Hi all– When we travel to new places, I’m happy to admit I’m a real tourist– love those museums, monuments, scenic views… But the place I really love to tuck into is a grocery shop! As much as I adore the Louvre, it feels like you get a better idea daily Parisian life wandering into the cheese shops and bakeries of the Marais. All that glorious food.
And trips to visit kids in San Francisco are usually peppered with stops for food. Here’s my SF “faves.”
Small and bright, a fixture in SanFrancisco, Bi Rite Market is a wonderland of beautiful food. Their annexes across the street include a shop scooping out house made ice cream (roasted banana–exquisite!) and an event space with all kinds of cooking workshops. The friendly lady in the bottom left photo, is sharing free citrus salad samples. yum.
We’ve spent a couple of bountiful mornings at the Farmers Market scattered all around the Ferry Building– Booth after booth of luscious produce and if you duck inside the Ferry Building itself, you can tuck some Cowgirl Creamery cheeses and Acme bread into your shopping bag.
If If you’re loading up for a friendly little picnic lunch– at the park or even at home sitting around the coffee table, Salumeria is chock full of treats for just that kind of meal– beautiful cheese, sliced meats, fruity flavored mustards, homemade preserves. You can order take out sandwiches or eat them there on the patio.
This winter in the Mission, we wandered by the Local Mission Market. I just had to peek in and found the most beautifully curated grocery shop ever. Exceptional produce, study bread, a mix your own vinegar counter that looked a bit like a chemists shop. Every little jar was tidily labeled. So stylish!
Food glorious food– Writing this us is making me want to grab by grocery list and set out to shop…
The Thankful Heart 
lovely photographs , Thanks for sharing. I love the food market in SF – love the pulled pork buns served at the front of the ferry building from the rotisserie truck (the man who owns the truck is a Swiss immigrant to the US 🙂 – love the slanted door restaurant in the ferry building, love eating vegan wraps full of vegetables and having the water on one side the earth in the middle with all the veggies and flowers and stone on the other side with the financial district. Oh and if you ever need a spectacular breakfast and are not afraid to pay – then I recommend my favourite hotel – Vitale – one of my favourites worldwide, LOVE it!
HI Poli– OK, you’ve given me two goals for summer visits to the kids– the pork buns and breakfast at Vitale. I always love to eat breakfast out– feels like a luxury. You have been so many places!! thanks for the recommendations!
Hi Rhonda – thanks so much for writing to me, I always love to hear from you – the pork buns are delightful, Vitale I found a real luxury – beautiful setting, and lovely organic produce, they also had a great california mourvedre 100% wine – which was wonderful. But maybe not for breakfast 🙂 – oh and another place I love to go in San Fran for lunch or a different breakfast is the Plant Cafe, at Pier 3 ( I think), they have an awesome menu and some really cool smoothies with almond butter and hemp protein – they have a deck out onto the water and yummy salads – check out their breakfast menu http://www.theplantcafe.com/sites/theplant/files/images/locations/menus/BreakfastRestDec.pdf 🙂 I am so jealous. I have been to loads of places used to fly over to San Fran for work so I got to see some of the great food places!
Thanks of the Plant Cafe Link Poli– looked it up and already planned my first meal there!
you are very welcome – there are 3 branches, the nicest one is the one at Pier 3 – glad you are planning to have a bite there the setting is beautiful and the food organic and beautifully presented. One of the reasons I loved flying over to San Fran was going to the Plant Cafe 🙂 – let me know if you love it as much as I did!
What a glorious market, everything looks beautiful and delicious. I’ve never visited San Francisco and really want to, gorgeous photo’s.
SF is a great place to visit — not as big, established as NY– but lots of lovely hiking places, a few good “sights”, the redwood forests nearby, the coast and lots of amazing food. Hope you get out Suzanne (just like I’m hoping to get back to NY soon!)