The Best Vegan and Vegan-friendly Restaurants in SF this Spring

Updated 07/2-18: San Francisco may be just a bridge away from gorgeous organic farms, yet healthy vegan fare is not nearly as easy to find as it should be. In researching the new, 2nd edition San Francisco VitalGuide, we've eaten through the city's best vegan sushi, egg-free frittatas and every plant-based bite in between. The following are our picks for must-eat vegan and gluten-free friendly breakfasts, lunches and dinners in San Francisco pulled right from the first edition of the new SF guide.

The Plant
3352 Steiner St; Pier 3 The Embarcadero #108, 101 California St
$$$
Om
Try the basil pesto tofu scramble, Sambazon bowl (acai berries blended frozen mango and strawberries, topped with banana and granola), or any of their smoothies, juices and great coffees. The Embarcadero location is on the water with bay views. The Marina location is right off of Chestnut Street, the area's main shopping thoroughfare.

Nourish
189 6th Ave
$$
Vg
Bright, sweet and just off the beaten path enough to be truly locals-only, Nourish Café is a perfect healthy brunch hideaway. The coconut flour and quinoa waffles taste a million times more decadent than they are, and the banh mi salad will fill you up for a day’s worth of urban adventures.

Out the Door
2232 Bush St
$$
Om
Chef Charles Phan's more relaxed spin on his popular restaurant Slanted Door's is in an off-the-beaten-path location in the Fillmore neighborhood. The menu offers plenty of yuba-filled noodle dishes and veggie sides. What OTD is missing in waterfront views it makes up for in its feel like a local vibe.

Bouli Bar
1 Ferry Building
$$
Om
No tofu or tempeh here, but the delicious seasonal vegetables and perfect Mediterranean platter make for a satisfying light lunch. Bouli's hidden location inside the Ferry Building, flattering lighting, and lovely wine list make it a go-todaytime date spot.

Greens
Fort Mason, A
$$$
Vg
For special occasion lunches with a view, book a table at this first wave vegan restaurant in Fort Mason. Dishes such as lentil, tamarind and coconut milk soup are infused with ethnic flavors. Greens has prime real estate for watching the sun set over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Café St Jorge
3438 Mission St
$
Vg
At the edge of the Mission and Bernal Heights, Cafe St Jorge is an adorable, Brooklyn-y hipster haunt for recharging over pastries, Stumptown coffee, and a perfectly sized quinoa salads. Plus, there's free wifi.

Shizen
370 14th St
$$
Vg
Just order all the rolls w(ith a side of their famous ramen). If you must choose, the spicy tofuna is a good, simple start to a meal at the Mission's prettiest izakaya spot.

Gracias Madre
2211 Mission
$$
Vg
The original Gracias Madre has fewer whispy celebs and oversized shades than the LA location, but the lack of glitz is made up for with a prime Mission location. Don't miss the pumpkin and cashew cheese quesadillas and avocado ceviche.

Burma Love
211 Valencia St
$$
Om
The tea salad is the star at Burma Superstar, but a number of veg curry entrees are available at this local favorite, no-reservations Burmese eatery. Be prepared to wait outside, or check out sister restaurant Burma Love in the Mission for potentially less of a wait and newer digs.

Citizen Fox
2293 Mission
$$
Vg

Dec, 2017 update: Citizen Fox is now closed. The Mission’s newest  pub is the spot for hearty kale salads and chicken fried tempeh. Add protein to any of the salads for a filling meal of greens, or dig into entrees like the chicken fried tempeh with horseradish mashed potatoes for a plant-based spin on traditional pub fare.

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For more of the best vegan-friendly spotsSF, be sure to grab our San Francisco VitalGuide, 2nd edition: 

All the healthy bites plus everything else vegan-friendly (but not crunchy) in the Bay.

Oh, hi! Share your deets and we'll keep you posted on the healthy, veg-friendly news you need to know in SF + LA! 

Neighborhood Guide to Inner Richmond, according to the ladies of Nourish Cafe

Some of San Francisco's most charming indie destinations (The Tidy Shoppe,  Burma Superstar, Park Life, Green Apple Books) are cropping up in the Inner Richmond neighborhood. Seemingly a little further flung if you're used to getting your indie fix in the always buzzy Mission or grittier Tenderloin, it's really just four miles from the heart of the Mission. Not all that far outside of rush hour-hours!

Nourish Cafe is the Inner Richmond's cutest, most vibrant healthy destination for weekday lunch and weekend brunch. One of its two co-owners, Sarah Bacon, also operates the Inner Richmond neighborhood's go-to blog, Richmond District Blog. 

Sarah and co-owner/chef Brighton Miller shared their favorite activities in and around the Inner Richmond, greater SF and a few healthy tips for hitting the road.

How did Nourish come to be?

Brighton: I’d  done the Holistic Nutrition and Culinary Arts program at Bauman college in Berkeley and was traveling to LA and NY exploring all of the healthy, raw and vegan options out there. I realized we should have it here in SF! A lot of people think that SF is super hippy dippy and full of healthy options but there aren’t as many as you might think. In the Richmond area, before we opened Nourish, you really had to drive all the way into the Marina for a decent salad.  

Sarah: I agree. I’m also a native San Franciscan and operate a blog on the Richmond area. I was eager to open something in the neighborhood that is good for the community, so we kept our eyes open and we were lucky enough to find a space about six blocks from where we both live.

Who are your favorite local producers - juice, desserts, superfoods?

Brighton: We make a lot in-house, but I also love curating great products from local producers. For instance, we get our almond milk from a great local company called Three Trees. We currently make our own cashew cheese, but we are going to be switching to the wonderful Kite Hill. I try to find products that are clean and healthy, and that I eat myself.

We have a local sprout provider called Grateful Greens based in Los Gatos who provides all of our sprouts. We're also sourcing a sprouted drink from Living Apothecary, and we get our hummus from Love & Hummus. We source our bread and sauerkraut from a couple of Marin producers Josey Baker Bread and Wild West Ferments. We a great, simple coffee that we source from these women in Berkeley who operate a roastery called Ruby Roast. We wanted to find something so simple and amazing that we wouldn’t need to do any labor intensive coffee drinks or espressos.

You have the coolest set up in the Richmond. What are your favorite healthy haunts in the area?

S: The Richmond is an amazing neighborhood for recreation, you can walk a few blocks and find ‘real’ outdoors. I'm a block away from Presidio and four from Golden Gate Park. Both areas are great for urban hiking or working out. As far as healthy haunts go, we've only been open a year and so far it's still just us!

B: We definitely partake in some of the local foot massage places. I feel like our neighborhood from Geary from Clement street has lots of these. They’re especially great after working on our feet all day, every day. U2 Beauty Health Spa is the one we go to, you'll know it by the big foot sign outside! There are also a few Thai massage and Chinese medicine places on Clement that bring people from all over the city, like acupuncturist Johnson You. I highly recommend him. We are outdoors people, so while we do have the JCC gym, the neighborhood lends itself to running outdoors. Baker Beach and the sand ladder over there are both perfect for a sunny weekend.

S: Land's End is one of my favorite spots to run! Nourish is so close to the Presidio and De Young, it's really common for people to come and grab lunch and go on a hike or head to the museum.

Do you have any favorite fitness studios in your hood?

S: I actually put on a 5k run called Jog in the Fog, this year will be our fourth year. It starts in Mt. Lake Park and goes all the way out to Lands End. Other than that, I love Batteries to Bluffs, Baker Beach and the sand ladders there which are a great workout. Lands End is always challenging!

What are your favorite restaurants to visit when you're not at Nourish?

S: We do seek out other plant-based places like The Plant, and sometimes we cross the bridge to Marin to go to The Plant over there. I love salads at Blue Barn. Cha-Ya on Mission makes some great vegan sushi. We go to Angelina's in the neighborhood for breakfast when we can and check out new places as they open.

B: I love Cha-Ya, their food is so clean and beautiful. Gracias Madre is wonderful, too, we eat there regularly. Or we Postmates it if we can’t get to the Mission.

What's your favorite places for a healthy drink?

B: I'm addicted to our coffee, but when I can escape the city I like to go to Shed in Healdsburg for their fermentation bar. You can get kombuchas or shrub, and because you can’t get it in the city it’s such a treat.

What is your favorite food city? Favorite restaurant to visit anywhere?

B: I love Moon Juice, I think Amanda Bacon's products are amazing. When I'm in LA I go to Plant Food and Wine, Matthew Kenney's new place. Cafe Gratitude in Venice is wonderful. There is a vegan cheese shop called Vromage just off of Sunset, which has fabulous cheese. The Gracias Madre in Los Angeles is also really wonderful, and even this old school-seeming Italian restaurant called Craig’s has a vegan meat bolognese sauce. People are really into 'what’s next' in LA, which makes it really fun to eat down there.

What do you pack to eat when you're traveling?

B: I'm always looking for a clean acai bowl, something light that will give me energy but not weigh me down. As soon as I’m off the plane, I like to hydrate with a green juice. SFO is a great airport for healthy options!

Hotel dining, yes or no?

B: Where I stay in LA, every place has a house green juice. I was just at Four Seasons and they had a wonderful grain bowl and they offer almond milk as a substitute. In the past I would have said no, but I think that hotels are starting to cater to healthier people.

Any particular habits or tips for eating healthfully on the road?

B: I have the advantage of most people and I work at Nourish and I can grab one of our protein balls or granola bars and stick it in my purse. If I'm running across the city I'll grab a chia pudding or smoothie. We went to Mendocino last weekend and we grabbed a couple of chia puddings and granola bar so we didn't have to stop, other than at Shed of course! I like using ours because I'm a real freak about ingredients. At Nourish I know that everything I leave with is going to be clean.

Have you visited Nourish or disocovered any other healthy finds around the Inner Richmond? Share in the comments!

Juice Beauty's Founder is SF's Original Health Hacker

Juice Beauty has been popping up in the news a LOT recently due to the launch of its glorious new makeup line and new creative director, Gwyneth Paltrow. I first tried it after writing a story for Well + Good on celeb-backed wellness companies, and am now completely hooked. The colors are so rich, the textures luxurious and the ingredients are as clean as it gets. The brains behind the Bay Area-based operation is brilliant founder and CEO Karen Behnke.

Here is Karen's take on the best in the Bay and how she stays well when traveling:

How long have you been in the Bay Area?

I moved to Marin right after graduating from college in 1980 for about 5 years, then moved to San Francisco for about 15 years living on Telegraph Hill and then the Marina, then back to Marin for the last 16 years. I love the entire Bay Area but San Francisco and Marin County are my two favorite spots. When I arrived from the Midwest, I was astounded at how the Bay Area reinforced living a healthy lifestyle and loved the amazing micro-climates and that one could pick the temperature of where to live!! There are so many special things about the Bay Area including access to the city, the coast, the mountains, the wine country and Marin County hiking, biking and running in the hills.

I understand you're based in San Rafael. What are your favorite healthy haunts in the Marin area and in San Francisco?

Juice Beauty’s sustainable office is in San Rafael and my family lives in nearby San Anselmo. I am completely in love with the Marin hills and open space preserves that are adjacent to our house and go for hundreds of miles stretching to the coast. Waterfalls, Mt. Tamalpais, trails, lakes, the ocean, wildlife—it’s a fitness paradise for hiking, running, and mountain biking. You can usually find my husband and me on Bald Hill, Phoenix Lake trails or Yolanda trails in the open space preserve. The outdoor recreational areas are definitely my favorites spots In Marin.

For dining, we like to eat locally at San Anselmo’s Insalata’s and Phil Lesh from Grateful Dead's Terrapin Restaurant on the Canal in San Rafael. Of course most of the time you can find me at one of the multiple Marin or SF Whole Foods’ salad bars eating organic salads. I also love San Francisco’s The Market at 10th and Market Street which is a very hip place to eat and hang out at all the various purveyors of local food.

Any favorite spas in the area?

Ha—I will again, be patronizing spas someday but given running our high growth Juice Beauty business and that my husband and I have two very active teenagers at home, I don’t have much time; however, I receive regular facials from Juice Beauty’s amazing field team that service our Bay Area Retailers including amazing events at Credo Beauty on Fillmore Street and in our ULTA Beauty stores; and I visit Rancho La Puerta in Mexico as much as I can (a Juice Beauty retailer). My favorite home spa treatment is, of course, our Full Strength Green Apple Peel for a powerful facial exfoliation. Juice Beauty uses a massage service for our office who I also have at our house as often as I remember to book her.

Where do you take out of town guests?

We generally take guests on hikes on the open space trails next to our house. We then head up to Sonoma’s Ramsgate—a beautiful winery experience owned by one of Juice Beauty’s original investors where you can have a picnic prepared to relax and take time to breathe in the fresh air and beautiful vineyard views; then we head to Sonoma Square and visit another Juice Beauty investor’s winery, Three Sticks Adobe—a stunningly beautifully restored adobe original built in 1842. Both wineries have amazing wines to taste. Of course the Sonoma Square is fun to roam around.

Then back to Marin and the best way to get to the city is to hop on the ferry for a day in San Francisco to dine or exercise. My favorite fitness trek is to run from the Marina Green to the Golden Gate Bridge looping through the Presidio and back. If you don’t mind grabbing food in a sweaty state—it’s a short, but often foggy, walk to Chestnut Street for an organic tea latte at Peet’s where you can sit inside sipping organic tea next to the living green wall.

Where do you go to recharge? 

Anywhere in Italy and preferably Lake Como but most likely our house in Marin County. Our house is such a relaxing retreat with panoramic views of the Bay Area.

What does an ideal weekend look like?

Well, preferably I have somehow knocked off all my zillions of Juice Beauty emails then…the best case is that various teenage friends of our son or daughter are at our house Friday night. We’re fortunate that our kids have terrific and nice friends and we love it when our house is filled with activity and the need for lots of food.

Saturday morning is for cooking for our daughter's soccer team that may have slept over and then running in the hills with my husband ending with a dip in our salt water, solar powered lap pool and hot tub. Saturday nights are with friends cooking organic food or dining out and Sundays are generally filled with following one of our kids’ mountain biking competitions.

When you're traveling, what products do you take in your carry-on?

On the airplane I use Juice Beauty's Hydrating Mist constantly to keep refreshed on the plane, our Organic Lip Moisturizer for dry lips and our Green Apple Age Defy Hand Cream as I try to wash my hands every time I get up. The best way to get off the plane looking fabulous is after at least 10-20 minutes with our Stem Cellular Instant Algae Eye Lift treatment. You’ll get off the plane looking refreshed and lifted!!

Do you have an airport routine when you're traveling through SFO? 

Grabbing a protein/almond coconut smoothie from the Plant Café in Terminal 2 or often an organic tea latte from Peet’s. I don’t think I’ve ever had enough time to check out a lounge at SFO!!

When on the road, do you have any hotel room rituals to make it more relaxing or like home?

Well, I can’t make it through the day without getting up in the morning to workout. I only stay in hotels that have great workout centers, healthful food and windows that actually open so I can get real air circulation. When the kids were younger, my husband always set up Skype sessions (including special appearances by our Labradoodle) but I can’t say that as teenagers, we get them in front of the computer much. I think I better start Facetiming at this point because I like to see their faces!!

Any particular habits or tips for eating healthfully on the road?

Try to have an organic bag of nuts in your purse just in case hunger hits and it will help avoid gorging on sweets! Always, always start the day with your workout as you might never get to it later in the day, followed by a healthful breakfast and drink enough water that you feel like your eyeballs are floating so your skin stays hydrated!

Have you tried any of Karen's favorite Bay Area spots? Let's hear about it in the comments below!

What to Eat in SF, According to Greg Malsin of Project Juice

Project Juice is one of Well + Away's favorite purveyors of organic, cold-pressed juice in SF, and part of the 'Where to Juice' section in the SF VitalGuide. Co-founders Greg and Rachel Malsin know a thing or two about great juice and other healthy finds in the City by the Bay, so we caught up with Greg to get a run down of their favorite healthy spots:

What are your current neighborhood haunts?

My wife Rachel and I live in Russian Hill, and there are so many options on Polk Street. Walking distance from our place are is great coffee from St Frank, salads from Blue Barn and of course our own Polk St location of Project Juice. On weekend walks, we love to visit Jane on Fillmore for vegan and gluten-free pastries and granola and Fraiche for a vegan chocolate fro yo.

What are you eating and drinking at Project Juice these days?

We’re focused on plant-based, clean food that tastes great. We’re doing amazing things with coconut yogurt now - using young Thai coconut for a coconut yogurt parfait with probiotics and superfood granola. We launched a line of hot drinks at the test kitchen in Hayes Valley that will now be offered at the Valencia location, too. It’s wonderful. The hot elixirs have become really popular. The Energize is amazing and is made with matcha and cashew milk and is served hot or cold.

Do you have a favorite Project Juice juice?

Deep Green is one that Rachel and I love when we crave greens and want something filling but low in sugar. I also like the Chocolate Protein, which has 17 grams of protein. That said, my regular go to is Green Lemon. It’s well-balanced and has just enough acid without being too sweet. It’s like a nice pick me up if I feel like my immune system needs a boost.

Any favorite beverages beside juice?

When we can get away, we love going to Healdsburg to lay low and drink wine. Porter Creek is an awesome hidden gem of a winery 15 minutes outside of Healdsburg with a garage-style tasting room. It’s the most laid back tasting ever, where you just hang out with the winery chickens and dogs. Quivera is nearby and produces great biodynamic certified wines, which we love, too.

The San Francisco VitalGuide is here

It’s here! You can now pre-order our SF VitalGuide, the first healthy guidebook to San Francisco.

 No more anxiety trying to guess 'where to eat' 'where to workout' and 'what do the cool-healthy locals actually do'. How about you just let us show you. The SF VitalGuide contains everything you need to survive Bay Area airports, find a healthy-luxe hotel, book a hip workout, drink the best cold-pressed green juice and explore the city by foot with walking itineraries. Interviews with healthy locals give an insider’s perspective to the best local gems, and accompanying recipes for eating, drinking and DIY spa can help you prep for or relive your trip.

Guides are shipping on/around March 1, and until then we’ll be tiding you over with clever San Francisco tips and great finds. To kick it off, here’s a recipe for the Fire and Wellness shot from one of our favorite destinations, Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito, located in the Escapes section:

Fire and Wellness Shot

Juice of 6 fresh lemons
Juice of a 2 inch piece of ginger
3 drops of Oregano Oil
6 drops of Garlic Extract

Mix juices together, then add three drops of oregano oil and six drops of garlic extract. Cavallo Point recommends using oregano oil from Source Naturals and kyolic aged garlic extract. Both items can be found at Whole Foods Market.

Juice can be combined and refrigerated for several days. When ready to enjoy, pour into a two ounce shot glass and add the oil and extract. Hotel guests are encouraged to down it like a shot. The “fire” comes from the Oregano oil, which is why only 3 drops is recommended.

San Francisco is just the beginning, we're already health-hacking our second city and will be sharing updates via our newsletter. So order your guide, sign up for the newsletter and get Vital!