If you’re traveling to San Francisco, Calif., you already have a bucket-list of activities you want to check off, from crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, visiting Alcatraz, Chinatown or the Fisherman’s Wharf, to driving down Lombard Street or picking up some samples of Ghirardelli Chocolate. There are a lot of activities the Bay Area offers. The iconic city attractions lure nearly 17 million visitors to the city each year, but that doesn’t mean the activities are just for tourists — even the most jaded locales never tire of admiring the landmarks or dining at top-notch restaurants, artisanal coffee shops or sidewalk cafés.
Begin your day with breakfast at Picnic on Third. Let’s just say, house-made granola — healthy, incredible and only $5. If you’re feeling more adventurous, try the Breakfast Sammich, a simple classic with eggs, cheese and bacon on a warm English muffin, slathered in saucy-sauce. All fresh, real ingredients for $5.50. If you happen to be visiting on the weekend be sure to check out the scrumptious brunch menu, including a Farm Egg Scramble with smoked salmon, spring onion and avocado for $15, or the Overnight Chile Braised Pork with poached eggs, parmesan polenta and braised greens for $13. Order your breakfast favorite with a macchiato for $3.
After breakfast, ride on a rolling landmark. For $7 each way or $17 for a one-day cable car pass, you can ride an officially designated historic landmark. San Francisco’s cable cars are a relic of the pre-automotive age, built to scale the slopes too steep for horses. Three cable car lines leave Union Square and the end of California Street, traveling 9 mph through the streets of San Francisco from Chinatown to Fisherman’s Wharf. Hang off on the running boards and ride Doris Day-style.
Discover the secrets of sourdough, a San Francisco staple. At the flagship Boudin Bakery on Fisherman’s Wharf, loaves are made from a mother dough first cultivated in 1849. Watch the bread-making process and overlook the showcase kitchen. Sample it at the café and find out why it’s all the rave.
Stop by the Hot Spud for lunch on Fisherman’s Wharf. Depending on your level of fanciness, you can choose to add alfredo sauce. Enjoy a nutritious and balanced potato for lunch with any creation of toppings. Start with a 16-ounce Russet potato baked to perfection and mix with butter and cheese, then the fun begins. You can create your own hot spud for $7.95, and choose four toppings and one sauce or one of the infamous topped spuds. The $10.95 steak spud has grilled steak, alfredo sauce, sautéed mushrooms, black olives, peas, corn and green onion, or perhaps try The Wharf, $10.95, with crab meat, lemon beurre blanc sauce, corn and red and green onion.
For dinner eat at Al’s Place, a relaxed, modern New American restaurant. The restaurant provides an inventive take on seafood and vegetable dishes. Start with an appetizer of brine-pickled French fries in a smoked apple sauce for $8, and conclude your evening meal with blistered squash, burrata, hummus, pickled kohlrabi and apricot for $16.
End the night and sit by the fountain at Ghirardelli Square and snag a few free chocolate samples or ice cream. Be sure to take some chocolate for the road!
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