Healdsburg, California
Writes the reader who sent this photo: “Prosciutto di Parma, mozzarella, and tomato sandwich, curry chicken salad, and a huge Sonoma County Zin.”
I’ve been to the Oakville Grocery in Healdsburg. Great, great place. Some good friends of ours used to live in the Bay Area. My pal P. took me to a few Sonoma wineries one fine summer day. I didn’t think I liked Zinfandel until I tried some of the Zins P. and I found at the source. I think the San Francisco Bay area is one of the few places in the world I’ve been that lived up to or exceeded its advance billing.
Hope 
Rod Dreher 
WhollyRoamin 
> I think the San Francisco Bay area is one of the few places in the world I’ve been that lived up to or exceeded its advance billing.
Uh, you might want to revise that to “one of the few places in the world I’ve been where the food, drink, and scenery” lived up to or exceeded etc.
Having spent nine years in the Bay Area, I can assure you that the rest of it is highly overrated. Vapid, self-absorbed, self-rightous, intolerant-progressive hipsterism abounds. Also, a sizeable portion of the population pretty much hates kids — I believe the label “breeders” originated in SF. Last but not least, the cost of living is ridiculous, the schools suck, and crime and taxes are high.
But yeah, if you basically want to wine and dine your way through a short and insular vacation, it’s super cool.