Honeymoon: The Lodging

Airbnb is where it's at, people.

That's the site we used to book our rentals in San Francisco and Napa. Renting an apartment can be more affordable than a hotel, not only due to price per night, but also because you don't have to buy food every single time you're hungry. Another bonus: No housekeepers are knocking on your door at 8 a.m. to start cleaning.

In San Francisco, we stayed in an adorable one-bedroom apartment in Noe Valley. It was bright, clean, and in a safe, quiet neighborhood - yet still within walking distance to all of the action.

In Napa, we rented a gorgeous cottage in Calistoga. The cottage is only a few yards away from the sweet couple who rents it out, but we rarely saw them. Oh, and they also let us use their inground pool. Our four days there were seriously heaven.

Our Napa cottage didn't have a full kitchen, but we made eggs each morning in the microwave. We also bought a styrofoam cooler and ice, and used that as a fridge. 

After four days in Napa, we returned to San Francisco for our last night, since we were flying out of Oakland. We booked a hotel in Union Square - Parc 55 Wyndham - so we'd be within walking distance to AT&T Park, where we had tickets to a baseball game. Well, when we arrived at Parc 55, the woman who checked us in told us we got "upgraded," and to go to floor 32. Um, yeah...I'm not sure why we got upgraded (they had no idea we were on our honeymoon), but this hotel room was larger than our home. It also had spectacular views of San Francisco.

First bathroom.

Second bathroom.

The view from one of many windows.

Which do you prefer: rental or hotel? 

Honeymoon in Napa: The Wine and Beer

Most of you know this already, but Napa Valley has a lot to offer in the drink department...beer and wine especially. And being a wine and beer lover who just married a beer guy, you can imagine how much fun we had on this leg of the trip.

Our first stop in Napa - before we even got to our rental - was Beringer Vineyards. Before we left, one of my aunts raved about it, so we decided to check it out. I was really surprised at how gorgeous the grounds were, and how good the wine was. We went on a tour followed by a tasting, and the staff there were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable.

During our stint in Napa, we set aside one day to check out some smaller wineries that were recommended to us by a woman at Beringer. Our mode of transportation ended up being a tandem bike that we rented from Calistoga Bikeshop (for a day, it ended up being around $65). Riding a tandem bike = a crap ton of fun, especially when you're riding it through gorgeous vineyards.

We took our tandem bike to a small handful of wineries that day, but these two were our favorites:

Summers Estate Wines: This family-owned winery has an amazing view out back, complete with patio seating. We did a tasting at one of the outdoor tables, while simultaneously playing an intense game of bocce ball...on the winery's very own bocce ball court.

Lava Vine: This was by far the smallest winery we visited, but also one of the best. The owner was pouring some of the wines during our tasting, and he was obviously passionate about every bottle he produces. I ended up buying a Petite Sirah for $54...the most expensive bottle of wine I've ever purchased. That's how good their wines are. (Note: not every bottle is that expensive!).

[FYI: Most tastings we did during our trip cost anywhere from $10-$25 per person].

When it comes to beer, we were able to find quite a bit of locally made brews that were delicious. I mentioned Calistoga Inn & Brewery yesterday (I highly recommend trying their Calistoga Porter), but Downtown Joes in Napa is also fantastic. Downtown Joes is nothing fancy, but that's part of the place's charm - and "Big John" behind the bar will take care of you, if you're friendly. (Example: He let us order our beer through him vs. our waiter so we could get the happy hour prices, even though we were sitting at a table outside). I highly recommend trying the Old Magnolia Oatmeal Stout, if they have it - like most breweries, their beers rotate often.

Next week, I'll share with you guys the places we stayed and sights worth checking out in San Francisco and Napa Valley. I hope you're enjoying these recaps as much as I am enjoying sharing them!

Honeymoon in Napa: The Food

Ohhh, what I would give to go back to Napa.

We stayed at a cottage in Calistoga (more on that later), and every minute of our time there was just blissful. Calistoga is an adorable town that's not overrun with tourists. We were only there for four days, but we were able to eat a few bites of delicious food in that timeframe. Here are some of my top picks from our trip:

Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery: This restaurant and brewery reopened a week before our arrival, after being closed for a year due to a fire. Locals seemed to still know the staff, who they hadn't seen in 12 months. This was a great neighborhood spot that boasts brand new everything, plus their very own beer on tap - and the beer is good. The food is, too - Z and I split the Bruschetta ($13), which came with local heirloom tomatoes, basil, and creamy Burrata. For my entree, I had the Fungi pizza ($15), which was topped with wild mushrooms, fontina, roasted garlic, and truffle oil. Their pizza dough is also made with spent grain and wort reduction from the brewery.

Market, St. Helena: The couple we rented our cottage from recommended Market to us, so after visiting a few wineries in St. Helena, we decided to check it out. Market is a little more upscale, but ideal for a special evening out. Market doesn't have too many vegetarian options, but on this particular evening, they had two vegetarian soup specials (corn and pea) that we took advantage of. We also shared an order of their buttery Cheddar-Jalapeno Cornbread ($6) and Bowtie Vegetable Pasta ($21). The pasta was tossed with asparagus, tomatoes, fennel, peas, pickled cipolinis, mozzarella, and basil pesto butter.

Hydro Bar & Grill: This place is anything but fancy, but it came highly recommended from a few locals, as well as a slew of online review sites. Hydro also has a great beer list, so we decided to check it out one evening. I hadn't had a burger in quite some time at this point, so I went for the Veggie Burger. My burger was clearly homemade, which I always appreciate, and the accompanying sweet potato fries - which came with a bomb dot com aioli - were delightfully salty and crispy without being too greasy.

In addition to eating, we also did quite a bit of wine and beer sampling while in Napa - mostly at "hidden gem"-type places. More on that tomorrow!

Honeymoon in San Francisco: The Beer

We decided to go to San Francisco for our honeymoon because we've been trying to plan a trip out there for about four years. We also went for the food. And the beer.

Z is a major craft beer fan, and he knows a lot about the stuff. I am the lucky woman who gets to sample a crap ton of beers alongside him. We had a list of beer bars and breweries that we wanted to hit while in SF, and, boy, did we hit them all...and then some.

Here are some of my favorite beer bars and breweries that we went to. Cheers!

Monk's Kettle, Mission District: I talked about Monk's Kettle's food yesterday, but their beer list was also spectacular. I ordered a Death & Taxes by Moonlight Brewing Company, and it was fabulous.

The Willows, SoMa: Z and I stumbled upon this spot accidentally, but we were so glad we did. The owner is from Boston, so they had a good amount of East Coast beers on tap...that are hard to find on tap on the East Coast (like Smashed Pumpkin by Shipyard). I went for The Illinois by Goose Island, one of my favorite breweries. 

Us at The Willows!

City Beer Store, SoMa: We ended up going here twice. This is a fantastic spot to enjoy some great beer on tap, and they even have bottles for sale. The food here is scarce, but they do let you come in with food if you really want to eat something. The second time we went there I had a Habanero Sculpin by Ballast Point Brewing Co., and it was wonderfully spicy without being too fiery.

Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, CA: This place is the only reason we went to Santa Rosa. Russian River is the holy grail in Z's eyes, and now I know why. Having their beer fresh and on tap was an incredible experience for my mouth (although, not so much for my liver), and their food is quite good, too. My favorite beers of the evening were Supplication and Temptation.

Lagunitas, Petaluma, CA: Lagunitas is also the only reason we went to Petaluma. We did one of their brewery tours, and it was one of the best ones I've been on - it was informative, entertaining, and we could be on it with beer in hand. After the tour, we drank and ate in their large patio area, and ended up sitting with a couple from Massachusetts. Small world! I loved their bourbon barrel-aged Cappuccino Stout. It's strong, but worth savoring every sip.

Other honorable mentions: Church Key, Toronado, Marin Brewing Company.

Are you a beer drinker? If so, what's your favorite kind of beer?

Honeymoon in San Francisco: The Food

Six days in San Francisco left me full. And very, very happy.

Z and I went into our honeymoon with a list of restaurants and beer bars (more on that tomorrow) that we wanted to try. [Side note: Thank you for all your recommendations!]. We hit just about every place we wanted to, and every meal - with the exception of one (at Greens) - was a delicious success. It was difficult to narrow them down, but here are some of my favorite places that we visited on this trip:

Breakfast:

Holey Bagel, Noe Valley: We stayed in Noe Valley, and one morning, when Z ventured out to find us breakfast, he came back with Holey Bagels. I had an egg, cheese, tomato, and avocado sandwich on a sundried tomato bagel (he had the same on a jalapeno bagel), and every bite was flavorful and satisfying. 

Martha & Bros. Coffee, Noe Valley: Martha & Bros. has several cafe locations throughout San Francisco, but we were lucky enough to have one right up the street from our rental (on 24th Street). They have a ton of coffee concoctions, pastries, and more, but we always went for the iced coffee or iced mocha. Both were delightfully strong and delicious each time. 

Omelette Express, Santa Rosa, CA: We paid a visit to Russian River Brewing Company (more on that later), and the next morning, an employee at our hotel recommended Omelette Express. It was just a few short steps from our hotel, so we decided to check it out. This is a casual spot with a great staff, good food, huge portions, and very affordable prices.   

Lunch and/or Dinner:

Monk's Kettle, Mission District: We came here for the beer, but were pleasantly surprised by the food. I highly recommend trying the Grilled Flatbread ($13), which, when we visited, was slathered with asparagus pesto and piled high with cantaloupe, lightly dressed arugula, and goat cheese.

Gracias Madre, Mission District: The wait for this 100 percent vegan Mexican restaurant might be long (we waited a good hour), but every single minute is worth it. I'd go for the Coconut Ceviche ($10.50) and/or the tacos (any of them).

Coconut Ceviche.

The Slanted Door, Embarcadero: Z's parents graciously gave us a gift certificate to this highly acclaimed restaurant, and it was honestly one of the best meals we had on our trip. I had the Vegetarian Spring Rolls ($11) and Green Papaya salad ($12) to start, followed by the Dirty Girl Farm Spicy Haricots Vert ($11). For dessert, we had the incredible Doughnuts ($9), which came with an addictive butterscotch dipping sauce. Their cocktails are also fantastic, and the atmosphere is upscale without being pretentious. Oh, and be sure to make reservations - this place books up fast.

boon eat + drink, Guerneville, CA: One day, on our way to the Napa region, we stopped to check out the Russian River. When we got hungry for lunch, Yelp recommended boon - and thank gosh it did. Boon sources most of their ingredients right from Sonoma County, and they had a small yet all-local wine list that we were excited to dig into. For lunch, I enjoyed an incredibly fresh kale and peach salad (I don't have the price, but it was around $8 or $9), and the waiter even gave us a free order of Truffle Fries ($8) because we had to wait a few extra minutes for a table. 

Hawker Fare, Oakland, CA: We flew in and out of Oakland (much cheaper), and the night before our red eye home, we met up with some friends at Hawker Fare. Our waiter at boon actually recommended it, and we definitely had one memorable meal there. The Blistered Green Beans ($7) were a big hit with our table thanks to the curry paste they were tossed in (we got them vegetarian, but they're usually served with pork bacon). For my entree, I had the Gang Dang Tofu ($9.50) which is tofu and pumpkin simmered in a spicy coconut milk red curry with bamboo and herbs. Let's just say this meal was the perfect grand finale for our eating adventures in SF!

Tomorrow, I'll give you the lowdown on the beer we washed all of this food down with. San Francisco has some damn good beer bars and breweries!