Page 31 - Allison's Magazine Issue #97

Mendosa Avenue. The tour concluded
near a pizza shop, thankfully, because I
was ready to eat a street sign somewhere
around the three-hour mark. Note to
self: eat breakfast. Greg’s accent may
have faded, but his Irish hospitality and
friendliness shone in every interaction
he had with his neighbors, who were
surprisingly pleased to have visitors
traipsing through and admiring their
staircases and gardens.

After inhaling a pizza, I stopped into
the Game Parlour, an open and airy
game cafe that was packed with people
set up at long tables. I snuck onto the
end of a table to munch on a sweet
gluten-free waffle with strawberries and
coconut whipped cream and listened
to the soundtrack of happy people in
competition mode.

It was nearing sunset, and I knew the
Sutro Baths would be a prime viewing
spot. Though signs declare the ruins
are dangerous, people were walking all
over them like a jungle gym. A bride
teetered on high heels as she crossed a
concrete beam with her groom, as their DAY TWO: INDOOR ADVENTURES
photographer followed closely behind. A hearty brunch was my first priority,
The Sutro Baths were once a privately given my appetite misjudgment of day
owned public saltwater swimming pool one. Little Gem, a sweet, order-at-
complex in the Lands End area of San the-counter brunch place, is great for
Francisco. They were built in 1896 by people with food allergies. I indulged in
Adolph Sutro, a wealthy entrepreneur almond-and-quinoa-flour pancakes with
who also owned the nearby Cliff House. vanilla coconut cream. My brunch
I tried to imagine it in its heyday as the mate had the simple scramble with eggs
sky stratified into peach, rose, and and greens.
lilac layers.
We parted ways, and I went in search
Above:
Sunset descends on the Sutro Baths during golden hour. of the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie
Factory, an aptly named hidden gem,
Light streams in the windows of the Game Parlour.
as its entrance is tucked away in Ross
Opposite Page, Clockwise from Bottom Left:
Eggs and greens and almond-and-quinoa-flour pancakes are served up at Little Gem. Alley in bustling Chinatown. Letting my
nose navigate, I followed the humid and
Staff awaits brunch orders at Little Gem.
sugar-laced scent of baked dough to a
Hot fortune cookies are quickly folded around paper fortunes at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.
doorway where Kevin Chan welcomed

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