Eating and Drinking in San Francisco

We came, we saw and boy, did we feast. San Francisco, like New York City, is a mecca of stellar sips and eats. Although we only spent 48 hours in the City by the Bay, we covered quite a few of the best eats and best bars in San Francisco.

Here are the highlights:

Trick Dog Bar – Always in search of the latest and greatest in the cocktail scene, Lanee was especially excited to stop in to Trick Bar, just opened in early January. The U.S. cocktail world had been anticipating its arrival for over a year. And it gets busy early. We were there as soon as it opened at 3 pm, and by 4 pm the bar was slammed. The clever cocktail menu is on a pantone color swatch book. Cocktails we loved included the Baby Turtle, Vintage Photo and the Pantone. Since we were hungry and Trick Dog doesn’t start serving food until 5 pm, we went to the adorable Italian deli next door, Salumeria, for a delicious charcuterie of various meats and cheeses.

Rich Table – With a bartender from Brooklyn named Buffalo at the helm in one of San Francisco’s hottest restaurants, we knew we were in for a good time. Lanee sampled her first pastrami sandwich in a glass, named the Carnegie Martini, of St. George Dry Rye Gin, mustard, pickles and caraway. It was also a first to try their ‘dirty hippie-hemp’ spread – a green dip similar to hummus with nuts and a splash of wheat grass juice. Can’t say we were fans… Lindsay said it was appropriately named because that was exactly what it tasted like (we’re not going to ask why or how she knows that!).

Bourbon and Branch – We didn’t have reservations (which is a must, as we discovered later), but Lindsay managed to talk our way in. We ended up crashing someone’s private birthday party in the Cigar Room by mistake! They said, “are you with Google?” and we said, “Yep!” (I mean we use it all the time, so it’s not that much of a stretch, right?) Once we figured out there were other sections, we explored all four bars of Bourbon and Branch, including the original prohibition-era speakeasy in the basement equipped with escape tunnels. We recommend making an online reservation for the Wilson & Wilson room to enjoy a three-course cocktail tasting menu. The Wilson & Wilson is the only of the four to exclusively feature all house-made mixers. Hot tip: The Library Room does not require a reservation and the password is aptly “books.”

Since we were staying at the lovely Inn at the Presidio, a newly opened boutique hotel on the former army base (circa 1846-1989), we checked out the Presidio Social Club for dinner. Located in one of the former military barracks, it is a modern interpretation of a 1950’s supper club with a white marble bar, waiters in white coats and classic Americana cuisine with a few twists. Lanee loved her Chopped Kale Salad with carrots, pumpkin seeds, radish and sherry vinaigrette and Lindsay loved her Spinach & Crab watercress salad with grapefruit. Since we behaved with our mains, we indulged in house-made marshmallows and a chocolate sundae for dessert!

Here’s our eat, drink and be merry photo gallery of San Francisco:

More San Francisco Love:

Golden Gate Bridge Photo Tribute

7 Great Quotes about San Francisco

San Francisco Valentine’s Getaway Giveaway

On February 4-8, fans can sweet talk their way into the heart of San Francisco by writing a love letter to the city in 140 characters or less. Submissions can be tweeted to @onlyinsf or posted to San Francisco’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/onlyinSF. San Francisco Travel will select the best love letter, awarding a VIP trip for two to San Francisco for Valentine’s Day weekend.