pursuit of edibles. For any serious food lover who quivers and salivates at the mention of quality comestibles, a pilgrimage to the Marketplace inside the Ferry Building is essential. This epi- curean paradise houses dozens of shops and cafes celebrating food in all forms. I stop by Frog Hollow Farm for a jar of fruit conserves from their orchards, Cowgirl Creamery for a chunk of Mt. Tam cheese, and Acme Bakery for fresh baguettes. A local points me toward Blue Bottle Coffee for what she claims is the best latte outside of Italy. She may be right; the smooth, creamy brew is infused with a rich mélange of fl avors that easily outshine standard cof- feehouse fare. Another San Francisco


culinary tradition that entices locals and tourists to select restaurants each weekend is the delectable Cantonese feast called dim sum. Dim sum is literally a rolling buffet of exquisite, small-dish entrees on carts wheeled past the table throughout the meal. Patrons select dishes as carts pass or wait for the next one. When I asked local dim sum devotees for restaurant recom- mendations, one name was mentioned repeatedly and in reverential tones. Yank Sing. Hidden down a small side


four-story rainforest dome. The Academy is home to nearly 40,000 animals, but in three hours I manage to see just a small fraction of them while exploring Madagascar, Galapagos, and other far- fl ung places. Tempting as it is to spend the afternoon here, there’s one fi nal stop I need to make. Ten minutes away is my favorite place in the city. Or at least it was 20 years ago. Built in 1894, the


One of California’s most unusual surfi ng spots—Fort Point at the Golden Gate Bridge.


street in the fi nancial district and popular with workers during the week, Yank Sing bustles on weekends with Chinese families and locals. As soon as I’m seated, the food carts start rattling past, each piled with small but succulent portions so tempting that I can’t say no. Golden Phoenix shrimp encased in a shrimp mouse croquette. Tender Peking duck with tangy hoisin sauce in a steamed bun. And the house specialty, Shanghai dump- lings: minced Kurobuta pork, scallion, and ginger wrapped and steamed in an aromatic broth. The waiter demonstrates how to spoon the dumpling, poke a hole in it with a chopstick, and drizzle a few drops of rice vinegar sauce on top. The resulting fl avor is culinary ecstasy. Even after dozens of visits over the years spent roaming


around its 1000 acres of woodlands and meadows, one place in San Francisco still calls to me. Golden Gate Park is among America’s great urban parklands and a haven for pavement- weary San Franciscans. On Sundays it gets even better when park roads are closed to cars, and the many paths and gardens of this sprawling green space are reserved for joggers, hik- ers, bicyclists, and picnickers. It’s here that I’ll end my San Francisco sojourn, fi rst with something new and then with an old friend. Using a San Francisco CityPASS ticket booklet for quick


admission, I begin at the newly expanded Academy of Sciences. Ten years in the making, it features a new aquarium and tropical reef, the world’s largest all-digital planetarium, and a


Japanese Tea Garden is fi ve tranquil acres of ponds, paths, sculptures, and bridges. On this warm spring Saturday the rhodo- dendrons are cloaked in hot pink blossoms and a steady stream of people crowd the walkways. A weekday would have been quieter. Retreating to the tea house overlooking the gardens, I order a pot of green tea and remember why I’m drawn to this place. Years ago I would come to relax while trying to untangle some of life’s knots. Today my musings focus on the city around me.


From the Gold Rush and earthquakes


to the Summer of Love and beyond, San Francisco has adapted to constant cultural and seismic shifts. When once- bustling communities such as Chinatown and Fisherman’s Wharf evolved into tourist destinations, they became instant city icons as familiar as the thick fog that rolls though the Golden Gate many sum- mer evenings. They’ve earned their place alongside the simpler joys such as a stroll along the waterfront or an afternoon in the park. Much has changed over the last 20


years but I remain smitten as ever. As Uncle Gee and his tea shops remind me, this city knows a thing or two about rejuvenation and putting a new twist on an old tradition. Both have a place in the City by the Bay. 


Eric Lindberg (www.ericlindberg.com) is a freelance writer and photographer based in Lakewood, Colo. He is the 2011 Travel Photographer of the Year, Society of American Travel Writers.


EnCompass September/October 2011 33


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