There’s certainly no shortage of excellent food to be found in San Francisco and the Bay Area — but there’s plenty worth skipping, too. Luckily for you, Eater editors dine out several times a week (or more) and we’re happy to share the standout dishes we encounter as we go.
Soft shell crab sandwich at Gott’s
I received a lunch invite to Gott’s this month. As I’ve been (unofficially) trying burgers across the city to get a sense of the current burger scene, with both old and new establishments, it seemed like my Gott’s burger moment arrived… except holy hell, was I distracted by the soft-shell crab sandwich. If I couldn’t remember when I last visited Gott’s, I equally couldn’t remember the last time I had fried soft-shell crab, and I instantly forgot the burger mission. The crab was fried well,
meaning I got crunch without any overwhelming greasiness, and the interior didn’t feel dried out from aggressive frying. The lemon mayo and two (very necessary) slices of lemon that arrived on the side with each sandwich imparted brightness to the sandwich. The cabbage added a nice layer of crunch. It is a delicious, messy sandwich, so get plenty of napkins and keep that burger wrapped is all I can suggest. It’s a limited-time special, so if you’re in the mood for soft-shell crab I’d go soon. Gott’s (1 Ferry Building #6, San Francisco, plus various locations) is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.
Blueberry tart at Parachute Bakery
I’ve been longing to go to Parachute Bakery since its opening in September 2025, but I was (admittedly) thrown by the lines the bakery has attracted since its opening. I was hoping I’d just organically have an opportunity to go, like a chance encounter at the Ferry Building when I could stroll right in and buy all the pastries. Eight months later, my chance encounter finally happened — after my aforementioned crab sandwich at Gott’s, my trio wandered over to Parachute Bakery, wherein I did buy (most of the) pastries. Owner and pastry chef Nasir Armar and I got to talking about seasonal produce and the woefully short cherry season, when the subject of blueberries came up; this is where the group became animated, oh wow, have you tried the blueberries this season? They are so good! like true food nerds do. I hadn’t tried any yet, but this blueberry tart served as my first introduction. Apologies for the deconstructed tart photo (you can see where I was cutting my typical sample size), but I was really taken with just how many blueberries came tumbling out of the tart after dissection. I was eating the loose berries right off my cutting board, and everyone was right, these glossy blueberries were (cliche alert) bursting with flavor. Armar and his team’s pitch-perfect lamination skills served as the vessel for these excellent berries and delivered an audible crunch to each bite. The cream inside gave the whole thing balance, while a blueberry compote at the bottom delivered the final surprise, really sealing in its place as a best dish for this month. Parachute Bakery (1 Ferry Building, San Francisco) is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday through Sunday.
Olive ficelle at Studio Estepan
I was thrilled with my haul from Studio Estepan, but one of my favorite bites fell to the wayside when writing up this bakery: the olive ficelle (third from left in the photo). I have to admit, I wasn’t even sure what a ficelle was when I ordered it (learning is a lifelong journey, folks), but I do love all things olive, so I figured there was a high chance I’d like it. I cut slices from the various breads I ordered for sampling purposes, and I was impressed with the texture of the ficelle — the crust was softer than expected, not the teeth-shattering texture that French baguettes relax into. The interior was soft as well, and absolutely studded with green olives. It went well with the Maison Bordier wild garlic and Kampot pepper butter I splurged on. I found myself slathering that compound butter on before each bite. Well, between my partner and I, the “sample” we tried turned into just bringing the ficelle out of the bag to finish off, and it was the first thing to go from the stash. Olive fans, like my household, will like this, and I’ll likely have to grab more than one ficelle if I want it all to myself on my next Studio Estepan run. Studio Estepan (2311 Magnolia Street, Oakland) is open select weekends. Check @studio_estepan for the latest studio sale dates.
Roasted eggplant tostada at Cafe Bolita
I really wrestled with what dish was my favorite during my visit to Cafe Bolita, because I could go on about many of them (shoutout the pork belly chicharon salsa verde burrito!). But this roasted eggplant tostada is my current favorite. What I was really impressed by was the layering of flavors here: earthy eggplant against whipped ricotta, salsa de tijera seeping into each bite, with herbs of all kinds, not to mention the crunchy tostada that everything sits on top of. Cafe Bolita (2701 Eighth Street #118, Berkeley) is open 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
