Travels: San Francisco Guide

Posted by Claire Ragozzino

To give you a truly “complete” guide of San Francisco/Bay Area may be a near impossible feat or might require me to live a decade in the city to uncover all the culinary gems and underground spots to explore. Until that happens, I’ve been visiting the city enough in the past few years to have established my tried-and-true favorite spots I hit every time I go for a quick visit.

EAT

• Gracias Madre –  100% organic, plant-based Mexican restaurant founded by the Cafe Gratitude folks – need I say more?
• Dandelion Chocolate – divine single origin handcrafted chocolate bars made in SF, grab a bar or four to take with you! They also have divine European sipping chocolate at their Ferry Building location.
• Juice Shop – hands down my favorite pressed juice shop in the country, nothing rivals the quality of their organic raw juices & elixirs! They have locations around the city and in Marin, plus a little juice truck around town. Be sure to get the almond drink!
• Marla Bakery – beautiful local/organic bakery in Outer Richmond with fresh-made pastries, divine bread, and delicious lunch & dinner menu. In the warmer months, there’s a charming little garden outdoors to sit.
• Outerlands – not far from Marla in Outer Richmond, this is one of my favorite restaurants in SF. The menu changes nightly featuring local, sustainably grown produce…and if you’re going to eat bread, this is place to do it. The dinner levain loaf is next level.
• Samovar Tea – stunning tea and natural foods menu in the Mission district.
• Rainbow Grocery – sweet little mom & pop organic market across the street from Outerlands.
• Good Earth Natural Foods – natural foods store Mecca in Marin – Mill Valley and Fairfax – a great stop if you’re headed north and need to stock up.
  

STAY

• AirBnB has curated a list of the best spots in the Bay. Here you go!
  
• My dear friends, Rachel & Ben, have a cute AirBnB room for rent in Mill Valley tucked away in the Redwoods just a short drive north of the city in Mill Valley.

PLAY

• Ferry Building Farmer’s Market – everything you could ever possibly want from a farmer’s market and more. Need I say more?
• Land’s End Trail Labyrinth – a respite from the urban hustle with miles of coastal walking trails overlooking views of the Golden Gate, there’s a beautiful labyrinth at Eagle’s Point for your more contemplative moments.
• Mount Tamalpais – stunning views and great hiking or scenic driving at sunset, just a short drive over the bridge into Marin.
• Yoga Tree SF – yoga mecca with a variety of locations around the city.
• General Store – sister to the LA shop, this cute boutique is right next door to Outerlands.
• Heath Ceramics – located inside the Ferry Building, walk by and drool at all the gorgeous matte pottery as you pass through to Farmer’s Market.
• Bryr Clogs – for my fellow clog addicts, a stop at this shop to drool over/order your own custom clogs. Seriously, clogs have never looked sexier.