Evening entertainment

The purpose of our June 2011 visit to SF was to attend the opera. SF Opera was running three cycles of Wagner's Ring which is 4 operas rolled into one. The 4 shows are spread over the course of  a week which leaves days off for long excursions (e.g. Nepenthe or Pt Reyes Lighthouse) and the opera days when performances start at 6 pm allow for shorter trips-lunch at the Cliff House for instance.

The performances take place in the War Memorial Opera House which sits on the wide boulevard known as Van Ness Avenue.

The Ring is a big deal for an opera house and a huge financial commitment - recent Rings have cost  the Los Angeles and New York Met Opera over $30 million each and they don't recover quickly from a splurge like that. It can be done cheaper though when cooler fiscal heads prevail. You have to get your tickets well in advance as they sell out quickly. Wagner fills theaters. And hotels. And restaurants.

Speaking of restaurants for lunch on this opera day we chose one near our hotel. The renowned Tadich Grill which is the USA's oldest operating restaurant. It opened in 1859 and is two blocks south of our hotel. One of those dark rich wood places with cosy booths offering some privacy.  There is no privacy from the din within though. Noisy. Service is from professional waiters who may have been here a long time. Nothing wrong with that.

They are known for their seafood but may be resting on some old laurels as neither of us was excited by the presentation, nor the taste of the food for the money spent. You can see for yourself. At least we crossed it off our list as there are so many places to eat in this City which I imagine is thought of as a "foodie" town by the inhabitants. Of course we can't claim to have eaten in a great many places there but each time we return we'll add at least one new restaurant to our mix. We've had a few clunker meals there, most notably a pub called the Irish Bank and a "hot spot" called the Slanted Door, which was pretentious slop for people who have already dulled their senses on cocktails, in a room where it sounded like there was a bull rampaging through the tables. Not the place for a romantic night out. Crossed off the list.

Here's a short video from the Tadich Grill.......

There's always a nap before a Wagner Opera. The Opera House will be packed and hot and we don't want to fall asleep and miss one second of music.

We drive and park there so there's no worry about getting a cab back to the hotel. The Omni provides a town car if you want to take advantage but I like to drive myself most of the time. It's a 15 minute drive including traffic-light stops. That's one of the reasons why we choose the Omni-the other reason is that they provide a great environment for our stay so we haven't looked elsewhere.

We were to be joined at the Opera by friends from New York but they  couldn't come, which is why you see Carol trying to sell their tickets. I think we just donated them back to the house so they could sell them.

I am not someone who seeks to "convert" people to Wagner music-the theaters are crowded enough as it is . You have to find out for yourself by being curious. If you are not that is perfectly O.K. by me. We are about to go into a big theater and leave the 21st Century far behind for a few hours. We are strapping in for a musical and emotional roller-coaster.

Here's a few shots of the Opera House and the classical entertainment hub area on Van Ness.....