I am wondering about the session scene in your great city. My searches found three in the area (the two bars with the simillar name involving a plough and stars, and one called An Bodhran). Can anyone give me a lowdown of what those sessions are like. I am going to be visiting over the weekend and though I might like to find a session that I could feel comfortable playing in whilst in town. Also any information about what times these sessions start (or rather the best time to arrive) would be great.
And as a side very (OT) question… as it is Valentines Day weekend and I am travelling with my sweetie pie, can anyone make suggestions for romantic type things to do is SF. I know you are probalbly saying to yourselves “what is more romantic than playing in an Irish Session”, well I was surprised myself when I learned from my girlfriend that the answer is indeed “anything”.
I’ve been to the Plough & Star. It’s a wonderful place, don’t miss it. Across the street there is one of the best restaurants i’ve ever eaten in, a French Vietnamese place called Le Soleil. Have a romantic dinner there, then cross the street and session to your heart’s content! It’s a small place and not very expensive. You may need reservations. Just Google for “Le Soleil San Francisco”
When i was there, some people were coming from the Bodhran, so i think they may have sessions on the same day.
The Starry Plough is in Berkeley, and it has sessions and dancing.
There is also a Slow Session somewhere, twice a month, by the local CCE branch. I heard good things, but unfortunately i missed it. http://sf.ccewest.org/music/music.html
I don’t know about the SF Sessions but I am sure you will get a few answers soon.
As for romantic: we are currently having beautiful weather. This means that long walks either in the hills or along the beaches are very rewarding. Just being here is nice right now.
A popular thing to do is to drive across the GG Bridge and either park in the visitor lot and walk out onto the bridge or venture up into the hills west of it for spectacular views. If you stay on Highway 101 for a few miles more, you can go up to Mt. Tamalpais in Marin and drive up the entire mountain for great views, or detour west into Muir Woods. Can be very touristy (busloads of em in the summer) but the closest nice redwoods.
If you stay on the access road to Hwy 1, instead of turning right up Mt. Tam, you can go down the hill to the ocean. Muir Beach is at the bottom of the hill and there is an english pub called Pelican Inn where you can have a pint or a nice meal. Call ahead to make sure they are not closed for a wedding. If you keep driving on 1, you will reach Stinson beach or if you stay on the road, you can go to Bolinas, though you will have to ask somebody where to turn (the locals tear down the signs). I don’t think Bolinas is all that romantic but the views along the way, and he mini-hikes through bird refuge areas and such are nice. Caveat is that roads are windy and some visitors get carsick.
You can also head south of the City on Highway 1 down to Half Moon Bay, where a lot of people like the boutiquey shops and such. Lots of nice cafes down there and its a very pretty drive. If you don’t want to go too far, there is a great walk in the town of Pacifica, up a mountain. The name escpaes me at the moment, but its a county park and once again, you get up onto a spectacular vista.
You can also take the ferry to Angel Island, take a picnic of deli foods and hike around there. Plan to spend about three or four hours. It has nice bay views.
If you’re into rollerbladin or bikes, you can rent them in Golden Gate Park which despite some wear and tear, has some really nice features, like Stow Lake etc etc.
Yes, Golden Gate park, and also Muir Woods, immense redwoods, a dark, magical place, with the curviest, wonderfullest road in the world, stuff you usually see in expensive-car commercials. Then drive down to Sausalito and check out the rich people. Then go North to Napa and hit all the wineries and see the Old Faithful geiser and the petrified forest. Oh sh*t, it’s cold and horrible here in Chicago this time of the year.
My favorite romantic dinner spot in SF (where we go every year for our anniversary) is Millenium Restaurant, on Geary in the Savoy Hotel (link below). Don’t let the fact that it’s vegan put you off…I’ve eaten in more than my fair share of fine restaurants, and this is the best food I’ve ever had, anywhere, bar none. The atmosphere is lovely, the service is darned near psychic and oh…the FOOD!
My boyfriend is unromantic, but I can tell you about the sessions! All of these are on Sunday night.
The Plough & Stars session varies considerably depending on who the session leader is that night, but usually it is pretty advanced musically, with great players but sometimes obscure tunes. Your girlfriend might like this one best for listening, because often the best musicians in town go to this session. It starts late, usually around 8 or 9 pm and goes on until close.
The Bodhran session, which I go to more often than any other one, starts earlier, around 7 or 7:30. It can be hard to find parking in this neighborhood, so I usually try to get there early and then have dinner or something nearby. Anyway, this session is usually pretty small, with a variety of players, most of them are really good. The bar can be a little noisy, but this session usually has a nice, cozy atmosphere and the people are friendly.
The Starry Plough session in Berkeley is probably best for beginners, because they play more standard session tunes. Unfortunately, this session can also get really big, so if you go, bring a loud whistle or you might not be able to hear yourself. I think it starts around 8:00.
Have fun wherever you decide to go, hope this info helped! (I won’t see you, because my boyfriend and I are going to Seattle this weekend for the tionol!)
Proof of why there are so many Brazilians in SF area these days! I can’t imagine a carioca or any other brasileiro in Chicago in the winter…
Yeah, I didn’t include Napa Valley just because I was trying to stay within 1/2 hour or so drive time from the City. But that would be nice too. Calistoga is a very nice place. Book a mudbath for two at the Golden Haven (a LOT nicer than Wilkinson’s). You get to be side by side in the humus. May be too late to get reservations, considering its the Valentine weekend.
Winetasting is fun, I admit. Dodging weavin’ Winnebagos on Hwy 29 comin’ back gets tough afterwards tho.
Sonoma is closer to SF somewhat and has added virtues of historic sites, including my far-back cousin Mariano Vallejo’s estate, and Spanish Mission-era buildings. Sitting up on the terrace at Gloria Ferrer champagne cellars, overlooking the valley is romantic. Though recorded, they have nice Espanishy music playin all the while.
BuenaVista has gone downhill I hear. I recommended it to other Weekenders son (also from upstate NY) and he got a weird tour guide and short shrift. Can’t recommend it. Can recommend Viansa winery and market just as you go over the hill. Oddly enough, a mile or two north of Sears Point raceway. Its all new but has great view, pricey marketplace-deli and tasting. Nice cellar. I played weddings there.
I’d just say stay away from the larger outfits (i.e.: anything you’ve seen in the grocery store) and concentrate on the small ones. Franciscan is probably a good place to sit down and have lunch (or was, a few years ago). Go aysy. It’s amazing how quickly you can get drunk when you’re drinking one sip of this, one sip of that…
Well heck, if you’re going to go that far afield, why not come south to Santa Cruz? We’ve got wineries (including the outrageously good Bonny Doon Vineyards), we’ve got beach, we’ve got redwoods, we’ve got surfers…heck…we even have the Mystery Spot!
The lady who owns the restaurant/bar my band plays at mentioned this weekend that she wanted to have a session at her bar. (It’s in SF on 32nd & Judah.) She said she knew some, “Real Irish musicians that would come and play.”
I’m all for it of course! I’ll be sure and let you folks know if anything gets planned…
You guys are bringing back memories long forgotten. I moved to PA in 1968. We use to go to Mt. Diablo for picnics and climb in the rock caves. I don’t know how close that is to Santa Cruz because I was just a kid, but it was great fun. I remember The Mystery Spot! Isn’t it close to The Winchester Mansion? At the mystery spot, I stood sidesways next to a tree that was growing sideways. I think I was a Brownie Scout at that time. Here in PA, we have a place called “Gravity Hill” that you can pour a glass of water on and it rolls up hill! you can put your car in neutral and roll up the hill too. Really Kool!
It must have been one of the trips the girl scouts took. We also went to china town in SF and I remember seeing a candle that burned at both ends in one of the shops. I lived in Concord and then we moved to Campbell. CA is a great place, I hope to someday come back to visit, My fathers side of the family is there.
Thanks to all for your fine suggestions, they were very helpful. I am actually staying at the Savoy Hotel, but unfortunatly I think the Millenium does not have any open reservations this weekend. We should have booked a table when we picked the Savoy a month ago, I had no idea that the hotel restaurant was that good. I have heard from many people that it is the best of it’s kind. Oh well, does bribery work in San Francisco as well as it does in New York?
I hope to make the Star and Plough session on Sunday. It sounds like it will be a bit more advanced than what I am used to, but hopefully they won’t mind if I bang out a few tunes that I know well. I would have liked to have stopped in on An Bodhran, but I don’t know if forcing two sessions on my girlfriend is fair.
Give Millenium a call and ask…sometimes they have cancelations. It’s also worth putting your name on a waiting list on the day. Valentine’s Day itself may be tough, but perhaps for one of the other days you’re there. Millenium is an experience not to be missed, if you can help it.
All of these are on Sunday night.
I think I was a Brownie Scout at that time. Here in PA, we have a place called “Gravity Hill” that you can pour a glass of water on and it rolls up hill! you can put your car in neutral and roll up the hill too. 
Really Kool!
