SVong-Along

Formerly "the best restaurant in the world" and one of the few restaurants with 3 Michelin stars, The French Laundry has been on my bucket list and I was fortunate enough to snag a last-minute reservation and share the dining experience with my good friend Jocelyn.  Chef Thomas Keller's flagship served a memorable meal, with highlights such as: "pommes maxim's," Elysian Fields Lamb, and buckwheat ice cream with whiskey honey. The food seemed more rustic and traditional rather than innovative, so personally it wasn't the best meal of my life since I'm into fusion/gastronomy, but it was still a great experience, especially since we got to tour the kitchen at the end and met Chef Thomas Keller himself!  We drove from Bay Area in the afternoon, and it was unfortunately smoky, but the skies were not apocalyptic at least. I parked directly across the street from the restaurant. There might be parking along the small road beside the restaurant also, but str...

Flying over SF in a helicopter was a cool experience, and was better than "Soarin' Over California"! It's a bit pricey, but I'd recommend it on a special occasion if you really want to see all of SF in less than half an hour. The helicopter is also really smooth- I usually get motion sickness and even when it flew at an angle I didn't feel sick or anything!  Happy Bday DC! (he also convinced me by saying "think of the pics for the blog," which he mostly contributed.) We booked a Vista tour with SFHelicopter s, which required a minimum group of 4.  We arrived at Oakland airport around 2:45 pm, and went to the helicopter area which was also next to the JetSuiteX area. After a short orientation and safety video, we had a chance to use the bathroom, and then walked out to the heliport.  The helicopter seats four in a separate cabin from the pilot, and had glass windows so each person had a nice view. There were also bright blue "morning sickness...