It is easy to understand why San Francisco is a leader in cities across America to be a foodie mecca.  With 3,500 restaurants serving a population of 732,000, San Francisco has more restaurants per person of any city in America, and the most critical audience of diners in the country.  Food is part of San Francisco’s cultural pulse and lifestyle.

Tomorrow afternoon I am leaving Colorado and heading to San Francisco for the weekend.  As an east coast native, San Francisco is still somewhat new to me. My taste buds are barely wet when it comes to the San Francisco foodie scene.  I don’t know much about how San Francisco became a food haven but, I do think San Francisco is where food and creativity merge.  Pioneering the organic trend, San Francisco brings local, fresh, farm raised foods, straight from the garden to the table.  The dinning options seem endless whether you are eating street food at the farmer’s market or enjoying gourmet.

The multi-ethnic component to the food scene within the city provides a wide variety of flavors and spices whether sweet or savory or both.  This component adds a interesting dynamic to the food industry, allowing chef’s to create an entirely new cuisine mixing old tradition with new ideas. Restaurants like The Slanted Door, Yank Sing, and Dosa are great examples of how creatively chef’s fuse new with old.

When thinking about food I also think about wine.  My dad has an extensive knowledge of wine, and through him I am learning and developing my palette.  Growing up outside of Napa, he has been cellaring wine for as long as I can remember.  The proximity of San Francisco to Napa makes it easy to understand why the food and wine culture has thrived.  Pairing wonderful dishes with rich, delicate, or oaky wines is as much a part of the meal as a plate is to food. Merging the two creates an ‘explosion’ of taste.  Without the influences of Napa and Sonoma, I believe that the food culture in San Francisco would not be nearly as successful as it has been.

Whether San Francisco makes you think of foggy hills and valleys or food and wine, it has become among my favorite places to visit.  I am looking forward to seeing friends this upcoming weekend, and enjoying some delicious eats.  And, don’t worry I’ll be sure to fill you in on what you’ve missed : )