SF Tips from a Real SF Girl!

June 23rd, 2008

Intro: Who better than a SF native to give you tips on the city? I am such a big fan of SF Money Musings. She’s a writer. She loves good food. She gives fabulous, frugal, fun tips on her city. We are so sympatico (and I’m probably tasting some of these bakeries right now, if all’s going well).

So here you go: you’re in for a real treat with these tips from SF Money Musings on visiting San Francisco.

I’ve been living in San Francisco for almost two years and found no shortage of pastry shops (sugar is my weakness) and places to explore by foot.

Here’s a short and relatively inexpensive guide to San Francisco from my experiences of walking several miles during the weekend.

Little Star Pizza – I’ve heard they make a deep dish pie comparable to Chicago’s. It’s also BYOB. The lines are long so either go early around 5 or 6pm or go for lunch (it’s cheaper too).

Golden Boy Pizza – This is one of my favorite late night post-hangover cure. Their foccacia-like pizza with garlic, clams, mushroom and pesto sauce will melt in your mouth. They’re small and sort of pricey but if you’re in the North Beach area late at night and need a quick fix, the pizza will hit the right spot.

Sugary foods:

Tartine – Looking for a slice of France in San Francisco? Head to this French-pastry shop in the Mission for soft, buttery ham and cheese croissants or sweet plum pies. The lines are long here also so it’s better to come here early in the week and mornings before the rush starts.

Dianda’s Italian American Pastry – I discovered Dianda’s by accident. Last summer I went to a potluck my then CPA was hosting. I was getting ready to leave mid-afternoon when one of the other guests told me to wait a bit longer. She said dessert was on its way and if I love sweets as much as I talked about them, I wouldn’t want to miss the surprise.

About 45 minutes later, a large rum-spiked cream puff cake glued together with maple syrup appeared. They call this the “St. Honore” cake, so rich, heavenly and perfect for any occasion. You have to order this one in advance. But the éclairs and cookies are perfectly acceptable substitutes for cake.

Along the same line of Italian pastries, Victoria Bakery and Stella’s Pastry in North Beach are just as stellar and a closer walk from downtown San Francisco. Victoria carries delicious lemon meringue cookies and cranberry croissants. Victoria bought Stella Pastry last year so they carry roughly the same items. The interior of Stella is so warm, friendly and a cozy place to hang out with friends and share a cup of coffee and cookies.

Good Mong Kok – This Chinese dim sum hole-in-the wall on Stockton Street makes the best plain steamed buns. And the ladies who work here are so nice and sweet. They greet you in Chinese with the highest honors, well for a young girl, at least. The steamed buns and dim sum are their specialty. They also carry other standard Chinese pastries such as pineapple red bean buns and the Chinese custard bun.

Golden Gate Bakery – I think their egg tarts are overrated. And they’re expensive at $1 each for a tiny little egg tart. Try if you must but you can get comparable ones from other bakeries in Chinatown for way less.

Tacqueria Cancun – This tacqueria is such a wonderful gem in the Tenderloin especially their cheap burritos. The plates are pricey at $7.75 so I’d stick to the burritos, most are under $5 ($5.41 with tax, technically) for a regular size one which can easily be split among two people. I love the chorizo or carne asada, tender and lightly grilled burrito, which comes with homemade chips and salsa.

Acme Bakery in the Ferry Building – No other sourdough bread in San Francisco compares except Boudin which comes close. It’s best purchased when they open at 6am – fresh off the oven. It’s best consumed plain with the exception of Cowgirl Creamery cheese such as a Humboldt fog goat cheese (another Northern California specialty). They also make sandwiches using only local ingredients at Acme including the Mt. Tam cheese.

Cowgirl Creamery – This place is like the Wal-Mart of cheese. They have what seems like a million varieties to serve your pleasure including the Rogue Blue cheese which combined with macaroni makes for a light dinner.

Ferry Building Farmer’s Market - On Saturday, the Ferry Building turns into a gigantic (several parking lot sizes) farmers market. You will find generous samples to feed your hungry bellies from large plump red strawberries to unique varieties of fruits that sound strange. The market is good for sampling and browsing. Unfortunately it is severely overpriced, expensive and caters to tourists.

So by now you’ve probably had too many samples at the market and need to walk off those excess pounds. San Francisco has the luxury of being a small but urban city. Walking will allow you to see, hear and experience more of San Francisco. Don’t ride the MUNI unless you enjoy watching the bus driver make every single stop on every block in the neighborhood. Walking will get you there much faster and you’ll discover all kinds of interesting places.

A walk to Coit Tower climbing massive amount of stairs is a fun exercise with a group of friends. Start at Montgomery Street BART station and walk straight for about 10 blocks. You’ll see nothing but big empty buildings and some restaurants. You’re on the right track. Once you walk up the hill, you’ll pass the Scientology Church but stay on path and continue until you reach Broadway Street. At Broadway Street make a left past strip clubs and walk one block to find the set of stairs to Coit Tower. The signs will point you there and once you reach the top, you’ll find gorgeous views of The City. It’s also a nice lunch stop to stop and take in the sights. (Note from GG: We are SO doing this!)

City Lights Bookstore – This is a fun place to stop on your way back from Coit Tower. It is THE spot if you’re into poetry, the BEAT generation and literary adventures such as chap books or obscure magazines.

Popscene 330 Ritch Street – On Thursday nights, this little club/dive in SOMA lets you relive the 80s with other 18 and older club goers. It’s a scenester and hipster hangout. You’ll find boys dressed in Fred Perry polo shirts with the collars popped up and in skin-tight jeans. The girls wear their Nicole Richie big shade sunglasses and big billowy dresses with fake pearls. You can hear and check out the latest up and coming bands here before they become mainstream. And the cover is usually less than $10 which is a bargain for a bit of true indie treasure. After the bands leave, the DJ’s spin 80s, Brit pop, new wave, shoegaze and all sorts of random tunes suitable for dancing. The cover charge is $5 if you’re over 21 after the bands leave so if you only want to dance and skip checking out the bands, that’s another option.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art – This museum features a collection of modern and contemporary art. Their exhibitions and collections are interesting and thought-provoking depending on how you view art. Frida Kalho is on display including a collection of her life history with husband Diego Rivera.

DeYoung Museum – This is one of my favorite museums in San Francisco. Chihuly, whose collection of stained art is massive and colorful. There are videos throughout the museum that demonstrate the entire process and his studio in Tacoma. His creativity and passion for stained glass shows clearly in the displays.

Spend less time in Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39. There’s not much to see or do except buy overpriced souvenirs. There’s an In-N-Out burger in Fisherman’s Wharf, home of the infamous criss-cut fries and animal-style burgers.