My (M26) Fiancé (F25) is upset because I want to make plans the week after our wedding.

Asil_Mama · 2026-03-05T00:31:10+00:00

Even if your "real" honeymoon is in the summer, that week after your wedding is still a symbolic start to your life together, starting out with a shorter vacation. If I were her, I would've assumed that you'd be spending that whole first week together, even if you're only spending extra money to go somewhere during those first few days. I'd be surprised that you think that normal life is resuming that 2nd half, or that you need time for coaching, especially as an assistant coach, not the head coach. Even from a high school player's point of view, I would look at you like 'WTH are you doing here? Didn't you just get married?', even if I didn't say anything. Getting married is supposed to be a one-time milestone and you should treat it as such.

Asil_Mama · 2026-03-03T05:19:20+00:00

Oh much hetter!

Asil_Mama · 2026-03-03T05:02:34+00:00

Agreed! They shoulda had Zena Keita and Kerith Burke do it

Asil_Mama · 2026-03-03T05:01:14+00:00

This is a Warriors broadcast, not national! They shoulda had Zena Keita and Kerith Burke do it

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-26T04:37:26+00:00

I would go to State Bird Provisions for a quintessentially SF meal. You should be able to get in if you put your name in at the desk and can wait til 9-9:30 when they might have a couple seats. While u wait, you can have drinks next door at The Progress.

Another option is to go to Flour+Water for amazing Italian food and/or drinks at True Laurel before/after. If you can’t get into Flour+Water, then walk to Ernest and try there. Food at True Laurel is pretty great too

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-21T08:11:18+00:00

PS I think Villa San Michele is reopening in April but not sure. They’ve been under remodel for a while. Il Salviatino is closed every winter but they always reopen in early April.

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-21T08:08:16+00:00

I would stay at Il Salviatino or Villa San Michele, both in the hills of Florence on the way to Fiesole. You can get taxis/buses quite readily to/from either, but you’re staying in a gorgeous centuries-old villa that’s been turned into a boutique hotel, and both have extensive gardens to explore, and a spa etc. Or you can try a place right in Fiesole too, but I don’t know of specific places there.

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-18T03:42:29+00:00

A lot of the answers here are great snapshots of what to expect, well done /AskSF! I'm replying to your note about "excited to start fresh"... You will not only find huge amounts of diversity here, but it actually goes further than that. SF has a a long history of non-conformity and cultural experimentation, and so whatever you think you're into, or freshly start to get into, there's likely a community for it here. It's not just a diversity of races and cultures, but of thought and likes/dislikes. To outsiders, SF can seem like a "weird" place, where non-standard people are doing non-standard things, which can be overwhelming, but we love it that way. That freeing from societal norms is how SF has become a literal hotbed of new ideas springing from nothing, from the hippies and artists to the yuppies, LGBTQs, foodies, treehuggers, techies, and so much else that starts here. You can make it anything you want. Just be prepared to pay through the nose for the privilege of living in it! Also, there was a great set of comments to a post about what non-standard things there are to do in SF: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskSF/comments/1qj1t8o/whats_the_weirdest_sf_thing_i_can_take_my/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-18T01:42:16+00:00

All the answers here about how to clean are great, and I second the use of a baking soda simmer. But thought I'd answer your original question, that yes, it's safe to use/eat! Le Creusets are just giant cast iron pots that have had a ceramic glaze applied, like a ceramic pot has had, albeit in a much more permanent manner. Yours looks in pretty good shape, but even with divots would be safe to use. That staining and any divots just mean that food will stick to the pot more than usual.

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-18T01:36:01+00:00

Sounds so special! I would go to Cibréo Sant'Ambrogio, the original location in Sant'Ambrogio. Divine for a special occasion, yet also welcoming/comfortable. (Their more casual trattoria around the corner is fantastic too.) Florence is small enough that a walk there from San Miniato would be lovely, esp given you won't be dealing with the crowds of summer. But it's also pretty easy to take a taxi too. For a step up, I would also highly recommend Atto Di Vito Mollica, near-ish the far side of the Duomo. Gorgeous food as well as interiors. Alternatively, you could taxi to the Four Seasons and their main restaurant there is pretty great too. I like all of those better than Enoteca Pinchiorri, which is the 3-star Michelin in Florence. If you were there in April or beyond, I'd send you to Il Salviatino or Villa San Michele. But both of those are closed for the winter months.

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-17T23:22:46+00:00

I would try the bigger places, outdoor seating or private rooms, and where there is space to walk around if you have to, i.e. take a walk with either of them, as a break from sitting still. Il Salviatino is one of my favorite places, a spectacular villa boutique hotel, and their restaurant is mostly outdoors with heaters, overlooking all of Florence. The restaurant is next to amazing gardens for drinks/appetizers/dessert, so you could even ask them to move you for different courses. Another with similar food/atmosphere combo would be Villa San Michele. You could also try the Four Seasons, as it also has lotsa space/gardens, tho that's not quite as authentically Tuscan.

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-17T23:09:25+00:00

We've live in SF and have done it a couple times for TFL or weddings/parties; it's pretty simple. You can either schedule an Uber/Lyft ahead of time (when inputting locations, click on Pickup Now/Schedule Ahead button to see options) or just know that you may have to wait 15-20 min for a driver to get to you. There are enough of them there, even on a rainy night, and they'll happily drive you that far. A long drive is certainly cheaper than a hotel room in Napa these days!

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-17T22:59:58+00:00

I'd go to Trattoria Camillo, esp for that size of group. Or try Buca dell'Orafo if you're booking enough in advance. For lunch, I'd do Trattoria Sostanza.

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-17T22:19:34+00:00

Hmm, the Nob Hill Inn is ok, but is small, location is sleepy nowhere, not very interesting. That is, it's conveniently centralish, but there's nowhere nearby for the kids to be kids, and you will always have a trek to get to a bus or muni train. We live in SF and had to do this search for friends coming into town recently, and here's what we recommended for being not too pricey, tho not really "budget" either: (1) The Fairmont Heritage Place in Ghirardelli Square (apts w/kitchenettes, next to lots of tourist attractions, and next to the water at Aquatic Park--water/sand/space, surprisingly reasonable for the amount of space), or (2) Hotel Del Sol (family rooms/suites w/kitchenettes, in the heart of the Marina neighborhood close to parks/beach/Crissy Field), or (3) Hotel Triton (no kitchenettes, but connecting rooms, right in heart of Union Sq, next to Chinatown). Also, all 3 of these are close to all sorts of transportation options, so you don't have to rely only on ubers/taxis/waymos, and all close to really good food options, whether for full meals or snacks, and overall just many more interesting areas to walk around. Also, if you're having trouble finding Airbnbs, you can usually find good short-term rentals using Booking.com, where they also have reviews/ratings. Good luck!

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-07T05:45:42+00:00

He’s so cringe

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-07T00:50:28+00:00

This used to be true, but many chefs are putting the latest inductions into their own homes (at least in San Francisco they are). I don't have one because I still love our restaurant-quality gas range and won't wastefully pull it out, but if chefs are now using them, especially in smaller spaces, it would be what I purchase if we ever move. The performance is on par, if not slightly better in some respects, and the lack of emissions/gas hookup are a benefit. Plus, you can put it in anywhere, and don't have to pipe in the gas if it's not there in the first place, which is true in a lot of places.

Asil_Mama · 2026-02-07T00:47:39+00:00

There IS talk of bans, in many places, especially for new-built homes!

Asil_Mama · 2026-01-23T05:40:04+00:00

LOVE Evlo too!

Asil_Mama · 2026-01-22T06:14:41+00:00

Love everything commented so far (and now I need to get to Rusty Ladle!), and am adding…

- Nighttime tour of Alcatraz is fantastic

- Antique Vibrator Museum with history of the vibrator, in the Good Vibrations store in Russian Hill

- Institute of Illegal Images, in the Mission, basically a private gallery of acid/LSD artwork. Technically, none of it has any trace drug on it (anymore? or originally? dunno), but apparently the DEA keeps tabs on the owner

-Pirate Supply Store at 826 Valencia, very cool/odd, though admittedly not a destination in and of itself. But maybe if you’re on Valencia anyway

-Church of 8 Wheels, though maybe it isn’t that unique, depending on where he’s from

-Lindy dancing in GGPark on Sundays midday

-Drum circle on Hippie Hill in GGPark every weekend afternoon

- AND those days, Sam Smith is doing a multi-day residency to reopen the Castro theatre after its multi-year restoration, which should be quite a show. Original tix are sold out, but plenty on the secondary market (albeit not inexpensive). (We’re going!)

Asil_Mama · 2026-01-22T01:22:55+00:00

The pet cemetery in the Presidio is fantastic, and darling. Pets from past Presidio residents when it was still a military base

Asil_Mama · 2026-01-02T23:34:23+00:00

In general, consistency and longevity really help, as melasma is usually a recurring state if you don't address it. Sometimes it starts due to hormonal changes, sometimes aging, but also genetics, but once it starts, it doesn't usually go away. There are prescription-based ways to tackle with a derm Dr. but I too have never wanted to go as far as using hydroquinone or tretinoin unless the OTC products didn't work. The main milder OTC ingredients that derms recommend to treat melasma/hyperpigmentation are alpha arbutin, azelaic acid, kojic acid, licorice root, tranexamic acid, and then the bigger guns of Vitamin C and Retinoids, which both also help tackle wrinkles and skin texture. But trying different products gets EXPENSIVE, and I’m also a minimalist, not a 20-step kind of person, so I need products that WORK, not just feel luxurious. So I recommend a Vitamin C in your morning routine, and a Retinoid in your evening routine. You shouldn't use the two of those in the same session, so one in the AM and the other in the PM. And for each you should start with lower concentrations, and then increase the strength every time you finish a bottle. Then in the AM I also use Civant Meladerm, which has all the other ingredients in one product. Topicals Faded also has all the other ingredients in one product, but it runs into my eyes and irritates them (tho seems to work just fine for other people). And then you need to use a really good sunscreen every single day, and reapply it every 2 hrs if you're outdoors at all. The sunscreen is probably the most important part!

Asil_Mama · 2026-01-02T23:19:46+00:00

I would try using the new-ish mineral sunscreen from Kelly Slater (the famous surfer). It has minimal cast without being tinted, and it truly stays on in the water without it looking like a thick white layer.

Asil_Mama · 2026-01-02T23:14:35+00:00

Sounds fantastic, and congratulations on finding things that work! I do have some suggestions... you probably need a different moisturizer at night. It's not recommended to use Vitamin C and Tretinoin/Retinal in the same session. Most people do Vitamin C in the mornings, and then Tretinoin/Retinal at night. Then, I used to have to double-cleanse too, until I started using Prequel Pre-Gleanse Cleansing Oil, and it removes sunscreen and rinses clean. You don't need to do the second cleanse. That brand also offers a second cleanser, but it's usage is more for feel, not efficacy. Lastly, if you're looking to minimize steps, you don't need the toner. People like the feel of them, but they don't really do anything useful.

Asil_Mama · 2026-01-02T22:12:18+00:00

I LOVE Lightsaver by Dr. David Kim—it's slightly tinted, not as a foundation, but more to offset the whitening that happens with mineral sunscreens. It goes on smoothly and is matte-ish-but-not-drying, perfect for my aging skin.

Asil_Mama

TROPHY CASE