Stephanie Skernivitz

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Napa and Sonoma counties, located approximately an hour from San Francisco, are well known around the United States and the world for their superior wine and wineries. Here is just a sampling of the local vineyards. 

									http://www.blackstallionwinery.com/

				
One of Napa Valley's newest wineries is on the grounds of a historic equestrian center. Call for tours. 

				
Upholding its reputation since 1973 for generating world-class wines, Cakebread Cellars offers hospitality, in-depth tastings of wines, and tours through the production facility and vineyard. 

				
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards bears resemblance to old Spain with its red-tiled roof and stucco walls in the hills of the Carneros region. Tours daily. 

				
Korbel's California champagne tradition dates to the 1800s. The winery provides a historic tour retelling the story of this 125-year-old property. Tours daily. 

				
Established in 1982, this family-owned and operated winery uses organic and sustainable farming in the vineyard. 

									http://www.robertmondaviwinery.com/

				
Count on a memorable, elegant experience at this Napa Valley landmark while tasting wine or enjoying culinary events. 

				
At one of the oldest estates in California, the Centennial Museum tracks the estate's history and owner Francis Ford Coppola's history in film-making.

Articles

Napa and Sonoma counties, located approximately an hour from San Francisco, are well known around the United States and the world for their superior wine and wineries.

Wine: Enjoy some downtime at a local vineyard

The retail optical industry is down 2.5% in 2009, according to published industry data. The silver lining, however, is that compared with other industries those numbers aren't so bad, all things considered. 

That's the read from Arthur De Gennaro, president of Arthur De Gennaro & Associates LLC, a Lexington, SC-based ophthalmic practice management firm that specializes in optical dispensary issues. 

Although the percentage could be much higher, given the recessionary climate it is relatively low for a couple of reasons, according to De Gennaro. One, there was "an anomaly" earlier in the spring of this year, he said. 

Second, he said many patients don't go to the eye doctor for routine care. Many go for regular medical care and don't tend to delay those visits, thereby helping to stabilize the industry numbers. 

"Overall, the number of people affected in the optical world is not as high as you might imagine, given what's happening in other sectors," said De Gennaro, who spent 14 years as a chain store executive in the optical dispensing world. "The ophthalmology world fared the recession better than nearly everybody. The only exception to that are practices that did a lot of LASIK. They were down-really hard-40% or more." 

In agreement is Donna A. Suter, president of Suter Consulting Group, of Chattanooga, TN, who has been consulting private-care ophthalmologists for the past 20 years. She added that eye-care practitioners still have been impacted generally by the downturn in the economy. 

"However, health care is very inflation-proof," Suter said. "Many people have health-care funds available for these types of purchases that are not impacted. Pre-tax-dollar health spending plans covers cost of high-end eyewear. The general economic climate isn't an OMG worry for the ophthalmology industry. 

"However, any time there is a shrink in the budget, people start evaluating choices. My income may not change but I'm re-evaluating," she said. "The optician must be very conscious of reselling and reconfirming choices their customers may have made last time they were there. Explain to the customer his benefit. Re-educate about what is smart about this eyewear. We're establishing a new baseline of what is normal." 

De Gennaro concurs with the "new normal." Although sales did not drop as much as anticipated, he said that everyone prepared as if it would. Many of his clients devised new ideas to market their businesses better. A recession-or the threat of one-can force people to think more creatively about cost-saving measures. 

De Gennaro said one of his clients initiated a "Cash-for-Clunkers" sale, capitalizing on the concept introduced in the automotive industry. If customers brought in a pair of glasses to this particular ophthalmology practice, the glasses were donated to the local Lions Club. Customers then drew a folded piece of paper from a fishbowl; each paper contained a dollar amount that translated to a discount on their next pair of glasses. 

The retail optical industry is down 2.5% in 2009, according to industry published data.

The new normal: Marketing eyewear in tough times

 San Francisco is nearly synonymous with a high cost of living. The advent and financial success of the early years of the Internet revolution still lures high-income folks to the city by the bay. Property values and household income are among the top in the nation, which enables a profitable restaurant and entertainment scene. 

Financials aside, the international flavor of San Francisco-39% of its residents were born overseas-continues to intrigue. A significant number of immigrants came from Asia and Latin America.  

The Chinese, in particular, have made an imprint on the city since the 1970s, most notably in Chinatown, where the annual Chinese New Year Parade is recognized as the largest event of its type outside China.  

Today, the city boasts at least a dozen unique and simply San Francisco neighborhoods. The city is largely reminiscent of a coffeehouse culture, thanks to the social revolution of the 1960s, which has contributed to today's liberal activism, as Democrats and the Green Party heavily influence city politics. 

In addition, the city's large gay and lesbian population helps spark a politically and culturally active community.  

When visiting San Francisco, especially for the first time, don't miss these landmarks: 

 This suspension bridge stretches across the Golden Gate, which marks the entrance of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. The bridge is part of U.S. Route 101 and State Route 1. 

When the bridge was constructed in 1937, the internationally recognized symbol of San Francisco originally contained the longest suspension bridge span. Now, it is ninth in span worldwide and second to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City. 

 In the middle of San Francisco Bay, this small island originally was used as a lighthouse, later a military fort, and then a military prison, succeeded by a federal prison until 1963. 

Alcatraz now serves as a national recreation area. It is a historic site run by the National Park Service, belonging to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. 

Take a ferry to get to the island from Pier 33, close to Fisherman's Wharf. 

 The world's only remaining permanently operational, manually operated cable car system is right here in San Francisco. The San Francisco Municipal Railway, or MUNI, runs the transportation network. 

Two routes downtown near Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf are operational, as well as another route on California Street. 

The cable cars are recognized as one of two moving National Historic Landmarks. 

The Art Deco architecture calls attention to the Coit Tower, a 210-feet structure of unpainted reinforced concrete. 

Designed by architects Arthur Brown Jr. and Henry Howard, the tower was built on Telegraph Hill in 1933 through an inheritance gift of Lillie Hitchcock Coit to enhance the city's appearance. 

 San Francisco is home to the oldest Chinatown in North America. Built up in the 1850s, many films, songs, photographs, and articles of literature have featured San Francisco's Chinatown. This tourist attraction reportedly hosts more visitors than even the Golden Gate Bridge. 

If you're looking for some long-lasting performing arts companies, venture no further than San Francisco's War Memorial and Performing Arts Center. The War Memorial Opera House is home to the San Francisco Ballet, as well as San Francisco Opera, which is reportedly the second-largest opera company in North America. Or grab tickets to hear the San Francisco Symphony perform in Davies Symphony Hall. 

Perhaps one of the more famous venues, The Fillmore, earned its fame in the 1960s serving as the stage for musicians such as the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Janis Joplin. 

If you'd like to see a West-Coast Broadway number, stop by a slew of vintage 1920s-era venues in the city's theater district, such as the Orpheum or Golden Gate theaters. 

At the Museum of Modern Art in the South of Market neighborhood, peruse 20th-century and contemporary art masterpieces. Or stop by the Palace of Fine Arts, where the Exploratorium, a science museum, draws visitors to participate in hands-on, interactive exhibits. Or plan a trip to the city's natural history museum, the California Academy of Sciences.

For more information about the city, listen to the podcast at http://www.ophthalmologytimes.com/aaotravel09.

San Francisco is nearly synonymous with a high cost of living. The advent and financial success of the early years of the Internet revolution still lures high-income folks to the city by the bay. Property values and household income are among the top in the nation, which enables a profitable restaurant and entertainment scene.

San Francisco unmatched as a travel destination

San Francisco has cuisine to satisfy many taste buds. From dim sum to gnocchi, use this guide to map out your dining tour of the city by the bay. 

Note that price ranges for all restaurants are approximations based on dinner for one person plus beverage. Prices may be subject to change. 

  1900 Telegraph Ave., 510/286-0100
Price: $$$ 
Specialties include grilled New York strip with house-made Worcestershire sauce, butternut squash souffle with mushroom cream sauce, and fish and chips. 

				
Price: $ 
Ton Kiang holds the honor as top dim sum parlor in the city. Try the steamed dumplings and dim sum, salt-baked chicken, or crisp-skinned duck. 

  133 Steuart St., 415/896-5600
Price: $$ 
The fragrance of freshly cooked seafood and steamed dumplings takes diners on a venture to China. Specialties include Shanghai dumplings (when available), shrimp with green tea essence, and firecracker chicken baked in chiles. 

				
Price: $$$$ 
This spot is near the opera and symphony. It specializes in seared scallops with truffled mashed potatoes and crispy duck confit salad. 

				
Price: $$$$ 
Sample the parsley and garlic soup with snails, roasted quail, and foie gras lollipops, or the braised beef short ribs. 

				
Price: $$ 
Indian food at this popular Mission District spot includes the dosa or thin crepes that are stuffed with various fillings. 

				
Price: $$ 
There's an olive oil tasting on the menu, not to mention an impressive cheese room, in this Mission District restaurant. Specialties include meatballs with tomato and chard and cheese and salami service. 

				
Price: $$ 
The small, moderately priced restaurant features such entrees as Massachusetts dayboat scallops with Jerusalem artichoke puree and Pappardelle and pork sugo. 

									http://www.jdvhotels.com/dining/sanfrancisco/oizakaya

				
Price: $$ 
In the newly refurbished and renamed Kabuki Hotel in Japantown, this restaurant resembles a Japanese pub. Small plates include braised pork belly on house-made kimchi, tempura mushrooms, seaweed salad, and sashimi. 

				
Price: $$$ 
Expect to discover some of the most innovative Japanese food in the Bay Area. Menu features dishes prepared from the robata grill and wood-burning oven. Specialties are sashimi, herb-roasted big-eye red snapper, and pork prime rib. 

				
Price: $$$ 
Catch dinner and a movie at the same place. Food options include Northern halibut and artichoke and green bean salad. 

				
Price: $$$$ 
Aqua continues to serve up some of the most inventive seafood in the United States. Such exquisite entrées include black mussel souffle or lobster pot pie. 

				
Price: $$$ 
Spanish food in an airy California setting describes this Marina restaurant. Try crudo of Pacific lingcod with fennel, radish, and chopped egg, or steamed clams with chorizo. 

  2000 Hyde St., 415/346-0800
Price: $$ 
The restaurant turns out tantalizing tapas at this Spanish-inspired restaurant on Hyde Street. It is known for its tortilla espanola. Other signature dishes include ham and cheese croquettes, roast duck leg in prune sauce, and grilled oysters in romesco sauce. 

Greens Restaurant  Fort Mason Center,    

									http://www.greensrestaurant.com/

				
Price: $$$ 
Here the tofu tastes better than meat. But the real clincher is the extensive wine list. Sample the curries, tofu brochettes, and pizza. 

San Francisco has cuisine to satisfy many taste buds. From dim sum to gnocchi, use this guide to map out your dining tour of the city by the bay.

Author | Stephanie Skernivitz

Articles

The new normal: Marketing eyewear in tough times

San Francisco unmatched as a travel destination

Dining: Please your appetite in Bay City

Wine: Enjoy some downtime at a local vineyard