San Francisco Food & Travel Diary

san francisco sunrise grand view park tiled steps

Zella midi length leggings xxs, Nike free sneakers 5.5, old striped hoodie

San Francisco was a whirlwind this time around. Thank you guys again for all the recommendations, many of which we’ve added to our ever-growing list! If you’re planning a visit soon and love to eat, definitely check out some of the helpful comments on this Instagram and see my past SF food diaries here and here. One of my favorite activities this time was actually morning runs around the city, through the Golden Gate Park and also to other mini landmarks. I’m not a good runner and am huffing and puffing after half a mile, so it helped immensely to run with a friend who pushed aka tricked me into going further each time.

Tiled steps + Grand View Park (pictured above): For a free thigh workout, just run on a few upward sloping streets then finish by going up the tiled stairs to the overlook park. My legs were like jell-o the next day, but the stunning sunrise view over the city was completely worth it.

hollow cafe coffee shop sunset san francisco


Hollow cafe: a cute, tiny little spot not far from the tiled steps with yummy coffee and supposedly good pastries (we were too full to try their signature Guinness cupcakes!). Sweater dress here is borrowed from my friend. It’s apparently the same one as my cream dress worn in this post but in a dark green, which I didn’t see online!

rooster rice hainanese chicken san francisco

Rooster & Rice: We mostly ate at quick spots this trip that didn’t require reservations. The food here is super simple but is comfort food for many, esp. if you like Hainanese chicken. The boxes here consist of poached chicken (you can get this boneless skinless) over rice, a savory chili ginger and garlic sauce, hot broth on the side, and the option to add an egg. Be sure to try the hot sauce!

san francisco bobs giant donuts

Bob’s donuts: I realized I had posted this last weekend with zero explanation about the torso-sized donut! So I admit I went to Bob’s mostly for the photo opp, expecting it to be a gimmicky place since donuts this large couldn’t possibly be tasty. The hole-in-the-wall shop is open 24hrs but the biggies only come out of the fryer every few hours, and tend to go fast (you’ll see a line forming outside). I called ahead to find out timing and you can also stop by and reserve one in advance. Maybe it was because it was warm and fresh out of the fryer, but the donut was surprisingly delicious and got devoured (the big ones are only $9 and will feed at least six lol). The apple fritters were also fresh at the time and oh-so-good … even my typically anti-sweets friends kept sneaking bites and asking for more!

aina hawaiian fusion brunch san francisco
Aina: Heard the wait can get up to hours here on the weekends, so we popped by on a weekday right when they opened and were seated right away! The food is hawaiian fusion style, so they have twists on traditional dishes like spam musubi (pictured above in the lettus wrap) and loco moco (done with braised shortrib instead of hamburger). Our table loved the malasadas in the top right … warm, portuguese-style donuts dusted with coconut sugar and filled with guava custard!

mymy cafe san francisco crab shrimp eggs benedict brunch

MyMy: We were in the Nob hill area craving brunch, and this turned out to be a solid spot with lots of breakfast and especially benedict choices. The Baja benedict above with crab and grilled shrimp (and those crispy hash brown sheets…mmm) is a little splurge for breakfast at $20ish, but not a bite went to waste!

gotts roadside burgers san francisco napa

Sometimes you just crave a good old-fashioned burger, especially after a fuzzy morning of wine tasting. Gott’s Roadside in both SF and Napa hit the spot. Their Caesar salad was a little over-cheesed for me (hard to see the greens under that snowbank of parmesan) but their burgers (both a regular and a kimcheese burger are pictured above) and garlic fries were just what we needed. The milkshakes are also deliciously thick and creamy but very indulgent, so share with a friend or two!

When you purchase through the links on this blog, I may earn a commission. Thank you for your support!

When you purchase through the links on this blog, I may earn a commission. Thank you for your support!

For Daily Posts

Leave a Comment

28 Comments

  1. Sharmeen Khan wrote:

    Wow you look so tall in the picture sat outside the Hollow Café!!

    Posted 11.24.16 Reply
  2. Nikoleta Ljuljduraj wrote:

    That view is everything! And yes I am going to bookmark these spots when I visit San Francicsco!
    Thank you.

    N, xoxo

    The Glitter Chic / https://nljuljduraj.blogspot.hr

    Posted 11.24.16 Reply
  3. Starr @ sipofstarrshine.com wrote:

    That view is gorgeous!!! (And so is that giant doughnut, YUM.) Definitely going to bookmark a few of these spots for when I visit San Francisco, thanks Jean! 🙂

    Posted 11.23.16 Reply
  4. Unknown wrote:

    Hi Jean! I have a pair of OTK boots that always slough! I am wondering if you have any tips to help make them stay up?

    Posted 11.23.16 Reply
  5. Neha wrote:

    Hi! Can you do a post on good black friday/cyber monday deals?

    Also I loved the white dress you wore in the Tiffany's shoot! Could you share a link?

    Posted 11.23.16 Reply
  6. Maggie Zemanek wrote:

    That big donut is kind of adorable!! I thought it was a pillow at first!

    http://www.maggiealamode.com

    Posted 11.22.16 Reply
  7. Sharon Kresge wrote:

    Hey you were in my hood 🙂 I walk the dog to Grand View Park everyday – I'm not a morning person though, I'm usually there at 8pm 😀 I'll have to check out Aina and MyMy!

    Posted 11.22.16 Reply
  8. chassiness wrote:

    Hi Jean!

    Can you please give us suggestions for sweater dresses for petites? I've been looking for sweater dresses that I could pair with my over-the-knee boots, but I haven't had any luck – they all reach past my knees. 🙁 Help!

    – Chastine

    Posted 11.22.16 Reply
  9. Patty wrote:

    The Zella Live-In Midi Leggings don't seem to come is size XXS. Did they used to?

    Posted 11.22.16 Reply
  10. Jessica | Petite Style Script wrote:

    Hi Jean, great review of more food places to try in San Francisco! I wish I traveled there more often; my grandparents live there & they always have the best Chinese food 🙂 Also, great travel outfit inspiration!

    ~Jessica

    Posted 11.22.16 Reply
  11. Jessi wrote:

    I love your pictures! Sounds like a great trip!

    xoxo
    Jessi
    http://www.thedarlingdetail.com/

    Posted 11.22.16 Reply
  12. Rachel wrote:

    Awesome photos! I am eyeing that giant donut 😉

    -Rachel
    http://thetrendytomboy.com/shein-sweater/

    Posted 11.22.16 Reply
  13. Style Challenged wrote:

    Jean: I meant to ask this re: your previous post, but figured you may not be looking at comments there any more. Can you please explain when/why you wear brown booties with a black-based outfit, like you're wearing in the pictures with Nick? I would have totally chosen black booties for that outfit, but I have such respect for your style, I figure there must be something I don't know about black being too matchy-matchy or brown being a universal color. Thank you!

    Posted 11.22.16 Reply
  14. annie lee wrote:

    wait what, that's a real donut?!

    Posted 11.22.16 Reply
  15. Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life wrote:

    I love that you came here and left us with new places we hadn't considered before! Gott's is a solid burger place but I'm much more excited to have your rec on Rooster & Rice since we haven't found a good replacement for our SoCal Hainan chicken supplier 🙂 and giant donut? I'm in!

    Glad you had a great time!

    Posted 11.22.16 Reply
  16. Unknown wrote:

    Jean you always look so chic!
    Okay always love your outfits. Can you pleeeeease do a post on super comfy casual warm boots/booties to wear for quick errands or off to yoga? I love my sole society and bp trolley boots but I'd love something easy flat and comfy warm to wear for quick trips casual days…. Avoiding uggs… Any ideas for me? ��

    Posted 11.22.16 Reply
  17. Nicky Zeeb wrote:

    Love this post! Your style is so lovely too.

    Nicky Zeeb xx

    Posted 11.21.16 Reply
  18. affecionada wrote:

    Great recommendations! Love that Express sweater. x

    Jen | affecionada

    Posted 11.21.16 Reply
  19. Rachelle (http://pinksole.com/) wrote:

    I have to safe this for when I visit. Cannot wait to go to San fran.

    xo
    Pinksole

    Posted 11.21.16 Reply
  20. Abigail Alice x wrote:

    I'm in SF in a few weeks! I'll definitely be checking out MYMY as I'm a huge fan of brunch! thanks for sharing these restaurant picks <3

    Abigail Alice x

    Posted 11.21.16 Reply
  21. Ev wrote:
    Posted 11.21.16 Reply
  22. Anonymous wrote:

    Jean, next time you're in SF, I'd love to come meet you.

    -Tiffany

    Posted 11.21.16 Reply
  23. Sharan Kaur wrote:

    Awesome roundup! Love when you do posts like these – so helpful when traveling! Hope you enjoyed your trip!

    xoxo
    Sharan
    http://www.MyGoldenBeauty.com

    Posted 11.21.16 Reply
  24. Simply Thays wrote:

    The food look amazing! This post made me so hungry 😛
    Love,
    Thays

    http://www.simplythays.com

    Posted 11.21.16 Reply
  25. mybeautrip wrote:

    Omg! That donut is awesome!!
    xx

    http://www.mybeautrip.com

    Posted 11.21.16 Reply
  26. Keri H wrote:

    Omg looks like a trip filled with tons of great food! SO jealous 🙂

    Enclothed Cognition

    Posted 11.21.16 Reply
  27. Mei wrote:

    I'm so glad to be a San Franciscan. It's such a foodie central and you can work it off with beautiful scenic hikes! I love your food pics, very drool worthy 🙂

    -Mei
    Pieces of Mei

    Posted 11.21.16 Reply
  28. Bertha wrote:

    I live only 30-40 minutes away from SF (Cupertino area), but I rarely go to SF unless there are visitors! Mostly due to parking and traffic. But I definitely need to check out those places on the rare chance we visit
    I have the green H&M; dress. I actually bought the ivory online (it was only available in black and white online), and went to return it in store since I didn't like the color and quality. Then I saw the green one and it looked better since it is a darker color, it is in-store only. FYI, it is $10 in store now (all colors) as a part of black friday deals!

    Posted 11.21.16 Reply

Get the newsletter!

What updates would you like?