San Francisco
Built around what you actually want from a city: inspiration, the vibe of the place, a great seat to do some work, and food worth lining up for. No reservations, not expensive. Carry cash.
Thursday, June 25
The Mission run you wanted, then the museum you owe yourself, in one clean line heading south then east. It is also the last day of Config, and SFMOMA sits a block from Moscone, so you finish the day right where your wife finishes hers. Carry cash for the morning.
Coffee and beans
BART from Powell to 16th St Mission, then four blocks to Linea Caffe (3417 18th St). A proper espresso, and grab a bag of their own-roast beans to carry home.
The Mission burrito
WalkWalk south down Mission to the burrito. La Taqueria for the best one (no rice, ask for it dorado), or El Farolito for the classic rice-and-everything super burrito. No reservation, just a line that moves.
Journal in the quiet
WalkHead east to SoMa and post up in Yerba Buena Gardens: a sheltered lawn with a waterfall and benches, far calmer than Dolores. The peaceful spot to work or journal that you were after.
SFMOMA, finally
WalkTwo minutes from the gardens. Go straight for the surrealist and modern floors, the rooms that floored you in CDMX, and use the rooftop sculpture garden and the cafe to keep working between galleries. Open Thursday until 8, so there is no rush.
Meet your wife
TogetherConfig wraps today at Moscone South, one block from the museum. Meet her when she is out, compare notes on the day, and find dinner. Sotto Mare or Tony's in North Beach, or Z and Y and R and G back in Chinatown, are a short ride toward the hotel.
Palihotel San Francisco
- Union Square + Apple flagship2 min
- Config 2026 at Moscone South15 min
- Chinatown dim sum (Good Mong Kok)9 min
- Swan Oyster Depot16 min
Levi's Plaza
- Coit Tower + Filbert Steps6 min uphill
- Tadich Grill (1849, the cioppino)7 min
- Ferry Building on the water8 min
- City Lights + North Beach6 min
The dashed green line is the safe daytime walk from the hotel to Config. The red wash marks the Tenderloin, 6th Street, and the Mid-Market / Civic Center blocks. Tap any pin for notes.
The hotel-to-Moscone walk is about 0.7 miles, roughly 15 minutes, and it stays inside the busy Union Square retail core and Yerba Buena the whole way, well east of the Tenderloin. In daylight and during conference hours it is lively and fine. The real risk in this part of the city is petty theft, not violence, so don't walk staring at a phone or with a laptop out.
The route she should take
- South on Stockton through Union Square, then down 4th Street past the mall.
- Cross Market at Powell / 4th and stay on 4th toward Yerba Buena Gardens.
- Past SFMOMA and the gardens to Moscone South on Howard. Busy foot traffic the whole way.
- After dark, take a 5-minute rideshare instead of walking it.
Blocks to skip
- The Tenderloin: west of Powell, north of Market (Taylor, Jones, Eddy). The city's roughest blocks.
- 6th Street between Market and Howard. Quiet and rough, worse after dark.
- Mid-Market and Civic Center, on Market west of 5th, at night.
- Don't cut west to "save time." East is the safe line and barely longer.
Getting around
Your plan barely needs a car. Most of it is a walk out of one of your two doors. Here is the rest, and what actually fits how you are moving.
Set this up before you land, and you are done
Add Clipper to your Apple or Google Wallet, or just tap any contactless card or phone at the reader. It works on both Muni and BART, with no paper tickets. Muni is a flat $3 a ride with free transfers for two hours, and Clipper now caps your day after two rides, so extra trips are free. Then put Uber or Lyft on your phone, plus the Waymo One app: the driverless cars are the local novelty worth trying, and they now run all the way to SFO. That is the whole setup.
Walking
- Best for The entire downtown core: Union Square, Chinatown, North Beach, the Ferry Building, and your office at Levi's Plaza.
- What you need Nothing. Good shoes and the map on this page.
- Your call This is most of your trip. Both your doors sit in the most walkable part of the city.
Regional rail
- Best for The Mission food run (16th and 24th St stations), the airport, and crossing to Oakland or Berkeley. Fast, underground beneath Market St.
- What you need Tap a contactless card, phone, or Clipper. Fare is by distance.
- Your call Your shuttle to the Mission: ten minutes from downtown, versus a slow drive and no parking.
Metro trains and buses
- Best for Crosstown hops too long to walk, and reaching Golden Gate Park or the Sunset on the N Judah line.
- What you need The same $3 tap, with two hours of free transfers.
- Your call Useful, but for your western trips a car is usually faster and simpler.
Cable cars and the F streetcar
- Best for The experience, not getting somewhere. The Powell cable car climbs Nob Hill from near your hotel; the F runs vintage streetcars down Market and the Embarcadero, right past your office.
- What you need The cable car is now $12 a ride. The F is normal $3 Muni fare.
- Your call Ride the cable car once for the fun of it. Take the F past the office for the waterfront view.
Rideshare and robotaxi
- Best for The western coast and parks, anything after dark, and door-to-door when you are carrying things. Waymo is driverless and a genuinely fun ride.
- What you need The apps, and a few minutes of wait at peak times.
- Your call Your default for the coast, and for any night move through downtown instead of walking.
Your two doors and the core. Union Square, Chinatown, North Beach, Ferry Building, Coit Tower, Swan Oyster Depot, Tadich, R&G Lounge, Good Mong Kok. All 5 to 16 minutes on foot.
The conference. Config at Moscone is the 15 minute walk mapped above. If it is raining, the Powell BART and Muni stop is 5 minutes from your doors and a few blocks from Moscone.
The Mission. La Taqueria, Tartine, Ritual, Linea, Farmhouse, Dolores Park. BART from Powell or Montgomery to 16th or 24th St Mission, about 10 minutes. Do not drive, parking is misery.
The western coast and parks. Lands End, Legion of Honor, de Young, Presidio Tunnel Tops, Ocean Beach and Andytown, plus Arsicault and Burma Superstar in the Richmond. Rideshare or Waymo. Transit out here is slow and full of transfers.
The Interval at Fort Mason. A short ride from the hotel, not a walk. Grab a car, or the 30 bus if you want the local way.
Bottom line: one Clipper setup plus the Uber and Waymo apps covers the whole trip. You will use your feet most, BART for the Mission, and a car for the coast. Don't rent one, the parking and the hills are not worth it.
The lists, ranked
Everything below is ranked for you, not for everyone. Stars are Hugo's quality rating out of five. Match is how well a place fits you specifically: food worth lining up for, art and ideas, a great seat to work, and nothing touristy. A few came from a local who knows the city, marked Local pick. Tap a pin on the map for the same notes.
Eat wellNow 33 options, because half my first list was the kind of place you cannot get into. The new Table meter says how hard it is to actually sit down, whether by line or by booking: green is walk right in, red is near impossible. Sort your night by it.
- 01
Swan Oyster DepotNob Hill · 16 min from hotel
4.9James Beard ClassicCash onlyLunch only · closed Sun$$The one to plan around. 18 stools, a marble counter, family-run since 1912, the seafood as clean as it gets. Go early, expect a line, order the crab back, chowder, and whatever is fresh. This is the SF meal you'll still talk about.
Your match98/100TableNo res, brutal line - 02
La TaqueriaMission · cab or BART
4.8James Beard ClassicCash only$The James Beard burrito: no rice, just meat, beans, cheese, salsa. Ask for it "dorado," griddled crisp on the outside. Worth the trip to the Mission, and you're a block from Dolores Park and Bi-Rite after.
Your match96/100TableNo res, line moves fast - 03
Arsicault BakeryInner Richmond · cab
4.8Local pickBest croissant in AmericaLong line$Bon Appetit named it the best new bakery in America and the croissant backs it up: laminated dough turned three times, baked all day so it's never stale. Inner Richmond, worth the line and the cab.
Your match95/100TableNo res, long line - 04
Mister Jiu'sChinatown · 5 min from office
4.7★ MichelinReserve ahead$$$Modern Cantonese in a stunning room above a Chinatown banquet hall, the first Chinese restaurant in SF to earn a Michelin star. This is the art-meets-food pick: the kind of meal that floors you, the way the surrealist rooms did in CDMX. Book it now.
Your match92/100TableBook 2-3 weeks out - 05
R&G LoungeChinatown · 6 min from office
4.6Local pickBourdain favoriteNear your office$$Cantonese institution since 1985, and the salt-and-pepper Dungeness crab is the whole reason to go. Bourdain filmed here. Six minutes from your office and built for a group dinner.
Your match91/100TableWalk-in usually fine - 06
Tartine BakeryMission · morning
4.6James Beard bakeryExpect a line$The morning bun is the move, plus a loaf of country bread to carry. Grab it, walk five minutes to Dolores Park, sit in the sun with the skyline in front of you. A near-perfect SF morning.
Your match90/100TableNo res, long line - 07
Zuni CafeHayes / Market · F line or cab
4.6SF iconRoast chicken for two$$$The wood-fired roast chicken for two with bread salad is a 40-year-old icon, worth the hour it takes to cook. Order it the second you sit, and get a dozen oysters while you wait.
Your match89/100TableBook ahead on Tock - 08
Tadich GrillFinancial District · 7 min from office
4.5Near your officeEst. 1849$$California's oldest restaurant, white tablecloths and waiters in white coats, unchanged for generations. Sit at the counter, order the cioppino. The best long lunch within walking distance of your desk.
Your match88/100TableNo res, lunch wait - 09
Hog Island Oyster Co.Ferry Building · 8 min from office
4.5Near your officeOysters on the water$$Oysters shucked in front of you on the water, with a glass of crisp white. The easiest great seafood near your office, no reservation needed. Hit the happy hour for cheaper bivalves.
Your match88/100TableWalk-in, wait at peak - 10
El FarolitoMission · BART to 24th St
4.5CashOpen late$The other great Mission burrito: the al pastor super burrito, griddled, cheap, and open past midnight. No line drama, no reservation, just walk up to the counter. The local rival to La Taqueria.
Your match88/100TableWalk right in, cash - 11
State Bird ProvisionsFillmore · cab
4.7★ MichelinJames Beard$$$A James Beard best-restaurant winner, served dim-sum style off roving carts so you point at what looks good. The food is genuinely thrilling. The only catch is the booking, which vanishes in seconds.
Your match88/100TableBooks 60 days ahead, set an alarm - 12
Good Mong KokChinatown · 5 min from office
4.5Near your officeCash$A counter, a line of locals, and a few dollars buys a bag of the best cheap dim sum in the city: shrimp har gow, BBQ pork buns, sticky rice. Takeout only. Eat it walking the Chinatown alleys.
Your match87/100TableQuick takeout line - 13
Molinari DelicatessenNorth Beach · 6 min from office
4.6Near your officeCashSince 1896$An 1896 Italian deli where they build the sandwich to order at the counter. Get the Renzo on a fresh roll, carry it to Washington Square, eat in the sun. The best cheap lunch near your office.
Your match87/100TableCounter line, cash, takeout - 14
Farmhouse Kitchen ThaiMission · cab or BART
4.5Local pickBib Gourmand 2016-19$$Bold, loud, rose-walled Thai in the Mission: khao soi, crispy chicken with yellow curry, a room that feels like a party. The Thai you were missing. Bring a group, it gets loud, and that's the point.
Your match86/100TableBook a few days out - 15
Tony's Pizza NapoletanaNorth Beach · 6 min from office
4.6Near your officeWorld pizza champ$$A former world pizza champion making a dozen styles in one room, from Neapolitan to Detroit. Walk in, put your name down, it moves. The Margherita is capped at 73 a day, so go early for it.
Your match86/100TableWalk-in, can wait - 16
Sotto MareNorth Beach · 7 min from office
4.4Near your officeThe cioppino$$A tiny North Beach seafood room with the best cioppino in the city, the bowl big enough for two. No reservations, so go right at opening or grab a counter seat. Cheerful, cramped, perfect.
Your match86/100TableNo res, go early - 17
Liholiho Yacht ClubNob Hill · 8 min from hotel
4.6Hawaiian-CalifornianBar walk-ins$$$Hawaiian-Californian with the energy of a party: the tuna poke, the baked Hawaiian bread, the duck-liver mousse. Near your hotel. Book ahead, or grab a walk-in seat at the lively bar.
Your match86/100TableBook early, or bar walk-in - 18
House of Prime RibVan Ness · cab
4.6Since 1949One dish, done right$$$One thing since 1949, done perfectly: prime rib carved tableside from a silver cart, with a spinning salad bowl and Yorkshire pudding. Pure old-school theater. Book well ahead and go hungry.
Your match85/100TableBook 3-4 weeks out - 19
NopaDivisadero · cab
4.5Late-night Cal$$$The Divisadero standby, wood-fired Cal-American that still cooks past midnight: the pork chop, the flatbreads, a great bar. Hard to book at prime time, but the bar takes walk-ins late.
Your match85/100TableBook, or bar after 10 - 20
Z & Y RestaurantChinatown · 5 min from office
4.4Near your officeSzechuan$$Fiery, mouth-numbing Szechuan in Chinatown, five minutes from your office. The chicken with explosive chili pepper and the spicy fish are the orders. Walk in, short wait, bring water.
Your match85/100TableWalk-in, short wait - 21
Kin KhaoUnion Square · 4 min from hotel
4.5★ MichelinThai$$Michelin-star Thai with no white tablecloth, just bold, fresh cooking, right by your hotel. The rabbit curry and the pork-belly noodles. The most convenient great dinner to your home base.
Your match84/100TableBook a few days out - 22
Brenda's French Soul FoodPolk · cab
4.5Creole + beignets$$New Orleans soul food: crawfish beignets, a shrimp po'boy, cheesy grits. Worth the no-reservations line, which gets long on weekend mornings, so go on a weekday or right at open.
Your match84/100TableNo res, long line - 23
Golden Boy PizzaNorth Beach · 6 min from office
4.4Near your officeCash$Square Sicilian slices, focaccia-style, the clam-and-garlic the cult favorite. A slice and a beer, standing up, late. Pure North Beach, and a short walk from your office.
Your match83/100TableWalk right up - 24
Yank SingRincon Center · 8 min from office
4.3Near your officeDim sum carts$$$Pricier dim sum, but the carts are endless and the dumplings are pristine, especially the Shanghai soup dumplings. A reliable, no-stress group lunch a short walk from your office.
Your match83/100TableWalk-in or book - 25
Burma SuperstarInner Richmond · cab
4.4No reservations$$The tea-leaf salad, tossed at the table, is the dish people fly in for. No reservations, so put your name down and wander Clement Street's bookshops while you wait.
Your match82/100TableNo res, long wait - 26
SouvlaHayes Valley · cab
4.3Greek, fast-casual$$Greek fast-casual done right: spit-fired lamb or chicken in a warm pita, a cup of frozen Greek yogurt with baklava crumble after. Order at the counter, grab a stool, in and out in 20 minutes.
Your match82/100TableOrder at the counter - 27
NopalitoNoPa / Inner Sunset · cab
4.4Cal-Mexican$$Organic, from-scratch regional Mexican: carnitas, mole, fresh masa tortillas. The sit-down counterpart to a taqueria. No reservations, but they run a tight, text-you-back waitlist.
Your match82/100TableWaitlist, no res - 28
Marufuku RamenJapantown · cab
4.4Hakata ramen$$Rich, silky Hakata-style tonkotsu with thin noodles, in the Japantown mall. Put your name on the digital waitlist, wander the bookstore and stationery shops, and come back when it buzzes.
Your match82/100TableJoin the waitlist - 29
Ferry Building MarketplaceEmbarcadero · 8 min from office
4.3Near your office$$Not one restaurant but a hall of the city's best vendors on the water. Graze the stalls, then walk the Embarcadero. Saturday is the big farmers market with the whole city out.
Your match81/100TableJust walk in - 30
Original Joe'sNorth Beach · 7 min from office
4.2Local pickNear your officeSince 1937$$A red-sauce institution on Washington Square: tuxedoed waiters, big martinis, a room frozen in amber. You come for the atmosphere more than the cooking, and that is a fine reason. Seven minutes from your office.
Your match80/100TableWalk-in usually fine - 31
YamoMission · BART to 16th St
4.2CashTiny Burmese$A three-table Burmese hole in the wall on a Mission corner: a wok, a counter, a few dollars for great noodles and samusa soup. Cash, fast, in and out. The opposite of a reservation.
Your match80/100TableTiny, cash, sit fast - 32
Saigon SandwichTenderloin edge · cab
4.4CashBanh mi$A banh mi for a few dollars that punches absurdly above its price: crusty roll, pate, pickled carrot, jalapeno, cilantro. A quick cash line on the edge of the Tenderloin, best as a daytime grab.
Your match80/100TableQuick cash line, takeout - 33
Bob's DonutsPolk · cab
4.3Open 24 hours$The 24-hour Polk Street institution and its giant apple fritter. A walk-in at any hour, and the ideal stop after a late one. Pure, unpretentious, and always open.
Your match78/100TableWalk right in, any hour
Ranked by how good a seat it is for a long working session, then by the coffee.
- 01
SightglassSoMa · near Moscone
4.8RoasteryMezzanine seating$$A double-height former warehouse with a roaster in the middle and a mezzanine that's made for a laptop and three hours. The best work cafe in the city, and a short walk from the conference.
Your match97/100 - 02
Saint FrankRussian Hill · 12 min from hotel
4.7Bright + quietLaptop-friendly$$A calm, light-filled corner room with proper tables and outlets, the kind of place that respects a working morning. Walk over Nob Hill from the hotel to get there.
Your match93/100 - 03
Reveille CoffeeJackson Square · 7 min from office
4.5Near your office$$A bright corner cafe in the prettiest blocks near your office, good light and a quick line. The closest genuinely good working coffee to your desk.
Your match90/100 - 04
Ritual CoffeeMission + Hayes Valley
4.5SF original$$The third-wave classic that set the tone for the whole city. Busier and more social than a quiet work room, but the coffee is dialed and the Mission energy is the point.
Your match86/100 - 05
Linea CaffeMission + Ferry Building
4.5Local pickSF roaster$$A small, serious roaster from a veteran of the SF coffee scene. The espresso is dialed. Ranked here, not higher, only because it's a tight espresso bar for a quick excellent cup, not a three-hour work room.
Your match85/100 - 06
AndytownOuter Sunset · by the ocean
4.6The Snowy Plover$$Less a work post, more a destination: get the Snowy Plover (espresso, sparkling water, cream) and walk two blocks to Ocean Beach for the sunset. Pair it with the Lands End day.
Your match84/100
Art, ideas, and the rooms that move you. The CDMX trip proved this is what you remember.
- 01
SFMOMASoMa · 1 block from Moscone
4.8By the conferenceCafe to work$$Seven floors, the surrealist and modern rooms you loved in Mexico City, a living wall, and cafes you can post up in. Literally one block from Moscone, so it doubles as your conference-week escape hatch.
Your match96/100 - 02
The Interval at Long NowFort Mason · cab or 25 min walk
4.7Cafe + bar + library$$A bar, cafe and library built around prototypes of a 10,000-year clock and a wall of "the manual for civilization." Work by day, cocktail by night. The most you-shaped room in the city.
Your match95/100 - 03
de Young + Turrell SkyspaceGolden Gate Park
4.7Free towerClosed Mon$$Ride the free 9th-floor tower for a 360 view of the city, then sit in the James Turrell skyspace in the garden as the light changes. Quiet, meditative, and unforgettable.
Your match94/100 - 04
Legion of HonorLincoln Park · cab
4.5Rodin$$A French-palace museum on a cliff, with Rodin's Thinker out front and the Golden Gate Bridge behind it. Pair it with the Lands End trail, which starts right below.
Your match88/100 - 05
City Lights + Caffe TriesteNorth Beach · 6 min from office
4.4Near your officeFreeThe Beat-era bookstore that published Ginsberg, then an espresso at the historic cafe next door where the poets actually sat. A perfect hour, and a six-minute walk from your office.
Your match86/100
- 01
Lands EndNorthwest tip · cab
4.9FreeCoastal trailThe best walk in the city: a cliff trail through cypress with crashing surf below, the Sutro Baths ruins, a stone labyrinth out on the point, and the bridge framed the whole way. Do this one for sure.
Your match97/100 - 02
Presidio Tunnel TopsPresidio · cab
4.7FreeLand artNew park decks built over the bridge approach, with Andy Goldsworthy land art hidden in the trees nearby. Walk out for the cleanest Golden Gate view in the city.
Your match92/100 - 03
Coit Tower + Filbert StepsTelegraph Hill · above your office
4.6At your officeFree climbThe Filbert Steps are a hidden garden stairway climbing the back of Telegraph Hill, wild parrots and all, ending at Coit Tower with 360 views. It starts right above your office: the best lunch break in San Francisco.
Your match90/100 - 04
Dolores ParkMission · cab or BART
4.4FreeSkyline + sunThe city's social living room: a sloped lawn full of people, the downtown skyline beyond, palm trees and a perfect Mission afternoon. Bring a Tartine loaf and a Bi-Rite scoop.
Your match85/100
Is the Apple Store worth it? Half a yes, and it is across the street.
Apple Union Square is a real Foster and Partners building: 42-foot glass doors, floating glass stairs, a public plaza with the historic Ruth Asawa fountain and a living green wall. It is a 2 minute walk from your hotel, so worth a look. It is still a store though, not a reason to plan around. The spaceship campus is in Cupertino, 45 minutes south, with only a small visitor center. Skip that one.
Conference + inspired
Walk to Config, duck into SFMOMA next door at lunch, Sightglass to decompress, dinner at Mister Jiu's.
Park and ocean
Presidio Tunnel Tops, the Lands End loop, sunset at Ocean Beach with an Andytown Snowy Plover.
Mission vibe
Tartine and Ritual, Clarion Alley murals, Dolores Park, La Taqueria, Bi-Rite ice cream.
Right outside your office
Filbert Steps to Coit Tower, Tadich Grill lunch, City Lights and a North Beach slice, Ferry Building at golden hour.
Mexico City, April 2025
Six days with Cam, traced stop by stop. Every place from your log, in order, with the photos matched to where they were actually taken and your own takes kept intact: the great, the overrated, and the meal that floored you.
Yoru Sushi
Very fresh fish and great rolls. A soft landing into the city.
HiYa
A Japanese speakeasy with nice vibes to close out the first night.
Cafe Rosetta
Waited two hours and walked out annoyed. Overrated, or maybe you were just in a mood. Either way, not the Rosetta that would matter later.
Street food
Flautas and a soup. Pretty okay, nothing more.
Caifan Taqueria
Top taco contenderFinally, a bomb Mexican meal: tacos al pastor that the lucha libre guide swore were the best in the city. Hard to argue with him.
Orbita
Amazing birria tacos, good flautas too, and a waiter who was the sweetest person alive.
Las Brujas Bar
★ Best drink, everIncredible cocktails. The first one on the menu is the single most delicious drink you have ever had.
Lucha Libre
Incredible. Loud, ridiculous, and exactly the kind of night you came for.
Centro + the market
Walking the Centro was a trip and great for photos, and the market was wild.
Xinu
A cool concept store. The perfume was mid, but the incense rocked.
Fueguia 1833
An incredible perfume store, even if it is not unique to Mexico.
Casa Bosques
A really nice bookstore. You left with Leonora Carrington tarot cards. They sell chocolate too.
Cafe Nin
Very nice, but forgettable.
El Huequito
Bourdain's spotBomb al pastor, your favorite pure al pastor of the trip. Anthony Bourdain's old haunt, and it earns it.
Lardo
The seafood fried rice was brilliant. The appetizers were eh.
Fonda Fina
★ #2 meal · best tacoPerfected Mexican food. The beef taco was the best taco of the whole trip, the octopus and the pork shank were unreal, the drinks too. A flat ten out of ten.
Las Brujas Bar
Broke your own rule and went back for that cocktail. Still incredible. The others you tried were meh.
Museo Nacional de Arte
★ Photographed half of themSpectacular. The rooms on the Spanish inquisition and Moctezuma and Cuauhtemoc, sculpture that was conceptual and beautiful, and then the surrealist and impressionist paintings that just blew you open. You took pictures of half of them to look at later.
Nima Spa
An amazing massage. You walked out feeling like you were on a cloud.
Cafe Niddo
Fun chilaquiles, good coffee. Nothing to write home about.
Restaurante Rosetta
★ #1 meal you've ever hadThe number one meal you have ever had. Gastronomy and creativity maxed out, Mexican flavors reimagined in ways you did not think were possible. Floored by every single course. Hard to believe food like this exists.
Contramar
★ #3 mealNumber three meal of the trip. The freshest fish, an incredible aguachile, the pescado a la talla split green and red. Authentic but elevated. You only wish you had gone hungrier.
Natas
A lovely sound system and a good sommelier. Nice vibes all around.
A local spot
The omelette was gas. The coffee was gross.
Sala Gastronomica
Very, very good: a dish from each region of Mexico and clever takes on the traditional.
Tacos Orinoco
You thought it would be overrated and it ended up delicious. The al pastor was great, the chicharron taco even better.
Carinito
Sleeper favoriteReally, really good. Asian fusion, crazy flavor, two of the four tacos unreal and the rest close behind. Chill vibe, they pour wine, the owner seems like a great guy.
Museo de Arte Moderno
★ Would go againIncredible from start to finish, every exhibit. The surrealist show was the favorite and absolutely brilliant.
Chapultepec Castle
Cool to see the colonization history and the architecture, but hectic and crowded for a Thursday morning. Would skip next time.
Museo de Antropologia
Hit or miss, and enormous, but the Tenochtitlan room with the sun stone and the replica of Pakal's tomb were both worth it.
Fuego Cafe
Amazing chilaquiles and really good coffee.
Colmado
A one-of-a-kind spot: a single semicircular bar, eight seats and room for two standing. Great vibe, the drinks and food incredible, the octopus taco awesome. The suckling pig, less so.
Taqueria El Caifa, Roma
★ #2 taco of the tripThe Costra al Pastor was the second best taco of the whole trip. Crisped cheese, al pastor, no notes.
Tetetlan
The food was a little too experimental for your taste, but the library-and-coffee space inside this Barragan house was beautiful. You read here for a couple of hours.
Frida Kahlo + Diego Rivera House
Casa AzulA great little peek into history and art, gorgeous architecture, and a guide who was a blast: passionate, knowledgeable, the whole thing.
New Orleans, June 2026
A long weekend with the crew, June 5 to 8, based out on the Lakefront. Reconstructed from your photos: the house in Spanish Fort, a Sunday at City Park and the museum, a night in the Marigny, beignets at Cafe du Monde, and the whole group along for it.
Settling in at the house
An afternoon at the rental: a wood board of cured meats, crackers, cheese and cut watermelon and melon, the living room hung with colorful paintings and a guitar in the corner, a brass "Katrina Waterline" plaque near the ceiling, and the crew lounging and talking across the couches.
Cooking and family photos in the kitchen
In the warm wood kitchen: one of the women unpacking groceries to cook, then three of them posed together at the granite island, smiling for the camera.
The homemade meal
A homemade spread plated and shared: golden biscuit-topped puffs, a dish of asparagus with toasted bread, breaded patties, plates of spinach salad and a creamy seafood dish, with three of them eating and laughing around the kitchen island.
Out at a neighborhood bar
A night out in the city: a glowing yellow warehouse mural of a child with outstretched arms, a Mardi Gras-decorated street corner, then inside a local bar (The Abbey) with walls of framed photos, green-and-purple tinsel, a well-stocked back bar and an old "Colored Only" sign, and a blurry, lively dance floor.
Slow morning at the house
The group gathers around the dining table in the warm, wood-paneled rental house, with a tall vase of pink flowers and a long boat-shaped dish on a stand. People stand and chat under the stained-glass lamp before the day gets going.
All dressed up
The women pose together in the kitchen in florals and flowing prints, starting as pairs and ending with the full lineup of four. One frame catches a playful, mid-laugh moment.
Slow morning at the house
A late morning at the rental house, where someone holds up an old brass horn over warm wood floors and a colorful rug.
Out around the city
Evening sights from the car and sidewalk: the weathered Le Bon Temps Roulé bar and sandwich shop, an old red theater marquee, a Treme mural, the green-shuttered Dooky Chase's restaurant, the yellow Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, a row of bright blue and red shotgun houses, and a car selfie with an older man.
Beignets and the City Park oaks
Live oaks draped in Spanish moss, then powdered-sugar beignets on green trays in the Cafe du Monde room, its busy dining hall, and gift-shop shelves of coffee tins, beignet mix, and mugs.
Creole dinner at home
An evening cooking and eating back at the house: a New Orleans recipe book, a pot of yellow grits, a deep braised meat stew, and a tomato, mozzarella, and basil caprese, plated together over the grits. A half-yellow, half-chocolate iced cake, an older man grinning with a Zurich Classic 'Quiet Please' golf sign and a slice, and the two of them posing together in the living room.
Waiting at the gate
Three women wait at the New Orleans airport gate, with the C4 and MSY signs and a Chili's To Go behind them. One nibbles a snack, one sips a drink, and one looks down at a tablet.
One last New Orleans breakfast
A Creole breakfast menu listing the Oyster Benedict, and two plates of it: fried Louisiana oysters over creamed spinach on a biscuit with kale slaw and pickled jalapenos, the second drizzled with red hot sauce.
San Francisco, the trip
A four-day San Francisco work trip in late June 2026 with your partner Cam, anchored by your SF office (boss Erica) and Cam's Config conference. From a wrong-room hotel check-in at the Palihotel through a chain of deep-fried Chinese-fusion feasts, the days settled into a rhythm of mornings at work, matcha runs for Cam, and ambitious dinners. The high notes were unmistakable: the Museum of the African Diaspora and its Yoruba planet portraits became your favorite thing on the trip, Grace Cathedral's guest organist left you awestruck, and Swan Oyster Depot earned a rave after a punishing wait. Lower notes included an underwhelming SFMOMA and a slightly chewy Sichuan pork main at Mister Jiu's, plus a recurring theme of food so oil-soaked it tasted great but never felt great afterward.
SFO and the ride into the city
You landed and were instantly struck by how well-designed the airport felt, even if the interior itself was nothing special. The Uber in along the highway gave you the bay on one side and a skyline that left you genuinely awestruck, snapping photo after photo of the buildings.
Palihotel SF, 417 Stockton St
Weird vibeA strange start: the receptionist checked you into a room that already had someone's bags in it, though luckily they were not there. Reception sorted you a new room, but then the flush did not work properly either, so the whole arrival had an off-kilter feel.
Canto
Delicious but heavyA Filipino-Chinese-Venezuelan fusion spot where everything arrived deep-fried and dripping with butter and oil, including broccoli so good you could hardly believe it was a vegetable. You shared a platter with pork dumplings, pork ribs, and two empanadas (one cheese, one beef), all amazing and all wildly unhealthy, so you felt the grease afterward. Cam got rattled by the homeless folks nearby, so you headed back to the hotel.
Your SF office
After a little morning bickering, you walked over to the office, which was chill but oddly empty, with basically nobody around. You hung out briefly, then headed off after your morning beats meeting.
Saigonese (Vietnamese coffee cafe)
Great vibeYou dropped Cam at this Vietnamese coffee place and met her there after your meeting, and it turned into one of the nicest stretches of the day. The coffee was delicious and the vibe was so good you found yourself wanting to come back to write here.
R&G Lounge
Good but oilySolid Chinatown Chinese food, where you kept it simple with the R&G special beef and the deep-fried string beans. Both were delicious, but once again everything was fried and dripping with oil, so you were already hoping dinner could be something a little healthier.
SFMOMA gift shop
You ducked into the museum gift shop to do a little shopping and came away with fun finds, including a small matchbox for your boss Erica as a thank-you for the trip, while Cam grabbed socks and a little gift for Tim.
Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD)
His favoriteThe standout of the whole trip. The exhibit was amazing, and your favorite piece was a series of portraits depicting the various planets in the Yoruba tradition, which struck you as really cool.
Junbi (matcha and tea)
DeliciousA matcha stop after the museum that was delicious, though you forgot to take a picture of it.
Toy Story 5 at the Metreon
While Cam went to pick up her Config badge, you caught Toy Story 5 on the Metreon's enormous screen, the kind of giant canvas that made you want to see an Odyssey screening there too. Afterward you settled in the park outside to work until Cam came and joined you.
Palihotel bar (Maritime SF)
A blastBack at the hotel you discovered the bar food was genuinely great. You had fun martinis served with French fries, a Caesar salad, and beautifully shucked oysters with Tabasco and cocktail sauce (you skipped the chartreuse). The real winner was a hot dog with incredible aioli, chips, and a pickle, so good you ordered a second; the quesadilla you could take or leave.
Your SF office
Mostly a heads-down day at the office with a lot to get through, with coffee from the same spot as before (you noted you should branch out and try other places nearby).
Sabo Fish (market lunch)
IncredibleA lunchtime walk took you to the market and a stall called Sabo Fish, where the catch of the day was swordfish, served with vegetables, sauce, and quinoa. It was delicious and genuinely incredible; the strawberry lemonade was fine but unremarkable, so you tossed half of it, and grabbed a donut on the way out.
Afternoon matcha walk to Cam
Around 3:45 you headed out to walk over and meet Cam for a matcha, recording your notes on the way and looking forward to it.
A bar (pre-dinner)
On the way to dinner you and Cam stopped at a bar for delicious truffle fries, which you had a blast eating, plus two beers that ended up leaving you feeling not so great.
Kin Khao
Raved, very spicyMichelin-starred Thai, and you believed the hype: really hot, really spicy, almost a little too much, but delicious all the way through. A good place. The night took a turn afterward, with a little fight back at the hotel.
Origin Matcha and a coffee stop
You started the morning by grabbing Cam a matcha from Origin Matcha and dropping it off to her, then picked up coffee from some place you cannot quite place, though you have a photo of it.
Grace Cathedral
AwestruckOn your walk you came upon this enormous cathedral just as a guest organist was rehearsing, filling the whole space with beautiful organ sound. You called it some of the most beautiful architecture you have ever seen, a massive church that left you genuinely awestruck.
Swan Oyster Depot
Raved, best seafood everWorth every minute of the hour-and-a-half line, even after two people cut in front of you. You had the crab back (slow to win you over until you started dipping buttered bread in it, then it was a blast), unbelievably fresh sashimi with scallops you called the most delicious thing you have ever had, and a half dozen perfectly shucked, chunky, juicy oysters with horseradish, onions, and Tabasco. The counter guys made the vibe, kind and genuinely happy to be there; the bill ran about 66 dollars and you handed over all 85 in cash, tip included, no regrets.
SFMOMA
UnderwhelmedAfter chilling at the hotel you hit the seven floors of SFMOMA and came away uninspired, with a few cool pieces but an overall underwhelming feel. What you genuinely loved was the architecture, and the bathroom, which you thought was pretty sick.
Mister Jiu's
Good, mild letdown on the mainA really good Chinatown spot where the side dishes and a strong dessert outshone the main: a Sichuan pork dish that was tasty but quite chewy and left you very full. Overall amazing food, just a small letdown on that one plate.
McTeague's Saloon
You and Cam ended the night meeting up with her coworkers at a bar. It was cool: you met her colleague Reagan, who came with his husband, and he seemed like a nice-enough guy.