required reading: cool grey city of love: 49 views of san francisco by gary kamiya
where i ate & drank:
- revelry bistro – an intimate and cozy french bistro. the wine and charcuterie plate was just what i needed after a long flight.
- blue bottle coffee shop – the cold brew was the perfect jolt i needed to start the day. my brother and i both got the ham baguette; it was perfect simplicity. the barista was really friendly and showed us how he does his latte art.
- the irish bank – this is a quintessential irish bar. we got there right when they opened and the bartender made me a double bloody mary that was the perfect precursor to a day of shopping and walking around the city.
- hops & hominy – we naturally found ourselves a restaurant that serves food with a southern flare.
- white rabbit – fun bar in the marina. i can highly recommend their red bull with vodka and having conversations with 23-year-olds who work in tech and are dead in the eyes.
- zam zam – bar on haight street. it’s a cash only hole in the wall, but i saw somewhere the anthony bourdain liked it, so i had to check it out. my brother, our friend and i spent hours there talking with the bartender, simon. there is no menu; either order a respectable drink or tell simon to make one for you if you’re not sure what you want. simon taught us that a vieuxcarre is a better version of a sazerac. i also learned that fernet doesn’t have to suck. there are about 10 seats around the bar. there are tables but it’s a no no to sit at them. zam zam has a ton of history and is a true gem. i will definitely be back there.
- honey honey – my brother coerced me into going to an early morning orange theory class (i actually really enjoyed it) but afterwards i was absolutely starving. we went to honey honey and i ordered a bagel with cream cheese and their california sandwich. neither disappointed. both were essential. we got our food to go, but it looked like a good spot to post up for a casual brunch.
dragon beaux restaurant – DIM SUM. enough said. - mijita concina – fresh tacos, mexican coke, chips and salsa. in the ferry building.
where i explored:
- twitter headquarters in the tenderloin area
- fisherman’s wharf – yes, it was very touristy. but i wanted to see the sea lions. sue me.
- ghiradelli square – see above. i wanted to see it because it was my first time to SF.
- chinatown
- little italy
- the ferry building
- union square
where i stayed:
- at my brother’s house in laurel heights. make a reservation in advance.
favorite bookstores:
- i barely scratched the surface of exploring bookstores in SF, but i went to city lights bookstore and the booksmith. both were fantastic and i could have spent hours in them.
