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The home of Sam Spade, Frank Bullitt, and Harry Callahan, San Francisco is engrained in my mind as a town of hard-boiled private eyes and no-nonsense detectives. That’s probably about as far away from the city’s current vibe as can be, but I’m still a sucker for Bogart’s cadence, McQueen’s mastery of a Mustang, and Eastwood’s legendary question, about how lucky you feel. Now while I didn’t burn rubber up and down the embarcadero, I made sure I put some miles on the soles of my shoes in a city I was inexcusably unfamiliar with, and of course that meant hitting a few local watering holes and culinary gems.
https://www.marufukuramen.com/sanfrancisco
Japantown in San Francisco is beautiful for many reasons. Perhaps it’s the simplicity of it? Maybe it’s the abundance of sushi spots, ramen dens, and karaoke bars? I find it difficult to put Japantown into words. It must be experienced and should be. I made it to Marufuku just before the line tripled in length. Lucky. Only fourteen orders of Chicken Paitan DX ramen a day and I get blessed with a bowl. This murky, thick, chicken broth with deliciously submerged noodles, egg and slices of chicken breast is accompanied by a sizzling chicken leg served separately on a bed of bean sprouts. If you don’t dream about this meal after enjoying an order, then I have nothing for you. I also ordered some pork buns. Glutenous? Perhaps. I’m not apologizing for sinning in such a nature. Marufuku has locations on each coast and in Texas now. Fill the tank, check the tire PSI, and hit one close to you. Thank me later.
Chicken Paitan DX Ramen at Marufuku
What came first, bread or beer? Ok most likely bread, but no one knows for sure. Toronado may just be the best beer bar in the country. That’s no exaggeration. The list is staggering, ranging from multiple lines from the heavily sought-after West Coast brewery Russian River, to hundred-year-old classics from Belgium and Germany, Toronado can’t be equaled. It’s also the cheapest beer bar I have been to in the past decade. The vast majority of pours are $6 or $7. The Jukebox drops 45s of metal, punk, rock, and soul. Toronado is cash only, which I personally love.
I missed beer week, the annual weeklong release of Pliny the Younger triple IPA, by about a day. During this celebration of bitterness, Toronado serves nearly three hundred snifters of this ale a day. I normally loath lines, but one day I’ll find myself standing in that que with a $20 bill in hand thirsting for a taste.
Toronado, nuff said
http://coffee.caffetrieste.com/
Espresso may course through my veins in a similar volume to blood. Without it, I’m not sure if the morning would be a civil affair. Established in 1956, Café Trieste is apparently the first espresso hub to ever pop up on the west coast. I have no reason not to believe that. Outside of the world-class coffee, Café Trieste boasts one incredible music program and history. The Giotta family, the owners, are all musicians and they hold Saturday morning concerts every week. Some legendary musicians have swung by to take part, Dean Martin being one of them. Another cash only establishment, which I love but some folks can’t seem to handle. Don’t be that person. North Beach is beautiful and rivals any little Italy I have ever visited. Once you hit the area, just walk about and take in the scenery. I had some Louie Prima streaming through me ear buds serenading me as I made my way up and down the hills.
Café Trieste – North Beach
http://www.thebuenavista.com/home/home.html
While I try to steer everyone to fun little spots off the tourist maps, I can’t help but swing into the Buena Vista no matter the crowd. Sure the Buena Vista gets overloaded with tourists so why? Irish Coffee. This legendary marriage of Irish whiskey and hot bean water topped with fresh hand-whipped cream found its way into the US via the Buena Vista in San Fran. Not in NYC, Chicago, or Boston, but in San Francisco, the Irish coffee took flight. It is simple, yet crafted with precision and care. Heat the glass with hot water. Add a few cubes of sugar. Slosh in a shot of Tullamore Dew along with their own roasted blend of beans. Stir so that sugar melts away. Top with that fresh hand whipped cream and sit back and enjoy. Located right at the end of Fisherman’s Wharf right by the trolley car stop, with a great view of the bay, it’s easy to see why folks flock here. Get in early and enjoy a coffee laced with that wonderful ambrosia from the emerald isle. It will set you straight and maybe even pick you up.
An Irish Coffee at The Buena Vista Café
Words cannot describe how much I love this restaurant. The Michelin stars and James Beard foundation may help you understand the caliber of this culinary wonder where I fail to, but Mister Jiu’s is more than any award. Chef Brandon Jew has cultivated something remarkable, something we may not deserve, something truly beyond measure. He has built a family here and it’s something you can feel when interacting with the folks who call it home. As a restaurateur myself, nowhere near Chef Jew’s measure I should add, I can say both he and everyone else at Mister Jiu’s has inspired me to be better and restored some faith in the industry for me after covid fractured my belief a fair bit. If I end up living in San Francisco in the next life, I hope it’s right around the transformed banquet hall on Waverly. San Francisco’s Chinatown is awe-inspiring. It is gorgeous. For this wandering traveler, it is my favorite part of a city that I am falling in love with the more I write this and retrace my steps.
Just outside Mister Jiu’s on Waverly in beautiful Chinatown
http://www.mamas-sf.com/about-us.html
Mama’s opened to serve San Franciscans ice cream in 1951. In 1969 they expanded into a full restaurant and there has been a line to get in ever since. Breakfast is the draw here and it’s easy to see why. I enjoyed the Spanish eggs benedict made up of chorizo and perfectly poached ping pong ball eggs. Dessert with breakfast was the home-made carrot cake coupled with a second cup of coffee. It may just be the best dish carrots have ever been involved in. This was my last stop prior to getting back on a plane East Coast bound.
The Spanish Eggs Benedict at Mama’s
Since visiting San Fran I get one question, often more of a statement, “I hear the homelessness is out of control!” “Were there a lot of homeless people?” Homelessness is an all too human tragedy that most folks treat like an inconvenient eye sore and nothing more. Some view it as the collateral damage of progress, some view homelessness as a mental health epidemic, I'm not smart enough or wise enough to weigh in on such a scale. All I see are people, people like you and me. It’s just very sad and it's sad in any city you or I find ourselves in. San Francisco could do more to help those struggling just to survive, but to be honest so could every other city in the world. San Francisco doesn’t have a homeless problem, more than any other city I have spent time walking around. Maybe if we spent more time seeing this “problem” not just as a single city’s issue, but instead as a byproduct of our society’s drive then we might find it getting better and not worse. It never hurts to try and be more human.
See you on the road soon,
Richard
