What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's California

November 2004 -- The Golden State is ever evolving with new places to stay, dine and tour.

California's Wine Country

Wine Country continues to grow faster than its famed Cabernet grapes. If you think you've already done it all, read on and rethink your itinerary.

Napa Valley

Napa Valley's hottest new luxury resort is my new favorite. Calistoga Ranch, 580 Lommel Rd., Calistoga (tel. 707-254-2800) may cost more than $525 per night, but if you really want to do Napa in the best of rural-luxury, the 46 freestanding cottages packed with every conceivable amenity (including fireplaces, outdoor patios along a wooded area, and cushy outdoor furnishings) are the place to be. The resort, tucked into 157 pristine acres in a well-hidden canyon, features a giant swimming pool, gym, spa with natural thermal pool, and breathtakingly beautiful private restaurant with stunning views of the property's Lake Lommel, all of which feel romantically rustic and quiet even though the resort is perpetually booked to nearly maximum capacity.

New on the food front is downtown Napa's latest addition, Pilar, 807 Main St., Napa (tel. 707-252-4474), where husband-and-wife chefs Pilar Sanchez and Didier Lenders serve exceptionally stellar and unadulterated seasonal cuisine. Prices are somewhat high to dine within the streamlined, compact, and muted putty green dining room accented with modern stainless silver touches (think $19 to $27 per entrée). But you won't be disappointed, especially if you order the sublime butter lettuce salad with Maytag blue cheese, roasted Fuji apples, and a light balsamic dressing and their Alaskan halibut perched on a pillow of fluffy, lavender-colored Peruvian mashed potatoes surrounded by wedges of orange and grapefruit sprinkled with basil.

Across town in rural Carneros is the bargain restaurant of the year -- The Boon Fly Café, 4048 Sonoma Highway, Napa (tel. 707/299-4900). I'm not a fan of the overpriced and creepy luxury trailer-park-like Carneros Inn in which it resides, but I have nothing but good things to say about its gourmet roadhouse. The slick and inviting interior is modern barn style complete with a corrugated metal water-shed-like pizza oven and light, airy, surroundings with dark wood tables and floors. The food similarly balances rustic and chic with fancy renditions of comfort classics like killer beer-battered onion rings, thin-crust pizza, great cobb salad, omelets, pancakes, and roasted half chicken with bacon, roasted potatoes, sautéed mushrooms and chicken stock and white wine reduction. With prices topping out in the mid teens, it's almost cheaper to eat here than dine at home. An added bonus: If you're passing by and in a hurry they offer tasty to-go items like donut holes and breakfast sandwiches.

Also in downtown Napa is the most exciting -- and expensive -- opening of the past year. Restaurant Budo (1650 Soscol Avenue, Napa, tel.707-224-2330) is a collaboration between Roger Roessler, of Roessler Cellars (known for outstanding single-vineyard Pinot Noirs made by famed young winemaker Wells Guthry), and Executive Chef James McDevitt, an award-winning chef previously at Scottsdale, Arizona's Hapa. Though the prices of the $30-plus entrees can be hard to swallow, the beautifully presented dishes definitely are not. Just one bite of the caramelized pork belly with onion confit and pomegranate black pepper sauce or tenderloin of veal with crisp sweetbreads, water chestnut puree, and edamame foam will prove my point. Besides, the earth-toned dining room graced with one long table topped with decorative decanters is comfortably formal, and there's more casual courtyard seating with windows showcasing the busy kitchen when outdoor dining permits. Most exciting for residents is the full bar complete with a fireplace, cozy couch seating, mood lighting, and a cheaper (but still expensive) bar menu served until midnight. Not one month after opening, I can already tell this is one of the best restaurants in the valley and definitely worthy of a reservation provided you can afford it.

Finally, recent visits to Bistro Jeanty (6510 Washington St., Yountville, tel. 707/944-0103) have proven that the cuisine has seen better days, so if you're looking for a great feast, I'd recommend blowing your hard-earned dollars elsewhere.

In previous editions of Frommer's I've sent folks to Darioush's, 4240 Silverado Trail, Napa (tel. 707/257-2345), famed "double wide" for tastes of their yummy Bourdeaux-style estate wines. But now I'm thrilled to point visitors not to another French chateau or Tuscan villa but to Napa's coolest new winery and visitor center, which features grand Persian architecture, complete with 18-foot freestanding columns, travertine stone, and outdoor fountains. Owners Darioush and Shahpar Khaledi, who came from Persia to Southern California in the late 70s, made money in supermarkets, and set out to create their dream winery finally unveiled it this September. Check it out from 10:30am to 5pm daily.

Also new on the scene is the new facial cottage at Dr. Wilkinson's Hot Springs, 1507 Lincoln Ave, Calistoga (tel. 707-942-4102). With curtained windows, a private bath, centerpiece treatment bed, housemade facial products and excellent esthetician onhand, it's a far cry from the lame and too-light usual resort facial. This one really digs deep and refreshes all at once and in complete and comfy privacy.

Sonoma

Garden lovers should pull over for an $9 gander at the latest downtown Sonoma addition, the Cornerstone Festival of Gardens, 23570 Arnold Drive, Sonoma (tel. 707/933-3010; children under 12 are free). Modeled in part after the International Garden festival at Chaumont-sur-Loire in France's Loire Valley and the Grand Metis in Quebec, Canada, the nine-acre property is the first gallery-style garden exhibit in the United States and includes a series of 15 ever-changing gardens designed by famed landscape architects and designers. The gardens are truly spectacular. If you get inspired, you can load up on loot here that will help your own garden grow -- from furniture and gifts to plants, garden art, and books. The gardens are opened Tuesday through Sunday 10am to 5pm, Monday noon to 4pm.

The Central Coast

In Paso Robles, visitors now have the opportunity to learn to drive a stagecoach with Harris Stage Lines (tel. 805/237-1860; www.harrisstagelines.com). Visitors who sign up for the 2-day clinic will learn the practical operation of how different horse-drawn vehicles work. This includes driving the team of horses 3 abreast and 4-up hitch, learning the fitting of the harness, hitching and unhitching, and driving on public streets and the show ring.

The High Sierra

The California State Tourism board is promoting California winter sports -- skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and snow gliding -- for kids by offering the new California Snow Passport program. If you're in 4th, 5th or 6th grade (or born in 1993, 1994 or 1995), you can apply for a California Snow Passport and ski and snow board this winter for free. The Passport has pages of coupons for lift tickets, trail passes, special offers for ski and board lessons and equipment rentals at 30 participating California and Nevada resorts. For more information log onto www.californiasnow.com.

Tahoe Adventure Company in Lake Tahoe (tel. 866/830-6125; www.tahoeadventurecompany.com) is now offering kite boarding lessons. Participants are harnessed to a giant kite, strapped into a board device, and moved by the wind across the lakes. A 3 day package costs about $450. They even offer kite boarding lessons on frozen lakes for you winter-sports enthusiasts.

Ulli and Sven Thomas, owners of the Tahoma Meadows B&B Cottages in Lake Tahoe (tel. 530/525-1553; www.tahomameadows.com), have a new son, Sven. Born on September 18th at 3:15am, he weighed in at 8.5lbs and 22". His big sister Mara and his Aunty Linda could not be happier, although none of the gang are getting much sleep.

Los Angeles and Disneyland

If you think all museums are boring, then you obviously haven't been to the new Erotic Museum, 6741 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood (tel. 323/463-7684; www.theeroticmuseum.com), in mid-town Los Angeles. The swelling collection of fine art, folk art, and multimedia works are the first of the genre to open on the West Coast. Exhibits such as "Sex and Technology" and "Body Image: Shaping our Sense of Self" are among the educative and intellectually-focused themes the museum offers. Where else but L.A. would you find a tasteful tribute to John Holmes?

The Los Angeles Zoo, 5333 Zoo Dr., Griffith Park (tel. 323/644-4200; www.lazoo.org), rated among the top 10 zoos in the U.S. with more than 1,200 animals on the 80-acre expanse, is now showing off its new nine-acre complex that hosts the Sea Lion cliffs, a saltwater habitat with underwater viewing, a Children's Discovery Center, and a cool California-themed plaza.

The world's first psychological thrill ride, the Revenge of the Mummy, is now terrifying tourists at Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Center Dr., Universal City (tel. 818/662-3801; www.universalstudioshollywood.com). Based on the hugely popular Mummy movie franchise, the ride is a multi-sensory, total immersion trip into the tombs of Imhotep in ancient Egypt. All indoors, it's the latest in thrill ride design with forward and back motion, pyrotechnics (a ceiling of 2000¿ F flames burning just inches above riders' heads), and the most advanced animatronics and projected CGI animation. Riders will experience different details depending on the car they are in, so the ride will be new each time.

On the north side of the city at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Magic Mountain Pkwy., Valencia (tel. 661/255-4500; www.sixflags.com), is another extreme experience: The Tornado. The water park's new ride looks like a giant household funnel that's been turned on its side. You (if you're crazy enough) jump into it at 75 feet in the air and plunge downward through a 132-foot-long dark, winding cylinder into an open-mouthed waterfall and pool (don't wet yourself).

South of the city are two more new thrill rides: Disney's Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Knott's Silver Bullet. The Tower of Terror at Disneyland in Anaheim (tel. 714/781-4565; www.disneyland.com), is a 13 story drop into the 5th dimension based on "The Twilight Zone" series. Visitors explore what happened to a group of hotel guests who disappeared in this luxury high rise that's crammed with exhilarating drops and special effects. The Silver Bullet at Knott's Berry Farm, 6601 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, (tel. 800/541-3953; www.knotts.com), is a new western-themed rollercoaster that sends riders up 146 feet before soaring downward 109 feet. Riders roll, spiral, corkscrew, and fly into a cobra curl in chrome-plated, floorless seating compartments.

The strikingly beautiful Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave. (tel. 213/972-4399; www.musiccenter.org) has finally finished tuning its 6,134-pipe organ designed by Frank Gehry (it took a full year). The focal point of the concert hall, the organ's pipes range in size from a pencil to a telephone pole. Among the newly scheduled organ programs are organ soloist Todd Wilson performing Lou Harrison's Organ Concerto and Copland's Organ Symphony.

Over in San Pedro there's a new Waterfront Pedestrian Promenade (www.sanpedrowaterfront.com) which offers plenty of on-shore activities at one of the busiest cruise ports in the world. The promenade is the launch site for cruise ships, recreational boating, and whale-watching tours. Along the promenade is the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen White Dr., San Pedro (tel. 310/548-7562; www.cabrilloaq.org), which just opened a multi-million-dollar Exploratorium Center for children and an aquatic nursery.

The talk around town is about the newly renovated Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood (tel. 800/950-7667; www.hollywoodroosevelt.com). The 12-story Hollywood landmark is just about finished with a $30 million renovation to the ever-so-cool tower guest rooms, the historic public areas, and the dig-me pool area (the pool-side cabana rooms are the best place to stay on hot summer days) -- including a new pool bar offering refreshing cocktails and great brick-oven pizzas. Also here is Feinstein's at the Cinegrill, a groovy, dark, tier-leveled supper club hosted by celebrity performer Michael Feinstein.

As for L.A.'s dining scene, the trend toward Asian-fusion dishes continues at L.A.'s hot new restaurants such as Kai, 101 Broadway Ave., Santa Monica (tel. 310/434-1511), where Chef Nobu Hamazaki serves small plates of Pacific Rim-style dishes such as garlic tiger shrimp skewered on sugarcane and carpaccio of Kobe beef. The glass-enclosed patio complete with open fire pit is ideal for enjoying the seaside views while sipping on a passion fruit martini.

Another popular Asian-fusion newcomer is Rika Restaurant, 8590 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood (tel. 310/657-9500). This ultra-modern-looking restaurant offers a 180-degree view of the Sunset Strip, but even more impressive is the non-traditional, French-influenced sushi and sashimi, such as their Ruby Roll lined with lobster tempura, avocado, and salmon caviar.

If all this fusion stuff is too trendy for your simple American palate, an excellent alternative is Nook Neighborhood Bistro, 11628 Santa Monica Blvd. #9, Los Angeles (tel. 310/207-5160). Featuring simple, moderately priced American comfort food that's presented artistically and in a friendly and inviting atmosphere, Nook is earning kudos for such dishes as roasted squash and chickpea stew with golden raisins, minted couscous and yogurt sauce ($9), and their blackened catfish burritos with Meyer lemon aioli, Napa cabbage slaw, charred green onion, and oven dried tomato ($8).

The Monterey Peninsula and the Big Sur Coast

The only white shark on exhibit anywhere in the world is now part of the million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row., Monterey (tel. 800/756-3737; www.montereybayaquarium.org). The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the best exhibit aquariums in the world, and the new long-term exhibit of the white shark is one key objective of the aquarium's three-year white shark project. She stunned the husbandry team by feeding aggressively the first two days in the exhibit, marking the first time that a white shark has accepted food offered by staff in an aquarium (she doesn't seem to have much reaction to the other fish or turtles in the exhibit). It's a breakthrough that gives the aquarium hope that she will remain on long-term exhibit so that they can share conservation stories and improve white sharks' prospects for survival in the wild.

Adventure Sports Unlimited in Santa Cruz, 303 Potrero Street #15 (tel. 831/458-3648; www.asudoit.com), now offers a fun albeit highly unusual cooking class: gourmet seafood foraging. Visitors walk along the seashore, wade through tide pools, and bring their clams, mussels, bivalve, and other eatables back to land, then learn how to create gourmet dishes from their fresh bounty. Each class includes an evening session for planning followed by a day of collecting and preparing a meal from the sea. The cost is $40.

The Northern Coast

The Skunk Train, which has carried passengers through redwoods of the Mendocino Coast for well over 100 years until it closed last year, is back in business thanks to its new owner, the Sierra Railroad. The Skunk Train now operates one round-trip daily between Fort Bragg and Northspur, a three-and-one-half-hour trip through the Noyo River Canyon. A second train takes passengers on 90-minute trips into the coastal mountain range. These shorter trips are offered twice a day, and the train depart Willits (tel. 866/45-SKUNK; www.skunktrain.com).

Here's something different: Lodging and Llamas (tel. 707/964-7191; www.lodgingandllamas.com) is offering lodging and guided llama treks on the Mendocino Coast. The lodging consists of three vacation-rental cottages located just north of Mendocino, and the unique llama treks allow you to comfortably explore the natural beauty of the coastal region. All trips are led by experienced guides and accompanied by well-trained and friendly pack llamas.

San Diego & Environs

New on the hotel scene this year is Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa (tel. 877/4-ESTANCIA or 858/550-1000; www.estancialajolla.com), a $60 million resort that opened on former equestrian grounds, across the street from the campus of University of California, San Diego. The 210 rooms sprawl over a 9.5-acre spread, and designers incorporated the old adobe bricks from the stables into some of the common areas. Although located just a few hundred yards from the ocean and 3 miles from downtown La Jolla, the property has a rancho feel. A major focus for the hotel will be meetings and incentive groups -- the meeting facilities are upscale and prodigiously equipped, certified by IACC.

In restaurant news: Jason Knibb, formerly of Utah's Sundance Resort, has taken over the kitchen at Nine-Ten (tel. 858/964-5402; www.nine-ten.com) in La Jolla. The restaurant's focus on regional, market-inspired cuisine remains in place. Chef Deborah Scott and partners David and Leslie Cohn have taken over Rueben's, a San Diego stalwart since 1969, with plans to transform it into a steakhouse with a "Ralph Lauren-meets-Tommy Bahamas décor." The venue is getting a complete overhaul, but the postcard-perfect panorama of San Diego Bay, downtown, Coronado and Point Loma will still be a drawing card. Watch for an early 2005 opening.

In 2005 the San Diego Trolley gains an important extension, and a third color, as a new 6-mile section opens to link San Diego State University to the network. Concert-goers headed to either of SDSU's venues will find the Green Line an easy transportation route. More info is available at www.sandiegotrolley.com.

San Diego Golf Reservations (tel. 800/905-0230 or 858/964-5980; www.sandiegogolf.com) can arrange tee times at 20 of San Diego's premiere courses. They will consult with you by phone on the courses you are interested in, or you can book 12 of the courses on-line at their web site. Good news: This service is now complimentary (though there is still a $10 booking fee for twilight reservations or to play Balboa Park Municipal). One of the courses they handle is the legendary Torrey Pines (tel. 858/570-1234; www.torreypinesgolfcourse.com), home of the Buick Invitational and the 2008 U.S. Open. Alas, greens fees at Torrey Pines have increased yet again: It's now $115 Monday-Friday on the South Course, $135 Saturday-Sunday; the North Course is $75 and $85 respectively.

The original all-girls surf school Surf Diva (tel. 858/454-8273; www.surfdiva.com) has opened a boutique. Although the team has had an on-line store for several years, the storefront now sells Surf Diva's custom surfboards for women, and apparel designed by Coco Tihanyi with her sister Izzy (the duo that started Surf Diva). The boutique, located at 2160 Avenida de la Playa in La Jolla, caters to women, but note that the crew also teaches the guys.

The San Diego Symphony was beneficiary of a giant bequest and new resident conductor, Jahja Ling, oversees his first full season in 2004-05. Winter performances are held at Symphony Hall, an elegantly restored 1929-era movie theatre, October-May, while a summer pops series runs late June-August under the stars along downtown's Embarcadero. Tickets and schedules: tel. 619/235-0804; www.sandiegosymphony.com.

San Diego's original (and almost only) lesbian owned bar, The Flame (tel. 619/295-4163) was sold in March 2004 and reopened in July under all-male ownership, the same team that runs the popular Numbers across the street. Both bars will continue to cater to a mixed gay and lesbian clientele, with theme nights like Friday's Bad Puppies (Numbers) and Bad Kitties (The Flame). But The Flame has received more than a facelift: The overhauled interior now features two dance floors, a lounge, and three bars, plus an outdoor smoking patio. Still intact is the bar's wonderfully art deco neon logo.

In Carlsbad, LEGOLAND (tel. 760/918-LEGO; www.legoland.com) celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2004 with the debut of 5 new attractions. Among them: The "Block of Fame," a three-dimensional gallery lined with busts made solely out of LEGO bricks. At Dino Island, the Coaster-Saurus is a pint-sized roller coaster with life-size animatronic dinos made from LEGOs. And "Dig Those Dinos" is a simulated archeological dig in a hunt for prehistoric bones.

The agricultural community of Escondido, 32 miles north of San Diego, is becoming an enticing daytrip. The wonderful Mingei Museum of Balboa Park has opened a sister facility in an abadoned JCPenney building to showcase "art of the people;" it's at 155 W. Grand Ave. (tel. 760/735-3355; www.mingei.org). And art-lovers and families alike will want to head to Queen Califia's Magic Circle, a site-specific, world-class, kid-friendly sculpture by late great artist Niki de Saint Phalle, a close friend of the Mingei (which can provide directions to the site, justr outside Escondido). Downtown Escondido's Grand Avenue has become a top stop for antique lovers -- there are more than a dozen storefronts representing hundreds of dealers. And when you're ready for a meal of authentic Mexican food, Hacienda de Vega, 2608 S. Escondido Blvd., (tel. 760/738-9805; www.haciendadevega.com) offers an oasis-like setting around a pond and terrific tamarind magaritas; Sunday brunch is a highlight. Or, try Asia Vous, 417 W. Grand Ave. (tel. 760/747-5000; www.asiavousrestaurant.com), where chef/proprietor Riko Bartolome merges classical European techniques, Asian sensibilities, and San Diego's bounty of delicious local produce to create a winningly fresh menu.

Almost all of 25,000-acre Cuyamaca Rancho State Park (tel. 760/765-3020; www.cuyamaca.us) was burned in the devastating October 2003 fires. But the backcountry mountain park located just south of Julian is on the mend, with a helping hand from an army of volunteers who have been clearing trails. More than half the park's hikes have reopened, including the ascent of Stonewall Peak, and the Green Valley Campground is back open. This is not to say Cuyamaca visitors won't see a lot of wildfire destruction, but green leaves and flowers are sprouting throughout the park, and eye-filling new vistas have been revealed where oak trees once canvassed the hills. Located less then 90 minutes from San Diego, the park is once again well-worth a day trip.

San Francisco

There's good news and there's bad news. The bad news is, those who in the past few years took advantage of the dip in tourism and the economy and found cheaper and more readily available hotels and restaurants in San Francisco will discover that the desperate days are behind the City by the Bay. On the bright side, the city is much more exciting because of it. Hotels are hopping, swank new restaurants are opening faster than the maitre d's can say, "I'm sorry, we only have a table available at 5:30 or 9pm," and new construction along the continually evolving mecca of the Embarcadero promises more reasons to walk along the bayfront promenade. Yes, San Francisco's swinging, so if you're headed here anytime soon, check out the latest happenings below to make sure you get the most out of your trip.

If you're looking for wonderfully cheap, attractive, and clean accommodations and don't mind being in the middle of the city and simultaneously in the middle of nowhere, rush to book a room at Hotel Carlton (1075 Sutter St., San Francisco, 94109, tel. 800-922-7586 or 415-673-0242; www.jdvhospitality.com). The Joie de Vivre hotel group is behind the 2004 revamp of this 163-room 1927 hotel. With a "global vintage" décor, the interior is wonderful with travel photographs from the American Himalayan Foundation, tribal figurines, Oriental rugs, a vibrant sari-like color scheme, and imported hand-painted Moroccan tables and cool Lucite-beaded table lamps in guest rooms. Outside the neighborhood is a drab, but it's only a seven-block walk to Union Square and with doubles starting at a mere $119, you can splurge for a taxi with the money saved.

Finally! The Cliff House (1090 Point Lobos, tel. 415/386-3330, www.cliffhouse.com) reopens in its newly renovated glory in October 2004. Completely redone to the tune of $19 million, the 1909 building's new look is less like a ho-hum box balancing on the cliffs overlooking Ocean Beach and famed Seal Rock and more like a respectable neo-classical landmark. Yes, it's still a tourist destination, and yes, the point is still to kick it with great ocean views through picture windows, but there may be new reason to make the trek to the city's western edge. The new Sutro Wing houses three new outdoor observation decks and the two-story mostly seafood restaurant Sutro's, which of course offers stunning panoramic ocean views and is open for lunch and dinner daily. Though it's too early to review, I'm hoping they take the food to visit-worthy levels with his emphasis on organically grown products. (Previously I've skipped all but the gluttonous and now again available Sunday all-you-can-eat Champagne brunch in the Terrace Room, which is a family favorite for special occasions -- especially with those floor-to-ceiling ocean views.) The 1909 structure also offers seaside noshing in its newly renovated casual Cliff House Bistro where guests can sip spiked coffees at a zinc bar and grab omelet breakfasts and casual lunch and dinner daily.

Alas, just when the Frommer's San Francisco 2005 guide announces the wonders of a world-class dinner at Charles Nob Hill, the restaurant closed. But a few months later great news broke: the astoundingly good (and very young) chef Melissa Perello who revitalized the place as a top destination relocated to Fifth Floor Restaurant (In the Hotel Palomar, 12 Fourth St. tel. 415/348-1555), replacing Executive Chef Laurent Gras who departed for New York City. Though her menu isn't finalized yet, I'm betting her talents will keep the downtown restaurant ranking as one of the city's hottest.

Perello isn't the only chef that's been kitchen hopping. Masa's (In the Hotel Vintage Court, 648 Bush St. (at Stockton St.), tel. 415/989-7154) chef Ron Siegel moved over to the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton (600 Stockton St. tel. 415/296-7465), which continues to be one of the most formal restaurants in town. During my recent visit Siegel was in great form, and his food was as good as ever, if not a little more reserved to perhaps accommodate destination and hotel diners. Back at Masa's, Richard Reddington, an excellent chef previously at Napa Valley's Auberge du Soliel, is acting as Chef in Residence until he opens his own Wine Country restaurant. Nearby in the Financial District, Rubicon (558 Sacramento St., tel. 415/434-4100) has a new chef at the helm, too. Executive Chef Stuart Brioza brings new creativity to the plate -- and famed Sommelier Larry Stone's wine selections -- with the likes of sautéed halibut with cherries, caramelized onions and oxtail over toasted oats and sake-steamed and seared scallops with mussels, shiso and melon. At the foot of Market Street, One Market (1 Market St., tel. 415/777-5577) still claims the very talented Adrian Hoffman as its leader, but since he's not overseeing all of the Lark Creek Restaurant Group's cuisine he's added chef Mark Damman, previously at Napa's Julia's Kitchen, to the team. Damman is overseeing the menu here and doing a darned good job of it. In fact, my recent dinner here was one of the best I've had in the past year. Don't miss the daily roasted specials and beet carpaccio. Pure genius.

There are also new high-end spots where you can blow the bank and your calorie count. Michael Mina, 335 Powell St. (tel. 415-397-9222), is has been the town's hottest opening of summer 2004. (At least until a hotel union strike shut the place down in fall 2004; as of early November it was still unable to reopen until negotiations were complete.) In the space that has long been the Compass Rose tearoom in the Westin St. Francis, chef Michael Mina, who presided over the prestigious kitchen of Aqua, redefines price-fixed dining within an elegant and decidedly formal cream-on-cream room. Here you'll have to fork over $78 for the three-course menu. But before you gasp in horror at the steep price, consider this: each course arrives on a Mina-designed modular Royal Doulton china showcasing three variations of the dish with three sides to match. That's six different preparations per dish or a total of 18 different flavors over the course of an evening! It's a bit fussy, and for someone like me who prefers to order a few things that sound good and eat lots of bites of them, it's not ideal dining. But it is an edible case study on food matching and preparation variation and will be a wonder to anyone who enjoys sampling lots of things, from seared diver scallops prepared in three variations -- with lemon osetra caviar, yellow corn and summer truffles and smoked tomato and mail lobster -- and paired with three different "chilled salads" in tiny glasses to crispy pork loin done with risotto, as pulled pork with apple ravioli, and as barbecue with a corn fritter. Some dishes hit, some miss, but in all cases it's a very swank affair with dark woods, leather lounge chairs, light hues, an incredible wine list by Raj Parr, and a very "it-place-of-the-moment" vibe.

Another famous local chef George Morrone, who also hailed from Aqua as well as the Fifth Floor, antes up with his new restaurant Tartare, 550 Washington St. (tel. 415-434-3100). Far smaller, very cozy, and rather masculine and men's club-like, the interior is straight-up sexy with its intimating arched basket-weave ceiling, tan faux-ostrich skin banquettes, and mood light a la backlighting and round and red polka-dot votives. Unfortunately, the fare is not as polished. The menu features -- surprise, surprise -- tartare. But we're not just talking raw beef. Here you can find tartare of fish, beef, ostrich, buffalo, and vegetable as well as cooked items. And Morrone is trying lots of new things here. Some of them kind of work -- like the carpaccio of buffalo sirloin with morels and sherry vinegar, garlic, which was tasty but overwrought with flavors that masked the meat, and parsley bisque with black mussel flan, or cream of corn with gingered spare ribs. Others don't (think the Thai influenced roasted poussin "Tom Kha Kai" or king salmon tartare with banana curry in a halved coconut). But Morrone also offers old favorites like tuna and foie gras and bone-in sirloin with malt vinegar and duck fat French fries. Prices aren't cheap. Entrees go from the mid $20s and up and if you're considering this for your one blow-the-bank meal, I'd skip it and head to Gary Danko or Fleur de Lys. But if you simply must see what's new with the area's hot chefs, this is one place to find out.

My personal favorite recent opening is Bocadillos, 710 Montgomery St. (tel. 415-982-2622). The latest addition from Piperade chef and owner Gerald Hirigoyen is flat-out fabulous if you're in the mood for tapas or Spanish-influenced small plates. Hirigoyen celebrates his Basque roots with outstanding calamari with creamy tomato-and-garlic romesco sauce, scallops "mole cortado" with sherry and orange, caramelized quail, sautéed hot peppers, tuna carpaccio, decadent foie gras sushi rolls, and oh-my-god-is-this-good warm chocolate cake with sautéed bananas. In fact, there are so many tasty snacks on this menu you might find yourself returning to this small, casual Financial District space with orange-painted brick walls to pull up a chair at the wine bar, tall tables, or centerpiece "community table" to snack your way to heaven -- especially since prices range from $3 to $12 per plate.

Finally, if you've heard the buzz on Daniel Patterson's Frisson, 244 Jackson Street (tel. 415-956-3004), here's my two cents: Skip it for food and come only if you are looking for the latest lively bar scene. The menu is creative, expensive (smallish plates at $16 to $10 a pop), and for the most part unmemorable (think bland goat milk panna cotta, tuna on lemon-black pepper gelée, and quite tasty venison loin) and the service is worse than amateur. But the ambiance is something to behold. With a circular centerpiece dining area with backlight multicolored holes in the ceiling it looks like Star Trek's transporter room -- that is if Star Trek had way-cool curved couch seats. The bar is packed with the young and the beautiful that sip mojito martinis as the DJ spins mellow grooves and perhaps slink into the dining area, as it is open very late. But if you want to be part of the scene here, hurry up. The "it" crowd is fickle and in San Francisco such highly designed and trendy restaurants tend to have a short lifespan.

At the other end of the dining spectrum is old school and ultra casual Sears Fine Foods (439 Powell St., tel. 415/986-0700), which opened in 1938 and after closing in 2003 reopened under new ownership. Diehard fans will be happy to know that along with Denver omelets, tuna melts, and liver with bacon and onions they're still featuring their famed silver dollar-size Swedish pancakes.

Sake lovers take note. You'll definitely want to stop by True Sake, 560 Hayes St., (tel. 415-355.9555), a shop dedicated solely to sake. Amid sea grass flooring, colorful backlit displays, and a so-hip Hayes Valley location are more than 140 varieties ranging from an $8 300ml bottle of Ohyama to an $180 720ml bottle of Kotsuziami Rojohanaari -- which, incidentally owner Beau Timken, whose on hand to describe each wine, says is available at no other retail store in the U.S.

Thinking of dropping by a wine bar? Don't head to Hayes & Vine. Sadly, the Hayes Valley drinking spot shut its doors.

In the Bay Area

If you're read about Larkspur's raw, organic, vegan restaurant Roxanne's and were planning to check it out, think again. The place closed.

The Southern California Desert

Change occurs very slowly in the desert except for dramatic events such as raging brush fires or rainstorms that produce surprising flash floods. A recent flash flood washed out roads and some campgrounds in Death Valley. But repairs have been made and in most cases you would never know that there had been a problem. Every year in November, the Death Valley 49ers have an encampment with hootenannies, hoedowns, fiddling, gold panning and more activities celebrating the early denizens of the valley. Death Valley 49ers: (tel. 760/786-2345; www.deathvalley49ers.org).

Most changes in this area are man-made and the Southern California desert is expanding with new homes, golf courses and luxury hotels. One of the newest is the addition of a resort and convention center that enhances the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, CA (tel. 800/827-2946; www.fantasyspringsresort.com). In addition to the 80,000 square feet of slots, table games and bingo, there is an intimate 400-seat concert venue, a 24-lane bowling center, a 12-story, 250-room hotel, a 100-foot swimming pool, and 100,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. Dining includes "Players" a traditional steakhouse, "Fantasy Bar & Grille," a 24-hour restaurant, and the "Buffet" plus an "American Bistro".

The old is new again at the Smoke Tree Ranch which originally opened in 1936. Now six cottages designed by Disney Imagineers along with the 51 other rustic bungalows are available for those seeking a western desert experience. Keep in touch with the world with the in-room televisions, telephones, and internet access. Most have wood-burning fireplaces and carports. (tel. 858/535-1411; www.smoketreeranch.net).

Hum through the desert with Elite Land Tours' Hummer H2 Tours. (tel. 800/514-4866; www.elitelandtours.com). From an air-conditioned Hummer H2 you can make eco-explorations into the unspoiled backcountry of the Palm Springs area. Tours can include desert and mountain regions, stops at the historic Cabot's Pueblo Museum atop "Miracle Hill" in Desert Hot Springs, exploration of ancient cultures, wildlife and geological wonders, and background on the culture of the local deserts and mountains. A "Night Discovery Tour" includes special night vision equipment allowing passengers to view desert wildlife after dark. Complimentary hotel pickup, snacks, refreshments and all park and attraction fees are included in tour prices. Gourmet lunches and a personalized DVD of your tour are also available.

A look back to the golden years can be found at the Palm Desert's Palme d' Or Theatre on Fridays and Saturdays from November through May. A group of witty and touching vignettes, Senior Class -- A Revue of the Golden Years, Features such musical stars as Anna Maria Alberghetti, Julius LaRosa, Ruta Lee, Marcia Rodd, Ronnie Schell and Steve Rossi. (tel. 760/836-3003; www.seniorclassrevue.com).