Sour Dough
Just as there are certain things that one must see and do in San Francisco, there are certain things to eat as well. Sourdough is one of those things.
"Sour Dough" became a popular style of bread in the United States in the late 1800s. Miners who worked in the Sierra Mountains would often come out to the coastal city to stalk up on supplies before heading back into the mountains. The San Francisco Bay Area had very specific yeast and lactobacilli that made the starters. The outcome of these unique yeast starters was that tang of San Francisco Sourdough. The miners themselves soon appropriated the name and the gold diggers from San Francisco were referred to simply as "sourdoughs."
Sourdough makes for a great present as it has a long history in San Francisco and there is nothing quite like it. My favorite bakeries for sourdough are the following:
Boudin Bakery, where it all began, has locations throughout the city and greater Bay Area. Make sure to have their bread bowls if you stop in for a meal.
Although Acme is located in Berkeley, they sell bread throughout the Bay Area. They have a shop in the Ferry Building and look for their sourdough baguettes in markets throughout the city. The owner of this bakery started baking for Chez Panisse and Alice Waters thought so fondly of his skills, he opened his own shop.
In North Beach, the Italian bakeries also offer great sourdough. Head to Danilo Bakery for some pizza and a sourdough loaf to-go. Also, stop by Italian French Baking Co. Some think that this is the best sourdough in town.
Another East Bay company that sells bread throughout the Bay Area is Grace Baking. The folks at Grace are known for their San Francisco Sourdough full of California grown Walnuts. To purchase some, visit Whole Foods, Safeway, Lucky Stores, Cala Foods, Costco, or Mollie Stones.