San Francisco Bay Area - Warm and Fuzzy All Over!

Warm and Fuzzy

Some of my best friends and memories are from the San Francisco Bay Area.

With the help of my two FF Fraternity brothers, Tony and Jackson and my friend-colleague from the Asian Busines League, John Jin Lee, I was able to reunite with many friends when I was there last week.

For starters, John and Jackson were able to convince 14 of my former Asian Business League directors and committee chairs to give up their Tuesday night and to drive 50 miles to the R&G Lounge (good Hong Kong cuisine) in Chinatown for a private banquet and lots of talking about ole times!

I was able to see old friends like Sandra, Sonny (also an FF brother) , Tom, Suzan, Andy, (also FF), Marc, Vic (also FF), Ray and Brother Tony. The night was filled with great talk and memories of our days leading the Asian Business League in San Francisco.

On another evening, Tony persuaded Susan and Audie Chang to join us at Rose Pistola, a San Francisco landmark not to be missed. We reminisced about ole times and talked with Tony a little about a house boat party that he and I helped organize for the fraternity and friends. It was a terrific memory of our "party animal" days.

I missed the FF brothers and the ABL team. I love them all.

As many people know, but I needed to be reminded....what makes the community of San Francisco so special is strong volunteerism and a sense of mission by my fellow Asians living in America.

This is something which I miss in Asia!

If you ever want that warm and fuzzy feeling all over....just live in San Francisco and join one of the many not-for-profit community organizations.

Later that week, Tony, one of the San Francisco Chinese Community's unsung heroes, set up several cigar sessions at the famed Shanghai 1930 which is owned by George Chen. Now, Shanghai 1930 is the place...Governor Arnold, the Gover-nater, smokes there, too!

In just a few puffs, Tony was able to re-introduce (Jackson did it first the day before) me to William, the author of The Eight Promise; Greg Chew, the Commmisoner of Film and the founders of several successful companies including a Hispanic television station, a medical website and a few tech companies. Nice cigar room, too. I highly recommend it.

Later that week, we had a family gathering at Bui on Solano Avenue in Berkeley. Tony came with his cousin, Lizzy, from London who's renovating a home in Tuscany and who invited me to a cruise in Austria in late November. (Hey, I'm really considering it!)

Lastly, I met up at a neighborhood place called El Paso Cafe with an FF brother's wife, CJ, who looked great and not a day older! Gary, her husband, who was probably watching us from above, would have been happy to know that she's doing exceptionally well and expanding her time to include more and more volunteer work in causes which she believes in. I admire her; and always have! Her son, Nicholas, was doing well, too, as a freshman at the Cornell, his dad's alma mater.

Travel Tips

When I was representing the Governor of California and in charge of promoting the entertainment and tech industries to Asia, I was quoted as saying,

"California is not just a place, it's a lifestyle."

And, the San Francisco's Bay Area is - I think - the best example of this.....both good and not-so-good.

The Bay Area is wonderful for food and wine......Napa Valley has no equal anywhere else in America!........true gourmands will love (my friends and I did!) The French Laundry, Bouchon, Martini House, Ad Hoc, Go Fish, Domaine Chandon......and, don't miss sampling at Opus One and Robert Mondavi.

The Bay Area is great for sports....all kinds of sports.......from sailing by the Golden Gate Bridge.....to cycling around Half Moon Bay......to a friendly game of softball with some old and new friends.

Which brings me now to an update on dining out in the Bay Area......

- My other ole acquaintance, George Chen, opened Shanghai 1930 a few years ago. Tony is a member of the cigar club. The restaurant & bar is buzzing with live jazz and is known for both it's speakeasy features as well as it's fine dining menu. Give it a try, it's at 133 Steuart Street just off Mission Street.

- Rose Pistole, a San Francisco landmark in North Beach at 532 Columbus. Tony is a regular there. Sit at the sidewalk cafe and watch the people go by. The gnocci and pizzas are terrific.

- Ozuma, a few doors away on Steuart Street from Shanghai 1930, was opened by an ex-pro American baseball player who fell in love with the Japanese culture while playing over there. Sashimi, sushi and a huge bar crowd awaits you!

- Wanna go local and try Chinese....give R&G Lounge a try...it's an ole favorite of the Hong Kong Chinese who want good value and good taste!

- Found yourself on the other side of the bridge? ....Don't fret...there's a new 4 star restaurant there called "Bui" which fuses Vietnamese and French cuisine to a new height.....it's on the hot food strip in Berkeley called Solano Avenue, off Ventura.


Now, this wouldn't be a balanced travel review if I didn't bring up some things to watch out for......

Be prepared to drive and drive and drive...... and be on those notorious California freeways and roads for at least 2 -3 hours a day.....but, don't miss driving those romantic hills of San Francisco or going over the bridge around the magic hour.....just magnificient!

During my stay in San Francisco, I clocked about 100 km a day and my car even suffered a dead battery after a cigar session with Tony at Shanghai 1930. My first experience in more than 15 years! But, thanks to William, Jackson, Greg, Russell and Tony, I was unmolested as I waited for the AAA truck guy to save my little butt! Oh, well, that's life in the Bay Area!