A Travel Guide to San Francisco

Recently, my husband and I moved to Chicago, where he began a full time MBA program. I tagged along on one of his school trips to the Golden Gate City. While I spent the majority of my days working from the hotel, every afternoon I escaped to enjoy all San Francisco has to offer!

In this travel guide, I will recap some of the places I ate, where I stayed, and what fun things I did. At the end, I’ll include a full Google Maps List of all the places I mention throughout (see items in red text to know what’s included in the Google Maps list at the end).

EAT

I’d say the predominance of my trip centered around eating, since there is so much iconic food this city has to offer.

chinatown

San Francisco has one of the largest Chinatowns worldwide, so it should come as no surprise this thriving neighborhood offers some tasty and unique eats.

Soup filled dumplings are one of my favorite Chinese foods, yet can be difficult to find. House of Xian Dumpling was a hole in the wall in the best of ways, with a maximum capacity of 36. Since my husband was unable to join, but wanted leftovers, I ordered soup filled dumplings, spicy pork dumplings, Mongolian beef, and orange chicken. The woman taking my order was puzzled by my mountainous order for seemingly just me! All of the food was excellent with fresh ingredients, generous portions, and the dumplings were perfect (and soup filled). In hindsight, this was probably more of a place for takeout. The service was polite and quick, however I didn’t realize you had to order rice as a side to my entrees and water was not served by default. If you plan to visit, make sure you order everything a la carte.

Lady Luck Cafe is a modern and clean bubble tea shop in the heart of Chinatown. Offering classic bubble tea, their Boba was fresh and chewy. While this shop didn’t present customizable sugar or ice levels like other Boba places I’ve been, their Thai Tea (my favorite) didn’t disappoint.

We have friends who live nearby and met us in the city for dinner and drinks. We visited Moongate Lounge in Chinatown. On the second story, it was initially difficult to find, the upstairs was thrumming. This was an actual lounge, not a club focused on dancing (to my husband’s relief) and not a bar; there were comfortable clusters of seats creating intimate settings within the large room. Music played in the background, however, wasn’t the focal point, and the menu contained classics and fun creations. After thoroughly enjoying the atmosphere and company we went our separate ways after one drink.

grandma style pizza

Grandma style pizza is apparently a thing in SF; it’s baked rectangular, similar to Detroit style, but much thinner compared to its polygon cousin.

Underneath a neon sign shaped like a pointing hand, Golden Boy Pizza is known for Grandma style pizza by the slice (although you can order entire pies). I chickened out from ordering their clam and garlic signature slice and opted for the safe sausage! The only downside to Golden Boy Pizza was that they offered takeout only and no seating, even outdoors. I proceeded to walk about 15 minutes to Fisherman’s Wharf, where I was finally able to find an outdoor table and chairs. At this point, my slice, while still delicious, was lukewarm at best. Maybe another place that would be better for takeout at home or your hotel!

I had a second encounter with Grandma style pizza at Pie Punks in the financial district. This late night slice was my favorite if I had to pick of the two. The crust was crispy, the tomato sauce tasted fresh, and there was generous cheese!

Italian

I tried two different Italian places though neither in SF’s Little Italy!

The first was Beretta Valencia in the Mission District. This intimate restaurant was clearly a local favorite and reservations are a good idea! Thankfully, they have a long “community” table for those without reservations hoping to snag a seat, as well as open bar seating. As an appetizer, the burrata cheese was served on homemade bread – so simple, yet so well done. The Bolognese lasagna was decadent; I nearly licked the plate clean.

In downtown San Mateo (so quite a ways outside the city limits), I visited Vespucci Ristorante Italiano, while visiting friends who live on the peninsula. Our waitress (and presumably owner) was likely from Italy and was clearly proud of her culture and restaurant. She offered insights to the menu, nicely taught pronunciation (we had bruschetta totally wrong), and warmly welcomed us back again soon. Their spaghetti carbonara, a classic Roman dish featuring a cheese egg sauce and pancetta, was not too rich, which allowed me to devour the entire bowl! Their menu also featured a gorgonzola gnocchi, which my friend ordered and said was pretty good too. Somehow, we managed dessert (they say sugar expands your stomach), where they had one of my favorite Italian desserts, gelato in a solid chocolate shell!

chocolate

At this point, I’m sure you are wondering, where are the sourdough bread bowls and clam chowder on this list?! As a kid, I ate an entire bowl of this classic only to learn what a clam was, then proceeded to never eat it again. I should have re-tried it on this trip as an adult, but I had way more fun eating dumplings and pizza. I did partake in sourdough however. At the Boudin Bakery & Cafe, I got a sourdough baguette filled with chocolate and raisins. The sour yet sweet mixture was a win (with my husband too) and a highlight of the culinary portion of my trip. Boudin serves clam chowder in their sourdough bread bowl at this location, so if you can’t leave Frisco without one, maybe give a try there!

I ventured into the Ferry Building, also near Fisherman’s Wharf, which is filled with artesian food stalls boasting a wide range including empanadas, wine, hummus, and chocolate. Lured in by a sample of milk chocolate at Recchiuti Confections, I was in heaven! I ended up purchasing champagne truffles for my husband. They had a few variety of boxed chocolates included a red wine pairing box that would have made great Christmas gifts!

STAY

nob hill

We stayed at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins, an old school hotel that has forgotten non of its glamor. The lobby doors are opened by expert bellhops, where you emerge to a grand seating area complete with Rat Pac crooning. Throughout, the hotel legacy of a time gone by remains: a rotary dial phone on display in the hallway, post office collection chutes, and art deco accents adorning walls. The grandeur continued into our room, which showed off stunning views of the city scape. Located in the heart of the Nob Hill neighborhood, it put us in walking distance to Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the financial district. A more expensive hotel than we usually stay in, but I would highly recommend!

PLAY

fisherman’s wharf

Arguably, Fisherman’s Wharf is one of San Francisco’s most iconic attractions. Once the predominant port of entry, this area sprawls about a mile along the coastline.

Starting at Pier 39, this commercialized dock contains layers of boutique and souvenir shops ranging from Hawaiian pearl jewelry to novelty socks. Additionally, there is a smorgasbord of food options. You can get treats and snacks or dine at a restaurant. Finally, if you make it past all of those temptations, Pier 39 offers excellent views of Alcatraz Island and some lazy sea lions that have chosen nearby docks as their crash pad.

Continuing north, follow the bay, past additional piers and docks where you can catch sightseeing cruises, ferries, or sport fishing vessels. Eventually, it opens into a square featuring a Ferris Wheel, shops, and multiple restaurants. This is also the home of the iconic Fisherman’s Wharf Sign featuring the red crab. While many of the souvenir shops feature San Francisco stamped memorabilia, you can find more boutique offerings in some.

The shops and restaurants sprawl even further north until you reach San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Here, there is stadium style seating overlooking a small beach with bay. In times past, they used to race boats and apparently drew quite the crowds. Today, it is a great place to stop and enjoy the surroundings or gawk at the open water swimmer braving the cold water (I was here in November)!

The park also has a turn around for San Fran’s legendary Cable Cars! Since Fisherman’s Wharf is so extensive, I caught a few cable car rides. Only a few dollars a ride, they accept cash or Clipper, which is the city’s integrated transportation app. You can add Clipper to your Apple Wallet, if you use iPhone, and can easily load money from this interface as well. I would highly recommend checking this off your bucket list!

Ghirardelli Square sits just above the Maritime National Historical Park and worth a trip. They have renovated the multiple buildings into a compact plaza with many offerings. Among the numerous locations to purchase Ghirardelli products including chocolate in SF tins, baking mixes, and fresh sundaes, there are other integrated shops and experiences. Dine overlooking the water, check our artesian offering at several boutiques, get Boba, play in the arcade, go mini golfing, or sample wine or beer at the wine bar or brewery! You could indulge for hours. As a bonus tip, they have public restrooms here, much nicer than the other ones I found in Fisherman’s Wharf Square.

bike path

I did a lot of walking on this trip. San Francisco is beautiful and diverse between its coastlines, cityscape, and mountains. Leaving from the Maritime National Historical Park, you can catch a bike/walking path to Fort Mason and continue along the coastline all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge, passing Great Meadow Park and Marina Green along the way. Fort Mason was a hub for WWII positioning, and has since been converted to a community and arts center. The Great Meadow Park provides excellent photo opportunities of the Golden Gate Bridge! Beware, its a nice little uphill walk, but worth the views!

I ran out of time before sunset to walk all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge along the path. To retrace my steps, I rented a Lime Scooter! It zipped me back easily, even up the hill by the Fort, and was just downright fun! I tried Liming along Fisherman’s Wharf, but this is an area where Lime regulates the speed such that I was barely moving!

If you dare to use the bike path for actual biking, there are a few bike rental options (Blazing Saddles and Bay City Bikes) near the Maritime National Historical Park that advertise biking to the Golden Gate Bridge or even crossing the bridge to Sausalito! I debated renting a bike and on hindsight this would have been a great call. Maybe for my next trip!

city lights bookstore

Moving away from the gorgeous coastline a bit, I visited City Lights Bookstore in the North Beach neighborhood. This illustrious bookstore is known for publishing up and coming, usually activist, authors and features an entire floor of poetry. While no Strand Bookstore (for my NYC fans), I had fun perusing the shelves and found plenty of fiction, my preferred genre. I purchased the 60th year anniversary edition of City Light’s Pocket Poetry, figuring it would be fun to expand my literary exposure. Reading some of the poems, I was exposed to Beat Literature, made famous in SF by the founder of City Lights and others published through the bookstore.

sausalito

Researching bike rentals, as mentioned above, Sausalito became a place I decided I wanted to day trip to. Rather than bike (I was unsure of bike “parking” logistics in Sausalito, which on hindsight was plentiful, easy, and commonplace), I took the ferry. Tickets were discounted nearly half off with my Clipper card, which made my roundtrip journey about $16. Easily enough, my ferry departed from the Ferry Terminal, which was nice to browse while I waited.

The ferry ride to Sausalito felt like a sightseeing cruise! We got up close to Alcatraz Island and I could see the federal prison much finer; I snapped stunning pictures of the SF skyline and water views of the Golden Gate Bridge. I couldn’t quite make out the old Nike missile site or immigration check point on Angel Island; maybe work a visit on my next adventure. It was a quick 20 minute ride to Sausalito, the perfect amount of time to enjoy the transport as its own tourist experience!

I think I could write an ode to Sausalito! The picturesque downtown reminded me of quaint surf towns in the Southern California of my childhood mixed with the luxury of Orange County. I pretty much just walked while I was in Sausalito. Starting in one direction along the boardwalk, I spotted a sea lion sculpture and found a small private beach. Doubling back, I hit a few boutiques, one which doubled as a wine bar. Then, I continued the other direction along docks and beaches, past house boats and marshes. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and I walked thinking how I would love to live here one day! I rode the ferry back to the city, content with my day, hoping to come back to Sausalito soon and maybe next time by bike!

I can’t recommend a day trip to Sausalito enough. Independent of my walk, there are plenty of boutiques and restaurants to pick from. The downtown has an ice cream shop and bookstore. There is nearby hiking, which I’d love to revisit someday, and an abundance of biking, both for the Tour de France hopefuls as well as families renting bikes.

broader sf peninsula

On the back half of the trip, my husband returned home and I stayed a day longer with the friend who lives in the suburbs on the peninsula. Immediately leaving the city the surrounding change from urban to natural.

We decided to visit Fioli, a historic house with spacious gardens that was donated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1975. Lucky for us, they had just decorated for Christmas, so in addition to the foliage and grand rooms, we got to enjoy some bonus holiday lights. There were many couples and families taking pictures with professional photographers throughout the gardens, and it makes sense; they were stunning! They had an outdoor patio selling small bites, hot chocolate, and coffee with fire pits and picnic tables. This would have been a fun way to spend the afternoon.

The interior of the house blended 30s and mid century modern. We wandered the maze of rooms and found at least ten Christmas trees. Old kitchens are always the most striking to me; this one had antique appliances in an expansive area with an attached pantry occupying its own room!

Skyline Boulevard travels along the spine of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We figured the snaking road had to have some place to catch a glimpse of the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. We eventually found a spot overlooking Half Moon Bay. Along the way, we discovered Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. I’d love to come back and hike through here one day. Pictures posted to Google even made it seem like Banana Slugs could be spotted here! I thought those were only found in Santa Cruz! Additionally, I spotted Redwood trees, another icon to this region and an incredible site to behold.

Update: My friend went back and hiked a trail in Purisima Creek Redwood Open Space Preserve. She saw not one, but SIX Banana Slugs!!!!

So there is the recap of my recent trip to San Francisco with some suggestions of where to Eat, Stay, and Play. If you are interested in any of the places mentioned in red text throughout, don’t forget to check out my Google Maps List. Finally, comment below if you have some suggestions in SF that I missed.