Dig In!
Ferry Building Marketplace: One of the things San Francisco does best is food, and this collection of vendors and restaurants is the place to go for fresh produce, just-caught seafood, artisan cheese, breads, wine and more. Locals get the pick of organic growers and producers – many working in traditional methods. Travelers get to see the variety and quality of agriculture products from the region. It also has several cafes and restaurants. www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com
Foodie Tours: San Francisco has so many culinary offerings, visitors couldn’t possibly take it all in. But they can get a taste of some of the city’s specialties through culinary tours. Edible Excursions (www.edibleexcursions.net) tours restaurants in the Mission District, Japantown, City Center, Berkeley and Oakland, while Avital Tours (avitaltours.com) offers “insider access” to some of the best eateries in town. Local Tastes of the City (www.sffoodtour.com) opens the doors to North Beach, Chinatown and Little Italy with walking tours. Gourmet Walks takes guests to San Francisco’s fine gourmet chocolatiers, including Ghirardelli Square. The tour is a three-hour walk, which means you can enjoy all the samples you want without guilt (www.gourmetwalks.com).
The Winery Collective: San Francisco’s first multi-winery tasting room features the best of the state’s boutique wineries and producers. Visitors get to sample varieties from all over California as well as those made in the San Francisco area as they meet the winemakers. www.winerycollective.com
Stay In Style
Hotel Zetta San Francisco: This star of the Viceroy Hotel Group has been called one of the hottest new hotels for 2014 and praised for its high-tech quotient. Visitors will appreciate the custom touches and cool originality of space and design that’s anything but predictable. They’ll also observe that philosophy at work in everything from the artwork to the hotel lobby chandeliers made from hundreds of pairs of eyeglasses. www.viceroyhotelgroup.com/en/zetta
Sir Francis Drake Hotel: It’s been said that San Francisco is the “most European” of U.S. cities, and if you’re staying with Sir Francis Drake, you may be inclined to agree. This Kimpton Hotel on Union Square welcomes visitors with Beefeater doormen and is a historic icon. However, don’t let the Old World touches fool you – Sir Francis is as trendy and contemporary as they come. www.sirfrancisdrake.com
