San Francisco Eats
When we moved to Tampa in 1993, what I missed most from San Francisco was the vibrant restaurant scene. (For the record, Tampa has come a long way since then.) Thirty plus years later, the City by the Bay is still a great place for foodies.
My favorite meals were, of course, the home-cooked ones. Steve made all kinds of delicious meals at home, using fresh local ingredients from the Farmer’s Market. Danny and his girlfriend Mei made us tasty meals with their high-tech toys: the Gardyn AI-controlled hydroponic garden and the Ooni high-temperature outdoor pizza oven. So yummy!
We returned to a couple of favorite restaurants that are San Francisco icons, and we were not disappointed:
Yank Sing, our favorite dim sum spot, was still going strong. The pork xiao long bao (soup dumplings) were just as good as we remembered, tender with plenty of broth inside. We were disappointed in the siu mai - its filling was too dense. Alas, the peking duck with bao was not available. But I did discover a new favorite dish: the crispy tofu with garlic and scallion oil.
We dined at Zuni Cafe about 15 years ago with our kids. They don’t remember the food, but they do remember seeing fellow diner Robin Williams! Now, although much of Market Street was like a ghost town, Zuni’s art-filled dining room was still bustling. I love that they split the salad for us, and the roast chicken for two - juicy and flavorful - was still a worthwhile indulgence.
Of the restaurants we tried for the first time, a couple stood out for their reasonably priced prix fixe menus:
7 Adams (one Michelin star, five courses $87) had a jazzy dining room, outstanding seasonal dishes, and exceptional service. When our server noticed that I had not finished the scallop crudo starter, he insisted on bringing me a different dish. He wanted me to be happy, and I was!
Trestle (Michelin Bib Gourmand, four courses $52) was the perfect spot for dinner with Danny and Mei, to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary. We had a nice table in the cozy dining room, and the tomato-themed menu was delicious.
There were plenty of great places serving our favorite international foods: Spanish tapas, Chinese dim sum, and Mexican tacos. Restaurants that we’d happily recommend and revisit included:
Coqueta was a popular place on the Embarcadero with a lovely dining room and patio. Danny and Mei joined us for a feast of delicious tapas. Everything was delicious, but a few really shone: the pan con tomate with Cristal bread, the croquetas de pollo crusted with chicharron, and the patatas bravas, lightly smoked and with perfectly crispy skins.
HK Lounge Bistro was a hidden dim sum gem near our apartment. They had the best siu mai of the places we had tried in San Francisco, and there were delicious dim sum we hadn’t seen elsewhere, like roast duck and peanut dumplings and crispy pork buns.
Buena Vida Cantina, also near our apartment, offered a mix-and-match trio of tacos with soft handmade corn tortillas.
Matador had good tacos, too, and we couldn’t get enough of the fresh, crispy tortilla chips and guacamole. We liked sitting in the secret speakeasy at the back.
Finally, I must mention a special ballpark treat from Crazy Crab’z, a concession at Oracle Park with a cult following. Their signature sandwich is made with fresh Dungeness crab, sliced tomato, and buttery grilled sourdough bread. At $24.95, it was a lot more expensive than a hot dog, but it was a bargain in a city where Dungeness crab dishes start at $90. It’s my new favorite sandwich.
