Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, it’s easy to take great food for granted- it’s everywhere. As much as I like to try new restaurants, there are some old faithful ‘perfect bites’ that I go back to, again and again. Much like my Best Brunches list, this isn’t about trendy places that are a ‘scene’. It’s all about the food. Perfect bites. That’s it. Some also happen to be cute date spots, while others are take-out counters with zero frills. As the days get shorter (deep sigh) and Fall fades into Winter, eating your way through the holidays is a totally acceptable tradition. Consider this list of places you need to eat in the Bay Area as a food scavenger hunt. I’ve even shared my favorite bite at each. Feel free to try my fav, or discover one of your own. Bon Appétit!
Perfect Bites in the Bay
In no particular order, here are my top picks. If you’re wondering which spots might have cute date potential (ambiance and whatnot), I’ve added a * to those spots that you may want to try with your boo, bae or somewhat significant other. Maybe no first dates though- just in case the date sucks. You don’t want to associate the yummy plate in front of you with the trash date you wish would end. That’s a whole ‘nother type of post. Moving on… without futher ado:
23 perfect bites!
10. Crab Fried Rice,
Osha Thai (SF)* (note: I’d choose the Embarcadero or 3rd Street locations for date night.)
11. Chicken Skewers, Yucca and Grilled Corn,
Fresca (SF, Noe Valley)*
Oakland/East Bay
14. Country Biscuits and Chocolate Bread Pudding, Bottomless Brunch,
District (Oakland)*
17. Crab and Artichoke Dip,
Kincaid’s (Oakland)*
18. Zachary’s Special Deep Dish Pizza,
Zachary’s (Oakland/Berkeley)
19. Bacon Cheeseburger and Fried Veggies,
Barney’s (Oakland, Piedmont, Albany, SF)
21. Fried Chicken Sandwich and Strawberry Shortcake,
Bakesale Betty (Berkeley)
And Beyond (North/South Bay)
22. Garlic Chicken w/ Maduros, Tostones con Queso,
Sol Food Restaurant (San Rafael/Mill Valley)
Where’s My Plate??
You’re still here. Did you take a snack break at least? While I hope this post inspires epic food crawls for all of you, it may have been a bad idea for me. I’m so hungry now! It also appears that I need to explore more perfect bites up North and down South. My list is a little sparse outside of San Francisco and Oakland. Oh well, I’ll have to add discovering new perfect bites to my list of to-do’s. Hard job, somebody’s gotta do it. In the meantime, this list should keep you busy for a while. Happy eating!!
