Eric’s Favorite Things to Eat in San Francisco
San Francisco is a famous food town, with more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than anywhere else in the country. It has cheap ethnic food from all over the globe and traditional classics that have satisfied generations. It also has arguments over what is really the best of any given thing. So I will skip the hyperbole and just tell you what I think are the best things to eat in San Francisco. These are things to add to your list when you are planning a visit to SF, and food is such an important part of the culture here that I always include a food stop on my tours.
1. Mission Style “Super” Burrito: Two places (Taqueria La Cumbre and El Faro) both claim to have served these monstrous “slabs” since the 1960s. In each case, the origin story is the same. Recent immigrants from Mexico wanted to introduce their food to White San Francisco residents unfamiliar with it. So they rolled combo meals of rice, beans, grilled meat, salsas and more into giant tortillas to imitate the American deli sandwich. Fast-forward two generations and the “cylindrical god” feeds starving artists and D.C. data nerds alike. My favorite is the barbacoa “baby” burrito with black beans from La Corneta in my neighborhood of Glen Par. It’s a popular place to stop for lunch on tour - these burritos keep you going to Alcatraz and beyond. You can watch me and Chad Thompson from Vantigo talk about our favorite burritos in SF here.
https://flic.kr/p/8kSkZs, photo by Omid Tavallai
2. “It’s It” Ice Cream Sandwiches: I’ve been eating these since I was a toddler. In fact, “It’s It” has been around so long, my grandmother ate these as a toddler! Two oatmeal cookies sandwich one of four flavors of ice cream and then the whole thing gets dipped in chocolate. You can find them in any corner store in town and they’re the best on hot days! Fortunately they are great on foggy days too, because we have more of those…
https://flic.kr/p/5BEJAd, photo by Navin Rajagopalan
3. Xiao Long Bao: Dim Sum is a style of food that comes from Hong Kong and southern China comprising dozens of small plates of dumplings, rolls, and more. You can enjoy dim sum at a leisurely, elegant sit down lunch at Yank Sing OR a quick grab and eat on the run at Good Mon Kok Bakery in Chinatown. Everyone has their favorite dish, and mine is Xiao Long Bao - these are steamed pork dumplings with fragrant hot soup INSIDE the wrapper!
https://flic.kr/p/2fiyHtk, photo by Dale Cruse
4. Sourdough Bread: I’m sure you’ve heard of the sourdough bread bowl with the clam chowder in it at Boudin Bakery, and it’s great, but there is so much more to it than that! Try the sourdough crust pizzas at the worker-owned collective Arizmendi Bakery or the solid country loaves at Tartine.
https://flic.kr/p/tNKYJp, photo by Sharon Hahn Darlin
5. Sand Dabs: Like I just mentioned, everyone knows the clam chowder. Many even know the Dungeness crab or the mighty cioppino, but far fewer are familiar with the humble Sand Dab. These are delicate fish, relatives of the flounder, that come from just outside San Francisco bay in the summer. They aren’t always available, but you will find them on specials menus all over town. They are amazing grilled or sauteed and served with lemon, butter, and plenty of Anchor Steam beer.
https://flic.kr/p/nSbZuu, photo by Steven Damron
6. Mission Bacon Dog: If you walk down Mission Street in the early evening, eventually you will smell these cooking up at little unpermitted carts on every block. Cheap hot dogs, wrapped in bacon and grilled with onions and jalapenos on a portable griddle. Hand over a few dollars and you get one stuffed into a bun with a squeeze of mayo on top. It’s a border town classic that has been around the Mission as long as I can remember. Some brave vendors are even venturing as far as the Embarcadero these days. I’ll be honest, I can’t think of the last time I had one of these sober, but they’ve been there when I needed them more times than I can count!
https://flic.kr/p/jo7KNZ, photo by Adam Dachis
7. Chocolate: You’ve heard of Ghirardelli, and they’re great, but the company is owned by Lindt and the chocolate hasn’t been made in the City since the 60s. Craft chocolate lovers know to seek out local brands like Dandelion, Charles Chocolates, or Nosh This.
https://flic.kr/p/dKvtJX, photo by Ray Bouknight
8. Dutch Crunch: Is it weird to mention two breads in one list? Enjoy crusty sourdough with your chowder, but when you order a sandwich avoid it. Locals know that Dutch Crunch is the right roll. Soft, chewy and slightly sweet with a crispy coating on top - it makes the best roll for a deli sandwich. Make mine a “1906 the Quake” from Gus’s Market. This sandwich loaded with spicy italian cold cuts with pickles and chili mayo is a favorite of my tour guests.
