So, looks like I'll be (working) at Macworld Expo in San Francisco the week of the 5th to 12th of January. Never been to the West Coast before, should be interesting.

Can anyone recommend (first-hand) any really good restaurants? (With hopefully an equally good wine list). No sushi bars please. :)

Also, I know a number of people are from California... What kind of weather should I expect (and perpare for)? I want to pack as light as possible, but don't want to be caught without something appropriate for any weather I might not already expect.

Lastly, if anyone is planning on attending the show, let me know.

Bruno

Hey, I'll be at Macworld to check out the exhibits. I can't help with the restaurant, but I can probably tell you what to expect for weather. Plan for kinda cool (50s-60s) and probably some rain. It has actually been raining a lot for the last couple of weeks. I wonder how many other people will be around that week, maybe we should plan a little get together for drinks one night.

So what are you doing at macworld anyway?

-Mike

If it's actually in San Franciso proper and you have reasonably easy access to the waterfront area, try to get out to Cobb's if you can.

I'll be pulling misc. booth duty at our booth. Definitely helping with set up and tear down and more than likely will be around to schmooze & answer people's questions during the show. The last time I worked a trade show I ended up having to handle the biggest "pod" on the booth and presenting for pretty much 80% of the show to a constant crowd (my "alternate" didn't know anything about the product - argh).

Tony, I'll look into line-up specifics at Cobbs for the week I'm there and see if anyone else is interested. I'll be trying to make sure I'm always at dinner with the people holding the largest expense accounts, to maximize on (good) wine consumption and great food. :)

Bruno

The cool thing about Cobb's is that it's a restaurant adjacent to a comedy club. The ultimate thing is to make dinner and show reservations together. Then you pay for dinner and the show tickets on the same tab. Makes for a nice fun evening.

The restaurant cuisine changes occasionally. It used to be Italian. The last time I was there it was Cajun. Both were good.

50-60 degrees would likely be the days high. Mornings and evenings (~10pm) may well be down close to freezing.

Here is a url that gives the SF forecast for the next week. Hopefully it will give a good idea how to pack just before you need to pack.

http://stoat.uwyo.edu/cgi-bin/zone-id?ID=KSFO

Excepting for storms, the weather won't change much between now and then.

Glenn

Cobb's is still Cajun last i checked... and being from Southern Louisiana i have to recommend against Cobb's... Not that it was too bad, but it sure as hell wasn't Cajun food. haha.

Restaurants.... hmmm... If you're into vegetarian stuff, I highly recommend Green's at Fort Mason Center. The Stinking Rose in North Beach is a kick ass garlic restaurant that has a decent wine list from what i remember. Michelangelos is another great North Beach joint, where they server a huge bowl of Gummy Bears for desert. It's really hard to go wrong in North Beach. I'm sure i can think of more... but most of what i know are the super cheap great eats... and sushi =].

We should have a mini-empeg/macworld meet.

Not that it was too bad, but it sure as hell wasn't Cajun food. haha.

True. But most regional cuisines aren't properly represented by restaurants outside of that region. For instance, if I go out for Mexican, Italian, or Chinese food, I don't usually expect to get authentic dishes as I would have been served in Mexico, Italy, or China. I get americanized versions of them. When I ate at Cobb's, I didn't expect to get authentic Louisiana food. Just cajun-style dishes.

We should have a mini-empeg/macworld meet.

If this comes to pass, let me know. I might show up.

I wonder if they deliberately clash that with CES.. anyway, Hugo and I get into SF on the 13th so we won't be there.

As for a restaurant, if you don't mind driving a little way out of town then http://www.thevansrestaurant.com/ is highly recommended. I can't take the credit for discovering it - that would have to go to Zandr.

Rob

Yeah, that was a neat little place.

It's not in San Francisco, though. You have to go a little ways down 101 into Silicon Valley to get to it.

On the other hand, if anyone wants to arrange a little Empeg-get-together there around MacWorld time, I'd be sure to make it, and I'm sure Zandr (N6MOD here on the BBS) would like to come, too.

I wonder if they deliberately clash that with CES.. anyway, Hugo and I get into SF on the 13th so we won't be there.

I'd much rather be at CES, trust me. I'm not sure what our presence will be at CES however, and i'm doing Macworld specifically because that's the area of the company I work in.

Don't forget to post the details of what you guys release/announce at CES - I'm sure everyone here will be interested (but I'm sure some will also make the show :)

Thanks for the restaurant recommendation. We'll see how far out of the core we get. I still don't even know what hotel I'm staying at.

Bruno

I don't think I'll be bringing my empeg down though. I think metal boxes in carry-on baggage would be a nono in the current travel climate.

I don't think I'll be bringing my empeg down though. I think metal boxes in carry-on baggage would be a nono in the current travel climate.

I sincerely hope that's not the case.. my colleagues and I have taken empegs on both international and domestic US flights since September 11. Peter had his swabbed for explosives, but there was no problem carrying it on. He wouldn't even have got searched if he hadn't said he was travelling with Roger (who seems to fit some kind of profile when it comes to security checks).

Rob

Roger (who seems to fit some kind of profile when it comes to security checks).

Yeah. I got pulled over for extra security checks at Heathrow and San Jose. Fortunately, not at Portland.

Yeah. I got pulled over for extra security checks at Heathrow and San Jose. Fortunately, not at Portland.

What's up with that? Do you look that suspicious?

I flew with mine in my backpack on six flights over the holidays, and i wasn't searched once... =]

Sooo... is there gonna be a mini-get-together or what?

Restaraunts. No sushi? Heretic! Oh, well, Fuki in Palo Alto has lots of things besides sushi. :) But you must try the beef ume shiso.

If you like italian and/or seafood, Lou's Village in San Jose is wonderful, and a piece of San Jose history to boot.

As for weather, this is the time of year we set the Northern California environmental controls to "Fog and Rain". The maintenance guy says it's necessary; keeping the system on "75, sunny, and clear" 11 months out of the year isn't good for it. The temps will be around 60 daytime, but could get chilly morning/evening in SF; bring a light jacket or sweater.

Northern California's wonderful for food; you can find almost every ethnicity well-represented.

I think I have so much to do around here I'm going to end up with no plan. Oh well.

I was also recommended the restaurant "Charles" by a friend, but I'm pretty sure I would needed to have already made a reservation.

I'll take my medium leather jacket and a light jacket as well - it's cold enough here that I'm not going to the airport prepared for our own weather too. :)

Thanks for all the info guys. I'll have to make a trip during better weather some time.

Bruno

I'd be interested as well (I'm in north San Jose/Santa Clara), and given my current employment status, it should be easy for me to make it (modulo already-scheduled or surprise interviews).

May I suggest somewhere near Cisco's campus? (said because I live across the street from it, and I'm as lazy as they come. :)