Sliders and Kopi Luwak Coffee at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins in San Francisco, California by Ruth Paget

Sliders and Kopi Luwak Coffee at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco, California by Ruth Paget 

On a weekend trip to San Francisco (California), my husband Laurent, daughter Florence Paget, and I stayed at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins hotel atop Nob Hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. 

The Hopkins is famous for its bar named The Top of the Mark that has a 360-degree view over San Francisco. 

My daughter’s corner suite had a view on the Transamerica Building that was lit up in white at night with the Salesforce Tower gleaming in blue steel light next to it. 

I ordered in-room service to admire the sunset and night view under a movie star chandelier. The Top of the Mark provides room service dining on Saturday nights. 

I ordered California slider mini burgers filled with anise and apricot glazed short rib meat, cilantro, jalapeño peppers, and garlic aioli. 

The California sliders were delectable and very different from the White Castle sliders I would eat with my friends from the University of Chicago on our forays into Chicagoland suburbs to learn about where the Democratic Machine obtained some of its money. 

At breakfast the next day, I ordered the All American Breakfast with poached eggs, thick-cut bacon (much appreciated in Chicago, Illinois), pan-fried potato wedges, and whole wheat toast. 

We ordered a 5-cup pot of coffee which cost $25.

“Why is the coffee so expensive,” I asked. 

Florence said, “It’s kaya kopi luwak – about $200 for a 16-ounce bag.” 

I tried it and liked it, despite being a Joffrey, Lavazza, Acme from Monterey County, and Dallmayr fan. 

The view over the Pacific with the Transamerica and Salesforce buildings during the day was beautiful as well with many white cap waves on a gleaming blue ocean. 

I had a restful weekend full of delicious meals and loved every moment of the San Francisco overnighter, which included lunch at Café de la Presse. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Spicy Tuna Poké Bowl at Sushi Hut in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Spicy Tuna Poké Bowl at Sushi Hut in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

Sushi Hut in Salinas, California has been hailed as one of the top 50 sushi spots in the United States by YELP and Salinas sushi lovers alike. 

The restaurant also has delicious Hawaiian poké bowls. I ate one recently and am happy with the progress I am making with poké bowl composition thanks to Door Dash Delivery app ordering. 

My poké bowl dinner had the following items in it: 

-base carbohydrate: white rice (brown rice is available) 

-proteins: raw spicy tuna and California crab roll filling 

-vegetables: cherry tomatoes (for vitamin c), carrot sticks (for vitamin A), and avocado slices (for vitamins K,C, and E) 

-fruit: fresh pineapple chunks (for vitamin c) 

-sauces: yuzu citrus juice and spicy sriracha mayonnaise 

-seasonings: lemon wedge for juice and a dab of wasabi horseradish sauce 

All of these ingredients blend into a delicious, tropical dish that congers up Hawaiian sunsets with swaying palm trees. 

For a taste of Hawaii before traveling there, Sushi Hut has poké bowls and snack items that are like the items you would eat there. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Skyline Dining at the InterContinental San Francisco, California by Ruth Paget

Skyline Dining at the InterContinental San Francisco, California by Ruth Paget 

On a weekend trip to San Francisco (West Bay), my family stayed at the InterContinental San Francisco, an IHG hotel, at 888 Howard Street. 

It is important to know the number 888 as it is the name of the hotel’s Bistro 888 that provides room service as well. 

The floor-to-ceiling glass windows in this luxury spa hotel made me want to eat in the room and admire the sunset and twinkling building lights as I ate like I did when I was younger and lived in Marina City in Chicago (Illinois) on floor 22. 

I ordered a very American meal with flair for dinner – an 888 Burger. This is really a cheeseburger made with an 8-ounce cheese patty that comes with a thick slice of melted aged white cheddar cheese, house-made pickles, lettuce, tomato, and Parmesan cheese “secret” sauce instead of mayonnaise on a large brioche bun. 

I asked for medium cooking on the burger, and it was slightly pink the way I like it in the center. The meat was juicy and delicious with the salty and creamy Parmesan sauce. 

The burger came with a large helping of crisp double-fried French fries and vinegary strands of purple cabbage slaw. 

The next day, I woke up early and took my spa shower. The hotel water was soft and the InterContinental offers free Byredo Bal d’Afrique cleansing and conditioning products. (Bal d’Afrique perfume sells for $230 for a 1.07 ounce – 50 ml bottle, so I lathered up in luxury.) 

As I let my hair dry, I ordered breakfast from Bistro 888 again for in-room service again. 

For breakfast, I ate an 888 Omelette with three slices of whole wheat toast. The omelette was ¼-inch thick all around and amply filled with sautéed spinach, mini shiitake mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, and melted Monterey Jack cheese.

Fried fingerling potatoes came with the meal along with two small bottles of Tabasco sauce for extra seasoning.  These tasted great with the double latte I ordered to go with breakfast.

I forgot to order bacon, but my husband Laurent brought back some from breakfast downstairs.  The bacon was thick cut with mostly meat and deliciously salty. (San Francisco is hot during the day with unexpected gusts of cold wind. Perfect weather for salt depletion.) 

The InterContinental San Francisco weekend trip was a great success. I ate two great meals, felt invigorated by the Byredo Bal d’Afrique spa shower, admired the San Francisco skyline 12 stories up, organized a writing project in my head (Tasting Rome blog), and had fun on the way home admiring the scenery along I-280 as we passed the airport and Palo Alto real estate on the way to Highway 101 to Salinas, California. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Hibachi Salmon and Mango Cheesecake at Roy's in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Hibachi Salmon and Mango Cheesecake at Roy’s in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget 

Roy’s in Pebble Beach, California is like a little piece of Maui in Monterey County. 

It is a Hawaiian themed restaurant that serves several fish selections worthy of a Japanese steak house. (Descendants of Japanese farm workers make up one of Hawaii’s large ethnic groups.) 

I ordered the hibachi salmon at Roy’s, which is made with wild caught salmon (expect market pricing). 

Hibachi refers to a flat-topped grill used to make this dish and the name for the sauce used to flavor the salmon. The citrusy sauce is made with soy sauce, honey, fresh squeezed lemon juice, sesame oil, minced garlic, ginger, and a little white pepper. (Recipe source: weekdaypescatarian.com). These ingredients are delicious alone and even better when mixed together. 

The salmon is grilled first before adding the sauce. At Roy’s, the skin on the salmon is papery thin and crunchy. I ate it at Roy’s, but usually leave it at other restaurants. 

Roy’s adds some theatrical flourishes to the hibachi salmon. They top it with silky, sweet pieces of preserved ginger. On top of the ginger, they place a swirling mound of shaved strands of daikon radish. 

The hibachi salmon is served over rice with tender, steamed broccolini on the side. All the flavors blend together just like they are supposed to for an optimal dining experience. 

The dessert was tops, too: a mango cheesecake with pink guava sauce and lemon icing made from tart, freshly squeezed lemons. 

We sat at a window seat with a view on the ocean. I thought the terraced desk outside would be a great place to watch the sunset or listen to the bagpiper at 6 pm with an exotic dessert from Roy’s ($18 each) and a coffee. 

Roy’s is a splurge restaurant, but it is much less expensive than eating a comparable meal in Maui. 

If you want to eat a Hawaiian meal stateside, Roy’s restaurant in Pebble Beach, California is a great choice for you. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Reuben Sandwich Deal at Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Reuben Sandwich Deal at Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget 

The Pebble Beach Market across from the Lodge in Pebble Beach (California) has a pretty good sandwich deal for Reuben sandwiches, that comes with Vicki’s sea salt chips and a large soda for about $24 as of 4/3/2025. 

There is a picnic area to the right of the store with tables and wooden lawn chairs in front of the store to do people watching at the Lodge. There are also picnic tables at three pull-offs between China Rock and Bird Rock. 

The reuben is a German-inspired sandwich I learned to eat at the University of Chicago when I was a student there. It is made with grilled rye bread, corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing. 

Corned beef has been preserved with salt. Before refrigeration existed, this preservation method ensured that you could eat beef on a regular basis without getting sick. 

The corned beef at The Market was freshly cut for the reuben sandwich. It was moist, flavorful, and warm from grilling. 

The sauerkraut was mild and plentiful and packed with Vitamin C and fiber. The Swiss cheese was sharp and added some pleasant acidity to the sandwich. 

What made the sandwich stand out was the Russian dressing. At Pebble Beach, this dressing is made with mayonnaise, a hint of ketchup, lots of grated horseradish, and chives. The horseradish is also loaded with Vitamin C and piquant. The Russian dressing pulls the sandwich’s flavors together. 

The Market at Pebble Beach offers hot and cold sandwiches, salads, and soup.  You can sample the Tap Room’s chili here, too.

For more information on sandwiches, check out: The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches: Recipes, History, and Trivia for Everything Between Sliced Bread by Susan Russo 

Every college student and parent should know what is in here for making sandwiches for themselves and/or getting gig jobs in sandwich shops. 

For people who make a weekly menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 5 days, a sandwich is a nice dinner that can be quickly made along with a fruit salad.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Spicy Alaskan Flounder (Sole) Sandwich at Popeye's in Gilroy (South of San José), California by Ruth Paget

Spicy Alaskan Flounder (Sole) Sandwich at Popeye’s in Gilroy (South of San Jose), California by Ruth Paget 

Salinas dwellers like I am can take a quick 30-minute drive to Gilroy, California (south of San José on 101) for seasonal spicy Alaskan flounder sandwiches at Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen. 

Popeye’s is famous for its generous portions in their fried chicken sandwich combos and their fried shrimp combos, but when Alaska flounder is in season, I always order their large spicy flounder combination meal. 

The large flounder filet is deep-fried and served on a brioche bun with spicy mayonnaise, thick pickles, and lettuce. The large combination comes with two side dishes. I always order the red beans and rice and thick and creamy coleslaw made with chopped cabbage, onions, and carrots in cream dressing. The beans and rice and flounder sandwich are spicy and get toned down by the coleslaw. 

Popeye’s offers lemonade among its beverage choices. The lemonade is tart, which l like a lot. I imagine the tart flavor comes from the Vitamin C in lemon juice. 

Popeye’s headquarters is in Miami, Florida, but the restaurant’s theme is Cajun food from Southern Louisiana. Cajun food is eaten throughout the southeastern US and is now spreading to California. 

After eating a delicious spicy flounder sandwich meal, you can stop in and buy books at Barnes and Noble, which is in the same shopping center. My daughter Florence Paget ran in on our last trip to buy The Poppy War series by R.F. Kuang for her mom, who was an East Asian Studies major in college. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Fried Apples with French Toast at Cracker Barrel in Augusta, Georgia by Ruth Paget

Fried Apples with French Toast at Cracker Barrel in Augusta, Georgia by Ruth Paget 

The fried apples with French toast at Cracker Barrel in Augusta (Grovetown), Georgia tie together foods from both ends of Tennessee, where the company’s headquarters are located outside Nashville. 

Apples come from eastern Tennessee in abundance thanks to Johnny Appleseed (1774 – 1845) and his associates, who had apples planted from Massachusetts to Indiana. Apples keep well over winter after a fall harvest and offer a fiber boost and a good amount of Vitamin C. For these reasons, apples are a great partner for French toast. 

French toast comes from western Tennessee, which lies on the Mississippi River upstream from New Orleans. In New Orleans, French toast is called “pain perdu” or “lost bread.” The French say the bread is ‘’lost,” because it is dunked till soaking in a mixture of egg, milk, and vanilla before frying it. 

At Cracker Barrel, they fry apple wedges in butter, sugar, and cinnamon. For the final presentation of the French toast, Cracker Barrel cuts the French toast into fourths and stands them in a pyramid surrounded by standing apple wedges for a real diner 3-D effect with a cup of warm syrup on the side for dipping or pouring. 

The fried apples and French toast were all good and eggy sweet. I loved it and had a side of salty bacon to go with it. 

I was full and happy as I wandered through the store and really loved seeing Johnny Cash and Prince records for sale. I could not help but thinking of an Alan Jackson lyric “Well, they’re not as backward as they used to be.” 

That lyric is true of the customers and staff, too. Cracker Barrel in Augusta, Georgia serves people, who like American food and the restaurant has a store with products that reflect the United States. 

For a no-surprises, delicious breakfast, I like Cracker Barrel when I am visiting the southern United States.  

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Pecan Pancakes at Cracker Barrel in Augusta, Georgia by Ruth Paget

Pecan Pancakes at Cracker Barrel in Augusta, Georgia by Ruth Paget 

Pecan pancakes at Cracker Barrel are a seasonal treat. Pecans grow in the southern United States including Georgia where I was visiting in January 2025. 

When I saw pecan pancakes listed on the menu at Cracker Barrel in Augusta (Grovetown), I immediately ordered them. Pecans are harvested September through November, so I knew the January pecan pancakes would be made with fresh, flavorful pecans. 

About a cup of chopped pecans goes into pancake batter made with flour, eggs, butter, maybe some pecan oil, and buttermilk for a slight tang in the final golden product. At Cracker Barrel, the fluffy pecan pancakes arrive at your table with two warmed bottles of Cracker Barrel’s house brand maple syrup, so you can control the amount of calories on your pancakes. 

The pecan pancakes I ordered came with bacon, sunny side up eggs, and hash browns as sides. Everything was perfectly prepared. I just gobbled everything up and ate for the day. I also liked the strong coffee with cream. 

Another thing I like about Cracker Barrel is the store, which I go through after eating. I found a neat book published by Harvard Common Press entitled: Old Time Wisdom and Lore: 1000s of Traditional Skills for Simple Living by Jerry Mack Johnson. 

Among the book’s chapters, I found some useful skills that convinced me to buy it including: 

-predicting weather based on cloud type, wind direction, and barometer readings 

-gardening tips by season -tips for tapping maple trees for sap to make syrup 

-recipes for grilled venison with sauce to basic corn bread to maple syrup pie 

-patterns for sewing quilts 

-making handmade soaps 

-fishing secrets and scaling tips 

-making down-home toys -moon gazing notes 

This book is just full of activities to do with children and teens that are not too expensive. I recommend it for this reason. 

I was happy with this Cracker Barrel outing for the chance to eat pecans that are high in fiber, healthy fats, and protein and for finding a great book to read during my stay in Augusta, Georgia. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Marina Poké House in California by Ruth Paget

Marina’s Poké House in California by Ruth Paget 

Marina Poké House is a neighborhood restaurant that locals enjoy for the zesty ingredients and reasonable prices. Tourists might enjoy Marina Poké House for the Hawaiian fare at mainland prices, too. 

I have eaten the poke beginner’s California Bowl ($10.50) on several occasions. The California Bowl has three scoops of imitation crab (made from fish and delish) sushi and a scoop of chopped avocado on top of a generous base of rice. I usually have spicy aioli as my sauce. 

The bowls besides this are made to order and come in three sizes – small, medium, and large. When you order a custom bowl, specify the bowl size first and the number of fish you would like that determine the price you pay. 

To create a poké bowl, you have to choose four types of ingredients in a specific order. Marina Poké House makes this easy by listing steps in order on its menu as follows: 

1-Pick your base – rice, brown rice, or mixed local greens 

2-Pick your various fish, seafood, and/or tofu 

3-Pick your sauce from ponzu to wasabi mayonnaise 

4-Pick your topping – from avocado to kimchi to seaweed salad  

Marina’s Poké House serves Strawberry-Guava and Guava Nectar in cans among its beverage offerings for a nice counterpoint to the spicy sauces. 

For a discussion of poké’s history within the wider spectrum of Hawaiian cuisine, see Rachel Laudan’s The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaii’s Culinary Heritage (pages 37 – 38). 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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