Valentine’s or Galentine’s the choice is yours, tomatoes. Celebrate whomever or whenever you like with a few out of the box date ideas.  We found some SF eateries you might want to try, including one that was a former pawn shop that still retains some of that charm. A world premiere comes to the Magic Theatre, Dirty White Teslas Make Me Sad, and boy is it a powerhouse! Happy Hearts to you all.

There’s a new eatery in the Presidio

Il Parco Italian Café is located inside Presidio Transit Center near Presidio Tunnel Tops.  They’re open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Their menu includes pastries and breakfast parfaits, hot beverages, soups and salads, focaccia pizza, snacks, wine, beer, and aperitivos. All fresh San Francisco seasonal ingredients. They also offer catering and with their handy takeaway window, they make it easy to assemble your perfect picnic on one of the Presidio lawns. A great place for a staycation lunch or bring your out-of-town guests.https://ilparcosf.com/

Enter The Pawn Shop…a unique dining experience.

When you enter this hidden gem, you will discover one of the last great mysteries of San Francisco. A hidden tapas bar with a one-of-a-kind menu and an extensive wine list – created by the award-winning teams behind Beso, Monarch, and The Great Northern. Formerly an iconic pawn shop in the heart of the San Francisco’s storied 6th Street corridor, the Pawn Shop is a unique and immersive dining experience where flavor and creativity meet. To access the Pawn Shop, you will need to interact with their amazing pawn master. You must bring something fun or unique to pawn/trade to get in. The pawn master is your entry to this immersive dining experience. The Pawn Shop accepts reservations from 1 to 7 guests but you can always reach out for larger parties. 993 Mission St. https://thepawnshopsf.com/

Butter and Crumble

For some reason in the cold and rainy winter, a steaming hot cup of joe, tea or hot chocolate seems so comforting. Pair it with a flaky and visually stunning croissant and there is self-care personified. Butter & Crumble has a permanent home in North Beach at the former Tante Marie’s Cooking School. The former pop-up business by baker Sophie Smith now offers options such as pistachio and cardamom sugar croissants, classic pain au chocolat along with her much loved bacon, egg, and cheese croissants. Perfect fare for a SF winter day. https://www.butterandcrumble.com/

Valentine’s Day or Any Day Ideas

It’s that time of year when romance is heralded, but why not put these ideas in your back pocket for any day.

 Sailing

Feeling a bit adventurous? Enjoy a private sail for two on the San Francisco Bay! Spinnaker Sailing provides a knowledgeable skipper aboard each boat to ensure safe operation and give you time to sit back and relish the views with your sweetheart. If you’re interested in being more hands-on, they’ll give you a chance to participate in sailing the boat.

PRO TIP: After your sail, head over to lively Downtown Redwood City and enjoy dinner and drinks at LV Mar & Tapas or Angelica’s. May we also recommend our Top 10 Places to Visit in Redwood City while you’re there? Alternatively, explore the beautiful Foster City Lagoon with an eco-friendly and easy-to-drive electric boat! Be sure to check out Edgewater Marine for this unique opportunity.

Full Moon Snowshoe Tour

If you prefer the snow, this sounds like a winner, in fact I am taking my Mr. Tomato on this adventure in March. A full moon snowshoe tour sounds like magic. Under the moonlit sky by Lake Tahoe’s shore at Sugar Pine Point State Park. State Park interpreters lead full moon guided snowshoe tours exploring the natural and cultural history around the Hellman-Ehrman Estate and the Lake Tahoe shoreline.  This is all levels with a beginner’s clinic at 6:30 p.m. (that’s us). The Full moon hike starts at 7 p.m. and lasts about 90 minutes. Claims to be a moderate hike on uneven snow surfaces and a great intro to the sport and hobby of snowshoeing with special nighttime access to the park. The cost includes rentals, park entrance, guided hike, and guaranteed fun. February 24th, March 23rd, and April 20th. With all the rain and snow, there is likely to be plenty of the white stuff through the April date.https://visittahoecity.org/event/full-moon-snowshoe-tour-6/

Picnic at a Farm

Visit a Local Farm and Have a Picturesque Picnic in San Mateo’s very own goat farm. Harley Farms in Pescadero. You have probably sampled their goat cheese from specialty markets, but it’s a great day trip in any season. On the way we suggest a stop at Arcangeli Grocery down the street from Harley Farms. Grab the fixings for a picnic, a bottle of the Sante Arcangeli Family wine, (the Pinot is our favorite) a loaf of their famous Garlic Herb & Artichoke Bread, and some deli meats. When you arrive at the Farm, visit their cheese shop, and browse the adorable wooden barn farm shop. While there, select some goat cheese and local honey to add to your picnic. Sit on a bale of hay, admire the cute baby goats, and indulge in your truly local as fresh as it gets picnic. Then stop at Pigeon Point Lighthouse on your way home for the perfect sunset picture. https://www.harleyfarms.com/

Feb. 28-March 18. World Premiere at Magic Theatre

Magic theatre once again brings a world premiere to San Francisco. Writer Ashley Smiley’s new play Dirty White Teslas Make Me Sad to the stage. This project is one of the recipients of the prestigious Gerbode Foundation Theatre This important and timely project is one of the recipients of. The prestigious Gerbode Foundation Theatre Commission Award. This play is especially exposing and exploring the Black born and bred beings of San Francisco, visioned by a Black artist and resident, born, and bred in San Francisco. With this inside/outside perspective, Smiley comes from the past of a Black San Francisco, but is truly a play of the future.  This elegy for Black San Francisco is framed inside the multiple meanings of its amazing title – Dirty White Teslas Make Me Sad.  Like the play itself- the title is honest and hilarious, while resonating poetically and politically.

The Dirty White Teslas are the unkempt, uncared for luxury items, revealing a ubiquitous and mobile representation of the new money privilege interloping everywhere in San Francisco. In the play and in the real San Francisco streets- Dirty White Teslas are also the sales name given the mixed and massively potent fentanyl pills, an even more devastating dosage causing deaths to San Francisco residents. Smiley has created a living poem and prayer attacking both destructive forces working against San Francisco Black folks while populating with lives and loves for this Black San Francisco. Get the details.