I waited a couple of weeks before venturing into the much-hyped new Westfield — adjacent to the old one, which features Nordstrom as its anchor department store. The recent addition to the mall, which finally makes use of the former Emporium building, includes lots of shops and eateries.

My favorite places in the new space include Zara, Mango, Maido (cute Japanese stationery store), Juicy Couture, and of course, Bloomingdale’s. There are a few stores that are making their Bay Area debut — such as Neda, shoes and accessories from the folks behind bebe; Ruehl, which is the Abercrombie & Fitch brand targeted at the post-collegiate crowd; and Forth & Towne, which shares a parent company with the Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy. Don’t miss the Adidas store, where if you’re willing to shell out $150+, you can create a custom pair of sneakers. (Unfortunately, when I was visiting, the computer wasn’t working.)

Food options here include Bristol Farms, an upscale market that previously only existed in Southern California; and Wichcraft, the Tom Collichio sandwich shop that originated in New York City and also has a Las Vegas outpost.

On the weekends, Westfield packs them in. So if you want to browse in peace, try stopping in on a weekday (an extended lunch break, perhaps). Maybe shopping isn’t your thing? You can still come here for the nine-screen Century Theatres located on the fifth floor.

Westfield - San Francisco Centre
865 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 512 6776

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When Town Hall opened a few years ago, my husband and I instantly fell for the place. But, with so many other restaurants to try in San Francisco, it sort of fell off of our radar as well … Until some friends were coming into town and we needed a comfortable yet cool dinner option that would please six picky diners.

The interior features dark wood floors (which always seem to be a bit slippery to me); brick walls; off-white wainscoting; and oversized retro-hip chandeliers. And the menu has enough offerings to create lots of indecision.

Although I am a big fan of the fondue starter, on this recent visit, I went with the soup of the day — a delicious heirloom tomato and lobster bisque. My husband ordered the tuna tartare, which he loved. (It came with fried green tomatoes — what’s not to love?)

The entrees at our table included: slow-roasted duck, peanut- and tasso-crusted pork chops, Alaskan halibut, and prime rib. I’m going to have to say that my pick — the tender and juicy prime rib — was the best. And I could not get enough of those little cheddar/bacon croquettes that were on the side. (They’re basically grown-up tater tots.)

For dessert, I recommend the hot chocolate (so rich and thick) or the butterscotch/chocolate pot de creme. Those items alone are worth the visit to Town Hall.

The service throughout our meal was top-notch. And, as a nice finishing touch, the check was delivered in an old book — complete with handwritten comments from previous dinner guests.

Town Hall
342 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 908-3900

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For our anniversary this year, we spent the weekend at Manka’s —which might best be described as a rustic resort in the Marin County town of Inverness.

Manka’s offers several types of accommodation (including rooms above their main lodge, as well as cabins) and a much-touted restaurant. We stayed in Cabin 125, which is on a piece of property about 1/2-mile from the lodge, next to another cabin (The Perch). Our cabin featured a king-size bed, a wood-burning fireplace flanked by two reading nooks, and a private deck with a soaking tub. Sound relaxing? Definitely.

As great as the cabin itself was, the restaurant is reason enough to come here. The prefixed menu changes daily, based on what’s available locally. Breakfast is only available to Manka’s guests, while dinner is open to everyone. There is only one seating for each meal (between 8-9am for breakfast, and 7-8pm for dinner).

Breakfast one morning included fresh Gravenstein apple juice; wheatberry porridge; scrambled eggs with a goat cheese souffle; and a waffle topped with honey syrup and candied walnuts. And our first dinner at Manka’s was divine: biscuits served with spiced butter; warm beet puree over garlic panna cotta; salted cod cake; lamb shank to share; a cheese course with figs poached in port; and upside-down plum cake with freshly whipped cream.

The staff was cordial enough — we didn’t experience any bad service, but it wasn’t outstanding either. With the nightly rates running about $250-700, some people might have a problem with the level of service, but we were happy to be left alone and weren’t looking to be pampered.

Given the beautiful surroundings and exquisite cuisine, it’s no wonder that just a few hours into our visit, we were already plotting our return to Manka’s.

UPDATE: In late December 2006, Manka’s suffered a fire that ruined the entire restaurant, and damaged many of the rooms adjacent to it. Some accommodations are still available, however, and the owners have promised to rebuild.

Manka’s
30 Callendar Way
Inverness, CA 94937
(415) 669-1034

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