I love the absurd sense of humor it takes to build up such an elaborate
evening only to note that "even if the date's a bust you can always have
a hundred people up for cocktails" in your penthouse suite at the end of
the night :-)
Personally, I'd put one point in favor of the Redwood Room over Lapis:
on a weeknight, you can still whip out a TiBook and write, since it's a
hotel bar. And it seems to give people all sorts of license to
interrogate you as to why you're writing with a double of scotch :-)
Best,
Rohit
> Five Best Ways to Impress Your Date
>
> You've met the biped of your dreams at the corner laundromat and,
> wonder of wonders, she's agreed to go out with you this Saturday. Don't
> blow it! Follow the instructions below and even if you impress your
> date so much you never see her again, your evening will be a memorable
> one. All you need are a chauffeur, a change of clothes, and several
> hundred thousand dollars.
>
> Luxury Suite at Pacific Bell Park
>
> Third and King streets, 972-2000, www.sfgiants.com
>
> Kick off your date with an afternoon at the ballpark -- not just any
> ballpark, but just about the best ballpark in the country, and not in
> some drafty, behind-the-plate box seat but in one of the park's lushly
> accessorized luxury suites. An elevator whisks you from a private
> entrance on Willie Mays Plaza to your dwelling place above the infield.
> Besides the excellent views of the bay, the park, and the Giants in
> action, there's a balcony, a wet bar, a refrigerator, two televisions,
> a stereo/CD player, a dual-line phone, Internet access, room service,
> and a concierge to call you a cab or make your restaurant reservations
> for you. No one is admitted without proper clearance, ensuring your
> utmost privacy. Next: Pull yourself together for ...
>
> Cocktails at Lapis
>
> Pier 33 (Embarcadero at Bay), 982-0203,
>
> www.lapis-sf.com
>
> Now that the Redwood Room has devolved into just another velvet-rope
> yuppie hangout, the city has no clear-cut, top-of-the-line cocktail
> lounge such as Chicago's Pump Room or New York's King Cole Bar
> (although Maxfield's, the Compass Rose, and the Top of the Mark are
> excellent runners-up). Best of all is Lapis, where the wannabe Noel
> Coward can sip an estimable Gibson in the lounge adjoining the dining
> room. The dramatically backlit bar is framed by lush bronze draperies
> that complement the room's deep-blue setting, and towering ceilings
> give the lounge a graceful, airy ambience. Floor-to-ceiling windows
> provide a lush panorama of the bay and the hills beyond.
>
>
> Dinner at the Dining Room
>
> Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 600 Stockton (between Pine and
>
> California), 296-7465, www.ritzcarlton.com
>
> Your next stop on the road to beguilement is one of the handsomest
> dining rooms in the country. The tranquil sounds of a harp underscore a
> sumptuous setting of polished mahogany, soft linens, and fine crystal
> gleaming in the candlelight. Chef Sylvain Portay prepares luxurious
> nouvelle cuisine in several courses: lobster salad with caviar cream;
> turbot with crayfish and truffles; roasted squab with port-marinated
> figs; saffron-poached pear with guanaja chocolate gratin. Sommelier
> Stéphane Lacroix maintains a fabulous cellar, the service is impeccable
> and inviting, and intimate discourse is practically inevitable. Next:
>
> Charter the Rendezvous From Rendezvous Charters
>
> Pier 40 (in South Beach Harbor), 543-7333,
>
> www.baysail.com
>
> Nothing's more enticing than an evening cruise around San Francisco
> Bay, and the islands, bridges, and lights of the city are especially
> entrancing viewed from this vintage brigantine schooner. Built in 1933
> and recently restored to its former glory, the 78-foot Rendezvous looks
> like a clipper ship out of the Gold Rush era, with its 80-foot masts
> and square-rigged sails. Intricately carved mahogany, pecan, ash, and
> rosewood accent the brass-railed, velvet-cushioned rooms below decks,
> the perfect spot for a sip of Veuve Cliquot and some subtle canoodling.
>
> Penthouse Suite at the Fairmont Hotel
>
> 950 Mason (between California and Sacramento),
>
> 772-5000, www.fairmont.com
>
> Last but not least, escort your companion to what has been described as
> the most expensive hotel accommodation in the world: the Fairmont's
> elaborate penthouse. The eight-room suite (including three bedrooms,
> three baths, a dining room, a library, a billiard room, a fully
> equipped kitchen, and a living room with fireplace and baby grand
> piano) comes with its own maid, butler, and limousine and is accessed
> by private elevator. The library alone is worth investigating: two
> circular floors of books encapsulated by a domed ceiling etched with
> the constellations. The view from the terrace is enthralling, and even
> if the date's a bust you can always have a hundred people up for
> cocktails.
>
> sfweekly.com | originally published: May 15, 2002