The local newspaper puts out a list of the best restaurants in the Bay Area.
@psychmomma SF is known as the birthplace of nouvelle American cuisine, and is less known for specific dishes, per se, and more with innovative, often trans-cultural approaches to food based on seasonal and regional availability. There are those in the culinary world who believe the city and its environs is one of the most exciting places in the world to eat. Of course there will be Chicago pizza purists who will complain about pizza in the Bay Area – though Chez Panisse’s pizza is in a league of its own and totally uninterested in matching pizza in Chicago, NY or even Naples, for that matter. Clearly, the same goes for hot dogs, lol.
I’m not sure why, but I associate sour dough bread and Dungeness crab with San Francisco.
Yup, two traditional favorites.Although you can now get great sour dough everywhere else.
The tourist answer is soup in a sourdough bread bowl.
Personally I’d go for dim sum, especially if you are coming from somewhere that you can’t get it easily, although I’m guessing Chicago probably does have decent dim sum places.
Also California-style burritos. There are many websites and food blogs devoted to arguing over who makes the best burrito in the city. I won’t weigh in on that… I live down on the peninsula and haven’t eaten burritos in SF.
D just went and said it was the dirtiest spot in the country. Do your research.
@washugrad I’m down the Peninsula now too, but when I’m in or near the City, my favorites:
Burrito - La Corneta Tacqueria, Glen Park, SF
Dim Sum - Koi Palace, Daly City
Katliamom: Yes, San Francisco has more three Michelin star restaurants than New York, despite being a much smaller city. The food scene here is unmatched anywhere else in the US at this time. If you are a foodie, San Francisco is the place to be.
@sushirito you have really good taste in food.
I don’t think anyone has mentioned an obvious place to visit, which is the Crooked Street part of Lombard Street. An interesting article just came out in that there is a proposal to start charging tourists for driving down the crooked portion.
https://m.sfgate.com/local/article/SF-may-begin-charging-tourists-5-10-with-13559003.php
They should also start charging the gawkers for watching that madness. 
San Francisco is one of the greatest cities in the US, if not the world. I was just there today for a conference. Flew into Oakland and took BART to SF. The highlight of the day was sitting at the bar at the Mark Hopkins hotel “Top of the Mark” watching the sun set over the Golden Gate Bridge.
So many wonderful things to do in SF: Chinatown, Ferry Building, Alcatraz, Golden Gate Park, Ferry to Sausalito, the Presidio, the Marina district, jazz bars, blues clubs, and the wonderful restaurants and diversity.
I also liked the discussion of my old East Bay stomping grounds in Piedmont/Rockridge and Berkeley. Fenton’s was a staple as was Top Dog. Much preferred Blondies pizza to Zachery’s. And if you were adventurous would make it to Flints for BBQ. Lots of great places for breakfast too such as Betty’s Ocean View Diner. Good times.
^ I appreciate the input from those with fond feelings for the area. We honestly wouldn’t have to do anything special for me to have a wonderful time. It’s been a year and a half since I’ve spent more than a few hours away from my responsibilities at home (ft caregiver), and we’ll be with our son. The rest is icing!
Blondie’s is now Abe’s BTW.
It reminds me, Top of the Mark is an awesome indoors place for a drink and to see the sunset. Twin Peaks and the Golden Gate Vista Point at the Marin Headlands are two other awesome places where you can see everything. On the East Bay, the Vista parking lot at UC-Berkeley and the Lawrence Hall of Science overlooking UC-Berkeley are also quite nice locations for a view overlooking the Bay. One word of caution, the Union Square area over where the Top of the Mark is very hilly, as are a lot of places in Berkeley and east Oakland, so bring a walking stick if you’re not used to climbing pretty steep streets. Lands End will be a wee bit challenging as well.
If you’re into churches and history, Grace Cathedral is right around where the Top of the Mark is at. California is well known for its Mission churches throughout the state. Mission Dolores is in San Francisco, Mission San Jose in Fremont, Mission Santa Clara at the Santa Clara University Campus. But so many beautiful churches in SF.
Just remembered the impressive mosaic steps:
https://californiathroughmylens.com/mosaic-steps-16th-avenue-san-francisco
^^love those mosaic steps! Fun, relatively brief activity.
@sushiritto Our go-to place for burritos is the Burlingame La Corneta. I knew there was one in San Carlos as well, didn’t know there were a couple more. Mmm… is it too early for lunch?
Also - I managed to attend Cal for 9 years (well, one as a lecturer) and never ate at Top Dog.
@washugrad If I had a great mind, then we would think alike. :)) Unfortunately, I’m not one to give recommendations on pizza and hot dogs. I haven’t had either one in a very long time.
When I was a kid, we would go into North Beach area and head over to Washington Square Park. There’s an old time no frills bakery there called Liguria Bakery. Their specialty is focaccia bread. They only sell focaccia. Unbelievable. =P~
@psychmomma I hope you have a wonderful trip. It truly is one of the best areas in which to live.
Maybe I shouldn’t post. D just visited last week and has proclaimed SF as the dirtiest city in the country. She did enjoy China town however.
I love Yank Sing for dim sum.
There are certainly some scummy areas in SF; the City Hall Area at night and early morning isn’t pleasant to walk around. Nor many parts of the Tenderloin. Car break-ins and vandalism is an issue. But that’s how it is in every big city. Most of the city itself is beautiful.
The same is true with Berkeley as well. Telegraph Ave isn’t sparkling and some people get turned off by it when visiting the UC campus. But that’s what gives the campus and the city that character.