San Francisco - Alison Bing [225]
Eating & Drinking
Soif ( 831-423-2020; www.soifwine.com; 105 Walnut Ave; small plates $4-7, mains $18-23; dinner) Part wine shop, part wine bar and restaurant, Soif draws food-savvy bon vivants for a heady selection of 50 unusual wines by the glass, designed to pair with a sophisticated, seasonally driven, Euro-Cal small-plates menu.
Ristorante Avanti ( 831-427-0135; www.ristoranteavanti.com; 1711 Mission St; mains $13-26; lunch Mon-Fri, dinner nightly; ) Mom-and-pop Avanti’s Cal-Italian menu features earthy pasta dishes; chicken cacciatore is the specialty, but look for seasonal knockout specials that use local produce. Casual vibe, good wines. Families welcome. Make reservations.
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FURTHER AFIELD: LOS ANGELES & LAS VEGAS
San Franciscans live in a bubble. Need a new viewpoint? Heading to LA is like pushing the fast-forward button on the movie of your life. For muscle beaches, celebrity sightings and camera-ready wackiness, head south on coastal Hwy 1 to La La Land. It’ll take 12 hours depending on traffic and how often you stop. A quicker jaunt is less-scenic Hwy 101 (nine hours); the fastest route is boring inland I-5, which takes about six hours.
Las Vegas, Nevada, is a nine-hour non-stop drive from San Francisco. Cross the Bay Bridge to 580 east, to I-5 south, veering off towards 99 south (at exit 278), to 58 east, then I-15 the last 160 miles. A slower, gloriously scenic option is to go east through Yosemite National Park on Hwy 120 (summer only; verify by calling 800-GAS-ROAD) and south on Hwy 395, east on Hwy 190 through Death Valley National Park then south on Hwy 95 straight into Sin City.
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Gabriella Cafe ( 831-457-1677; www.gabriellacafe.com; 910 Cedar St; mains $15-25; lunch & dinner Tue-Sun) Intimate and romantic, with tiny tables and twinkling lights, Gabriella is the perfect date spot, with a charming outdoor garden for a long, lingering lunch. Dinner could be better for the price.
El Palomar ( 831-425-7575; www.elpalomarcilantros.com; 1336 Pacific Ave; meals $10-22; lunch & dinner; ) Always-packed El Palomar serves tasty Mexican staples – try the ceviches – and good margaritas. The tortillas are made fresh in the covered courtyard.
Lillian’s Italian Kitchen ( 831-425-2288; 1116 Soquel Ave; mains $8-23 lunch Tue-Fri, dinner Mon-Sat; ) Nothing-fancy Lillian’s serves terrific homemade American-Italian dishes, including a knockout ‘Sunday gravy’ – a slow-cooked, tomato-based meat sauce – using an old family recipe. Great paninis at lunch. No reservations.
Dolphin ( 831-426-5830; Municipal Wharf; mains $9-18; breakfast, lunch & dinner; ) For fish on the wharf, you’ll get the most bang for your buck at this unpretentious, family-owned diner at pier’s end.
Engfer Pizza Works ( 831-429-1856; www.engferpizzaworks.com; 537 Seabright Ave; pizzas $8-17; 4-9:30pm Tue-Sun; ) Engfer makes Santa Cruz’s best wood-fired pizzas, using homemade dough and sauces. Play Ping-Pong and sip beer and wine while you wait.
Zachary’s ( 831-427-0646; 819 Pacific Ave; dishes $6-11; breakfast; ) The breakfast spot covetous locals don’t want you to know about (hide your guidebook). ‘Mike’s Mess’ is the kitchen-sink standout.
Saturn Cafe ( 831-429-8505; www.saturncafe.com; 145 Laurel St; dishes $6-9; 10am-3am; ) A Santa Cruz classic, the late-night Saturn Cafe’s decor is an evolving pop-culture carnival. The menu is upmarket diner, with good salads and sandwiches and lots for vegetarians.
Farmers Market ( 831-454-0566; www.santacruzfarmersmarket.org; Cedar & Lincoln Sts; 2:30-6:30pm Wed) For organic fruits and vegetables and a taste of the local vibe, hit this oh-so-colorful farmers market.
Red Room ( 831-426-2994; 1003 Cedar St) Scenesters swill cocktails at Red. Upstairs is style-y, with moody lighting, big sofas and a fireplace; downstairs is grungier and looks like a vintage-50s mafia hangout. Signs say you can’t smoke, but many do.
Sleeping
Santa Cruz doesn’t have enough beds to satisfy demand: expect outrageous prices at peak times for nothing-special rooms. Prices listed below are for