WIAW: My Favorite Food Day in the Bay {Sushiritto and Roam Burger}

Haaaaaappy Wednesday! How’s your week going?

I’m back in Boise, slowly recovering from a major San Francisco-induced food coma.

When I was in New York last fall, I told you that vanilla bean ice cream was my favorite food in the entire world (narrowly edging out peanut butter—if you can imagine that!). Today, however, I need to retract that statement.

Roasted banana ice cream is my favorite food in the entire world. 

Before catching my flight back to Boise on Monday, I ventured over to Bi-Rite Creamery, which was a 40-minute totally worth every step walk from my hotel.

Bi-Rite has been on my foodie bucket list for years, however, in the past, full-fat super premium ice cream scared the bejeezus out of me, so I stayed far far away. This trip, I was finally ready to take it on.

After sampling five flavors, I decided on the following three: roasted banana (my favorite….but you already knew that), salted caramel, and malted vanilla. They were all phenomenal. However the combination of caramelized bananas and organic cream completely captured my heart.

My scooper was insistent that my bowl be adorned with bunny ears.

I hadn’t planned on eating the entire thing, but who was I kidding? That ice cream—super creamy and dense—was gone baby gone in under five minutes. It was totally worth every.single.bite. Super fantastic.

Speaking of…

There’s a fantastic food fiesta happening today over at Peas and Crayons!

Today I’m going to show you my eats from Sunday, which was easily one of the best food days of my life. Warning: what you’re about to see may disqualify me as a healthy living blogger. But I don’t care. 

 Amazing food experiences > HLB pride.

I’ve got a zillion pictures to show,and what better way to start than with the first meal of the day: chocolate.

Just kidding!  You know I meant breakfast.

I kept it healthy Saturday morning, and grabbed steel-cut oats from the Starbucks in the hotel lobby (first time EVER eating steel-cut—loved them!), and stirred in a little whey protein, which I’d brought from home. I topped off my to-go bowl with peanut butter and mixed nuts, and called it good.

Sunday, however, I wanted BREAKFAST. And by that I mean a fluffy omelet. I thought about ordering room service, but since eggs and toast delivered to my room would have cost the equivalent of ten cappuccinos (aka $30—seriously!), I decided to venture out. Just a few minutes from my hotel, I found Mel’s Diner, which was bustling. Crowded dining establishments are an indicator that good food can be found inside, right?

Right! The picture doesn’t do that spinach and cheddar omelet justice; it was delicious, and satisfied my cravings perfectly. I ate a few of the potatoes, but stopped short of finishing them because I had other plans…

The previous day, while I was at the Ferry Building with Gina, I’d picked up a gluten free cinnamon roll at Mariposa Bakery. However, by Sunday morning, it was ROCK hard. I clearly had only one option:  go back to get another one!

I’m so glad I did, because my ooey goeey fresh and frosting-drizzled warm roll was incredible. It definitely satisfied that month-long craving!

I also swung by Blue Bottle Coffee, which is one of my favorite coffee shops in the Bay Area. Usually the lines are horrendously long, but I must have hit a slow spot, because I only waited a couple of minutes.

The milk-to-foam ratio on my  2% dry cappuccino. was perfect: about 2/3 foam and 1/3 milk/espresso. Mmm.

Sidenote: I ALWAYS take a Lactaid before drinking milk or eating ice cream, unless I’m in the mood for a somersaulting stomach.

After finishing my drink, I slowly meandered back to Powell St.—one of the largest shopping areas in San Francisco. I wasn’t planning on eating a formal lunch, since I’d been noshing all morning and  had an early dinner date with my brother, but those plans quickly changed when I passed Sushiritto.

A few of you—my readers— had told me I had to go there while I was in the city, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to pop in!

Sushiritto offers made-to-order, hand-held “sushi burritos” stuffed with Asian and Latin-infused ingredients. The menu was completely overwhelming—everything sounded good! After hmmming and haaaing, I ordered The Geisha’s Kiss: Yellowfin Tuna, tamago, pequillo peppers, yuzu tobiko, lotus chips, namasu cucumber, butter lettuce, avocado, green onions, and sesame sauce.

Yum. I am totally intrigued by sushi-burrito concept, and want to try recreating it at home! However as delicious as my ‘rito was, I couldn’t finish it. I was STUFFED.

All that food powered me through several hours of shopping, and before I knew it, it was time for dinner.

A week before flying to San Francisco, I’d started doing restaurant research (does anyone else do this before visiting a city?), and had stumbled upon Roam Burger—a yuppie burger joint that features sustainably-sourced meat and produce. The owners of Roam Artisan Burgers emphasize the importance of using fresh local ingredients and have made it a top priority—not only for their meat, but for just about everything they serve.

 “AT ROAM ARTISAN BURGERS, OUR…

• Beef, bison and turkey are humanely raised on open pastures
• 100% grass-fed beef is rich in Omega 3s, freshly ground and never frozen
• House-made veggie burgers are organic, gluten free and vegan
• Artisan burger buns are custom made at a local bakery
• Pickles are made in-house
• Fries are cooked in rice bran oil
• House-made sodas are sweetened with low-glycemic agave nectar
• Shakes are made with organic ice cream or organic non-fat frozen yogurt
• Wine on tap eliminates waste and allows for a barrel-to-glass experience
• Kombucha is locally produced, raw, organic and served on tap
• Seasonal produce is sourced from local farms committed to sustainable practices
• Menu items contain no corn syrup, no hormones, no antibiotics, no added trans-fats”

Sold. Sustainable, grass-fed, organic—all buzz words that make my stereotypical healthy living blogger heart go pitter patter.  I HAD to get in on the craze. And when I say craze, I mean craaaazy craze! The place was PACKED when Alec, Angela, and I arrived around 6:30pm.

After perusing the menu for what felt like 10 minutes (it was probably more), we placed our order, and waited…impatiently.

Fortunately an appetizer was on hand to hold us over.

That would be the Nocciola Shake, described by our server  as “nutella in a cup.” And that’s exactly what it tasted like! We took turns taking sips until our burgers arrived at the table.

For me: a buffalo burger topped with aged cheddar, avocado, tomato, and pickles, then wrapped in butter-leaf lettuce.

This was, hands down, THE BEST hamburger I’ve ever eaten. The meat was super tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. Swoon.

I pulled the pickles out before taking a bite. I like pickles, but only when eaten solo.

We also shared the Fry-fecta: sweet potato fries, truffle-parmesan fries (!!!), and zucchini fries…

as well as the house salad.

Starry eyes.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that kombucha was available on-tap! The flavor of the day was a slightly sweet, slightly fizzy, blackberry currant.

Delicious.

After filling our bellies to the brim, we walked. And walked…and walked….and walked… through several neighborhoods, including the Marina, Polk St., North Beach, Chinatown.

It was SO great to spend the evening with Alec! I’ve missed him!

I practically passed out the moment I arrived back at the hotel, but not before nibbling on a few bites of this.

Another Mariposa too-good-to-be-true GF treat—triple chocolate truffle brownie. 

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Even though last Sunday was far from a typical day of eating (I promise a “regular” WIAW post soon!), it was refreshing to enjoy—and I mean TRULY ENJOY—being out of my fitness and (somewhat) clean eating routine. In the past, I’d be overcome by guilt if I tucked into rich food and/or skipped a workout while on vacation.  Now, I see a couple days spent away from home as an opportunity to forget about food rules, to give my body a break from the gym, and to embrace those experiences that I rarely have an opportunity—or take an opportunity—to enjoy.

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If you made it this far…huge hugs! If not…well, just a half hug.

Awwwr, that’s not true…

XOXO

I want to know…

Do you enjoy being out of your typical eating and exercise routine when you’re on vacation? Why or why not?

As much as I enjoy it now, it used to give me extreme anxiety. I still look forward to coming home and getting back into my routine, though.

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Cone or cup? Best ice cream experience you’ve ever had?

When you’re traveling, do you typically pack breakfast food to eat in your hotel room, or do you go out to restaurants/order room service?

I usually bring oatmeal or bars  to eat it in my hotel room, however this trip was a little different (mainly because there was no coffee maker to heat water in the room! Marriott knows how to get your money. )

Do you research restaurants before visiting a city?

Always!

Pickles? Yay or nay?

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