Saturday, October 30, 2010

The San Francisco Treat

My friends and I had a BLAST in San Francisco. We ran a marathon(!). We went to Alcatraz. We toured the Napa Valley. And we ate. We ate a LOT. San Francisco has some amazing restaurants. And we certainly enjoyed a few. Here are some of the great places we enjoyed ourselves at:

John's Grill - A friend of Sonia's recommended this steak and seafood restaurant. It was the site of our first official meal in San Fran, and did it ever get things started off right! With so many fantastic menu options, it was really hard to choose, but I eventually opted for the broiled halibut. Incredible! And the portions were huge! I couldn't even finish mine. John's Grill also has a great wine list. We ordered a bottle of the house red and I have to say, it was one of the best bottles of wine I've ever had!

Tartine Bakery & Cafe- I heard about this place from my weekly Goop newsletter (thanks Gwyneth Paltrow!). When we arrived Saturday morning to this small cool Mission District spot, the line up was out the door and down the street. We knew this place MUST be good! Thankfully the line moved quickly and we were soon inside and able to make our selections. Lesson learned: traveling with people who like good food as much as you do is the BEST! We each ordered the quiche (p.s. BEST quiche EVER!) and something extra. My something extra was an almond croissant. Heavenly!! And totally justified as pre-race carb loading!

The Slanted Door - Following our race it was time to celebrate! And the very hip Slanted Door is where we went. I recommend going with a group of people and ordering several dishes, as things here are served family style. We had beef, chicken, lamb, halibut and tofu. Not to mention a couple of appetizers to start. But the best was the Confectioner's Plate we had for dessert. The peach cotton candy was incredible - and super fun!

The Plant Cafe Organic - The day after our race we were feeling a little gross. Not from the large amount of food the night before. But from the large amount of Gatorade, Gu, and sport beans consumed during the marathon. We needed something fresh. Thankfully Sonia had spotted The Plant while we were out the previous night. This place was just what the doctor ordered. Super fresh breakfast burritos (I'm a sucker for anything with avocado) and a large glass of their Body Cleanser raw organic juice and I was feeling like a new woman!

Pier 23 - My parents and I had seen this place on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It looked like a casual fun spot, so we decided to check it out. It was a little dead on the night we went (it was a Monday night), but no doubt this place is hopping on the weekends. The Zinfandel and ceviche I had while we sat on the heated patio were delightful! This place was also the site of one of our funnier conversations ;)

American Cupcake - It was quite the hike to get to this place (literally, walking the streets of San Francisco is liking hiking!). But it was well worth it! Now, sadly they were out of the Red Velvet Fried Chicken we had heard about, but we still managed to enjoy waffle fries, club sandwiches, mini pulled pork sliders, and mac-n-cheese. Then it was time for dessert! Not content with just getting one cupcake, we decided to get a cupcake and whoopie pie (each)! This place is very fun and girly. Rainbow coloured lights dance along the ceiling while 80's tunes flow out the speakers. Definitely a good time!

So as you can see, we ate a LOT while in San Francisco! What made things so great was that we did all the research and planning before hand, so every night we knew we'd be getting a great meal! And for my last bit of cheesiness, the best part of each meal was the company - Sonia, Kathleen, Katrina and Sam were fantastic dining companions!

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