Eating Around San Francisco

When I went to San Francisco a while ago, I knew that I was in for a treat--dare I say, the "San Francisco treat?" Although I ate no Rice-a-Roni while I was in the bay area, I certainly did get to sample the some amazing dishes, from the very basic breakfast sandwich to an elegant all vegetarian five star meal in an old military dock.

Although the mornings were bleak and the fog creeped into the bay on little "cat feet" as Carl Sandburg so famously once wrote, there was one scrumptious scent that could drag me out of my hotel bed each morning and draw me towards it in a zombie like trance-- a scintillating scent that was a bright beacon of light, even in the foggiest mornings. Oh, did I say beacon? I meant bacon. Well, not even bacon, but pancetta is in the bacon family isn't it?

The old ferry building just off of the Embarcadero metro stop on the edge of downtown is a bustling farmer's market on Saturday and Tuesday mornings. Just inside the building across from a deli that specializes only in salty pork products sits a milk and cheese company who offers what I would consider the best breakfast sandwich I have ever had. At a mere $6.99, it is worth every scrumptious bite. The sandwich is called the "Sidekick" and is offered by the good folks at the Cowgirl Creamery and milk bar (yes, milk bar). Just look at the picture of it!

It begins with fresh baked San Francisco sourdough roll. Two fresh eggs are cracked raw onto the bread, after some of the bread has been scooped out. Fresh artisan cheese is placed in the middle with freshly steamed kale, and pan fried pancetta. It is then placed, open face into an oven for five minutes or so, allowing the egg to seep into all of the other ingredients as it cooks. The result is a mouth-watering breakfast sandwich that is unmatched by any I have ever tasted. You can enjoy this beauty with a wonderful view of the morning bay by walking only a hundred feet or so to the edge of the dock. Rice-a-Roni, move over. This is the real San Francisco treat.

For coffee lovers, coffee that's (dare I say) better than Starbuck's, just head a few stalls down to the Blue Bottle Coffee Company to try the unique drip coffees made a single cup at a time to order. This is the best place to get a cup of gourmet coffee for less than two bucks with such unique flavors such as the New Orleans, the Bella Donovan, and the 17-foot ceiling. It's rich in flavor and soothing. It must be the unique "drip" method of brewing that takes a little bit of extra time, but is definitely worth the wait!

After breakfast is done, one has to wonder, "When do we eat next?" For lunch, no other place offers a better snack after roaming around the farmer's market than the Tadich Grill just inside the edge of downtown in the financial district. We happened to be there just on the verge of the St. Patty's day parade, which was taking place a few blocks away, so the usually crowded location happened to be empty at the time.

If you've ever wondered where Don Draper and Roger Sterling from Mad Men would lunch in San Francisco, this is the place. Is 10:00 am too early for a cocktail? Certainly not at the Tadich Grill! While our wives were perusing the nick-knacks at the farmers market, my good buddy Will and I stumbled upon the Tadich grill and slipped in for a couple of quick Stella Artois pilsners off tap. When you enter through the stern wooden doors, you are greeted by the bar staff in whites and blacks and offered a seat at the long wooden lunch bar. The beer is cold and the service is friendly. Our bartender delighted us with his ability to turn down every reservation that came in by phone by saying, "We don't take reservations," while seating customer after customer who had clearly made reservations. The prices were fair, and although we didn't sample any of the dishes at this particular location, every dish that came off the line looked as appetizing as any you could find elsewhere.

Another hot-spot for lunch in the San Francisco financial district is the famous dim-sum from Yank Sing. Inside a mall-like shopping area, which seems deserted on a Monday afternoon, Yank Sing is flooded with customers. One recommendation here-- review the menu and prices before you get there. As soon as you are seated, an overwhelming conveyor belt of servers descend upon you in an onslaught of food options. Although each dish is small and can be devoured in just a few bites, the prices per dish can range anywhere from $3 to $12. So be careful what you say "yes" to! We accidentally ended up paying $9 for a cabbage salad that was literally three bites (but it was good!) Yet, despite the anxiety induced by the constant offerings of pork dumplings and shrimp puffs, it was still a great experience and overall, the food was stellar! And, for the gentlemen, they place ice cubes in the urinals to prevent "splashing"-- a restroom feature that is well appreciated by moi.

For dinner, there are two options that I would certainly not pass up at all costs. I am not a vegetarian, but my wife is. My good friend Chelsey, who we were traveling with, is also a vegetarian. In fact, if you haven't noticed already, I cook vegetarian 80% of the time and eat vegetarian just as often simply because I'm married to one. I have nothing against the veggie way. So this place was a special treat for all of us. Greens is located in Fort Mason, just a quick cab ride past the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory from Fisherman's Wharf. Greens is a five star vegetarian restaurant that offers far more than just your standard tofu based meat substitutes. It is a true vegetarian's heaven.

We were not only lucky enough to be able to enjoy a few bottles of wine at this place, but we were graced with some of the best food I have ever eaten--and it was all meat free! We started off with the Star Route Wilted Spinach Salad and Bengali Potato Croquettes. They don't want you to know this, but these two appetizers were more than enough for four diners (although the croquettes were so good, we ordered another plate). We then moved on to sample such delightful dishes as the Buckwheat Crepe with roasted winter vegetables, caramelized onions, gruyere and herb cream and the Artichoke and Sunchoke Gratin with leeks, green garlic, peppers, tomatoes, manchego and fromage blanc custard. Every bite will make you question why you eat meat in the first place. Animal flesh was certainly not missed.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a big fan of beers and bars that serve them. This is why the second place the I would not miss in San Francisco is the Rogue Bar situated in the North Beach area. Just a hop-skip-and a jump from both China Town and Coit Tower, the Rogue Bar offers every single one of the Rogue micro-brew beers, along with some of the best bar food for beer sampling. You can go as basic as the Kobe beef bacon cheese burger, or you can sample some of their delightful bleu cheese and Kobe beef meat balls. They also have a sauerkraut drenched Kobe beef hot dog, appropriately named the Dachshund. Did I mention that they offer plenty of Kobe beef options?

Not only is the food great the the Rogue bar, but the beer flows freely and at a relatively good price for beer of its quality. I would recommend a sampler (as you can see we had!). This way, you can try everything from the classics such as Rogue Juniper Pale Ale to the experimental oddities such as the John John Dead Guy, which is a blend of whiskey and beer. The John John Dead Guy was unlike any beer I have ever tasted. It had all the bite of whiskey, yet the soothing ale finish licked your wounds before you knew what hit you. These are among several of the other beers, including a chocolate stout that will literally knock you off your feet.

And finally, after all that drinking and eating, what's better than more drinking and eating? You've got to have that late night snack somewhere, right? One particular night, after spending a few hours at a historic bar on top of the Stockton Tunnel, we headed uphill toward the Top of the Mark Lounge in the famous InterContinental hotel. This place has the most amazing views of the city at night. Even if you are not a drinker, the views are worth a trip.

After ordering a round of Martinis at the tiny bar, we took a seat next to one of the many large windows and peered out over the vast landscape that San Francisco had to offer. The view is panoramic, depending on where you move around the bar. You can view San Fran from just about any angle and location. At night, with the glitter of lights and the slight dusting of fog, the view was breath-taking. The martinis were good as well. They were classic style, heavy on the gin and dirty with the olive juice.

Then, after enjoying the final drink at closing time, it's time for the best pizza in town. Golden Boy pizza, which offers a few locations in San Fran, is the best spot to get pizza by slice off the street. You can slide into the narrow establishment if you want and sit at the eight person bar, but you can just as well enjoy the pizza from a paper plate on the street. For $3.50 you can get a square slice and a beer off tap! What a deal! And the pizza itself is more than just your average pepperoni. Served in generous square slices (since they bake it in a rectangular pan) the pizza is just what you need after a long night out on the town. I particularly enjoyed their Clam Garlic pizza, which was smothered in fresh clams and garlic gloves from edge to edge. I'm not sure if this is the pizza you want to eat before kissing your loved one, but it most definitely makes the tum-tum happy. The dudes that work the place are also cool. They pump plenty of 90s era punk and skater music into the atmosphere and have a very laid back attitude. It's my kind of place for sure.

There were plenty more treats offered by the wonderful people of San Francisco, but these were definitely my favorites. I went to San Fransisco to find friends and fun, but fell in love with the food. Until next time San Fran...