BERNAL HEIGHTS, SAN FRANCISCO: SIGHTS, BITES & WHY IT’S A GEM

Last year in December, I moved to San Francisco from Boston for an exciting job opportunity in (yup, you guessed it) tech (okay, biotech). I admit that leaving behind Boston, the city I’ve called home for almost the past decade, and my friends and coworkers, was much harder than I expected. Moving to SF was definitely an adjustment, and it was during those moments of loneliness and homesickness when I doubted my decision to leave the east coast. It wasn’t until I started venturing outside of downtown and began exploring more of the quaint neighborhoods, did I finally start to see the charm, beauty, and ever-changing culture of San Francisco. I feel like I owe a lot to Bernal Heights, the first neighborhood I’ve ever truly explored, and the one that made me start to fall in love with the city that I finally felt comfortable with calling home.

Located in the southeastern region of San Francisco, this sunny (aka rarely foggy), residential, hilltop neighborhood not only boasts panoramic city views, but also includes many dog-friendly parks, and unique, small local shops and restaurants.

The Sights:

SHARK MURAL MANSION

This mansion, perched on top of the very steep Folsom Street, and at the base of Bernal Heights Hill, features a pink mural painted by local artist Casey O’Connell, who cleverly incorporated the skyline of San Francisco in the shark’s teeth.

To the right is the actual sweeping view of the city’s skyline. Given the crazy real estate prices in the Bay Area, I am too afraid to guess how much this house is worth.

BERNAL HEIGHTS HILL

From afar, this bald, oftentimes brown hill graces the neighborhood with many colorful houses dotted along the facade. It is a runner’s, hiker’s, photographer’s, and dog-lover’s dream. Although there are many ways to access this hill, I like to start from the Shark Mural Mansion and make my way up the winding roads to avoid steep stairways – it’s also more convenient when going on a run.

Along the way, there are bright, picturesque homes lined side-by-side, and views poking behind trees that give a teaser of the sights that are to come at the summit.

At the very top of the hill, there is a swing sturdily attached to a tree where visitors and locals alike enjoy swaying lazily on, with what feels like the top of the world nestled underneath. Because Bernal Heights is still considered a “hidden gem,” this sweet little spot is thankfully not plagued with gigantic lines…yet.

Also at the top, there are several paths, some flat, others steep, that lead to lookouts and vast 360 degree views of the surprisingly low skyline of San Francisco.

On the spiraling way down the hill, Sutro Tower and Twin Peaks first make their appearance, before giving away at the next curve to the perfectly framed sight of downtown, with the tall buildings looking like little specs in the distance.

Going past the Shark Mural Mansion, and back down to Folsom Street again, vibrant houses and street signs warning both drivers and pedestrians of sharply angled streets are scattered throughout the block.

There is a lovely little corner store called Harvest Hills Market ran by the sweetest owners. They carry local goodies such as Acme Bread, Philz Coffee beans, and Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream in addition to produce and flowers.

The Bites:

Hillside Supper Club 

At the base of Folsom, across the street from the grassy Precita Park, is the Hillside Supper Club known for their brunch, dinners, and creative specials.

For brunch, we got the Kimchee Fried Rice and their classic French Toast with seasonal toppings. The toast is a must try – the brioche is sliced thick, and cooked so that it’s incredibly fluffy, it’s like eating a light cloud. The Kimchee Fried Rice with a runny egg yolk is an acquired taste (but I liked it!) – it was too spicy for my friend, but not spicy enough for me.

Los Yaquis 

Right across the street is the Mexican restaurant, Los Yaquis. For starters, we ordered their cheesy oysters – they were small, but made us look forward to the rest of the course. We chose the salmon al pastor (salmon marinated in al pastor and topped with a grilled pineapple) as well as a sizzling plate of fajitas.

Although the salmon was well cooked, the true star was the fajitas – our protein choice of beef, chicken, and shrimp, were all grilled to perfection – juicy and tender. The accompaniments included handmade tortillas, rice, and beans. To top it all off, they gave us flan – light and not too sweet – for dessert on the house. Although the dishes were quite pricey for popular Mexican dishes, given the restaurant’s close proximity to the Mission where they sell large portions in the single digits, the food was presented beautifully with care, and everything tasted fresh and flavorful.

3rd Cousin 

On Cortland Avenue, the street dubbed as the neighborhood’s “downtown” lined with quirky shops and buzzing restaurants, is where 3rd Cousin is tucked away, almost a secret from the rest of San Francisco. This cozy, rustic restaurant (perfect for date night) serves delicious and innovative New American dishes made with all fresh local Californian ingredients. We were lucky enough to be able to snag a table for restaurant week.

The four dishes I ordered were:

Hamachi – kiwi, radish, black garlic 

Very light and delicate, not fishy at all, reminded me of omakase but with flair.

Winter Salad – shinko pear, pancetta, puffed bunderberg rice, miso vinaigrette

The crispy rice balanced out the texture of otherwise what would have been a very soggy salad. The miso vinaigrette paired with the pear really made this dish stand out.

American Wagyu Flat Iron Brisket & Porcini Stroganoff – celery root, chard, cipollini

The main course – and I still dream about it to this day. The wagyu brisket kept falling off my fork because it was so tender. The porcini was brilliantly caramelized and added so much flavor to this dish.

Pistachio Cake -huckleberries, pistachio ice cream

This dessert was the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Sometimes, dessert made with pistachio either loses the nuttiness, or tastes artificial. However, this was not the case for this cake.

Cuisine of Nepal Restaurant

On Mission Street, there is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Cuisine of Nepal. I am not ashamed to admit that I’ve been there more times than I can count. Not only is the staff very friendly (the chef oftentimes comes out to greet and chat with the customers), but the food is also always perfectly seasoned, homey, and mouthwatering.

I always get their combos which is usually a main (oftentimes protein or veggies) served with lentils, mixed seasonal vegetables, tomato chili chutney sauce, butter naan and rice). Some must-try dishes are their momo – which is Himalayan steamed dumplings – made fat and juicy, and seasoned to perfection. Their sizzling chicken platter is tender and well marinated and is great with their naan. I am not joking when I say all of their curries are delectable, but a few favorites of mine are their classic chicken cashew cream curry and their traditional lamb curry (their traditional curry is less creamy and more saucy).

 

Below I have outlined the places I have photographed in the blogpost!