Canadian World Traveller Fall 2017 Issue

10
brought a dark mystique to the Rock as the
presence of infamous inmates like Al
"Scarface" Capone, and the "Birdman"
Robert Stroud helped to establish the
island's notoriety. To this day, Alcatraz is
best known as one of the world's most legendary
prisons. A visit to Alcatraz is high on
every San Francisco tourist’s list. We
booked our tickets via Alcatraz Cruises
(www.alcatrazcruises.com), the National
Park Service concessioner of ferry service to
Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay.
Nearly 1.5 million visitors use this service
annually. Plan about two and a half hours
for your visit. You can stay as long as you
like, taking the cell house audio tour,
exploring the rest of the island and its historic
exhibits, and returning to the mainland.
Here is a tip - order your tickets as
far in advance as possible.
The California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences
(http://www.calacademy.org) is home to an
aquarium, planetarium, natural history
museum, and research and education programs,
which engage people of all ages
and backgrounds on two of the most
important topics of our time: life and its
sustainability. Based in San Francisco’s
Golden Gate Park, it's remarkable what is
housed all under one living roof. Along
with dozens of daily programs on the
museum floor, there are plenty of ways to
see and learn more during your visit and
after hours. You can book a behind-thescenes
tour and get a closer look at the live
animals, discover scientific collections, or
learn what makes this museum the greenest
in the world. Admission is: $34.95 for
adults; $29.95 for youth ages 12 to 17,
Seniors ages 65 plus, and students with
valid ID; $24.95 for children ages four to
11; and free for children ages three and
younger. Hours are 9:30 am to 5 pm
Monday to Saturday, and 11 am to 5 pm
on Sunday.
Dining Out
Dining in San Francisco is an attraction in
itself. Known as one of America’s best
restaurant cities, San Francisco chefs excel
at combining the freshest local ingredients,
authentic international flavors and a touch
of creative genius. Choose your cuisine –
Chinese, Japanese, French, Italian,
Spanish, Moroccan, Indian, Malaysian,
Mexican, Greek, Russian or “fusion,” a
combination of any or all of these influences.
We came upon the ideal dinner and show
combination under the same roof of the
Kensington Hotel at Union Square- a fabulous
meal at Farallon Restaurant (www.farallonrestaurant.com),
followed by an
evening at the San Francisco Playhouse
and a presentation of the La Cage Aux
Folles. The dinner and a show promotion
that Farallon has with the Playhouse is a
$49 three-course prix fixe dinner. Farallon,
founded by famed restaurateur and
designer Pat Kuleto and Chef Mark Franz,
has been enchanting guests for 18 years.
We had an absolutely fabulous dinner. Our
server Nancy nicely described the options
and paired different wine with our appetizers
and main courses. We started off with a
large selection from the raw bar: lo b s t er
c l a w , Dungeness crab, oysters, clams
and prawns as well as tasting of Pacific
Coast oysters. I also enjoyed a very unique
bowl of soup, the Brodo of Homemade
Charcuterie, mussels, mushroom , ortellini,
summer corn and pesto. For the main
course our party of three feasted on the
sablefish, from the Farallon Islands, which
came with h i c k o r y ro a s t e d b a b y
e g g p l a n t, couscous, figs, almonds and
ras el hanout (a yogurt-like topping). The
bone dry scallops, with m u s h r o o m s,
cherry tomatoes, flageolet beans and
arugula pistou got a big thumbs up. So did
the flannery filet of beef, with braised scallions,
fingerling potatoes and crisp summer
peppers. For dessert we opted for the
mocha mousse chocolate cookie crumble
and lavender Chantilly and the raspberry
charlotte with lime meringue, fig compote
and citrus tuile. It was the perfect ending to
a perfect meal!Reservations for dinner are
recommended by phone or Open Table.
Info: 415.956.6969
In terms of sushi, there is no question that
Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant & Bar is tops
in San Francisco. Located on the border of
Nob Hill and Tenderloin , at 619 Taylor, this
is a lively basement sushi spot helmed by
high-skilled Japanese chefs. There is a dj
every night but Sunday. It opens at 6 pm
each night and continues serving until 1:30
am. Reservations are not taken here, so
prepare to line up. When we arrived at
7:30 pm there were already many people
standing along the stairs and out the door.
You first must enter the name of your party
on a sign-up sheet, but it is truly worth the
wait. The manager on duty, Ling, got us a
nice table, had us seated and made some
helpful suggestions, starting off with a creative
cocktail. As for the menu and the
evening’s specials, posted on a board
behind the bar, she was right on the mark.
We shared the beef teriyaki, the grilled
whole squid, oh toro (fatty tuna), jumping