One of the author's all-time favorite dishes: Crisp fried tofu skins with shrimp. He also enjoyed dry-fried green beans, crispy chicken, and pork spare ribs.

Carnitas and braised short rib tacos from Tacolicious on Valencia were a must-stop for Lebovitz, who has long lamented Paris' lack of decent Mexican food. (He also had a margarita.)

"Super duper" cinnamon toast from Josey Baker and a Four Barrel macchiato kicked off Lebovitz's first morning in SF.

The black sesame kouign amann from B. Patisserie was "one of the few times in my life I've been speechless about a pastry," says Lebovitz. "They just nailed it." (Take that, France!)

Bun Mee's grilled chicken salad was a healthy refresher for Lebovitz after several days of nonstop eating.

Donuts, croissants and cruffins all caught the pastry guru's eye on a visit to Mr. Holmes Bakehouse.

Another hard-to-find item for a Paris-dweller: Korean BBQ and banchan. ("In many ways, Korean is sort of the antithesis of French food," Lebowitz has noted, which may explain its lack of popularity.)

Caramel almond sticks and toffee-chocolate macadamia nuts from Charles Chocolates cheered Lebovitz up on a foggy Sunday.

Lebovitz sipped a classic Derby cocktail (bourbon, orange liqueur, lime, and bitters) at cozy Cotogna.