‘You can’t have a bad meal in this town.’
—–Emeril Lagasse
San Franciscans believe their city to be the gastronomic capital of America. Residents of a few other American cities may dispute this claim, of course. But the seemingly endless numbers of tourists who patiently await their tables at the city’s crowded restaurants and the repeated rankings by national magazines tend to confirm that San Francisco’s offerings rise to the top. But how has this come to pass? The answer is itself a stew, combining the city’s particular geography, climate, history—and attitude.
Begin with the ingredients: the area’s moderate climate and the city’s proximity to rich, fertile, agricultural lands, to the Pacific Ocean, and to the country’s top wine-producing region. See the fishing boats coming in early each morning to the piers off Jefferson Street, and you will never doubt that the fish is fresh, year-round. Drive south or east, passing the rich vegetable fields and flourishing orchards that supply the city’s restaurants directly, and you can tell what is in season and what will be on the menu at that time. Or pass the miles of grape-laden vines as you head up to warm, sunny Napa or Sonoma—just an hour north of the city—and then do not be surprised to find outstanding wines produced by those vineyards in restaurants all over town.
Bon Appetit!
Of the more than 4000 eating establishments in this gastronomic heaven called San Francisco, only about 200 could be mentioned or described in these several chapters devoted to nectar and ambrosia. Alas, there was not enough room. So, think of the pleasurable exploration you have in store, and enjoy the process! Bon appetit!
Now stir in a bit of history. The city’s unusual approach to food combinations has grown from its own cultural diversity. From its earliest days, San Francisco was a town where people ate out. It started with the Gold Rush, when thousands of miners with money—or gold nuggets—in their pockets, came down from the hills for a taste of “civilization” and “home cooking.” Restaurants of all types flourished. Even at that time, the cooks were immigrants—Italians, Hungarians, French, and Chinese—melding their own cooking traditions with the ingredients on hand. After the flurries of the Gold Rush and the Silver Rush died down, eating establishments remained.
Since then, each wave of immigrants has added to the tastes and aromas of the city: Italian food with Oriental overtones, Vietnamese food presented in the style of the French, and pan-Asian or pan-Latin cuisines. Although you might hear such appellations as eclectic or international, or the slightly passé term “fusion” for this bringing together of traditions and tastes, recent categorizations keep up the practice; “East Meets West,” “Mediterranean/Italian,” “contemporary American with world accents,” or even “contemporary French,” as opposed to the traditional cuisine one tends to think of as French. What matters, no matter the category, is that each flavor contributes to the overall dish served, but is identifiable in itself. But this type of fusion and melding is not new in San Francisco, and in fact, fusion of cultures, cuisines, and traditions—with each contributing but still identifiable in itself—is what has always defined the city itself.
Food in San Francisco can also be high art. What is known as California Cuisine—which originated at Berkeley’s Chez Panisse and which has now been adopted around the globe—epitomizes this trend. Emphasizing regional, in-season ingredients, California Cuisine presents a beautiful yet simple-seeming and healthy effect (sometimes with a touch of humor) although the exotic combinations of ingredients and presentation may not be simple at all. Yet even with California Cuisine, distinctions blur. Some restaurants known for California Cuisine also use Asian flavors and approach; others might borrow from the Italian or French. But they all use seasonal and local ingredients, and if the word “fusion” is less used, the idea of combining and fusing is not.
Adding spice to the answer of why San Francisco’s restaurants are so exceptional is that San Franciscans demand they be so. San Franciscans love to eat out—at restaurants of all levels—and with a mean household income of about US$ 60,000, residents spend about US$ 2,700 per household per year eating out. Thus, no one needs to settle for just a “good dinner.” Although it is not true that San Francisco has more restaurants than people, with some 4,000 eating and drinking establishments, it may well have more restaurants per capita than other cities. Thus, diners get a wide choice, and they set the tone. In fact, the city works on the premise that the entire experience of eating should be fun. San Franciscans consider eating out to be one of their major cultural—albeit playful—experiences, and they demand, and get, the best.
“The best” does not necessarily mean the most expensive restaurant or those that are lavishly reviewed. A Thai restaurant out in the Avenues might have the best lemongrass soup, and an otherwise undistinguished Italian restaurant might well have the best calamari, at least to some diners’ tastes. Other places may tickle diners’ fancy with their imaginative decor, and many now are offering entertainment of one sort of another along with the dining experience.
Also, particularity rules. It is clear that the days when Italian food meant spaghetti with tomato sauce are long gone; now San Franciscans may select among their favorite Ligurian- or Roman-style restaurants, or choose a place just for one particular dish. Or a particular way of preparing, for example, one type of fish or steak. And long gone are the days when Chinese food meant Chicken Fried Rice; now San Franciscans pick carefully among Hunan, Chiu Chow, or Cantonese cuisines, and they know which restaurants serve the best dim sum. San Franciscan restaurants demonstrate a strong sense of place.
But even the cuisines do not tell the entire story. San Franciscans also demand that restaurants, no matter the style of cuisine, mirror their lifestyles. The restaurants themselves should be attractive. The food they eat should be healthy and look good, whether it is a luxurious dinner in an elegant restaurant, a hearty meal in a neighborhood pub, or—the current trend—a meal of “small plates” to share, eating less (perhaps), but very well. What San Franciscans want, in short, is everything all at once: delicious and healthful food imaginatively prepared, a splendid view, an attractive space, and friendly service. If San Franciscans, as some people claim, “want everything now,” at least in terms of dining out, they seem to be able to get it.
It is a passion of San Franciscans to seek out the best in whatever it is they want at the moment—and then to keep seeking, even if perhaps they had thought they found it before. Weekdays find people out early eating hearty breakfasts or, on weekends, a delicately prepared brunch. Weekday lunchtime sees crowds in most of the downtown business-style restaurants, workers still looking not just to eat but for a culinary experience. (It is wise to reserve for lunch, just as much as for dinner.) And dinner is a constant process of happy exploration in any neighborhood, sometimes the more offbeat, the better. Currently, expanding out of the tried and true districts (North Beach, Union Street, Pacific Heights), San Franciscans are seeking out the restaurants and bars on the Valencia Corridor, the Inner Sunset nexus around 9th Avenue, and the continually appearing new offerings in SoMa and near the AT&T baseball park. (Just do not try to find a parking space when there is a game on.)
It would be impossible to describe all the city’s excellent restaurants here. There are so many international cuisines and traditions that these chapters can give only representative samples of the diverse culinary experiences the city offers. To aid in your pleasant search, buy one of the guides dedicated entirely to eating out in the Bay Area. The best, which covers both restaurants and food markets, is Patricia Unterman’s San Francisco Food Lover’s Guide, by a local food writer who knows San Francisco’s restaurants better than anyone else. Loosely arranged by district and within district by category, her book makes it easy to find anything you want to know about food in the area. The famous Zagat’s rates restaurants according to diners’ choices; most recently, Gary Danko, Boulevard, Slanted Door, Aqua, and Delfina have been rated by diners as the five favorite restaurants, with Zuni, Farallon, Michael Mina, and Jardinière close behind.
Look also at the daily newspapers, weekly tabloids and city magazines, which review and rate restaurants and often conduct readers’ polls, which accounts for the myriad restaurants that boast that their specialty (sushi, hamburger, pizza, barbeque, salsa, etc) has been judged the best in the city. They probably all have, by one contest or another. The media also regularly publish surveys of the “best” in dozens of categories, always interesting, always with a surprise. Beauty of the establishment is often rated, and many are imaginative in their décor. If noise bothers you, pay attention to the decibel ratings in restaurant reviews, as the current trend for a lively atmosphere has resulted in large open spaces with high ceilings, which greatly increases the noise. Those dining in groups, however, often do not care about noise (or creating it), so long as they are having a good time.
Most but not all restaurants take reservations. The currently fashionable restaurants require reservations to be made one month in advance, and if you do not call exactly when specified, you might not get a table; sometimes, however, tables are available at off-hours, such as 5:45 pm or 10:00 pm. As a general rule, the better the restaurant, the longer in advance you should book. This also holds true for the restaurants that play live music, or those with a view. To find out about table availability and making a reservation on the Internet, try Open Table (see next page) or SFGate.
On the other hand, there is no harm in calling to see whether there has been a cancellation. Ask whether the restaurant serves dinner at the bar to walk-in customers, for bar food is of the same quality as in the rest of the restaurant. (Some restaurants have open kitchens, and sitting at the counter/bar allows you to watch the chefs perform their culinary magic.) Sitting at the bar is an attractive option for solo diners, although San Franciscan restaurants are welcoming to people dining alone.
But most restaurants can accommodate you if you make a reservation the day before or even on the morning of the day you intend to dine, and in some, if you do not reserve in advance, you can wait for a table to be vacated. Restaurants generally figure 90 minutes for a couple to remain at a table and two hours for a party of four. The maître d’hôtel (maitre d’) will be as honest as possible—given the unpredictable time a party may linger—in assessing the waiting time, or indeed, if there is a chance to get a table. If you have to wait, the maître d’ will almost always offer a seat at the bar.
Not all restaurants take reservations. Some of the fish restaurants do not or will take reservations only for parties of more than six people; this also holds true for the Asian eateries and many small, neighborhood establishments. In popular places where there is a line, there will usually be a waiting list; seating is first come, first served, according to the tables available and the number of people in the party.
Do not forget that tourists love San Francisco restaurants. When a large convention is in town, it can be impossible to get a table at a restaurant that might have been reviewed in a guidebook or that was recommended by the convention planners. Make your reservation as far in advance as you can and call if you must cancel (they appreciate this); don’t just not show up. Some restaurants require confirmation of the reservation the day before, and a few ask for your telephone number, explaining that you will be charged a fee if you do not show up. If you have reserved online at Open Table (www.opentable.com), your reservation will be confirmed by e-mail the day before.
And San Franciscans love to eat outside; some restaurants have patios sheltered from the wind by glass screens, their gas heaters suspended under an overhanging roof. These popular establishments are likely to be crowded on warm spring or autumn nights (and always for brunch on weekends), so make sure you reserve in advance, and mention that you would like a table on the patio or one with a view. The reservations taker usually says, “we’ll see what we can do,” meaning that you will probably get a table you want, given the traffic flow at the time.
Dress is generally casual, and it is rare to find a man wearing a suit, except for holidays or special occasions. In the most fashionable restaurants, a man might wear a sports jacket, with or without a tie, and women either a dress or slacks and a fashionable top. In any case, it is always good to dress appropriately to the establishment and the occasion. In most neighborhood restaurants and smaller cafes, casual dress is the rule; even blue jeans and sneakers are acceptable. One casual Berkeley establishment humorously advertised, “food so good, you might want to wear your nice jeans.”
Www.opentable.com is a nationwide Internet reservation service that has proved extremely successful. Choose your locale, the restaurant you are interested in, and the day and time you want. You will find out immediately whether there are any tables available and, if not, when the next one will be. Having provided your e-mail address, a reminder or confirmation will appear in your inbox the day before the reservation you made. Some restaurants prefer reservations made through Open Table, and some do not use the service at all.
The same holds true for www.sfgate.com, the extensive and helpful Internet site of the San Francisco Chronicle.
San Francisco is an “early town.” Because the Pacific Time Zone is three hours behind New York’s financial markets, financial workers start working before dawn and eat lunch and dinner early. Because they most often dine before performances, not after, do not expect to get into popular restaurants around the Union Square theater district or near the Civic Center music venues in the early evening (or on days when there are matinees) unless you reserve well in advance. On the other hand, you can generally get a table if you are willing to eat a little later, after a performance has started.
Restaurants start to serve breakfast around 6:30 am and begin lunch at 11:30 am. Those that do not stay open all day may start dinner service at 5:30 pm, taking their last orders around 10:00 pm. Some restaurants in the Financial District close by 9:00 pm, and a few are open weekdays only.
The hours of neighborhood restaurants generally reflect the habits of the locals. Asian restaurants usually serve all day, as do the coffeehouses. Fashionable restaurants may take their last orders around 10:30, but neighborhood eateries are generally closed by then.
A few restaurants fill the void in late-night dining: Yuet Lee and Sam Wo in Chinatown; Sparky’s, The Grubstake, and Mel’s for burgers into the wee hours, and Katanya for a ramen fix; Denny’s for breakfast any time of the day; Oola, Cosmopolitan and the trendy Mexican Tres Agaves in SoMa; Brazen Head in Cow Hollow; and the Absinthe brasserie in the Civic Center area always appeal.
Most of the large restaurants serve dinner every day, but serve lunch only on weekdays. Most of the Asian restaurants are open daily as well, although any small family-run establishment may close one day a week. Days of closure vary, but generally it is either Sunday or Monday.
The menu depends on the season. Some restaurants print their menus daily, and in others servers recite the list of that day’s special dishes. These invariably reflect the fishermen’s catch and the produce that is then most plentiful in the markets. Pay attention to the specials, for they generally offer the best value for the money. Do not hesitate to ask how a dish is prepared, and in the case of an oral recitation of the specials, to ask the price, if the server omits it. (This includes asking the price of the wine if you just say “a glass of the house Chardonnay, please.” It is best not to be surprised.)
If you have dietary restrictions, specify your needs to the server in advance, so that you can be assured of ordering a meal that you can eat. The server will ask the chef what is in the dish you are considering, and then you can decide. In general, you send back a meal only if it is not cooked properly or if it is different from its description on the menu.
Order only as much as you want. Currently the “small plates” and tapas restaurants are popular, allowing tastes of several different dishes in manageable portions. But restaurants are used to people ordering two appetizers, to splitting appetizers and main courses between two diners, or serving just an appetizer and a dessert. And every establishment, from the grungiest dive to the most fashionable temple of gastronomy, will cheerfully wrap your unfinished meal to take home. If you have not finished the bottle of wine you have ordered, you can take that, too, providing the cork is still on the table. Sometimes a waiter whisks the cork away, so be vigilant if you think you might not finish the bottle. On the other hand, you do not have to order an entire bottle. Order a glass or a half bottle if that suits your need.
Coffee may be served at any time during the meal and generally with the dessert, not after; all restaurants offer decaffeinated coffee and most now offer espresso and cappuccino. Tea drinking is becoming trendy, and most restaurants offer a selection of teas, including decaffeinated versions and herbal infusions.
Chinese and other Asian restaurants may offer an appetizing lunchtime special of soup, a hearty main course with plenty of rice, plus tea for about US$ 6.00. Dinner specials may be slightly, but not much, higher in price. The same holds true in the Latino eateries, although not in the more upscale restaurants. An excellent meal in one of the city’s top restaurants, however, may cost up to US$ 100 per person. Yet the average per-person dinner tab is currently US$ 40, on a par with New York and for that price you will get a high quality meal with the freshest of ingredients, no doubt well-prepared and nicely presented. What matters to San Francisco diners is value for the money, and in general, eating out in San Francisco is an affordable and delectable pastime.
In fact, because the best restaurants are crowded year-round, and the inexpensive restaurants are affordable at any time, few have “early bird specials,” for people arriving (and leaving) before normal dining hours. Occasionally restaurants offer specials with a coupon from the newspapers.
All the major restaurants accept credit cards. In the United States the tip (gratuity) is generally not included in the bill, although some restaurants will add 15 percent for a party of at least six people. The standard tip is 15–20 percent, depending on level of service; 20 percent is becoming more common for good service. In San Francisco, the sales tax is 8.5 percent, and when figuring the tip it’s convenient just to double the tax that appears on the bill. This assumes the service was good; if not, point it out to the manager or tip accordingly.
It is best not to assume that the small Asian eateries accept credit cards. Even some of the popular neighborhood restaurants do not, so call ahead or carry enough cash. In some Asian establishments you may not understand the bill because it is written in Chinese on a small slip of paper only somewhat resembling a bill. On the other hand, the amount may be so cheap—under US$ 20 for two people—that a rarely-made mistake of a few cents does not matter much.
If you are here for just a short time and think of dining in your hotel as a last resort, think again. Some of the city’s best chefs are now using hotel dining rooms to show off their innovative talents, turning the tried and true into a San Francisco experience. Those in the following list are in elegant hotels in the Union Square-SoMa-Financial District areas. If most of them are pricey, they all outstanding in their various cuisines and are good value for the money.
Westin Saint Francis, 335 Powell Street—Restaurant Michael Mina; tel: (415) 397-9222. Rated as one of the city’s top restaurants, Mina provides the ultimate in New American cuisine with a multi-course tasting menu and wines to match.
Clift Hotel, 495 Geary Street—Asia de Cuba; tel: (415) 929-2300. Toothsome Asian/Latino combinations in a nightclub-like atmosphere.
Campton Place Hotel, 340 Stockton Street—Campton Place; tel: (866) 332-1670. One of the most formal of the city’s restaurants, Campton Place Hotel offers graceful French/Mediterranean cuisine.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 222 Sansome Street—Silks; tel: (415) 986-2020. In one of the city’s most luxurious hotels, the elegant Silks entices with impeccable California/Asian fusion cuisine.
Kabuki Hotel at 1625 Post Street—O Izakaya; tel: (415) 614-5040). If you’re near Japantown, don’t miss this contemporary Asian lounge, serving 20 blends of sake, a tasting menu, and even an Asia-inspired burger.
Nikko Hotel, 222 Mason Street—Anzu; tel: (415) 394-1100. Only superlatives could describe the sushi and steaks here, in a hotel that caters to Japanese travellers who expect no less.
Savoy Hotel, 580 Geary Street—Millennium; tel: (415) 345-3900. Consistently rated as one of the best vegetarian restaurants in the city, Millennium serves stylish combinations of vegan, organic, low-fat foods … and luscious desserts.
Serrano Hotel, 401 Taylor Street—Ponzu; tel: (415) 775-7979. East meets West here, with both imaginative small plates and larger portions.
Vitale Hotel, the Embarcadero and Mission Street—Americano; tel: (415) 278-3777. Enjoy modern California/Italian cuisine that emphasizes local produce and a panoramic view of the bay.
St. Regis Hotel at 689 Mission Street—Ame; tel: (415) 284-4040. Asian-American cuisines and decors are flawlessly woven in this elegant restaurant near Moscone Center.
Going Green
San Francisco has long favored organic foods—those grown with no artificial fertilizers, antibiotics, or growth hormones. Now the “sustainable” food movement is adding the goal of preserving regional cuisines and the ecosystems that produce them. This includes reawakening palates to natural foods, and stressing local producers and ethical packaging and marketplaces.
In San Francisco restaurants, menus use seasonal ingredients, and they also often mention from which regions their offerings come, or even how the food is raised—such as “grass-fed beef.” And chefs are adhering to the sustainable and “slow food” movements. Many rely on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch list to know whether a particular fish is endangered, over-fished, or even illegally caught: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr.aspx. And some also belong to the Clean Fish Alliance: http://www.cleanfish.com. Check out these websites for your own purchases.
The City is also doing its best. In 2008 it banned plastic bags in supermarkets, and it is now intensifying its recycling programs, working to meet its goal of no waste to landfills by the year 2020. Residents are required to recycle: the black bin is for trash, the blue for recyclables, and the green bin is for wet waste, which is ground for compost. Currently, the city composts 400 tons of food scraps daily, most of which is used to enrich the soil of the vineyards in the Wine Country.
Their city being on the sea, San Franciscans tend to be partial to fish. The city boasts its own local specialties, always in demand. Expect all restaurants to serve fish, and for it to be fresh. Restaurants that do not print their menus every day generally announce fish dishes as specials of the day. Often they will give the origin of the fish. If they do not, you can ask where the fish was caught.
The season (November–May) for the sweet, meaty Dungeness crab is eagerly awaited, and people keep track of the weather, for stormy weather makes for a bad catch. Cracked crab, served cold with a cocktail or butter sauce, or the beloved Crab Louie, a crab salad with a Thousand Island-type dressing, are always popular. Outside crab season, the crab is likely to have been frozen or imported. (You can then order a Shrimp Louie.) Asian restaurants serve well-sauced crab dishes, and the two family-run establishments below offer Euro/Asian menus and are often seen as the citywide best for roast crab. And pay attention in February for the annual Crab Festival when Dungeness crab dishes are highlighted in restaurants all around the city.
Polk Gulch—Crustacean, 1475 Polk Street; tel: (415) 776-2722
Outer Richmond—Thanh Long, 4101 Judah Street; tel: (415) 665-1146
It’s been a long time since Fisherman’s Wharf (the first wharf in the city) was commanded by fishing boats and their captains. Yet, amid the souvenir shops and touristy eateries you can still find glimpses of old San Francisco and some pretty good fish restaurants: Scoma’s, Alioto’s and the Boudin bakery with its original sourdough bread. And, although most commercial fishing is done elsewhere, fishing boats do still come in to Fisherman’s Alley, across from Jefferson Street—bringing in Chinook salmon, herring, and Dungeness crab. Nearby is the Fisherman’s and Seaman’s Chapel, memorializing those who have made their living on the sea. A few streets away, the red brick 19th century Ghiradelli Square may now have contemporary shops and restaurants, but since 1859 it has also had the Ghiradelli Chocolate Factory, where for a luscious ice cream concoction, you still can’t go wrong.
If every fishing port has its favorite seafood soups, San Francisco’s is cioppino, a fish stew based loosely on the Ligurian ciuppin. It also resembles the French bouillabaisse and the Spanish zarzuela. Basically, cioppino features locally-caught crab in season, other fresh shellfish and fish, all stewed in a spicy tomato broth. Note that squid, a favorite seafood in San Francisco, is called by its Italian name calamari, even in some Asian restaurants. Eat the stew with San Francisco’s favourite sourdough bread (see Bakeries on page 251).
Alioto’s, 8 Fisherman’s Wharf, at Taylor; tel: (415) 673-0183. Despite the tourist atmosphere, this is one of the best cioppinos in the city. Also serves the Dungeness crab, in season, and Sicilian specialties.
Rose Pistola, 532 Columbus Avenue in North Beach; tel: (415) 399-0499. Outstanding cioppino and other Ligurian dishes are enjoyed here.
Although there are many admirable fish restaurants, two of the oldest fish houses in the city are still going strong and should not be missed. If their ambiance is staid, their food is not.
Sam’s Grill, 374 Bush Street, near Kearny; tel: (415) 421-0594. For almost 150 years, Sam’s has served delicious fish, all wild, all fresh. Try the rex sole. It is crowded especially at lunch, and closes early at dinner. Sam’s is closed over the weekends.
Tadich Grill, 240 California Street; tel: (415) 391-1849. Perennially popular, Tadich’s has been serving seafood in San Francisco since 1849, making it the oldest in the city. Try the Hangtown Fry, which dates back to the Gold Rush and the Forty-Niners who wanted a dish that could be cooked in one pan. It is made with fried breaded oysters and fried bacon, folded into an egg omelette. This fish house is always crowded; be prepared to wait or eat at the bar, if there is space.
A serving of fish is generally about 51/2 or 6 ounces (156 or 170 g). Do not neglect the fish dishes in Asian restaurants: although the portion of fish may be smaller, the flavors meld together with the vegetables and sauces of each region’s culinary traditions.
The stylish Aqua and Farallon are esteemed for their beautifully prepared fish creations and graceful ambience, but there will no doubt be a fish restaurant that you will like in your own neighborhood. Try also these below, and see the following chapter for Asian restaurants.
Castro—Catch, 2362 Market Street; tel: (415) 431-5000. A casual atmosphere and affordable well-prepared fresh seafood with a Mediterranean attitude. It also boasts of a heated patio looking out at Market Street, a terrific bar, jazz nightly, and a distinctly appreciative crowd.
Hayes Valley—Hayes Street Grill, 320 Hayes Street; tel: (415) 863-5545. Modern grill menu that changes daily in a place that never loses its appeal. Tell the staff if you have a performance to make in the Civic Center, and service will be speedy. Splendid French fries are to be enjoyed here too.
Mission— Weird Fish: 2193 Mission Street: tel: (415) 863-4744. Sustainable fish, local farms, vegan opportunities. This tiny eatery does good and does it well.
Polk Corridor—Swan Oyster Depot, 1517 Polk Street; tel: (415) 673-1101. Lunch only at the counter of this wonderful almost century-old fish market. Watch the oysters being shucked, and order a bowl of the outstanding chowder or one of its various seafood salads.
Polk/Broadway—Yabbies Coastal Kitchen, 2237 Polk Street; tel: (415) 474-4088. Oysters are a hit here, as well as toothsome Asian/Mediterranean combinations highlighting locally caught fish.
Nopa— Bar Crudo, 655 Divisadero Street; tel: (415) 409-0679. Raw bar at its best, with oysters, shellfish and combinations deliciously imagined, hot dishes, and seafood chowder that’s a more than satisfying meal in itself.
Western Addition—Alamo Square, a Seafood Grill, 803 Fillmore Street, at Fulton; tel: (415) 440-2828. Fish any way you like it at this popular French seafood bistro. Dinners daily; Sunday brunch.
This is San Francisco after all, and many restaurants highlight their breathtaking views of ocean, city, or bay along with their gastronomy. Some of the examples below might ordinarily fit into other categories (bars, vegetarian or Asian food, etc.) but in San Francisco, as you have no doubt noticed by now, nothing is ordinary, and that includes dining with a view. Herewith just a hint of what you can find, for in a city with water on three sides and hills that soar, there is a view wherever you go.
Two recently-opened destinations have captured Bayside adventurers: Epic Roasthouse at 369 the Embarcadero near Folsom; which has excellent meat dishes and a good-weather patio; tel: (415) 369-9955. For a lunchtime special, try the “burger, beer, and brownie.” The adjacent Waterbar at 399 the Embarcadero; tel: (415) 284-9922, completes the picture with sustainable seafood, also with a terrace for those sunny days; tel: (415) 284-9922.
Bayside—Waterfront Restaurant, Pier 7, the Embarcadero at Broadway; tel: (415) 391-2696. California fish restaurant with two outdoor patios right by the bay, letting you watch the boats coming into the piers. Try the Crab Louie in season, or just about any of the fish-of-the-day specials that the waiter announces.
Bayside—Greens, Building A, Fort Mason, neat the Marina Green; tel: (415) 771-6222. The king of vegetarian restaurants—crowded, upscale, with its big windows almost in the bay. The delicate vegetarian creations all have a “Zen” flavor. Reservations a must.
Bayside—Pier 23 Café, North Embarcadero at Pier 23; tel: (415) 362-5125. Right on the water, this bar is a must all day long. Tables outside, live music in the evenings, and a popular weekend brunch. On sunny, warm days head for Pier 23.
Bayside—The Ramp, 885 China Basin Street at Mariposa; tel: (415) 621-2378. At the city’s working port (as opposed to the tourist part of the bay to the north), this more than casual eatery is a treat on rare sunny days. Burgers, salads, sandwiches. Enjoy performances by a live band on weekend afternoons, and outdoor barbeques in the summer.
Seaside—Beach Chalet, 1000 Great Ocean Highway; tel: (415) 386-8439. This micro-brewery at the western edge of Golden Gate Park serves casual New American food, and is a an outstanding daytime experience. First look at the beautiful murals on the ground floor that were painted during the 1930s. Pick up some San Francisco brochures from the Visitor Center, and then go up to the restaurant for a breathtaking view of the ocean, of the surfers navigating the waves, of ships heading toward the Golden Gate, and on a sunny day, of perhaps, a glimpse of the Farallon Islands. Order a sampler of the homemade brews with your meal.
Seaside— The Cliff House at 1090 Point Lobos Avenue, at the end of Geary Boulevard, has two restaurants, Sutro’s or the non-reservation Cliff House Bistro: tel: (415) 386-2220. Both tourists and locals appreciate the outstanding panorama. After your meal, check the seaside rocks for cormorants, and look through the camera obscura.
As mentioned earlier, California Cuisine is a modern American style of cooking that emphasizes fresh, regional ingredients in creative combinations and presentations. Chez Panisse at 1517 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, is still the high temple of California Cuisine (tel: (510) 548-5525; café tel: (510) 548-5049). Beautiful ingredients in magically pure combinations look deceptively simple on the plate yet are addictive to the palate. Make reservations for the restaurant (downstairs) a month in advance and expect a lovely culinary experience during an expensive price-fixed meal. In the cafe (upstairs) reserve the same day and expect a delicious, imaginative selection at more moderate prices.
Nowadays California Cuisine seems to be morphing into other appellations such as New American, American bistro, Modern American, or even Contemporary American with French overtones. Whatever the moniker, you will get seasonal ingredients artfully prepared, often with a touch of whimsy.
Embarcadero—Boulevard, 1 Mission Street; tel: (415) 543-6084. Along with Gary Danko listed next, this is San Francisco at its ultimate. “New American” cuisine that rates only superlatives, and a splendid wine list.
Fisherman’s Wharf—Gary Danko, 800 North Point Street; tel: (415) 749-2060. Hard to get in, for this is rated—in every current ranking—as the city’s most popular restaurant. New American Cuisine. The first time you go, you might try the tasting menu. Although there are no pretensions in the restaurant, it is still more casual at the bar.
Market Street—Zuni Café, 1658 Market Street; tel: (415) 552-2522. Perhaps the widest selection of oysters in town, a highly prized roast chicken for two, and a hamburger people think rates three stars. Whatever your taste, Zuni has survived all the trends. There may be French and Italian reminders, but it is undoubtedly California at the core.
Noe Valley—Firefly, 4288 24th Street; tel: (415) 821-7652. American seasonal “comfort food,” in a popular neighborhood eatery. Local organic produce and meat from Marin County’s Niman Ranch are used here.
SoMa—Delancey Street Restaurant, Embarcadero at Brannan; tel: (415) 512-5179. Upscale “ethnic American bistro” on the Embarcadero, staffed by people who have “hit bottom” and are now being rehabilitated. Patio with a view of the bay, and a friendly atmosphere.
SoMa—MoMo’s, 760 2nd Street ; tel: (415) 227-8660. American bistro food, across from the ballpark, which during games makes it difficult to park (except with the valet parker). Both light dishes and hearty comfort food, such as its not-to-be-missed American meat loaf and mashed potatoes. Outdoor dining, and a lively bar.
The current craze in San Francisco is for “small plates” or the Spanish “tapas,” and why not? Why not experiment with a variety of flavours and textures, sharing them with your friends, and without eating too much? Fitness and fun can go together, and with small plates, they do. Order as many or as few as you wish. They come in any number of the city’s multi-cultural cuisines. Herewith a sampling:
Financial District—Bocadillos, 710 Montgomery Street; tel: (415) 982-2622. Classic Spanish tapas bar, with Basque and Spanish wines.
Marina—Isa, 3324 Steiner Street; tel: (415) 567-9588. Contemporary French restaurant with a covered and heated patio.
Marina—Lüx, 2263 Chestnut Street; tel: (415) 567-2998. Small plates with a French/Asian attitude. Try any dish you like; you will not go wrong.
Pacific Heights—Chez Nous, 1911 Fillmore Street; tel: (415) 441-8044. The Mediterranean/French small plates are appealing to the denizens of increasingly gentrified Fillmore Street.
Upper Market—Destino, 1815 Market Street; tel: (415) 552-4451. Latin American influences, terrific South American cocktails (try the mojitos!), and a festive ambience can be enjoyed here.
In a city where fitness and health are on people’s minds, it is not surprising that vegetarians can eat as well and interestingly as their stubbornly carnivore friends. In fact, catering to a healthy, fitness-oriented crowd, even the city’s best restaurants offer well-presented vegetarian selections. Italian restaurants offer meatless dishes and the ubiquitous Asian restaurants do, too. And have you ever tried Portobello mushroom sushi? Japanese restaurants can suit vegetarians, too. For everything up-to-date, access http://www.bayareaveg.org
Chinatown—Lucky Creation, 854 Washington Street, near Stockton; tel: (415) 989-0818. Popular vegetarian eatery in the heart of Chinatown. Try the tofu roll with mushrooms.
Civic Center—Ananda Fuara, 1298 Market, at 9th Street; tel: (415) 621-1994. Hearty breakfasts, curries, pizza, salads, and sandwiches are offered here; vegetarian and vegan.
Cow Hollow—Alive! Raw Restaurant, 1972 Lombard Street; tel: (415) 923-1052. Raw vegetarian dishes, using no wheat, dairy or honey. Healthful delicacies include a scallion paté, a lasagne of zucchini, mushrooms and nut cheese, and a quiche with a flax seed crust. Greet desserts as well.
Mission—Herbivore, 983 Valencia Street at 21st; tel: (415) 826-5657. Small multi-cultural animal-free café, with vegan dishes from the Middle East, Italy, and India, etc. Also at 531 Divisadero; tel: (415) 885-7133.
Mission—Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese: 762 Valencia; tel: (415) 252-7825. This small restaurant satisfies the vegan taste for no-fish sushi and other Japanese favorites, plus a delicious vegan chocolate dessert.
Inner Sunset—Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant: 754 Kirkham; tel: (415) 682-0826. No meat or fish, no garlic or onion, no eggs or dairy products. But don’t be fooled, Enjoy is so popular it has opened a branch in the Financial District at 839 Kearny Street (tel: 415) 956-7868.
To the rest of the world American food means steaks, roast beef, barbeque, fried chicken, burgers and fries, and San Francisco does not disappoint. But here—although you can find McDonalds and other international burger chains—even the purveyors of down-home ribs and burgers do so with their own San Francisco twist.
Note, too, that the sausage is making a comeback, from spicy Cajun hot links, Italian or Polish sausage or knockwurst, to corn dogs and even the just plain hot dog, which in San Francisco style, of course, is not plain at all. Look for the particular approach in each place; they’re sure to please the palate.
Big Nate’s Barbecue, 1665 Folsom, near 12th Street; tel: (415) 861-4242. Ribs, chicken and sausage links in this takeout storefront owned by Nate Thurmond, the famous basketball player. A few tables for eat-in.
Bill’s Place, 2315 Clement Street; tel: (415) 221-5262. For more than 30 years, consistently rated among the best for burgers and crispy fries.
Brother-in-law’s Barbeque #2, 705 Divisadero Street; tel: (415) 931-7427 Mouth-watering brisket and “short-end ribs,” plus greens, beans, spaghetti, and corn bread. Take out, for there are only two small tables in front for eating-in.
Let’s Be Frank: 3318 Steiner St, in the Marina (tel: (415) 675-6755). True to San Francisco, these grass-fed beef sausages contain no nitrites or nitrates. Plus all the fixin’s and sides they usually go with.
Memphis Minnie’s Bar-B-Que Joint, 576 Haight Street; tel: (415) 864-7675. Finger-licking smokehouse ribs, brisket, Andouille sausage, pulled pork, and a good selection of sides.
Mo’s, 1322 Grant Avenue; tel: (415) 788-3779. Among the best burgers in town. Also at Yerba Buena Gardens on the second level of the bowling alley-ice skating rink.
Miller’s East Coast Deli: 1725 Polk Street, at Clay; tel: (415) 563-3542. Authentic New York-style deli, where “every bite tastes like more.” Good matzoh brei and smoked fish platters.
Harris’ Restaurant, 2100 Van Ness Avenue; tel: (415) 673-1888. Tasty steaks that are often rated among the city’s best. Traditional décor.
House of Prime Rib, 1906 Van Ness Avenue; tel: (415) 885-4605. Succulent prime rib is carved at your table.
Because Asian restaurants are found on just about every commercial street, the next section is devoted only to Eating Out in Asia.
But as to other cuisines, for a city that prides itself in being multicultural, it is difficult to mention only a few. (Nontheless, we will try.) Since Latin and Italian cooking form so much a part of the city’s essence, their cuisines are listed separately in the next categories below.
French—Cassis: 2101 Sutter Street; tel: (415) 440-4500. Unlike the refined Fleur de Lys and La Folie, which remain traditional favorites, Cassis serves modern Southern French cuisine with Italian nuances, and Niçoise specialties in a local restaurant just west of Japantown. The preparations are also classic and well presented, but the atmosphere is more like a true French bistro, open and friendly. Also, Café de la Presse, 352 Grant Avenue; tel: (415) 398-2680. This is a classic French bistro with foreign newspapers and magazines, so you can come and stay for a while, to get that feeling of Paris.
German—Hearty and good, and always with a beer or two. Schnitzelhaus, 294 9th Street; tel: (415) 864-4038. Authentic, rustic Austrian/German eatery in the Tenderloin, serving schnitzels, sauerbraten, rabbit. Also try Suppenküche; 601 Hayes Street; tel: (415) 252-9289. German pub and wursthaus serving a fine pea soup, sausages, sauerkraut, and a selection of German beers.
Greek—Kokkari Estiatorio, 200 Jackson Street; tel: (415) 981-0983. An upmarket Mediterranean/Greek restaurant with impressive lamb grills, fish dishes, and a “taverna menu.” Reserve well in advance, although it is fun to sit at the bar—if you can find a space.
Middle Eastern— Helmand Palace, 2424 Van Ness Boulevard. If you have never thought of Afghanistan as a country for good food, The Helmand will change your mind. Inexpensive but impressive, its Kabul cuisine offers hints of aromas from India and the Middle East.
With a large and vibrant Latino community, San Francisco offers more than just “Mexican food.” It is true that taquerias abound—there are more than 150 in the city—but here the ingredients are often regionally based, using good-quality meats and fish, relying on fresh vegetables and fruit, and with rice and beans as tasty side dishes. Some places advertise, for the healthy set, that they use no lard. Spicy salsas are often competitively rated, and some restaurants will boast that they were judged to have the “best salsa in S.F.” by some panel at some time. What this means is that the tomato salsa is made with fresh ingredients, but the degree of chunkiness and fire varies from place to place. The Mission, as one would expect, is home to the most Mexican establishments, plus Peruvian, Salvadoran and Nicaraguan restaurants, which have slightly different aromas and traditions. Combinations of cuisines are coming to be known as nuevo Latino.
Cuban/Puerto Rican—El Nuevo Frutilandia; tel: (415) 648-2958. There are only ten tables in this eatery that serves Caribbean cuisine: Cuban pork sandwiches, plantains, and refreshing fresh-fruit smoothies.
Mexican—Maya, 303 2nd Street; tel: (415) 543-2928. Elegant Mexican seafood dishes in SoMa, beautifully prepared and presented.
Mexican—Tres Agaves (Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Lounge), 130 Townsend Street; tel: (415) 227-0500. This is a place that is trendy, noisy, hip, and terrific, with the finest (no-salt!) margaritas you will ever taste. Enjoy cuisine from the Jalisco region of Mexico that uses fresh ingredients from local farms. Open late, a treat for brunch any day. Just be sure not to plan to park on a night when the Giants are playing at the AT&T ballpark nearby.
Nicaraguan—Nicaragua Restaurant, 3015 Mission Street, near Cezar Chavez; tel: (415) 826-3672. Locals have been coming here for more than 20 years for the unmatched Central American regional dishes.
Nuevo Peruvian—Fresca, 2114 Fillmore Street; tel: (415) 447-2668. Small storefront in Pacific heights serves perfectly constructed ceviche (marinated raw fish), seafood specialties with just the right amount of tangy spices, and other Nuevo Peruvian combinations.
Nuevo Peruvian—Limón, 524 Valencia Street; tel: (415) 252-0918. Limón serves imaginative cuisine with influences both from Asia and the Andes. There are several different ceviches to choose among, and a menu focusing on seafood, although the lomo saltado (sirloin, onions, tomato and potatoes) can’t be beat.
Salvadoran—El Zócalo, 3230 Mission, near 29th Street; tel: (415) 282-2572. Pupusas (like a filled tortilla). Fish soup and other well-prepared fish and shrimp dishes, fried plantains, etc.
One hundred years ago, Italian workers coming to North Beach could eat a full meal for fifty cents. Wine, later during Prohibition, was made secretly in the basement and served in coffee cups. Now, North Beach is still the focus for Italian restaurants—although prices are slightly higher, to say the least. Yet there are dozens of interesting Italian restaurants in all corners of the city, offering regional specialties. And excellent Italian wines are served in glasses, to be sure.
Although traditional southern Italian cuisine—pasta, tomato sauce, and garlic—can still be found in just about any Italian restaurant, in San Francisco even this basic combination is becoming increasingly refined and imaginative. Some restaurants now feature the buttery, rich cuisine from the north, fish dishes from the coasts, the simple yet flavorful dishes of Rome, or even the specialized hearty cuisine of a small area past Trieste that is now part of Croatia. And, of course, each restaurant features its region’s wines. (For pizza, see next section on Pizza on page 224.)
Embarcadero—Il Fornaio, 1265 Battery Street, at Levi’s Plaza; tel: (415) 986-0100. Monthly specials feature the differing regions of Italy; the standard menu always reliable. Outdoor dining.
Hunter’s Point—Dago Mary’s, East on Evans, off 3rd Street, the Hunter’s Point Shipyard; tel: (415) 822-2633. Since 1931, this old-world, basic Italian and fish restaurant has thrived in an unlikely location.
Marina—A 16, 2355 Chestnut Street; tel: (415) 771-2216. This is a Marina hotspot serving rustic Campania fare, crispy-crust pizza, meatball specials on Mondays, and Italian wines to wash it all down. It is named after a Campania highway.
Mission—Delfin, 3621 18th Street; tel: (415) 552-4055. Small, reasonably priced, and friendly restaurant serving simple yet elegant Tuscan specialties.
North Beach—Albona, 545 Francisco Street, in North Beach; tel: (415) 441-1040. Unusual spices from the Istrian region on the Adriatic make the Croatian/Italian combinations interesting and alluring. Closed Sunday and Monday.
North Beach—Ideale, 1315 Grant Avenue; tel: (415) 391-4129. Roman specialties, lightly sauced fresh pasta dishes, and roast meats.
Pacific Heights—Quince, 1701 Octavia, at Bush; tel: (415) 775-8500. Using organic produce and cheeses from Northern California farms, this modern rather pricey restaurant offers lovely Italian/French dishes, especially the pastas.
Polk/Van Ness—Acquerello, 1722 Sacramento Street, off Polk; tel: (415) 567-5432. Luxurious restaurant, with north Italian specialties, homemade pastas, and delicious antipasti.
Although a few restaurants serve the individual Italian-style, thin-crust pizza (afore-mentioned Il Fornaio and Pazzia at 337 3rd Street come to mind), most pizzas are American, in that they come in a number of sizes suitable for sharing, and the toppings are denser. Most of these neighborhood favorites also serve pasta and other Italian dishes. And note that Pizza Orgasmica boasts, “We never fake it,” serving its satisfying pizzas at several locations,
Cow Hollow—Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria, 2200 Lombard Street; tel: (415) 885-4500. Also at the ballpark at 216 King Street at 3rd Street; tel: (415) 546-6666. Eastern-style pizzas, crispy crusts, even a pizza for vegans with a soy mozzarella topping are available.
Lower Broadway—Tommaso’s, 1042 Kearny Street; tel: (415) 398-9696. The city’s oldest pizzeria, and some say still the best. Dinner only; closed Monday. Parking is almost impossible.
Mission—Pauline’s, 260 Valencia Street, near 14th; tel: (415) 552-2050. For many decades, a San Francisco insider’s favorite. Try the pesto pizza. Only dinner.
North Beach—North Beach Pizza, 1499 Grant Avenue at Union; tel: (415) 433-2444; Always crowded, it serves a wide variety of pizza toppings, plus Italian entrees.
Pacific Heights—Extreme Pizza, 1730 Fillmore Street; tel: (415) 929-9900; and also at 1980 Union Street; tel: (415) 929-8234. This makes some of the city’s best pizzas. It has many other addresses too.
Potrero Hill—Goat Hill Pizza, 300 Connecticut, at 18th Street; tel: (415) 641-1440. Crunchy sourdough crust pizzas, and all you can eat on Monday nights. Also in SoMa, at 715 Harrison Street; tel: (415) 974-1303
The Richmond—Pizzetta 211, 211 23rd Avenue; tel: (415) 379-9880. Only a few tables, so think about take-out. The pizzas have some unusual (in season) toppings as well as the standbys, and the crispy crust makes all of them worth sampling.
Although McDonalds and other chains exist in San Francisco, eating fast here does not necessarily mean “fast food,” as you will soon see. (Refer to box on The Burrito on page 227.) And good quickly-obtained food is a plus in San Francisco, where people love to eat lunch outdoors—on benches, in parks, on the edge of fountains—anywhere they can.
Some office, shopping, and entertainment complexes (Rincon Annex, Metreon, and Crocker Galleria, for example), have food courts, with stalls lining a central set of tables for fast eating, and the four-building Embarcadero Center abounds with quick-eating solutions, including a row of take-out storefronts on the south side of Embarcardero Four. Supermarkets and bakeries usually have sandwiches to go. And chains such as Jamba Juice offer smoothies and salads. Yet take-out hearty lunches can be had, as well, if that is what you are after.
Citywide—Noah’s Bagels: Extensive chain selling bagel sandwiches featuring smoked salmon and cheese spreads making for an inexpensive and hearty lunch. Hot bagels to take out.
Civic Center—Saigon Sandwiches, 560 Larkin Street, at Eddy; tel: (415) 474-5698. Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi) of meatballs, roast chicken, or pork, plus vegetables, spices, melded with a hot and sour sauce.
Laurel Heights—California Street Delicatessen and Café, 3200 California Street, in the Jewish Community Center; tel: (415) 922-3354. A good Jewish deli, serving corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, brisket, and other authentic New York deli fare.
Civic Center— Morty’s Deli: 280 Golden Gate Avenue, at Hyde; tel: (415) 567-3354. Saying it has “East Coast soul and West Coast style,” Morty’s has tasty Reuben and meatball sandwiches, among many others. Order online at http://www.mortysdeli.com, and your food will be ready for you to pick up. Closed weekends.
Market Street—Grain d’Or Bakery and Café, 665 Market Street; tel: (415) 512-8160. This serves sandwiches made on crusty sourdough bread, good desserts.
North Beach—Golden Boy Pizza, 542 Green Street; tel: (415) 982-9738. A local staple of North Beach for decades, offering doughy squares of utterly delicious Sicilian pizza. No atmosphere and no amenities. Do not miss it.
Yerba Buena—Beard Papa’s, 99 Yerba Buena Lane; tel: (415) 978-9972. If you like cream puffs, this is the place for you. Crispy choux pastry filled with the lightest, creamiest filling.
When one door closes, another opens. If many of the better restaurants are closed for Saturday lunch, others offer imaginative weekend breakfasts and especially the lingering brunch. Many outdo themselves in their inventive eggy combinations for this popular repast (and also their breakfast-type cocktails). Popular also is a hearty weekday breakfast—pancakes, red flannel hash, French toast and omelettes. Both types of breakfast are true San Francisco social occasions, so be prepared to add your name to the list and to wait. Some of the cafés open only for breakfast and lunch and may be closed Monday, after the Sunday crush. A few take cash only.
Certainly there are fast food chains, sandwich shops and cafés throughout the city where you can grab a quick bite to eat. But in San Francisco, the “fast food” of choice is often the burrito, an all-in-one Mexican sandwich that you can eat on the run and feel satisfied—for quite a few hours afterwards. And fortunately, with more than 150 taquerias—fast food emporia that take orders at the counter and either do or do not have tables for eating in—there is no lack of places to search out your favorite burrito. Do not expect fancy service or a charming atmosphere. That is not what taquerias are about; they are about good food and the price—cheap. Just be happy if you get two napkins. You may need both.
So, what is a burrito? It is a large flour tortilla stuffed with a number of ingredients, heated, and then folded over so you can eat it (you hope) without it bursting and spilling everything down your shirt. Burritos that do not come open are highly sought after, but there is a knack to eating them, which you have to figure out for yourself. But it’s the ingredients that count, of course. And you can choose which among them you want.
Start with cheese that melts in the tortilla and—again, one hopes—holds the other ingredients in. And then there’s the meat, rice and beans, guacamole or avocado slices, tomato, sour cream, cilantro, and, of course, the salsa. (Many burrito purists disdain the shredded lettuce.) Within these categories, you can choose among different types of cheese and meats, and without doubt, the salsa: red salsa, green salsa, picadillo, or mild. And if you are a vegetarian, you can get a delicious burrito without any meat or cheese at all.
It is hard to find a truly bad burrito. But there are some taquerias that burrito aficionados rate above the rest. Most of the places are plain and basic--what Americans call “dives”—and others are more upscale.
What counts in any place, however, is the burrito itself.
Taqueria San Francisco, 2794 24th Street
Papalote, 3409 24th Street; also at 1777 Fulton Street
La Taqueria, 2880 Mission Street
Taqueria El Castillito, 136 Church Street; also at 2095 Mission Street
El Burrito Express, 1812 Divisadero Boulevard
Taqueria Can-cun, 2288 Mission Street; and 3211 Mission Street
Los Hermanos, 2026 Chestnut Street
Andalé, 845 Market Street, Westfield Center
Downtown—Dottie’s True Blue Cafe, 522 Jones Street; tel: (415) 885-2767
Haight—Pork Store Café, 1451 Haight Street, near Ashbury; tel: (415) 864-6981; also at 3122 16th Street in the Mission; tel: (415) 626-5523
Hayes Valley/Castro—It’s Tops, 1801 Market Street; tel: (415) 431-6395
Lower Haight—Kate’s Kitchen, 471 Haight Street, near Fillmore; tel: (415) 626-3984
Pacific Heights—Ella’s, 500 Presidio; tel: (415) 441-5669
Potrero Hill—Just For You Cafe; 732 22nd Street; tel: (415) 647-3033
The Crepevine (three locations) serves crepes with inventive fillings, omelettes, pancakes, and light meals of sandwiches, salads, and pastas. These are packed for weekend brunch and The Crepevine opens daily for breakfast.
Inner Sunset, 624 Irving; tel: (415) 681-5858
Noe Valley, 216 Church; tel: (415) 431-4646
Pacific Heights, 2301 Fillmore; tel: (415) 922-0102
Cafes in each neighborhood reflect the character of their clientele, but North Beach seems driven by the mystique of coffee. Once, North Beach’s coffeehouses comforted Italian workers coming back from the docks, and now they welcome anyone who wants to sit for a while and relax. Many of the most famous of the North Beach coffeehouses—Caffè Greco, Caffè Puccini, Steps of Rome Caffè Roma—line a few short blocks of Columbus, between Broadway and Union. Another, the most famous Beatnik Caffè Trieste, is nearby at 601 Vallejo.
Of the 100 coffeehouses in the city, most offer some kind of pastry selection to go with the coffees, teas, or Italian sodas, and some also serve light meals and salads. (And quite a few offer free wireless Internet access.) What is important is that in any coffeehouse, you may order something refreshing and then sit as long as you like. Even in the most undistinguished-looking establishment, the quality of the coffee (and selection of aromatic teas) may be very good. As with everything else, San Franciscans are espresso snobs, knowing just which cafe serves the type of coffee they like. (Often it is Illy). Some people rail at the ubiquitous Starbucks intruding into neighborhood businesses; others like the chain’s coffee and reliable atmosphere. For Irish coffee, try the ever-popular Buena Vista Café at 2765 Hyde, near Ghirardelli Square (tel: (415) 474-5044). (See page 256 for coffee roasters.)
Cow Hollow/Marina—Emporio Rulli Gran Caffé & Ristorante, 2300 Chestnut Street; tel: (415) 923-6464. Light and airy modern Italian café, easy for lingering over a morning coffee, partaking of a a panino for lunch, or joining the crowd for the weekend brunch.
Castro—Samovar Tea Lounge, 498 Sanchez Street; tel: (415) 626-4700. Lots to choose from, breakfast fare and some dishes with an Asian influence. Tea tastings on Tuesday evenings. Other addresses,
Ferry Building—Imperial Tea Court; Stall No. 27; tel: (415) 544-9830). Traditional and unusual teas to purchase or enjoy in this well-known Chinese tea shop.
Financial District—Torrefazione Italia, 295 California; tel: (415) 395-9667. Deep leather couches and a friendly atmosphere in which to enjoy the good Italian coffees.
Hayes Valley—Modern Tea, 602 Hayes Street; tel: (415) 626-5406. Stylish tearoom, offering a variety exotic teas and sweets, good soups based on seasonal produce, and light foods.
Lower Haight—Bean There, 201 Steiner; tel: (415) 255-8855. Modern, airy coffeehouse, with pleasant decor and welcoming ambience.
Noe Valley—Lovejoy’s, 1351 Church Street; tel: (415) 648-5895. This is probably the most charming tea room in the city, with antiques and a cosy English atmosphere.
Outer Sunset—Java Beach Cafe, 1396 La Playa Boulevard, at Judah; tel: (415) 665-5282. Enjoy a rejuvenating beach environment, good coffee, and a relaxed atmosphere here.
In addition to the imaginative flavor combinations found in supermarkets freezers and in the San Francisco restaurants, you should try the neighborhood ice cream parlors, most of which create their own offbeat, exotic flavor combinations. Double Rainbow, the famous Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop in Ghiradelli Square, and Swensen’s are San Francisco institutions.
Bernal Heights—Maggie Mudd Ice Cream Parlor & Internet Café; 903 Cortland Street; tel: (415) 641-5291
Inner Richmond—Toy Boat Dessert Cafe, Clement at 5th Avenue; tel: (415) 751-7505. Welcoming, traditional ice-cream parlor on inner Clement.
Mission—Mitchell’s Ice Cream, 688 San Jose, near 29th Street and Guerrero; tel: (415) 648-2300. Light but tasty concoctions, often rated the best in the city.
Mission—Bombay Ice Creamery, 552 Valencia Street; tel: (415) 861-3995. Flavored with Indian herbs and spices.
Mission—Saint Francis Fountain, 2801 24th Street, at York Street; tel: (415) 826-4200; Go for its delicious hot fudge sundaes, tempting banana splits, and the classic grilled cheese sandwich and burgers.
Outer Sunset—Marco Polo Italian Ice Cream, 1447 Taraval Street; tel: (415) 731-2833. Exotic Asian flavors, plus well-made traditional combinations.
Potrero Hill—The Scoop, 1415 18th Street; tel: (415) 642-0165. Friendly, neighborhood ice cream parlor.
Richmond—Joe’s Ice Cream, 5351 Geary, near 18th Avenue; tel: (415) 751-1950. Great flavors since 1959, always popular.
Russian Hill—Swensen’s, 1999 Hyde Street; tel: (415) 775-6818. The city’s own, always with a line out the door. Take the cable car, for there is almost never a place to park on Russian Hill.
Sunset—Polly Ann Ice Cream, 3142 Noriega, near 38th Avenue; tel: (415) 664-2472. More than 400 tasty and exotic flavors in a tiny, cheerful shop.
Union Square—Cold Stone Creamery, 119 Ellis Street; tel: (415) 986-0086. Freshly made daily, choose your own toppings, and watch them being folded directly into the mixture on a chilled granite stone.
If it is all just Chinese food to you, it will not be after you have lived in San Francisco a while. Differing aromas from the hundreds of Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, and Japanese restaurants permeate the city, satisfying an Asian population that numbers upwards of 200,000 and enticing the rest of the city as well. Each neighborhood has its Asian restaurants, and some areas cater to particular nationalities: Japantown and Chinatown of course, but also Larkin Street for Vietnamese restaurants and provisions, Clement Street for a lively mix of Asian establishments, and Irving Street in the Outer Sunset for its own eclectic mix from the Far East. Geary Boulevard on both sides is lined with Asian restaurants of all kinds and prices.
But do not think that Asian food means only a simple eatery, a dish with some rice and fish on it that you finish in a half hour, and a bill of US$ 10. Some of this eclectic city’s true haute cuisine is Asian. And, as you might expect in a city where differing cultures meet head on, the trend now is for Asian restaurants to meld and fuse their own cuisines with others, providing beautifully constructed meals of all inventions and imaginations. In addition to these following stylish—oh, so San Francisco!—examples, look again at the Japanese restaurants Anzu and Silks, both described on page 210.
Asian/French—Azie, 826 Folsom Street; tel: (415) 538-0918. East-meets West cuisine in this red-draped exotic and fashionable family-style restaurant. Sister to the Provençal cuisine restaurant Lulu, next door.
Asian fusion—AsiaSF, 201 9th Street, at Howard; tel: (415) 255-2742. In a class by itself, actually. Crowded, noisy, and good-natured, this restaurant/cabaret catering to both straights and gays offers good Asian fusion small plates served by a crossdressing staff, and a “gender illusion” show on the catwalk.
California/Asian—Butterfly Embarcadero, Pier 33; tel: (415) 787-4784. California Asian cuisine with one of those exquisite views the city is famous for. It plays good jazz too.
California/Asian— Namu, 439 Balboa at 6th Avenue; tel: (415) 666-3553). Three Korean-American brothers present small plates of imaginatively conceived Asian-inspired California Cuisine. Bring friends and order lots of plates to share.
Indochinese/French—Ana Mandara, 891 Beach Street; tel: (415) 771-6800. It may seem as though you are remembering old Vietnam (when it was a colony of France), but the delicate sweet-spicy blendings here, although authentic, are thoroughly contemporary and stylishly presented. Seafood appetizers, caramelized claypot fish, and an exquisite Molten Lava Cake—warm with a liquid chocolate center.
Japanese—Ozumo, 161 Steuart; tel: (415) 882-1333. Ultra-modern Japanese restaurant spread across several different dining areas. Sake bar with dozens of sakes (or teas, if you are so inclined) a robata room for grilling (with another bar), and a main dining room and sushi bar for fabulous chef-inspired creations. There is also a view of the bay for you to enjoy.
Pan-Asian—Betelnut, 2030 Union Street; tel: (415) 929-8855. Crowded and fun, serving Pan-Asian cuisine with flavors of China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Small plates are good for grazing. Tropical drinks. Walk-in traffic eats at the bar.
Vietnamese—Slanted Door, Ferry Building, the Embarcadero; tel: (415) 861-8032. One of the long-lasting culinary hotspots in the city, so take whatever reservation you can get, or “walk-in” at 5:30 pm. Modernized Vietnamese cuisine that make you think about coming back even while you are eating. Spicy short ribs are not to be missed.
Chinese restaurants are in the majority in San Francisco. Both complex and subtle, Chinese food is almost always economical; a hearty lunch in a neighborhood Chinese restaurant may cost about US$ 7.00, and a dinner not much more. In a society not rich enough to offer a slab of meat or a quarter-chicken to each person, Chinese cooks learned to base their dishes on the inexpensive rice or noodles, topped with the region’s vegetables and a flavored sauce. To this might be added a few ounces of meat or poultry, or along the coast, fish. For thousands of years this method of cooking has provided a nutritious diet of carbohydrates, vegetables, and an adequate amount of protein.
Yet, the cuisines of China differ widely, owing to differences in regional ingredients, soil and climatic conditions, and of course, ancient traditions. Here, although the ingredients come from this one fertile area, many Chinese restaurants focus on one region’s cuisine, and often this can be identified by their names, such as The Hunan, the House of Nanking or Parc Hong Kong. Even these, however, may include in their repertoire special dishes from other regions—Cantonese dishes in a Hakka restaurant, or Shanghai dishes in one that says it is Cantonese.
The restaurants differ in style, quality, popularity, and price, as do all others. In Chinatown especially, you cannot judge the quality of the food by how the place looks. Some unpretentious, basic-looking dives serve the best food in their class (although you might hesitate to take an out-of-town colleague there) and some of the most reputable-looking places may not be as good. With Chinese food, price does not determine quality. You probably cannot go too far wrong when you are in Chinatown if you pick a place that is crowded with Chinese eaters; if you cannot read the menu, look around at what people are eating and point at what appeals to you.
Chinese chefs, like others in the city, cater to San Franciscan tastes by cooking with low or no oil and some, such as Brandy Ho and The Hunan, without monosodium glutamate (MSG). Hearty and healthy Chinese breakfasts are popular, especially the thick rice porridge known as congee (or juk/jook) from the south of China; it can come with meatballs, fish—even jellyfish. Or from northern China, try the dough dishes such as “Chinese donuts” and warm bowls of soybean milk, either salty or sweet.
Fortunately for San Francisco’s discerning diners, there are simply too many Asian restaurants to describe here, so just a few representative samples are given, along with a description of their culinary approach. Become a true San Franciscan and make your own list of favorites.
It was Cantonese immigrants who originally brought their cuisine to these shores during the mid-19th century. Canton specializes in a delicate cuisine, lightly flavored and sauced, thus preserving the character of the ingredients, especially the mild fish and chicken pieces that are added to the fresh vegetables. This also holds true of the cuisine from Hong Kong.
Slightly more piquant, with highly flavored, sometimes sweetened sauces are the seafood dishes from the city of Chiu Chow, which sits just at the northern edge of Guangzhou (Canton). Even farther north, on the Pacific coast by the mouth of the Yangtze River, Shanghai developed a heavy and hearty cuisine, with strongly flavored dishes braised in dark soy sauces.
Shanghai 1930, 133 Steuart Street; tel: (415) 896-5600. Classic Shanghai offerings, updated for a San Francisco clientele. Fine dining, an extensive wine list.
Oriental Pearl, 760 Clay Street, near Kearny; tel: (415) 433-1817. Cantonese and Chiu Chow seafood cuisine. Dim sum at lunch. Though more expensive than others in the area, the menu is also more imaginative. Chiu Chow duck is a specialty.
Bow Hon, 850 Grant Avenue; tel: (415) 362-0601. This inexpensive Cantonese eatery specializes in clay pot dishes, in which flavors of the various ingredients—meat or fish, dumplings, vegetables are retained, while contributing to the whole. The broccoli in garlic sauce should not be missed.
Hing Lung, 674 Broadway; tel: (415) 398-8838. Congee (hot porridge), flavored with herbs and spices, meatballs, finely sliced fish or shrimp, or chicken. Later in the day, try the rice noodles, also enhanced by meats and vegetables, plus sauces that tie the flavors together.
House of Nanking, 919 Kearny Street; tel: (415) 421-1429. Always crowded, this cheap little café is original in its approach: vegetable dumplings unlike others you might have tried, and a chicken dish in a beer sauce, are just two. Also try Nanking’s new Fang Restaurant at 660 Howard Street, that features Nanking’s signature dishes and others that are new; tel: (415) 777-8568
R&G Lounge, 631 Kearny Street; tel: (415) 982-7877. Multi-level Hong-Kong eatery, where crowds come especially for the fried salt-and-pepper crab.
In the north, where rice does not grow plentifully, dough dishes provide the major starch. Noodles served with a variety of sauces and toppings, dough-wrapped dumplings, and dishes made with pancakes are standard. Because Peking (now Beijing) was the capital of the empire, some particularly delicate dishes were created for the Mandarins who ruled. Peking/Mandarin cuisine also offers some of China’s more imaginative dishes.
San Tung, 1031 Irving; tel: (415) 242-0828. Neighborhood restaurant in the Sunset, featuring excellent dumplings and noodles. Always crowded; be prepared to wait.
Firecracker, 1007 Valencia Street; tel: (415) 642-3470. Popular and noisy spot for imaginative Beijing cuisine, offering low oil and lots of garlic.
In the hot southern portion of China, Hunan has always been a poor district. Its cuisine was developed to keep people cool and to preserve perishable meats. Hot and spicy food, the Chinese believe, keeps people cool internally, so Hunan food especially is very salty and extremely spicy. Chilies and salt also encourage people to eat more rice and drink more tea, so that they eat only a little meat. Smoking preserves meats, and smoked hams and ducks and heavy, spicy sauces characterize this cuisine, which is very much appreciated in San Francisco.
Hunan Homes: 622 Jackson Street; tel: (415) 982-2844. Excellent Hunan food, serving extremely spicy dishes (that can be modified to your taste).
Hakka means “guest.” The Hakka were wanderers, nomads who adapted their own cuisine to the regions where they stopped, incorporating those regions’ cuisines into their own. Try the creative dumplings, the hearty clay pot dishes, and the salt-baked chicken, all traditional Hakka favorites.
Ton Kiang, 5821 Geary Boulevard, near 22nd Avenue; tel: (415) 221-2121. Salt-cooked chicken, clay pot dishes, fermented, wine-flavored dishes, seafood, and some of the city’s best dim sum, any time of day.
Mon Kiang, 683 Broadway; tel: (415) 421-2015. Hakka/Hong Kong eatery in Chinatown with a good rice-paper wrapped chicken roasted in sea salt, and seafood soup.
Dragon River, 5045 Geary, at 14th Avenue; tel: (415) 387-6698. Flavorful Hakka and Cantonese dishes in a neighborhood restaurant in the Richmond are served here, along with salt baked dishes,
Muslim Chinese cuisine dates from the seventh century, when Arab and Persian merchants first came regularly to China. There are no pork dishes in Muslim Chinese cooking; the specialty is the Mongolian fire pot, in which you cook your own meal in boiling broth from fresh raw ingredients you have chosen.
Old Mandarin Islamic, 3132 Vicente; tel: (415) 564-3481. This is a popular halal restaurant in the Sunset. The choices of ingredients for the warm pot are wide, from tofu to meats, innards such as liver and kidneys, fresh vegetables, and to top it all off, a delicious dipping sauce. There is also a full menu featuring an interesting range of dishes, with dumplings and fried flour balls, and then dessert. Whichever you order, also sometime try the Peking beef pie and onion pancakes.
Dim sum (“small bites”) is popular for lunch and brunch. In dim sum restaurants, carts with stacks of little bamboo baskets containing steamed or fried dumplings (filled with seafood, chicken, pork, vegetables—or tasty combinations thereof) are wheeled by the tables for the diners to choose among. Bow (large steamed rolls with barbequed pork), siu mai (pork dumplings), ha gow (steamed shrimp dumplings), egg rolls, and pot stickers (fried dumplings) are standards. On the table are small carafes of soy sauce, vinegar, and hot sauce, to mix and use as you choose.
Dim sum is usually served at midday, and a traditional dim sum house will usually open at about 10:00 am and close mid-afternoon. In San Francisco, however, these restaurants may also serve a regular menu at midday and stay open with their regular menu in the evenings.
In some restaurants the little dishes and baskets left on the tables are counted in order to determine the bill; in others, the waiter marks on the bill how many items have been chosen.
In the smaller eateries in Chinatown, the waiters may not speak English, so just point to dishes that look appealing. Dim sum is not expensive; if you do not like what you have chosen, you are not risking much. Of course, if you see chicken feet you will know right away what they are.
There are many dim sum restaurants in town, but these two often have a wait, as does the above-mentioned Ton Kiang.
SoMa—Yank Sing, 49 Stevenson Street; tel: 541-4949; also at Rincon Center; tel: (415) 957-9300.
Chinatown—Gold Mountain, 644 Broadway; tel: (415) 296-7733
Japanese food emphasizes harmony, and dishes are arranged to be as pleasing to the eye as to the palate. Japanese cuisine is delicate, featuring low-fat fish, gently sauced dishes, braised meats, tofu, fresh vegetables, several types of flavorful noodles, and, of course, the increasingly sought-after sushi. The lightly battered and fried tempura fish and vegetables are popular, as is sukiyaki, a meat and vegetable casserole. The many varieties of sake—a clear rice wine—may be consumed hot or cold; experiment with different sakes at some of the new sake bars that are opening up, both on their own or in conjunction with regular wine bars and in Japanese restaurants.
Authentic and varied Japanese restaurants are clustered in and around the Japan Center but most neighborhoods have their own favorites, both for cooked dishes and for sushi, which is one of San Franciscans’ favorite foods. Because sushi is so much in demand, it is fortunate that neighborhood residents think the sushi bar in their own district is the best. This means delicious sushi is available throughout the city any day of the year. And in the most popular restaurants, if you have not reserved in advance, expect a long wait.
If you are a beginner at sushi, consider Isobune at 1737 Post Street in the Japan Center (tel: (415) 563-1030). Little boats carrying freshly made sushi dishes sail along an oval canal, displaying the preparations as they move along. Choose those that look appealing. Prices are reasonable, so as with dim sum, if you select a dish you do not care for, you have not risked very much. Isobune is a friendly place: sushi lovers sitting next to you will be happy to advise you on selections if you are not sure.
Cow Hollow—Ace Wasabi’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Sushi, 3339 Steiner Street, at Chestnut; tel: (415) 567-4903. Great sushi in a loud, trendy, typical San Francisco atmosphere. Open only for dinner, and is always crowded.
Inner Sunset—Ebisu, 1283 9th Avenue; tel: (415) 566-1770. Popular eatery with first-rate sushi and other dishes.
Inner Sunset—Hotei, 1290 9th Avenue; tel: (415) 753-6045. Japanese noodle cuisine in this ramen bar; a charming setting.
Japan Center—Mifune, 1737 Post Street; tel: (415) 922-0337. Soba and udon noodles with a variety of add-ins, to make a delicious, inexpensive soupy meal.
Japan Center—Maki, 1825 Post Street; tel: (415) 921-5215. Small country-style home-cooking restaurant, serving bamboo containers with rice and a variety of toppings. Sushi and vegetarian options, and a good selection of sakes.
Marina/Cow Hollow—Zushi Puzzle, 1910 Lombard Street; tel: (415) 931-9319. Sushi fused with art: imaginative original rolls and admirable concoctions.
Mission—Blowfish Sushi to Die For, 2170 Bryant Street; tel: (415) 285-3848. Some of the city’s best sushi, plus an imaginative and well-created menu. Hectic, noisy, and lots of fun, with TV animations visible and (very) audible anywhere you sit.
Mission—Minako Organic Japanese, 2154 Mission Street; tel: (415) 864-1888. Sushi, teriyaki grilled chicken, vegetarian specialties, all organic and in Mission-sized portions.
Mission–Nombe: 2491 Mission Street; tel: (415) 681-7150. Following the Japanese Izakaya tradition of small plates to share and lots of sake, Nombe (the name means “hearty drinker”) uses seasonal and sustainable ingredients from regional producers, and boasts some 75 brands of sake.
Richmond—Kabuto Sushi, 5116 Geary Boulevard; tel: (415) 752-5652. Kabuto offers a full Japanese menu, exceptional sushi, and friendly service.
Of course, in San Francisco there is always more to try, and dozens of Southeast Asian restaurants show off their differing cultural and historical traditions. Many use rice or noodles as a base, and most specialize in seafood dishes. Because the climate of these countries is generally hot, the food can be quite spicy; you can order “medium spicy” or “not spicy” if you think the fiery peppers will not suit your palate.
A fusing of Thai, Chinese and Indian spices and approaches, culminating in a delicious melange of Asian textures sand flavors. Samosas, fish cakes, curries, and noodle dishes.
Mandalay, 4348 California Street, in the inner Richmond; tel: (415) 386-3895.
Burma Super Star, 309 Clement Street, in the inner Richmond; tel: (415) 387-2147.
Tropical Asian flavors using coconut milks and lemongrass, often with an overtone of Colonial France.
Angkor Wat, 4217 Geary Boulevard; tel: (415) 221-7887.
So many restaurants from the subcontinent—Indian and Pakistani—from dives to elegant, and too little room here to describe their mouth-watering flavors. Curries of all types and heat, tandoori, vegetarian offerings. Dosa on Fillmore at 1700 Fillmore uses sustainable ingredients from South Indian regions; “home-style cuisine,” in dosas—Indian-style wraps—come with a variety of fillings. (tel: (415) 441-3672).
Maharani, 1122 Post Street; tel: (415) 775-1988
India Garden, 1261 Folsom Street, south of Market; tel: (415) 626-2798.
Indian Oven, 233 Fillmore Street, in the Lower Haight; tel: (415) 626-1628.
The highlight of Korean restaurants in San Francisco is to grill your own marinated meats at the table on a charcoal brazier, accompanied by rice, pickles and salads. If you are brave, try the fiery kimchee, a cabbage condiment often put on the table.
Seoul Garden, 22 Peace Plaza in Japantown; tel: (415) 563-7664
Brother’s Restaurant, 4128 Geary Boulevard; tel: (415) 387-7991. Also in the next block east at 4014 Geary; tel: (415) 668-2028.
One well-established restaurant serving Pacific seafood cuisines, Indian curries, other exotic dishes and melanges of Pacific cuisines, some of the dishes set out attractively on banana leaves.
Straits Cafe, 845 Market Street in the Westfield Center; tel: (415) 668-1783
Thai restaurants abound, most serving sweet and spicy seafood dishes and soups, curries with coconut, and lots of aromatic lemongrass. The first one listed is often rated as the “best” in the city, but the others are examples of inexpensive neighborhood places that locals love. Find your own where you live.
Thep Phanom, 400 Waller Street in the Haight; tel: (415) 431-2526
Lemongrass, 2348 Polk Street, near Union Street; tel: (415) 346-1818
Neecha, 2100 Sutter Street, just north of Japantown; tel: (415) 922-9419
This cuisine has its own characteristics, but it also often incorporates nuances from the French, from when Vietnam was a colony of France, and from China to the north. Three of the city’s most well known Vietnamese restaurants have already been mentioned: Crustacean and Thanh Long (Refer to page 212) and The Slanted Door. But of course there are others, many more than the two below:
La Vie, 5830 Geary, in the Richmond; tel: (415) 668-8080
Golden Flower, 667 Jackson Street, in Chinatown; tel: (415) 433-6469
If you are at all concerned about your budget or your waistline, you will not dine out every day of the year. Fortunately, you can eat almost as well at home in San Francisco as in a restaurant, whether you want to cook or not. (Well, almost.) So, knowing how and where to shop for food will be on your mind as you begin to settle in. Wide-ranging options include buying fresh ingredients and starting from scratch or moving up to the artistically prepared meats from the butcher that are ready to cook, adding potatoes and vegetables already cleaned. You can also buy delicious entire freshly-cooked meals from supermarkets or specialty groceries, or even high-quality frozen meals.
Outdoor markets, often called “farmers markets,” are held on particular days in different districts of the city, and along with selling the region’s freshest seasonal produce, they are often—as you might expect—social occasions. Some may offer opportunities for tasting or actually eating a prepared meal, and others might have live music, but all of them offer produce that is usually of better quality and often at lower cost than that of standard supermarkets. In addition to these year-round markets in the city, there are farmers markets in most of the towns of the Bay Area, including one that is exceptionally varied at the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael on Thursday and Sunday.
Look for produce that is certified “organic,” meaning that it was not treated with chemical pesticides or fertilizers and that the soil is rotated according to healthful standards. Organic meats come from animals raised without growth hormones or antibiotics, and without pesticide-treated feed. Organic foods tend to cost slightly more. Note that markets are not open on Monday. These are year-round:
Tuesday & Saturday: Ferry Building, foot of Market Street
Wednesday & Sunday: Market Street at United Nations Plaza. “Heart of the City” market is large and inexpensive, with many stalls for Asian produce. Flowers, fish, herbs, etc.
Saturday: Fillmore Plaza: Fillmore Street and O’Farrell. Lively new market, good produce, music, lots of fun.
Saturday: Alemany Boulevard at Crescent, near Highway 280. Enormous international market open from dawn to dusk. Go early before the crowds arrive, or late when some produce is reduced in price.
Sunday: Stonestown Mall: Fairly new to the scene and already successful, the most extensive market in the area.
A new market concept is at the entertainment complex Metreon, at 101 4th Street. Buy your produce at the market, get a claim check, and pick up your packages when you’re ready; perhaps after a movie or a meal.
The Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street and directly on the Bay, was built in 1896, one of the few buildings in the city that withstood the 1906 earthquake and fire. After the freeway was built along the Embarcadero, separating the waterside building and its clock tower from the daily life of the city, it unfortunately languished. But after the “big one” (earthquake) in 1989 damaged the freeway and it was demolished, the Ferry Building—and the Embarcadero itself—was beautifully restored. Happily, it is now one of the vibrant hotspots of the city. It is a haven for small artisan food shops of all sorts, for wine and tea lovers, and even for “chocaholics.” (Two of the Bay Area’s best chocolate makers are here.) There is a bookstore and a shop for upscale cooking gadgetry, numerous cafés, and two major restaurants, one of them the highly popular Slanted Door.
If you want to have a one-stop market experience—finding the highest quality cheese, marvelous fish and meats, the freshest produce, and the most refined wine, chocolates, and teas—the Ferry Building Marketplace is for you. Pick up your ingredients, an already-prepared (and ready to reheat) dinner for the evening, or have a bowl of chowder at the Hog Island Oyster Bar. Find them all here lining a long central corridor. Then stop at Peets for a cup of coffee and pick up a book at Book Passage. And, of course you can always watch—or catch—one of the ferries leaving the port.
The outdoor market almost surrounds the Ferry Building on Tuesday and Saturday. On Thursdays, there is a night market from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the central passageway. There are tables for eating and conversation, live music, and a convivial atmosphere. Currently, these are among the providers:
Acme Bread
Boulette’s Larder
Cowgirl Creamer’s Artisan Cheese Shop
Far West Fungi
Farm Fresh to You
Ferry Plaza Seafood
Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant
Golden Gate Meat Company
Hog Island Oyster Company
Imperial Tea Court
Kingdom of Herbs
Noe Valley Bakery
Peet’s Coffee and Teas
Prather Ranch Meat Company
Recchiuti Confections
San Francisco Fish Company
ScharffenBerger Chocolates
Stonehouse California Olive Oil
Village Market
The Safeway and Cala Foods chains have stores throughout the city. They are open daily—including Sunday—at least until 9:00 pm and usually for some portion of the day on holidays. In addition to their freshly cut meats, fish, produce, and staple goods, supermarkets carry alcoholic beverages, magazines, and over-the-counter medications. Some have prescription-filling pharmacies, either within or next door. All the large supermarkets accept major credit cards and bank debit cards. Many also have ATM machines on the premises if you need cash.
The merchandise at San Francisco supermarkets is usually guaranteed, so if there is something wrong with a product you have bought, most will take back the item provided you have a receipt. On perishable items, look on the package to make sure that the expiration date has not passed; if it has, supermarkets will generally exchange the item. (Foreigners should note that in the United States, dates are written with the month, day, and year, in that order.)
Several supermarkets stand out for their particularly fine selections. Many offer only organic or chemical-free foods and other products, and you might also find some brochures and books on natural living in the Bay Area. Others just have the highest quality of whatever products they stock. With these, of course, the prices match the quality.
Trader Joe’s, extremely popular, has an extensive selection of packaged and frozen goods, dairy products, snack foods, bakery items, and spirits. Currently there are four stores in the city. Although there is parking at all four, you can expect a line of cars waiting to get into the lots. Laurel Heights—3 Masonic Ave (tel: (415) 346-9964); South of Market—555 9th Street (tel: (415) 863-1292); North Point—401 Bay Street (tel: (415) 351-1013); and in the Stonestown Mall, where parking is easiest.
Inner Mission—Rainbow Grocery, 1745 Folsom Street; tel: (415) 863-0620. Cooperative, worker-owned health food market, with a well-rounded selection at good prices. Some parking is available as well.
Mission—Bi-Rite Market, 3639 18th Street; tel: (415) 241-9760. High quality and organic dairy products, fruits and vegetables, good prepared foods to take out. Fresh salads, sandwiches, etc. Mediterranean and Middle-eastern delicacies are a highlight here. The Bi-Rite Creamery across the street, has artisan ice creams and other confections.
Pacific Heights—Mollie Stone’s, 2435 California Street, near Fillmore; tel: (415) 567-4902. Upscale market with ample fresh and smoked fish counters, well-cut meats, beautifully prepared meals to take out, cheeses, organic produce. A small cafe. Parking is available.
Polk/Broadway—Real Foods, 2140 Polk Street; tel: (415) 673-7420. Fresh seasonal produce, healthy packaged foods, vitamins, in the interests of “environmentally sensitive consumerism.” Also at 3060 Fillmore Street (tel: (415) 567-7385).
Presidio Heights—Cal-Mart, 3585 California Street, in Laurel Village; tel: (415) 751-3516. Fashionable, well-maintained supermarket. It has an interesting deli section and independently run meat and fish department, and it sells fresh breads and a wide variety of produce.
SoMa—Harvest Urban Market, 191 8th Street, at Howard; tel: (415) 621-1000. Vegetarian/vegan food products, organic produce, and environmental household supplies can all be purchased here; There is also a modern café with a fresh salad bar, sandwiches, and vegetarian and vegan soups; The bakery here also sells vegan baked goods.
Sunset—Andronico’s, 1200 Irving Street, at Funston; tel: (415) 661-3220. Upscale supermarket with a superior takeout department (hot and cold), a salad bar, and seating nearby. Extensive meat and fish departments, a table just for different olives, a wealth of cheeses and fresh breads, interesting produce.
Van Ness/California—Whole Foods Market, 1765 California Street; tel: (415) 674-0500. Elegant health food supermarket, with an extensive takeout section of prepared foods, artistically prepared meats to take home and cook, outstanding fresh fish, bakery. Generally expensive, but of extremely high quality. Also at 399 4th Street; tel: (415) 618-0066.
Discount stores may not carry all the particular brands you like, but those that do are generally good value for the money—cheap. Occasionally you have to buy by the case.
Smart & Final; Three locations. Packaged foods, cleaning items, and janitorial supplies.
Foods Co; Two locations. A warehouse supermarket with a well-rounded selection at good prices, it also offers ample parking space.
Costco, 450 10th Street; tel: (415) 626-4388. This is a huge warehouse selling all sorts of items, mostly in bulk. You can purchase packaged and fresh foods, frozen items, alcoholic beverages, and much more from here. A small membership fee is charged.
Shopping in Chinatown can be an otherworld experience, especially on Saturday and Sunday. Crowds of people carrying overflowing bags bump into each other as they push their way down Stockton, Powell, or the side streets. They, however, will no doubt have found good prices for fresh fish and poultry, and produce of all sorts. Both produce and packaged goods are displayed outside the shops in boxes or on shelves, contributing to the traffic jam.
Because signs are in Chinese and not all personnel speak English, shopping is sometimes a challenge. Nonetheless, Chinatown is a great place to shop if you are not faint of heart. Parking is impossible, and parking lots on the periphery can cost up to US$ 2.50 for 15 minutes. Either hoof it or take public transportation. No matter how you get there, do not miss Chinatown on market days, for it embodies what is quintessentially San Franciscan. But remember that Asian shops are located throughout the city. The specialty markets—fish markets and butchers—are listed within their categories below.
Chinatown—Lien Hing Supermarket, 1112 Stockton Street; tel: (415) 986-8488. If you can find your way along the chaotically stocked and crowded aisles—you will eventually find what you want at prices so low that despite the chaos, you will keep coming back. Pork, chicken, and beef are well-cut. A smaller easier-to-maneuver branch is located down the street at 1401 Stockton; tel: (415) 397-2668.
Japantown—Uoki Market, 1656 Post Street, between Buchanan and Laguna; tel: (415) 921-0514. A busy Japanese grocery selling fish freshly prepared, a range of fresh produce, as well as canned goods.
Japantown—Super Mira, 1790 Sutter Street; tel: (415) 921-6529. Modern Japanese grocery. Fresh ingredients for sushi, sukiyaki, soups, and most Japanese meals can be bought here. Also available are exellent fresh tofu and a good bakery. Fish and meat are freshly cut, and the produce is of good quality.
Mission—Bombay Bazar, 548 Valencia, near 16th Street; tel: (415) 621-1717. Indian goods, spices, and herbs. Next door is Bombay’s chaat (snacks) café, with exotic ice cream flavors.
Outer Sunset—Twenty-Second and Irving Market, 2101 Irving Street; tel: (415) 681-5212. This is a multicultural market with a little of everything from everywhere. With its rich variety of produce, Asians, Russians, and Arabs come to find what they need here.
Richmond—New May Wah Supermarket, 547 Clement Street; tel: (415) 668-2583. Largest of the Richmond’s Asian supermarkets, it is well-stocked with Asian and other international products, fresh produce, meats, and fish.
In addition to the ubiquitous Asian shops, do not miss the small ethnic delicatessens with their international selections. Most have packaged goods as well as deli counters for fresh-made specialties, and ready-cooked dishes to take home. Of course the Mission will have more Latin American shops, Chinatown and Japantown their own shops, Outer Geary the Russian stores, and North Beach the Italian. Here are just a few.
British— You Say Tomato: 1526 California Street (tel: (415) 921-2828. Get your Marmite and Bisto at this small shop in Polk Gulch that stocks your favorite foods, packaged, fresh and frozen.
Caviar—Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, 60 Dorman Avenue, just south of the Mission; tel: (415) 543-3007. This is where you will find just caviar: American, Iranian, Chinese. Also a café at the Ferry Building Marketplace (tel: (415) 288-8630).
Italian—Lucca Ravioli Company, 1100 Valencia Street at 22nd Street; tel: (415) 647-5581. This is an old-time deli offering ready-to-cook pasta dishes, pizza, sausages, sauces, wines, cheeses, etc.
Italian—Lucca Delicatessen, 2120 Chestnut Street in the Marina; tel: (415) 921-7873. Exceptional Italian delicatessen selling pastas, sauces, cheese, frittatas, focaccia, salads, and imported packaged products.
Italian—Molinari, 373 Columbus Avenue, at Vallejo; tel: (415) 421-2337. Freshly cut sandwiches, smoked meats, buffalo milk mozzarella, sausages; a selection of everything Italian. Closed on Sunday.
Latin American—Casa Lucas, 2934 24th Street; tel: (415) 826-4334. Fresh produce, herbs, Mexican sausages and cheeses. Everything for Latin American cooking.
Mexican—La Palma Mexicatessen, 2884 24th Street; tel: (415) 647-1500. This is where you find tortillas, of course, fixings for Mexican dishes, and freshly made chips.
Middle Eastern—Haig’s Delicacies, 642 Clement, near 8th Avenue; tel: (415) 752-6283. Haig’s famous hummus and baba ganoush can be found in supermarkets, which is fortunate, for parking near Clement Street can be difficult. Packaged goods; there are also tables to eat in.
Middle Eastern—Samiramis Imports, 2990 Mission Street; tel: (415) 824-6555. Couscous, olive oils, spices and grains, Persian-style yoghurt, hummus and tahini, and different kinds of feta are available here.
Polish—Seakor, 5957 Geary Boulevard; tel: (415) 387-8660. This venerable European deli and sausage factory specializes in homemade Polish sausages. The aroma upon entering makes you want to buy them all.
Russian—Gastronom Deli & Bakery, 5801 Geary Boulevard; tel: (415) 387-4211. Smoked meats and fish, Russian salads, and packaged goods are available here. Also at 2801 Judah Street (tel: (415) 664-1835).
San Francisco is proud of its sourdough bread, crusty and flavorful, with a vaguely sour and slightly chewy interior. It originated here during the Gold Rush, when French baker Isadore Boudin melded sourdough yeast into a French baguette. Today, it is standard for restaurants to bring sourdough loaves or rolls to the table, and San Franciscans expect nothing less. Supermarkets sell it sliced, as classic baguettes, and even as sourdough English muffins.
Boudin, with outlets around the city, still sells its breads after 150 years of baking. The bakery is at 160 Jefferson Street (tel: (415) 928-1849). Tour the bakery and learn about sourdough bread, and sample the warm, freshly baked sourdough. Then go upstairs to Bistro Boudin, with its waterfront views, and munch on “Wharf Cuisine” crab cakes, Crab Louie, sourdough crust pizzas, and Boudin’s own Sourdough Bread Bowl, filled with a delicious clam chowder.
Bakeries serve their neighborhood’s ethnic populations: North Beach is known for its Italian pastry shops, the Mission along 24th Street for a wide selection of Mexican baked goods. Supermarkets stock locally baked breads, bagels, and pastries. Acme Bread with its one outlet in the Ferry Building can be found in some shops, and Just Desserts is renowned for its delicious cakes. Below are a few of the city’s fine bakeries—ones you might miss if you do not know that neighborhood.
Bayview—Wendy’s Cheesecake Bakery, 4942 3rd Street; tel: (415) 822-4959. Cheesecake, sweet potato pie, pecan pies, etc. Barbeques. Closed on Sunday.
Chinatown—Eastern Bakery, 720 Grant Avenue; tel: (415) 982-5157. One of Chinatown’s oldest and most extensive bakeries, offering prepared pork buns and pot stickers, other baked goods, plus mooncakes—a sweetened pastry with a variety of fillings and egg yolk, which serves as a representation of the full moon.
Hayes Valley—Citizen Cake, 399 Grove Street at Gough; tel: (415) 861-2228. Delicious breads, and pastries, gelato. Café open all day, but on concert matinees and evenings in the Civic Center, it can be crowded.
Noe Valley—Noe Valley Bakery, 4073 24th Street; tel: (415) 550-1405. Independent neighborhood bakery, offering cakes, breads and rolls. Challah, and fresh frozen dough using the bakery’s own recipes, so you bake your own at home.
North Beach—Liguria, 1700 Stockton Street; tel: (415) 421-3786. Just Italian focaccia bread: plain, tomato, onion, raisin. And just mouth-watering. Sometimes there are discounted loaves in the freezer. Go early, for when they sell out, the shop closes.
North Beach—Italian French Baking Company, 1501 Grant Avenue; tel: (415) 421-3796. A rich variety of homemade breads, rolls, and pastries.
North Beach—Victoria Pastry Co, 1362 Stockton; tel: (415) 781-2015. For more than 90 years, the ever-popular Victoria has been selling Italian pastries, cakes, pies, etc.
Pacific Heights—Bay Bread, 2325 Pine Street; tel: (415) 440-0356. Hearth-baked artisan breads, made with organic flour, from the retail store of this restaurant supplier. Olive bread, herbed fougasse, brioche, and others.
Pacific Heights—Pâtisserie Delanghe, 1890 Fillmore Street, at Bush; tel: (415) 923-0711. French pastries such as sweet rolls filled with fresh fruit and custard, eclairs, cream puffs.
Richmond—Moscow and Tblisi Bakery; 5540 Geary Boulevard; tel: (415) 668-6959. Wonderful and always crowded, this is a bakery that sells well-selected fresh rye breads, filled piroshkis, and Russian pastries.
Sunset—John Campbell’s Irish Bakery; 5625 Geary Boulevard, tel: (415) 387-1536. Authentically Irish soda bread, Celtic almond bread, pasties, Shepards’ pies, and more—including soups and tarts.
Sunset—Zanze’s Cheesecake; 2405 Ocean Avenue; tel: (415) 334-2264. The most sought-after in the city. Unusually—and always—light and delicate with seasonal toppings, plus the traditional.
Cheese in the United States tends to be pasteurized, so until recently there may have been fewer of the delicate flavors and varieties found in other countries. But now even supermarkets are stocking high-quality, freshly-cut cheeses, and some of the better stores mentioned above (Andronico’s, Whole Foods, etc) have superior selections. A few dedicated cheese shops carry an extensive stock, and most also carry interesting gourmet items and some wines.
But, if you are someone who loves cheese, make a point of finding a cheese store, and to learn about locally-produced cheeses. Also, the farmers markets usually have cheese stands with locally produced products. And, do not forget the Cowgirl Creamery Artisan Cheese Shop in the Ferry Building.
Cole Valley—Say Cheese, 856 Cole Street; tel: (415) 665-5020
Polk/Broadway—Cheese Plus, 2001 Polk Street; tel: (415) 921-2001
Twin Peaks—Creighton’s Cheese and Fine Foods, 673 Portola; tel: (415) 753-0750
Glen Park—Cheese Boutique, 666 Chenery; tel: (415) 333-3390; also at 1298 12th Avenue; tel: (415) 566-3155
Mission—24th Street Cheese Company, 3893 24th Street; tel: (415) 821-6658
Haight—Country Cheese, 415 Divisadero Street; tel: (415) 621-8130. Closed on Sunday.
Living so close to the sea, there is no reason to settle for less than the freshest of seafood. Domestic fish is available according to the season, and with refrigeration standards so high, fish from other regions is also excellent. During Dungeness Crab season, feast on the luscious crab, both in restaurants at home: supermarkets and fish markets sell crab already cooked and cleaned.
Supermarkets carry seafood already cut and packaged, and not relying on local weather conditions, may stock Atlantic salmon or other non-local fish. Whole Foods, Andronico’s and other superior supermarkets, however, tend to use local suppliers; a few have sushi chefs cutting fresh sushi. Dedicated fish markets throughout the city also use local suppliers.
Although many of the old fishing piers have been taken over by tourist attractions, the fishing fleet still docks at “Fish Alley,” on the Jefferson Street promenade, between Taylor and Jones. If you do not mind cleaning your own fish, try buying whole fish direct from the fishermen on Saturday morning; go early to have a better selection. And, there are two fish markets in the Ferry Building.
Asian fish stores are generally of high quality. Look especially around the Japan Center, where groceries specialize in sliced fish for sushi.
In Chinatown, you basically have to know your fish, because few people speak English, and the vendors and staff are so busy handling crowds they would not have time to explain, in any case.
Chinatown—New Sang Sang Market, 1143 Stockton Street; tel: (415) 433-0403. One of the best fish stores in Chinatown. Wide and fresh selection, good prices.
Chinatown—Luen Sing, 1207 Stockton Street; tel: (415) 399-8788, Live crabs, frogs, shellfish, ready for you to take home to prepare. What can be fresher than that?!
Inner Richmond—Wing Hing Seafood Market, 633 Clement Street; tel: (415) 668-1666. Freshly cut and live fish to choose among in this authentic Asian fish mart.
Inner Richmond—Seafood Center, 831 Clement, near 10th Avenue; tel: (415) 752-3496. Extremely wide, high-quality selection.
Mission—Mission Market Fish and Poultry, 2590 Mission, at 22nd Street; tel: (415) 282-3331. Fresh fish and seafood in a center that also houses the Mission Market Meat
Outer Sunset—Irving Seafood Market, 2130 Irving Street; tel: (415) 681-3282. Small but well-rounded fish selection.
Polk/Van Ness—Swan Oyster Depot, 1517 Polk Street, near California; tel: (415) 673-1101. A San Francisco tradition for more than 75 years. Fresh fish to take out, but regulars sit at the counter for delicious oysters, Crab Louie, chowder. Closes 5:30 pm. Closed on Sunday.
The better supermarkets listed above have selections of ready-cut meats and some specially prepared items ready to take home and cook, such as kabobs and marinated or stuffed meats. The offerings at Whole Foods are especially impressive. Look also for the exceptional 4505 Meat products at meat counters throughout the city, and check out its stall—and sample its weekly servings—on Thursdays at the Ferry Building outdoor market.
Bayshore—Polarica, 107 Quint Street, near Third and Cesar Chavez; tel: (415) 647-1300. Game and game birds, excellent chicken, imported lamb, wild mushrooms, berries, and smokehouse products.
Chinatown—New On Sang Poultry Co, 1114 Grant Avenue; tel: (415) 982-8887. Fresh fish and poultry, nicely displayed, plus prepared dishes to take out.
Laurel Village—Bryan’s Quality Meats, 3473 California Street; tel: (415) 752-3430. Respected grocer and butcher of exceptional quality. Fresh fish, artfully cut meats, prepared foods, salads. Parking in back. Closed on Sunday.
Mission—Mission Market Meat, 2590 Mission, at 22nd Street; tel: (415) 282-1030. Meat market in a Latino market building that also houses the Mission Market Fish and Poultry.
Mission—Lucky Pork Market, 2659 Mission, near 22nd Street; tel: (415) 285-3611. A Chinese pork butcher popular with the Latino community and others in the Mission district. All cuts, plus beef and goat, are available.
North Beach—Little City, 1400 Stockton, at Vallejo; tel: (415) 986-2601. North Beach’s premier butcher, with a good variety of high-quality, well-cut products.
Van Ness—Harris’ Restaurant, 2100 Van Ness; tel: (415) 673-1888. Fine steak house that sells prime, aged meat at a retail counter during the hours when the restaurant is open.
Those same people who know exactly what kind of coffee they want in the coffeehouses also know exactly what kind of bean they want to grind at home or have the coffee roasters blend for them. Many supermarkets have their own selection of coffee beans and grinders, and Peet’s Coffee and Tea has several locations in the city.
The upscale supermarkets also have a wide selection of exotic teas, as do the tearooms described on page 230. The tea stores also carry teaware for best results in brewing your own tea. And, the coffee roasters may carry a selection of teas.
Chinatown—Red Blossom Tea Co, 831 Grant Avenue; tel: (415) 395-0868. At least 100 different teas, some of them quite rare, are available, and instructions on brewing them to their best advantage are provided (tel: (415) 395-0868).
Chinatown—Ten Ren Tea Co, 949 Grant Avenue; tel: (415) 362-0565. Like the above-mentioned, also with some rare and exotic teas.
Cole Valley—Bean There, 201 Steiner Street; tel: (415) 255-8855. Sip in or take out coffee and teas. Coffee is ground to order for your cup of coffee. Light meals can also be had.
Cow Hollow—Union Street Coffee Roastery, 2191 Union Street; tel: (415) 922-9559. Enjoy pleasant coffee from this small roastery at the corner of Steiner Street.
North Beach—Graffeo Coffee Roasting Co, 735 Columbus Avenue; tel: (415) 986-2420. Since 1935, it has been roasting dark and light Arabica beans.
North Beach—Caffé Roma Coffee Roasting Company, 526 Columbus Street; tel: (415) 296-7942. A famous café and roaster. Also at 895 Bryant Street; tel: (415) 431-8555.
North Beach—Caffe Trieste, 609 Vallejo; tel: (415) 982-2605. Next to the famous North Beach coffeehouse, this is a long-established coffee roaster, with its rich aromas wafting down the street.
Outer Sunset—House of Coffee, 1618 Noriega Street; tel: (415) 681-9363. A Middle Eastern shop with good ground beans for Turkish coffee.
People all over the world swear by Belgian or French chocolates, and sometimes they overlook the confections prepared close to home. This would be a mistake in San Francisco, where there are some extremely good artisan chocolate makers. The well-known Reccchiuti and Scharffen Berger are both in the Ferry Building Marketplace. In addition, when you are in these neighborhoods listed here, go out of your way to taste their chocolates, and you will be even more convinced that San Francisco is not a city that disappoints.
Cow Hollow—CocoaBella, 2102 Union Street; tel: (415) 931-6213
Inner Mission—Joseph Schmidt, 3489 16th Street; tel: (415) 861-8682
Union Square—Richart, 393 Sutter Street; tel: (415) 291-9600
After all this, do you still not feel either like cooking or even picking up something on the way home? Then pick up a catalogue at street-side boxes from Waiters on Wheels (tel: (415) 452-6600; website: http://www.waitersonwheels.com) and order a delicious restaurant meal to be delivered. Look at the facsimiles of their menus on the Internet and then order. It is as simple as that. Pay a small surcharge and tip the driver, and you can have hot, ready-cooked meals from restaurants you love.
San Franciscans like to drink. This does not mean that they are drunk. It only means that they approach enjoying good wine, interesting brews, and the most recent cocktail craze with the same intensity that they do everything else. Wine and beer tastings are always popular, and cocktail manias move on quickly—from the martini to the cosmopolitan to the mojito to the margarita—and then back to start all over again. “Happy hour” (a few hours after work, on weekdays) in restaurants and bars are happy occasions indeed.
And San Franciscans expect high quality food in the bars they frequent—although happy hour provides some snacks in keeping with the cultural approach of the locale—and they often get it. Some brew pubs serve tapas, some bars serve excellent fusion food, and some of the most popular bars are actually fine restaurants whose bars stay well-populated into the wee hours.
As with just about everything else in San Francisco, distinctions blur, which means you will probably find what you are looking for somewhere and that you will be content during the search. Pay attention to the local newspapers and magazines that regularly rank the “best” bars and lounges, the “best” for singles, the “best” for martinis, the “best” sports bars, or the “best” of whatever it is they have in mind at that time.
California produces more than 90 percent of the wine produced in the United States. There is nothing to say about California wines except that many of them are spectacular and if you are a wine drinker, you are going to enjoy yourself here. And if not—at least not yet—you have a treat in store. The longer you are in California, the more you can appreciate its wines. The more you learn about them, the more you will be able to distinguish each nuance and overtone in their wide range of tastes, colors, and textures.
The reasons why wine has captured the world’s imagination are many—and only part of this is the taste. It is basically because the entire understanding of wine is complex, unlike any other libation that you might very well enjoy. Understanding wines, of course, starts with the soil and climate of each different grape-growing region in the world—its particular ancient geology and current geography. This is most evident. But if you are going to value particular wines, you will have to take into account the social history, traditions, tastes, and attitudes of the populace of the region, for these all go into understanding why certain wines are valued more than others. No other beverage has such complexity built in, even before you take a sip. And this is all worth knowing, for once you have tasted an extraordinary wine, complementing a perfect meal—well, there is no turning back.
To begin, consider one of the wine appreciation seminars at the continuing education establishments in San Francisco mentioned in Chapter Five, haunt the wine shops that have tastings on weekends, and make periodic ventures to the Wine Country. Look in the newspapers for tours, special wine-related outings, and wine festivals, and check the Internet (website: http://www.localwineevents.com).
Do not forget, though, that the whole point of drinking wine is to enjoy it. No matter the current popularity of certain wines, the superior attitude of wine snobs, and even the authoritative stance of shop proprietors—everybody has different tastes, so if you do not like wine, it is not for you.
In restaurants, wine is sold by the glass, by the half-bottle, and by the bottle (generally 750 ml). Depending on how much you drink, it can make economic sense to order a bottle of wine for two people, as there are four 6 oz. servings in a bottle, and the cost is perhaps 20 percent less than four single glasses.
Waiters in just about any restaurant are knowledgeable about the wines of that restaurant and will be glad to discuss the wine appropriate for your meal and for your taste. Some restaurants will allow you a small taste of a wine before you order a glass, and most will also allow you to exchange it for another if you do not like it. Wines are occasionally “corked,” (when it tastes like the cork), but it is very rare for a wine to be sent back because it has “turned” and is no longer good. Many restaurants have a “house wine,” and these are often produced from famous wineries but labeled with the name of the restaurant.
The price of a bottle of wine in a restaurant is increasing, as establishments try to turn a larger profit any way they can. Generally, the price should be about double what the establishment paid for the bottle, but some restaurants charge triple. Once you have learned about wines and their prices, you can determine which varietals and vintages are worth the price.
Many bars hold special tastings from particular wineries (as do the wine shops mentioned on pages 261–262). Some offer “flights,” which are samplings of similar wines, often in half-glass sizes. Hotel lounges offer their own ambience and cocktails, and don’t overlook the popular wine bars, which serve food, from snacks to full meals.
Ferry Building—Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant; tel: (415) 391-9400
Embarcadero Center—Wine, 2 Embarcadero Center; tel: (415) 391-0758
Hayes Valley—Hotel Biron, 45 Rose Street; tel: (415) 703-0403
Russian Hill—Bacchus Wine and Sake Bar, 1954 Hyde Street; tel: (415) 928-2633
Union Square—First Crush, 101 Cyril Magnin; tel: (415) 982-7874
Union Square—Enoteca Viansa, 334 Grant Street; tel: (415) 391-0207
Union Square—The Hidden Vine, Cosmo Place; tel: (415) 674-3567
Upper Market—Cav, 1666 Market Street; tel: (415) 437-1770
Wine prices run the gamut from the very cheap to the astronomical. The type of wine, the vineyard, the number of bottles produced, and the particular year the grapes were harvested all contribute to how a wine is priced. California wines have become popular worldwide and some recent harvests have been small, so the price of the better wines has increased. In general—but not always—the better the wine, the higher the cost. But good wines at reasonable prices are available, often at under US$ 10 per bottle, so it is not necessary to spend a fortune on wine. It all just takes know-how: knowing what you like, where and when to shop for special offers, reading advertisements for sales, buying enough to create a cellar of wines to drink at future dates, and paying attention not only to the offerings of major wineries, but experimenting with “boutique” wineries that produce small amounts of good wines.
All shops have promotional sales from time to time on particular items, and when they do, think about stocking your cellar. Discount shops such as Trader Joe’s sell well-known labels at reasonable prices, plus interesting imported wines, not just from France or Italy, but from Chile and Australia as well. Supermarkets sell a variety of wines, but these are not necessarily the best buys, and there may not be anyone knowledgeable to help in your selection. Many of the wine shops have tastings of the wines they are currently featuring, and these wines are usually good value for the money.
Bayshore/Avenues—Beverages & More, 201 Bayshore Boulevard; tel: (415) 648-1233. Offering a large selection of wines and spirits, this chain has both domestic and imported, at good prices. Also at 3445 Geary Boulevard; tel: (415) 933-8494; and at 1301 Van Ness Avenue; tel: (415) 447-8483.
Cow Hollow—PlumpJack Wines, 3201 Fillmore Street, near Union; tel: (415) 346-9870. Popular neighborhood shop, offering more than one hundred California and Italian wines at reasonable prices, and liqueurs, sake, and microbrews. Also at 4011 24th Street in Noe Valley; tel: (415) 282-3841.
Cow Hollow—California Wine Merchant, 2113 Chestnut Street; tel: (415) 567-0646. Appreciated for 25 years as a wine bar and purveyor of California wines.
Mission—Ruby Wine, 1419 18th Street; tel: (415) 401-7708). Specializing in both old- and new-world small producers. Wine club and wine tasting.
Embarcadero Center—Wine, 2 Embarcadero Center; tel: (415) 391-0758. Wine bar and shop; open until midnight on weekends.
Hayes Valley—True Sake, 560 Hayes; tel: (415) 355-9555. The new craze for sake is well represented here: sake of all flavors, tastes...and prices. A knowledgeable proprietor can help you with your choices.
North Beach—Coit Liquor, 585 Columbus Avenue; tel: (415) 986-4036. This is a small shop, but it has an extensive selection of domestic, French and Italian wines. The prices are good and the place can boast of its knowledgeable personnel.
Polk/Van Ness—The Jug Shop, 1590 Pacific Street; tel: (415) 885-2922. This is a large liquor shop with excellent prices and an extensive collection of wines and beers.
Potrero Hill—Wine House Limited, 129 Carolina Street; tel: (415) 355-9463. In business for 30 years near Potrero Hill, this place has friendly, knowledgeable staff and tastings.
SoMa—Wine Club, 953 Harrison Street; tel: (415) 512-9086. The Wine Club offers excellent prices on a large selection of domestic and imported wines; tastings, books, and accessories.
Theater District—Napa Valley Winery Exchange, 415 Taylor Street; tel: (800) 653-9463. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about Napa Valley wines, and the opportunity to purchase them.
Labels say it all, front and back. The front carries specific information that is required by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The brand name of the wine is often most prominent, as wineries strive for customer recognition and loyalty. For small companies this may be the name of the winery itself; large companies may have several brand names. The type of wine is generally specified by the variety of grape, and if labeled as such, it is a “varietal,” and must contain at least 75 percent of the named grape. Some lesser wines may use a semi-generic name such as Burgundy or even an overall name such as “red table wine,” and some blends may bear the name Meritage. Nearby will be the “appellation of origin,” indicating where the grapes were grown. Appellation is increasingly noticed by consumers, focusing on the soil and the site as much as the winemaker.
At the bottom, the name of the winery that bottled the wine usually appears. Although the winery may be in Napa, it does not mean the grapes are from there (that is the appellation of origin): if the label says “produced by,” it means that at least 75 percent of the wine was made by the bottler; if it says “cellared by,” or “vinted by,” the wine was probably purchased from a different winery. The percentage of alcohol appears on the front label along with the date, known as the “vintage year.” The “vintage year” refers to the year in which the grapes were picked.
The back of the label often describes the wine in detail, and sometimes says which food it best accompanies. It also contains the required warnings about alcohol and health.
Bars come in many shapes and forms: the romantic lounge with a spectacular view atop a tall hotel, the loud sports bar with television screens in every corner, the neighborhood lounge and restaurant where you can spend a comfortable evening dining and chatting with your friends. Or the funky bar that you love but might not take your mother to.
Even the best restaurants have a bar in front, and these can seat people waiting for their table, diners without a reservation, or those who just find the bar a congenial place to hang out, having a cocktail or two along with a delicious bite to eat from specialties offered at the bar. Two of these are Rincon Center’s Cosmopolitan Restaurant (delectable New American cuisine) and the bar at Hotel W on Third Street, which also houses the Asian-influenced favorite XYZ—with another bar within. And for the best margarita ever, people flock to the bar at the chic Mexican restaurant Tres Agaves (See page 222.) Levende at Mission and Duboce—the current lounge of choice for the young and trendy—is another example of a chic lounge that serves an excellent small plate, eclectic menu.
Some bars open by lunchtime, some in the late afternoon, and restaurant bars are generally open during the restaurant’s business hours. Some bars hold theme nights, many have live jazz or a DJ (disk jockey); some are known for their particularly delicious concoction, for experimentation is what San Francisco is about.
As mentioned, restaurant and other bars usually offer inexpensive cocktails, beers, and snacks in the early evening, during an often loosely defined “happy hour,” to a regular clientele that gathers after work. No bar may serve alcoholic beverages between 2:00 am and 6:00 am, and most take their last call around 1:45 am. And pay serious attention to advice about not drinking and driving. (Refer to page 265.)
Rooftop bars at The Carnelian Room, Top of the Mark in the Mark Hopkins Hotel, Harry Denton’s Starlight Room at the Sir Francis Drake, Cityscape at the Hilton, or The Equinox at the top of the Grand Hyatt have spectacular panoramas and are fun to go to from time to time but are often crowded with tourists and may be pricier than you want. Others also have great views and are directly on the waterfront, and have outdoor tables during good weather. Otherwise—with apologies to all the bars that could have been mentioned had there been more room—here are few of the classic and current greats:
Financial District—Bubble Lounge, 714 Montgomery Street; tel: (415) 434-4204. This plush lounge focuses on the bubbly: Champagne and other sparkling wines, caviar and paté appetizers, music. It appeals to the Pacific Rim executives who work nearby and anyone who wants to sip in style.
Embarcadero—Bix, 56 Gold Street, between Sansome and Montgomery; tel: (415) 433-6300. Always rated among the best of everything, this vibrant supper-club offers an Art Deco bar and martinis that are simply splendid. Known for its excellent jazz.
The drinking age is 21 in California, and it is enforced. You may be asked for your identification in any place you try to purchase alcohol (called “being carded”), even if you are well over the minimum age. Just take it as a compliment. Do not drive even if you have had only a couple of drinks. DUI (Driving Under the Influence) laws are strict, and San Francisco policemen are not lenient with offenders. It is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more; you will not know your blood alcohol levels, but the police will. And they will test you on the spot. So, for a night on the town, it is best to ask someone in your group to be the “designated driver” and not drink. If you are the designated driver, try Northern California’s delicious Calistoga Water or a non-alcoholic beer, which all bars serve. If you are stopped for “driving under the influence,” never try to bribe a police officer. You will only make matters much worse than they already are. If you are convicted of DUI, you might go to jail for up to six months, you will no doubt pay a fine, your license may be restricted or suspended, and you might have to successfully complete a treatment program—all depending on the circumstances. So, be prudent. Do not drink and drive.
Hayes Valley—Jade Bar, 650 Gough Street; tel: (415) 869-1900. Now this is pure San Francisco: three levels, three bars; a waterfall, a fishpond, an inexpensive happy hour, and good small plates, Asian-style.
Mission—Blondie’s Bar and No Grill, 540 Valencia Street; tel: (415) 864-2419. No ambience, no grill, nothing but what some people say are the best drinks in town, especially the over-sized, delicious martini.
Mission—Dalva, 3121 16th Street, at Albion; tel: (415) 252-7740. A DJ spins music for a lively crowd in this bar that is rated among the best in the city.
Noe Valley—Bliss Bar, 4026 24th Street; tel: (415) 826-6200. An aptly named sophisticated bar for a stylish Noe Valley clientele, it provides music, a cosy fireplace, and good food, upscale wines and cocktails.
Noe Valley—Lime, 2247 Market Street; tel: (415) 621-5256. Boasting bi-level modernity, Lime has mini-TVs here and there, interesting appetizers for grazing, and its own mix of cocktails.
North Beach—Tosca, 242 Columbus Avenue, near Broadway; tel: (415) 986-9651. Almost a landmark for everyone who comes to San Francisco, Tosca has a loyal clientele of locals and is famous for its brandy-laced cappuccino. The jukebox plays only opera.
North Beach—Spec’s, William Saroyan Place, off Columbus near Broadway; tel: (415) 421-4112. This standby gets funkier by the year, and San Franciscans have loved it and imbibed here for decades.
Union Square—Red Room, 827 Sutter, in the Commodore Hotel; tel: (415) 346-7666. Also a city favorite (or at least of people who like the color red), this bar is glamorous in its all-red decor and is crowded with fashionable red-lovers.
Union Square—The Redwood Room, Clift Hotel, 495 Geary; tel: (415) 775-4700. Not to be confused with the Red Room, this is one of the city’s classiest bars, good for a drink before or after the theater.
Make no mistake. Gays and lesbians are welcome in any bar and in any club in any neighborhood of the city. San Francisco is a gay- and lesbian-friendly town. But many bars and clubs throughout the city are known as catering to the LGBT communities. And, if a description locates a bar or club in “The Castro” or on “Upper Market,” whether it is officially a gay hangout or restaurant or not, it is most likely that the ambience and clientele mirror that of the residents nearby. Last, especially if a place has recently opened, it is likely to be quickly explored by the various gay communities, which are like any San Franciscan group: always on the lookout for the hot new scene.
The clubs—classic or new—tend to have it all: dancing, games, exotic cocktails, patios. Some are good for cruising, others for conversation, and all are good for hanging out. To find out which clubs and bars are currently “in,” refer to Internet sites listed on page 375–376. Herewith a representative sample of what you can find, without even looking too hard:
Cherry Bar and Lounge, 917 Folsom Street at Fifth; tel: (415) 974-1585. Dancing for the women, seven days a week.
The Café, 2367 Market Street; tel: (415) 861-3846. Sometimes voted the best gay club in the city, women tend to hang out here in the afternoons, especially on Sunday. And the patio is mobbed on a sunny afternoon. There are two bars, computer games, and an always-animated dance floor.
Café Flore, 2298 Market; tel: (415) 621-8597. This could be the best café in the Castro, if the sheer number of customers are any indication. Right on Market at Noe in a former gas station, with a terrific outdoor space, the requisite good cocktails and wines, an excellent cappuccino as well, and a mixed clientele to enjoy it all.
The Lexington Club, 3464 19th Street between Mission and Valencia; tel: (415) 863-2052. A perennially popular Lesbian-owned bar, this is sometimes rated as the “best lesbian hangout.”
Mecca, 2029 Market Street; tel: (415) 621-7000. This is actually a restaurant serving fine New American cuisine, but much of the fashionable gay and straight clientele comes to belly up to the circular bar for its vodka martinis, other exotic cocktails.
Pendulum, 4146 18th Street at Collingwood; tel: (415) 863-4441. Mostly Latino and African American men hang out here. There are a dance floor, drag shows, and cantina nights. And a patio, of course.
El Rio, 3158 Mission Street; tel: (415) 282-3325. A mixed clientele here dances to live music with a distinctly Latin rhythm.
The Stud, 399 9th Street at Harrison; tel: (415) 863-6623. This old bar has been around for several decades but is regularly voted among the top gay clubs in the city. Mostly men, but not always. Dancing, special events, and Trannyshack on Tuesdays.
Trax, 1437 Haight Street; tel: (415) 786-4213). Both gays and straights hang out in this comfortable, typically Haight bar.
Twin Peaks, 401 Castro Street; tel: (415) 864-9470. One of the classics, a small quiet tavern in the heart of everything—for conversation, good drinks. Another bar with full-length windows to see and be seen.
Wild Side West, 424 Cortland Avenue, in Bernal Heights; tel: (415) 647-3099. One of the oldest lesbian bars, this friendly and open place has a patio, and plays live music.
Do not think that San Francisco’s beverage scene is just about wine, for the city has recently been voted—in yet another magazine ranking—as one of the top cities in the country for microbrewery and brewpub beers. (Would you expect anything less?). Brewpubs—saloons that handcraft their own recipes for beers and ales on the premises—offer the most innovative selections of brews. Some offer standard pub fare, some are elegant restaurants in themselves, and all provide a convivial atmosphere. And thus, beer appreciation is quite high among San Franciscans. In addition to their own craft beers, pubs also offer bottled domestic beers, plus imported beers and ales. Taking on the character of the neighborhood they serve, pubs offer various kinds of entertainment, including large television screens for sports viewing.
Actually, the microbrewery trend may well have started here in San Francisco, when in 1965 the decision was made to preserve the bankrupt Anchor Brewing Company, at 1705 Mariposa Street (tel: (415) 863-8350). Now it is San Francisco’s local pride, brewing the famous Anchor Steam Beer; the factory does not have a pub, but does give tours and tastings.
To know more about the beers available in the city, visit City Beer at 1168 Folsom; tel: (415) 503-1033. Mix and match among the 300 brands of beer available, or sit down for a cool one, with small plates for snacking.
Embarcadero (South)—Gordon Biersch, 2 Harrison Street, at the Embarcadero; tel: (415) 243-8246. German beers, extensive menu, plus pizza and snacks. Crowds often spill out onto the street.
Haight—Magnolia,1398 Haight Street, at Masonic; tel: (415) 864-7468. A brew pub in the heart of the Haight, serving lunch, dinner until late in the evening, and weekend brunch.
North Beach—San Francisco Brewing Company, 155 Columbus Avenue, at Pacific; tel: (415) 434-3344. Domestic and imported beers, plus those brewed on the premises. Enjoy tastings, good food, and live music provided most evenings.
Ocean Beach—Beach Chalet, 1000 The Great Highway at John F. Kennedy Drive; tel: (415) 386-8439. Fabulous views of the beach, a fashionable menu, plus a sampler of beers brewed on the premises.
SoMa—Thirsty Bear, 661 Howard Street; tel: (415) 974-0905. A microbrewery and restaurant serving tapas, paella, and other Spanish offerings, it also has pooltables and darts for its customers’ entertainment.
SoMa—21st Amendment Brewery Cafe, 563-2nd Street; tel: (415) 369-0900. A brewpub with its own brews and others as well. It also offers good food.
Also do not miss Toronado at 547 Haight Street, which offers an enormous variety of microbrews, advertising it has “48 kickass beers on tap” (tel: (415) 863-2276). Actually there are more than that, what with another 100 bottled beers offered. If you are hungry (or even if you are not), do not miss the opportunity to bring in and munch on a delicious sausage from the Rosamunde Sausage Grill next door. A typical Lower Haight experience.
And in terms of pubs, well, they are all over the city—hundreds of them, in every neighborhood and with every kind of ambience. Many have large-screen televisions for sports viewing and others have darts, but they all have beer and more beer, appreciated by a steady clientele. There are more than one hundred Irish pubs, and this is important for on Saint Patrick’s Day on March 17th, the city turns green. Irish or not, people wear green, they sport shamrocks, and, without doubt, they drink. Irish lager, stout (Guinness, most likely), ale, whiskies, and ciders rule the day and into the wee hours. Celebrations, block parties, Irish meals, and entertainment round out the festivities, and the annual Market Street parade culminates it all.
The Buena Vista Café at 2765 Hyde Street is not technically a pub, but it is the home of the first Irish Coffee in the United States—a cup of cream-frothed coffee happily laced with whiskey—and the celebrations there of Saint Patrick’s day seemingly do not ever stop (tel: (415) 474-5044).
The Avenues—The Abbey Tavern, 4100 Geary Boulevard, at 5th Avenue
The Avenues—Ireland’s 32, 3920 Geary Boulevard, at 4th Avenue
Financial District—Harrington’s Bar and Grill, 245 Front Street
Financial District—The Irish Bank, 10 Mark Lane, Bush Street near Kearny
North Beach—O’Reilly’s, 622 Green Street, near Columbus
The Richmond—The Plough and Stars, 116 Clement Street, at 2nd Street
SoMa—The Chieftan Irish Pub, 198 5th Street, at Howard Street
