Dec 26, 8 pm

We are back at the Powell Hotel. It’s been a long day and we’ll be going to bed soon.

After leaving Ghiraradelli’s we caught the cable car back to the hotel. We decided to go to a nearby restaurant for dinner since there was a threat of rain in the area. There are two restaurants on our recommended list (Frommer’s from $70 a day), Hana Zen and Puccini & Pinetti. I picked the Italian.

We went about 6:00 to beat the rush. We were seated at the Expo Kitchen. This area is designed for guests to both eat and view the chefs working. We ordered Antipasti, tray of cold meats, fresh and marinated vegetables, and goat cheese. We were also served freshly baked bread and an olive oil and vinegar dip. We ordered two glasses of house merlot.

The food was very good but watching the chefs’ work was the treat. We identified several prep stations. The two chefs directly in front of us prepared saut?ed and steamed foods. They worked at break-neck speeds.

After dinner we returned to the Powell.