One of our travel guides partners, Not For Tourists, has several unique
offerings on their website this week. Check out the following
highlights from their San Francisco correspondents...

Harajuku Hardware

Posted By:  Elissa Pociask

Soko Hardware

I have an unhealthy obsession with the butcher knife I just bought at Soko hardware. It's shiny, it's strong, it's sharp, and it even makes one of those sword-like zinging sounds a la Prince Valliant when it so much as grazes something. Along with good deals on quality cutlery, Soko carries all your typical hanging paper lamps, colorful sake sets, cute little chopstick holders, and beyond. I didn't so much as enter one of the aisles with hardware, but I hear they've got all that boring stuff too. Kind of like Ace Hardware dressed in Harajuku, with a staff of cute little, wise ladies who know a lot about slicing and dicing.

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Try It. You'll Like It.

Posted By:  Valerie Ng

Muracci's Japanese Curry & Grill

The name might throw you off or make some of us skeptical, but don't let it be a deterrent--Muracci's serves up a more than decent Japanese lunch. Curry is the specialty here, and unlike Indian and Thai curries that are known to be fattening, Muraccis' curry is cooked with vegetables, herbs and spices for 2 days, making it thick and creamy without the grease. As a bonus, there is no extra charge if you want brown rice. For a bit of variety, you can instead have your curry in a bowl of noodle soup, or go with Japanese lunch favorites like teriyaki chicken, katsu, or agedashi tofu that come with a small green salad and Muracci’s unique take on potato salad. Wash everything down with high-quality Lupicia tea.

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Francophilic Furnishings

Posted By:  Jennifer Anthony

Peche Mignon

Francophiles, take note. Here is a store for all your guilty French pleasures. Step beneath the mustard yellow awning and into a place that offers "unique French home decor and French home accessories." The store offers up everything from tabletop items to linens to kitchen products to edibles to gifts for kids and pets. When I walked inside and heard the song "Aux Champs-Elysees," a ditty my French teacher had beat into our heads in high school, I was both flabbergasted that I still remembered the chorus from this song (it's apparently occupying some memory and squeezing out room for critical work information) and sentimental. I was torn between the kitchen decor and the pet kitsch (their website claims that France holds the world record for number of pets per inhabitant). The owner of the store was especially friendly and rounded out the general warm and fuzzy feeling of the place. Bien sur, it's not inexpensive, but it's the perfect place to get a little cadeau for une bonne amie.

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Photos With Santa

Posted By:  Jennifer Anthony

Stonestown Galleria

The holidays haven't arrived until you've plopped the kiddies on Santa's lap and waited to see if they think he's a jolly old chappie or as terrifying as the clowns at a recent birthday party. To test it out, try bringing the squirts to the center court of Stonestown, where Santa will be hanging out until the 24th of December. If you plan ahead, you can print out an online coupon to get a free 5x7 photo with the purchase of a $25.99 or greater package (and also a freebie holiday drawing for your kids to color). If you're a cheapskate extraordinaire, you can walk a bit farther and prop them up in front of the Apple store windows, adorned with a giant elf and Santa. But I'd go for the real Santa. When I last visited, the sign proclaimed he was out feeding the reindeer. And any Santa who does such jobs himself (instead of relegating them to the elves) is one cool Santa indeed.

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Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Posted By:  Jennifer Anthony

Thidwick Books

All hail the independent bookstore! The front of Thidwick Books hosts an intriguing array of greeting cards to entice people into the store (toward the books). The place is narrow and a little stuffy, which only adds to its charm for bibliophiles like me. When we walked inside, the owner called out to say hello and let us know she was there to answer any questions we might have. We felt like we had found the perfect little neighborhood nook. The place has a particularly great assortment of children's books and toys, and the owner will order books not in stock. It feels like a labor of love. And though the street boasts another great independent bookstore, this book-lover thinks there's more than enough room for two.