Thursday's the New Friday

Okay, its not really new.  But ever since college, Thursday has been the day that my friends and I all celebrate the start of the weekend...aka drink.  No I am not an alcoholic, but yes I am going to be an attorney so I know a lot about alcohol.

Living in Nob Hill/Russian Hill area means I am around a ton of bars, lounges, and clubs.  Although I have my favorites, I decided to head to a new place after a double date with my besties Oli and Pedro and of course the bf, Phil.  After a yummy meal at Chambers (see review below), we headed to a new dive bar - Hi Lo Club.

The ONLY sign for the place.  You will miss it the first time!

It was early so it was still pretty empty and we were able to snag a small booth.  The waitress quickly came up to take our order.  They had plenty of good beers on tap, and more liquor than you could try in a year. The place is pretty hidden but if you walk up and down the block enough you will find it.

Such a cool Venue and Vibe - love the speakeasy feel!

Inside it feels a bit divey, a bit like a speakeasy.  The booths are a great touch.  All in all it's not a bad place to start out your night.  I think if you came here later in the evening it would be way too crowded for any fun, and with just one bar you would never get served.  Definitely a place to stop off early in the night as it is realitvely cheap, but after that I would move somewhere more fun like McTeagues or Lush.

Beers on Tap - always changing.

Cocktail list - Cash only.

Bourbon Up!

Tourist Tip:  Carry cash.  Most places around this area are cash only, so if you are going to bar hop you will need it!

Don't sweat the small stuff...

First off I would like to thank everyone who checks out my blog.  Even if you visit just to make fun of my food addiction, or if it helps get you to try new places - thank you! I reached a thousand views last week and that was more than I ever expected from this little site.

On to the post.  So after all of my food and booze lately, I realized that it was time to start my work out regime. As its the first of the year and I have a wedding in -80 days (thanks to the couple who has the countdown all over facebook), it was time to get moving.  My friend Jess just bought a groupon for Bikram Yoga and invited me along.  So of course instead of studying I decided to try it out.  Two things you should know ahead of time are 1. its hot 2. it smells.  If you can get past that, then you will get into great shape!

I think its Warrior? Who knows, I just do what they tell me.

It can get pretty crowded on cold days, so get there early!

It was an hour and a half of hot, sticky, smelly athleticism.  Although I haven't done yoga in a few years, I still had some flexibility in me and was able to hold my own.  I only had one moment where I thought I might get sick, but besides that it was great.  It was a nice venue with a lot of accessibility on BART and the bus, and tons of restaurants in the area.  The yoga was both easy but also was a struggle.  Even experts will be tested.  After burning 700-800 calories, there is a little juice shop around the corner that has fresh squeezed juices and smoothies.  There was a long wait, but it was pretty good.  Kind of expensive though, so you may want to invest in your own juicer if Bikram Yoga seems to be your thing.

Sidewalk Juice - Cash Only!

Mission Exlicir - So tasty after working out!

Tourist Tip: Bring your own mat and full towel because its $2 to rent them, and let's be honest you don't want someone else's rented towel when you are going to drip sweat for over an hour.

Sandwiches, Sandwiches, Sandwiches

So my favorite thing about San Francisco is the fact that you can get a great sandwich anywhere.  I have already mentioned one of my favs in the Tenderloin, Morty's, but I love sandwiches so much I want to share more.  This weekend I was out in the Sunset with the in-laws, so I got to visit one of my favorite spots: Guerra Quality Meats.

Oh Guerra's, how I love thee.

Guerra has SO many options.  It isn't just a sandwich place: it has soup, ravioli, bread, cheese, deli meats, chicken parm; the list goes on.  I recently had the chicken soup. It's okay but it needs a lot of pepper...however, this post is about their sandwiches, because man they're good.

Lots of options for you to make at home or pick up and microwave! (Yeah I don't cook much)

God I miss you cheese!  Perfect for a picnic.

This weekend I bought the Roma sandwich: pesto, turkey, lettuce, tomato, onion.  It comes with mozzarella, but as a lac-tard I have to ask for no cheese.  Tragedy I know.  This sandwich was amazing.  I usually get my sandwiches on ciabatta bread but all the bread comes from ACME, which if you are from SF you know its the best bread up here (sorry Boudin).

Sicilian on Ciabatta

Roma with no cheese, but very tasty!

 My favorite thing about Guerra's is that they have a sandwich creation where you can make anything you want.  Normally I make my own turkey, or, if I'm splurging, a meatball sandwich.  The dutch crunch is pretty good too. You really can't go wrong.  And now they are open 7 days a week!

I mean how many options do you need for one sandwich?!

Tourist Tip:  If you are going to Wine Country, stop here and pick up everything you need for a great picnic.  Fresh meat, fresh bread, amazing cheese, and even any type of drink you want.  A great gem in the Sunset!

What's your favorite sandwich place?