San Francisco is one of my favorite cities in the US to visit.  It’s a quick hop, skip, and a jump from Orange County so I try to get up there as often as I can.  One of my close friends recently moved up there so I figured it was the perfect chance to plan a quick weekend getaway to see her.

One of the best things about San Francisco in my opinion is the food.  The city prides itself on using fresh, locally grown ingredients and it definitely shows.  The coffee you are enjoying with your breakfast most likely came from the coffee shop down the street and the vegetables with your meal are from the local farmer’s market.

On this trip I wanted to try some different restaurants that I haven’t been to before.  As much as I love Fisherman’s Wharf or Union Square, I wanted to go off the beaten path and eat what the locals eat.  Luckily, my friend and her boyfriend are foodies so they knew exactly where to go.

Our first culinary adventure was on Friday evening at Beretta in the Mission District.  The restaurant/bar is all small plates, so you order a variety of different items to share.  And share we did.  Highlights for me included the Eggplant Capionata with Burrata Cheese (I die), Bruschette with Broccoli Rabe, Winter Greens with Persimmon and Pomegranate and Proscuitto with Arugula Pizza.  I was too busy stuffing my face with all of the food goodness to take pictures, but trust me it was amazing.

Saturday was spent in Napa, which really means that the main meal of our day consisted of vino, vino, and more vino.  If you are ever in the Napa/Sonoma area, be sure to check out Anaba Wines – my personal favorite of the trip.

Feeling pretty good at Anaba Wines

By Saturday evening we had only one thing on our mind:  Dungeness Crab.  Dungeness Crab just happens to be in season in San Francisco, so we made our way down to PPQ Dungeness Island for a truly epic crab feast.  I should have known we were in for a treat when I saw the line out the door.
After an hour of waiting with our mouths watering, we were finally seated.  And the feasting began.  Roasted Crab with garlic and butter and garlic noodles.  The picture below does not do it justice.

Delicious crab, rice, noodles, and tea.  A carb-lover’s paradise.

While this certainly wasn’t the most healthy meal of the trip, it was truly delicious.  Every time you cracked open a piece of the crab the meat inside was tender and full of flavor, and the garlic noodles were the perfect accompaniment.  There was a fried banana ice cream thing served at the end of the meal, but I was too full of delicious crab to really even care.  Well played PPQ Dungeness Island.

Other culinary highlights included Savor and Toast, two delightful breakfast joints that we dined at in Noe Valley, as well as famed bakery Tartine, where some delicious shortbread and pumpkin bread was consumed.

Before we knew it it was time to head back down south, but not before grabbing a few Ghirardelli chocolates on the way out.

Thanks San Francisco for the very memorable eats (and drinks).  I have a feeling I’ll be dreaming of Dungeness Crab for a long time….