Liguria Bakery — Restaurant in San Francisco

I crossed paths with Liguria Bakery when visiting Washington Square. On a Saturday at 11 am there were a bunch of people outside grumbling that they were completely sold out. This perked my interest and a couple of days ago when I happened to be in the area earlier in the day, I saw that there was no line so decided to give it a try. There was an old lady behind the counter and another younger one who was doing something inside.

The older lady was getting irritated with a young woman who was asking questions that any first timer would want to know. After two answers she ignored any further questions and just pointed to the barebones ordering board which had Focaccia written on top, followed by what I assumed were toppings. The young woman just stood there completely confused not knowing what to do next.

Anyway while this drama was playing out the younger lady came out and decided to deal with the next person in line which was me. After seeing the fate of the other customer I decided not to ask any questions and simply asked for the pizza focaccia ($5.50) as I had never seen or even hear of this topping, and replied yes for it to be cut. The young lady disappeared inside and returned with a package containing the pizza focaccia bread. No cards were accepted so I paid with cash and got out without being insulted.

The focaccia bread was pretty good. It was nice and fluffy without being doughy. The pizza toppings were basically tomato sauce and scallions. Overall it was pretty good. Price was also pretty cheap for the area.

I think this place is comparable to Golden Gate Bakery (which sells egg tarts). Its popularity is attributed to the scarcity value of the product rather than on the merit of the product. However good the product is, there is no reason for poor service. I’ll leave this one for tourists, and only if I happen to be in the area early in the morning, will I return and try some more toppings...

You think you know if you already like Focaccia or not? Well if you have not had it yet from the Liguria Bakery you don't really know what Focaccia can be.

I discovered Liguria Bakery (est 1911) within a years of my moving to San Francisco at the time I was living near Powell and Bush so it was a pretty fast trip from that location. Now living in the avenues and a few years older I wish I could get to the Liguria Bakery more often but dang I really like sleeping in..

BTW reality check: Those of us in the Bay Area are very spoiled when it comes to breads, we have some of the best artisan bakers in this part of the country and have easy access to yummy Sour Doughs, Dutch Crunch / Tiger Breads and in the case of the Liguria Bakery, Focaccia yes this is probably the best or one of the best Focaccia bakeries in the United States.

All I can say is make time during some part of your life and get here at some time after 7:00 in the morning and buy a variety of breads and experience them. You can buy them whole and wrapped in paper and tied with a string or cut into 8 long pieces and tucked in a bag for oh so easy and good eating.

Would say try the green onion which some people have compared the flavor to onion cakes. Try the Pizza which is just a great thing to snack on or have with lunch. But you really can not go wrong with the bread here and it is worth just exploring to see which types you like.

Strong suggestion that visiting foodies make an early morning...

There’s a very magical reason they’ve been in business since 1911–to understand it, you must taste it for yourself.

For decades, my Nonno would make an annual commute across the Bay for a few, twine-tied parcels to share with his family. Sometimes, if we woke up early enough during summer vacation, he’d take us grandkids with him. Those trips, and the subsequent treasure we brought back were fondly remembered.

This Saturday morning, I made that journey back for the 1st time as an adult, with my Husband & Mother-In-Law. The interior hadn’t changed much since my childhood, perhaps there was less promotional apparel for sale back then (I almost wanted a T-shirt!).

Nervous out of my mind, I ordered a small assortment of sheets. Unfortunately, I forgot that the famed red-sauce variation was simply called ‘pizza’, and for that, I may have slightly frustrated the tall gentleman behind the counter. (Sorry, Sir!)

With that little flub aside, I walked out very curious to try the jalapeño cheddar sheet — a variety my Nonno hadn’t ordered before…

My family & I shared that sheet on the drive to another part of the City. We may have been on the road, but each bite launched us into a paradisiacal flight of sensory joy that cannot be described, only felt…

As I grabbed my white parcel, the tall gentleman hoped that we’ll come again; now that more of my family understands the culinary spell I’ve been under since childhood, I believe his hope will be...