San Francisco Treats

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I was in San Francisco this past weekend to help judge the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Adventure Contest ^[2]. A day of eating sandwich cookie entries using Scharffen Berger chocolate and one of ten adventure ingredients. So much fun and so many cookies. Plus the winner is going to get twenty five thousand dollars. Hello. That’s a ton of sweet cookie dough. The winner will be announced in a few weeks. If you didn’t enter this time, I hope you will next year.

Now, I knew I would be eating a bunch of cookies on Sunday during the judging, but when I travel I like to try treats from sweet shops and such in the places I visit. Do you have this affliction, too? I mean I rarely go to bakeries at home, but when I hit the road … that’s another story. And on Saturday I almost overdosed on sweets. Have you ever been to the Ferry Building ^[3] in San Francisco? Oh my gosh, such a fun place and so many amazing vendors and shops.

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First stop was Ciao Bella Gelato ^[5]. If I only ate one sweet when traveling it would definitely be ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream. Or Gelato. Not sorbet though. Creamy yes. Icy no.

But in the case of the Ferry Building, they have so much more than just creamy treats to taste.

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And once I started, I couldn’t stop.

This is slightly embarassing, but we’re all friends here.

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Scharffen Berger ^[8] had a little spot, so I grabbed a warm up for Sunday’s festivities with this dark chocolate sea salt bark.

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El Porteño ^[10] – I. Love. Their. Empanandas. Prosciutto and fontina cheese is by far my favorite. I first had them two years ago and oh man I was so happy they were still set up in the Ferry Building. Can’t get enough of these things.

Plus, they had alfajores – Argentine cookies sandwiched with dulce de leche … delish.

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Black Jet Baking Company ^[12]. I grabbed a super yummy brownie and one of their devil dogs which reminded me of a homemade oreo on steroids. I’ll be back.

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Biscuit Bender ^[14]. This was a fun place. And they have such a great name. I picked up a Mexican Hot Chocolate Biscuit and Breakfast Sausage for Sunday morning.

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Up next … Miette ^[16]. Oh, how I love thee. Let me eat the ways.

Your chocolate tart is amazing.

(P.S. All the bagged cookies and caramels were for friends … minus the bag of cookies I am eating right now as I type this. Those chocolate sables are hard to resist.) 

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This chocolate macaron was my favorite sweet on Saturday…

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… until I tried this Miette’s Mini Scharffen Berger cake on Monday. Oh My Gosh. So good and still moist after a couple of days. Look at that ganache. Often chocolate cake desserts don’t live up to how good they look, but this petite domed cake was just as incredible as it was beautiful. I’d definitely get this again.

So that’s a little tour of my treats from this weekend at the Ferry Building.

 

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And here’s a few stops I haven’t shared with you yet from the last couple of times I’ve visited San Fran.

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Humphry Slocombe ^[20] – an ice cream stop of course.

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Butter Beer, Cinnamon Brittle, Secret Breakfast, Peanut Butter Curry, Cucumber Ice Milk and Sweet Summer Corn. You’ll be amused as much as you will be satisfied by their creative ice creams.

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Craftsman & Wolves ^[23] – This place definitely lived up to its reputation. But by the name, you’d never guess it was an amazing patisserie because it totally sounds like a steak house.

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But instead it’s a place you can dine on perfect pastries.

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Caramel chocolate pearl travel cake, pain au cochon, and a chocolate croissant stack. Yes. Yes. Yes.

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Oh, Tartine ^[27]. A must visit in San Francisco. So many pastries, breads, cakes and tarts to please.

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This mini banana cream tart was superb and was probably the best thing I had that visit.

A flaky pastry coated in dark chocolate with caramel, pastry cream, and lightly sweetened cream. Try it.

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Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous ^[30]. Amazing ice cream and the absolute most adorable ice cream parlor name ever ever.

Try the Bourbon and caramel ice cream. whoah.

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Chocolates anyone?

Schoggi ^[32] is a beautiful shop with a stunning display of swiss chocolates. Plus they offer petite pastries and macarons, too. It was extremely difficult narrowing down my choices. They are all like pieces of art.

 

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And since we’ve been singling out San Francisco Treats, here are a few more that I’ve shared on the blog before, but I thought it would be nice to have them all in one place.

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Bi-rite Creamery ^[34]. Ice cream again. Go figure and go now and get the brown sugar with ginger caramel swirl. Cinnamon Snickerdoodle’s a winner too.

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Pacific Puffs. ^[36] Classic cream puffs. Perfect topped with powdered sugar or covered in a chocolate glaze.

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We haven’t even mentioned cupcakes yet.

American Cupcake ^[38]. These cotton candy cakes are just too cute.

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And Kara’s Cupcakes ^[40] – such yummy cupcakes and with several locations you’re in luck. This one in Ghiradelli Square was gorgeous. Loved the pink menu wall.

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Back to Miette ^[42] – They have cupcakes too … in addition to all the goodies I showed you at the beginning of this post. If you get a chance, visit the shop on Octavia Street. It is a real treat.

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Okay, those are all the places I’ve visited in San Francisco over the last few years .… I think.
Now, where to go next time?

If you live in or have visited San Francisco, what am I missing out on?
Doughnuts? Pies? Do tell.

What’s your dish on desserts?