Warming up to San Francisco

The San Francisco Bay Area is the first place I lived in as a new bride. This was back in early 2007. My husband LOVES San Francisco. The party scene, the vibe, the pulse. So when he moved out his bachelor pad in Santa Clara to Southern San Jose after we got married, he went into SF withdrawal. From partying in the city a few times to week to once or twice a month. Looking back, I do feel quite sorry for him. Regular partying got replaced with more nights at home or hanging out with friends. Dinners in SF were rare, the drive was too long. We dined out frequently but in local places in and around San Jose. Within a few months, H put his foot down. We might live in a beautiful gated community but it was way too South! So we moved (this was out first of 5 moves thus far) to Sunnyvale. Closer to SF.
We started frequenting Mountain View downtown and quickly became regulars at the Amarin - their Thai corn cakes and curries are beautiful. Shiva's had a fair Indian buffet though it was their spicy dum alu that we truly enjoyed. Sometimes we would go to chic Palo Alto and grab a burrito at Andale or laze over a coffee at University Cafe.
Surprisingly, when I first visited San Francisco, I didn't care too much for it. I didn't understand what the fuss was all about. It was February, and it was a gray and rainy day. We went to all the touristy spots and even took the Golden Gate Bridge across to Sausalito. All gloom. But come May and the clouds parted to reveal undulating streets that afford gorgeous panoramas of the glistning bay. Genteel charm, liberal mindsets, lively nightlife and of course, sumptuous food...San Francisco is all of this and more. As I watched the fog descend over the Golden Gate Bridge, I left my heart behind.
A splendid assortment of cultures makes for the true appeal of this city. To get a feel of the real 'San Fran', as the locals call it, stroll through its various neighbourhoods. One of the most enjoyable ways of taking in the local colour is sampling the mind-boggling array of cuisines – both traditional and hybrid - available here. Over the couple of years that we stayed there, I came to acquaint myself with its foodie delight, its wealth of high-quality, affordable choices as well as celebrated restaurants. We celebrated our first anniversary at Trattoria Pinocchio. It's impossible not to be seduced by the vibrant allure of North Beach. Also appealing is the Marina district. Walking hand in hand along the shore is special. Another restaurant we frequented  is La Salsa Fresh Mexican Grill on Pier 39. We would grab our food from the counter and head to their outdoor seating overlooking the ocean and Alcatraz. Good times. And this walk down memory lane is incomplete with a mention of Dosa. Located in the Mission district of SF, this one was a tad heavy on the pocket but worth every dollar.
I won't say that SF is my love. It's not. My loves are Bombay and Minneapolis. But now after 6 years of marriage, sitting in a cozy home in Pune, I look back fondly to my time in SF. It was a time when I got to know the man who has come to be my love. Those years weren't out of a romantic movie though. They were flecked with arguments and adjustments to a new person, a new way of life. But fall in love we did, in that sparkling city by the bay.