Reporting Back: Our Trip to San Francisco - Great Breakfasts, Lunch and Dinners :)

Americas - USA West San Francisco Bay Area
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I wanted to thank everyone here for all of the recommendations for great places to eat around San Francisco. Our trip got moved up suddenly, and it got cut short suddenly, but we were glad to have made it out. :slight_smile:

I created separate threads for each of the places, but I wanted to collect all of the links and places into one post, in case it might be helpful for someone else later on.

First off, the one disappointment was missing out on Golden Gate Bakery. :frowning:

I saw the post from @ipsedixit about checking if Golden Gate was open or not, but clicking that link, it was last updated like 10 days earlier than our trip… I figured that website just forgot to update. Only to realize later that there was “no update” to the last update (so it was still closed). :frowning: :smile:

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Darn, no Egg Tarts for us on this trip. :frowning: But the rest of the trip was nice and food-filled!

Some nice Breakfast Pastries at Tartine Bakery and Arsicault Bakery:

Lunch with Pastas and Pizza at Cotogna:

We had a fun Hawaiian Dinner at Liholiho:

A fantastic Lunch sampling the Greatest Hits from around the world at In Situ:

Quite possibly one of the greatest Dinners I’ve ever had in my life at Saison:

This was a wonderful trip overall! :slight_smile:

I wanted to thank @BradFord @PorkyBelly @robert @ipsedixit @Bookwich @beefnoguy @Aesthete @Emglow101 @lectroid and @js76wisco) for all the thoughts and advice. :slight_smile:

I still have many more places to try the next time we go back.

Thanks all!

Update 1:

More places tried thanks to everyone on our 2nd trip -

Update 2:

Fantastic additional recommendations from everyone here! Thank you!

Update 3:


A return visit, this time trying out Benu, Izakaya Rintaro, Bellota, Saison (again), Ippudo SF, Plow, Tartine and Ming Kee. Thanks!

Update 4:


Another visit, trying out Portuguese at Uma Casa, Izakaya Rintaro (revisit), Cotogna (revisit), La Ciccia (revisit), Californios (revisit), Sushi Yoshizumi, Dragon Beaux (revisit), Hong Kong Flower Lounge, Arsicault & B. Patisserie (revisit) and Ming Kee (revisit):

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I need to know something.

Do your clothes still fit?

If they do, can I borrow your metabolism? Promise to give it back.

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Thanks @ipsedixit for the recommendations. I’m sad I wasn’t able to try Bellota, but next time for sure. :slight_smile:

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re: golden gate bakery

why is a page like this necessary? their hours aren’t 8-8 everyday?

http://www.is-the-golden-gate-bakery-open-today.com/

@Chowseeker1999 @ipsedixit

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Hi @Ns1,

Yah seems like it. Ipse can speak more on this, but from casual searching and our own experience (we showed up, only to see a handwritten sign that they were closed :frowning:), clearly, they seem to have some variable open / close times & dates.

Are you heading up soon? :slight_smile:

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I’m leaving tonight at 7pm; I’ll have 3 dogs in tow so it’s take-out or dog friendly only the whole weekend.

Alas my stops for Swan / Dragon Beaux will have to wait until next time.

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Nope.

They come and go as they please and observe all Chinese holidays to the max.

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Hi @Ns1,

Ah I see. Hope you have fun! :slight_smile: Try out the Croissants at Arsicault if you get a chance.

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Update 1:

We were able to go up to SF and San Mateo for a quick follow-up trip. I wanted to group up the links to each of the places on this new visit, in case it might be helpful for others.

Quick Ramen Lunch at Santa Ramen:

A charming, tasty, neighborhood Izakaya with some of the best-tasting, affordable Sake I’ve seen anywhere at Izakaya Ginji:

The best meal we had on this trip, and the best Modern Mexican cuisine I’ve ever had at Californios:

And we finished off the trip with a visit to 3 of the most recommended FTC Bakeries in the area for some excellent Breakfast Pastries at Arsicault Bakery (Revisit), Tartine Bakery (Revisit) and B. Patisserie:

Like before, another wonderful trip overall and a huge thanks again to @beefnoguy @PorkyBelly @BradFord @ipsedixit @SFDiner @sfchris @Emglow101 @chinchi @paranoidgarliclover and so many others for their recommendations. :slight_smile:

We will be back to try more of the list!

Thank you again!

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Beautiful pictures and report , as always . Bravo :clap:

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Update 2:

We had a lot of fun with this batch of meals. I created separate threads for them, but grouping them here in case it’s useful for someone:

Final Morning - Quad x Bang Attempt:

Thank you again @PorkyBelly @robert @beefnoguy @ipsedixit @BradFord @thechez5 @Bookwich @J_L and many others for the recs and thoughts! :slight_smile:

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Update 3:

Here’s a summary of the places we just visited on a return visit to SF, combined into one place, in case it’s helpful for any of our FTC’ers heading north. :slight_smile:

Thanks again to all of the FTC’ers who gave us all of these great suggestions! You really made our trip! :slight_smile:

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@Chowseeker1999 (or any others who wish to chime in): What would you recommend for a fun / romantic dinner with the SO on a Friday night in SF? Since you are also LA based, I thought it might make sense to ask from a perspective of what might feel unique to us coming from LA. We are coming straight from SFO with our suitcases and so far have been able to find resies at La Ciccia, Foreign Cinema, and Liholiho YC.

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Saison
Acquerello
La ciccia
Benu
La folie
Bellota
Californios

For fun and less romantic:
liholiho
cockscomb
in situ
state bird provisions
swan oyster
hog island
dragon beaux
kusakabe

I wasn’t a fan of foreign cinema

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Hi @DTLAeater,

@PorkyBelly covered most of it. Romantic and fun, definitely:

Saison
Californios
La Ciccia
Benu

Fun, but not as romantic:

Liholiho
In Situ
Dragon Beaux (Lunch Dim Sum)

How you have a good time! Looking forward to your report. :slight_smile:

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Provided you’re seated in a good spot to see the film, and you go after dark, Foreign Cinema is a unique experience. But the food, though solid, is a bit “safe”.

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Thanks @Chowseeker1999 @PorkyBelly @hyperbowler. I was very intrigued by La Ciccia from FTC reports, but probably ruling that out because we’ve been eating tons and tons of Italian lately and I’m not sure they will have space for our suitcases straight from the airport.

Booked at Bellota for now and may have time to sneak in Dragon Beaux for lunch the next day.

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I’m going to offer another suggestion for fun and romantic.

Bix

Sit on the second level and take in the scene down below.

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When was your last visit? Went maybe 6 months ago and the food was underwhelming.

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About a year ago.

We usually go to enjoy th scene and the jazz and generally avoid the entrees and order almost exclusively from the hors d’oeuvres and starters section.

No gripes with the food or the libations. But definitely enjoy the atmosphere more.