13 April 2013

A FOODIE WALK IN SAN FRANCISCO'S MISSION DISTRICT

We had one spare morning after our conference in San Francisco. Forget shopping. Here are our discoveries on a walk around just two of the lively blocks in the Mission district. Do not miss the mural clad Womens Building on 18th Street and all these delicious eateries....

• Craftsman and Wolves, 746 Valencia

Pictured above. For cutting-edge pastries, bread, great espresso and casual sandwiches. I brought home their sourdough loaf in my luggage the bread was so good. Do not miss the genius The Rebel Within - a runny egg, perfectly set within a savoury scented muffin, and the Cube - a dekicate cake which is several mouthfuls of creamy caramel and chocolate deliciousness.

• Dandelion Chocolate, 740 Valencia

The ultimate in simple sophistication; this is what you can do if you make money in a startup - use your profits to follow your taste-buds to produce some of the staggeringly fine single origin chocolate bars. We swooned over a salted caramel tart and a tiny chocolate ganache tart with fresh raspberries that almost levitated from the plate. Smooth rich pure drinking chocolate European style too.

• Mission Cheese, 736 Valencia

A cheese bar with matching beers and wine blackboard menu that has everything cheesey from raclette to grilled sandwiches. Four cheese flights to choose from and cheese to take home.

• Farina Pizzeria and Farina Cucina Italiana 700 Valencia

Gorgeous gooey crusted pizza to takeout or eat in a small cafe beside a larger more focussed restaurant next door that offers a full menu of great pasta dishes and other Italian fare.

• Tartine Bakery, 600 Guerrero

Constantly crowded, this cafe offers large French inspired bread, patisserie and savouries to accompany coffee and cold drinks throughout the day.

• Delfina and Pizzeria Delfina, 3611 to 3621 18th St

Before I left home a friend begged me not to miss this superb modern Italian restaurant and she was right. Up-to-the-minute menu of everything that is super fresh and typically seasonal Californian with an Italian twist. And if you can not get in to the restaurant, settle in for the thin crusted pizzas at the more casual space of the Delfina pizzeria next door.

• Bi-Rite Market, 3639 18th St

Fantastic grocery store and deli that was one of the first to stock fresh produce straight from the local farmers. Now a fully fledged emporium of every exotic ingredient you might ever need for cooking from fish sauce and spices to delicious chunks of fresh meat and fish. Food to go at the deli counter too.

• Bi-Rite Creamery, 3692 18th St

There is a queue all day for the amazing ice-creams at this offshoot of the Bi-Rite market. The flavours were wild; orange and cardamom, ginger, roasted banana and that perennially popular salted caramel and more. Cones, tubs and very generous portions. Just the ticket to finish the food walk!