San Francisco's Best New Bakeries

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San Francisco has long been famous for its sourdough bread, but recently, a frenzy for $4 toast has stolen the spotlight. In the past year or so, several new bakeries in the City by the Bay have become destinations in their own right, for carb-loving locals and visitors alike. Here are some top picks to check out on your next visit.
B. PATISSERIE



Fine-dining pastry chef Belinda Leong partnered with French baker and San Francisco Baking Institute founder Michel Suas to create B. Patisserie, a luxurious bakery and cafe space in Pacific Heights. Famous for its kouign amann and bostock pastries, the cafe also features other Viennoiseries, exquisite cakes, and verrines. Generous tartine sandwiches are served with salads at lunchtime. Try one topped with seasonal ingredients like burrata and fresh tomatoes.
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Insider Tip: Check out the back wall to find a seasonal assemblage of French macarons.
THE MILL



Josey Baker is a self-taught baker of artisanal breads. What sets his bakery apart is that The Mill, true to its name, mills its own grains. Baker's much-lauded toast isn't actually $4, but $3.50 or $3.75, depending upon which topping you choose—options include local butter from grass fed cows, peanut butter, cream cheese, housemade chocolate nut spread, or strawberry jam. The massively thick slices are toasted to order.

Insider Tip: The Adventure Bread is dense and gluten-free, and will hold up for several days if you want to take a loaf home.
LE MARAIS



While the name Le Marais evokes all things French, the inspiration for this bakery came from across town, at the venerable Tartine Bakery, and the farmers' market. Frenchman Patrick Ascaso created his bakery and adjoining restaurant in the Marina that has the vintage feel of a French farmhouse, and uses organic ingredients and flour from Central Milling. The signature item is the divine pain au chocolat et banane, flaky croissant dough stuffed with chocolate and thick pieces of banana. Delicate pastries are beautifully decorated with edible flowers, and all bread is baked on-site.

Insider Tip: The levain loaves and baguettes are not like others you'll find around town. The dough hydrates for 17 hours and the result is deeper flavor and a loaf that stays fresh for days.
MARLA BAKERY



Not far from Ocean Beach is Marla Bakery, a shabby-chic space with pale-blue walls and weathered wood accents. Amy Brown and Joe Wolf learned to cook and bake from family members, and the name Marla is comprised of family members' initials. The restaurant menu is farm-to-table, with most goodies coming from the wood-fired oven. For breakfast, try the famer's cheese and green onion turnover, and for an afternoon snack, the dark chocolate chunk cookie with espresso.
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Insider Tip: The Marla bun may look fairly plain, but the tender, chewy pastry with crisp edges tastes of luscious caramel.
20TH CENTURY CAFE



While it may not be a traditional bakery, 20th Century Café has a magician in Michelle Polzine, the owner and baker who conjures up traditional Eastern European delicacies in a picture-perfect cafe with a marble counter, inspired by the coffeehouse culture in Vienna. The pièce de résistance is her honey cake, with nine tender layers of cake and rich buttercream frosting. Sandwiches, salads, quiche, strudel, and knishes offer diners something savory as well.

Insider Tip: Don't miss seasonal items like the drinkable butterscotch or pierogi made from sour cream, served with damson plum jam.
CRAFTSMAN AND WOLVES



Along the hippest stretch of the Mission District is Craftsman and Wolves, a boutique-like cafe and bakery. Owner William Werner is another talented pastry chef who previously worked in fine-dining establishments, but his refined creations have an edge. You'll find unique savory treats like "The Rebel Within," a muffin filled with asiago, sausage, green onion, and a soft cooked egg, or a tart with fromage blanc, charred eggplant, red quinoa, and raisins. Sweet flavor combinations in tarts and cakes include raspberry and eucalyptus, or pine, vanilla, and kaffir lime.

Insider Tip: The chocolate croissant served as a stack tastes like nothing you've ever had before. It's almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

Where to Eat and Drink in Fort Lauderdale Now

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With 23 miles of beach along the Atlantic, an average temperature of 76°F, and 3,000 hours of sunshine annually, it's no wonder Greater Fort Lauderdale receives more than 12 million visitors per year. Add to those perks a new wave of dining and drinking establishments, and this South Florida scene is only getting hotter. Here, we present six of the newest spots to grab a bite and a buzz in Broward County.
SWEET NECTAR



It's challenging to halt the ordering process at Sweet Nectar, where a custom designed charcoal grill and extensive raw bar keep diners lingering on its patio well into the evening hours. Brunch here is an elaborate affair, with inventive offerings including challah French toast, a soft shell crab BLT, and duck bacon. To complement the menu's appeal is the restaurant's charm, from the cocktails served in mason jars to the cafes au lait served in metal milk cartons.
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What to Order: Rose mimosas are flavorful and bottomless, and the aji panca coulis gives the char-grilled octopus a kick.
HOT & SOUL



Any preconceived notions diners might have upon stepping into the strip mall-situated Hot & Soulare quickly forgotten after one bite from husband-and-wife team Mike Hampton and Christy Samoy. The duo calls upon their time in South Florida, San Diego, and New Orleans to inspire their menu, which ranges from chicken and andouille gumbo, to mole-steeped Colorado pork shoulder with jalapeno slaw. The team keeps the diner at the center by offering half portions of several dishes, in addition to a six and eight course tasting menu—the best way to sample this couple's culinary prowess.

What to Order: It's easy to fill up on the chicken adobo, a hearty heaping of on-the-bone chicken thighs, bay leaves, and peppercorn, but be sure to save room for the decadent sheets of dark chocolate bark, decorated with pistachios, sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil.
FUNKY BUDDHA BREWERY



Chances are South Florida visitors and locals alike will encounter Funky Buddha Brewery offerings around town before ever setting foot in its Oakland Park space that opened last June—but they should. Daily rotating food trucks, a 30-barrel brew house, and more than a dozen varieties of creative flavors (think Blueberry Cobbler Ale, Chocolate-Covered Cherry Porter, and Floridian Hefeweizen), make this 20,000 square-foot property well worth a visit. On Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, guests can learn more about the facility through guided tours (tasting glasses in tow) before trying their hand at the property's adult playground, complete with bocce ball, corn hole, and giant Jenga.
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What to Order: Opt for any of the brewery exclusive creations, which serve as micro trial batches before a flavor makes its way to the 30-barrel production line.
S3



Hungry sun-seekers need only venture across Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard to S3, a vibrant eatery from the folks behind Las Olas scene pleasers YOLO and O Lounge. A comprehensive menu comes in shareable portions, from specialty sushi (a Thai tuna roll features avocado, coconut, macadamia, and jalapeno) to small plates (ricotta gnocchi packs in flavors of truffle and shiitake). Culinary offerings might chart the globe, but an airy dining room opening onto oceanside views keep diners pleasantly grounded in the blissful Floridian surroundings—especially between sips of banana coladas.

What to Order: Satiate hunger pangs quickly with a round of the tomato bread—simple, but flavorful slabs of bread topped with grated tomato, olive oil, and manchego.
STACHE

Mixologist John Lermayer helms the bar at Stache, where he pours an array of both classics (French 75s and Pimm's Cups) and original creations (a smoky Mezcalero is balanced with Aperol and grapefruit). When patrons aren't dancing in the dual-level, 5,000 square-foot space, they're taking a break in any of the mismatched vintage armchairs for prime views of the venue's other entertainment: a rotating mix of cabaret shows, concerts, and black-and-white silent films that play in tandem with the music.

What to Order: Embrace the Southern summer with the Peach Whiskey Cobbler (Buffalo Trace bourbon, mint, and fresh peach).
KALUZ



Arrive early for your reservation at Kaluz to enjoy a drink on the lounge-chair-studded, Astroturf lawn. Start with the wine list, whose 130 options offer as much variety as the land and sea focused menu. Modern American dishes offer a slightly unusual take on classic dishes (think quinoa salad, barbecue chicken flatbread, and barrel-cut filet mignon) and are served in enormous portions. Save room for the heaping bread pudding dessert, decked out in dried cranberries, Grand Marnier, and vanilla custard, and served with multiple spoons.

What to Order: The Bar Harbor Crabcake abounds with jumbo lump crab, Old Bay, lemon, parsley, and roasted red pepper.