Regina Connell’s Luxury Layover

21 May 2016
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2 min read
Regina Connell, founder of All Things Artisanal — an online platform dedicated to showcasing the high net-worth individual luxury objects outside of the conventional offerings — and an authority on “alternative luxury,” shares her perfect weekend with FOUR…

I’d wake up in…

Sausalito, CA.

And stay at…

Cavallo Point, a hotel in Fort Baker (Sausalito) at the foot of the Marin County side of the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. Amazing views, feel-good (sustainable) luxury in an old fort located in a US National Park.

Breakfast would be…

In San Francisco, at Boogaloos, a Mission District fixture, from long before the Mission became home to hipsters and Google rage. My choice for breakfast would be their Burrito Desayuno, a stick-to-your-ribs concoction that is neither light nor particularly healthy, but hey this is my fantasy 24 hours, when calories don’t exist.

I would wear…

Day: Layers (a Drifter T shirt, Erica Tanov jacket/coat, black AG jeans, Robert Clergerie brogues), oxidized silver earrings by Elisa Bongfeldt. We may be in California but the summer is cold. Night: Maria Cornejo or Rick Owens.

And take these travel essentials…

Sunscreen, iPad mini, iPhone with PayByPhone, the essential San Francisco parking app for parking in an impossible-to-park-in city.

I’d listen to…

Soundtrack to The Good Thief, a little old school rap, a little Joni Mitchell.

And visit…

The Yellow Building in San Francisco’s Dogpatch, taking a look at (and maybe picking up) the latest work by artists in residence at the Workshop Residence, the amazing clothes at MAC.. Then off to The NWBLK, a gallery/store for high-end artisanal furnishings, clothing and lighting, and to the Heath Ceramics factory and showroom for luscious tableware.

Have lunch at…

Arlequin Cafe in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley. It’s a cafe with delicious prosciutto panini and a hidden, sun-drenched little back yard.

Buy…

Local designer Diane Harwood tunic at MAC, artisanal bean-to-bar chocolate at Dandelion Chocolate (founded by a couple of chocolate-loving tech entrepreneurs), a Devil Inside cake at Craftsman and Wolves (a Mission District patissier). And of course a trip to the Ferry Building for some cheese from the Cowgirl Creamery.

Hang out with…

My man, and my girls, Christine Waage, Kristin Peterson.

Relax at…

Fort Point, at the foot of Golden Gate Bridge, at the edge of the city, with the fog coming in from the Pacific and glorious views of the city behind. Watch the fishermen gather up their catch for the day, watch the runners get sprayed by the Pacific as it crashes against the rocks.

Drink…

St. George Terroir martini, up with a twist.

Chat with…

George Calys, architecture critic, bon vivant; Basil Racuk, designer, leather accessories maker; and Mandy Aftel, writer, perfumer, fragrance expert.

And wind down the evening having dinner at…

Epic Roasthouse, and then that extraordinarily kitsch and quite fabulous San Francisco fixture, the Tonga Room at the Fairmont.

Why San Francisco?

Why not? The weather’s great, the food is amazing and varied, and there’s always lots going on. This is what I’d want if I visited.

For more visitAll Things Artisanal and Handful of Salt.

Images ©Regina Connell,Heath Ceramics and The NWBLK