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The Travel Channel

Everywhere Celebrity Chef Andrew Zimmern Ate in SF for His New Show

Lotta seafood on “The Zimmern List”

by Caleb Pershan
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by Caleb Pershan
1 comment / new
The Travel Channel

Best known as the TV host and central eater of Bizarre Foods, Andrew Zimmern has been showing off his knowledge of more quotidian delights in cities like LA and Austin on his new Travel Channel series The Zimmern List, whose San Francisco-focused episode aired last night. The straightforward premise of the show is that it presents Zimmern’s hit list in any given city, and that list here in SF won’t surprise locals. Still, it provides a more than competent sprint through some favorites with lots of tempting food shots. Here’s the local “list.”

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Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

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“San Francisco is a pleasure palace, especially if you love food,” Zimmern says by way of introduction, and his first stop in town is to the palatial Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. At Roli Roti, he orders a porchetta sandwich with no marmalade and no arugula to split with known Zimmern homeboy Chris Cosentino. The “crunchy skin, sweet and warm, all the porcine intensity, fennel pollen ... this is just insane,” says Zimmern. The duo also eats some fruit at the Peach Farm Stand and roams the market. Blink and you’ll miss it, but in one shot, Zimmern appears to greet Aster chef Brett Cooper.

One Ferry Building #50, San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 291-3276
(415) 291-3276
The Travel Channel

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Cockscomb Restaurant

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To get the San Francisco “market to plate experience,” Zimmern swings by Cosentino’s restaurant Cockscomb next. “Just do what I do, come in and sit at the counter,” he recommends. His order: A “hot mess” with fig jam, pigs feet, and sliced raw candy stripe figs, plus a tuna collar dish.

564 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 974-0700
(415) 974-0700
The Travel Channel

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Onsen Bath & Restaurant

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This spot’s a newer cut and therefore less expected. Zimmern washes the Tenderloin grime off himself at Japanese restaurant and bathhouse Onsen. “The menu here uses fresh local ingredients in an incredible way,” he says, digging the roasted sardine and a broth that, paired with the shvitz, is “perfect.”

466 Eddy St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 441-4987
(415) 441-4987
The Travel Channel

Also featured in:

Lers Ros

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“For years I’ve kept this a secret,” says Zimmern, “a place I consider to be one of the best Thai restaurants in America.” It’s Lers Ros, whose several SF locations are hardly the “little special culinary honey hole” that Zimmern seems to suppose. His order (at the original location) includes crispy duck larb: “The fattiness and the crispiness of the duck mixed with all those sour and sweet flavors is out of control,” he says. “Every time I eat at Lers Ros, I’m reminded just how special the food here is.”

730 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 931-6917
(415) 931-6917
The Travel Channel

Also featured in:

Cowgirl Creamery Cheese Shop

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It’s kinda Ferry Building double-dipping, but next up in the episode is the inside of the Ferry Building, where Zimmern was seen filming in August at Far West Fungi. Most of this segment is devoted to Cowgirl Creamery, “one of my favorite cheese producers in America” where the host cuts into a fresh wheel of gruyere.

One Ferry Building, #17, San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 362-9354
(415) 362-9354
The Travel Channel

Out the Door

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Last up in the Ferry Building, Zimmern skips Charles Phan’s main restaurant The Slanted Door in favor of its quick-service sibling, Out the Door. There, he snags a fresh spring roll and a steamed meat sticky rice in banana leaf to enjoy outside with views onto the Bay.

One Ferry Building, #5, San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 321-3740
(415) 321-3740
The Travel Channel

Also featured in:

Swan Oyster Depot

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But of course. Zimmern waits in line to dine at this Polk Street standby, where his order is a half and half combination salad with crab and shrimp. “To me, this is Swan Oyster Depot, local seafood with louie dressing.” He also notes that “Swan is famous for having more items off the menu than on it,” and gets some “Sicilian Sashimi,” or crudo with capers, sea salt, and olive oil. Plus, “the oyster crackers are free!”

1517 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 673-1101
(415) 673-1101
The Travel Channel

Also featured in:

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Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

One Ferry Building #50, San Francisco, CA 94111

“San Francisco is a pleasure palace, especially if you love food,” Zimmern says by way of introduction, and his first stop in town is to the palatial Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. At Roli Roti, he orders a porchetta sandwich with no marmalade and no arugula to split with known Zimmern homeboy Chris Cosentino. The “crunchy skin, sweet and warm, all the porcine intensity, fennel pollen ... this is just insane,” says Zimmern. The duo also eats some fruit at the Peach Farm Stand and roams the market. Blink and you’ll miss it, but in one shot, Zimmern appears to greet Aster chef Brett Cooper.

One Ferry Building #50, San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 291-3276
(415) 291-3276
The Travel Channel

Cockscomb Restaurant

564 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94107

To get the San Francisco “market to plate experience,” Zimmern swings by Cosentino’s restaurant Cockscomb next. “Just do what I do, come in and sit at the counter,” he recommends. His order: A “hot mess” with fig jam, pigs feet, and sliced raw candy stripe figs, plus a tuna collar dish.

564 4th St, San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 974-0700
(415) 974-0700
The Travel Channel

Onsen Bath & Restaurant

466 Eddy St, San Francisco, CA 94109

This spot’s a newer cut and therefore less expected. Zimmern washes the Tenderloin grime off himself at Japanese restaurant and bathhouse Onsen. “The menu here uses fresh local ingredients in an incredible way,” he says, digging the roasted sardine and a broth that, paired with the shvitz, is “perfect.”

466 Eddy St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 441-4987
(415) 441-4987
The Travel Channel

Lers Ros

730 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109

“For years I’ve kept this a secret,” says Zimmern, “a place I consider to be one of the best Thai restaurants in America.” It’s Lers Ros, whose several SF locations are hardly the “little special culinary honey hole” that Zimmern seems to suppose. His order (at the original location) includes crispy duck larb: “The fattiness and the crispiness of the duck mixed with all those sour and sweet flavors is out of control,” he says. “Every time I eat at Lers Ros, I’m reminded just how special the food here is.”

730 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 931-6917
(415) 931-6917
The Travel Channel

Cowgirl Creamery Cheese Shop

One Ferry Building, #17, San Francisco, CA 94111

It’s kinda Ferry Building double-dipping, but next up in the episode is the inside of the Ferry Building, where Zimmern was seen filming in August at Far West Fungi. Most of this segment is devoted to Cowgirl Creamery, “one of my favorite cheese producers in America” where the host cuts into a fresh wheel of gruyere.

One Ferry Building, #17, San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 362-9354
(415) 362-9354
The Travel Channel

Out the Door

One Ferry Building, #5, San Francisco, CA 94111

Last up in the Ferry Building, Zimmern skips Charles Phan’s main restaurant The Slanted Door in favor of its quick-service sibling, Out the Door. There, he snags a fresh spring roll and a steamed meat sticky rice in banana leaf to enjoy outside with views onto the Bay.

One Ferry Building, #5, San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 321-3740
(415) 321-3740
The Travel Channel

Swan Oyster Depot

1517 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109

But of course. Zimmern waits in line to dine at this Polk Street standby, where his order is a half and half combination salad with crab and shrimp. “To me, this is Swan Oyster Depot, local seafood with louie dressing.” He also notes that “Swan is famous for having more items off the menu than on it,” and gets some “Sicilian Sashimi,” or crudo with capers, sea salt, and olive oil. Plus, “the oyster crackers are free!”

1517 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 673-1101
(415) 673-1101
The Travel Channel

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