Hop a cable car, climb a secret staircase, eat a dim-sum feast or wander with no itinerary and let San Francisco charm you. Just remember to wear layers. Here's local Sarah Feldberg's guide to the best places to eat and go in San Francisco.
LessJust before you crash into Ocean Beach, a bakery will emerge from the fog. Named for the jagged Farallon Islands 27 miles off the coast, Devil’s Teeth serves lacquered cinnamon rolls, savory scones and homemade sourdough loaves. But the star is the special breakfast sandwich: scrambled eggs, pepper jack cheese, bacon, avocado and lemon garlic aioli on a fresh-baked buttermilk biscuit.
If you worship at the altar of carbohydrates, this is your temple: a bright, airy East Mission spot where Chad Robertson and Liz Prueitt have grown their beloved bakery into a three-meal restaurant. At breakfast and weekend brunch, that means eggs coddled with trout roe and sandwiched with porchetta, layered seasonal tartines and a case full of pastries. Get the frangipane croissant, then take away an entire country loaf, a celebrity sourdough with a recipe that spans 38 pages.
In the land of the nap-inducing burrito, opt for tacos. Perpetually parked during lunch at the corner of Treat Avenue and 23rd Street, in the traditionally Mexican Mission District, this local truck serves classic street tacos for $2.50 a pop. There’s no bad order among the proteins, but we’re partial to the carnitas: fall-apart pork with crunchy ends topped with onion, cilantro and a dousing of house-made salsa. Grab a folding chair and a pile of napkins; you’re going to need them.
Plenty has changed in the 47 years since this North Beach institution opened — it hasn’t sold a cigar in decades, for one — but the important things endure. It’s still a family-run restaurant, now in the hands of Mario’s son, Paul. It still boasts a roster of regulars and it still serves oven-baked sandwiches on Liguria Bakery focaccia, loaded with meatballs or eggplant with Swiss and marinara. Just beware the pepperoncini; they bite.
At Rich Table, in Hayes Valley, husband-and-wife chefs Evan and Sarah Rich turn out refined international comfort food that’s earned a Michelin star. One block away, at this fast-casual spot (the original of two locations), they do simple dishes at a fraction of the price. The common theme here is roasting: moist buttermilk-brined chicken and vegetable sides that are more decadent than virtuous. Don’t miss the Brussels sprouts Caesar. It’ll change how you think about salads — and sprouts.
Hometown chef Brandon Jew’s first solo restaurant is an ode to Chinese American cooking and his childhood, set in the thick of the country’s first Chinatown. Nods to California peek out across the menu in the sourdough scallion pancakes, Dutch crunch pork buns and Monterey squid wontons. But don’t order so many small dishes that you’re too full for the main event: roast duck with shatteringly crisp skin, served with a peanut butter hoisin sauce that’ll be your new favorite condiment.
Dessert shops don’t come more charming than this Cole Valley ice cream fountain. There’s the vintage wooden bar, the bowtied soda jerks and the couples sharing caramelized banana splits. If it weren’t for the Instagrammers capturing photogenic treats, you would swear it was 1935. Everything is made in-house, from the sandwich brioche to the creme fraiche ice cream to the original sodas.
Street art is woven into the aesthetic of San Francisco, and nowhere is that culture more on display than this single block between 24th and 25th streets in the Mission. Nearly every property along the alley has an original mural, many of which weave the history of the neighborhood or social justice messages into their colorful depictions. Ogle at your own pace or, for a more in-depth experience, book a tour with the nonprofit Precita Eyes and hear the stories behind each artist and their work.
San Francisco has sand, of course, but on warm, sunny days this Mission park plays the role of beach — a place to spread a blanket, enjoy a picnic and crack an adult beverage. Vendors ply the lawn with ice cream pops, rum-filled coconuts and cannabis truffles, while kids scramble around the playground and dogs romp on the grass. It’s worth the walk to the top of the hill for a view of the downtown skyline and to capture a San Francisco panorama that never gets old.
Here you’ll find Mission Bay’s year-round block party, where a rotating roster of food trucks sling everything from empanadas to acai bowls, day drinkers order pitchers of IPA and folks pull Adirondack chairs up to the fire pit for urban s’more-making. Check the calendar before you head over, so you can be sure to hit (or skip) events like the Rosé Soirée, Corgi Meetup or all-you-can-eat crab feast.