My SF Bites: In Between Meals

On a recent trip to San Francisco, I had less than 48 hours in the city so every minute was precious and every bite counted.  I had lunch and dinner planned already on the first day but otherwise, I was free to explore.  The first thing I did after dropping off my bags at the hotel Saturday morning was to head over the farmer’s market at the Ferry Building.

Even though it was still early in the morning, the bustling market was filled with locals as well as tourists perusing the numerous stalls with the fresh vegetables and fruits and other local specialties.  Sure this might be a bit cliche but I still loved every second of it and was definitely worth exploring, especially in the perfect spring weather.

My first stop was outside by the water at the 4505 Meats to pick up a bag of my favorite snacks from my last visit to the farmer’s market.

That’s right, an entire bag of chicharrones.  These are airy and light, with just the right amount of spice.  I refrained from ripping into them right away and tucked them away safely in my bag to save for later.

Next stop, I stopped by Boccalone, Chris Cosentino’s salami stall inside the building for a personalized meat cone.

Three different types of cured salami, a few slices of capocollo, a bit of lonza and some buttery lardo.  I savored everything precious slice as I wondered over to my next destination.

Even though we have more than 3 Blue Bottles in New York now, I still make sure to stop by the stall in the Ferry Building and patiently wait in line.

Why you ask?  Because there is nothing better than a cup of iced New Orleans with a hot buttery liege waffle, not yet available in New York.

Yeasty with a wonderful crunchy crust and just the right amount of sweetness, the liege waffle was every bit as delicious as I remembered.  With my waffle and coffee in hand, I happily wondered out of the market, finally able to move on.

After lunch, I enjoyed my afternoon wandering the Marina neighborhood and the Presidio on foot.  As a reward to myself, I decided to stop by Philz Coffee for an afternoon treat.

I have heard a lot about the wonderful mojito coffee at Philz.  To be honest, I am a little skeptical.  Mint in my iced coffee?  One sip of the creamy refreshing coffee and I was a believer.  The mint note was subtle and restrained in the background of a cup of lightly sweetened coffee.  It was the perfect pick-me-up for my walk back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.

The next morning after breakfast, I managed to squeeze in one more stop before heading out to Half Moon Bay.  Dandelion Chocolate was a shop that produced small batch chocolates located in the Mission.

Stepping inside was like stepping into a chocolate factory where the air was filled with intoxicating scent.

The shop offered everything from chocolate, from whole roasted beans to cacao nibs to chocolate bars and chocolate desserts.  I could have spent much longer in the store if I didn’t have a deadline.  I did manage to grab a bar of the Camino Verde from Ecuador to savor on my car ride out of the city.

Philz Coffee | Various Locations | http://www.philzcoffee.com/

Dandelion Chocolate | 740 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110 | http://www.dandelionchocolate.com/