For a taste of the charms that, for better or worse, lead out-of-towners to San Francisco’s notoriously touristy Fisherman’s Wharf, Scoma’s is where it’s at. The very 1960s bar is a trip, and dishes like a “Lazy Man’s Cioppino” and classic crab Louie hit the spot. The views onto the water don’t hurt, either — the restaurant is located on its own small pier. You’ll even catch a glimpse of Scoma’s own custom-built fishing boat: The restaurant is committed to sourcing sustainable, and mostly local, seafood.

For new school artisan sourdough that’s dramatically dark and craggy, please see Tartine Bakery (below). But for old-school heavyweight sourdough, Boudin is a San Francisco original. They claim their mother starter dates back to the Gold Rush, and they’re still making dense, tangy, tourist-friendly sourdough, which, admittedly, does make the best bread bowl for serving creamy clam chowder.

You come to Buena Vista for one thing and one thing only: the exceptional Irish coffee. When you're in need of an afternoon pick-me-up, head here for whiskey-spiked sweet coffee topped with a thick, luscious layer of whipped cream.

World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani bakes every kind of pizza imaginable: New York, Roman, Sicilian, and many more. His Neapolitan is an award-winner and his on-site pizza school attracts students from across the country. Bonus points for a bustling, friendly atmosphere, including a bar for date nights and booths for grandpa. And if you're feeling peckish but not in for a big meal, stop by the Slice House next door for a quick slice.

Introduce family and friends to old North Beach here, with red leather booths, white tablecloths, and walls covered in framed photographs that set the scene for ample portions of Italian-American fare. From steak with a side of raviolo to piccata and lasagna, the classics are all here, plus a secretly great burger and fries, for lunch, dinner, and brunch. And, the bar is always lively fun for dining and drinking Manhattans in a clubby atmosphere.

The sweet smell of vanilla, sesame, and butter lures tourists to this small alley in Chinatown to watch workers make 10,000 fortune cookies a day (and pass out hot samples). You can customize your own fortunes, making a great souvenir for tourists and non-toursits alike, and you might learn a thing or two about history while you’re at it. Fortune cookies were essentially invented in San Francisco, made to be served at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate park in 1918, but later picked up by San Francisco’s Chinese restaurants.

When's the last time you wandered through the Ferry Building? The vendors have only gotten even better, and the best time to go is on Saturday mornings to fully enjoy the farmers market. Prep yourself with patience for the inevitable crowds, but if you go with the right expectations, the outing can turn into a fun, all-day way to rediscover what you love so much about this city and make visitors love it as much as you.

If you’re going to San Francisco, you have to visit the oldest and largest Chinatown in the country, and as long as you’re wandering Chinatown, why not get dumplings. Many storefronts will load up a box for a few bucks, but for the full dim sum experience, with carts rolling through the dining room, and steaming racks dropped on white table cloths, City View is a classic destination. Load up on steamed shrimp har gow and crispy honey walnut shrimp, and save room for egg tarts.

Before “New American” fare or “slow food,” there was Tadich Grill. Open since 1849 under a changing roster of proprietors, the restaurant is a San Francisco original, occupying its current location since 1967. Tadich Grill has tried to honor its history by keeping the interior authentic to the times with train-car-like booths lining the wall and other mid-century flourishes in the wooden bar. Just be patient, because there are no reservations and it can get pretty tourist-heavy, but the bartenders at the massive bar help you pass the time pleasantly. Once you're seated, servers in white coats help your navigate the seafood-focused menu, of which the Hangtown Fry, an oyster omelet, is most well-known. The menu is organized by cooking preparation, so you choose the style and then the type of seafood or meat.

Open only for lunch, Polk Street’s 100-year-old gem still churns out the best crab, oysters, and sourdough in town. Get there early to snag one of the handful of seats (and a prime view of the quirky, old-school staff), or be prepared for a long wait.

A block above Union Square, with the trolley car clanging and clattering by, Sears is a pancake institution. Established in 1938, they’re known for 18 varieties of Swedish pancakes delicately arranged in small stacks, with butter and jam for schmearing.

Anchor may be owned by Sapporo these days, but it’s still a big deal in beer history — it’s the oldest brewery in San Francisco, going back 125 years, and it’s a pioneer of steam beer, also known as California common beer. Tours of their art deco factory are slated to resume in 2021, but for now, Anchor Public Taps, their big taproom across the street, is open and pouring that signature steam lager.

The Mission bakery is the original location for the award-winning bakery, which has added locations and struggled with worker issues in the past couple of years, but there’s still a line out the door. First timers usually go for the morning bun, a knot of croissant laced with cinnamon and orange zest. But the sourdough is a big deal, ushering in a new wave of natural bread baking in San Francisco, and now imitated across the world. Bread, tarts, cookies, cakes, and more fill the rest of the saliva-inducing display, all of which make the perfect pairing with people watching in the outdoor seating area.