Sharffen Berger Chocolate Maker

Sharffen Berger Chocolate Maker - 914 Heinz Ave Berkeley, CA. This is my favorite artisan chocolate maker in the Bay Area. You can take a free factory tour in the Berkeley main headquarters. You get to do chocolate tasting and learn the differences between dark and milk chocolate. I recommend taking the time to check it out. It's a charming old brick building in the industrial section of Berkeley. You can make your reservation on line for any day at scharffenberger.com

Hyde Street Bistro San Francisco

Hyde Street Bistro at 1521 Hyde Street San Francisco, CA 

(Russian Hill neighborhood) It's one of my husband's and my favorite French Bistros. It is a small quaint place with a very French staff, which adds to the whole experience. They have the best scallop dish ever! I highly recommend it. To start off the meal we always order the warm goat cheese salad and we end it with a very traditional Créme Brulee.

Noix De Coquille St Jacques Provencales

Seared Maine Scallops with Provencal Sauce 

served with Saffron Rice Pilaf and Ratatouille

Polk A Dot Stationers San Francisco

Polk A Dot Stationers in San Francisco's Russian Hill -

1742 Polk Street.

This has become a new inspirational place for me. I have always had a fetish for stationary and wrapping paper - maybe that is why I am a textile designer. They have retro party favors that bring me back to going to birthday parties when I was a kid. This place was a great find and I'm glad it's in one of my favorite neighborhoods in San Francisco.