{"id":412955,"date":"2026-07-26T16:22:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T16:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/412955\/"},"modified":"2026-07-26T16:22:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T16:22:10","slug":"the-san-francisco-marathon-is-this-weekend-here-are-13-iconic-dishes-every-visitor-should-try","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/412955\/","title":{"rendered":"The San Francisco Marathon is this weekend. Here are 13 iconic dishes every visitor should try"},"content":{"rendered":"

Four years ago, my boyfriend and I moved from Seattle to Reno<\/a> and quickly discovered there was much to love about our new home. In addition to living in a city brimming with public art, hiking trails, and wild horses, we are a few hours from San Francisco – one of our favorite places on the planet. Naturally, we visit as often as we can. Our favorite activity?\u00a0 Eating.\u00a0<\/p>\n

San Francisco is one of the best food cities in the country, regularly making prestigious lists at publications like Cond\u00e9 Nast Traveler<\/a> and Food and Wine<\/a>, and a dazzling list of almost 150 Michelin-recognized restaurants<\/a>. Unlike many culinary destinations,<\/a> you don’t need to spend a fortune to sample many of San Francisco’s iconic dishes, including Mission burritos, clam chowder sourdough bowls, and fortune cookies. Here’s what to eat on your next trip.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cioppino at Sotto Mare\u00a0\"A<\/p>\n

The cioppino at Sotto Mare serves at least 2 or 3 people<\/p>\n

(Tamara Gane)<\/p>\n

At Sotto Mare<\/a>, bowls of cioppino are meant to be shared, and they’re still so generous that my boyfriend and I have never been able to finish one (and believe me, we’ve tried). Each bowl is an event, served with crusty bread, bibs, and a rich tomato broth piled with sweet Dungeness crab, clams, mussels, calamari, and fish.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sotto Mare only accepts reservations for parties of three or more, but if there’s a wait, you can get your name on the list and enjoy the sights and sounds of Little Italy and San Francisco’s North Beach Neighborhood<\/a>. We usually grab a drink and enjoy live music across the street at The Belle Cora<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ice cream sundae at Ghirardelli Square<\/p>\n

You’ll probably find more tourists than locals at Ghirardelli Square<\/a>, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the trip. Located across from the waterfront in the historic 1895 Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory building, the square today is home to shops, restaurants, mini golf, and even a luxury hotel<\/a>. Despite all this, Ghirardelli Square is best known for ice cream sundaes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The sundaes are classic and old-fashioned, with scoops of vanilla ice cream, sauce (hot fudge is the most famous), and whipped cream (some are topped with a cherry, and others with a square of chocolate). Each bite is a decadent taste of nostalgia that I’d argue is worth the long lines. Or better yet, visit on a weekday or before 11:30 am or after 8 pm, and there might not be any lines at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Liberty Farms Peking-style duck at Mister Jui’s\u00a0<\/p>\n

You can easily spend an entire trip eating your way through Chinatown. For a special treat, head to Mister Jui’s<\/a> for the Liberty Farms Peking-style duck. There’s an hour-long wait, but it serves 2-4 people, and when it’s finally delivered, it feels like a holiday.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The bird comes from Liberty Farms in Sonoma County: skin is crispy, the meat is succulent, and the aroma of a proprietary blend of ten spices fills the air. The dish is served with thin, savory pancakes, onions, cucumbers, and a peanut butter hoisin sauce you’ll keep craving until your next visit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Focaccia at Liguria Bakery\u00a0<\/p>\n

The first time we tried to buy focaccia at Liguria Bakery<\/a>, we arrived at 10:30 am, and they were already sold out for the day. Lesson learned, now we’re sure to get in line by 9 am. Liguria Bakery is a small shop, and the line usually snakes out the door; there are no tables inside, so we usually sit on a bench or a patch of grass and eat our focaccia in nearby Washington Square<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The focaccia is baked to fluffy perfection, with the lightest golden crisp on top. Liguria’s has been making it since 1911, and it’s all they sell, so they’ve had over a century to perfect the recipe. If you get there early enough, you’ll be able to choose from flavors like plain, rosemary and garlic, pizza, or jalapeno and cheddar. If you get there later, just buy whatever they have left. You won’t regret it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Garlic fries at Blue Heron Boathouse\u00a0<\/p>\n

We can never get enough of Golden Gate Park. At 1,017 acres, it’s 20% larger than New York City’s Central Park, and brimming with surprises like free-roaming bison, museums, and the oldest public Japanese tea garden in the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When we’re there, we love to visit the cafe at Blue Heron Boathouse<\/a> to munch on a heaping order of garlic fries on the deck while we watch pedal boats float across Stow Lake. Are the garlic fries the best we’ve ever had? Probably not. But they’re as close to perfection as you can get when you factor in the scenery.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mission burritos at La Taqueria\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Mission District is famous for burritos as big as your face, and I’m only slightly exaggerating the size. Although there are plenty of excellent options lining the street, I personally gravitate towards the rice-free burritos at La Taqueria<\/a>. Packed with nothing but the good stuff, meat choices include delicacies such as beef head and tongue, alongside standards like beef, pork, and chicken. The tortilla is warm, yielding to the perfect ration of meat, beans, and salsa.\u00a0<\/p>\n

La Taqueria won a James Beard Foundation award in 2017<\/a> and is listed by the Michelin Guide<\/a>. Still, it’s a no-frills experience centered on the food’s simplicity and deliciousness.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sushi at Kuma on Valencia\u00a0\"Fresh<\/p>\n

Sushi at Kuma on Valencia<\/p>\n

(Tamara Gane)<\/p>\n

You’re never far from a sushi restaurant in San Francisco. There are several excellent choices, but we are especially fond of Kuma on Valencia<\/a>, a sleek, intimate sushi bar with a long counter and a handful of wooden booths.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Premium fish, creative flavors, beautiful presentations, and an excellent sake program make Kuma on Valencia our pick for special dates or celebrations. Although it’s far from the most expensive sushi restaurant in San Francisco, it’s definitely what I’d consider a splurge since we usually end up dropping at least $200 for dinner and sake for two.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pizza at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana<\/p>\n

There will probably be a long line at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana<\/a>, but there are plenty of shops nearby and a park across the street to visit after you put your name on the list. Chef Tony Gemignani is a 13-time World Pizza Champion who takes his craft so seriously that the restaurant has seven pizza ovens for different styles, such as Detroit, New York, and Sicilian, each piled high with local produce and imported Italian ingredients.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If the line’s too long, head to the walk-up window next door and enjoy a pizza picnic in the park.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sourdough clam chowder bowls at Boudin Bakery\u00a0<\/p>\n

It’s nearly impossible to talk about food in San Francisco without acknowledging Boudin Bakery’s<\/a> contribution. Established in 1849, the bakery still uses the same wild-yeast sourdough starter it created at the beginning. Boudin’s is credited with inventing the clam chowder sourdough bowl, which quickly spread to worldwide menus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Boudin at the Wharf<\/a> is a popular tourist stop with a bakery tour, a museum, a gift shop, and several eateries. If you want to skip the touristy part, head to the century-old shop on 10th Avenue instead.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Fortune cookies at Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory\u00a0<\/p>\n

The confections at Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory<\/a> are scratch-made, assembled, and baked on-site (and you can watch the magic happen on daily tours). The varieties are part of the fun with creative flavors like green tea, strawberry, and chocolate. They even make flat fortune cookie wafers you can take home and top with fruit or ice cream.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bread from Tartine\u00a0Bakery<\/p>\n

You’ll find no shortage of memorable bakeries in San Francisco, but the best is arguably Tartine Bakery<\/a>, the James Beard Award winner. Arrive hungry because everything is exceptional and it would be a shame to leave having sampled but one thing. The croissant loaf bread is an airy miracle, and the tart pastry is so tender and flaky it disappears in your mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Don’t overlook the savory dishes like hot-pressed sandwiches and fresh-baked quiche.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Crab Louis at Scoma’s Restaurant\u00a0<\/p>\n

The fresh Dungeness crab Louie salad at Scoma’s Restaurant<\/a> is heaped with half a pound of crab. Dungeness crab is sweet and tender, and Scoma’s brings it right in from the pier so it’s as fresh as you can get. The dressing is served on the side, but purists don’t bother since the meat is heavenly on its own.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dim Sum at Hang Ah Dim Sum Tea House\u00a0<\/p>\n

A meal at Hang Ah Dim Sum Tea House <\/a>is a date with history. Not only is it located in North America’s oldest Chinatown neighborhood, but the restaurant itself is over 100 years old. Tucked away in an alley corridor, it’s a casual restaurant with red vinyl chairs, off-white tile floors, and vintage Chinese art gracing the walls. In other words, it’s the kind of place where the food is the star.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The dumplings are handmade and served in small portions so you can sample several dishes. Classics include the steamed char siu bao, which takes six hours to create from a secret mixture of flours<\/a>. Don’t overlook the rest of the menu, which includes staples like fried rice, scallion pancakes, and Ma Po tofu.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Four years ago, my boyfriend and I moved from Seattle to Reno and quickly discovered there was much…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":412956,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[13282,85278,18077,52546,165377,165375,165376,101,103,102,104,106,105,154352,39345,165378],"class_list":["post-412955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-francisco","tag-boudin-bakery","tag-clam-chowder","tag-dungeness-crab","tag-ghirardelli-square","tag-ice-cream-sundae","tag-liguria-bakery","tag-mission-burritos","tag-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco-headlines","tag-san-francisco-news","tag-sf","tag-sf-headlines","tag-sf-news","tag-sotto-mare","tag-tony-gemignani","tag-vanilla-ice-cream"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=412955"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412955\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/412956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=412955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=412955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=412955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}