By Ellen Eason

Explore Golden Gate Park: the Sunset’s Backyard

Imagine a vast playground where you can row a boat, work on your tennis serve, try lawn bowling or pickleball, ride a bike, skate along the promenade, engage in birdwatching or forest bathing, hear a free concert or view an art or science exhibit. From archery to Zumba, countless activities await in Golden Gate Park, the 1,017-acre oasis that is the Sunset and Richmond’s backyard.

Explore your options in the park by visiting the Golden Gate Park page of the San Francisco Recreation & Parks website (sfrecpark.org/770/Golden-Gate-Park). The site has helpful resources on points of interest, special events, gardens and lakes, recreation and activities, playgrounds and more. A few highlights:

• The peaceful Blue Heron Lake (formerly Stow Lake) is ideal for both hiking and navigating in a rowboat or pedal boat. The boathouse also offers electric pedal boats to help you enjoy the sights and sounds of nature with ease. After your ride, the boathouse cafe offers healthy snacks and refreshments.

• The Lisa and Douglas Goldman Tennis Center provides tennis, pickleball and table tennis classes and facilities. Various youth camps are held through mid-August. Learn more at lifetimeactivities.com/san-francisco.

• The San Francisco Lawn Bowling Club offers free lessons to anyone interested in learning the game at the greens adjacent to Robin Williams Meadow. Visit SFLBC.org or email info@sflbc.org to schedule a session with a coach.

Ready for a more restful respite? Head to the de Young Museum where the “Monet and Venice” exhibit runs through July 26. Each Saturday, the museum offers free general admission for all Bay Area residents. Visitors of all ages may participate in Sketching in the Galleries on select Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This free drop-in activity is for all skill levels and ages, and all materials are provided. Learn more at famsf.org/events/sketching-in-the-galleries.

A favorite of children and science enthusiasts, the California Academy of Sciences has two special exhibits: “Tiny Chef” runs through September and “Vivid: Immerse Your Senses,” which runs until Sept. 6.

Illuminate LIVE at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell produces concerts from now through mid-November. The 125 performances range from reggae, jazz, blues and rock. The schedule includes Midweek Melodies (Wednesdays), Happy Hour (Fridays) and Crucial Reggae Sundays. Visit sfrecpark.org/1570/Golden-Gate-Bandshell-Concerts.

Also at the bandshell, the Golden Gate Park Band holds Sunday concerts through September from 1-2:30 p.m. Select performances spotlight global traditions and feature guest dancers, singers and speakers.

Grégoire’s French- Inspired Fare Delights Diners

French-inspired flavors draw diners to Grégoire’s cheerful blue and orange corner location at Ninth Avenue and Irving Street, where they can people-watch at outdoor bistro tables while enjoying fresh salads, hearty soups and sandwiches.

Known as the “home of the potato puff,” Grégoire’s signature dish comes with flavored aioli that changes daily and may be topped with parmesan, white truffle essence or garlic and parsley. Poutine is another favorite menu item. Hailing from Québec, the delicacy features French fries topped with cheese curds and a savory brown gravy.

“Our innovative menus change seasonally and incorporate ingredients from local farms and community vendors,” said Joe Wilson, who co-owns the restaurant with Waifa Chau. The only menu constants are the potato puffs, poutine and fried chicken.

Chef Grégoire Jacquet, a French-trained chef with experience at Michelin-starred restaurants, founded Grégoire in Berkeley in 2002. The Inner Sunset location opened in January of this year, following the success of the Berkeley restaurant and its food trucks in the Presidio and elsewhere. They built brand awareness and a faithful clientele.

“For many Cal alumni who now live in the City, our dishes are their comfort food,” Wilson said. “We feel fortunate to have found this fantastic location in the Inner Sunset with its vibrant food scene. We are happy to call this small corner of San Francisco home and look forward to becoming a new neighborhood favorite.”

Grégoire enjoys a strong relationship with the University of California, San Francisco, providing catering for its staff and events. The health-minded team appreciates tailored menus with many vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options.

Grégoire recently debuted its summer menu. Stop by to sample new taste sensations for the season, such as grilled chicken patty with bacon jam and ranch dressing in a bun, salmon-lime ceviche with taro chips and avocado on Dutch Crunch, leg of lamb with curried eggplant and toasted almonds in ciabatta and Fra’Mani capicola ham with marinated tomato and provolone on a French roll. Seating is available both indoors and outdoors, while carry-out boxes make it easy to pick up a picnic to take to the nearby botanical garden or your favorite spot in the park.

Openings & Milestones

California comfort food has arrived in the Inner Sunset. Maggie & Mac’s at 1326 Ninth Ave. serves hearty favorites like smash burgers, pizza, hanger steak and Pacific rock snapper tacos as well as innovative starters and salads. Don’t miss “mom’s meatloaf,” a savory bacon-wrapped rendition that is a recipe from owner Scott Morton’s mother. Choose a draft beer, craft cocktail or alcohol-free libation to complete the experience.

Across the street, the menu at Pàng (1309 Ninth Ave.) features Chinese classics like pan fried dumplings, braised beef noodle soup and stir-fry pea shoots, plus a tempting black sesame creme brûlée for dessert.

Neighborhood pub Mucky Duck (1315 Ninth Ave.) marked its 30th anniversary in June. Stop by for a celebratory drink at this neighborhood favorite that offers 20 beers on tap, specialty cocktails, a pool table, darts, free popcorn and a jukebox.

Temple of SOMA opened at 610 Irving St., providing a sanctuary for learning, mindfulness and transformative personal growth and offering “magic mushrooms” to its members.

We bid a fond farewell to Willow on the Green on Ninth Avenue, purveyor of British delicacies and other specialty foods, and extend our best wishes to owner Alex Sinclair in his next chapter.

The Inner Sunset Merchants’ Association is the voice of our neighborhood’s business community. We are an all-volunteer, nonprofit association committed to supporting, promoting and advocating for the needs of our local business community. We welcome new merchants into our neighborhood and work hard to drive new business to our growing community. Learn more at innersunsetmerchants.org. Ellen Eason is a writer and Inner Sunset resident.