My first trip to San Francisco with my daughters was with my sister and her family.
A lot had to be accomplished in a day and it was done at a whirlwind pace, marching briskly up the vertical streets. And sailing down again on the clanging street cars, past a jumble of charming homes, foggy sea vistas, glimpses of prison island Alcatraz and the famous crooked street at Russian Hill.
There was a longer visit to Pier 39 to see the giant pile of barking and snoring sea lions, that captivated the four little girl cousins.
And a walk from Ghirardelli Square, home of the famous chocolate factory, across the Golden Gate Bridge.
San Francisco was the city where my parents got married. Given that they were both based in Montreal, Canada, at the time, not sure why they traipsed across the country to be married in SFO. But marry there they did, by themselves, with a vague-friend-turned-Hindu priest and some flower malas, not even pheras.
Then a telegram was dispatched to two sets of startled parents, disapproving Estonian ones in Montreal and more accepting Indian ones in Khandwa, India: MARRIED TODAY IN SAN FRANCISCO. LOVE. Strange that my father should years later object me trying to do a similar number :) when I was not getting consensus from four parents.
But the more we trekked around San Fran, the more I realised why they chose this romantic metropolis that unfolds across rolling hills.
Easily the loveliest city of the US of A, beating even fashionable New Orleans to that spot in my books, it has a European flavour. The European tag implies a lively, stylish multcultural place, reflecting more woke urban planning.
San Francisco is best done on foot. A very livable metro -- that usually most American cities are not -- built for walking, cycling and public transport, it has plenty of open spaces.
It's a foodie town too where you can dine on the best of Chinese in -- where else -- Chinatown or tuck into excellent Japanese dishes at the tiny Japanese enclave. Or else eat Californian -- light, nutritious, farm-to-table, produce-driven salady fare.
We did it partly Indian style, travelling with a rice cooker and whipping up delicious lemon rice in the hotel room.
But lunch was had at an iconic mom-and-pop sandwich place called Viking, run then by a Vietnamese couple Betty and Steven Chang, that has since closed down after the Changs retired, only to reopen a year later under new owners with the same excellent food.
Known for their giant sub sandwiches, their veg versions were very yummy and dripped with mayo and cheese, with much of the taste coming from fat slabs of avocado.
Since that trip I have been recreating the same sandwiches, but open-faced, at home and having as much fun munching on them as I did that day in SFO. Go ahead and be my guest and try making these delightful sandwiches yourselves.
SF Viking Sandwiches
Serves: 2-4
- 2 six-inch baguettes, sliced in half, lengthwise
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp mustard
- 8 leaves iceberg lettuce
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced into circles
- 1 large tomato, thinly sliced
- 2 avocados, sliced
- Handful pea shoots, or else substitute with alfalfa sprouts or rocket leaves, optional
- 4 slices cheddar or mozzarella cheese
Method
- Butter the four slices of baguette.
Slather the mayonnaise and the mustard over the face of each slice.
Stack the avocado, onion, pea shoots and the tomato slices over each slice. - Sprinkle the salt and the pepper and drizzle the Tabasco over the avocados-tomatoes etc on each slice.
Top each open-faced sandwich with a thick slice of cheese. - Grill in the oven for about 5 minutes till the cheese melts.
While still hot, before serving, add a layer of lettuce over the melted cheese. - Serve with a side of fries or chips.
Zelda's Note: One slice is enough for one person, but if you are feeding healthy eaters budget for two slices per head.
Thick slices of sour dough bread will work just as well.
You can experiment with adding more vegetables like cucumber slices and adding a layer of pesto, if you wish.
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