8 Dishes to Try Before You Leave SF
Ranked by how much they say about this city — dishes that tell the story of its people
1
This is the closest thing SF has to a signature dish — sour bread whose distinctive tang comes from wild yeast and bacteria in the humid bay air (a strain scientists named after the city). A hard, crackly crust and a chewy, airy interior with a sweet-sour flavour. Boudin Bakery has been making it since 1849 (Gold Rush era) and still uses its original starter. Try a hollowed-out round filled with clam chowder — a true SF meal, and a cheap one.
2
A seafood stew born in SF, created by Italian immigrant fishermen in the 1800s — a deep red tomato-wine broth loaded with Dungeness crab, shrimp, clams, mussels, and fresh fish, all from the day's catch. Served hot with sourdough for dipping. Bold with garlic and Italian herbs. It's a messy dish (wear the bib they give you), but it's the soul of this port town.
3
A burrito born in the Mission District in the 1960s that became the SF standard — large and round, tightly wrapped in foil, packed with rice, beans, grilled meat (carne asada/al pastor), cheese, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream in a giant tortilla. One is a whole meal for USD 12. Far bigger than the traditional Mexican burrito. Legends like La Taquería and El Farolito endlessly argue over who does it better — try them and pick a side.
4
SF's Chinatown is the oldest in North America (since 1848) and its dim sum is the real thing — har gow (shrimp in translucent wrappers), siu mai, char siu bao, chicken feet in black bean, turnip cakes, and steaming congee, served off carts in old-school halls. Go for late-morning brunch on a weekend for the real atmosphere. Some of the best dim sum is also out in the Richmond and Sunset (newer Chinese communities). Well-priced if you don't over-order.
5
Dungeness crab is SF's seafood icon — large, with sweet, firm meat. The catch season runs roughly mid-November to June, when it's freshest and best priced. Fisherman's Wharf has stalls boiling fresh crab to buy whole with lemon-butter dip (at tourist prices). For better value, try a Chinatown spot that does ginger-scallion crab, or the famous Vietnamese roast crab at Thanh Long in the Sunset — the real thing locals go for.
6
Ghirardelli is one of the oldest chocolate makers in America, founded by an Italian immigrant during the 1852 Gold Rush — at Ghirardelli Square (the old factory turned shopping-and-eating spot) you can buy assorted chocolate squares, but the thing to try is the hot fudge sundae at its legendary ice cream parlour: ice cream drenched in rich, hot chocolate sauce. Very sweet, but a classic SF souvenir and experience. A good stop after a stroll along the bay.
7
The American version of Irish coffee was created at The Buena Vista Café near Fisherman's Wharf in 1952 — hot coffee with Irish whiskey and sugar, topped with hand-whipped cream floating on the surface. A warming drink perfect for SF's cool, foggy weather. The bartenders at Buena Vista line up dozens of glasses and make them all at once like a show. Sip one on a breezy afternoon while the cable car rattles past, and you'll understand SF's charm — it's a ritual you can't find anywhere else.
8
SF is the capital of artisan baking in America, and Tartine Bakery in the Mission started the wave — buttery croissants with a thousand crisp layers, the morning bun (a cinnamon-sugar croissant roll), and a sourdough loaf that sells out daily. Lines start early, but it's worth the wait. Chef Chad Robertson changed American baking with slow-fermentation technique. If you don't want to wait at Tartine, try b. patisserie or Arsicault, both making world-class croissants.