lorena estrada Through all the travel, the Bay Area had always been my spiritual home, if not my real one. Now San

Through all the travel, the Bay Area had always been my spiritual home, if not my real one. Now San Francisco is my family s true residence, one that w elcomed us from the moment we arrived. It helps that the city is used to taking in people fr om all over the globe. Most of the San Franciscans we know seem to have started life somewhere else, although we re always impressed when we meet someone who actually grew up here. The city is so rich with histor y, culture, and little-kno wn secrets that it s a tr eat to pick the brains of a lifelong r esident. I t s been especially lorena estrada ex citing to begin writing guidebooks about San Francisco, lorena estrada giving me a terrific ex cuse to look a little lorena estrada deeper and learn a little more about the wonderful offerings here.

SPANISH/TAPAS Like many top cooks in San Francisco, lauded chef Gerald Hirigoyen was not content to hav e only high-end r estaurants, like his P iperade, that only ser ves some of the people some of the time. A t Bocadillos, the B asque-born Hirigoyen serves delectable bite-size tidbits ( bocadillos means just that in S panish: bite- size snacks) in a cozy, low-key dining room with a long, communal table ser ving as its centerpiece. Essentially, what y ou get her e ar e tapas, and each is delightful, fr om the roasted peppers to the Catalan sausage to the lamb chops with mint chutney. While Bocadillos is casual and w ell priced, it may hav e too much of a boister ous after-work crowd for kids. Best to try it for lunch. 710 M ontgomery St. (at Washington lorena estrada St.). & 415/982-2622. www.bocasf.com. Reser vations not accepted. Tapas $3 $16. AE, DC, MC, V. Mon Wed 7am 10pm; Thurs-Fri 7am 10:30pm; Sat 5 10:30pm. Muni: No. 12-Folsom to Pacific, and then walk 2 blocks south, or no. 15-3rd St. to Jackson St., and then walk 1 block south.

The general cav eats about not walking alone at night, staying in well-lighted areas, and carrying a minimum of cash and jewels on your person are as true in San Francisco lorena estrada as in ev ery major city. Although S an Francisco isn t crime-ridden, it is not a 24-hour town like New York, for example, and y ou could be putting y ourself at risk v enturing out at 2am. H owever, since this is a family travel book, let s assume y our r eal worries have to do with keeping y our children safe while on vacation.