Best "Secret" Places in Your Area.

Open mind

I don't live in San Francisco, but it is within not more than a day's drive from my front door.

Here's a couple things to check out if you ever get near the Golden Gate. One is free and semi-unknown. One super-expensive and in the Michelin guide.

If you don't feel like reading any further, just share something you like about where you live that you wouldn't mind letting the rest of us in on.

Free: Marin Headlands (and the "secret" tunnel at the top).

The piece of earth that the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge attaches to is at the foot of the Marin Headlands. If you're coming South on Hwy 101 take the very last exit before the bridge. If you're coming north, out of the City, take the Sausalito exit, and loop under the freeway. Go up the hill about 1/4 mile. Pull over. Stop. Gawk at the spectacular view of San Francisco (fog permitting). Keep going. Repeat. Almost all the way to the top of the hill (a couple miles). About half way up there's a fork in the road. Stay to the left.

Right before the road becomes one lane (and a one-way loop) if you look carefully to the right you'll see a tunnel that you can walk through. Stop. Park. Walk into tunnel. Whistle, sing, shout & generally make a fool of yourself while enjoying the fantastically echoey acoustics. Unless an impromptu musician has already made themselves at home, in which case, enjoy the concert and tip as the spirit moves you.

Continue on through the tunnel. It's about 100 yards long. About 75 yards beyond the tunnel you'll come out in an abandoned military bunker high above the Pacific. See if you can spot any Japanese submarines spying on the West Coast. When you're done imagining what the WWII era was like you'll find a friendly Japanese staff ready and waiting for you back down the hill in Sausalito at..........

Super Expensive: Sushi Ran.

This place got a "star" in the Michelin guide which is a pretty big deal to foodies. The fish is always perfect, gorgeous and generously sliced. Sushi that would cost $4-5 at other Bay Area sushi bars, runs about $6-7 at Sushi Ran. It's worth trying at least once though if you're a sushi fan. If it's dinner or a weekend, make sure to call for reservations as it's usually packed out here.

Here's the web site:

http://www.sushiran.com

OK, now it's your turn. What should JWDers check out if we ever get near your part of the globe?

Open Mind

John Doe

If I tell you about my secret places then they're not secret anymore. ;-)

AWAKE&WATCHING

OOoHH! Excuse me, I thought this was another sex thread.

Hocking Hills area / Wayne National Forest

Great hiking and waterfalls. especially beautiful in the fall and winter.

Open mind

JD:

If I tell you about my secret places then they're not secret anymore. ;-)

I thought about this when starting this thread. I would hesitate to post my "secret" Marin Headlands tunnel on a website with more traffic. But I really doubt that JWDers are gonna start a stampede anywhere.

But, hey, if you'd rather keep the "secret" places, secret that's fine. How about publicly known places (like Sushi Ran) that you highly endorse?

Open Mind

Open mind

jackcrabbe:

any woodland area!!!

Care to tell us where your from? Approximately?

Woods is good tho. Anywhere.

Open Mind

monophonic

best neighborhood in san francisco is the mission district and the surrounding areas. also oakland has some amazing neighborhoods.

it's the best kept secret b/c there's gang problems, etc. to keep the tourists out and keep yuppies from moving in, so the artists keep it real with the locals.

especially oakland, you wouldn't believe how amazing the city is once you really hang out for a while.

the mission district of san francisco is 'hip' and on weekends some bars and restaurants cater to people scared to walk the 'hood, so they have valet parking where you don't even have to experience one of the most amazing neighborhoods in san francisco. and we like it that way....and those people would get mugged b/c they can't go anywhere without their $3000 hang bags.

still lots of gentrification in certain areas, but it's the small areas of concentrated latino families and artists who make it amazing.

ah, the greatest place on earth and i get to live here.

noni1974

In Cleveland there a little neighborhood bar called The Parkview.It's a really cool place to go.On Wensday nights they have a live blues jam night and all the blues lovers in the city come to this little neighborhood bar and play and party.It's free to get in and listen.You really wouldn't know about the place unless someone told you about it.

Open mind

monophonic:

You nailed SF & Oakland, IMO. We've found some of the coolest places by just driving or walking around in less-than-pristine areas.

noni:

THAT'S what I was thinking of when I started this thread. I doubt that swarms of JWDers are going to descend en masse and ruin the place. Thanks.

Open Mind

John Doe

I would share some, but secret places is something I only share with people in person. ;-)

Open mind

If you can put up with a little rudeness, this place is hard to beat for DEE-lishus BBQ.

Flint's BBQ
6609 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609-1054
510 652 9605

Here's a couple of tips to avoid looks that could kill from the hired help.

1. Listen up to what people in line ahead of you are ordering and how they do it. For extra credit points, take note of what actually hits their plate.

2. "Sandwich" & "Dinner" defined.

Suppose you order a Hot Link "Sandwich". This means you get mouth-watering hot links smothered in your choice of mild, medium or hot BBQ sauce. (I recommend the medium, with "just a splash of Hot" if the atmosphere hasn't become overly hostile yet.) Because it's a "sandwich" you also get two slices of fluffy, generic, sort-of whole wheat, balloon bread with it. The sauce is so good, it doesn't matter what you sop it up with.

A "dinner" means you get a couple of sides with it and a slightly larger main portion of meat. Beans, potato salad, cole slaw, corn bread, etc.

3. NEVER, EVER, EVER... ask the staff any questions about the menu. All you will get is dirty looks, incoherent, unintelligible answers and impatient grumblings from the people in line behind you.

4. Cash money only. Have it ready.

5. Try to look blue collar, even if you're not. Part of the entertainment is watching a first time yuppie customer learn the ropes. I was blessed by being able to learn from two different Banker-looking guys ahead of me getting treated like crap. By the time it was my turn, I had already figured out "Da Rules". Phew.

6. Take your hard-earned reward to a safe, comfortable place and dive in.

7. Make sure to get plenty of napkins. If you're having ribs, better have access to a shower when you're done.

Open Mind

Best "Secret" Places in Your Area.

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