Ferry Building, San Francisco, California

See: http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

A little bit of this, a little bit of that (ok, maybe a LOT of this and that). We started our tour of the Ferry Building at Blue Bottle Coffee, where we waited in line for 25 minutes. Do not let that deter you -- it is well worth the wait. Blue Bottle was brewing their Three Africans blend, and each cup is prepared individually using the drip method. We also sampled a waffle; these are prepared in the Belgian style and served hot off the waffle iron. The outside was gently sprinkled in sugar and the result was a not too sweet treat. My mom and I each got a waffle and in hindsight it may have been a better idea to split one, in order to save room for more treats. Because we couldn't leave San Francisco without trying a Blue Bottle latte, we waited in line for 25 minutes again later in the afternoon (post trip to Sausalito), and once again, it was well worth the wait. The latte was expertly prepared (complete with latte art) with milk that had been steamed to sweetened perfection (by hand nonetheless -- none of this automatic Starbucks milk steaming going on over here).

We also stopped into Cowgirl Creamery where the breakfast choices left my mouth watering. We settled on toast layered with dijon mustard, caramelized onions, and gruyere, otherwise known as a "toastie". If you don't believe me when I say it was delicious, take a look at this picture:

We also sampled nibbles and treats from the Hog Island Oyster Company ($2 oysters? Don't mind if I do!), Miette, and Stonehouse California Olive Oil (I'll be buying a bottle of their "Reserve" oil as soon as we work through the existing stash at home). If you make it to the Ferry Building on Saturday, don't miss the outdoor farmer's market either -- it's the perfect place to assemble some provisions for a picnic on Sausalito. Think bread, locally grown fruit, hummus, and cheese galore... and you can try everything before you buy.