Exploring San Francisco At Night - North Beach and The Mission

Photos Via: #1 Park Tavern, #2 Exterior, #3 Park Tavern Bar, #4 Exterior of The Saloon, #5 Emma & Curtis - Interior of Mission Cheese, #7 Outdoor Patio Mission Cheese, #8 Range

Living in LA makes me appreciate the city aspects of San Francisco - easily being able to jump in a cab or walk to the action. I also love that San Francisco is a city made up of cool neighborhoods with unique traits. North Beach, is one such neighborhood that I was unfamiliar with and dinner at Park Tavern, located on Washington Square Park, provided the perfect opportunity to explore.  The restaurant is spacious and open, yet the lively crowd, restored wood chandelier, beamed ceilings, leather booths, soft lighting and tasteful plants make it a warm and fun ambiance.  The service was impeccable.  We were greeted with glasses of champagne, because unbeknownst to the friend I was with, he knew the owners and they had apparently checked the reservations and surprised us.  Ryan, the sommelier, was not only very knowledgeable about his wines, but couldn't have been more patient in letting me taste pretty much every white wine on the menu until I got the one I was happy with.  Much appreciated!  We started with deviled eggs with bacon and chives, moved onto the summer squashes with burrata salad and shared the cod and the filet for the main affair - all delicious.  Don't miss the birthday cake for dessert- yellow cake with banana cream and coconut frosting served with a candle!

After dinner we continued our exploration of North Beach and strolled down Grant Street, popping into several places for a quick dance and to listen to live music.  We ended at The Saloon, a historic dive which has been around since 1861, where we settled onto bar stools with beers and watched the Chris Cobb band do their thing.  A fun night!  Love being able to wander without a plan and hear live music and shake it.

The next night we headed to The Mission to sip rose with some friends at Mission Cheese, before dinner at Range.  As you might infer from the name, Mission Cheese has an impressive selection of artisan cheeses, and the outdoor patio is a perfect place for a summer sipper with friends.   Don't miss the chicken at Range.

We attempted to end our evening with salted caramel ice cream from the Bi-Rite Creamery but the line was around the corner and onto the next block!  San Francisco is such a foodie town - it still amazes me!!!