I ended up coming back here on Saturday, the day after I already visited the Marketplace in the Ferry Building.  It wasn’t fully intentional…I was just in the neighborhood and had Lewis with me.  I promised him we could have a round of fresh oysters there and possibly dessert after lunch (another post coming soon).

Yes after lunch we still made room for these babies from the San Francisco Fish Company.  We shared half a dozen oysters with some drinks around 3 in the afternoon.  That possibly could have been a mistake considering it was towards the end of the day.  The oysters were fresh, but not just fished out of the water fresh like the ones I tried the day before.  Lewis wasn’t disappointed but we both agreed we’ll try the oyster that’s in the building some other time.

I wouldn’t call it a mistake but it wasn’t the wisest choice, but I decided to stand in the longest queue for Blue Bottle Coffee.  This is a picture of the day before, just multiply that by 2 and you’ll have a line winding out the front entrance.  They offered your basic lattes, expressos, hot chocolate, freshly roasted and pressed coffees, some cookies, and their bagged coffee beans.  I had the intention of buying a bag but I caved for an iced coffee because I wasn’t sure what to exactly order.  I’m new to the whole coffee drinking scene and I can’t get myself to drink a dark roast without running on caffeine all day.  I want to learn more about what I’m able to taste and appreciate.

I know, shame on me for not knowing what to get.  The iced coffee was really smooth though!  And I do appreciate coffee that doesn’t give off a bitter or awkward aftertaste.  Will I go back there?  Most likely so, but probably after researching a couple of things like which coffee to try and going to visit in the morning instead of 3 in the afternoon.  I get the shakes if I have too much caffeine in my system that late.

Blue Bottle Coffee Stand

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
1 Ferry Bldg
San Francisco, CA 94105

http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net

San Francisco Fish Company

1 Ferry Bldg
San Francisco, CA 94102

(415) 399-1111, http://sanfranfishco.com

Oh I know that I am definitely late in the game after I stumbled onto this place.  Where have I been all this time?  I got the afternoon off and tagged along with my sister and her boyfriend to go exploring in SF, with the intention of visiting Lewis at his new office of course.  Thanks again for taking me you guys!

Walk along the Embarcadero and you’re going to run into this watch tower.  Look closely and you’ll find that it’s a market inside!  You name it, they got it!  Restaurants, cafes, cheese and chocolate shops, bakeries, farmers markets, almost anything!  And because it’s so jam packed with all these niche like stores, you can’t help but fawn over how amazing it is that they’re all under one roof.  My eyes were literally darting from left to right, trying to comprehend what was around me.

You’d be in awe too if you can’t decided whether or not to try the fresh oysters first or the chocolates from Scharffen Berger.  There was also gelato, a couple of other bakeries, and some cozy looking restaurants.  What to pick? 

Hello fresh oysters from the San Francisco Fish Company!

Jay and I were game to eat a couple.  Diane was too chicken until our second round.  A little dab of cocktail sauce and lemon juice and you’re good to go!  $2 an oyster, which is a little steep, but not uncommon.  They were just too delicious.  I came back for more the next day with Lewis.

Second stop, Miette Patisserie!  A super cute pastry shop where macarons, cakes, tarts, cookies, and candies await you.  I’ve been eyeing that book of theirs for months.  It’s about time I get it! 

Diane was totally up for dessert.  She bought a vanilla bean macaron.  

I bought rose, pistachio, grapefruit, and vanilla bean macarons.  I think my favorites were the grapefruit and rose macarons.  Very fragrant yet light on the flavors.  $1.75 a macaron.  I’m considering to make these at home.  They look so complicated but it wouldn’t hurt to attempt it at least once.  I just need to get some almond flour.

After spending most of the afternoon here, I told myself I’m coming back.  And sure enough, I came back the next day with Lewis.  More on that later.  Definitely consider a trip out here if you want to try new foods.  There are lots of seafood restaurants here and plenty of smaller venues if you’re looking to grab a quick bite or indulge yourself in dessert.

Ferry Building Marketplace

1 Ferry Bldg
San Francisco, CA 94111

(415) 983-8030, http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

Miette Patisserie

1 Ferry Bldg
San Francisco, CA 94111

(415) 983-8030, http://www.miette.com

My intention was to buy Lewis a birthday cake today— baking a cake at home was out of the question because the fan is still broken.  He’s also coming back from a week long trip to Spain so I figured mini apple pies would be a great idea to tie in as a welcome home surprise.  I said baking cakes were out of the question…not pies.  Pies don’t require that much attention for rising, cakes do.

Pre-made dough is so helpful in preparing quick treats! I was able to stamp out 4 hearts per 9 in pie crust.  Roll the dough back out and you can squeeze in a couple more.  I got this adorable pie press at Target during their Valentine’s Day sale.

Very easy to use, all you need is pre-made pie crust dough, egg wash, and your favorite filling.  I used apples!

Look how they turned out so far!  I made a little over a dozen mini apple pies that day.

I couldn’t keep my hands off these!  Had to let them cool of course.

Quick and easy to make, equally delicious.  I’m making blueberry pies the next time I get a chance— although Lewis has been requesting that I start making more savory stuff.

Squat & Gobble

Every time I make a trip out to San Francisco, I try to eat somewhere new.  So far it seems like finding the best brunch place is a trending topic on my list of places to eat. For an early Valentine’s Day outing, Lewis and I decided to try out Squat & Gobble on Chestnut Street.  They have 4 other locations in SF so you can’t miss it if you decide to visit.

There was a huge line at the register.  You get to order your food first, pay, then pick where you want to eat.  We chose to eat in their patio.  Gorgeous hole in the wall if you decide to have a nice brunch outside.  We ordered an pomegranate iced tea and pale ale.  Lewis had their charbroiled angus chuck burger while I had their chicken pesto crepe.  

Service was a little slow— we may have waited up to 30 for our drinks to arrive, another 20 for food.  I didn’t mind it too much considering how nice it was outside.  We were starving by the time our food came.  I loved the crepe!  Very rich and filling.  It came with sun dried tomatoes and that’s always a guilty pleasure of mine.  Lewis’s burger was quite good too, but we both agreed that they could have made it less sweet.  

If you have a long morning/afternoon to spare, come here for brunch! I’d come back just to try their other items, but only if I intend to be there for at least 2 hrs. I do enjoy brunch though.  I’m a sap for waffles, pancakes, and eggs made at least 20 different ways.  

Squat & Gobble

2263 Chestnut St
(between Avila St & Scott St)
San Francisco, CA 94123

(415) 441-2200, http://www.squatandgobble.com