San Francisco: The way to the heart is through the stomach
Heading to San Francisco this summer? Everplaces guest blogger Nicole Murakami tells us about her recent trip to the golden gate city.
As the song goes, many return from San Francisco with a true understanding of “I left my heart in San Francisco” and it’s not hard to see why. Though I’m a true New Yorker (meaning I still think New York wins), San Francisco possesses a special charm.
The food
A foodie paradise, there are some restaurants that anyone traveling in San Francisco must see. First off and most importantly, there’s the In-N-Out Burger. You will never be able to have a serious conversation about burgers without being able to compare to an In-N-Out Burger, so be sure to find the only In-N-Out in San Francisco and order your burger “animal style”.
Afterwards work off the calories with a walk along the water to Pier 39 to see the sea lions (it’s not hard to find, as you’ll hear the lions from down the street).
Fast food aside, my favorite restaurant during the trip was State Bird Provisions. While it’s fairly hard to get reservations, they do reserve a certain number of seats for walk-ins and the trick is to wait in line before they open to get on the evenings waiting list.
This casual restaurant serves their food dim-sum style, making it feel as if you’re dining at a close friend’s house where they keep bringing delicious things for you to try. You will not be rushed and the server lingers with each table to help the diners choose their dishes; however I’d advise you to just say yes, and try everything!
Frances was another restaurant that I wanted to visit, and it did not disappoint. It’s a small elegant restaurant, that even though it’s fairly well known feels like a hidden neighborhood gem. The dishes are an unusual mixture of ingredients, resulting in creations like bacon beignets and chickpea fritters.
Nearby
While San Francisco is glorious in its own right, part of its wonder comes from being so close to natural treasures like Big Sur and Monterey. A day trip is definitely recommended, and provides a glimpse of why people love San Francisco so much. They have an amazing city, private beaches, trees taller than time and endless curving roads.
Take time to visit the many state parks in Big Sur, but be sure to book a hotel outside Big Sur for a much cheaper price. Montery is close by and while extremely crowded in the summer it is quiet during the winter months. I imagine that it’s beautiful throughout the year, as the town lies on the ocean’s edge.
Nicole Murakami is a digital strategist & Everplaces guest blogger living in New York. She loves social media, discovering new places and grilled cheese.
Collections are a great way to share your favourite places on Everplaces, or create mini-guides for visiting friends & family. Got a collection that you’d like to share with us? Send a mail to tom[at]everplaces.com.
We Love San Francisco
At Everplaces we get to travel quite a lot. Today our CEO Tine Thygesen came back from San Francisco. Here she shares the best from her trip.
I love San Francisco. Its one of the most vibrant and friendly cities I know. And the views are wonderful. It has to be up there with Sydney for the best views of any city. Not only because of the quality of the views but also for the mere quantity of them. Because the city is built on hills and surrounded by water, bridges and more hills it simply has stunning vistas no matter where you turn.
The second reason I love it is for its pulse. It’s an open and welcoming culture where everyone contributes to the melting pot of tastes, smells and music. This creates a fabulous scene for food, nightlife and culture.
Here are some of my favorites from this trip.
This is where the locals come for their daily exercise and to admire the views of their wonderful city. You can see both Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge and get a good view of Twin Peaks. Its quite the experience watching the fog roll in, which in August is around 7 pm.
Concept restaurant that only serves food within 100 miles radius of the place. This, when you’re in Northern California means you can still get everything in delicious produce and wines, so there’s nothing lacking. Also good (of course local) wine list and great for group dinners. Photo is courtesy of their fb page.
Book Passage is one of the few old-fashioned bookstores left in the States. Bookstores are places filled with wonder and magic for me, and some of my favorite places of culture. This one has been run by the same family, the Petrocellis, for decades and retains a cosy, friendly ambience and a great selection, also in smaller genres.
Quintessentially San Francisco. Tiny, friendly gay bar with the most wonderful low-key drag show. When I was there the showstopper was a fabulously overweight 50-year-old man dressed in a tight fitting velvet one-piece, collecting one dollar notes into his bra.
This is truly a city that puts a smile on your face and I have lots of recommendations to share here; my most recent ones, which includes surrounding areas can be found here and my full collection of San Fran places, which includes previous trips can be see here. From both you can save places you’d like to visit one day to your own collection.
Check out what our featured users love in San Fran
BEST PLACES TO EAT IN SAN FRANCISCO
Looking for insider tips to find affordable, wholesome, local eats in San Francisco? Meet Jonas, a Swedish expat living there. He has put together an extensive list of his favorites, see below.
Jonas Grankvist
Check out Jonas’ food recommendations in San Francisco and prepare your next trip.