As we piled into the Uber outside of the Ritz Carlton in Chinatown the late afternoon sun poured over the city, heated the concrete sides of every building, and radiated heat from all directions. Pedestrians hiking the asphalt mountains (known in this city as streets) were sweating and tearing off layers of clothing while shielding their eyes from the rare February sun.
Sydney and Donnie chose The Stable Cafe for their celebration. This venue is easily one of my favorites so far. Filled wall to wall with lush plants, apple trees that create a canopy above the courtyard, and a cute little cafe adjacent to the reception area.
They pointed out a tiny set of narrow stairs that guided us from the bustling street corner into Sutro Forest, where the massive trees protected us from the harsh rays. We nearly had the place to ourselves apart from a healthy stream of mountain bikers every few minutes, letting their presence be known to us by shouting “Yewww! Congratulations!” as they rounded the corner and crashed through the trees.
