I have fallen in love with SF. Albert and I walked EVERYWHERE!! It was so amazing, especially the food!! I had the best shrimp and crab sandwich I've ever had, and the best Chinese food I could imagine.
We arrived at SFO Sunday morning at around 10:30 AM Local. We planned to do a lot of walking around, but realized that waking up at 5AM to catch a plane at 7AM really wore us out.
Discovering the Wharf
We arrived at Fisherman's Wharf and ate at Aliotos. We were served by a man who looked just like the guy on the Gordon's Seafood boxes. Albert had a shrimp and crab sandwich on sourdough made by Boudin's accross the street. I had a New England style clam chowder in a Boudin's sourdough breadbowl. It was heaven. After that, we bought our tickets for Alcatraz, which we planned to do on Thursday, and went to the hotel. We were exhausted.
After that, we decided to hit a small chocolate store across from Boudin's. I can't remember what it's called, but I had some of the best fudge ever. I don't consider myself a fudge person, either, but it tasted more like icing, and was so smooth, I had to buy more.
Jollibee
Jollibee!! I am half Filipina. When I was growing up, my parents would take my family to the Philippines every two years. Jollibee is like the McDonalds of the Philippines. It may not look very appetizing, but man does it have a unique taste. The spaghetti tastes like someone poured ketchup and grated cheese on top, but I loved it. I had the Chicken Joy, which is two pieces of fried chicken- that's sure to clog anyone's arteries- and mashed potatoes with gravy. It wasn't the best, but it did remind me of the motherland. I was really nostalgic after eating there and had to call my mom. She was so jealous! She kept asking me to buy her a burger, but I wasn't about to lug Jollibee around San Francisco in my purse. I found the Jollibee right across the street from Yerba Buena Gardens, in the artsy part of town. Albert really wanted to keep going back for more "little big bites" which are small sandwiches with tuna, Filipino corned beef, a hot dog or spam. I never got the spam.
Chinatown
We hit Chinatown hard. We spent a grand total of $20 including the tip for these three mounds of food. We ordered the combination fried rice, Albert ordered the Hunan Beef, and I got Walnut Honey Chicken. Everything was made to perfection. Right on the cusp of Chinatown before hitting Little Italy, we found this little nook in the wall. The place was not bigger than 400 square feet. As soon as we got there, which was right at 11:30AM, people started pouring in for their lunch break.
The food itself was phenomenal. Even the walnuts in my plate were lightly toasted, and the chicken was tender. The Hunan beef was spicy, but not so spicy that I couldn't taste it. The only thing that seemed to be the norm was the rice, which I expected. I have been to so many Chinese places, that I've learned that no one makes a uniquely tasting fried rice.
My first and last Irish Coffee
In my guidebook, I read about this little place called Buena Vista Cafe which serves the "original" Irish Coffee. Well, I have never had an Irish Coffee, and decided to try one at
the place. Well... It was awful. I forgot just how much I hated whiskey. It wasn't sweet at all, so I decided to put sugar in it... which didn't help, either. I'm sure that Irish Coffee requires an acquired taste. I don't have that acquired taste.
More sandwiches.
We absolutely loved the shrimp and crab sandwiches so we had to go back for more. We tried the place next to Aliotos. I can't remember the name, but that's probably because I actually enjoyed Aliotos more.
Girardelli
I FOUND THE CHOCOLATE MECCA. Girardelli Square was screaming my name since day one. When I finally got to visit, I got myself a "normal" sundae and Albert got a mocha milkshake. It was awesome. There were mounds of ice cream and fudge on top of fudge, smothered in caramel, topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Absolute bliss.I thought eating mounds of chocolate and ice cream was the perfect prerequisite to walking the Golden Gate Bridge, which we accomplished later on that day.
Molinari's
Molinari's is this very small Italian market located in the heart of Little Italy on Columbus Street. It's really easy to miss, so we really had to watch out for it. "The Capicolla was so thin, you could floss with it," Albert would keep saying. When I walked into the store, I was overwhelmed with the deli meat, cheese, and the loud shouting of Italian men who take orders and artistically put every sandwich together. I think what made the sandwiches besides the amazing freshly baked bread was the sun dried tomatoes which they used in almost every creation. We loved that place so much that we needed to buy more sandwiches for our trek to Alcatraz.
For our next sandwiches, we were lucky enough to take the last two loaves of foccacia. Unfortunately, upon arriving at the pier to leave to the "rock", we were told we wouldn't be allowed to eat there, except for a few designated areas, so we ended up stuffing the food into Albert's back pack. He was the most deliciously smelling person on the island.
French Food!!
One morning, we decided to get some French breakfast, so we were recommended to a really quaint bakery in North Beach, called La Bollange. We got there a little late so there wasn't much left and people were very busy in the back trying to restock the counters. The smell of baking bread and pastries was so powerful that I could smell the bakery as we walked closer. For starters, I got a bread pudding baked with croissants and Albert got what he called "the most delicious danish ever." His danish was pretty good, but I was impressed with our breakfast entrees.
I decided to order what I expected to be some normal french toast, but I got something more of a souffle. I didn't see the "toast". Instead, I saw and ate the most delicate, moist and piping hot piece of French toast I have ever had. It really was nothing I've ever had before. Albert decided on an omelet sandwich with salmon bits in it. Both came with a fruit salad. The only problem I had with the restaurant was the one of the servers, who didn't seem to care about the customers. It really wasn't a big deal, but I really didn't like having to ask several times for certain things.
La Rocca's
Being that Albert and I go to FSU, the Noles were playing in the ACC tournament while we were in SF, so we decided to try and find a sports bar for a few drinks. Albert ordered whatever was on tap (mostly PBR) and I ordered a cosmo, an appletini and had a few random other beers. La Rocca's has boasted of being a San Francisco favorite since 1922. The people who flocked to the bar were normal 9-5 folks who needed to blow off some steam after a long day at work. Syl, the bartender, was much more than accommodating to us, as he got to know us and even comped us a drink or two. While there, we also met a few other lively characters who really helped us get to know the real San Francisco, telling us about local favorites that no one could ever experience while on a tour bus.
Vietnamese
While in Chinatown, we kept seeing little Vietnamese places here and there. We decided to try one out. In this place, not only was the food in huge portions, but it was cheap too! It was another place where we spent only $20 on the both of us including the tip. We both got combination platters, and they were amazing. The shrimp and the chicken were cooked to perfection. They were tender and really tasty. This was the first time I ever had Vietnamese food, and I loved it. It was served with tea, so we didn't have to order drinks, just water. I think my favorite part of my dish was definitely the fried shrimp. It was so crispy, but not very greasy.
One Last Time...
Before leaving, we decided to go to Jollibee one last time, since I knew it would be a while before we had Filipino fast food again.
I really had a blast on my trip to San Francisco. I loved the sites, the people, the adventures and definitely the food! I can't wait for my next trip. I'm broke now, but I don't mind blowing all my money on this awesome trip.
Thanks for reading!
FAB
