Food in San Francisco

Boudin

Alright, so this is a must when visiting the Bay Area, so I was told beforehand. Apparently, the sourdough bread in SF is something special, either due to the unique, foggy climate or a special strain of yeast that gives the bread its characteristic flavour – not entirely clear. But Boudin is famous for this, especially for its clam chowder served in a bread bowl made from their sourdough. I went upstairs to the Bistro area and placed my order. It came suspiciously quick. I understand they can’t make either the chowder or the bread to order, obviously, but it always raises an eyebrow when food arrives this fast.

Anyhow, the clam chowder was very creamy and flavourful, with a distinct hint of clams. Nothing to complain about there. The bread, or the bowl rather, was nice but nothing extraordinary in my opinion. I’m not a bread connoisseur by any means, and I couldn’t really tell the difference between this sourdough and the sourdough back home. And for those who manage to finish both the chowder and the bowl, hats off—it’s a lot.

Arsicault Bakery

This one is hard to pronounce. But the harder the name, the better the food, or so say they say. And it’s definitely true for this bakery. This was my breakfast on my second day in town, and it took me 40 minutes on an empty stomach to walk up and down the hills of northern SF to get there. Having heard that they had recently won the award for the best croissants in the U.S., I was determined that no hill would stop me from sinking my teeth into one of those—only to discover a huge line outside the bakery when I finally arrived. I heard that keeping all of the guests on the sidewalk, it simply looks good from a business perspective. So it’s basically a PR trick. Allegedly.

Now, down to the important stuff—the pastry. Did they live up to the enormous expectations? YES! I’ve never tasted anything this flaky and buttery in a croissant. I ordered almost half the menu (which almost ruined me), and it was just heaven for the taste buds. Their morning bun is a perfect marriage between a cinnamon bun and a croissant, with a hint of orange. I devoured it without any hesitation or dignity.

I visited their location at 397 Arguello, but they also have one at 87 McAllister. I visited this location on my last day in SF to try their Kouign-Amann (pronounced Queen Aman, or something like that) – a flaky, gooey and crunchy laminated pastry from Brittany, France. God, it was good. Best 5USD ever spent.

Sorry for posting a picture of a half-eaten croissant below. I was halfway through it when it hit me that I should have taken a photo beforehand.

Tacos El Patrón

The Mission District is the place for tacos in San Francisco. You can find taquerias on almost every corner, and Tacos El Patrón is one of many. I arrived after a five-hour hike through the city on a cloudless day, so I was both mentally and physically exhausted.

There was a bit of a line when I got there, but it cleared pretty fast. It’s not a big place, but it has about two handfuls of tables. The atmosphere is everything you want from a taco spot—simplistic, raw, and filled with mariachi music.

I ordered one birria taco, one shrimp and cheese taco, among others, and the mother of all tacos: the taco al pastor. In my humble opinion, you can judge a taco place solely on the taco al pastor; it’s the true test of their craft. I also got a tray of totopos accompanied by pico de gallo as a starter. Unfortunately, these were a little bland and lacked some flavour. But I quickly forgot about that the moment I started on the main course. The al pastor delivered big time, and so did the other two. Three rather large tacos brought my energy back after a long morning of walking.

Service was great, and I ended up ordering a burrito to go to eat back at the hotel. That never happened, though—I crashed pretty hard when I got back to the hotel, leaving the poor burrito cold and unwanted. I had it for breakfast the next morning, though, but reviewing it based on its condition at that time would be super unfair. But it did its job, let’s say that.

All in all, it’s a great place if you’re craving Mexican food while in SF.

Eight AM

I chose this place at random, and it turned out to be right next to Board and Drink which I reviewed before.

I’m not a breakfast person, so the food has to be pretty great for me to enjoy it. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the French toast with berry compote at Eight AM. The whole dish felt industrially produced with little to no flavor. And as soon as I saw the canned whipped cream, I knew this dish wasn’t going to play ball with me. For $19, I expected more. That being said, I haven’t tried the other items on the menu yet, but this particular dish didn’t satisfy me. I did get full, though, so that’s something.

In-N-Out Burger

Next to Arsicault, this was perhaps the one I looked the most forward to try in SF. A burger chain exclusive to the western coast and some more states more inland. But it is California native and is a must if you happen to pass by.

My first visit took place as soon as i had landed in SF and checked into my hotel at Lombard Street on a Saturday evening. I walked down to Fisherman’s Wharf and found the place completely stuffed with people. I should’ve known, but I had to try it. No time to lose.

I ordered a Double-Double animal style with well done fries, also that animal style. Animal style refers to a burger with a beef patty grilled with mustard then served with pickles, lettuce, grilled onions, and extra spread on a toasted bun. With animal style fries, they’re topped with cheese, spread, and chopped onions. It really lifts the burger and fries to the next level. It’s part of their “secret menu”, so it’s not written out on the big menu plaque you see above the counter. With the fries, I’d say it’s a must to put this on. The fries by themselves are not what you’re here for, it’s the burger. Super fresh ingredient all the way through and you have a lot of options in customizing your meal.

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana

This was a spot I’d had my eye on before coming to SF. Always topping lists of the best pizzerias in the States, visiting this local gem was a no-brainer.

Located in North Beach, close to Chinatown, I arrived on a Friday afternoon around 4 pm, a bit concerned about the potential long lines beforehand. Luckily, I got a table right away.

I ordered their award-winning Margherita which they only make 73 a day. Turned out I was one of the lucky ones. I got a seat next to one of the huge ovens and my pizza arrived after about 15min. And what a beauty it was. I’m not a huge fan of Neapolitan pizza but this one hit the spot. Super rich tomato sauce, great dough and undercarriage, and splendid fior di latte—just an explosion of taste. This place is worth its own trip if you’re in the San Francisco area..