Father's Day in SF

One of the reasons I wanted to move back to the US was to be closer to family. This past Sunday was a perfect day celebrating my Dad and I couldn't be happier that our family was all together in the same city and I wasn't frantically trying to Facetime him Monday morning before heading to work in Sydney.

The plan was to surprise him with Giant’s tickets so I made up a brunch reservation near the Ferry Building so that my parents could take the Larkspur ferry and meet us in the city. We met them at Hog Island for some “pre-brunch drinks” where we gave our dad a Giant’s t-shirt and tickets for the 1PM game. Success! He was so surprised!

The line was at least 25 people deep before the doors even opened at Hog Island (not shocking) but thankfully we were able to get a seat right away. They have the system down and everyone who works there is very efficient. Plus menu isn't huge so the food comes quickly. 

We started off with a couple Bloody Mary’s and some beer to help with our hangover from the night before. I usually prefer a mimosa in the morning but lately I've been trying to expand my horizon. The Bloody Mary isn't spicy but there are various hot sauces on the table so you can add as much heat as you need which is nice. With our drinks came a dozen fresh oysters – half Kumamoto’s and half Hog Island Sweetwaters. The Hog Island Sweetwaters are a pacific oyster that are sweet tasting (the name kinda gives that one away) with a smoky finish. They are slightly larger than the Kumamoto’s which are my all-time favorite and will usually sell out by the end of the day. The “Hog wash” that accompanies the oysters has become quite famous and Hog Island even advertises the recipe on their website (they also add it to their Bloody Mary’s – super yum). 

              

We quickly proceeded to our main courses: 2 clam chowders, sriracha grilled oysters, cowgirl creamery grilled cheese with homemade pickles, old bay fries and a mixed green salad with sherry-dijon vinaigrette. The clam chowder and grilled oysters stole the show while the grilled cheese was good but the Gruyere was a little strong. The chowder broth was a perfect consistency (not too thin, not too thick), well balanced with flavor, perfect for bread dipping, and the bowl was overflowing with fresh manila clams. The potatoes were cooked perfectly and the bacon didn't overpower the overall dish. I will definitely order the chowder when I go back especially if it’s cold outside.

Hog Island is one of my favorite places to go and I will continue to frequent their Ferry Building restaurant as often as I can. I would crave their oysters when I was living abroad and I’m so glad we stopped in for Father's Day.

Unfortunately the Giants went on to lose to the Rockies in the 8^th inning which was pretty heart breaking but all in all it was a perfect day and I’d like to think my Dad would say the same :)