What food is San Francisco known for?
 

I'm visiting San Francisco with my mother, and I started to look up restaurants for us to eat at. Of course, San Francisco being a large city, there are many great choices. But what is San Francisco known for as far as food goes? That might help me narrow it down. For example, when in Boston, I'd definitely want to go to the North End for Italian. And I can't leave New York without having a bagel and piece of pizza!

If you have specific restaurant recommendations, that would be great too. We're staying in Union Square and won't have a car.

Thanks!

This won't help you narrow down a restaurant, but in my opinion the one food that SF is known for is sour dough bread. You can buy that from vendors at Fisherman's Wharf.

Rice-A-Roni the San Francisco treat!

Sorry, I can only think of Sourdough bread.

Sourdough bread and crab are what I associate with SF. Not rice a roni.

Don't forget Ghiradelli chocolate :)

Haha, I forgot about Rice-A-Roni. I think it's safe to say I won't be eating any in San Francisco though!

I didn't even know about the sourdough bread there! Are Dungeness (sp) crab in season right now? And I have a sweet tooth, so I'll probably be making it to Ghiradelli Square (although I'm sure it's probably pretty touristy).

Since there's Chinatown, Japantown and the Italian part of town, is there particularly good Chinese, Japanese or Italian?

I had my first crab louie in Saucilito and will never, ever forget it. It was awesome. Also sandabs. And wine, of course, with wine valleys now on all sides of San Francisco. Any seafood, sushi is probably wonderful. Just about anything one could want can be found in that city. Lovely, fresh, food and wine. Best of the best...

Mission Burritos. I like La Curmbre at 16th and Valencia., but there are lots of places.
Check out the Ferry Building Farmer's Market.

+ there's Cioppino. http://www.viamagazine.com/weekenders/Seafood04.asp
And lots of all kinds of Asian. Just stroll Clement Street, til something looks inviting.

Crab season - November to June.

I believe cioppino originated in San Francisco. The best is found at Tadich Grill in the financial district, which should be an easy walk from your Union Square hotel. And San Francisco sourdough bread is still the best. It doesn't travel well, so you can't really get it anywhere else.

Aside from those better know treats such as crab and chocolate...San Francisco is known for being a mecca for real foodies, excellent food and restaurants, and their support of sustainable agriculture. Chez Panisse in the East Bay, and Alice Waters, started a huge wonderful trend that is what San Francisco in now known for. You will be amazed at how many really fabulous restaurants a small city can support. My mouth waters!

Also, Italians have been in San Francisco forever, so they have left a huge mark on the restaurant scene.

Chinese food here is the best in the country.

I, too, associate San Francisco with crab (boiled or steamed dungeness crab--mmmmmmmm)

For me it's not a trip to San Francisco without a stop at Molinari's (italian deli)

Dim Sum!

I'm not even sure what cioppino is. I'll have to look that up, and the Tadich Grill.

Any specific recommendations for good Chinese or Italian?

And I'm definitely not leaving SF without having some sourdough bread!

I think the famous sourdough bread place is Boudin's. Or something like that. There are probably others.

YUM for the Tadich Grill!! I agree -- great Cioppino. Be prepared to wait for a table.

As a fourth-generation San Franciscan, I have never eaten Rice-a-Roni nor known anyone who has.

The late, great S.F. columnist Herb Caen used to jokingly offer a reward for anyone who could find a native actually eating the stuff.

What we did eat was fresh sourdough bread, Dungeness crab, Chinese food from all different regions, the almond cookies at the Japanese Tea Garden, "It's Its" from Playland at the Beach (sadly, now gone) and "Joe's Special" - ground beef, spinach, eggs mushrooms and onions all mixed together.

I thought this question was rhetorical at first.

Obviously Rice-a-Roni !!

Straying ever so slightly off subject...Irish Coffee