Erin and Brad’s Favorite Places in San Francisco

For out of town guests, here’s a list of some of our favorite things to do in San Francisco.  Keep in mind that SF is one of the great walking cities in the U.S..  Give yourself several hours to take a stroll and soak in the sights.  Just remember that it is likely to get cold in the evening.  Don’t be that tourist that’s freezing in shorts and a t-shirt when the breeze kicks in as the sun sets!

• Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building on Saturday morning – this is right across the street from the hotel and runs from 8 AM – 2 PM.  Head to the back and grab some chilaquiles at the Primavera stand for breakfast.  OR, across the street from the Ferry Building and a block or so down, go to Yank Sing for dim sum.
• Union Square – a few blocks up Market from the hotel is ground zero for upscale shopping in San Francisco.  We spend too much money at the Nordstrom in Westfield Center.  A couple of blocks up the hill from Union Square is delicious, fresh Sakana Sushi.  This is one of the places we went on our first date.  We also went to Cantina (Five Spice Margaritas!) and the Owl Tree.  We didn’t go to Rickhouse for expertly crafted, ridiculously expensive cocktails, but you should.
• North Beach – SF’s little Italy is filled with quaint little cafes and restaurants and tacky strip clubs.  Cafe Trieste, Vesuvio, Specs & City Lights are all old school San Francisco joints with a lot of character.  And make sure to visit the Goorin Brothers hat shop on Washington Square.  If you want to see where the Erin/Brad magic started, grab a pint at the Church Key.  (This is where we met; every beer is a celebration. 🙂 )  Comstock Saloon is our favorite cocktail bar in the City. Tommasos is our favorite pizza place in North Beach.  There’s always a wait, but it’s worth it.
• Chinatown – if you haven’t been before, walk up Grant Avenue from California to Broadway and soak in the chaos of Chinatown.  While in Chinatown, the Buddha Bar is the coolest (dive) bar in San Francisco.  Followed closely by Li Po across the street.  (Just don’t drink “The Chinese” at either).  I love the divey chinese food at Yuet Lee.  But Erin not so much.  YMMV.
• The Haight – Haight Ashbury isn’t the center of counter culture it once was, but if you want to buy some funky shoes and see some hippies, this is the place to go.  I stopped going to Amoeba Records because I can’t resist spending gobs of money every time I walk in the door.  Cha Cha Cha sangria and tapas are awesome.  I’m partial to the Aub Zam Zam for cocktails.  From the hotel, catch the N-Judah Muni underground, take it to Carl & Cole and walk down the hill to Haight Street.

Honestly, if I weren’t busy being nervous on Saturday before the wedding, I’d probably grab breakfast at the Farmer’s Market, walk up Market Street to Union Square, up through Chinatown on Grant Avenue to Broadway and then over the hill on Columbus Avenue to Washington Square Park in North Beach.  If the weather’s nice, that’s a recipe for a uniquely San Francisco day.  You could try to figure out how to ride the cable car at some point, but the wait can be vicious.  Or you could rent a car and head out to Napa for some wine tasting.  Or Muir Woods for some hiking in the redwoods. Or check out the fantastic view at Baker Beach.  Or take the BART to Berkeley. Or hit the SFMOMA or the De Young…  OK, so maybe you should save something for a future visit.