Boudin Bakery: The San Francisco Bread Bowl

We visited Boudin Bakery at Fisherman’s Warf for a taste of the classic San Francisco Bread Bowl!  Here’s a review of our visit.

This post is not sponsored.  I just really like bread.

There are times in life when I like to take the trail less traveled.  There are times when I avoid the crowds, and go find the hidden gems.

And then there are times when it is a-okay to be a tourist for a day.  Days when the touristy thing to do is the right thing to do.

On this visit to San Francisco– I embraced being a tourist.

Boudin Bakery in San Francisco was at the top of my “must do” list for this quirky little city, and their San Francisco Bread Bowl did not disappoint.  Here’s how our visit went!

Guys, we did all the touristy things in San Fran.

We started our morning by driving down Lombard Street— the curviest road in the world, taking an elevator to the top of Coit Tower for a view of the city, and then onto the main attraction (for me)– clam chowder at Fisherman’s Warf!

I’m hoping I can go back soon and see (and eat!) even more. Friends of ours visited Hilda & Jesse (a cute brunch restaurant) and loved it, so that’s on our to-do list next time too.

I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to spot Boudin Bakery when we reached Fisherman’s Warf– but the moment we arrived, it was there– shining like a beacon straight into my food-loving heart.

Walking into Boudin Bakery

When you walk into Boudin Bakery, you’ll immediately need to decide if you want to visit the less expensive downstairs cafe (Baker’s Hall) or the pricier upstairs waterfront restaurant (Bistro Boudin).  You can get the clam chowder San Francisco bread bowl both upstairs and downstairs.

We opted for the downstairs Baker’s Hall, and got in the massive line to order.  Surprisingly, the line moved FAST, and before I knew it– I had to make a decision.

The San Francisco Bread Bowl at Boudin Bakery

Guys, I got a little excited when we got in line.  Here’s what the husband and I tried (and no, we didn’t finish all the bread):

• Clam Chowder in a San Francisco Bread Bowl (obviously)
• Crab Cake on Sourdough
• Shrimp Salad on Sourdough
• Nutella Hazelnut Sourdough Waffle (My cousin Cody ordered this one and shared– but SO MUCH YUM!)

We washed everything down with a little white wine from Alexander Valley Vineyards, and a cappuccino from Peet’s.  In other words– it was perfection.

Can’t get to San Francisco but want to try making your own sourdough at home? Try making this kombucha sourdough starter and then bake some rosemary garlic sourdough bread!

Things to Do at Fisherman’s Warf

After we happily devoured more bread than I typically eat in a month, we wandered around the pier.  Fisherman’s Warf (apparently) has more than clam chowder in bread bowls.  Shocking.

There’s the arcade where you can reenact the arm wrestling scene from The Princess Diaries (and I did), sea lions, and a fabulous view of Alcatraz.

And if (by some miracle) you’re still hungry– make sure to grab some cioppino— the other seafood soup that Fisherman’s Warf made famous!   (I had every intention of eating cioppino too– but my stomach said “absolutely not!”)

We finished our tourist day by visiting the Golden Gate Bridge, eating a (tiny) dinner in Little Italy, and polished everything off with a little gelato.

What’s your favorite thing to do in San Francisco?  Let me know in the comments!