Sweet Tooth SF
S-U-G-A-R, Weotta love sugar… our bodies need it, our taste buds crave it and some of us can’t get enough of it. Lucky for us, San Francisco offers a lot of fantastic ways to get it… top-notch ice cream parlors, nationally acclaimed bakeries, and purely sinful chocolatiers… we have it all.
Where to start? How about breakfast at Tartine? This bakery has a line from the minute it opens to the minute it closes, and rightfully so… they just do a fantastic job on basically everything. For breakfast, try their delightful double pain au chocalat or the subtly sweet, yet perfectly flaky frangipane croissant. And for those of you with the need something a little sweeter get one of their creamy éclairs… it really is no wonder this little gem won a James Beard award.
Ok, now that you are on your first sugar high of the day take a nice stroll through the Castro and up the Haight to Cole Valley. Nestled in the heart of Cole Valley you will find your next stop, Boulange de Cole Valley. By the time you get there you should be about ready for your second rush of the day and excited for a little something sweet to get you going. How about a canele? This pastry is really something you must experience. For those of you who have been to the south of France you know what I mean, and to find it in SF is really quite a treat. O yes, you should get a few of their delicate almond macaroons as well. These colorful, petite, tasty sandwiches of butter cream are just the thing to keep you buzzing through your afternoon.
At this point you are probably bouncing off the walls, but what day of sweets would be complete without every kid’s favorite, ice cream? Some of our favorite places are Mitchell’s in the Mission and Bi-rite Creamery next to Dolores Park. Both quite different… At Mitchell’s you get the down home, old-school feeling we all crave from our childhoods… you will seriously feel like you are a kid again. But since you are an adult, you should try one of their more mature flavors like Kahlua mocha cream and rum raisin. Bi-rite, on-the-other-hand, screams San Francisco foodie nouveau with artisanal flavors like salted caramel, balsamic strawberry and lavender… all produced from the finest of cows, of course. O ya, they have homemade ice cream sandwiches… now there is unforgettable for you… get one!
What day of sweet indulgence would be complete without chocolate? So, to complete your day get a mellow cup of sipping chocolate at Bittersweet Café on Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights. Now, sipping chocolate shouldn’t be confused with hot cocoa… very different stuff. Sipping chocolate is way richer, decadent, and really warms the soul. If you have never tried it before get Bittersweet’s signature drink, the Bittersweet; it is basically melted bittersweet chocolate… can you say sinful satisfaction?
There you have it, a taste of SF’s sweetest sensations… Weotta get our sweet tooth on… one more thing… don’t forget to brush your teeth.
