San Francisco Alphabet Dining
Chowing Down by the Bay grew from a new years’ resolution between my friends and I back in 2012. We had all been born and raised in San Francisco, a city known for it’s culinary innovation and wide variety of cultural food niches.
Strangely, we found ourselves settling into a boring eating routine: “What should we have tonight? Indian again? We’re all still getting 5 orders of the tikka masala right? Ok cool.”
It was always delicious, don’t get me wrong. But you can only go to the same place so many times and order your usual dish before thinking that maybe there’s more to foodie life than our go-to spots.
So our new years’ resolution was born: Whenever we went out to eat, it had to follow two simple rules.
- No one had been there before
- It had to begin with the next letter of the alphabet (starting with A and ending at Z)
This was a surefire way to challenge our dining choices and break out of our culinary routine. And it worked. I decided to document the experience, taking photos and writing about all the new restaurants we were going to in the city.
I also began documenting other restaurants I go to, since I try to always see new places now. Recently, I even moved out to Boston, where I’ve started a new A to Z challenge (my next letter is E). My favorite thing is when others follow along with my ridiculous foodie adventures and can get as much of a kick out of it as I do.
Don’t be shy – join in on the foodventures! Check out the full list of SF restaurants from A to Z below:
- Aslam’s Rasoi | Indian | Mission
- Bistro Central Parc | French Bistro | NoPa
- Canto do Brasil | Brazilian | Hayes Valley
- Dobb’s Ferry | Italian- American Fusion | Hayes Valley
- Eiji | Sushi & Tofu | Castro
- Farmerbrown | Soul Food | Tenderloin
- Gamine | French Bistro | Marina
- Hard Knox | Southern | Richmond
- Izakaya Sozai | Ramen, Japanese Tapas | Outer Sunset
- Jasper’s Corner Tap + Kitchen | American | Union Square
- Kitchen Story | Californian-Asian Fusion | Castro
- Live Sushi Bar | Japanese | Potrero Hill
- Marlowe | American | Soma
- Nombe | Japanese Fusion | Mission
- Out the Door | Vietnamese Fusion | Lower Pac Heights
- Perbacco | Italian | Financial District
- La Quinta | Mexican | Mission
- Radio Africa | Ethiopian – Moroccan | Hunter’s Point
- Squat & Gobble | Crepes | Lower Haight
- Thep Phanom | Thai | Lower Haight
- Udupi Palace | Southern Indian | Mission
- The Vestry | American | Mission
- Wing Wings | Wings | Lower Haight
- Xiao Long Bao | Chinese | Inner Richmond
- Yuubi Sushi | Japanese | Inner Richmond
- Zero Zero | Italian | Soma
Happy eating!!
Chelsea M.
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