Link to book your own tour:  Taste of the City Tours – North Beach/Little Italy

526 Columbus Ave
Green St
San Francisco, CA 94133

This is a cute, small, and very local coffee shop in the North Beach area.  They roast their own coffee beans a few times a week.  We were able to step into the roasting area and learn a bit about the roasting process.

754 columbus ave
San Francisco, CA 94133

This shop is an absolutely wonderful chocolate shop.  The truffles are made in the traditional way.  Truffles are randomly shaped to mimic the truffle fungi that they are created after.  This location has a series of wonderful, vibrant flavors including 10 varieties of vegan flavors combinations.

1700 Stockton St
at Filbert St
San Francisco, CA

This bakery is known for its focaccia.  Call early in the day to place your order.  When the shop runs out of bread, it closes for the day.  Our visit to the shop was in the late morning and they already looked empty.  By the time we drove by later on, they were closed as promised.  Now that’s the mark of a great bakery.

1501 Grant Street
at Union
San Francisco, CA 94133

We got to visit this bakery inside and out.  Stepping to the back of the bakery, we found an old cement floor with ramps built right into the floor.  Two immense brick ovens face each other off each day.  Try the massive coconut macaroon.  It’s sweet, super moist, and has a crunchy outer shell.

532 green street
Grant
San Francisco, CA

This is a newer establishment according to the tour guide.  Not sure exactly why we were taken here.  The food wasn’t bad…but wasn’t anything overly memorable.

1362 Stockton St
San Francisco, CA

This was our last stop on the tour.  This location is known for their pastries.  Our stop included a viewing of their products and they were absolutely beautiful products.  We tried the eclair.  Yum.

Technorati Tags: Food Tour, San Francisco CA

While waiting for dinner, we had the fortunate opportunity to be seated in a booth with a great view of the kitchen.  The darker, lodge-like motif of the dining and bar area were nicely muted to set off the bright subway-tiled kitchen.  You could see everything in action, including Tyler himself ensuring each plate was produced to his satisfaction. 

We wound up having three separate mains (two had the same dish).  The first dish was a fried chicken dish.  In addition to our approval of the dish, I’ve seen daily nods to Tyler via Twitter indicating the same.  Two had the salmon dish.  Both liked the dish.  Though I didn’t try the salmon, I did have a taste of the Kennebec potatoes underneath.  If I come back, I’m getting the salmon dish just for the side, I think!  My dish was a pork chop with roasted peaches, Marconi almond butter, and fennel (both shaved atop and pureed underneath).  This was a marriage I’m going to have to recreate at home.  Pork and fruit, peaches and almonds, juicy meat and crunchy fennel….need I go on? 

I would highly recommend this very new, destined to be successful restaurant. 

Wayfare Tavern

558 Sacramento Street

San Francisco, CA 94111

415.772.9060

www.wayfaretavern.com

Technorati Tags: Food Network, San Francisco CA, Tyler Florence, Wayfare Tavern