February 2012 Hotel Manager's Picks | Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf Hotel

February marks the peak month of Dungeness Crab Season, with fresh crab on the menu at all our famous area restaurants. The scent of crabs boiling in large outdoor pots fills the air, tempting you to try one of the walk away crab cocktails found throughout the wharf. This delightful sea creature is a favorite of us locals, so plan on strolling Fisherman's Wharf and have them served up as fresh as they come.

A trip to our famous city this month will also allow visits to the city's major attractions without dealing with the crowds that are common during the summer, without much difference in the temperature as our unusually mild winter continues into February.

A very special welcome goes out to our Starwood Hotels & Resorts colleagues who will be in town for the big Starwood confab later this month at the Moscone Convention Center. A big welcome from the Sheraton team!

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

Chinese New Year Parade
With 2012 being the "Year of the Dragon", a special visit to see the world renowned San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade is a must ... and it's great fun for the entire family to enjoy.

Nowhere in the world will you see a lunar new year parade with more gorgeous floats, elaborate costumes, ferocious lions, exploding firecrackers, and of course the newly crowned Miss Chinatown U.S.A. and her court.

A crowd favorite is the spectacular 250' Golden Dragon ("Gum Lung") It takes a team of over 100 men and women from the martial arts group, White Crane to carry this dragon throughout the streets of San Francisco.

The celebration begins February 11, 2012 throughout Chinatown and into Union Square. For further information call: (415) 994-3789.

Epic Roasthouse
Recently awarded one of the top 10 restaurants for 2011 by San Francisco Travel, Epic Roasthouse is a restaurant "Beyond the Traditional Steak House", offering a unique combination of the traditional and the contemporary. If you're looking for a waterfront restaurant with a million dollar view, this is it.

Chef Jan Birnbaum has broadened the steak house experience to include a new level of culinary sophistication while maintaining the classic comfort and elegance of a traditional steak house meal.

The food is soulful, and resonant with exciting sparks of contrast. Entering Epic Roasthouse, guests will be greeted by the sights of working chefs on a state of the art exhibition line. Chef Birnbaum will preside over a custom-built wood-fired grill and a large wood-burning oven, which, along with a spectacular fireplace, will serve as the design focal point of the restaurant.

Located on the Embarcadero. For reservations call: (415) 369-9955.

San Francisco Symphony Turns 100!
The world renowned San Francisco Symphony celebrates its 100th anniversary with an ambitious season featuring unique concerts with world renowned conductors, visiting orchestras, and guest soloists as well as multimedia projects and education programs.

On the Symphony stage, the groundbreaking American Mavericks Festival returns with adventurous music, extraordinary musicians, and world premiere commissions.

Off the stage, SFS is planning special exhibits celebrating the Orchestra's colorful history, and multimedia projects including a Centennial book, a documentary film, and newly available historical recordings. In the community, the Symphony is expanding its music education programs, making instrument training more easily available for public school students and helping amateur musicians and singers to get involved in making music.

Located at the Civic Center at Symphony Hall, for further information and tickets call: (415) 861-1942.

Japanese Tea Garden
San Francisco's Japanese Tea Garden was originally developed for the 1894 World's Fair in San Francisco and through the years the Garden has grown into a landmark of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

The Japanese Tea Gardens were designed to have a very romanticized look of a traditional Japanese garden. As a result, entering the Garden is like stepping into the world that you see in Asian paintings; a world that exists both inside and outside the hustle and bustle of life.

It is a peaceful, complex place many paths, ponds and a teahouse that features native Japanese and Chinese plants. Also hidden throughout its five acres are sculptures and bridges. About the only sound you hear are cameras clicking. Not only do the gardens have beautiful plants, but they also house many interesting animals as well. Every pond you pass (and there are many), you will find teeming with koi fish, and there are also many exotic birds.

Mamma Mia
Mamma Mia is the ultimate feel-good show that has audiences coming back again and again. Have the time of your life at this smash-hit musical that combines ABBA's greatest hits, including "Dancing Queen," "S.O.S.," "Super Trouper," "Take A Chance on Me" and "The Winner Takes It All," with an enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship.

Whether it's your first visit or your fourteenth, see the show that has the whole world coming back for more, because every time feels like the first time at Mamma Mia!

Based on the heartwarming story about family, love and friendships, bundled with the greatest hits of ABBA, this smash hit musical returns to San Francisco via the Orpheum Theatre for a two-week run right at the start of spring, from February 21 to March 4, 2012.

At the Orpheum Theatre thru March 4, 2012. For tickets and more information on the show call (888) SHN-1799.

Walt Disney Family Museum
Celebrating their second anniversary, the Walt Disney Family Museum's three historic buildings within the nearby Presidio houses 10 galleries devoted to the inspiring story of Walt Disney, the creator of Mickey Mouse, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Disneyland and the global yet distinctly American company that bears his name.

Disney's story is impressively portrayed through drawings, storyboards, the narrow-gauge train built for Disneyland along with film clips, concept art, scripts, musical scores and cameras used by Disney and his staff.

Using a mix of historic materials and artifacts, Disney's achievements really comes to life through innovative displays that include listening stations, interactive media, and more than 200 video monitors. Much of the material is being generously lent by the Walt Disney Company and private collectors.

Located at the nearby Presidio. For information and tickets call (415) 345-6893.