The Best Healthyish Restaurants in San Francisco
Sumo mandarins in the winter months, fresh favas in early spring, fuyu and hachiya persimmons and pomegranates through late fall: There is never really an “off” season for produce in the Bay Area—just a different fruit or vegetable to enjoy at its peak. So it’s no wonder that San Francisco plays host to the country’s most jaw-dropping farmers’ markets, or that its passionate restaurant community has been credited for popularizing everything from “toast” (see: Josey Baker) to that whole veg-at-the-center-of-the-plate concept (see: Al’s Place). In a city known for its devotion to ingredient-focused cooking, living a healthyish lifestyle is never in conflict with going out to eat. These are a few of the places at the heart of what S.F. does best.
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott1/11Al’s Place
This bold-blue corner spot in the Mission is a neighborhood restaurant like few others. (Proof: It claimed a spot as Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurant in 2015.) The menu changes as often as the market haul, but whatever you order will be startlingly beautiful—not to mention delicious. Don’t be put off by the menu’s description of meat dishes as “sides.” It’s just permission to order as many vegetable-focused mains as your heart desires.
Photo by Jake Stangel2/11Tartine Manufactory
It’s not an overstatement to say that this is one of the most exciting additions to San Francisco in the last year. There at breakfast? Try the coddled egg with trout roe and za’atar toast and the house coffee. Stopping by for lunch? Order a chicory salad or a warm mushroom sandwich on incomparable pain de mie rolls and thick slices of Tartine toast. Afternoon snack? Soft serve with rotating toppings like pistachio streusel. And, yes, you should come back for dinner. Start with a selection from the bread service (add the fried artichokes with olive and lemon!) and move on to lamb ribs with yogurt and dukkah or grain porridge with roasted mushrooms. Don’t leave without picking up a famous Tartine bread to go and stopping by the adjoining Heath Ceramics studio to check out the rotating pottery exhibits.
Courtesy of Hog Island Oyster Co.3/11Farmers’ Market at The Ferry Building
The sheer variety and quality of seasonal produce is the initial draw to the epic Saturday gatherings at the Ferry Building. But if you’re not also eating lunch here on the dock overlooking the Bay Bridge, you’re missing the best part. Get a group of friends together and spend the morning trying as many different stands as you can. Don’t miss the warm, griddled-to-order flatbread topped with tomatoes, cucumbers, and za’atar at Reem’s. Grab an order of Primavera’s unparalleled red-chile sauce–drenched chilaquiles and a strawberry agua fresca. Treat yourselves to a dozen freshly shucked oysters from Hog Island. Venture inside to the gluten-free Mariposa Baking Co. for a chocolate whoopie pie, molasses cookie, or apple turnover. Try a Monarch Juice (fresh oranges, persimmon, pomegranate, ginger, lemon, and Buddhas-hand citrus) from Sow Juice. Then come back on Tuesday or Thursday for the salad bowl of your dreams at Lovabowl, an offshoot of Oakland’s popular food truck (and now restaurant) Liba’s Falafel. There is no ingredient limit…yet. So, ask for a Lovabowl with everything!
Courtesy of Souvla4/11Souvla
San Franciscans don't just love Charles Bililies's Greek fast-casual spot; they rely on it. Now with three locations in the Mission, NOPA, and Hayes Valley, Souvla is indispensable, whether for picking up a spiced lamb wrap on the run or meeting a friend for a salad with rotisserie chicken, fresh oranges, mizithra cheese, pea shoots, and pickled onions. With Kir-Yanni sparkling wine flowing and frozen soft-serve Greek yogurt with baklava crumble for dessert, you won’t be in any hurry to leave.
Courtesy of Burma Superstar; Photo by John Lee5/11Burma Love
It’s fair to assume that every single table at this expansive Mission restaurant (the most recent addition to the well-known Burma Superstar family of restaurants in Oakland and S.F.) orders the tea-leaf salad—and for good reason. It's an almost theatrical dining experience as the servers mix all the ingredients of the salad—crispy romaine lettuce, fried yellow beans, dried shrimp, jalapeños, and more—tableside. If you can part with the tea leaves, the rainbow salad with tamarind dressing and the wok-tossed broccoli and eggplant with garlic sauce are also not to be missed.
Courtesy of Gracias Madre; Photo by Jeremi Rebecca6/11Gracias Madre
This Mission Street stalwart has been around for years but still packs ’em in every night. Chalk it up to the plant-based everything, from the house favorite ensalada de Caesar (crispy romaine, creamy Caesar dressing, toasted spicy pepitas, and a generous serving of ripe avocado) to the thick, chocolatey mole enchiladas. And it’s still the place to go when all you want is a huge platter of grilled vegetables and random sides all thrown together; just order the platillo de legumes.
Courtesy of Little Gem7/11Little Gem
This open, airy, beautifully designed spot with huge glass windows and succulents lining the walls provides a beachy, laid-back vibe that’s hard to find in Civic Center. It’s a setting made for addictive tahini-Caesar salads and hearty grain bowls (try the bibimbap-inspired seasonal veggie bowl or the cauliflower rice bowl). All the food is also gluten and dairy-free.
Photo by Eva Kolenko8/11The Perennial
This place has set the standard high for environmentally conscious design, ethical sourcing, and overall sustainability. Chef Chris Kiyuna and owners Karen Leibowitz and Anthony Myint run their own aquaponic green house in Oakland; source local, pasture-raised meats using a carbon-farming method to minimize Co2 impact; and bake their bread with kernza, a perennial wheat that helps restore the soil ecosystem. You might think that the restaurant took itself a touch too seriously—if the butternut squash toast, light cauliflower gnocchi, and brown-sugar date cake weren’t so spot-on.
Photo by Alex Lau9/11The Can't-Miss Shop: General Store
This highly curated modern-hippie shop in the Outer Sunset is a haven of functional design and West Coast craftsmanship. Gorgeous local pottery from Atelier Dion in Oakland and jewelry from many L.A. artists are displayed alongside natural apothecary tinctures, balms, and flowing, breezy dresses. Peek out the back door to see the beautiful garden teeming with succulents. Next door is the popular hangout Trouble Coffee (known for its thick slices of cinnamon sugar toast), and the beach is only a few blocks down the road.
Photo by Alex Lau10/11The Hike: Lands End Trail
A favorite of S.F. locals (and tourists, too), the Lands End trail at the northwestern tip of San Francisco is a beautiful and easy walk that rewards with views of the Marin Headlands, the Golden Gate Bridge, the ruins of Sutro Baths, the stately Cliff House, and Ocean Beach. Above the path is the Legion of Honor, a Neo-Classical building that houses one of the largest Rodin collections in the world. On sunny days, the walk is a warm paradise; on cool, cloudy days, the low-hanging fog mystically flows through the hills and eucalyptus—it’s magical.
Peden + Munk11/11The Road Trip: Shed
Want to get even farther afield? Head up the 101 about 90 minutes past the Golden Gate Bridge, and you’ll find yourself in Healdsburg, a smaller, more charming cousin to those well-known wine-country towns of Napa and Sonoma. A great spot for bike riding, day hikes, and of course, wine tasting, Healdsburg has also become a dining destination in its own right. A standout is Shed, a marketplace and restaurant that houses a fermentation bar and cures it own meats. Here you’ll find the best selection of artisan products made in this area and an extensive home goods, kitchenware, and gardening section. And in a surprise to no one, the rustic farm-to-table menu at the restaurant is accompanied by an awesome wine list featuring some of our favorite local producers like Leo Steen, Scribe, and Preston, an organic winery and farm at the far end of the Dry Creek Valley.
