hilton head restaurants UNION SQUARE & ENVIRONS San Francisco s most congested and popular shopping mecca is centered around

THE VICTORIAN LEGACY Jay Gifford, founder of Victorian Homes Historical Walking Tour (& 415/252-9485) and San Francisco resident for 2 decades, portrays his enthusiasm and love of San Francisco throughout this entertaining 21 2-hour tour. Set at a leisurely place, it incorporates a wealth of interesting facts about San Francisco s Victorian architecture, as well as the city s storied history particularly the periods before and after the great earthquake and fire of 1906. You ll stroll through Japantown, the Western Addition (where you can take a break to cruise hilton head restaurants the trendy shops on Fillmore St.), and onward to Pacific Heights and Cow Hollow. In the process you ll see more than 200 meticulously restored Victorians, including the one where Mrs. Doubtfire was filmed. Jay s guests often find they are the only ones on the quiet neighborhood streets, where tour buses are forbidden. The tour ends with a trolley ride back to Union Square, passing though North Beach and Chinatown. Tours, which start at Union Square at 11am, are offered daily April through December and Thursday through Monday from January through hilton head restaurants March, and cost $20 per person. Reservations hilton head restaurants are required. You can preview the tour at www.victorianwalk.com.

ITALIAN Paul Bertolli, former chef at Chez Panisse, jumped ship to open one of the top Italian restaurants in the Bay Area (certainly hilton head restaurants the best in Oakland). During the week it s a madhouse at lunchtime, when local workers pile in for the wood-fired pizzas and tapas in the lower-level cafe. The upstairs restaurant with neo-Florentine decor is slightly more civil, packed nightly with fans of Bertolli s house-made pastas, sausages, and prosciutto. hilton head restaurants Oliveto has a wood-burning oven, flame-broiled rotisserie, and a good wine list. You might begin your meal with a special cocktail (evenings only), such as Vodka Nero, made with pinot noir grape juice and lime. An assortment of pricey grills, braises, and roasts anchor hilton head restaurants the daily changing menu, but it s the heavenly pastas that will truly send you. Still, the Arista (classic Italian pork with garlic and rosemary and pork jus) is insanely good; and no one does fried calamari, onion rings, and lemon slices hilton head restaurants better than Oliveto. Tip: There s free parking in the lot at the rear of the Market Hall building.

UNION SQUARE & ENVIRONS San Francisco hilton head restaurants s most congested hilton head restaurants and popular shopping mecca is centered around Union Square. Most of the big department stores and many high-end specialty shops are in this area. Be sure to venture to Grant Avenue, Post and Sutter streets, and Maiden Lane.

From the Cliff House, the Esplanade continues south along the 4-mile-long Ocean Beach, which is not suitable hilton head restaurants for swimming. hilton head restaurants At the southern end of Ocean Beach is another area of the park around Fort Funston where there s an easy loop trail across the cliffs (for information, call the ranger station at & 415/239-2366). Here, too, you can watch the hang gliders taking advantage of the high cliffs and strong winds.