August 2011 Hotel Manager's Picks | Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf Hotel

Greetings from Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco's #1 visitor destination. If you are planning an adventure to San Francisco in August, be prepared to experience a multude of fun attractions, things to do and see, and places to dine and relax. 

August marks the end of summer and is ushered in again this year with SF Chefs | 2011, San Francisco's premier food, wine, and spirits festival set at venues throughout the City culminating with America's Culinary Pioneer Awards Gala Dinner at our sister hotel, the Westin St. Francis. The festival offers numerous opportunities to mingle with master chefs, mixologists, winemakers and other culinary superstars! The Grand Tasting Tent on Union Square on August 5th features over 200 of San Francisco's finest restaurants, bars, distilleries, breweries & wineries displaying their finest creations.

One of the busiest and well known attractions in North America, Fisherman's Wharf is best known for being the location of Pier 39, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, the Cannery, Ghirardelli Square, a Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, the Musée Mécanique, the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf, Forbes Island and restaurants and stands that serve fresh seafood, most notably Dungeness crab and clam chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl.

Some of our restaurants, like Pompeii's and Alioto's #8, go back for three generations of the same family ownership. Nearby Pier 45 has a chapel in memory of the "Lost Fishermen" of San Francisco and Northern California.

To help plan your stay, visit our Local Events page on our website for details of some of the more interesting events that are happening in San Francisco this month. Regardless of what you have planned, enjoy visiting our beautiful city.

What's your favorite spot in San Francisco? Let us know at sheratonsf@ihrco.com or Share on Facebook.

Happy Travels ... Craig Schwan, General Manager

Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National, Paris
Be sure to see this one of a kind extraordinary exhibition of more than 100 masterpieces by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) from the permanent collection of Paris's world-renowned Musée National Picasso.

The once-in-a-lifetime exhibition is made possible only because of the temporary closure of the Musée Picasso until 2012 for extensive renovations.

The works on view comprise paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints drawn from every phase of the artist's career and demonstrate the wide range of artistic styles and forms that the artist mastered, including works from the artist's Blue Period; Rose Period; Expressionist studies, and Cubist / Surrealism.

At the DeYoung Museum through October 9, 2011.

Waterbar
Waterbar, under the tutelage of Farallon chef-owner Mark Franz and designed by Pat Kuleto, casts its net over seafood while providing floor to celining aquariums filled with fish and large windows overlooking San Francisco Bay and Oakland. Waterbar's interior is spectacular - at least in the main dining room - but the dramatic design pales in comparison to what's outside. Kuleto does his best to pull the focus back to the interior.
 
The large menu, executed by chef and partner Parke Ulrich, is based on local and sustainable seafood, some of which is bought directly off the boat.

With the restaurant's watery vistas, the shellfish platter is the thing to order. It looks like edible art, and features a cascade of lobster, crab, five shrimp, three clams, six oysters, Florida stone crab claws and a small ramekin of scallop ceviche. It's impressive in its scope, however if If diners don't want the traditional chilled platter, they can choose a wood-oven-roasted platter that includes some of the same ingredients.

Perhaps the best appetizer is the oysters baked with sauerkraut ($13 for four). Plump and just warm, they're served on a bed of house-made kraut with a dollop of cream. Another signature is the rock cod Colbert ($29), Waterbar's version of fish and chips. The whole fish is fried and arranged as if swimming across the plate, enrobed in batter the color of graham crackers.

For further information and reservations, call: (415) 284-9922.

Mapping the West Coast at the Maritime Museum
A world-class exhibition of rare maps, books and documents, dating from the 1700's to Lewis and Clark's era, comes to the Maritime Museum.

This exhibit traces many of the greatest adventures in history, including dangerous ocean voyages by Spanish, French, English and Russian explorers, the race to discover the northwest Passage, sightings of "sea monsters," and the very first contacts between Native Americans and Europeans.

Many of the documents tell dramatic stories in their own right, with references to explorers such as Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, Sir Francis Drake, and Captain James Cook, all of whom left their mark on the Pacific Coast.  Visitors may select a self-guided or audio tour of the exhibition.  Free admission.

Now through October 31, 2011 at the Maritime Museum. For more information call: (415) 561-7049.

TCHO Chocolate Tour
What could be more romatic than Chocolat! See the movie if you can't make the connection ... our take a free tour at TCHO Chocolate's Embarcadero location.

TCHO, the only chocolate manufacturer located in San Francisco, is now offering free daily tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. by reservation at their Pier 17 location. The hour-long experience includes a presentation and factory tour with knowledgeable and entertaining tour guides, as well as an in-depth guided tasting of TCHO's flavor-driven, artisan chocolate.

The tours delve into the history of chocolate, the unique TCHOSource program which goes beyond Fair Trade, and how TCHO manufactures its New American Chocolate from scratch right in San Francisco.

Space is limited, so to make reservations and for additional information call (415) 963-5090.

Billy Elliot - The Musical
Plan on seeing this joyous celebration of one young boy's journey to make his dreams come true. Ben Brantley of The New York Times calls Billy Elliot, "... the most inspiring show I've seen in years."

Set in a small town, the story follows Billy as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, discovering a surprising passion that inspires his family and his whole community. A big musical with an even bigger heart, Billy Elliot will enchant the dreamer in all of us.

At the Orpheum Theatre through September 27, 2011. For further information and tickets call: (888) SHN-1799.

Snakes & Lizards: The Summer of Slither
The California Academy of Sciences at Golden Gate Park presents a creepy crawly attraction for the entire family to squirm to.

Prepare to be charmed by exotic snakes from around the world including an albino reticulated python measuring 15 feet long and more than 60 new squamates hopping, crawling, climbing and slithering their way into the California Academy of Sciences this summer.

At the California Academy of Sciences through September 5, 2011. For further information call (415) 379-8000.