San Francisco Bucket List
Now that we’ve officially announced that we’re jumping ship and moving to Anguilla next year, my next order of business (this has been an ongoing task) is to create a bucket list of things we want to do before we leave the City by the Bay.
In all fairness, we’ve experienced a lot in the relatively short time that we’ve lived here. For the most part, our list is pretty complete:
Bay to Breakers
1We’ve participated in Bay to Breakers twice (here and here)
Wine & Dine in San Francisco
2 We’ve eaten our way through SF at some awesome restaurants. Gary Danko topped the list, but Hillstone, Perry’s, Dosa, and 1300 on Fillmore (amongst others) were gems.
Golden Gate Park
3 We checked out Golden Gate Park a number of times – the Tea Garden, the Botanical Gardens, and whatever other gardens happen to be hidden there.
San Francisco’s Art & Culture Scene
4 Indulged in some entertainment: a concert at the Fillmore, the San Francisco Symphony and the theatre.
Bars & Lounges
5 We have found tons of great bars and lounges around the city. Amelie has become our go-to for happy hour wine flights (can you beat a $10 you-pick wine flight?), but Cafe Meuse, Smuggler’s Cove, Johnny Foley’s, La Folie Lounge and others have come into the mix.
San Francisco has truly become home during the past 15 months and I’ve come to know and appreciate so many great local spots. I’ve learned to navigate the hills that I once despised, and have learned some of the ins and outs of city parking. There are still a few new places I want to try before we say our goodbyes:
- Kokkari. Boat Shoes has been to Kokkari a number of times and everyone that leaves the place raves about it. We’ve popped in once for a quick glass of wine, but their food looked great and the ambiance was stellar. A must-try before we leave!
- State Bird Provisions. SBP is a newer spot in SF but its reviews have been incredible. Bon Apetit magazine named it the restaurant of the year. If that’s not a glowing review, I don’t know what is! On top of that, we’ve heard first-hand from a number of locals that the food is incredible and the concept is awesomely innovative (American food done dim sum-style).
- Bob’s Donuts. Yes, this seems trivial, but I promise you it is not. I have walked by Bob’s a number of times on my walk home late at night. I pass by their donut display and smell the scent of sugar wafting out the front door as I stare inside. I have never ever gone inside because I haven’t wanted to open that proverbial door. Now that we’re moving, I feel okay with popping in for a late night sugar fix, knowing that it won’t become a weekly occurrence.
Of course there are spots we have been to on a number of occasions that I still want to visit again: the Top of the Mark, Bourbon & Branch, nondescript hole-in-the-wall Chinatown location for Sunday morning dim sum, the bar at Gary Danko; those aside, I feel pretty satisfied with what we’ve experienced in our time here. My mission is to cross those three spots off of our list before jetting off to Anguilla.
Are there any must-tries that I’m missing? Clearly there are too many amazing spots in SF for anyone to see in their lifetime, but with 3 weeks left as San Francisco residents, are there any spots that are total musts?
xoxo from SF,
