Visiting San Francisco’s Cliff House

This morning I got up before dawn and headed to Disneyland to participate in the 27th Annual CHOC Walk in the Park. It was my fourth time participating and, as always, it was exhilarating, inspiring and…tiring. Seriously. I’m so tired. All that walking also maked me hungry and, luckily, my sister made a special treat today – popovers made from the the famous Cliff House baking mix.

Last June on our trip to San Francisco we finally made it to a stop long on my wish list – Cliff House. This historic restaurant overlooking the mighty Pacific and the ruins of the Sutro Baths has been in operation since 1863.

In the ensuing years the site has had various incarnations, suffered multiple devastating fires and hosted such illustrious visitors as Mark Twain, Buffalo Bill and multiple US Presidents. Today, it’s owned by the National Park service and helps make up the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Beautifully restored to its 1909 incarnation Cliff House houses various dining facilities as well as a gift shop. On our visit, we had no plans to dine, but one look inside the historic bistro changed our minds.

We swiftly grabbed some seats at the bar and enjoyed some coffee and popovers. My sister, Shannon, is a popover expert and she immediately fell in love with them. An aficionado myself I heartily agreed and we ate every last crumb. Light as air, soft and chewy they were perfection.

Luckily, Shannon grabbed a bag of baking mix and today we enjoyed them once again. In a bite I was transported to the wonderful Cliff House, housed at the edge of San Francisco. I know my first visit won’t be my last and can’t wait to return to explore the historic structure even further.