In mid-February we headed north for a 3-day weekend in San Francisco. Marla and the kids headed up to the city with me on Friday afternoon, the plan being to enjoy the sites and relax before I sent them back home and stayed in S.F. for the Game Developers Conference.

We arrived mid-afternoon and, after collecting our bags, took a cab into the city. Honestly, I think we could have ended the trip right there. Emma and Henry had such a good time flying up, picking up our bags at the airport and watching the cabs whizzing by that I think we could have turned around and flown back home with them completely satisfied.

That first evening was fairly uneventful. Just a nap in the hotel while Daddy did a little work and then off to dinner at Sam’s Grill on the edge of the Financial District and Union Square. (See what other Yelpers had to say about Sam’s Grill.)

Dinner was great but we felt a little out of place. The restaurant is, apparently, one of the oldest in San Francisco. The patrons, too, were some of the oldest in San Francisco. When we arrived we instantly brought the median age down a good 20 years or so, being the only people in the restaurant who didn’t have grandchildren. Some polite Japanese business men arrived a little later and gave the median age another bump downward.

The food and service were exceptionally old school. From a crotchety bar tender greeting you at the door to waiters in tuxedos, this place was a step back in time and an excellent way to start our weekend.