Local Favorites in San Francisco

From a local San Francisco resident’s perspective, I hope this blog post gives you some insights on where to go beyond the basic tourist attractions as well as tips & tricks to maximize your visiting experience, including some of my personal favorites!

DID YOU KNOW? Karl the Fog - The Bay Area is known to always be cold, gloomy, and foggy so it’s a rare sighting to have sun in. Residents have created a nickname for the infamous fog that lies between the city and the bridge, Karl. There’s even an Instagram account for it! Check out beautiful shots @karlthefog.

MEAL O'CLOCK

Food is definitely one of the best parts of traveling. And having the opportunity to taste a variety of ethnic foods is definitely a privilege. Know for its diversification, the city of San Francisco is the right place to enjoy delicious cuisines from many cultures. Whatever time it is, there’s plenty of food conveniently around for any occasion, satisfying any craving so you’ll never run out of options! Being in the city for over 20 years, I still have yet to try every place I’d like to! Here are some of my personal favorites:

Delicious Boba Guys Boba
Earl Grey (left) and Thai Tea (right)

Boba Guys Located in 5 different places all around the city, this hipster boba place has become very popular recently among boba lovers. My go-to drink is usually the Earl Gray Milk Tea (left), but sometimes I like to change things up and get the Strawberry Matcha Latte. Whatever drink you decide on, make sure to add-on their grade A tapioca balls!

Brown Penis Macaron from Hot Cookie

Hot Cookie Located in the center of Castro, this small bakery is known for their deliciously baked cookies and erotic treats such as a penis-shaped macaron! You can choose a white or brown one, with an option to add on whip cream! Time to get your Instagram pictures in!

Friday Nights at Off the Grid

Off the Grid Every Friday night at Fort Mason center, many different food trucks come together by the Marina District with a variety of yummy cuisines, from Chinese pork buns to thick fish tacos. There's also free parking for this weekly event. Personally, I always stop by the SeniorSisig for some authentic Filipino lumpia and KojaKitchen for their rice burgers and kamikaze fries.

Golden Gate Bakery Located in the heart of Chinatown San Francisco, this local Chinese bakery is known for their large egg tarts! This drop of sunshine is guaranteed to make your day better. Hurry though, they always runs out before closing time...

San Tung's Honey Glazed Chicken Wings

San Tung Chinese Restaurant There are two right next to each other, but make sure to go to the original one, #1! This restaurant is known for their rich honey glazed chicken wings and is always packed from open to close!

Sunday Brunch? Count me in! There are honestly so many delicious brunch places all around the city that it’s hard to choose just one! From Eggs Benedict to bottomless mimosas, here is a list of my go-to brunch places with my favorite gals: Zazie, Sweet Maple, Kitchen Story, Mama’s

BORED? NEVER…

There is ALWAYS something to do around the city! Just like the food, you can never run out of options. Here are some inexpensive and adventurous activities to do in between your meals:

Thrift Stores and Piercings in the Haight There's an entire district called the Haight just for thrifting and any type of piercing you can imagine! Find one-of-a-kind apparel as your souvenir from San Francisco; there’s something for everyone!

Clarion Alley An alley full of beautiful murals in Mission District with deep history and political messages, often seasonally changed. Stop by and learn more about what the Mission is all about!

Murals of Clarion Alley

Maiden Lane This narrow street is located in Downtown SF and used to be a prostitution corner, thus the origin of the street name. It is now turned into a high-end shopping area with aesthetic night lights and coffee shops.

Sunset Down Maiden Lane

SFMOMA 18 and under? Know someone who works for

Gap? Then you get a FREE entry! The museum’s art gallery changes seasonally so it’s always a good time visiting more than once! You aren’t able to touch the paintings, but you can sure take great pictures in front of it.

Hidden Swing in Kirby Cove

Kirby Cove This hiking spot is not exactly in San Francisco but located on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. After  hiking down to an isolated beach area, there is a hidden swing set by the cove! I would recommend driving past the bridge and park your car by the parking lot then hike down. Make sure to wear some shoes with grip because the hike is a downhill curve!

Stow Lake

Stow Lake Boathouse This is a lovely date spot to rent out a boat while viewing the lovely Golden Gate Park scenery. You can choose from paddle to row to electric boats -- but it takes two to get the boat going!

TRANSPORTATION

• SF MUNI Bus Lines: more for local and frequent stops; extremely accurate and dependable; goes all around the city with many different lines that go as early as 6am to midnight. Super easy to navigate and bus maps almost everywhere in the city
• Driving: Personally, I feel that it’s not too bad to drive around certain areas in San Francisco but if you don’t feel comfortable driving steep hills, there are a couple alternative ways to get around the city. However, make sure to have loose change with you because buses and trains don’t offer change for large bills.
• Train System (Metro, Bart, Caltrain): if you’re traveling to get from one district to another, the train system would save you more time than bus routes.
• Uber/Lyft: also very convenient and affordable for Uber Pool. Many come within 5-10 minute depending where you are.

These are just some local restaurants and attractions that I would bring any tourist to (beyond the typical visits to the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman's Wharf). Choosing between so many favorites for this post was so hard! Just remember, whenever you decide to visit, pack warm clothes because the city is windy and cold all year long. Happy traveling!

-- Jannell