Food - Mill Valley, Marin

Mill Valley
Welcome to my home town: Home to Muir Woods, the birth of the Mountain Bike, and some great places to eat. Heck, even Tyler Florence moved to Mill Valley. It must be the air.

Thep Lela - 615 Strawberry Village - http://www.theplela.com
* I love Thai food. I've tried a lot of great restaurants all over the US. I want to find a better place than Thep Lela, but I just can't do it. Their food is just so darn good! Man, I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it. I love the Thai food at Thep Lela!

Joe's Taco Lounge - 382 Miller Avenue - http://www.joestacolounge.com
* Here's a great Mexican restaurant! Everything here is great. There was a time where I would just eat their Shrimp Burritos every night for dinner. You can even get a Mexican pizza here. Yeah, definitely one of my favorite spots in, not just Marin, but the whole Bay Area.

Mamma's Royal Cafe - 393 Miller Avenue - http://www.theplela.com
* This quirky breakfast spot has been around for forever in Mill Valley. It's a cute little greasy spoon that totally reminds me of what all of Mill Valley used to be like before things got SO freaking expensive in Marin. Definitely a "fun" place to go for breakfast.

Super Duper Burger - 430 Miller Ave - http://www.superdupersf.com
* Have people told you to check out Inn & Out Burgers while you're in California? Well don't. If you want to the real Northern California version of fast food, try Super Duper instead. Organic grass fed beef, local organic milkshakes, and you can even have beer and wine with your fast food! You don't get that at McDonald's.

Hawk's Tavern - 507 Miller Avenue - http://www.hawkstavern.com
* We definitely take quality, well done food for granted in Northern California. You know, like french fries with parsley, truffle, garlic aioli. Food portions are kinda reminiscent of tapas at Hawk's Tavern, though.

Vasco - 106 Throckmorton Avenue - http://www.vascomillvalley.com
* Looking for an Italian dinner done Northern California style? Well here you go. There's a whole world of yum right here.

Small Shed Flatbread - 17 Madrona Street - http://www.smallshed.com
* If you love Pizza Delfina in San Francisco, then this is another pizza shop you must try. I love this place! I guess if Tartine had to move out, it's nice that Small Shed took over their location.

Beerworks - 173 Throckmorton Avenue - http://millvalleybeerworks.com
* Only the best beers are found at Beerworks in Mill Valley. Don't know what to order? Ask. They can describe a beer as if they were describing a fine wine!

Amberjack Sushi - 72 East Blithedale Avenue - http://goo.gl/ISsLz
* I love this little hole in the wall Sushi place! Their fish is so fresh. I love me some crazy crazy sushi rolls, but this place outshines shines many other fancier rolls with just some darn great quality! It's so good.

Noci - 17 East Blithedale - http://nocigelato.com
* Hand-made locally-sourced organic ice cream. It's so good. I'm really lucky I don't live closer. I might weigh 250 pounds.

Pelican Inn - 10 Pacific Way, Muir Beach - http://www.pelicaninn.com
* If you wanna head over the mountain, Pelican Inn is definitely worth the drive. They've got a really innovative, yet somehow totally classic, menu. It's like a Northern Californian /English Pub /Tandori Kitchen Fusion. This is foodie-friend of mine's all time favorite spots in Marin!

Bike the Golden Gate Bridge

If you're coming to San Francisco, you should totally find your way out to the Golden Gate Bridge at some point. It's super pretty, and it's one of the few places in the world where you can actually look over the side at the amazing view completely unobstructed. There are a lot of ways to see the Golden Gate Bridge: By tour bus; by walking; by renting a car; by renting a normal bike on your own; but the best way by far is by coming on a guided electric bike tour with me. Seeing it by foot is too slow. Seeing it by car is too fast. Coming with me is the best of both worlds! Riding across the bridge is exciting, the electricity is really fun going up hills, I'm a great photographer, and I'll tell you all my favorite places to go from a local's point of view (so come early in your trip so you'll know where to go next)! I love giving tours and helping people discover the city that I call home. In fact this whole blog spawned from giving tours and helping people find the best places to go. And FYI: I work Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, so feel free to book accordingly. :)

The Electric Tour Company
http://goo.gl/gFSDv

Online reviews of the tour
http://goo.gl/DqelZ

Food -The Mission

The Mission
As a tour guide, people are always asking me where to eat in San Francisco, and this neighborhood is always TOP on my list of places to go. Valencia Street at about 16th is where all the cool stuff starts. I can't think of a single bad restaurant off the top of my head. It's no wonder I spend most of my free time over here!

Tartine Bakery - 600 Guerrero Street - http://www.tartinebakery.com
* Probably the best bakery in the whole Bay Area. It's a must visit! The line usually only takes 15 minutes at the most. They even serve Four Barrel Coffee. Remember, the bread comes out of the oven at 5pm. My parents used to buy their almond quesants by the bag full when they were in Mill Valley. I usually go for the banana cream pie, lemon tart, or bread pudding. Oh and their mushroom croque monsieurs are wonderful! 


Tartine Bread from 4SP Films on Vimeo.

Pizza Delfina - 3621 18th Street - http://www.delfinasf.com
* Next door to Tartine, it's my favorite pizza place in SF. Sooooo good! I like the Panna pizza and I have them add arugula and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms to it. Trust me, it's fricken amazing. That might be my number one meal I get in San Francisco. I can't help it! It's the perfect pizza.


Bi-Rite Creamery - 3692 18th Street - http://biritecreamery.com
* On the same block, some of the best ice cream in San Francisco, for sure. If you want to skip the line, you can go in and buy something out of the cooler. Their ice cream sandwiches and pies are great too. The Afternoon Snack Sunday, made instead with ricanelas (cinnamon with snickerdoodles) ice cream is hands down the best Sunday ever made. Ever!

Mexican Food - Everywhere in the Mission
* Some of the best in the world. You can't go wrong just walking into any place in this neighborhood. Actually since we're talking about 18th street, Taqueria El Buen Sabor is great and its right there on the corner at Valencia Street. I totally love that place, but really, every Mexican place in the mission is great. Continue down one more block to 18th and Mission for sit down fancy vegan Mexican food at Gracias Madre. That place is amazing! If you wanna walk down to 24th and take a left you could head all the way over to La Palma for handmade tortillas on your burrito. If you want a white-guy taco, Tacolicious is pretty darn yummy and they've got a jaw dropping tequila list. If you want gluten free Mexican there's Pica Pica Maize Kitchen. Hahaha, we are so spoiled! I'll do a whole posting just on Mexican food soon. Just don't go to Taco Loco. They're a crappy chain disguised to look like a real Mexican place.

Mission Chinese - 2234 Mission Street - http://www.missionchinesefood.com
* Damn it, why did this place have to live up to all the hype? It really is amazing. It looks like just a little shitty hole-in-the-wall dive, but the place is not about the decor, it's about the hip tattooed chefs in the back. Mission Chinese is really about the meat, but if you're a vegetarian like me, just ask your server and they'll steer you right.

Ike's Place - 3489 16th Street - http://ilikeikesplace.com
* Some of the best sandwiches in San Francisco, with a line to prove it. For those of you who wonder how I can be a vegetarian, I ask you to try the "Sometimes I'm A Vegetarian" or the "Ugly Owl" sandwich. Yum! This is a great spot to pick up the food portion of your picnic before picking out some amazing beer from Cerveceria de MateVeza on your way to Dolores Park. That is a perfect way to spend a sunny day in San Francisco!

Flour + Water - 2401 Harrison Street - http://www.flourandwater.com
* Really good hand-made fresh pasta. This place is perfect for a nice night out. You might want to call for a reservation though 1-415-826-7000 ‎(they can get kinda busy). If no reservations are available, you can always head over early and wait for an hour for a seat at the big table. That's what I did.

Aslam's Rasoi - 1037 Valencia Street - http://www.aslamsrasoi.com
* There are 3 great Indian food places in a row across the street from Ritual Coffee (another great local coffee roster), and although most people swear by DOSA, I really like this place too.

Big Lantern - 3170 16th Street - http://biglantern.com
* Looking for dim sum at 10pm? Kind of a hard thing to find isn't it. Well, here's a pretty great Chinese food place that also happens to serve dim sum all the way up until they close. If I'm not eating over at Sam Wo in China Town, Big Lantern is my go-to spot.

Atlas Cafe - 3049 20th Street - http://www.atlascafe.net
* My friends and I have been calling this place the "Beet Pizza Place" for years, cuz they sell an amazing vegan pizza with beets on it. Now that I'm a vegetarian it makes more sense that I wanna eat a vegan pizza with beets on it, but back it the day when I was a meat eater I would order the beet pizza cuz the thing was just that good. Speaking of beets, they make a "beet-loaf" sandwich which is 5 stars. Maybe I just love beets.

Boogaloos - 3296 22nd Street - http://www.boogaloossf.com
* How come most of the places I recommend have a crazy line? This one moves pretty fast though. If you're looking for a breakfast place to handle your hangover from the night before, Boogaloos is your spot. If you're gonna fatten up on breakfast food, the home-fries better be great. And these are!

AND... While you're over here, check out 5 & Diamond (510 Valencia Street), Paxton Gate (824 Valencia Street), The Pirate Store (826 Valencia Street), and The Curiosity Shoppe (855 Valencia Street). The bar Amnesia (853 Valencia Street) always has great local bands playing in the evenings, and Dolores Park (Delores Street between 18th and 20th) is my favorite place to hang out during the day when the sun is out!

Food - Haight Ashbury

Haight Street 
Welcome to my neighborhood. I love living here. Tons of great shops, restaurants, and bars. I live in a great part of San Francisco!

Cha Cha Cha - 1801 Haight Street - http://www.cha3.com
* Great Tapas! Great Sangria! This place is one of my favorites, for sure. Gotta love the shrimp (and there's a reason you can order extra sauce).

Zazie - 941 Cole Street - http://www.zaziesf.com
* Technically Zazie isn't in the Haight, it's in Cole Valley, but it's an easy walk and it's my favorite breakfast place in San Francisco (8am - 2:30pm). I've never been there for dinner. I should go sometime. The breakfast is just so darn good!

 Ice Cream Bar - 815 Cole Street - http://www.theicecreambarsf.com
* If you're gonna get over to Cole Valley, you have to check this place out! This might be my new favorite spot in the City. Hand made ice cream and hand made soda. Yes that's right, soda! It's like you're at at fancy mixologist bar only they're making you milk shakes and sodas. Apparently, they make milk shakes like they did back in the '50s: pre-refrigeration and without ice cream! It's really neat. Just by chance we skipped the line, went to the back, and sat down at the soda fountain. The bartenders, um I mean soda jerks, really are amazing.

Little Chihuahua - 292 Divisadero Street - http://thelittlechihuahua.com
* All the good mexican food has left the Haight, but at least there's still Little Chihuahua. Hey, they've got the best horchata I've had in SF. When this mexican rice drink is done right, it's amazing. The food here is all free range and high quality. This is my roommate's favorite mexican place in the city. They make a mean wild mushroom burrito, a great garlic shrimp burrito, and you gotta love re-fried black beans. 

Toronado - 547 Haight Street - http://www.toronado.com
* Looking for great beer? You've found your mecca in San Francisco here, my friend. They have an astonishingly large selection of beer on tap from all over the Bay Area and around the world. Try something from the Russian River Brewing Company. They're my favorite local beer.

Rosamunde Sausage Grill - 545 Haight Street - http://rosamundesausagegrill.com
* This is how Northern California does hot dogs. Wow, even their vegi-dog is amazing! I recommend getting one with sauerkraut, grilled onions, and honey-wasabi dijon mustard.

AND... While you're over here, check out every single used clothing store on upper Haight. There's like 7 of them or something, and they're all really good. We've even got a steampunk store called Distractions (1552 Haight Street). There really are so many great stores on this street. And when you get to the end, there's Amoeba Music (1855 Haight Street). It's like you've died and gone to record store heaven!

Food - Inner Sunset

Inner Sunset
Yes, the food at the Academy Of Science is great, but it's a mad house in there. You might as well walk a few blocks away to this cute little neighborhood. All the restaurants over here are great.

Soi Gow Thai - 1319 9th Ave - http://www.soigowthai.com
* This is one of my favorite Thai places in San Francisco. Not the fanciest or most expensive Thai place either. Just good Thai food.

Pluto's - 627 Irving Street - http://www.plutosfreshfood.com
* I always forget to recommend this place. If you're looking for a kick ass salad or a Thanksgiving dinner, this is the place to go! 

Thanh Long - 4101 Judah Street - http://goo.gl/PbrmX
* Not at all in the Inner Sunset. Thanh Long is in the Outer Sunset almost at the beach. Just hop on an N-Judah outbound train and you'll be there in no time. Apparently it's the best place to get crab in all of San Francisco. It's right across the street from the Indian Pizza place, Golden Gate Indian Cuisine & Pizza. Man, we used to eat THERE all the time.


Underdog Sports Bar & Grill - 1824 Irving Street - http://www.tacoshopsf.com
* Again, not really in the Inner Sunset, but as long as you're hopping N-Judah trains, just get off at 19th. Nick's Crispy Tacos was home to some of the yummiest salsa and tacos in San Francisco, and this noisy inconveniently-located sports bar is one of the new shops Nick Fasanella has opened to continue selling his awesome tacos. And if you're drunk and tired, they'll drip you a fresh cup of Blue Bottle Coffee!

Food - Hayes Valley

Hayes Valley
This is an amazing little neighborhood. Some really top notch restaurants that are super unique to San Francisco, and a great little park with some cool Burning Man art often installed in it. The other day there were 4 cellos playing Bohemian Rhapsody in that park with a huge crowd of people around them! Hayes Valley is one of the hidden gems in our city that tourists rarely find.

Blue Bottle Coffee - 315 Linden Street - http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net
* Some of the best coffee in San Francisco. Between Ritual Coffee, Four Barrel, Sight Glass, and Philz, I think I might like Blue Bottle the best. Oh, what a horrible life we live in SF trying to choose between so much amazing, best in the world coffee! If you wanna have a taste-off there's a Ritual right behind Smitten Ice Cream. You could get both and compare. Blue Bottle won in my mini competition.

Smitten Ice Cream - 432 Octavia Street - http://smittenicecream.com
* My new favorite ice cream in San Francisco. Everything I've tried on the menu thus far has been truly amazing (except the Summer Herb which was fucken gross). A kiddy size in a hand made cone with brown sugar caramel sauce is pretty much perfect as far as I'm concerned.

Straw - 203 Octavia Boulevard - http://strawsf.com
* Straw: Gourmet foodie carnival white-trash food?! How is that possible!? Trust me, this is a great little San Francisco gem. You can eat healthy or make yourself sick here, but either way you'll do it loving every bite. Don't let the line scare you, Straw is worth the wait.

Smuggler's Cove - 650 Gough Street - http://smugglerscovesf.com
* Probably the best tiki bar in the fricken world. The drinks here are truly amazing, high quality, and a little pricey (but not over priced for what you're getting). If you enjoy Rum, you'll love this bar!

Boxing Room - 399 Grove Street - http://boxingroomsf.com
* Oh good, a great new Cajun food place! I've been looking for a yummy Cajun place ever since Cajun Pacific changed to such selective hours of operation. Woohoo!

Suppenkueche - 525 Laguna Street - http://www.suppenkuche.com
* German food + Northern California + Beer the size of your head = Amazing! Expect to wait. This place is popular! If it's a nice sunny day you can also check out their new satellite project down the street, Biergarten. It's kinda the outside street-food and beer version of their regular restaurant. It's right next to Smitten.

AND... While you're over here, check out Flight 001 (525 Hayes Street), Timbuk2 (506 Hayes Street), and Dark Garden Corsetry (321 Linden Street).