San Francisco: Decoding Fernet Branca

Following on our recent story The Best Baguette in Paris, I had a quick chat with Paris foodie Meg Zimbeck about baguette protocol—because it's France, after all, and I figured there must be rules. Meg's food-related adventures in Paris are posted at megzimbeck.com, and she's the founding editor of Paris by Mouth, a new website about eating and drinking in the city featuring renowned foodies like Clotilde Dusoulier, Alexander Lobrano, and Dorie Greenspan. The website debuts in May. Steve: So, I've got my baguette. Do I tear it? Is it gauche to cut it in those little slices with a sharp knife, like some people do? Meg: You know, there's really no protocol here. You can saw it horizontally if you want to have some nice, neat slices, but Parisians also like to handle their bread. Tearing off hunks is perfectly acceptable. If you're eating in a restaurant, it's traditional to place your hunk directly on the table, not the plate. S: Ok, next: Cheese or no Cheese? Jam? M: Both! I like to buy a baguette in the evening and eat half of it with the cheese course after dinner. The next morning, I toast the left-over half and slather it with salted butter and jam. The French call this a "tartine" and you can find it served before lunch in most cafés. In general, though, the baguette is a vehicle for whatever delicious, fatty thing you want to spread on it. S: Salted butter, eh? None of that unsalted stuff for you. M: Live life, Steve. S: How long before I toss the thing away? M: An authentic baguette has a shelf life of only four hours, so bakeries churn out fresh loaves throughout the day. If your bread becomes stale, you can turn it into morning toast (tartine) or just spring for a new loaf. A good baguette only costs around €1.20, so there's really no reason to be eating stale bread. S: How do I ask for it, in five French words or less? M: Une baguette de tradition, s'il vous plaît. The "de tradition" part is important, because a traditional baguette tastes a whole lot better than a regular baguette. It's usually 10-20 centimes more expensive, but totally worth it. S: I know you love picnics. Every time I talk to you you're on the way to a park with a basket of picnic stuff. So here's your chance: Where do I pick up my baguette, what do I pair with it—and what park in Paris do I end up in? M: I'm lucky to live near the glorious Parc des Buttes Chaumont in the 19th arrondissement. For a picnic in this park, I score my baguette from the Boulang'Eury at 98 rue de Meaux. It's on a sweet little market street near the park that also has shops selling cheese, fruit, wine and (if I'm really ambitious) roasted chicken. Another favorite outdoor spot is the Canal Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement. For a picnic here, I'll stop for bread at Du Pain et des Idées (34 rue Yves Toudic) and a bottle of wine at le Verre Volé ("The Stolen Glass," 67 rue de Lancry). S: Can I bring wine? To the park? M: Absolutely! There's only one picnic-worthy place where you can't drink alcohol, and that's the Pont des Arts (a bridge that spans the Seine near the Louvre). A very specific law prohibits the public consumption of alcohol at that bridge between 4 p.m.–7 a.m. between May 1st and October 31st. By the way, if you don't have a corkscrew, most wine shops will be happy to open your bottle and to replace the cork. You can ask "avez-vous un tire-bouchon, s'il vous plaît?" Or do your best with gestures and a smile. S: Okay, final question: If I tuck it under my arm and mount my bicycle, can I call myself a Parisian? M: Absolutely! Just promise that you'll skip the beret. S: Maybe I will, maybe I won't. M: Skip it. S: Ok, Thanks for your time, Meg. Next time I'm in Paris, we'll share a drink at 3:59 on the Pont des Arts. M: Sounds risky. Au revoir, Steve.

If you're lucky enough to be in Rome between April 16 and April 25, you'll save some euros on visits to all state-run (and most city-run) museums and archaeological sites. Admission is free at the Mercati di Traiano, the Musei di Villa Torlonia, Centrale Montemartini, and other institutions participating in the 12th annual Culture Week. There are a few notable exceptions to the free rule: the Musei Capitolini, the Museo dell'Ara Pacis, the Planetario e Museo Astronomico, and the Scuderie del Quirinale, host of the buzzed-about Caravaggio exhibit, which still goes for the regular admission price of $13.50 (€10). The Italian Ministry of Culture has also organized free tours—in Italian only—of smaller gems such as the 16th-century Palazzo Zuccari, normally closed to the public (011-39/06-699-941), and the Villa dei Quintili (011-39/347-8235-240). A little further afield, the ruins and frescoed homes of Ostia Antica, an ancient port city, are also free during Culture Week and make an easy day trip from Rome (011-39/06-5635-8099).

The famous shroud of Turin—believed by some to be Jesus Christ's burial cloth—will be on display for the first time since its intensive restoration in 2002. It'll be a chance for travelers to judge the success of the repair effort, which involved removing a system of patches sewn onto the cloth by 16th-century nuns hoping to repair fire damage. Nearly 2 million pilgrims and tourists may visit the Turin Cathedral for the display now through May 23, says CNN.com. (Pope Benedict XVI will visit Turin on May 2.) Book a free ticket to see the Holy Shroud (Santa Sindone) at sindone.org. Reservations are necessary to get within viewing distance of the relic; otherwise, you'll only be able to enter the central nave of the cathedral. MORE The Instant Turin app—available on iTunes or at instantcities.com—helps travelers explore the Italian city through photographs, searchable descriptions of tourist spots, and Google street maps. It's free for downloading until Saturday, April 24th, after which it'll be $3. Budget Travel: Tips on visiting Turin

Baseball fever has officially hit San Francisco, especially after two Opening Weekend wins over the Atlanta Braves this past weekend. A summer trip to the city just isn't complete without a visit to our famously beautiful stadium. AT&T; Park (or Pac Bell Park, as many locals still call it), sits just by the Bay and offers postcard-quality views, gourmet food, a 56-foot-long Coca-Cola bottle-shaped superslide, and the excitement of a home run splashing into the water. Even non-baseball fans will have a blast. An exciting opening coincides with the 2010 season: Traci Des Jardin, the James Beard award-winning chef of Jardiniére, is debuting two brand new restaurants adjacent to the park. Mijita will serve Mexican food like mahi mahi tacos and jicama, grapefruit, and avocado salad. Next door is Public House, a high-end sports bar serving gourmet takes on classic bar food like grass-fed burgers with avocado, bacon, Grafton cheddar cheese, and house-made pickles. Plus, Public will have one of the largest menus of draft beer and cask ales in town, including local Magnolia brews. It's all perfect for a pre- or post-game noshing adventure—or if you can't score tickets, just enjoy the game atmosphere right next to the park (24 Willie Mays Plaza, 415/644-0240). Surely we've convinced you to go by now! If so, check out our handy tips on everything from how to get there to what to eat. Getting there: By public transit: Take BART to the Embarcadero stop and then transfer to the N and T Muni trains, which stop right next the ballpark. Buses 10, 30, 45, and 47 stop one block away. See more at sfmta.com. On game days, public transit will be jam-packed, so it's often better to just make the 15-minute walk from Embarcadero. By bike: It's an easy and scenic ride along the Embarcadero from either Fisherman's Wharf or downtown to the ball park. The stadium even offers valet bike parking, located on the Port Walk between the CHW Health Center and the foul pole. Scoring tickets:This year the park is introducing dynamic pricing, similar to the stock market, where ticket prices will increase with demand. So you should buy early online or plan to attend one of the less-popular games. Where to sit: To get the best bang for your buck, sit in a bleacher seat (from $9.50), which offers the best views and a chance to catch a home run, particularly in sections 137-139. For less hardcore fans, the reserved sections offer stunning views of the Bay with gorgeous sunsets (from $8). If you can't score a seat, you can always catch a glimpse of the game from the right field wall outside the stadium for free. Usually people just stop by this area instead of staying to watch all nine innings, but important games do draw a line (like when Barry Bonds was trying to break the home-run record.) Grub to get: Garlic fries are a must, and forget Budweiser—the park is all about locally brewed Gordon Biersch and Anchor Steam. If you want to splurge, the fresh crab sandwiches are worth the $15. To save money, you can also bring in outside food and drink (just no glass or metal bottles). Also good to know: The shortest lines for concessions and bathrooms are at center field. What to wear: Black and orange, of course! For night games, layers are essential—it can get chilly, especially in the reserved sections. Stay connected: That's right, in this tech-obsessed town, our whole ballpark has Wi-Fi. There's even a Digital Dugout app, available for download only inside the stadium, that features instant video replay, scores, stats, a pitch tracker, and player profiles, plus interactive games (in case the live game isn't exciting enough.) Use the included food finder to locate the closest food and drink options from your seats.