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Pineapple Royale at the Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar

If you’re a fan of tiki bars and haven’t been to the Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar in The Fairmont San Francisco hotel, then you don’t know tiki bars.

This Polynesian paradise, or “the greatest place in the history of the world” per Anthony Bourdain, is the perfect combination of kitsch and upscale dining. Not only can you get a ridiculously large, sugary and potent drink — preferably aflame — but you can also get contemporary takes on Asian and Polynesian cuisine while dining alongside a pool, periodic rain showers and a live band on a floating stage.

When it comes to strong drinks, this is the place. The Pineapple Royale, a huge portion of aged rum, brandy and fresh pineapple juice served in a hollowed out pineapple, is dangerously good (and fun!). You could easily share this with someone, and you might want to just to split the $17 cost. The Singapore Sling ain’t no slouch, either, with Tanqueray gin, Cointreau, cherry Heering, fresh lemon and pineapple juices, Angostura bitters, and a Benedictine mist.

The Quintessential “Pu Pu” Platter, with BBQ Kona pork ribs, shiitake egg rolls, chicken skewers, and coconut prawns, is a good bet, and the restaurant’s inventiveness comes out in dishes such as the Forbidden Blend Fried Rice, which features forbidden black, white jasmine, Bhutanese red and jade pearl bamboo rices.

Quintessential Pu Pu Platter

Forbidden Blend Fried Rice

The well-known Huli Huli Chicken — boneless fire-roasted chicken, grilled pineapple, red onions, sweet peppers and scallions — was too sweet for my taste, but it was cooked nicely.

Huli Huli Chicken

Check out Bourdain and Chef Chris Cosentino’s visit to the Tonga Room for “The Layover” to see some of the tiki drinks and the rain storm in action.

Note: This meal was hosted.

Gingerbread house at Fairmont San Francisco

Looking for some holiday cheer? The historic Fairmont San Francisco hotel once again has its larger-than-life gingerbread house on display in its lobby. If you’re in SF sometime before Jan. 1, then this is a must-see. Just try not to eat the house, mmmkay?

BoConcept's ottoman bed. From Apartment Therapy.

This Memorial Day weekend, BoConcept, the urban design home furnishings store, is having a tax-free sale on all purchases from May 28 to May 31. And through June 15, the brand’s functional furniture, including sleeper sofas, extendable dining tables, functional coffee tables and more, is on sale. This ottoman (regularly $499; on sale for $429) actually folds out into a single bed — ingenious!

BoConcept has stores in Santa Monica and San Diego, as well as two locations in San Francisco. There are stores all over the country, so check the website for details.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Hit up one or all of these events, then let us know if any of them were worth it.

• Cabbage Patch‘s new weekend brunch: The oh-so-yummy and affordable Beverly Hills eatery is launching brunch Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. From Daily Candy.

• Rebecca Minkoff sample sale: In Los Angeles and San Francisco! Up to 50% spring and summer. In Los Angeles at 8213 W. Third St., Friday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In San Francisco at 111 Minna Gallery, Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. From Daily Candy.

Keep Reading

Gama-Go painted Air Force Ones. From Thrillist.

It’s in San Francisco, but that’s OK. My NorCal friends can send me stuff (hint, hint).

Anyway, Gama-Go, the SF label with cute-cool cartoon-like graphics, has opened its first brick-and-mortar store in the SoMa, or South of Market, neighborhood on 8th Street. Until now, the only Gama-Go “store” was online. The new SF store will carry all their online goods, plus some in-store exclusives, including a pair of Air Force Ones handpainted with its signature yeti character. From Thrillist.

This one is for my San Francisco/Bay Area friends, or for those of you traveling up north in the near future.

Let's Be Frank in San Francisco. From inuyaki.com (Flickr).

Let’s Be Frank, purveyor of nitrate- and preservative-free grass-fed beef hot dogs and family-farmed pork sausages (and any other hyphenated modifier you can think of, apparently), is opening a storefront this week in the Marina district. ‘Til now, you could only get the ‘dogs fully prepared from the company’s cart, which parks at the Warming Hut at Crissy Field on weekends. Angelenos will still be able to find a cart at the Helms Bakery complex in Culver City and at Silver Lake Wine. And we’ll all be able to purchase Let’s Be Frank Devil Sauce at all locations, mobile and brick-and-mortar. From Tasting Table.