From Friday night skeletons, to {4 members of} the 27 club on Saturday, this weekend was fun and entertaining, to say the least. Friday night we went to a party in Hayes Valley followed by drinks at  Waziemas. Saturday we went to Jane on Fillmore for lunch and shopped around the area for final costume pieces. Later we made festive drinks and stayed local on Polk street. A very fun halloween weekend !  

Last night we carved pumpkins and it really put me in the halloween spirit. I infused Jack Daniels with sage and pine that we had for a pairing cocktail, and it actually turned out ok! Getting excited for the weekend festivities ....

< the owl is my pride and joy>

I will start off by saying i've never been much of a baker -- so I am really happy about the turn out here. Last night I made pumpkin roll (inspired by Molly) with < this recipe > in the spirit of halloween coming up. I documented the process shown below... This little treat will accompany our festive cocktails and pumpkin carving tonight very well.

Round 2 of pumpkin pancakes < found with this recipe > !... we couldn't resist after how good they were last week. After a lazy morning we biked to Baker Beach and spent some time relaxing in the hot sun (while we still can) ! We later rode to Hayes Valley for lunch at Arlequin Cafe ... where it was almost too hot to sit outside, for once... and had a mellow evening with a cheese plate and ahi tuna tacos. I can definitely say my legs were tired after this day.

The bay area has had beautiful weather lately, making it hard to decide how to spend the days off. Saturday started off with FarmTable (becoming an every weekend habit) ... followed by a hike in Muir Woods. After a few wrong turns and a couple extra miles on bootjack trail, we worked up an appetite for a beverage. We made a stop at Mill Valley Beerworks on the way back to the city,  followed by a mellow evening at Kabuki Theater seeing Ides of March with friends.

Friday night we went to Velvet Cantina in the Mission for a belated birthday celebration. Recommended last minute, none of us had ever even heard of this spot until we walked in the door. The dark and cozy atmosphere made for an intimate dinner filled with margaritas, queso, and smachos (s'more dessert nachos). I am always happy to have a hearty Mexican meal! Bon Appetit!

Last Wednesday we had dinner at Farmer Brown in the Tenderloin before heading to a work event. This spot has farm fresh southern cuisine with local bay are ingredients -- served in a fun/unique/soulful atmosphere.

Slowly, but surely, Erin and I have been trying to furnish the apartment in a cute yet affordable way. We found this dining table yesterday on Craiglist and picked it up with the easiest transition ever! What a great way to get furniture. We got a serious bargain on this baby and it is EXACTLY what we wanted. Now we just need chairs....

Great fall day! We woke up and drove to Half Moon Bay for surfing (not for me) and to check out the pumpkin patch. On the way home we went to Outerlands in the Outer Sunset for lunch -- holy moly it was delicious. This restaurant has a great vibe, amazing food, and is totally my style. We will definitely come back on our bikes soon to try their dinner.

Later we had a group dinner at Beretta (one of my favorite spots in sf) which did not disappoint -- the food and atmosphere here is perfect for out-of-towners and is a great starting place for a night out in the Mission. A very fun way to end the night!

Friday night we had a nice sunset roof session followed by a casual dinner at Greenburger's  in Lower Haight. This spot was exactly what we were looking for -- a mellow, delicious, convenient, and quick meal. Later we went to a small party in the neighborhood, we loved the back yard space here. We spent the majority of our time on the back porch enjoying the warm(ish) weather.

Friday was a nice treat for GQP employees. We were given the day off to celebrate our "Indian Summer Party" on a sailboat to Angel Island. -- The weather was absolutely perfect. We all had a great time playing football, drinking cold beer, barbecuing, and talking about everything BUT work.

What a wonderful weekend! I flew to Cincinatti on Friday for Katherine's wedding, and  was so happy to share such a special time with the Oliver family. Friday night was the rehearsal dinner at the University Club -- the night was filled with great food, wonderful speeches, and catching up. Jack put together a charming slideshow of Katherine and John that was so fun to watch.

Saturday Callie and I watched the Texas OU game which was simply painful. Later, we headed to Camargo Club for a gorgeous golf course ceremony -- the sun set made for perfect lighting. The weather was sunny and warm. Cocktails and snacks followed on the patio, leading into dinner and dancing. Later -- there were fireworks, multiple photo booth trips, and much more hilarious activity making for an unforgettable evening.

Friday morning i really needed to take advantage of my day off. Mama's in North Beach is constantly swimming with people and almost impossible to get a table without waiting in line for 45+ minutes. Luckily, we woke up early and were able to snag a spot in line by 7:45 am. It was definitely worth it. The french toast sampler and northern italian m'omlette were absolutely delicious. I finally see what all the hype is about!

Thursday night we saw Lion King in 3D ... It was such a fun flashback to hear the music from childhood and see this amazing new remake.

Sunday morning we went to the Alameda Flea Market which occurs only the first Sunday of the month. It was fairly overwhelming. We had great weather though and found some cool things to bring back to the SF apartment. (Making progress!) I will definitely go back. Later we had a chill afternoon with Za for lunch and Spicy Salamon for seafood sunday dinner. A great recipe that I would definitely recommend.

Saturday we rode bikes to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, a free music festival in Golden Gate Park. It was a gorgeous day for casually listening to music and relaxing outsdie. Later that night we went to the Castro to explore -- we had dinner at Criolla Kitchen followed by drinks at Churchill on Market. Both were great finds in an area we almost never go to.

Friday night we went to Boxing Room, a cajun-esque restaurant in Hayes Valley. The food, wine, and atmosphere were fun and different and we were not let down by the recommendation from Eater SF Heatmap. After dinner we went to Pacific Heights for a work event -- we had a great time mingling, snacking, drinking and admiring the gorgeous rooftop.