I met my date at the end of the N-Judah line, right near the entrance to Ocean Beach (San Francisco's #1 Beach). The setting could not have been more romantic.
San Francisco had graced me with a late summer day filled with unusual warmth and relatively little fog. The ocean crashed against the shore and our conversation flowed as smoothly as the rolling of the waves.
We approached the Cliff House from the south. To our left were people taking advantage of the sunny evening, dipping their toes in to the Pacific Ocean and playing with their dogs on the shore. To the right, we passed Golden Gate Park and saw looming green hills. Straight ahead was the historic building where we would be enjoying our dinner, a white structure which neither stood out nor blended in to the beauty of the scene before us.
“Drinks or dinner?” asked the hostess, leading us in to the Bistro once we had answered that we were there for food. Majestic compass-shaped lamps hung overhead. Autographed photos of stars covered the walls. But what stood out was the view of the ocean through the picture windows, windows next to which we were seated comfortably. It was so wonderfully distracting that I almost forgot that we were supposed to be ordering food, and so romantic that I wasn’t even sure I felt like eating. The delicious aroma of the food changed my mind. The menu offered San Francisco favorites like Clam Chowder and Crab Louis, and when our food arrived, we found that it met the expectations its scent had led us to have. After the meal, we lingered, learning about the history of the area from the displays strategically set up around the restaurant. We stopped in at the gift shop and picked up some jewelry to send to my mother. Then we stepped outside again. I had been so interested in my date that I had not seen the ruins of the Sutro Baths which the Cliff House overlooks to the north. They were shocking in their beauty and I was instantly transported back to a time when the baths were a venue of entertainment for our history’s locals.
We walked down the available paths to explore the baths further. From there, the waves were more audible than they had been before. And the view of the Cliff House was even more awe-inspiring. Located near the baths, we found a tunnel of caves which led to a secluded area where we stumbled upon another couple, cuddled together to watch the water breaking. I could clearly see why people frequently use this spot to host weddings! My date wrapped his arm around my shoulders and I remembered yet again that San Francisco is the most romantic city in the country.
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