Ultimate Baseball Road Trip (140 page)
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Authors: Josh Pahigian,Kevin O’Connell
There’s a statue of Orlando Cepeda outside the 2nd Avenue entrance. After playing his first season the year the Giants moved to San Francisco, Cepeda had a memorable career. He won the Rookie of the Year in 1958 and the MVP in 1967. He was a career .297 hitter who clubbed 379 home runs and drove in 1,364 runs over 17 seasons. The statue is impressive, standing nine feet tall atop a five-foot-high pedestal. The day it was erected the Giants also donned their “Gigantes” jerseys.
Strolling the promenade that runs behind AT&T Park and along the marina constitutes a “must-do” for any first-time visitor to the ballpark. To truly appreciate the beauty of this setting, get to the ballpark early and watch folks in rafts and kayaks battling for batting practice homers that fly over the wall and into the drink.
You can watch batting practice from out on the promenade as well, through screened-in viewing areas. These free peek areas, reminiscent of the “knotholes” of ballparks past, remain open all game, and are the best free viewing locations in all of baseball. Courtesy dictates that if others are waiting, three innings is the maximum stay. Josh likened this to fly fishing etiquette to which Kevin put both of his fingers in his ears and started humming “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair).” Josh took this to mean Kevin didn’t want to hear any more about fishing during the trip. But getting back to the knotholes, our friends in the Bay report that during the 2002 and 2010 World Series runs, ticketless San Franciscans took full advantage, crowding the promenade for a chance to catch at least a few innings of history in the making.
Cross over the Lefty O’Doul Bridge to get to McCovey Point. Honoring perhaps the most beloved Giant of all, the great number 44, a walkway features tiles that fans purchased to help fund the ballpark. Between each section of these are plaques that comprise the Giants History Walk, one for each season the team has played in San Francisco. The stats emblazoned in bronze record batting and pitcher leaders, Opening Day lineups, and team attendance figures.
At the end of the walkway, standing guard over the cove, is a larger-than-life sculpture of “Stretch” himself. McCovey played baseball with dignity. His quiet manner and humble style earned him the admiration of the press, the fans, and of his fellow players. Today, the Giants’ annual Willie Mac Award is the highest honor a Giant can receive. Each recipient is honored with a bronze plaque, laid in the stone plaza around the sculpture’s feet.
Keep walking to check out the Junior Giants Field, a T-ball park across McCovey Cove from AT&T. There’s just something very cool about a field that kids can play real games on in the shadow of a big league ballpark.
China Basin has been one of the ballpark neighborhoods that has benefited from the building of a new facility. The neighborhood was already under development, in a place where real estate costs roughly one arm and one leg, so it’s a bit of a chicken-or-egg argument as to which came first: the ballpark or the cool hood. But one thing is for certain, the neighborhood surrounding AT&T continues to improve and offers great places to grab a pregame or postgame drink and meal.
24 Willie Mays Plaza
This place used to be Acme Chop House. Now, it’s a combination restaurant that isn’t cheap, but the food is good and they have an excellent beer selection. We recommend the sausage and the pulled pork sliders, but advise staying clear of the potato salad. At Mijitas, try the huevos rancheros. Plus, a primary benefit of eating at a restaurant connected to the ballpark is that you can enter AT&T with your ticket through the back door—and thereby avoid the lines. And if that’s not enough, you can bring your food and beer inside the park with you.
128 King St.
The horseshoe shaped bar, close location, great beer selection, and reasonably priced food make Pete’s one of our favorite pregame sports bars in town. They have a diverse menu, ranging from snapper to chili, with daily blue-plate specials—and nothing costs all that much. Try the house-smoked pastrami.
600 3rd St.
Though small, this traditional place gets packed near game time and remains one of the most authentic sports bars in the area. Burgers and sandwiches are rather un-San Franciscan; in other words, they’re not fancy and they are cheap. Entrées run $6 to $9. We sampled a local microbrew called Humpback Wheat Ale, which was refreshing.
Pier 30/Embarcadero Street at Bryant
If you want to hang out with longshoremen and the occasional Giant player getting a cup of joe, Red’s is the spot. This long-standing dive on the pier is one of the few yet to cash in and sell out during the recent real estate boom in China Basin. The special, a burger and beer, is a solid choice for $5 before the game. This is a blue-collar burger, well done, topped with pickles, onions, and ketchup on a sourdough roll. Steer clear of the hot dog, though.
Another place on Embarcadero is simply called The Java House and is not to be confused with Red’s. The Java House special is a hot dog and a beer for $5, but we recommend walking the extra three blocks to Red’s.
563 Second St.
http://21st-amendment.com/restaurant
This joint jumps before the game, perhaps because of its delicious home brewed micro-beer, but more likely because it caters to the yuppie crowd. The sandwiches and pizza are a tad fancy, while items like arugula, Andouille sausage, and roast cumin-marinated pork among other options. An impressive list of beer brewed on the premises includes Watermelon Wheat Summer Brew and Oyster Point Oyster Stout, made with real oyster shells.
761 3rd St.
Though the dismantling of Happy Donuts made us anything but, we once again feel happy with Chicken and Donuts in its place. This place serves some of the best chicken and donut combinations this side of, well, anywhere. They’ve got the more common chicken and waffle combinations too, as well as delicious Angus beef cheeseburgers with waffles serving as buns. (Try it, you’ll like it.) The chicken is Louisiana style, and comes with great sides like dirty Cajun rice and mac-n-cheese. The donuts are fine as wine, too. The shop is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
130 Townsend St.
http://rocksnosalt.com/san-francisco
This joint is a higher-end Mexican Restaurant, but worth the money if you are so inclined. We usually think of Mexican food as needing to be cheap to even be considered, but Tres breaks a few rules because it’s close to the ballpark, has Happy Hour specials, and features a large variety of tequilas.
216 King St.
While this chain is not one of our favorites, it’s very close to the ballpark and you might find an occasion to stop in. For instance, you might be from New York and need a slice or else you’re going to break out in a rant of “fougettaboutits.” Or, you might be leaving town after the game and need some thin crust to eat while you’re driving.
760 Second St.
With a menu on the pricier side, MoMo’s strengths are its location and outdoor seating. Getting a table on the patio is a key to enjoying the experience. The beer and drinks aren’t cheap, but the people-watching is worthwhile. Entrées run from $15 to $30.
2 Harrison St.
www.gordonbiersch.com/locations/san-francisco-ca
Located on the Embarcadero along the waterfront, this brewpub gone mini-chain is a great spot to get authentic garlic fries before the game from the folks who invented them. The menu is vast and a tad on the pricey side, but the food is very good. The biers, uh, we mean beers, on tap are Gordon Biersch’s own, and range from Pilsner to Dunkels and every color and flavor in between. Look for unique seasonal beers. Our friend Kate recommends the delicious cocktails on the patio.
579 Howard St.
Kate O’Brien’s is best defined as “California Irish.” Laid back with standard Irish pub grub, this is a great spot to stop and have a few, and is especially convenient to those traveling on foot from the Embarcadero BART Station. A meal will run right around $10, be it fish-n-chips, pizza, or a burger. The beer and wine selection make the place a winner.
701 Second St.
www.paragonrestaurant.com/san-francisco.html
Paragon is more typically San Franciscan than many other places you’ll find near the ballpark. What do we mean by that? It will cost you a decent chunk of change to eat here, they have an extensive wine collection, and it’s probably not the type of joint you and your friends envision visiting before or after a ballgame.
1 Ferry Building, #3
Perennially voted one of the top restaurants in the city, see our review of Paragon and double it. Great high-end restaurant. Eat here if you can afford to eat anywhere you’d like.
855 China Basin St.
For those Giants fans wanting to kick it, old style, the Ramp has been a Giants hangout since the team’s days at the Stick. There’s
plenty of deck seating on the water, even if the view is of a dilapidated pier. With tropical drink specials and barbecue, the Ramp is half tiki lounge, half Margaritaville. You’ll miss this bar if you’re not looking for it. Cross the Lefty O’Doul Bridge, make a left onto 18th, and look for the sign at the intersection of Illinois.
Corner of Third & Townshend
The souvenir dealer that sets up in the parking lot of McDonald’s offers great deals on official Giants gear, but he also has loads of more interesting stuff that you can’t find in the team store.
1444 North California Blvd., Walnut Creek
This Walnut Creek sports bar is not close to the ballpark, but it’s a Bay Area instant classic, and well worth the trip if you have the extra time. From the outside, the place looks like AT&T Park, and inside the seating area is laid out on a faux baseball diamond, surrounded by an overwhelming display of memorabilia. There’s standard pub fare at McCovey’s if that’s what you’re after, but the catfish po’boy is a favorite and we recommend it along with the baked and fried chicken and the barbecue.
If you’re willing to go the distance or have an extra day to spend in the city, the Mission District, which is accessible by BART at either the 16th Street or 24th Street stations, is a food lover’s paradise. Courtesy of our pal Matthew Schmitdz, we list some of the choice locations:
- Tartine Bakery (600 Guerrero St.): A great French pastry shop with bread and good cappuccino.
- Bi Rite Creamery (3692 18th St.): The ice cream is the best in San Francisco, in both the soft-serve and hard-packed variety. Try the salted caramel. If you’re hungry, the market has good sandwiches.
- Pizzeria Delfina (3611 18th St.): Many consider Delfina the best pizza in San Francisco; expect long lines, and it won’t be cheap, but it’s worth it.
- Taquerias: If you’re hankering for a big burrito or a meaty taco, here are a number of great taquerias in the Mission District to try:
- La Taqueria (2889 Mission St.)
- La Corneta (2731 Mission St.)
- El Metate (2406 Bryant St.)
- Taqueria Los Coyotes (3036 16th St.)
- La Taqueria (2889 Mission St.)
