A great aspect of living in Las Vegas, is being able to score some great last-minute travel deals to the Bay area! (I’m looking at you Southwest!) The IG husband and myself recently scored an AWESOME deal for a couple nights at the Hyatt Regency, located across from the Ferry Building, in the Embarcadero district, and used our Southwest points + my Companion Pass to get away for a San Francisco weekend, a little BAYcation if you will.
We arrived in San Francisco on a Friday afternoon, and checked into our hotel. I had stayed at this Hyatt previously, when I was in town for the Bay to Breaker’s race, and knew it was a great location. Our first stop was to the Ferry Building for dinner.
Hog Island Oyster Co.
1 Ferry Bld. 11A,
The Embarcadero,
San Francisco, CA 94111
https://hogislandoysters.com/locations/san-francisco
I had tried to eat here on other BAYcations, so I was delighted to be seated almost immediately, and at the chef’s counter. I love being where all the action is!
We ordered some Grilled Oysters, an Oyster Po’Boy Sandwich, and I couldn’t pass up the Grilled Cheese Sandwich. I prefer my oysters raw, but IG husband isn’t down. The Sriracha Grilled Oysters with lime juice, cilantro, and butter were a great compromise. His sandwich must have been great because I wasn’t offered a bite. My grilled cheese did not disappoint–Cowgirl Creamery’s Fromage Blanc, Vella Mezo Secco, and cave-aged Gruyere were gooey and decadent. The acidity of the house-made pickles was the perfect compliment.
We hopped on a street car to the Wharf District to catch the sunset, and walked back to the Ferry Building for some ice cream before calling it a day.
Humphry Slocombe
1 Sausalito – San Francisco Ferry Bldg,
San Francisco, CA 94111
http://www.humphryslocombe.com
Saturday morning, we found ourselves at the Ferry Building once again, because I insisted on standing in a huge line for Blue Bottle Coffee. My Mocha was pretty stellar, but I wasted time by waiting in line instead of researching and going to a different location nearby, lesson learned. We split a Dungoness Crab Breakfast Burrito, before checking out the on-going farmer’s market.
San Francisco Fish Company
1 Ferry Bldg
Ste 31
San Francisco, CA 94111
http://www.sanfranfishco.com
After the Farmer’s Market, we headed to Coit Tower for some incredible panoramic views. We took the steps down Telegraph Hill, hoping to see or hear the famed and mysterious parrots that reside in the thick foliage there, but all I wound up with was a slight contact-high…time for some munchies.
Good Mong Kok Bakery
1039 Stockton St
San Francisco, CA 94108
(between Jackson St. & Washington St.)
I turned to Yelp for dim sum recommendations, and after seeing several of my friends had visited Good Mong Kok, I wanted to give it a try. There was a line, but it moved quickly. I wanted a baked BBQ pork bun, but they were all out. The steamed Char SIU Bao I got instead was enormous, and the best I’ve ever had. The Har Gow (steamed shrimp dumplings) were also huge, and delicious! Cash only, but our order set us back about $6 before tax and tip.
Made a stop at Golden Gate Fortune Cookies for a free sample, before moseying over to Little Italy. We were still hungry and trying to decide where to eat when we saw a large line of locals standing outside a pizza place across the street. Thinking they must know something we didn’t, we got in line. Good choice.
Golden Boy Pizza
542 Green St
San Francisco, CA 94133
(between Jasper Pl. & Bannam Pl.)
http://www.goldenboypizza.com
The line moved pretty quickly and we were tempted by the garlic and clam pizza, but neither of us could pass up the pepperoni fresh out of the oven, and a cold beer. It’s got that grungy bar feel (not a bad thing) with stickers plastering the walls, and about 10 bar stools total for seating. I liked the thick, bready crust as it reminded me of one of my favorite pizza places back in the Italian immigrant-rich area of West Virginia where I used to live.
I’m a long-time fan of Chef Tyler Florence, was delighted to score a day-of reservation at his famous Wayfare Tavern…even if I am getting to the age where 9:30 is late to be having dinner.
Wayfare Tavern
558 Sacramento St
San Francisco, CA 94111
(between Leidesdorff St. & Montgomery St.)
http://wayfaretavern.com
We were seated promptly in a cozy booth on the ground floor beside the chef’s counter. I ordered a Hendrick’s Cucumber Mule which was delightful, and not lacking in the gin department. The IG husband had an Allagash White – one of his favorite brews that we are unable to enjoy in Nevada. We ordered Fried Chicken, the roasted cauliflower, and mac and cheese with smoked olive oil.
The popovers were wonderful, the butter was a smidge too salty, but toned down by the rich bread. IG husband wasn’t too keen to share his cauliflower, but the bites I managed to swipe were very good. The mac and cheese was okay – I wasn’t as crazy about the smoked olive oil, and the topping was very salty. I wished I would have gone with the brussels sprout panzanella instead.
The chicken was very good – perhaps a little saltier than I would have preferred, but the fresh lemon really made the flavors pop. I was surprised at just how much chicken you got – I wasn’t able to finish it all but IG husband managed. I wasn’t sure the proper etiquette for eating wings and drumsticks, but I went with the old fashioned hands-on approach. No one fainted, so I guess that was acceptable.
We headed back to Las Vegas the following morning, after a great SF BAYcation. Where are your favorite spots to eat in San Francisco? Let me know in the comments below, and tag me in your San Francisco foodieventures on Instagram, @hungryinvegas!
