 70’s inspired interior, including the bright orange chairs, green stools, and the baddest mother fucking jukebox I’ve seen in a long time. The burger was ridiculously good and you can’t beat the tots. After a long morning, it was exactly what I needed.


Wes Burger
Wes Burger

Mr. Holmes Bakehouse1042 LARKIN ST

Home of the unavoidable “Cruffin” (croissant + muffin mutant delight), Mr. Holmes Bakehouse was another place that’s right around the corner from Hotel Carlton. Thankfully I was there early enough to capture one of the elusive creatures and it was like nothing I had every had before. Their sign, which you see below is certainly one of the most instgammed signs on the planet, is as clever and fun as their products. By the time I finished devouring my purchases, a lined formed around the block and scores of folks with iPhones in hand began capturing every inch of the small footprint. Like I said, glad I got there early. The image below at the bottom of the collage, is totally not from Mr. Holmes, but it was a little reminder of home. I did find out that Zapp’s are huge in the bay area. Kudos to Ron and them for sure.


Mr. Holmes Bakehouse
Mr. Holmes Bakehouse

STREET IMAGES


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