Lady’s Itinerary for 8 Days in San Francisco, California

The best thing about being from San Francisco is that no matter where I travel, I always have an excuse to return to one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This time I’m spending 8 days in San Francisco, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for me.

8 Days in San Francisco

I traveled to the City by the Bay to see family and friends, eat amazing food, do a bit of shopping, and get my local California culture fix.

After an 11-hour flight from London, I stumbled off the plane with a jet-lagged smile on my face and got ready for 8 days in San Francisco.

San Francisco Restaurants

As usual, the highlight of my trip was the food. Having traveled and eaten all over the world, I still rank San Francisco at the top of my list for all things culinary.

Throughout my 8 days in San Francisco, I was able to revisit a number of my favorite restaurants and try a few new ones as well.

My biggest priority was Zushi Puzzle, where chef Roger rolled up amazing sushi for my family and friends.

Everything from the mouth-watering live scallop to the impossibly large Salesforce Roll was delicious. Not a single grain of rice was left on the table by the time the meal ended.

Other tried-and-true places to eat in San Francisco included local Marina favorites like Blue Barn and Pacific Catch. These were in addition to nearby Cow Hollow restaurants, where my cousins and I took advantage of happy hour specials.

I also had great meals with friends from college at the classic Zuni Cafe on Market Street. They were followed by my childhood favorite, Chevys Fresh Mex, in Mountain View.

I’m so fanatical about my favorite San Francisco restaurants I rarely try new places when I visit. However, occasionally I force myself to branch out at least once.

During my 8 days in San Francisco, a friend took me to a burger place on Union Street called Roam, where I had an amazingly good veggie burger I could hardly believe was meat-free. I made a note to add it to the list for next time.

San Francisco Farmers’ Markets

I didn’t just eat at restaurants, though. Some of  my favorite culinary destinations in San Francisco are farmers’ markets.

Unlike their counterparts in cities like London and Paris, San Francisco’s farmers’ markets only offer locally-grown produce.

Meeting farmers from up and down the state and trying California-grown food was one of the best parts of my 8 days in San Francisco.

On Sunday I had the opportunity to visit the Fort Mason Farmers’ Market. While small, it had great fruit, vegetables, fish, and prepared foods on offer. All of it made me wish the market had been there when I lived nearby.

I also visited the best farmers’ market in San Francisco, the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market. I met a friend there on Saturday morning and made a beeline for the Primavera stand, where I ordered my favorite dish, the chilaquiles.

My plate was empty about ten seconds later. Had I not been in a public place, I probably would’ve licked it clean.

Stuffed, we stopped by Miette, the pretty patisserie in the Ferry Building, and picked up a beautiful cake.

My friend also bought some goodies at Stonehouse California Olive Oil and Recchiuti Confections, a chocolate shop with mouth-watering merchandise.

San Francisco Shopping

But the Ferry Building wasn’t the only place I went shopping during my 8 days in San Francisco. I also made the rounds to pick up clothing from the city’s many stores near Union Square.

From cashmere sweaters at J.Crew to sundresses at Banana Republic, I got my retail therapy fix.

In other parts of the city, I hit up the boutiques on Chestnut Street and ventured over the hill to Pacific Heights, where I visited my favorite home goods shop, Nest, to buy gifts.

San Francisco Museums

My interest in fashion and design wasn’t limited to shopping trips, though. It also extended to the cultural realm.

During my 8 days in San Francisco, I went to a fashion exhibition at the Legion of Honor museum. There I saw Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave’s amazing paper replicas of historic gowns and costumes.

Inspired by her work with fashion, I then went to the de Young museum to see a Balenciaga exhibition. It had a remarkable array of the Spanish designer’s work on display.

San Francisco Ballet

In a third effort to infuse some culture into my 8 days in San Francisco, I went to the ballet. Founded in 1933, the San Francisco Ballet is America’s oldest professional ballet company.

Its home in the War Memorial Opera House has been a favorite destination of mine since I first danced as a child. I was excited to go back.

The performance I saw consisted of the Ballet Russes’ classic Petrouchka, as well as a newer ballet called Underskin and a world premiere called Number Nine.

I’ve loved the Ballets Russes since I was in college, and I enjoyed seeing Petrouchka for the first time.

The other two ballets were good as well, and I left feeling tempted to dust off my pointe shoes and start dancing again.

San Francisco Sightseeing

Having spent so much time on culture, shopping, and eating, I barely had time for sightseeing during my 8 days in San Francisco.

The one place I did go was the Palace of Fine Arts, a beautiful structure built for the city’s 1915 Panama Pacific Exhibition.

Reading on the lawn in front of the Palace of Fine Arts was one of my favorite things to do in San Francisco when I lived in the city.

I was delighted to discover that the area looked as beautiful as ever. I wished I could stay longer in California to enjoy it.

8 Days in San Francisco

But it was time to say good-bye. As always, my time visiting San Francisco restaurants, shops, and cultural attractions was too short, and I left without getting to see and do (and eat!) everything on my list.

But I guess that’s the good thing about being from the City by the Bay. No matter where I travel in the coming months, I know I’ll be back home in not too long.

In the meantime, I’ll work up an appetite, discard some of my wardrobe, and get excited for future cultural events I can enjoy during my next 8 days in San Francisco.

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