Mcteague's Saloon in San Francisco

Mcteague's Saloon is one of the best bars in San Francisco to watch all your favorite sports teams. From NFL all the way to NHL it is guaranteed that Mcteague's Saloon will be playing it on their television. With NFL season and NBA season starting, this is the perfect place to watch the games at. The atmosphere is great with friendly staff and a great location. With a wide variety of beer and spirits at a reasonable price I do not see what's not to love about it.

Best Nights to go:
Thursday, Friday, Saturday or any days where your favorite local teams are playing. Go Giants and Niners! During nights of games the bar gets pretty packed so plan ahead and come a little early.

Price Range:
It is a divey casual pub so admission is FREE.

Atmosphere:
The atmosphere is casual and can get very noisy at times, especially when there is a game going on. The crowd depends on the night. I have been to Mcteague's several times and have encountered younger as well as an older crowd, and during all those times I had a blast.

All in all I prefer going to this bar anytime one of my favorite teams are playing. With no admission and   fairly priced drinks I find myself coming back to Mcteague's often. If you love sports and a casual night out in the city then Mcteague's is definitely the place to go!

1237 Polk St
(between Bush St & Fern St) 
San Francisco, CA 94109
http://www.mcteagues.com/index.php

Having a picnic in the fall

 

Last Saturday San Francisco weather was great! I realized that I wanted to be in a place where I could eat without having to deal with crowding places, so what did I do? I decided to have a picnic with my husband at Lands End.  We had the most romantic evening that day.

1) Price

Going to lands End is FREE!   it only took us 5 minutes to find the most amazing place where you can see Ocean Beach. We brought some sourdough bread from Boudin Bakery, a nice selection of cheeses from Rainbow Grocery store, and organic vegetables and fruit from Civic Center Farmers Market. 

2) Contemplating Nature Can Be Fascinating


After having some snacks, we decided that it was time to go for a short hike.  I have to say that it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I got to see the Golden Gate Bridge and some California poppy flowers. Also, I was amazed at how peaceful this place can be. I wish I had brought my yoga mat to contemplate the landscape.

3)  Full San Francisco Experience

If you ever want to take your friends, have a romantic evening, or have a workout, Lands End is your best option!  Plus you get to experience San Francisco from a local perspective. I did not see a lot of tourists in this area. I am so lucky to live in a place like San Francisco because you do not have to drive for hours to be around nature.

4) Interest in finding more about Lands End?

For more information, please check Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy at http://www.parksconservancy.org/visit/park-sites/lands-end.html

I Scream for Ice Cream

As part of the Bay Area, San Francisco is hardly ever graced with warm sunshine. If not foggy, the weather is partly or mostly cloudy with occasional light rain showers. So on those days when the sun is out, I suggest you take a walk and explore the awesomeness of the city. And with indian summer just around the corner, one can bask in the grandeur of San Francisco simply by strolling in the streets or even chilling in the park.

If you get the chance to drop by Castro and Mission district, a trip down to Bi-Rite Creamery & Bakeshop will definitely tickle your fancy, especially on those special warm sunny days.

If you're a foodie like I am, Bi-Rite Creamery should be on your bucket list of "must-tries" and go-to spots in SF. Hands down, they serve the best homemade ice cream in SF!

While it is true that there is always a line before you 

get your ice cream treat, I guarantee you, Bi-Rite is WORTH THE WAIT. 

The Secret of Bi-Rite

Everything here is made from scratch and small batches in the adjacent bakery and store of the same name across the street. Plus, all the ingredients in making their homemade ice cream are all organic, locally grown, and baked fresh from the Bi-Rite Market, including the toppings that make it so delectable.

Every ice cream flavor they make is nothing compared to all the other flavors you'd find in other ice cream parlors elsewhere. Anne and Kris, the two pastry chefs who made Bi-Rite ice cream a reality, thought of bringing out the best flavors in ice cream as much as possible by making it taste what's it really supposed to be.

There's a lot of unique and delicious flavors to choose from, but I highly recommend you get the Salted Caramel, one of the most sought after flavors people often rave about.

Salted Caramel combined with Malted Vanilla 

w/ Peanut Brittle is the bomb. The best. Ever.

Ice Cream Favorites

Take your pick from ice cream lovers' favorites including: Malted Vanilla with Peanut  Brittle and Milk Chocolate Pieces; Honey Lavender, Roasted Banana, Ricanelas (cinnamon with snickerdoodle) plus their seasonal flavors of Early Grey, Eggnog, Peppermint Stick come winter or the famed Balsamic Strawberry every spring and summer.

Be sure to check out their signature sundaes like the Banana Split, and some of their staff favorite combos namely the Trifecta of salted caramel, brown sugar, and malted vanilla scoopfuls; and the Seasonal Trio of pumpkin, caramel apple and ricanelas.

Price Range

You can get a scoop for as low as $2.95 and two scoops for a good deal of $5! You can also get your fill of their mouthwatering signature sundaes for $6.50-$7.

Here, they also make ice cream sandwiches, cakes and pies to your liking. There are those ready-for pickup while some are made-to-order for that special occasion you have in mind. Seasonal flavored popsicles are also available and the two-flavor twist soft serve to surprise your tastebuds.

In case you can't seem to get enough of those sweet tooth cravings, they sell ice cream in pints and quarts in the Bi-Rite Market and in the Creamery as well.

Locations

Get your scoop on
@ Bi-Rite Creamery & Bakeshop - between Dolores St. & Oakwood St.
3692 18th St.
San Francisco, CA  94110

Another one is set to open at:
550 Divisadero St. - coming soon!

Together We're Giant

The San Francisco Giants has won the World Series! You know what that means? World Series Champion Parade! If you are a San Francisco Giants fan, you should definitely head over to Market street this Wednesday, on Halloween day and celebrate with the thousands of fans. Sure there will be a lot of people, but you're all there to for the same reason and that's to celebrate the Giants victory! Not to mention that it's FREE to attend this once in a life time event!

• The parade starts at 11 AM on Montgomery and Washington streets.
• It heads southbound onto Montgomery and Market streets, towards Civic Center Plaza and end on the steps of City Hall.
• Dress in your Giants gear and rep that black and orange!

I recommend heading out a hour or two earlier if you want a good spot to stand. And be sure to throw on shoes because the last thing you want is your feet hurting from someone stepping on you or standing too long. But nonetheless, go and celebrate at the parade! Go Giants!

“Back in the day when I was young I’m not a kid anymore, but sometimes I sit and wish I was a kid again”

Double Dutch

Looking for a bar that plays old school hip-hop? Then hit up Double Dutch bar on 16^th and Mission in San Francisco. This bar is located in the heart of the mission district. With the ease of public transportation nobody has to worry about being DD (designated driver)!

Not only is there no cover fee but there is no dress code as well. Wear your jeans or even bring back those hammer pants, the bartenders and security guards will be more than happy to let you in with your throwback clothes on. With no cover fee, it leaves you more money to buy more drinks or even catch some late night munchies at one of the restaurants that stay open late around the bar.

Double Dutch contains an old school laid-back atmosphere with an edgy flair. This bar/ lounge is filled with boom boxes decorating the walls with graffiti bringing back the days when Biggie and Easy E were playing in your CD players! 

Being a broke college student having no cover fee and no dress code makes this bar one of the best places to go on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night. Bring your buds and an old school attitude! 

Double Dutch

3192 16th Street  San Francisco, CA 94103

http://www.thedoubledutch.com
(415) 373-1042

Not Your Average Cup of Joe

Are you tired of the same latte, cappuccino, espresso or regular coffee you get everyday? If you are looking for a new coffee experience apart from your daily Peet's or Starbucks coffee fix, then San Francisco is just the right place!

Background
Hailed as one of the best coffee shops in the US, and most of its branches nestled in SF, Philz Coffee offers its customers an amazing coffee experience, as their slogan goes, "one cup at a time". It took 25 years before Phil Jaber, the founder of Philz, perfected 30 different coffee concoctions made of great tasting blends. His philosophy was that coffee is something "personal and social" so each cup is handcrafted to your liking. You may find yourself baffled with the array of coffee to choose from, and yet although it may take a minute or two to make, you can be assured that you'll get to have one of the best cups of coffee in your life. It's really customized with how you want it. Extra creamy. Extra sugar. Cocoa powder at the bottom. 3 packets of Stevia. Your call. 

One of their most popular coffee blends would have to be the Mint Mojito Iced Coffee, perfect for those sunny days in the city.

But say, you want a hot drink but you can't decide which to get, just hop on to the bar and ask the barista what they'd recommend, especially if it's your first time. And they'll guarantee they'll make your coffee exactly the way you like it. Be it light, medium or dark roast.

I highly recommend getting the Tesora, one of their dark roast blends which can be made into a Mocha Tesora. 

All of their coffee concoctions are reasonably priced at $4 or less, depending on the 

size but rest assured that each visit will keep you wanting back for more.

Pair it up with some pastries or a bagel with hummus and you're all set to go. Ditch your regular coffee and head on over to any of the five branches in San Francisco to get your cup of Philz!

Locations

Mission District - where it all started

3101 24th St. at Folsom St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: (415) 875-9370 

Mission Bay / AT&T Park / SoMa
201 Berry St.
San Francisco, CA 94158
Cafe: (415) 875-9943

Castro
4023 18th St.
San Francisco, CA 94114
Cafe: (415) 875-9656 

Noe Valley
4298 24th St.
San Francisco, CA 94114
Cafe: (415) 817-1510 

Civic Center
748 Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA 94102
Cafe: (415) 292-7660 

Click on the link for the store hours. If you happen to be anywhere in the Bay Area, they have locations over at San Jose, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Berkeley and Sausalito as well.

Celebrate Halloween without Spending a Single Penny!

Halloween is just four days away and this weekend is the best time to go have some fun!

Speakeasy Brewery is having Haunted Halloween Party today from 4 to 9 PM and what's better is that it's FREE!

• Come dressed in your best Halloween costume and compete to win prizes. The top 3 costumes will receive Speakeasy's gift packages.
• DJ Wam Bam Ashleyanne will be spinning spooky tunes all evening!
• Have a few beers at an affordable price of $3, but it's totally optional if you don't want to spend any money.

Click Here for the Event Flyer.

Everyone is welcomed so bring all your friends and enjoy this free event!

They are located at:

1195 Evans Avenue

San Francisco California, 94124

Are you ready to have some fun while exercising?

The rainy season has just started and you wonder if you can still go out. Well, San Francisco is full of affordable places that you can go to.

1) Indoor climbing can be a good way to go before or after work and even better no experience is necessary.

2) Getting Started Climbing

• Planet Granite offers climbing classes that prepares you to take this exciting journey. Climbers have to tie into a climbing rope and must have a climbing partner who takes care of managing the rope.                     http://planetgranite.com/

• Belaying classes: This classes are really fun to do because it teaches you how to manage the ropes, put on the harness, and more importantly to follow climbing safety rules.

• Bouldering is another type of rock climbing where you do not need a  rope. I know it sounds scary! but those are short climbs that you can jump down by using a crash pad.

3) Prices:

• Indoor climbing is very cheap. For instance, Planet Granite charges only $ 19 for a Day Pass!and if you are a student you can get some climbing done Monday to Fridays before 5:00 pm for only $15!

• Don't worry if you do not have La Sportiva climbing shoes, you can always spend less by renting a pair of climbing shoes for only $4

4) Remember

Rock climbing can also help you make some friends! In my experience, all the climbers are laidback and are willing to teach you some of their climbing techniques. In addition, you will experience a different world since you will start connecting with nature once you take your first indoor climbing class, you may want to take it to a different level and go to Yosemite, South Lake Tahoe or Castle Rock National Parks.