Café Gratitude
Café Gratitude sprouted from an idea for a board game. The Abounding River Game is an interactive exercise in experiencing living abundance. The creators, Matthew and Terces Engelhart, set about establishing a place to play the game where the spirit of abundance was reflected. The restaurant they created serves only raw organic foods from local farmers and vendors. Each dish is an affirmation. For example, "I Am Passionate" is a pizza on buckwheat sunflower seed flatbread with cashew ricotta, Brazil nut Parmesan, sun-dried tomato marinara sauce, olive tapenade and basil. Smoothies and other beverages also are available. Cards from the Abounding River Game are placed at each table and also available for sale. The café supports area farmers, sustainable agriculture and products that are environmentally friendly.
Café Gratitude
2400 Harrison St. (@20th Street)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 830-3014
cafegratitude.com
Farallon
Named for the chain of islands off San Francisco's coast, Farallon is a modern creation inside one of San Francisco's classic buildings. Renowned designer Pat Kuleto converted the Elk's Club on Union Square into the interior of an underwater cave. The jelly bar features octopus stools beneath jellyfish chandeliers, while the nautilus room has booths arranged around a spiral pillar. The cuisine is correspondingly coastal and features fresh oysters from the San Francisco Bay Area.
Farallon
450 Post St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 956-6969
farallonrestaurant.com
BIX
If you're looking for something more urban away from the trail, BIX might be the place for you. Appropriately located in the city's North Beach district, BIX is a testament to the swinging jazz age of the 1930s and '40s. This restaurant was founded by Doug "Bix" Biederbecke, and named after the legendary trumpeter with the same last name. This spot offers a slice of the good life in an elegant setting punctuated by stylish nostalgia. Enjoy steak tartare prepared at your table, a truffled pecorino cheeseburger, but don't pass up the classic cocktails from the "Bixology" collection. Biederbecke's "Bixology: Cocktails, Culture and a Guide to the Good Life" was published in 2009.
BIX
56 Gold St.
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 433-6300
bixrestaurant.com
