Paralysis, strangulation, derangement, violent death–this was fun! No, it’s not what you’re thinking. What I ‘m referring to is a show currently on display at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers a special exhibition of floral misdeeds based on Amy Stewart’s New York Times 2009 best-selling book Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities. My friend Jeanne and I had come for a glimpse of the deadly nightshade, poison hemlock, white snakeroot, oleander, foxglove and other pretty little botanical sociopaths that lie in parks and gardens everywhere in the world waiting for victims.
It was late afternoon and we were winding down a perfect twenty-four hours in San Francisco. We began the day with breakfast (eggs fried in olive oil, Blue Bottle coffee) at the farmers’ market at the Ferry Building, then Jeanne did her weekly shopping while I simply took in the sights and smells of this amazing market where regional farmers and ranchers offer everything from apples to zinnias, as well as eggs, cheeses, poultry, every vegetable and fruit you’ve ever heard of, fish, wild boar, and more, much more.
We dropped the groceries off at home and by late morning found ourselves at the Museum of the Palace of the Legion of Honor, wandering through the show of Dutch and Flemish masterworks. Exquisitely rendered seafaring scenes vied for our attention with the tableaus of domestic life for which the Dutch are so justifiably famous. Viewing all the plates of butter, mounds of cheese, mouthwatering hams, and platters of shimmering oysters made us realize how hungry we were.
We made our way over to the De Young Museum for lunch. As museum cafes go, this one’s utterly fresh and varied fare places it high on my list of favorites. After post-lunch espressos we headed upstairs to see an exhibit of Picasso masterpieces on loan from Paris’ Musee National. Every period of the artist’s work was represented here, from his early days in Barcelona and Paris, through Cubism and Neoclassicism, the Spanish Civil War, and the late work of 1961-1973. It was late afternoon by the time we left the museum and began walking through Golden Gate Park. Still dazzled by the breadth and depth of the remarkable Picasso exhibition, we arrived at the Conservatory of Flowers where “Wicked Plants: Botanical Rogues” was on display.
Forty-five minutes later, as the Conservatory was closing its doors for the night, we escaped the toxic thorns, poisonous posies and venomous vines and headed home for a change of clothes and a restorative glass of wine. Then it was off to dinner at Zuni Café, a favorite haunt of locals for the past thirty some years (it “captures the San Francisco vibe” says the Sunday, September 26, San Francisco Chronicle). With the vision of all those Dutch oysters still dancing in my head I ordered a plateful of raw bivalves and a Sazerac (don’t let anyone try to tell you rye whiskey and Peychaud bitters isn’t a dynamite match for fresh, briny oysters!)
Grilled opah, a large, tender mild-flavored Pacific fish served, with roasted tomatoes, green beans and chanterelle mushroom relish, was an irresistible choice for the main course. The only problem was selecting a wine from all the temptations on the list. Kelly Fleming Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley), Qupé Marsanne (Santa Ynez), or Kistler “Les Noisetiers” Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast)? Or maybe something from Alsace (Domaine Ostertag “Vielles Vignes” Sylvaner for example), or Burgundy (how about Meursault from Domaine Coche-Dury?), or the Rhône Valley (I’ll bet Clusel Roche “Verchery” Condrieu would be pretty darn good). But in the end it’s a bottle of Alto Adige Tiefenbrunner “Feldmarschall” Muller-Thurgau (2008) that we choose to partner with the stunningly fresh and delicious fish. It was an admirable pairing and a festive way to mark the end of a memorable day in San Francisco.
Zuni Café -1658 Market (at Franklin)—415-552-2522.
7