I said I was going to eat my way through San Francisco today and I wasn’t messing around! As soon as we landed Ben and I grabbed a rental car and headed to the Ferry Building.
He’s never experienced Blue Bottle Coffee so that was our first stop. This place had a super long line all day!
This is the BEST iced coffee I’ve ever had. EVER. It’s called New Orleans style and I have no idea what that means, but it’s amazing.
We also grabbed a few macaroons to share for a snack. By this time it was 1pm and we were ready for lunch. But, we were trying to wait for Clam Chowder bread bowls!

After perusing the Farmer’s Market we headed toward Fisherman’s Wharf on foot. I love that they had a huge Christmas tree set up at one of the piers. I LOVE this season and don’t mind that it comes early

Finally after an hour of sightseeing we made it to Boudin’s!
I think all food should be served in an edible vehicle, don’t you?
I got the combo with a clam chowder bread bowl and salad.
This is Ben.
This is Ben on vacation.
This is Ben realizing he just put his hand in bird poop.
This is Monica looking at the seals at Pier 39.

<There are no more pictures of Monica because she remembered she wanted a vegan donut before the Ferry Building closed and took off to get one.>
After a lengthy Q&A session with the vendor about all the flavors I went with a Blueberry vegan/organic donut. All “vegan and organic donut” means is that it costs more to fill your body with 900 calories.
This donut is like the best moist blueberry cake you can imagine, frosted with Heaven.
Ben and I took our time getting back to the car and planned out dinner. We decided to try a Diner’s, Drive-ins and Dives place – La Texanita in Santa Rosa!
Guy Fieri is actually from Santa Rosa and did a good segment on this Mexican restaurant.
We started with chips & got free guacamole because it took so long to get menus.
Ben ordered the Carne Asada plate
Since this place is all about their homemade tortillas I got a big salad and side of beans, plus and order of tortillas for munching.
Many times restaurant refried beans contain lard. This is why they are so delicious.
(source)
Question: Do you like the show triple D? Do you have a favorite diner, drive-in or dive?
thanks for share!
New Orleans coffee contains chicory, which is delicious. Maybe that coffee had chicory in it 🙂
I had no idea of the culinary delights that awaited me when I went for Nike Womens in October. I didn’t end up waiting in the coffee line and I totally forgot to the vegan donuts which Id read about.
Id love to go back for more food and fun, but I would need the calorie burn of a half marathon during it all to make me not feel like a total gluton.
Hahahahaha….That “They’re happy because they eat lard” picture made me laugh so hard I cried. I get it. Im Mexican. I love me some refried beans with lard. On a different note….I am now craving Clam Chowder!
Ughhhhh I’ve been craving a good clam chowder like you wouldn’t believe. I had some yesterday out at lunch and it was terrrrrrible. Craving NOT satisfied. Your pic made me drool. Literally.
Ps just found this from their website how to make their iced coffee exactly
http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net/coffee/preparation-guide/new-orleans-style-iced-coffee/
Blue Bottle makes their iced coffee cold brewed! I’m now completely addicted to it. Best way to make it at home is to 1:3 ratio coffee to water (I use a 1:2 but I like my coffee super strong). Place in a large pitcher, stir and leave it for 6-8 hours in room temperature. run it through a coffee filter and refrigerate. So good and best part is you can use not so great coffee since you aren’t heating it.
I love this post. I went to San Fran years ago before I was married or had kids and I had a blast. Your pictures were like a walk down memory lane… and doesn’t that wharf have the coolest little shops?? I went to one that was all old movie posters and black and white photos. So cool.
I love Triple D! Probably too much. Was it a good recommendation? You didn’t say 🙂 My father in law recently ate at a greasy spoon for breakfast in Pittsburgh that was on Triple D and he said it was dirty and awful, so I’m not sure if I trust Guy or not!
Ahaha, at first I thought that sign said “EAT CARB” instead of “EAT CRAB”. Will do!
Fun post Monica! Love when you “dish” on vacays.
Sooo …. back to lard-beans. Really? No. I would bet (some) money that you would never eat em w/pork fat liquid. That type of grease will definitely do someone in.
Worse than butter.
Just sayin ….. (spillin the beans!)
Ok the doughnut looks amazing, the bread bowl looks amazing, and the tortillas? Oh geez, I’m in a carb-loving moment right now and I can’t actually eat any of that! Boo. But I will now be trying to create my own versions of everything to satisfy all of the cravings I have now. Or I’ll just continue to eat my apple while I dream about caramel. Dang it, I’m making some!
Blue Bottle has chicory in it and is also cold-brewed, which is part of what makes it so smooth and sweet. (I was completely converted to cold-brewed iced coffee this summer. So easy! So good!)
I can’t stand Guy Fieri, but do love that show. We always look up places from there when we travel and haven’t been led astray yet.
You went all the way to Santa Rosa for dinner? Wow, you really weren’t messing around !!!
I’m serious about food 😉 Okay, that and we were headed to Healdsburg anyways…
I have all the same pictures you just posted lol, spent all of Friday doing those exact things- except I forgot to hunt down the vegan donut. I did have an amazing chocolate covered vegan cinnamon roll in Berkeley though.
Mmm, my heart melts for bread bowls- I could live off carbs… Guy is awesome, he’s got such a great TV personality!
P.S. We totes went out for Mexican last night too, to celebrate my Dear’s bday! But I gotta disagree, black beans > refried beans 😛
Happy Birthday to your Dear 🙂
I love Diners Drive Ins & Dives- whenever I have a chance I try to check out Guy Fieri’s spots. Also, that donut looks aaamazing!
Those seals on Pier 39 are stinky! But cute too. 😛
I don’t watch a lot of Triple D. My husband and I go to places that Adam Richman goes to.
I think New Orleans-style coffee is coffee with chicory in it? That could also be entirely made up.
San Fran looks fun — Never been to California but this will definitely be one of my stops 🙂
Im from Louisiana… yes that’s exactly what New Orleans coffee is!! Its lovely isnt’t it?!? (:
I’ve been by the vegan donut stand countless times, but have never eaten one b/c I’m always too full by the time I get to that end of the ferry building!
Next time start at that side 😉
I like regular hot coffee, but iced coffee has just never appealed to me. I know a lot of people like it.
A drive-in in my hometown was just torn down this week. Though it hadn’t had a restaurant in it for several years, it still has a lot of childhood memories for me. They used to serve the best hamburgers, onion rings, and I loved their ice cream!
Yay for SanFran! I had so much fun when I was there for Foodbuzz!
The Ferry Building was awesome! I got a salted caramel vegan donut, I almost got that blueberry, it looked good as well! Oh but the salted caramel, amazing!
Happy Sunday!
She said the salted caramel was her favorite, but I’m not a big caramel fan so I didn’t go with it.
I really do not enjoy Triple D anymore, mostly because that seems to be the only show on the Food Network lately …
That Clam Chowder looks amazing!!!
We went to Boudin in San Fran. It was my goal to eat clam chowder in a bread bowl on the pier….it was Toly’s goal to see the Golden Gate Bridge…haha priorities!
What is in that Iced Coffee? Cream? Did you add the milk/cream and sugar/sweetener or did it come all doctored up? It looks amazing. I am hitting up this joint when I am in SF in Jan.
It came all doctored up, so I don’t know what was in it 🙁 It’s a shame because it’s really amazing and I’d love to recreate it.