lovestruck in San Francisco, part one

It’s been two weeks since I enjoyed a rather satisfying day in San Francisco, and I apologize for the wait on this post but birthdays popped up and pushed this post back. But the day trip was one of the best days ever, with the glorious sun shining and bright blue sky overhead. It’s no wonder that I am still lovestruck with the city by the bay.

San Francisco and I haven’t always been the best of friends. After numerous trips where I left feeling frazzled and disappointed, I thought the city was just not for me. Give me New York City or London or Paris, but my nearby big city was one I’d avoid. Until now, thankfully! I’ve always considered myself a big city girl so it made me sad to think that the big city just an hour away was one I’d rather stay away from. But I left two weeks ago with a newfound appreciation for this gorgeous and vibrant city.

I arrived in San Francisco after a quick drive to visit my friend Stephanie, and after chatting a bit, we decided to hit up the famed Tartine Bakery. Once we found parking, which wasn’t a simple feat, we wandered into the bustling joint that was filled to the brim with people. How do you measure a bakeries goodness? Well, personally, when there is a line out the door, I think that’s a pretty good indicator of the bakeries reputation.

The ranch style tables and laid back décor mixed with the very comical cat portraits scattered across the walls gave the bakery a modern yet casual flair. It felt very cozy and comfortable, like an old friend who knows you inside and out. Despite the bustling crowd and growing line, the servers never let their guard down and appeared unfrazzled. I appreciated their calm demeanor as well because it only takes one stressed and anxious server to ruin the vibe when you dine out. Not to mention that if you are like me, this place is the prime location to people-watch. It’s like my guilty pleasure.

Prices range from reasonable to a little expensive but you must factor in two things. First, this is San Francisco where everything is pricey because that’s city life. Second, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill standard bakery. The people who work here our extreme professionals, including pastry chef Elisabeth Pruit and her husband Chad Robertson, both of whom graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Also, the ingredients that they use are nothing but the best and the bakery strives to use organic local produce whenever possible.

Stephanie and I shared two things, a chocolate hazelnut tart and a spicy turkey panini. Honestly, I can’t remember much about the sandwich besides the vibrant broccoli pesto and the drenched olive oil bread. The salty cheese (Fontina?! Gruyere?!) melted into the crusty bread and the pesto added a needed kick.

The turkey was kind of lacking, but in combination with the rest of the ingredients, the sandwich was a big hit. It was like a grown up version of a grilled cheese, with yummy pesto squeezed inside. Boy, am I glad we split it though as the portions were huge.

The hazelnut tart was not what I expected, but I loved every bite of it still. I thought it’d be a soft and creamy filling, but instead the center was more cake-like. The hazelnut crust was buttery and crunchy, sitting on your tongue for a minute or two before slowly dissolving. It was the perfect small size two, just right for two eager girls to tear apart.

If I had been more adventurous, I would’ve tried a couple more things, like the brioche bread pudding that I kept seeing everywhere as well as the Bavarian cream that was filled with fruit. The dense and gooey brownies also looked enticing and Tartine’s shortbread cookies are well known, but I couldn’t stomach another bite sadly. Next time, I’m taking it to town. Stay tuned for part two!