Eating Your Way Through San Francisco

By Nina Wu

In San Francisco, a feast of culinary delights awaits anyone with an adventurous and food-loving spirit. San Francisco restaurants, numbering more than 3,000, feature foods from every corner of the world—from southeast Asia to southern Italy, Shanghai, Paris and Provence. They are both high-end and low-end, ranging from little hole-in-the-walls to your upscale, white-tablecloth places with unique décor selected by the owner, who is oftentimes also the chef. The wonderful thing is that the majority of these restaurants are all within walking distance—and San Francisco is, for the most part, a walking city.

From a walker’s perspective, the top of Nob Hill is a good place to start your culinary tour of The City. From the park atop Nob Hill, there’s a glimmer of ocean and maybe a peek of the Transamerica building’s pyramid tip and Coit Tower. You can head down one way and hit Chinatown, then meander into North Beach, San Francisco’s Italian quarter; or you can walk down another side and hit the Tenderloin or walk straight down to the Financial District. For those who don’t mind a rougher, urban setting, a walk over some passed-out drunks in the colorful Tenderloin offers a peek into other world cultures with some of the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants San Francisco has to offer. There's of course Belden Place and the French quarter and the Embarcadero and Fisherman's Wharf.

Here’s what we recommend…

Nob Hill Start the day with a glass of single-vineyard wine at the Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar in the Fairmont hotel. The “Nob Hiller,” unique to the Fairmont, is also a good way to kick-start the day. It’s brandy, triple sec and a splash of lemon—a concoction akin to the Sidecar. You can sink back into the red cushions in an oasis of calm, surrounded by potted palms and a sort of peaceful luxury ... North Beach The majority of places in North Beach are still family-owned, creating the charm and personal warmth that makes this neighborhood the heart of The City. Start your day at North Beach with a cup of coffee at none other than Caffé Trieste, the oldest coffee house in the neighborhood.... Chinatown North Beach flows naturally down to the underbelly of Chinatown along Kearny St., taking you into a different world altogether. This is a world of strong reds (symbol of happiness) and green bamboo sticks (for good luck), a neighborhood where you can find ginseng roots, herbs piled into bins, colorful knick-knacks, silk, sandalwood soap, folks elbowing their way through bargain-priced produce and fish tanks.... The Mission The Mission is often described as colorful, eclectic, and bustling due to its Latino roots, small artist galleries, bright murals, shops, bars, and of course, its vast array of excellent and cutting edge eating establishments. Named after the famed Mission Dolores, the sixth mission of California’s famed and historic 21 missions ... Down to the Tenderloin Another way to descend Nob Hill is along Taylor Street. If you walk down Taylor, you’ll find yourself smack in the middle of the Tenderloin. Along the way, you will encounter a few interesting restaurants. L’Ottavo Ristorante at 692 Sutter Street, for example, offers a simple Italian menu next to one of the Academy of Arts schools. Chef-owner Marco Bartolozzi is taking over for his dad, Pietro Bartolozzi.... Belden Place If there were a French quarter in The City, then Belden Place would be it. The site of the annual Bastille Day (July 14th) for all the Francophones in town, this little alleyway halfway between Kearny and Montgomery Streets offers a small escape to Europe. On one of the warmer San Francisco days, diners can eat at tables and chairs set up outside. Belden is home to Café Bastille, Café Tiramisu, B44, a Catalan Bistro, Plouf ... The Tenderloin Walking by Borobudur (700 Post St.) www.borobudursf.com will make you stop and pause, as there’s a miniature replica of a temple in the window. Borobudur, named after the site of a Buddhist temple in Java, is both an Indonesian restaurant and an art gallery. The Roti Prata (#9 on the menu) is a must-have. It’s grilled Indian bread served with ... Fisherman's Wharf and the Embarcadero For many the name Alioto’s (8 Fisherman’s Wharf) is nearly synonymous with San Francisco. Half of the Sicilian family is involved in law and politics, and the other half is in the fish and restaurant business. Nunzio Alioto runs the namesake restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf, which dates back to 1926 …You can’t beat this location overlooking the water, and the bar is just as fun as the restaurant ... Downtown and the Financial District Masa’s chef Ron Siegal won his claim to fame by winning Japan’s Iron Chef competition in 1998—but he’d rather you not mention it. He still gets visitors who’ve seen the cooking show and who ask to take photos with him, but he’s moved on to other things. Masas’s (Hotel Vintage Court, 648 Bush St.) is a high-end, New French restaurant offering multi-course menus....

And this is only the beginning of the culinary journey in San Francisco, home to more than 3,000 restaurants, many of which are in the process of closing and opening again even as you read this … Come with an open mind and palate, a pair of comfortable walking shoes, and enjoy …!