Mission Specialty

This is where legit coffee aficionados go to procure house-roasted beans to grind and brew at home. That said, the bi-level café itself is beautiful, airy, and lively—a really fun place to while away an afternoon and watch as the pros load sacks of beans into the massive Probat roaster. There's also a location in SoMa.

There's nothing glitzy or particularly fancy about this classic scoop shop, but as evidenced by the out-the-door line (don't worry, it always moves fast) the small-batch ice cream is second to none. We like that they keep it fairly simple with flavors, the most inventive of which—and arguably the tastiest—is the Black Walnut, though Avocado and Grasshopper Pie are close seconds. You can also custom order a traditional ice-cream cake.

There's nothing glitzy or particularly fancy about this classic scoop shop, but as evidenced by the out-the-door line (don't worry, it always moves fast) the small-batch ice cream is second to none. We like that they keep it fairly simple with flavors, the most inventive of which—and arguably the tastiest—is the Black Walnut, though Avocado and Grasshopper Pie are close seconds. You can also custom order a traditional ice-cream cake (sadly, these are becoming harder and harder to come by).

We love Four Barrel not just for excellent espressos, almond milk lattes, and Americanos, but for their very genuine commitment to community, both local and global. Putting their massive warehouse space to good use, they host regular workshops (pickling classes with Bar Tartine's Cortney Burns sounds especially fun) and make it a point to only source beans from small family farmers all over the world. In a pretty brilliant move, the café doesn't have wifi, so people are forced to converse face-to-face rather than hide behind laptops. There's also a location in Alamo Square and Portola.

We love Four Barrel not just for excellent espressos, almond milk lattes, and Americanos, but for their very genuine commitment to community, both local and global. Putting their massive warehouse space to good use, they host regular workshops (pickling classes with Bar Tartine's Cortney Burns sounds especially fun) and make it a point to only source beans from small family farmers all over the world. In a pretty brilliant move, the café doesn't have wifi, so people are forced to converse face-to-face rather than hide behind laptops. There's also a location in Alamo Square and Portola.

At its core, Craftsman and Wolves is a really inventive, beautifully appointed bakery on a particularly attractive stretch of Valencia Street. You can easily make a meal of Chef William Werner's pastries (strawberry-rhubarb muffins, peach-verbena twinkie, Japanese-style milk bread) though there’s lots of savory stuff, too, like egg frittatas and a hot dog garnished with beet chips.

At its core, Craftsman and Wolves is a really inventive, beautifully appointed bakery on a particularly attractive stretch of Valencia Street. You can easily make a meal of Chef William Werner's pastries (strawberry-rhubarb muffins, peach-verbena twinkie, Japanese-style milk bread) though there’s lots of savory stuff, too, like egg frittatas and a hot dog garnished with beet chips.

There are now ten locations strong in the bay area, with cafés in the Ferry Building, Hayes Valley, Heath Ceramics, Market Square, Mint Plaza, and on Sansome. There are two locations in Oakland, on Broadway and Webster St. Perhaps the most groundbreaking of their brews is the chicory-spiked New Orleans cold brew, which comes in a handy single-serving carton. They also make a pretty great granola in-house while the SFMOMA rooftop location is home to Chef Caitlin Freeman's modern art desserts. Think: a loaf cake made to look like a Mondrian painting and cookies inspired by Richard Serra’s sculptures.

There are locations peppered throughout L.A., NYC, and even Tokyo, but Blue Bottle coffee will forever be synonymous with San Francisco, the city that started it all. Perhaps the most groundbreaking of their brews is the chicory-spiked New Orleans cold brew, which comes in a handy single-serving carton. They also make a pretty great granola in-house while the SFMOMA rooftop location is home to Chef Caitlin Freeman's modern art desserts. Think: a loaf cake made to look like a Mondrian painting and cookies inspired by Richard Serra’s sculptures.

The legend of the Wise Sons goes something like this: Pals Evan Bloom and Leo Beckerman were unhappy with the state of NorCal's Jewish deli situation (i.e. there wasn't one) and started hand-smoking pastrami in their backyard. After a series of successful pop-ups and a stint slinging sandwiches at Ferry Plaza, they opened their freestanding shop, inside the Contemporary Jewish Museum no less. From the double-baked rye to the matzo ball soup to the smoked trout salad and the smoked pastrami, everything is handmade and delicious. Half a sandwich, soup, and a side of coleslaw or potato salad at $12 might just be the best lunch deal in town.