left my heart in san francisco {favorite restaurants}

Images from left to right, starting at the top: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10

I suppose a better title for this post would be: "I left my stomach in San Francisco" because, if I'm being completely honest, I'm going to miss our food scene here in SF dearly! Naturally, New York has plenty of tempting menus to keep me busy, but after spending five years here in San Francisco, I have to say, this isn't an easy goodbye for me. And don't get me started on the apparent lack of good Mexican food out east. Sigh. 

Here are a few of my favorites (new and old) that I've accumulated over the years accompanied with the dish you MUST try while there. 

Park Tavern: Must try dish - This is a tie for me between the brussel sprout chips and the Marlowe burger. Get both. You'll thank me later.

Wayfare Tavern: Must try dish - It's hard to chose a favorite (Tyler Florence can really do no wrong) but I'd have to say the fried chicken wins me over, every goddamn time.

Flour + Water: Must try dish - Their bianco verde pizza (asparagus, ricotta, garlic and salsa verde) is always a table pleaser. But I rarely share with the table. :)

SPQR: Must try dish - Their menu changes pretty often, but I recently had their nettle and mushroom cannelloni with nettle fonduta and piave cheese and was not disappointed. 

Elite Cafe: Must try dish - Don't leave without getting a big order of their meetinghouse biscuits and make sure to try seafood gumbo!

Absinthe: Must try dish - Where to start? For appetizers, don't miss the soft garlic pretzels (these guys will forever haunt my dreams) and for an entree, their potato crusted salmon is some of the best salmon I've ever had.

A16: Must try dish - All of their pasta dishes are sure to please, but their bucatini dish with walnut-lemon pesto, cream and wild arugula is my fool-proof choice.

Marlowe: Must try dish - Three words for you: roasted bone marrow. 

The  Cavalier: Must try dish - If you're going with a few friends, I highly recommend getting both the wild mushroom pie and the rabbit and shelling bean pie to split. 

Boulevard: Must try dish - I've only gone here once and it was for a birthday celebration years ago, but the nettle tortellini with veal meatballs is still one of my favorite dishes this city has to offer.

State Bird Provisions: Must try dish - Everything. It's dim sum style and it's kinda hard to turn ANYTHING down as it's passing you.

Nopa: Must try dish - I'm not usually a fan of pork chops, but there's something about the country pork chop from Nopa that just gets me. 

See the rest of my farewell SF series right this way...