My 1st Vegan Adventure in San Francisco California

I left New York at 6am, under the glow of a disappearing moon and rising sun. I was surprised that a light rain was falling but the chill in the air was expected for mid March. What seemed like forever and two airports later, I arrived in sunny California. Despite the long day, it was only 2 in the afternoon. I was grateful to have left a brutal east coast winter behind and was happily greeted by a warm; take off your coat, 64 degrees.

With a little bit of luck and advice from strangers, I successfully navigated two public transit systems, Bart and Muni Bus #22, to arrive safely at my room. This was my first time booking with Airbnb and it went really well. I had a gorgeous modern private bed and bath nicer, cleaner and less expensive than any hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Despite sharing the main entrance and a hallway with two other rooms, I never saw a soul. It felt like my own little apartment in the city.

I was staying in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. It’s beautiful and dotted with many shops and restaurants. My go to place in the morning was a coffee shop called Jane on Fillmore St. It was always bustling yet I always found a comfortable seat to work on my laptop. Since most people were also on their computers, I fit in well and often chatted with the friendly strangers sitting next to me at the counter. Two of which were transplants from the east coast.

The most important parts of this recap are that the food and coffee at Jane were both delicious and I didn’t have to make any special requests for a vegan meal! My first breakfast was an easy choice. Right there on the menu in black and white was the option for, gluten free vegan granola with soy or almond milk and fresh berries! It was a pleasure not having to ask anyone for a vegan option or a list of ingredients. Another bonus was the raw stevia and non-dairy milks displayed confidently on the self serve counter for your coffee. Again, I didn’t have to ask for the secret soymilk most places back home keep hidden behind the counter or bring my own stevia.

My second morning at Jane was just as delicious. It was brunch hour so I ordered one of the best tomato soups I’ve ever had and a slice of their homemade whole wheat with hummus, cherry tomato and avocado. My meal was fresh and super satisfying without leaving me feeling stuffed (three of my favorite benefits about vegan eats). My only regret with Jane was not taking home any of their amazing looking house made breads. I contemplated stuffing the walnut fig loaf in my carry on for the ride home but did not want to risk its’ capture by the TSA. This trip was off to a great start!

#SanFranciscoJanePacificHeightsAirBnB