Boudin Bakery & Cafe (San Francisco)

It was by sheer accident that we decided to have lunch at Boudin. Thank goodness we chose to eat here because we nearly missed out on something good a second time. 

The first time we passed by Boudin was at Fisherman's Wharf where you could see them making their famous sourdough bread. But we were craving for crab then so we didn't try the bread bowl. The bakery at Geary Street has tables both inside and outside of the shop. 

This is the star of the show- the Clam Chowder in Bread Bowl ($6.29). I'm not sure whether it was because we were starving (we had lunch at 3+ pm), or whether it was really good, but when the first mouth of piping hot clam chowder went into my stomach, I think my stomach did a happy dance. I don't know what good sourdough bread is supposed to taste like. But, as long as the bread is soft and tastes fresh, it does the trick for me.

It's inevitable to compare soups made anywhere to canned soups. Well, here they sell canned soups too ($4.95). I have not tried clam chowder in canned form before, but they sure don't skimp on the clams! Not too salty, just right and magically just enough to scrape the insides of the bread bowl.

The food came rather quickly and although it seems somewhat like a chain establishment, it is a charming place, probably due to the fact that it's been making sourdough bread since 1849. It's pretty cheap and the warmth radiating from the soup will keep your stomach and heart safe from the chilly winds.

Boudin Bakery & Cafe

251 Geary St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel No: 415-296-4740