Bay Area Places I Can’t Wait To Go Back To After Getting My Vaccine
You really don’t know what you have until it’s gone
Covid-19 has really taken away the joy and carefreeness of going anywhere without the fear of getting the virus, even a simple walk in the park can be very stressful. The pandemic has also caused many businesses to close permanently, just like the amazing restaurant Barvale, my favorite place for Mediterranean food, their tapas were magnificent and it’s truly a shame that they’re now gone.
Vaccination has started nationwide and according to the city’s representatives, every San Francisco resident will be vaccinated by June of this year. That gives a ray of light among all these troubled times, so on my end once that day comes, I will immediately go and personally enjoy and support all these places that I’ve missed so much:
Restaurants
There’s nothing I miss the most than having lunch or a nice dinner in my favorite restaurants; the experience of filling your belly with delicious food while you’re at a great place is incomparable, so it’s only fair that I list a few of my favorite restaurants that you really need to check out if you haven’t yet:
La Ciccia
The best Italian food is served by La Ciccia, a small but beautiful restaurant that will captivate you from the moment you go in. The restaurant is run by a married couple that will make sure your experience is nothing but fantastic.
The Buena Vista
A cozy place to enjoy a delicious Irish coffee; before Covid, the place would always be packed and it would be hard to get a table, however, once you got yourself a spot, you could feel like you were in a European pub. When you go, make sure you try their Crab Benedict, it’s absolutely fantastic.
Old Mandarin Islamic
Here you will find the best Chinese food, especially the best Chow Mein in the entire Bay Area; that’s why the restaurant is always full and delivery takes a little more than usual, but the wait it’s totally worth it. Their shrimp Chow Mein is celestial.
Loló
You won’t find better burritos as the ones Loló serves, the Mexican food restaurant is on Valencia Street, and the atmosphere it offers it’s truly magnetic. A favorite of mine that you should give a try is the Beef Birria Burrito, you won’t regret it.
Nojo
The best place to get delicious ramen, I won’t even give you a recommendation because all of their ramen plates are fantastic and you should probably try them all. The restaurant is located on Franklin Street.
Until these restaurants reopen fully, the best way to support them is to keep ordering take out and to tip well.
Local Cinemas
Like everyone else, I’ve probably consumed tv shows and movies at home this last year as much as the last 4 years combined; However, as a film junkie, there’s nothing like going to the movies and enjoying a great film on the big screen. The SF Indiefest event will take place this February 4–18, this will be a great opportunity to support independent filmmakers while having a good time enjoying fantastic art.
Theatres
A lot of theatres like the 42nd Street Moon, the Awesome Theatre, and the ACT are having online plays and some other content ready to stream at your fingertips, but nothing really comes close to experience a play in person, to really see the emotions and range of the actors while they leave their heart in the stage. If you’re not really a theatre fan, I recommend you give it another chance, especially with the new perspective on life that we’ve all probably gotten in the last few months; a good play can really cause a great impact at the right time.
Parks and Outdoors Activities
Most parks are currently open, but the idea of going out and having to be so careful and disinfecting everything on the way back is something that stresses out a lot of people.
Something that you can now enjoy is Golden Gate Park’s Peacock Meadow which just turned into a magical forest of lights in December and will remain open through the end of February. The public art project honors Golden Gate Park’s 150th Anniversary, it offers an immersive light experience where visitors can explore an acre of paths of small flowering bushes, entwined trees, and canopies all made of 2,000 colorful LED lights. It’s an amazing life-sized showcase of nature, with trees ranging from 12 to 20 feet tall and canopies standing as tall as 30 feet. It’s the perfect place to go for a night stroll and take fantastic pictures. The illumination of the project starts at sundown until 9:45 PM.
Beaches
Do I have to say more? I truly miss the days of meeting with friends at Baker Beach for a morning picnic without having to worry about sand getting in my mask. At the moment you’re allowed to jog and walk on the beaches, so hopefully, full access and activities get restored soon.
The sense of security and stress relief that most of us will get after getting the Covid-19 vaccine will give us back the freedom and peace of mind that we’ve been missing for quite a long time; hoping to step out of this current nightmare and walk back into the world with a new perspective and appreciation for everything around us.
