No discussion of food in San Francisco would be complete without talking about coffee. Everyone always thinks of Seattle and coffee, but in San Francisco we also take our coffee pretty seriously. Could be the not so great climate, could be the great food, or it our ongoing mass fantasy that we are a European city that somehow got separated from the mother ship. Continuing with the metaphor of San Francisco as the American Paris, just as un bon café is important in the city of light, so too is it in the city by the bay. Here’s list of some our favorite coffee purveyors, but the list is by no means exhaustive.

1. Blue Bottle – Smooth, richly favored and freshly roasted to the point of obsession, this is the coffee purveyor for hipsters and anyone else who likes nuanced full flavored coffee. No matter how many outlets they open (and there are precious few) the lines get no shorter. Totally worth the wait.
2. Ritual – One of the relative new arrivals on the SF coffee scene, its super popular amongst those in the know. They are leaders in obsessing about the qualities of their “30 step” process around sourcing, roasting and brewing.
3. Martha & Bros. – A small mini chain of stores sprinkled throughout San Francisco. Their house blend drip is so intense, you’ll swear it’s espresso.
4. Peet’s – Once a start up roaster in Berkley, Peet’s is San Francisco’s Starbucks in the very best sense. Densely sprinkled throughout the Bay Area (and now beyond), the brew a full range of deeply flavored coffee drinks. Not for the feint of heart, or stomach, but for people who like their coffee with a kick.
5. Starbucks – Puhleez. San Franciscan’s only go here when all of the above are closed or out of range. The one exception is the Starbucks — a.k.a “Bearbucks” — on 18^th Street in the Castro, where the people watching at all hours of the day makes for the less than perfect cup of joe.

After spending 4 days with fellow foodies from around the globe at the Winter Fancy Food Show, I was able to take a fresh look at my home city through a visitor’s eyes. In terms of originality and individuality, San Francisco is in the first rank of world cities. The topography, the architecture, the embrace of alternative lifestyles, San Francisco’s roster of unique qualities goes on and on. In the area of food and wine, however, San Francisco, and indeed the Bay Area as a whole, is more of a synthesis. While we look to France and Italy for cooking techniques, we look to the surrounding region for our raw ingredients. Our own spin on the old world’s classic cuisine is the addition of Asian influences and of course an (near) obsessive attention to local sourcing and organic and sustainable farming by many of the city’s restaurants.

At the center of life in San Francisco is a joyful pursuit of the creation and consumption of food, wine, coffee and spirits that is arguably unequaled by any other city in the United States. In terms of gastronomy, this is our American Paris. It is with that lens in mind that we share our favorite spots to eat. We tried to distill the list down to five, but it can’t be done in a city like this, so we will do this in periodic installments. Look for subsequent editions of this posting with even more culinary treasures.

1. L’Ardoise (the Castro)– is little French bistro in a quiet neighborhood corner of the Castro. Well executed bistro fare with an edge served in an atmosphere heavily redolent of a Parisian arrondissment.
2. Greens (Fort Mason) – reigns as the grand dame, or rather the “barefoot contessa” of SF’s vegetarian restaurants with beautifully presented, innovative vegetarian cuisine (you won’t miss the meat, trust us) and a killer view out to the Golden Gate. The combination of food, wine, décor and view result in strong sense of place lacking in s many other restaurants. The Spice Mogul’s never tire of taking visitors here.
3. Delfina Pizzeria (the Mission) – makes single serving thin crust pizzas just like in the old country. Delfina, the mother restaurant next door, is just as awesome, but hard to book a table. Either one is worth the effort, and almost as much gastronomic fun (and much cheaper) than a trip to la bella Italia.
4. Range (the Mission) – serves excellent nouvelle California cuisine with a great bar and lengthy list of cocktails. Not overly expensive, and a personal favorite for when we want to feel sophisticated and urbane.
5. Salt House and Town Hall (SoMa) – both turn out variations of chic inventive nouvelle American classics. Salt House is for when you’re feeling a bit on the rebellious side, Town Hall for when a more sedate, traditional mood prevails. Choosing between these two is a no loose proposition.