What tastes, smells and foods do you associate with living in San Francisco?

If you had to describe any tastes, smells or foods that remind you of the city you live in, what would they be? What things strike your senses as saying "wow, I love living here"What tastes, smells and foods do you associate with living in San Francisco?
Sourdough Bread-The cool weather makes growing the culture possible.

Garlic - With Italian, Mediterranean and Chinese influences it is everywhere

Sea smell - fish, crab and scallops all local foods

Coffee-There are many small roasters scattered all over the city.What tastes, smells and foods do you associate with living in San Francisco?
Seafood. Or that rank smell of the seals on the fisherman's wharf. I love the clam chowder in a bread bowl. The people are cool there. You get to see all sorts of free spirits there. Have you been down Ashbury Straight Street? I love SF too!
No offense but the other answers seem to have been written by tourists who don't know the real sf.



These are my SF smells:



Pavement, embedded with oil from cars, tar from tires, dirt from shoes, urine from an odd passerby, and the exhaust of buses, all a million microscopic layers deep.



In the Sunset district: Fog (like freshness washing over everything). Cooking meat and fish sauce from the many Chinese restaurants. The salty ocean air.



The Mission district: stewed beens, steamed tortillas, melted cheese. Beer smell from a the bars wafting out onto the street. Hookah smoke. Cigarette smoke. Pot smoke. Middle eastern spices.



Haight Street: Incense. More pot smoke. Mildew from dreadlocks. Garlic seeping through skin poors. Dogs smell. Waffle cones cooking.



SOMA/Financial district: exhaust from the underground trains, wafting up in big billows, as one rolls by beneath you. Chocolate chip cookies baking. Health food smell of nuts and grains in bulk. Dim sum.



North Beach: pizza baking. fresh baked foccacia bread in the very early morning, so fresh it will melt in your mouth, and smothered in tomatoe paste. Cigar smoke. Twenty Irish coffees already poured and waiting on the bar counter at Tosca. the sweet smell of gelato, baked goodies, marsala wine, and espresso coffee. I'll omit the smells coming from the peep shows and sex shops.



The Richmond district: korean bbq. cambodian soup. russian pies. the best margarita you'll ever have. five happiness stir fry.What tastes, smells and foods do you associate with living in San Francisco?
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee as I pass by the wonderful cafes of my hood...and then choose one because I see a friend inside (or outside) with whom to share a morning moment. The scent of jasmine in the night when it is especially stronger. A super vegetarian burrito in the Mission...rolled with care and authenticity...oral nirvana. Eucalyptus as I drive through the Presidio with an open moon-roof. I want to say more, but don't want to expose too much...
Okay, definitely the smell from the ocean and all the goodies that come from it. Dungeness crab steaming on Fishermans Wharf and an awesome shrimp cocktail as you walk along. For me the defining taste would be our perfect Sourdough bread. Nothin' better than stopping by Boudin, grabbing a warm chewy loaf and finding some good chowder or cioppino. Lest we forget the Ferry Building and all the great local cheeses, veggies, etc?What tastes, smells and foods do you associate with living in San Francisco?
Clam Chowder and Shrimp scampi.
That's easy. Salt water and Dungeness Crab.
The ocean. That salty sickly sweet aroma. Pier 39 shops,like the chocolate store, buttered popcorn, saltwater taffy, clam chowder, freshly made waffle cones and ice cream. There's also a Bubba Gumps, Hooters, Joe's Crab Shack, Rainforrest Cafe, and don't forget the Chinatown smells.

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