Food is a quintessential part of traveling! Wherever you go, you’re bound to come across some amazing dishes and places that are local to your destination. Visiting NorCal earlier this month made me realize that there are a lot of similar and eccentric places that offer delicious meals without emptying out your wallet!
One of our first stops was this cute little coffee shop in the town of Martinez. We went to Mountain Grounds, a quaint little hole in the wall that we searched up on Yelp. True to its form, MG definitely delivered with amazing coffee and delicious sandwiches. After seeing amazing reviews on their Creme Brûlée Latte, I had to try it out for myself along with my first ever grilled cheese sandwich with pepper jack cheese & avocado! Although I’ve become extremely sensitive to dairy, this breakfast meal was definitely worth it.

As our day went by, Alejandra was showing me her new hometown and I definitely felt like I was in a different state! After traveling by Ferry from Oakland to walking down the piers in San Francisco, we stopped by Boudin Bakery at Fisherman’s Wharf. I’ve always loved a good clam chowder with fresh seafood! A staple at the Wharf, that’s something you can’t pass up on a trip to the Bay Area!

I had been craving oysters for a while, and since I had been to Fisherman’s Wharf on a separate occasion, I had to make sure to stop by one of the stands near Boudin. At $9 for 4 oysters, it was definitely worth the price and absolutely mouth-watering delicious!

And last, but definitely not least, we took a 45 minute drive to Seven Stills & Hard Frescos also in San Francisco. Alejandra had been wanting to try their version of alcoholic aguas frescas. We were looking forward to trying their home brewed beers with flavors like Jamaica, Limon, and Horchata. I got an Horchata Ale while Alejandra got a Jamaica flavored beer. Although the Jamaica beer was not what we expected, the Horchata Ale really shined as we tasted hints of cinnamon and vanilla.

Day One was a success (nearly), but everything we had was definitely amazing! Special shoutout to Mountain Grounds, Boudin Bakery, & Seven Stills for keeping us wanting more!