It’s never been more interesting to be a local. Whether you’re an artisan chocolatier or an urban farmer, people are clamoring to hear what you have to say. Locally-sourced food took the number one spot in the National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot in 2015 forecast, and we’ll be surprised if the passion fades anytime soon.
San Francisco, always a bit ahead of the curve, has been crazy about all things local for quite some time. So how are San Franciscans keeping it local during the workweek? Here are 14 caterers bringing farm-to-office catering to the City by the Bay.
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American Grilled Cheese Kitchen
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These guys offer all the cheesy comfort food you’d want under one roof: mac ‘n’ cheese, breakfast sandwiches, and (of course) grilled cheese sandwiches. Their local suppliers include Pinkie’s Bakery, Golden Gate Meats, and the Tillamook County Creamery Association, among others. Really hungry for local cheese? You’re in luck—their portions have been called “enormous.”
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Sunrise Deli
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Sunrise has been bringing Middle Eastern food to the Bay Area since the mid 80s. They’ve been named “Best Falafel” in a highly competitive falafel market. And with vegetables that are handpicked daily from local farms, you’ll know you’re getting the freshest baba ghanoush money can buy.
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Beautifull
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Founded on the advice of a whole panel of experts (chefs, doctors, nutritionists, and artisans), Beautifull isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a healthy food movement. Its founder set out to create a less expensive alternative to a personal chef. Since the entrees are significantly less than a bajillion dollars each, we’ll say this: mission accomplished.
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Bliss Pops
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Bliss Pops is a rebellion against sugar-water-on-a-stick. These Mexican-style paletas aren’t just made from local ingredients—they’re also naturally sweetened. Quirky flavors like Mango Habanero and Cognac Maple Bacon make this childhood dessert interesting again. Unless you live next to a popsicle factory, your popsicles aren’t getting any more local than this.
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Café Venue
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Café Venue locations are peppered across the Financial District, and there’s a reason they’re multiplying: they make reliably excellent, farm-fresh classics. Please the office coffee snob with their locally-roasted coffees. Please everyone else with their all-around good food.
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Crepe Madame
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Crepes made with produce from local farmer’s markets aren’t enough. We want crepes made with produce from local farmer’s markets that have appeared on French television. Thankfully, Crepe Madame fits the bill. The crepes are also gluten free and can be made vegan. So for the gluten-free, vegan, locavore in your life, this is the spot to pick.
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Food, Inc.
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Called “the second place in town that you can lock me in overnight” by the Oakland Post, this community-oriented shop is your place for piles of brightly-colored produce. They’ve got bruschetta, couscous, and—as far as we know—no overnight prisoners.
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Dusty Buns Bistro
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Riding the wave of the “Farm-to-Bun” movement, Dusty Buns has driven their citrus-colored Bistro Bus into the hearts of San Franciscans everywhere. If you can’t stand veggies that come from Oregon, you’re in luck. Everything they use is grown or produced in California.
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Café Taboo
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Cal-Mex cuisine at its finest. It’d be taboo (yes, we couldn’t resist) to find something that wasn’t locally produced on this menu. Their aim: to bring San Franciscan diversity to every dish they serve.
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Comestible Catering & Supper Club
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For local food that goes all the way back to the source, you’ll want to check out this catering company and supper club. Their philosophy is that cooking begins with “gathering, butchering, foraging, and farming.” That’s as hands-on as it gets.
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Kasa Indian Eatery
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With a desire to serve food that’d make an Indian grandmother proud, Kasa offers made-from-scratch samosas and grass-fed lamb. Want to eat local, but keep it interesting? These locally-sourced ingredients create dishes from halfway around the world.
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Creative Ideas Catering
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Creative Ideas is the king of an interesting category: gluten-free and vegan breakfast. They keep close relationships with local produce and meat suppliers, and they have a near-religious following. This caterer has a lot of creative ideas, though, in our book, sourcing everything locally is their best.
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Jennie Low’s Chinese Cuisine
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Local cuisine, founded by a local. Jennie Low had 20 years of experience teaching Chinese cooking in the Bay Area before she opened her restaurant. The menu features dishes from Cantonese, Mandarin, and Szechuan cuisine. And they’re all produced, of course, with Californian veggies.
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Brick & Bottle
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Built on a love for local produce, this Michelin-recommended restaurant serves up unique offerings like Duck Confit Pizza and Coconut Curried Vegetables. If this is eating local in San Francisco, we’re hopping on a plane ASAP.