San Francisco!

Oh how I loved San Francisco, where everything is up hill both ways and fall is always in the air!

I went for Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) conference. I presented on Wednesday, so I came up on Tuesday. Tuesday I hit up sushi for lunch and Whole Foods for dinner (yay Whole Foods!) . Whole Foods' G-F selection was really small, on the hot bar and in the store.

Wednesday I ate my G-F cereal with almond milk in the room and headed out to Golden Gate Park to wander around in the Japanese tea gardens. The gardens were beautiful, and the crisp misty air of the morning made the gardens all the more enjoyable. I had a wonderful pot of green tea, while being stalked by a squirrel who wanted my snacks. For lunch, I tried a sushi place at the Metreon that turned out to give me a bad reaction later that evening.

My presentation went well- I presented with a panel of nurses form around the nation about cultural competence in the rehab setting. I love conference because it reminds me why I became a nurse, why I love my job, and pushes me to work towards developing my leadership skills.

Thursday my boyfriend came into town, after a day of conferencing. For a late lunch, we went to Thirsty Bear, a brewery. Usually I avoid breweries because they aren't always accommodating; however, they were very knowledgeable about G-F and accommodated me with a delicious meal. I had a salad with goat cheese, fig, and chicken. It was a light lunch. (I snuck a sushi snack on a break with conference.)

Thursday night we went for dinner at the Fly Trap. The concierge recommended the restaurant, describing it as a contemporary, eclectic menu. I enjoyed my ribs off of a menu that I would describe as unique, Mediterranean fusion. I loved meeting the chef/owner who rounded on all of his customers to ask about the food. I expected a high price and a tiny portion of food, but my dinner was very filling (and I had been starving when we arrived). The meat fell off the bone, and was savory. I could not have asked for a better meal.

Friday we went to Pier 39 in the afternoon. (Nick went to Alcatraz while I went to conference.) We tried to eat a few things San Francisco is known for- he at sourdough bread, and I ate dungeness crab. I am usually not a big crab person, but I LOVE lobster. The main difference in eating the invertebrates was that lobster's thicker outside breaks and falls apart cleaner and easier. The delicate crab meat made all the work worth it for me. For the other part of my meal, I ate a salmon BLT, minus the bread. That was a genius combination. I will most definitely make myself one on G-F bread sometime in the near future. The veggies, on the other hand, were overcooked.

Friday night we discovered Mel's Diner after coming home late from Oktoberfest. Where we were- on 4th and Mission- everything shuts down early (at least by Atlanta standards), so were were left with Mel's Diner, Denny's, and Dominoes as choices for a very late dinner. Mel's won, hands down. They cook everything in olive oil, and our waitress was very nice and helpful in picking out a G-F menu choice. I ate fall-off-the bone juicy baked chicken dinner that filled me up with potatoes left over on my plate. Mel's became our restaurant of choice- we ate breakfast and a burger for dinner on Saturday, and breakfast again on Sunday, while rocking out to oldies off the juke box. Aside from being tasty and *gasp* G-F diner food, it was also right around the corner from our hotel. The service was great, and I really enjoyed my food every time. It was probably the most economical set of meals we ate in San Fran. (Everything is so much more expensive in California!)

There was so much to do in San Francisco, and so little time. I made a map of all the restaurants I wanted to try, but in truth, didn't make it to a single one. I can't complain, though. Everything I ate was great!