It seems unlikely that something as stressful as trying to find a decent, affordable 1BR apartment in San Francisco at the end of May could lead to some amazing culinary experiences, but in my case, it did. I approached the daunting experience of apartment hunting as an adventure and made sure to build in some breaks for good eats. Since I concentrated my apartment search in the areas in and around Duboce Triange, Cole Valley, Hayes Valley, Nopa, Noe Valley, and the Mission, I quickly learned that I was in luck. Some of the places I hit are well-documented on must-eat-at lists but others, maybe not so much. Here’s what happened:
What to do after you arrive and see your first apartment
I flew into SFO via Virgin America – my first flight with the airline. It was a generally positive experience and their protein meal proved to be a life-saver. I quickly scooped up my rental car and drove to Cole Valley, where I was scheduled to see an apartment that same afternoon. The place was furnished and just out of my price range but I figured if it was fabulous, I could amortize it somehow (yes, I know). It turned out to be an in-law that you had to enter through the garage. Other than that, it was great. A nicely appointed, spacious layout (for a studio), plus a cool musician landlady who seemed very psyched about me as a potential tenant. The only hitch was the rent. So I told her I’d think about it and headed to The Alembic on Haight Street for a late lunch (or really, early dinner) to mull it over. I ordered a Southern Exposure, some jerk spiced duck hearts, and a hot dog that came garnished with some pepadew relish (yum).
When in doubt, go to Hayes Valley
My next day of apartment-hunting led me to Bar Jules, a place in Hayes Valley that’s received many (deserving) accolades. I had a burger at the bar next to a huge bowl of fresh fava beans. Perhaps these are the new edamame? I had a glass of rose with the burger in part because I had just seen a ridiculous 1 bedroom apartment up the block that was fine (if I’m being kind) except for the fact that the bathroom had a nasty tub without a shower head. I was told by the rental agency that the agent was “having one installed, promise!” when I returned the keys and incredulously exclaimed, “There’s no shower head in the bathroom!”
That day I also saw the most perfect apartment in Nopa that I was determined to make mine. To quell my anxiety, I met a friend at Arlequin, a lovely cafe and wine shop that has a backyard patio and free wifi, both of which are just delightful in my book. Later, I had dinner at Otoro Sushi, which was a perfect capper on the day after seeing mostly garbage (with the exception of the Nopa diamond in the rough).
I spent the weekend cat-sitting for a family member in the Castro so I hit the streets early on Saturday, seeing my first place at 9am up in Alamo Square, followed by coffee at Cafe Abir. Then I drove all over the place to go to open houses – the Mission, then Noe Valley, followed by Cole Valley. I decided to treat myself to a late lunch at Zuni Cafe, which did not disappoint. I had a pork sandwich with a glass of white wine, the name and varietal of which escape me (okay, I had two glasses). That night, I found out I got the apartment in Nopa and decided to celebrate with dinner at Starbelly in the Castro, which was amazing. I had some chicken liver pate, mussels with chorizo, and a beet and goat cheese salad. Beyond delish.
On Sunday, I woke up refreshed and excited about the prospect of signing my lease that morning. After the big event, I tried to have brunch at Nopa (to no avail – damn that place is popular!) so I settled for the Mojo Bicycle Cafe, which serves a decent cup of coffee (what else is new?) and a salmon bagel with cream cheese, cukes, and red onion – and is clearly going to be one of my new locals.
The Ferry Building rarely disappoints
My last full day in San Fran was spent returning my lease to my new landlord and visiting the Ferry Building. Although I’ve been there many times before, the Hog Island Oyster Bar never fails to disappoint. I had some of the raw stuff, followed by halibut with seasonal veggies. Delish SF, indeed. I topped that off with a visit to Blue Bottle Coffee where I picked up some whole beans for my beloved. All in all, it was a good trip. I’m looking forward to getting to know the place better when I move to San Francisco for real in July.
Originally published June 6, 2011
