If I pick up tomorrow and move out west, will you still read the Bay Area version of Hungry Travels?
Just kidding, that would never happen. It would take at least a week to pack.
Due to time constraints, those quick jaunts into San Francisco I’d been planning on turned into one jaunt on Sunday night. Not nearly enough time, but I packed in as much walking around as I could — which, when combined with SF’s hills, becomes something of a mini-workout.
As for food, it was a coin toss: walk down to the Mission District for a famous Mission-style burrito or go somewhere more centrally located? I decided to stay central, following my phone’s trusty Google Maps over to Cordon Bleu, recommended by a reader last summer.
Cordon Bleu sounds French, but it’s actually Vietnamese, and I saw inside that it’s been voted by San Franciscans as “Best Dive” and “Best Hole-in-the-Wall.” Indeed, this was the epitome of HITW: a counter with two tiny tables in the back, and so narrow that I had to turn my body sideways to make it to the bathroom. But you know how I feel about holes-in-the-wall — I dig them; I was as happy as a pig in shit.
For a mere $8, a noodle salad: a bowl of vermicelli noodles with veggies, herbs, grilled pork, a killer Imperial roll and a side of Nuom Chuc sauce.
Not only incredibly tasty, but also satisfyingly filling. It was a huge bowl, exactly what I’d been craving. Good stuff.
From Cordon Bleu, it was on to the North Beach neighborhood, which is teeming with great looking restaurants, bars, bakeries and cafes, including this one, Caffe Greco.
I tried a slice of Italian cake called Sacripantina — I’d never heard of it before, have you? — and a caffe latte.
Sacripantina’s a soft vanilla cake with zabaione, Marsala, coffee and amaretto cream. Reminded me of a Tiramisu, only the Sacripantina had these awesome little crunchy things scattered on top. Yah. It’s delicious. I sat there reading my Triathlete Magazine, people-watching and feeling awfully content.
Next up was a stop in at City Lights, an independent San Francisco bookstore loaded with unique books and chairs encouraging you to plop down and read. It’s old, the wood creaks, and it’s open every day until midnight. Just a cool place to be.
Next door to City Lights is the old-timey bar Vesuvio, where I met my friend Rishi for drinks.
Vesuvio was established in 1948 and you can feel the history. No doubt countless writers, poets and musicians have passed through and sidled up to that bar. Word is Jack Kerouac used to hang out there.
We sat upstairs and kicked back until it was time for me to catch the last train out of the city.
So that was my seven hours in San Francisco. Could have used several more hours — hell, days, months, years. Will my blog one day be based around the Bay Area restaurant scene? Who knows? Never say never.
Cordon Bleu Vietnamese Restaurant
1574 California St.
San Francisco, CA
415-673-5637
Caffe Greco
423 Columbus Ave.
San Francisco, CA
415-397-6261
City Lights Books
261 Columbus Ave.
San Francisco, CA
415-362-8193
Vesuvio
255 Columbus Ave.
San Francisco, CA
415-362-3370