March Love Letter

I may well spend the month of March just eating and drinking, nothing else. If you’ve ever been to San Francisco, you know that this is one of the things our city does best.

San Francisco has no shortage of new restaurants opening every month, in every cuisine and price range. The two on my list to check out this month are the new California cuisine hotspot Zinnia (zinniasf.com) from former Myth chef Sean O’Brien, and Heaven’s Dog (heavensdog.com), an upscale Chinese eatery and noodle shop from one of the Bay Area’s best-known chefs, Charles Phan of Slanted Door fame. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!

It’s also a big sports month. For many a San Franciscan, March means college basketball, and if you’ve got a favorite team, you may want to grab a brew at some of the city’s favorite local sports bars for March Madness. Check out The Phoenix (phoenixirishbar.com) in the Mission, Haight-Ashbury’s Kezar Pub, or the Royal Exchange (royalexchange.com), located right downtown.

Finally, for those who worship at the altars of swine and wine (like me), a trip to the charming little town of Healdsburg, in the heart of Sonoma, may be in order: On Mar. 20–21, celeb chef Charlie Palmer of the Dry Creek Kitchen in the Hotel Healdsburg will host the Fourth Annual Celebration of Pigs & Pinot (hotelhealdsburg.com). The name really says it all: tastings of delectable pork dishes, seminars and demos, and, of course, some of the world’s best Pinots. What’s not to love?

After such a decadent month, April may well be dedicated to outdoor activities and exercise—but I’m going to enjoy it while I can!

Karen Palmer