Hi all. I m going to San Francisco in a few weeks. I ve been there a few times before, but I ve only done mostly the tourist things like the Pier, the Ferry Building, Sausalito, the 7-story mall. Once, I did make it to Clement and I stopped in at one of those popular crepe places and also at a really cute place that made most of their desserts out of fruit. So yummy. Anyway, I stay really close to Union Square. This time, however, I d love to get a more authentic taste of San Francisco and get off the tourist paths. What should I do and where are some great eating places? Thank you in advance. : )
I ve lived in SF since 1985 and never tire of exploring new areas but here are some of my favorite places to hang out and get away from the tourists.The Mission from 16th to 24th and from Valencia to Mission this neighborhood has it all. Shopping in unique shops like Clothes Contact [vintage clothing by the pound], Paxton Gate [really unusual items like a stuffed mouse dressed like the pope], several thrift, book, clothing, and home furnishing stores, and two locations for good vibrations [a clean well lighted place for sexual items/books/films]. The food is amazing everything from some of the city s best latin food to a wide array of other kinds of food. Check out Andalu, Fritz, El Toro, Supper Club, Cha, Cha, Cha, or Foreign Cinema. Nightlife galore as well, bars, clubs and four theaters for live performance.Fillmore between Turk and Jackson is a vibrant mix of upscale and low down. Jazz clubs, the famous Fillmore Auditorium, John Lee Hooker s Blues club the Boom Boom Room. An eclectic mixture of thrift stores, boutiques, restaurants and shops. Just off Fillmore at Post is Japantown and the Sundance Cinema.The Botanical Gardens in Golden Gate Park are beautiful and usually not crowded. There are parts of the garden that are so quiet that you will forget that you are in a city. Just south of the park is Irving street which is similar to Clement street with a variety of shops and restaurants.The Randall Museum above the Castro is free natural history museum with a beautiful Buffano sculpture garden and one of the best views of the city.And while the next two neighborhoods do qualify as being crowded with tourists they are part of the real San Francisco.Chinatown from Bush to Broadway along Kearny, Grant and Stockton. Grant is overrun with tourist traps between Bush and Washington but the area north of that has Golden Gate Bakery [The City s best Chinese Bakery] A tea house [free tea tastings]. Don t miss the alleys between Grant and Stockton, some incredible architecture, lots of history, and a fortune cookie factory where they still fold by hand. Stockton Street is packed with food stores, go early in the morning and watch as the fishermen deliver live fish to the shops. Some of my favorite restaurants in Chinatown are New Asia on Washington, City View on Commercial at Kearney [dim sum from the cart], Henry s Hunan on Sacramento near Kearny, [don t miss Diana s Meat Pie], R G Lounge a more upscale Cantonese place that is always good. Or if you know and love dim sum visit one of the many locations of You s Dim Sum and eat your dumplings or buns while wandering the streets and alleys or sit down and people watch in Portsmouth Square [Chinatown s Living Room].North Beach From Broadway to beautiful Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill offers some of the best food, drink, shopping, weather, coffee and entertainment in The City. Restaurants that can t miss Cafe Macaroni on Columbus at Jackson, Cafe Greco on Columbus near Vallejio, North Beach Restaurant on Stockton near green, along Green street check out Cafe Sport, Gino and Carlos, or Golden Boy Pizza. For lunch pick up a sandwich at Molinaries and wander up to Washington Square or Coit Tower for a picnic. Right on Washington square is Mario s Bohemian Cigar Store, no cigars just some of the best sandwiches and pizza in north beach. Several live music venues, Beach Blanket Babalyon, comedy, improv and smaller shows at the Purple Onion. City Lights one of the best independant book stores in the world. Just across Columbus on Broadway is the Beat Musuem, and a stop at Specs across from City Lights featuring good drinks and a small maritime museum will give you some history of this incredible neighborhood Even as a tour guide I never get tired of showing visitors North Beach.