Dear to be Born

Before Eat, Pray, Love I had a city day. After all those glorious weekends away to the coast, to the mountains, I figured I could use some polluted air, some tall buildings and some car horn honking. Just kidding - I'd never opt for that, but sometimes the metropolis calls. San Francisco's the perfect city for me during this time in my life because I can have access to the big city pleasures (culture and dining) while also accessible to me is an escape (biking, hiking, parks). It's a green city, both in lifestyle, attitude and scenery.

Sarah and I planned for an early dinner at Farina (recently featured on GOOP), located in the heart of the Mission on 18th between Valencia and Guerrero. With Delfina just a few doors down, I often ignored this Italian restaurant, thinking of it as simply a layover on the way to the real thing. But dining al fresco was on our agenda, so Farina's outdoor seating spoke to us and we listened.

Also in faint murmur was the Dearborn Community Garden, nestled on one of those one-way Mission side streets that narrows and curves into a European sensibility. While slowly making our way to Farina, we were charmed and taken by colorful apartments and pink roses peering over fences. Then, we discovered the rose of them all - a garden with its gate wide open.











Wandering in, it occurred to me that in order to be surprised in life you have to be curious and you have to brave. You have to accept that you might stumble, fall or lose your way. When these things happen you don't get hurt - you slip out of fear and into discovery. Who's worrying about where and how to be once you've stuck your nose in the flower and the 5 senses turn to one.



Needless to say, before dinner we were full. Full of life and the promise of natural goodness, having gobbled up this patch of blooming earth before us in the big, exciting city.



And so it goes, we were still hungry



hungry for delicious Italian fare





so eat, pray, love we did.

p.s. Speaking of green - that's award winning pesto on that plate. It put Farina on my culinary map, no longer as a pit stop but as a destination.