San Francisco - Alison Bing [123]
LIGURIA BAKERY Map Italian $
415-421-3786; 1700 Stockton St; 8am-2pm Mon-Fri, 7am-2pm Sat, 7am-noon Sun; 15, 30, 41, 45; Powell-Mason
Bleary-eyed art students and Italian grandmothers are in line by 8am for the cinnamon-raisin focaccia hot out of the 100-year-old oven, leaving 9am dawdlers a choice of tomato or classic rosemary, and 10am stragglers out of luck. Take what you can get, and don’t kid yourself that you’re going to save it for lunch.
BRIOCHE BAKERY Map Bakery $
415-765-0412; 210 Columbus Ave; 7am-8pm Mon-Sat; 15, 30, 41, 45
When Gold Rush miners found gold, they treated themselves to ‘Frenchy food’ here on what was once San Francisco’s Barbary Coast – and now you too can start your day striking it rich with flaky cinnamon twists, not-too-sweet pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants), and namesake brioches golden with butter.
GELATERIA NAIA Map Ice Cream $
415-677-9280; www.gelaterianaia.com; 520 Columbus Ave; 11am-11pm Sun-Thu, to midnight Fri & Sat; 15, 30, 41, 45
Chinatown and North Beach cross-pollinate with creamy concoctions that improve on the ordinary, elevating the usual Chinese green tea or Italian pistachio ice cream options to a decadent choice of Kyoto maccha tea or locally roasted California pistachio gelato. Local, seasonal flavors and constant experimentation introduce entirely new sorbet and gelato obsessions with flavors ranging from white peach to black sesame.
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RUSSIAN & NOB HILLS
Along Hyde and Polk Sts, at the western edge of Russian and Nob Hills, you’ll be glad you made the climb to prime picnic spots and neighborhood bistros. These hilltops add romantic views to the bill of fare – and if the walk afterwards seems anticlimactic, try leaping aboard a cable car.
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RUSSIAN HILL
ACQUERELLO Map Californian, Italian $$$
415-567-5432; www.acquerello.com; 1722 Sacramento St; 5:30-9:30pm Tue-Sat; 1, 19, 47, 49, 76; California
A converted chapel is a fitting location for a meal that’ll turn Italian culinary purists into true believers in Cal-Italian cuisine. ‘Oh…my…God…’ is the obvious reaction to chef Suzette Gresham’s generous pastas and ingenious seasonal meat dishes, including heavenly quail salad, devilish lobster panzerotti (stuffed dough pockets in a spicy seafood broth), and venison loin chops. Order a la carte, or a prix-fixe of three/four/five courses for $60/72/82. An anteroom where brides once steadied their nerves is now lined with limited-production Italian vintages, which the sommelier will pair by the glass.
1550 HYDE Map Californian, Italian $$
415-775-1550; www.1550hyde.com; 1550 Hyde St; 6-9:30pm Tue-Thu, 6-10pm Fri & Sat, 5:30-9:30pm Sun; 12, 19; Powell-Hyde;
‘Clang clang clang went the trolley, zing zing zing went my heartstrings…’ That Judy Garland tune ‘The Trolley Song’ finally makes sense after an evening at this romantic hilltop restaurant, with dark wood, candles everywhere, and big bay windows to watch the cable cars pass. Go Sunday to Thursday for the $29.95 three-course dinner and $15 wine flights, and be seduced.
SWAN OYSTER DEPOT Map Seafood $$
415-673-1101; 1517 Polk St; 8am-5:30pm Mon-Sat; 1, 19, 27, 47, 49; California
Superior flavor without the superior attitude of most seafood restaurants. The downside is an inevitable wait for the few counter seats, but the upside of the high turnover is unbelievably fresh seafood. On sunny days, place an order to go, browse Polk St boutiques, then breeze past the line to pick up your crab salad with Louie dressing and the obligatory top-grade oysters with mignonette (wine/shallot) sauce. Hike or take a bus up to Sterling Park for superlative seafood with ocean views.
CHEESE PLUS Map Deli $
415-921-2001; www.cheeseplus.com; 2001 Polk St; 10am-7:30pm Mon-Sat, to 7pm Sun; 12, 19, 27, 47, 49, 76, 90
Foodies, rejoice: here’s one deli where they won’t blink an eye if you say you’d rather have the aged,