Coming Soon...
The Globe-Trotters Collective
T E S H I M A !
Blog
San Francisco Eats
The Globe-Trotters Collective
San Francisco, world capital of new technology, also is the US city with the most eateries per capita. Two SF locals and regular restaurant goers helped us compile a list of restaurants by neighborhood. Given the sheer number of restaurants, the task was not easy...so they stuck to their ultimate favorites.
SOUTH OF MARKET (SOMA)
Bar Agricole (SF/American)
Contemporary, unique architecture inside. There is also a big outside area in the front where Facebook and the like often have private parties for their employees. Make sure to ask in advance if you want to sit outside. It’s very pleasant during the warmer months i.e. March-June or Sept-Oct. The food is a modern take on American cuisine – and the cocktails are excellent.
Address: 355 11th St., San Francisco, CA 94103 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-355-9400
Marlowe (photo courtesy of Marlowe)
COW HOLLOW/MARINA
Terzo (photo courtesy of Terzo)
POTERO HILL/DOGPATCH
Piccino (photo courtesy of Piccino)
MISSION
Commonwealth (photo courtesy of Commonwealth)
Commonwealth (SF/Amercian)
Classic SF restaurant with locally sourced ingredients in a welcoming and sophisticated space. Also known as progressive American cuisine. A la carte and prix fixe menus available. Located in the heart of gritty mission. Slightly expensive but totally worth it.
Address: 2224 Mission St. (@18th), San Francisco, CA 94110 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-355-1500
Foreign Cinema (photo courtesy of Foreign Cinema)
Foreign Cinema (SF/American)
Quintessential SF dining experience with great outdoor space where foreign and independent films are screened. Delicious menu and wine/cocktail list to enjoy during dinner. Laszlo, the bar next door is worth stopping by for a drink efore or after dinner.
Address: 2534 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94110 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-648-7600
Locanda Osteria (photo courtesy of Eric Wolfinger)
Locanda Osteria (Italian)
Classic Italian food in warm and cozy atmosphere. Modern space and bar + delicious cocktails.
Address: 557 Valencia St. (between 16th & 17th), San Francisco, CA 94110 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-863-6800
Tartine Bakery (photo courtesy of Tartine Bakery)
Tartine Bakery
Best bakery in SF! Always a long line outside the door but worth the wait. Their bread is to die for.
Address: 600 Guerrero St., San Francisco, CA 94110 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-487-2600
flour + water (photo courtesy of Eric Wolfinger)
Flour + Water and Central Kitchen (SF/American)
These 2 are sister restaurants very close to each other near 20th street. Very hard to book at Flour + Water, need reservation and must book several weeks in advance. Great cocktail bar in between called Trick Dog. Central Kitchen is usually the easier of the two to get a reservation and a great fall back option!
Flour + Water
Address: 2401 Harrison St., San Francisco, CA 94110 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-826-7000
Central Kitchen
Address: 3000 20th St. (@Florida), San Francisco, CA 94110 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-826-7004
Trick Dog
Address: 3010 20th St., San Francisco, CA 94114 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-471-2999
Central Kitchen (photo courtesy of Central Kitchen)
Sightglass 20th Street (photo courtesy of Sightglass Coffee)
Also Sightglass Coffee (one of the many independent coffee roasting companies in SF) recently opened a new location on 20th Street (next to Trick Dog).
Fun fact: All Sight Glass locations feature old school tube-based amplifiers by McIntosh.
Address: 3014 20th St., San Francisco, CA 94110 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-641-1043
FILLMORE
State Bird Provisions (photo courtesy of State Bird Provisions)
State Bird Provisions (American/Small Plates)
Urban-rustic storefront setting for a changing menu of American small plates served dim-sum style. Local food only. Very hard to get a reservation – for walk-ins, plan to get there at opening (i.e. 5:30pm) for 1-2 hours wait.
Address: 1529 Fillmore St. (between Geary & O’Farrell), San Francisco, CA 94115 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-795-1272
SPQR (photo courtesy of SPQR)
DIVISADERO/NORTH PANHANDLE
NOPA (photo courtesy of NOPA)
Bar Crudo (photo courtesy of Bar Crudo)
HAYES VALLEY
Bar Jules (photo courtesy of Anne + Matt Stark)
Rich Table (photo courtesy of Rich Table)
Rich Table (SF/American)
Amazing all locally sourced Californian fare. Great atmosphere with open kitchen and bar. Reservations are hard to come by.
Address: 199 Gough St. (@Oak), San Francisco, CA 94102 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-355-9085
CASTRO
Frances (photo courtesy of Frances)
NORTH BEACH
Tosca (photo courtesy of Tosca)
Tosca (Italian)
A little bit of New York in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. This recently revamped restaurant and bar features Italian fare and an extensive wine and cocktail menu in an old-school setting. Fun fact: The House “Cappucino” includes Armagnac and Bourbon and was secretly served during the Prohibition era.
Address: 242 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94133 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-986-9651
SUNSET
Outerlands (SF/American)
Super cool Brooklyn-like restaurant with great cocktails near Ocean Beach aka surfers' area (foggy!) Food is also very good.
Address: 4001 Judah St. (@ 45th Ave.), San Francisco, CA 94122 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-661-6140
GEARY
The Corner Store (SF/American)
Weird location off Geary but really great Sunday night spot. Open kitchen and menu changes weekly. Great prices for great food.
Address: 5 Masonic Ave., San Francisco, CA 94118 [MAP]
Tel: +1-415-359-1800
Globe-Trotting Contributors
Anne and Matt Stark, former New Yorkers and SFers, currently living in LA
Coming Soon...
The Globe-Trotters Collective
S A N F R A N C I S C O !
Exploring Naoshima
The Globe-Trotters Collective
Naoshima is one of the most amazing places we've ever visited. After an epic journey by air, land and sea, arriving in Naoshima was like landing in an oasis of nature and culture. If you’re into architecture, art, philosophy, and want to get off the usual tourist track in Japan, then Naoshima is for you. The trip can be long and arduous but the journey to get there is part of the experience. If you can, we recommend staying at least 3 full days so you can also explore Naoshima's sister islands, Teshima and Inujima.
WHAT TO SEE AND VISIT
Lee Ufan Museum
Lee Ufan Museum
We arrived at the museum on a late morning, after getting dropped off by the Benesse House shuttle bus that stops at the different art sites on the island. Perhaps a prelude to the Chichu Art Museum, the Lee Ufan Museum can be found nestled in the hills between the Benesse House Museum and the Chichu Art Museum. This pavilion-size structure gives you a preview of Tadao Ando ’s ideas for the island's buildings as spaces of retreat and reflection.
Chichu Art Museum (photo courtesy of Iwan Baan)
Chichu Art Museum
A short walk from Lee Ufan, the Chichu Art Museum is the crownpiece of Naoshima Island. Also designed by Tadao Ando, the museum leads its visitors through a journey of art installations by Claude Monet, James Turrell and Walter de Maria.
What makes Chichu truly unique is that the museum was carefully designed by Ando to best exhibit the artworks. Each art installation was beyond our imagination and we were mesmerized by the perfect harmony between the space and the artworks. Exploring the museum is an exterior-interior experience realized by Ando through his masterful use of light and concrete. The truth is that words don’t do justice to this place, and you have to go there to see and experience this one of a kind museum and architectural masterpiece.
Art House Project (photo courtesy of Benesse House)
Art House Project
The Art House Project consists of a series of 1- or 2-storey traditional Japanese houses scattered among Honmura District, Naoshima’s main residential area. Stepping inside the traditional houses, you'll discover incredible modern art installations.
Start at Honmura Lounge & Archive where you can get your ticket (we recommend the option that gives you access to all the houses) and a small map to navigate the labyrinth of streets of Honmura. While visiting the Art House Project, we met a really cool couple of Columbia University Law Professors with whom we explored the different houses and art installations. It was a blast!
Ando Museum (photo courtesy of Benesse House)
Ando Museum
The Ando Museum is a great little museum that showcases Tadao Ando’s work as an architect, including hand-drawn sketches and models. The museum is located in a traditional Japanese house, across from the Minamidera Art House. Definitely worth visiting if you want to learn more about the architect behind most of the buildings found on the Benesse Art Site.
Yayoi Kusama's Yellow Pumpkin
Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkins
There are two of Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkins on Naoshima: the Red Pumpkin is at the Naoshima Ferry Terminal in the Miyanoura Area, and the Yellow Pumpkin is near the Benesse House Park. They are staples of Naoshima and nice spots to take photos!
Check out the Benesse House official website for additional information on the Art Site, and the Naoshima Travel Guide for additional sights and activities on the island.
WHERE TO STAY
Benesse House Oval (photo courtesy of Iwan Baan)
Hotel Benesse House
The Hotel Benesse House is divided into three parts: the Park, the Beach and the Museum, which includes the Oval. The hotel is architecturally exquisite, every piece of furniture is well crafted and every detail has been well thought-out. We stayed at the Park and found it amazing, as our room was overlooking a garden of sculptures (a bit like Charles Trenet’s Jardin Extraordinaire!). Yet, we were left wondering about the Oval, which is connected to the museum and is only accessible to hotel guests via monorail. It was one of the best hotels we ever stayed at, and even though the rooms are pricey, we really recommend staying at the Benesse House.
Important Tip: make reservations well ahead of time because there are limited availabilities, especially at the Oval!
Check out the Naoshima Travel Guide for additional (and cheaper) accommodations on the island.
WHERE TO EAT
Issen Restaurant (photo courtesy of Iwan Baan)
Museum Restaurant Issen
Issen is located inside the Benesse House Museum. To arrive at the restaurant, we walked across the museum until we reached one of the main galleries. The setting was incredible, the service was excellent, and the food included a variety of Japanese traditional dishes that were both delicious and beautifully served. After dinner, we were able to visit the museum in complete peacefulness. Note: you have to make a reservation.
HOW TO GET THERE
On our way to Naoshima on the JR Uno Line
There are several ways to get to Naoshima. In our case, we were traveling from Singapore and decided to go to Naoshima straight from Narita Airport (may sound crazy but totally doable thanks to Japan's amazing railway system). A great tip we received at Narita was to transfer from the Narita Express to a Shinkansen (bullet train) at Shinagawa Station, which is a smaller train station and therefore easier to navigate than Tokyo Station. From Shinagawa, we took a Nozomi Shinkansen (the fastest train category) to Okayama, where we switched to the JR Seto Ohashi Line from Okayama Station to Chayamachi Station. At Chayamachi, we transferred to the JR Uno Line that took us to Uno Port. We then walked from Uno Port Station to the ferry dock, which are a few meters away from each other. Finally, we took the ferry to Naoshima. When we arrived in Naoshima, the Benesse House shuttle bus (free for hotel guests) was waiting for us at the Ferry Terminal and took us to the Hotel Benesse House.
Note: the best thing about traveling by train - aside from the mind-blowing efficiency of the Japanese railway system - is that you get to see the country. As we approached Uno port, the landscape really changed to a more rural scenery. On the trains from Okayama to Uno Port, we were the only none-Japanese passengers, traveling alongside commuters and children coming home from school. When we were lost, people helped us find our way and made sure we didn't miss our stop at Chayamachi to transfer the Uno Line. It's a great way to interact with locals and see the less traveled parts of Japan!
Below is a summary of our itinerary from Narita Airport to Naoshima:
Narita Airport
Narita Express
|
Shinagawa Station
Transfer to Nozomi Shinkansen
|
Okayama Station
Transfer to JR Seto Ohashi Line
|
Chayamachi Station
Transfer to JR Uno Line
|
Uno Port Station
Transfer to Ferry Passenger Boat
|
Naoshima
Total travel time: approx. 8 hours
Additional directions can be found on the Benesse House website. We also discovered an alternative route by boat from Awaji Island to Naoshima, which is part of a two day tour of Awaji and Naoshima offered by Awaji Yume Tours.
Arriving at the Naoshima Ferry Terminal
Globe-Trotting Contributors: Marie-Adélaïde Mol and Rafael Fernández, with the help of Mary Seto, our globe-trotting friend from Japan, living in Panama City
Coming Soon...
The Globe-Trotters Collective
N A O S H I M A !
