San Francisco: Part 2

(Check out Part 1 here.)  Our second day in San Francisco started with a 3-mile run for a me and some extra sleep for Ashley.  My plan was to enjoy a post-run juice at a nearby juice bar downtown, but we soon discovered that they were closed on weekends.  Lesson learned: do your research before you go!  It wasn't a huge disappointment though because it meant that I got to check out Cafe Gratitude sooner than expected.

Over the years I've heard many great things about Cafe Gratitude and I'm happy to report that this place definitely lives up to the hype.  Cafe Gratitude serves 100% organic, vegan cuisine with a mix of raw and cooked items.  They even have their own farm in Vacaville, California (Be Love Farm) that supplies some of their produce.  We went to their location in the Mission District and I instantly fell in love with their friendly, welcoming vibe. 

I started with their "I Am Enlivened" E3Live shot made from fresh algae in Klamath Lake, Oregon.  Not only is it high in protein and trace minerals, but I definitely felt an increase in my energy through the afternoon.  Ashley ordered the "I Am Trusting" which consisted of a handmade corn tamale with hierloom masa and butternut squash served with salsa verde, black beans, and spicy Mexican coleslaw.  I ordered their "I Am Whole" bowl which was filled with quinoa, sea vegetables, kale, house-made kimchi, and teriyaki almonds with tahini garlic sauce. It was the perfect healthy, satisfying cuisine for lunch and we even had leftovers to eat for dinner.

After lunch we decided to explore Chinatown and make our way to Fisherman's Wharf.  It was fun to explore the unique shops, but our feet were pretty tired from walking around the city so we stopped in Little Italy for some sorbet and a quick break.  After making it to the waterfront, it was time to head back to our hotel so we got a great view of the city while riding the streetcar.  Day Two ended with a big salad from Whole Foods and watching Borne Identity in the hotel.  Yes!

Our final day in San Francisco started with another morning run for me.  We had just enough time before getting to the airport to explore the city one last time, but a tough choice had to be made:  would we see the Golden Gate Bridge or get breakfast?

Are you kidding me?  Don't ever make me choose between seeing a bridge or getting breakfast because I will always choose the food.  And when asked where we should go for breakfast, you can bet that my answer was Herbivore, yet again.  This time we tried their other location on Divisadero and I was equally impressed with the food and atmosphere.

Ashley played it safe and had the french toast again with their fruit smoothie.  I opted for their "sausage" biscuit with house potatoes, mushroom gravy, and an avocado-tomato salad along with a yerba mate latte.  I loved that the "sausage" biscuit and gravy was filling, but not greasy or too heavy for breakfast.  I also loved that it came with a giant green salad with half an avocado!  Herbivore was the perfect way to end our trip and fill our stomachs before our flight home!