Calgary CH report back (long!)
Hi,
I just wanted to thank you for all your tips (http://www.chowhound.com/topics/526963) on my quick trip to SF last week. After all that discussion, we ended up not walking across the Golden Gate Bridge, or even to Sausalito. We'll save that trip for next time. But here's my report back. Man, you guys have a great city to eat in.
THURSDAY
-Croissant and cappuccino at Caffe Trieste off Howard on my way to the modern art museum. Nice peaceful start to the day at something that WASN"T Starbucks
-Lunch at La Taqueria in Mission. OMG. Loooved it. Mainly because we only have fast food Mexican chains here in Canada. I got a carnitas taco and my fiance got the chorizo burrito. I wish we had more meals to spend sampling the other taquerias.
-At about 6 p.m., I tried to get into the happy hour ($1 oysters, $3.50 beer) at the Hog Island Oyster Company. I foolishly thought it would be easy to get a solo seat at the bar. I waited an hour, then gave up, realizing the numbers weren't playing out in my favour.
I ended up at the Slanted Door's bar, and surprisingly slid right into a seat at the bar. I had a great conversation with another lady who was also dining solo. The service at the bar was amazing. Very attentive and considerate. I had half a dozen Calif./Washington raw oysters; good but not as tasty as the Canadian ones from the Atlantic coast. I enjoyed the chicken clay pot and some white wine, recommended by the bartender.
My fiance then met me after his evening conference event, and we went to Bocadillos for drinks and tapas. Great, warm little place; again, exceptional service. We shared some calamari - very nice, lightly breaded with a romesco sauce, which was a nice change from the tzaziki/cream-based dips we're used to.
FRIDAY
I enjoyed Bocadillos so much, I returned for breakfast. Eggs with house-made chorizo sausage, and toasted (ciabatta?) was quite filling. Chorizo was delicious. I had a great view from the front window of the little tourist vans stopping every 15 minutes on the corner for everyone to hop out and take photos of what I finally figured out was the TransAmerica Tower, and then hop back in the van again.
I spent the day wandering around Palace of Fine Arts, Crissy Park and Chesnut St. shopping, so just grabbed some quick congee at ABC Bakery in Chinatown. Filling and cheap. Just what I was in the mood for.
I met fiance after his conference and we went to Fisherman's Wharf. Got some raw oysters and clams from Nick's - really, really good. And at $1.50 each, much cheaper than the platters at restaurants. Plus it was a great day to stand at the stalls and slurp down the mollusks.
Then we wandered to Tadich Grill. We were ready for a half-hour wait, as I had been warned, but we got there at 6 p.m. and got a table right away. I LOVE THIS PLACE. I love the crusty (but not really) waiters, their white jackets, the dark wood decor... They make a kickass Bloody Mary (I wondered what they could do with a Caesar that we Cdns love)...
We started with a tomato salad four ways, with anchovies, crab, shrimp and prawns. The "Louis" dressing was a delicious homemade Thousand Island that my fiance had to prevent me from drinking.
My cioppino ("That's the absolute best thing on the menu," said Barry our server) was chock FULL of seafood and totally delicious. Came with a side of thick garlic bread.
We were stunned by my fiance's crab lobster thermador, which we thought would be filled out with rice or some other sort of cheap starch. But his casserole dish was entirely crab and lobster meat, and again just delicious.
We were stuffed, and soo happy.
SATURDAY
We spent the morning at the Ferry Building and the market. We pretty much munched our way through different stalls, including coffee and a pastry from Boriana, and finger food from Delica (Japanese deli).
We got some cool prints from Amos Goldbaum, (http://www.amosgoldbaum.com/) a local artist across the street from the Ferry Building – and then grabbed some nosh at – don't laugh at me – Chipotle on Market Street. I said before, we don't get good Mexican and seriously, Chipotle is pretty good in our books. :-
)After walking around in Pacific Heights, we ended up back at the Ferry Building and stopped for a snack of shrimp cocktail and mussels at the Ferry Plaza Market. It was OK, but I think we just mostly enjoyed sitting on the dock there people-watching.
That night we went to Thirsty Bear. I thought the sign (Brewing Company & Spanish cuisine) was peculiar so I had no idea the food would be that good.
My fiancé got their beer tasters (almost 10 beers for $9!) and then decided he liked the manly vanilla beer the best. I was sipping on the sangria for most of the night.
Loved the food here, and especially the variety. We planned to just have a few munchies but we ended up ordering one or two dishes at a time and stretched out the night with lamb empanadas, grilled halibut cheeks, chorizo flatbread with asparagus, Spanish meatballs and potatoes … All very good. And then I couldn't resist the churros with dipping chocolate and whipped cream.
Sigh. I had to be rolled onto the plane the next day.
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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111
Tadich Grill
240 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Hog Island Oyster Bar
Ferry Building,, San Francisco, CA 94111
La Taqueria
2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Nick's Lighthouse
2801 Taylor St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Avli
38-31 Bell Blvd, Queens, NY 11361
Delica
1 Ferry Bldg, San Francisco, CA
Cafe Trieste
199 New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94105
Chipotle Mexican Grill
525 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94105
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rworange
Jun 17, 2008 06:09 PM
Thanks for reporting back and you can always refer to this post for your next visit so we have an idea of what you like.
Thanks for the Bocadillos breakfast report. I knew they had it but don't remember a report on the board. It was also a first report on Nick's oysers.
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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111Hog Island Oyster Bar
Ferry Building,, San Francisco, CA 94111Bocadillos
710 Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94111ABC Bakery Cafe
650 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94133Nick's Lighthouse
2801 Taylor St, San Francisco, CA 94133Thirsty Bear Brewing Co
661 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105Delica
1 Ferry Bldg, San Francisco, CACafe Trieste
199 New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94105 -
