the butter stick blog: SAN FRANCISCO & BERKELEY TRIP

This post is long overdue, but better late than never! So excited to share one of the best trips of my life and relive it as I write this post. Get comfortable and grab a snack, you're gonna need it.

The trip started off with some late night baking. I have to say I'm pretty proud that I managed to stop myself after one piece. At around 11 we watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and also ate string cheese. Probably not a good idea seeing that we had to wake up at 3 AM for our flight, but what is life without a little risk.

Although we couldn't start off the morning with the traditional McDonald's airport breakfast, we made do with Starbucks. I still remember the excitement of boarding the plane, in a state of disbelief that everything was finally happening.

As soon as we walked out of the bart station, I was breathtaken. The vibes and aesthetic of the streets of Berkeley were beyond everything I imagined. I've always loved cities that had the perfect balance between urban like NYC urban and suburban. Berkeley was exactly that. Also a thank you to this Paris Baguette for saving my ass every time I needed to go pee.

My friend Jessica then walked us around UC Berkeley, and damn it was gorgeous. Sooo many trees, so much green, it was like walking in a national park. But, I was out of breath in like 5 minutes walking around the first day. My legs were not used to those hills, but they did not know what was coming the next couple days.

TIME TO EAT! The part of this trip I was looking forward to the most. Our first meal at Berkeley was at Cheeseboard. It was quite a trek, but DAMN IT WAS GOOD. Definitely one of the best pizzas I've ever had. Buttery potatoes, caramelized onions, mozzarella, gruyere, garlic olive oil, parsley, and oregano. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

Cheeseboard also had a bakery next to its pizza place, and we couldn't resist the opportunity to see some bread. I went in thinking I wasn't going to buy anything because I was STUFFED from the pizza, but honestly not surprised that I came out with a delectable pear and candied ginger scone. Sooo good.

Koja Kitchen was our choice for dinner. I've seen so many pictures of the incredible Koja burger, and it was even more incredible getting to eat it. The fried rice patties were super crunchy, and the chicken was perfectly seasoned, sweet and spicy. Don't even get me started on the fries.

FRIDAY! SAN FRANCISCO DAY!

Our first stop was the San Francisco Ferry Building. My favorite part was the huge bread and oil sampling station at the Stonehouse Olive Oil store. I probably ate a loaf of bread with all the samples I had.

Next stop, Pier 39!

I couldn't resist getting some Trish's mini doughnuts. So fluffy, warm, sweet, and delicious. And unbelievably cute.

I literally screamed when I saw the baguette from afar. This is a moment I've been waiting for my entire bread-loving life.

THERE'S FREAKING BREAD BASKETS CIRCULATING THE BUILDING.

I know it sounds like blasphemy, but this was my first bread bowl of my entire life. But you know what was more ridiculous. THE AMOUNT OF UNEATEN BREAD BOWLS THAT WERE THROWN AWAY. If you're not going to eat the bread, WHY GET THE BREAD BOWL AND WASTE ALL THAT BEAUTIFUL SOURDOUGH. It was quite sad. But obviously, the bread bowls were amazing. The tart, chewy sourdough with the creamy soup was the perfect combination.

Look at these gorgeous babies.

Yes, we ate bread bowls then bought a croissant. This is how to live.

Then we illegally trespassed into the Boudin factory tour that you have to pay $3 for. But I mean, no one was there and a basket of bread was just sitting there, HOW CAN YOU NOT. A deliciously thrilling adventure.

Walking around SF and exploring the city! Bummed that we didn't get to go to the pastry shops that I wanted to go to, but nevertheless had an amazing time laughing and talking with great friends.

As we dragged our screaming legs around the streets of SF and through mysterious tunnels, we met a pleasant surprise. BOBA GUYS! I've heard about this boba shop quite a bit, and the spontaneous boba run was the perfect refreshment we all needed.

Grade-A balls indeed.

Left to right: horchata, black rose tea, horchata, strawberry calpico

We concluded our day at SF with some Beard Papa's. I was so excited for the Beard Papa's virgins Michelle and Jane to try the luscious treats. No one does cream puffs like Beard Papa's.

Watching Zoolander on the grass in the middle of the beautiful campus was a magical way to end the perfect day.

CAL DAY! Of course on the day with the most people, it was also the hottest. Despite the weather, it was exciting to see all the things Berkeley had to offer.

For lunch we had Brazil Cafe. Waiting in the burning sun for like 45 minutes was NOT FUN, but the food certainly didn't disappoint. So much flavor, and so much food! Very generous portions, and I'm not complaining.

Later in the day, we checked off the last item on our to-eat list- CINNAHOLIC. I NEVER would have believed that these doughy morsels of heaven were vegan. They were honestly the best cinnamon rolls I've ever had, vegan or non-vegan. ALSO MICHELE YOU ARE SO CUTE.

A perfect, soft, fluffy cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting and walnuts on top.

Don't tell me I posted too many pictures of the cinnamon roll. You can never have enough pictures of cinnamon rolls. JUST LOOK HOW FLUFFY. LOOK. GOD IT WAS SO GOOD.

Then we met up with some other friends visiting Berkeley, and cried tears of laughter over Snapchat filters.

It was heartbreaking to leave, but all things, good and bad, come to an end. But of course, even though we ended up almost missing our flight, we couldn't leave without stopping by Sheng Kee to get bread. Look at those gorgeous, flaky pastries.