Here are a few more culinary finds in and around San Francisco:
Quince
– Their amazing new approach on French and Italian cuisines knows no bounds. Expensive this restaurant maybe, but their pasta dishes (Capelletti of Willey farm artichoke, orange and ramp and Tagliono of fresh morel mushrooms, cream and herbs, to name a few) alone make every penny worth spending. This restaurant is located in the Jackson Square neighborhood.
Delarosa
– this latest venture by the Beretta and Starbelly team offer a great and inventive selection of Roman pizzas, panini, pasta and spiedini (one of the very Italian restaurants in SF that serve Spiedini – Florentine kebabs). Delarosa is located in the Marina district.
Straw
– This quirky, carnival themed Hayes Valley restaurant serves up dishes like Bearded Lady (pulled pork sandwich), The Ring Master (single or double ground chuck burger/house glazed donut bun – yup, donut bun) and Sweet Tots (sweet potato tots served with blackberry BBQ sauce) to name a few. What’s not to love when you can also order funnel cake with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry sauces for dessert (great prices, too).
Dynamo Donut & Coffee
– For those donut lovers who think that Krispy Kreme is it, well, think again. Dynamo elevated donuts to a whole new, crazy level. Their famous Maple Glazed Apple Bacon donuts set the bar for all the other off-the-wall donut flavors (try Banana de Leche, Candied Orange Blossom, Apricot Cardamom and Lemon Thyme). Their Four Barrel coffee is good, too 🙂 Dynamo Donut & Coffee is located on 2760 24th St., San Francisco. Make sure to drop by early to snag a few bacon donuts as they go pretty quickly.
Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous
– This ice cream gem in the Dog Patch neighborhood is a must-try. They change their ice cream menu every week and every flavor is just as good as the next. They have flavors that range from Burnt Sugar, Salted Caramel, Lavender, Candied Orange Blossom to Horchata. Love this place!
Birite Creamery
– Birite took ice-cream making to different heights when they opened a few years ago. They have now expanded and added a soft-serve ice cream counter next to the shop. They have seasonal and staple flavors like Balsamic Strawberry (really, it’s yummy), Salted Caramel, Coffee Toffee and Roasted Banana, to name a few. The upside is that you can never go wrong with their ice cream (they use Straus Family farm organic products for their ice creams) but the two downsides are parking and long lines. Birite is located on 3692 18th St. San Francisco
Locanda
– Once the thriving locale for Ramblas, it is now the home of Locanda, another Craig and Anne Stoll (of Delfina) creation. It’s thoughtful service and impeccable Roman dishes like pizza bianca e lardo, Bucatini all’Amatriciana and Veal casoncelli alla saltimbocca have made this new restaurant a destination. Another plus is their amazing cocktails. You’ll find Locanda on 557 Valencia St. San Francisco.
Gelato Classico Italian Ice Cream
– I cannot end this entry without mentioning Gelato Classico Italian Ice Cream. All these gelaterie in North Beach may come and go (including the derisive-snort-inducing, pretentious gelato nuova that pepper some of the equally pretentious districts in San Francisco). No one can make a Coppa Mista better than Gelato Classico, hands down! You can visit Gelato Classico on 576 Union St.
Crown & Crumpet Tea Room
– As much as I avoid Pier 39/Fisherman’s Wharf general area, I can’t help but not mention Crown & Crumpet Tea Room. It’s so pink and quintessentially English in the middle of the most tourist infested area in San Francisco. Their tea sandwiches, mini desserts, scones (must eat these with heaps of Devonshire clotted cream) and of course, tea selection are worth braving the mad crowd in Ghirardelli Square for.
Romolo’s Cannoli and Spumoni Factory
– This place is in San Mateo (20 miles from San Francisco) but we drive all the way here just to have some of their cannoli and spumoni. It’s a family owned business and everything that they serve were all made in-house. Thankfully, Joey and Michael Capello (Romolo’s grandsons) continue on with their Sicilian tradition by making great Sicilian desserts. You can find Romolo’s on 81 37th Avenue, San Mateo.