Sites and Bites

Hey guys! I’m excited to announce a new series I’m starting today called Sites and Bites. I’ve been wanting to do something like this for a while and thought with my sister staying with us this summer it would be perfect timing to explore together! Every week I’ll be sharing a favorite San Francisco site paired with a nearby spot to grab a bite. I’ve never done much local travel on this blog so I’m really excited to give you a peak into this incredible city.

This first Sites and Bites is exploring Sutro Baths and eating at Shanghai Dumpling King.

Sutro Baths is this amazing wild area on the western edge of San Francisco along the ocean cliffs next to Lands End, which is a series of trails on the cliffs. You can read about the history of the Sutro Baths here. It’s the remains of a huge bath house that was popular around the turn of the century (oh boy, I wish it was still around. This picture is incredible!). It’s perfect for an evening walk with lots to explore like caves (my favorite!), walkways along Lands End and jagged cliff rocks. They also just opened up a new visitor’s center which is beautiful. You almost forget you live in the city exploring this area! It’s so peaceful and wild.

Sutro Baths areas can get a little chilly, so the perfect bite would be a few blocks away at Shanghai Dumpling King on Balboa and 34th with delicious soup dumplings (called Shanghai soup dumplings on the menu). $5.50 gets you a large basket of dumplings to share. I’ve never been a huge fan of steamed dumpling until I tried these! Also, promise me you will try the egg puffs if they are straight out of the oven (fryer?). Think sweet, melt in your mouth eggy popover. Just incredible!

Keep reading to see where to find them on a map and a few more photos from Sutro Baths and Shanghai Dumpling King!

Comments

Thank you so much for this post:). My mom swam in the Sutro Baths as a child. I heard many stories of what a wonderful place it was!

I absolutely LOVE this sites and bites idea! I’ve been meaning to make a trip up to San Francisco for a long time, I’ll definitely reference your suggests when planning my time there!

OOO, I’ve been to Shanghai Dumpling King with my friends a few times. Their stir-fried rice cakes are also very authentic and tasty as well. You should give it a try if you visit again, it’s a classic dish. 🙂

Cat

Actually, these Shanghai Soup Dumplings are called “Xiaolongbao” in Mandarin. (Pronounced Show-Long-Bow.)

How funny you should mention this; my boyfriend and I live in Australia but when we went on a trip to the US over Christmas, we went to the Sutro Baths. They were just stunning, especially walking around the cliffs to see the Golden Gate. Did you go and look at the camera obscura?

Ooooh, I’m going to love this series! We live right up in Washington state and have yet to visit the SF area, but I can already tell that this will inspire a trip down there! Looking forward to reading about your local treasure spots!

Please keep up this series! We’re visiting San Francisco for the first time in Nov. and maybe will just plan our trip around what you post! 😉

What an awesome idea! I’m currently living a bit of a gypsy life and traveling all over the US so I love this idea and wish I’d thought of it!

just down the block from the Sutro Baths…Legion of Honor followed by lunch at Pizette 211 (23rd and California). It’s one of our favorite ways to spend an afternoon!

Hey Liz!

Love this new feature, what a great idea! It’s always a struggle when I have visitors coordinating restaurants and attractions, so this will be really useful. Thank you. Also really love the graphic you created-so fun!

I always love taking people to the Academy of Arts and Sciences, but haven’t really found a great nearby restaurant to accompany. Same with the musee mecanique (great for kids) down by the wharf, all the restaurants feel very *touristy.*

If I think of anything else, I’ll let you know.

At Fisherman’s Wharf, I’d recommend just getting crab cakes where the fisherman stands are, or In and Out! There aren’t good options in the Wharf.
At the Academy of Science, there are lots of yummy places in inner Sunset/Richmond which are really close. I’d recommend Eats? It’s right across from the park, super close to The Academy. Thanks for your comment!

Yay Liz!! This is such a fabulous idea and congrats on your execution!!!
Going to reach out to you soon!!!

What a great series! We never run out of fun things to do, but we never, ever, ever know where to eat nearby. This is awesome.

Wow! this is so cool. I live in SF bay area and I will watch out for next editions of this series for some unexplored sites in the area. Thanks for sharing.

This is so great! We’re planning a trip to SF in August, so we’ll definitely check out your recommendations! We’re staying in the Ocean Park Motel, which is one of the oldest hotels in the city, and it looks like Sutro Baths is only a couple of miles from there. Can’t wait to check it out!

Love this new series! Can’t wait to see what you recommend

We love the Sutro Baths! And the walk around Lands End is gorgeous too. Sometimes we would go out there on warm summer nights to take in the lights of the city. It’s quite an incredible view!

That dumpling place looks delicious. If you are up for the walk from Land’s End you should check out the Moscow & Tbilisi Bakery. It has delicious sweets and amazing piroshkis! It’s right on 21st and Geary.

Thanks for the suggestion, Natalie! We live right by that bakery and I’ve never been! Will have to try it out!

Comments are closed.