Activities
You are going to want to ride the cable cars. You can't visit SF without doing that. The night tour of Alcatraz is very cool. You do have to make reservations as the tickets for it sell out (day or night). Right around there is Fisherman's Wharf/Ghiradelli Square, which is often on the top of people's lists. It's VERY touristy and crowded. Locals avoid it like the plague. Lombard Street is also over there (though Vermont St, which is right near us, is more crooked and scarier to drive down).The CA Academy of Sciences just reopened. We haven't had a chance to go there yet, but everyone says it's amazing and awesome. I would HIGHLY recommend it. If you want to go to an art museum, there is the DeYoung Museum and the Legion of Honor. These are all in Golden Gate Park, which is lovely to go to. The Japanese Tea Garden, also in the park, is quiet beautiful. There is also a museum of modern art, which is nice and an Asian art museum which is suppose to be quite good.
Both Japantown and Chinatown are worth seeing. They are downtown. Great food, neat shops. North Beach is the Italian neighborhood and there is amazing food there. Feels like parts of New York. The Ferry Building is also downtown (at the end of Market Street) on the Bay side. On the weekends is the farmer's market there. There are all kinds of neat shops, most of them local and organic.
The Sutro Baths are on the ocean-side of the city. They are ruins of old bath houses. It's lovely to see the sun set over the ocean there. You can also go walking (can't really call it hiking) around there.
Walk or ride a bike over the Golden Gate Bridge. It's $5 to drive over it, which at the very least you should do. But there's nothing like feeling the wind whip around you. Plus it's free if you are on foot/bike. Crissy Fields and Fort Mason are on the south side of the bridge. The Marin Headlands on the north side of the bridge are great for hiking. You can also go into Sausalito for lunch, which is a ritzy little
Food
San Franciscans pride themselves on the local food, which draws from cusines of the world, makes a point of local, sustainable ingredients, and a bit of flourish. There's everything here from the haute to the modest, and you don't have to spend a lot to get something sublime. A smattering of our favorites:
Millennium
Our most common description of Millennium is that "They make incredible food that just happens to be vegetarian (mostly vegan)" WAIT! Check your preconceptions at the door, and your experiment will be greatly rewarded. Avowed meat eaters we've brought here have all had a wonderful meal (much to their own surprise!)
Their menu changes frequently, and they're always looking for what's fresh. The dessert menu often has pairings that induce (at a minimum) a head scratch. Yet somehow they work as if by magic!
La Taqueria or Taqueria Cancùn
In San Francisco the burrito has mutated and taken on a life of its own. It is as big as your head and comes wrapped in foil. Locals will eschew utensils and make it the ultimate on-the-go fast food. I may be risking a religious holy war by putting forth a suggestions for a good burrito, but both of these places are in the heart of The Mission, a quick walk from a BART station if you don't feel up to walking there.
Absinthe
Walking distance from our new house, in the heart of Hayes Valley, this brasserie offers unique cocktails and some very yummy food. Try the fried chickpea appetizer, but be warned: they are addictive!
The Slanted Door
Pan-Asian fusion (with an emphasis on Vietnamese) in the Ferry Building. Spend some time perusing the stalls in the Ferry Building before treating yourself to this experience!
Dosa
The original is on Valencia in The Mission, but the link above is to our local Dosa. (It's bigger!) Across the street from the Kabuki Theatre (now a Sundance Theatre) Contemporary southern Indian cuisine. (Most folks are only familiar with northern Indian) Cocktails blended with spices to accentuate your entrees.
Sapporo-Ya
If your only exposure to ramen are freeze-dried noodles and a questionable "flavor packet" you need to come to Japantown, peruse the wares offered for sale at Kintetsu Mall, and order some miso-based ramen Sapporo-Ya. I will not argue that it is the best ramen in the Bay Area, but it is close to home, modestly priced, and quite satisfying.
If you're looking for something specific, ask us! We'd love to help!
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