San Francisco Sandwich Adventure: Italian Classics with Alcatraz Views

The Sicilian

view of Alcatraz from Lafayette Park

The Americano

San Francisco is a city that thrives on reinvention. It’s a shapeshifter, neighborhoods donning identities as easily as the fog rolls over the hills. But just below the crest of one of those iconic hills, off Polk Street, I stumbled into a place that felt timeless. An old-world deli dressed in new-age charm. Limoncello deli. A corner of Midtown Manhattan transplanted into the heart of the Bay.

The day started with one of my favorite rituals: catching the Clipper Ferry from Oakland into San Francisco. For a $9 round trip, it is an experience worth every penny, a moving postcard of the Bay. The skyline looms larger as you glide past the Bay Bridge, and the Golden Gate stretches out like a sentinel in the distance. Throw in a beer from the ferry’s bar and you have a happy hour no rooftop can touch.

But today was not about boats or bridges. It was about bread and sandwiches, the cornerstones of San Francisco’s culinary soul. Sourdough is the city’s pride, its history stretching back to the Gold Rush when miners relied on its tangy, naturally leavened bite to get them through. Dutch Crunch, with its sugary crust, came later, brought by immigrants. I will admit, the sweet topping is not my thing, but I respect its place in the city’s sandwich DNA.

San Francisco is a Sights & SEANWICHES dream, a city where sandwiches and jaw-dropping views are equally iconic. This was not my first sandwich pilgrimage here, and it will not be my last. There is something about this place that sticks with you.

Today’s destination was Limoncello, an Italian sandwich shop that doubles as a specialty market. The kind of spot where you can stock up on olive oil or sit down with a glass of wine and something extraordinary from the case. Upstairs, the deli hums with life. Strings of cured meats hang like edible art. The glass counter is stacked with premade Italian dishes that feel more like genius than grab-and-go. Playoff football blares from the TVs, Americana colliding perfectly with Italian elegance. Downstairs, the market buzzes with people buying everything or nothing, just enjoying the vibe.

Limoncello Deli

Limoncello Deli

Limoncello Deli

The owner was there, locked into the game but never too distracted to greet customers or oversee the flow of sandwiches leaving his counter. There is something magnetic about watching someone’s passion come to life in real time, every detail considered, every bite carrying their signature.

I could not help daydreaming about my own vision, a SEANWICHES bodega, a neighborhood spot where people pop in for a quick bite or linger over coffee, sports on TV, stories at every table. I pictured myself behind the counter, sliding a sandwich across to a regular and watching them take that first bite. Someday. But today was about someone else’s dream, and I was lucky to taste it.

I went with my classic move, the Italian, or here, The Sicilian. Ham, salami, mortadella, and provolone, laced with oil, vinegar, greens, and tomato on a sesame seed roll. My go-to order, the one that always sets the bar. Simple, old-world, no gimmicks. Maria, still thinking about a conversation we had with our neighbors about pastrami, went with The Americano. Corned beef with greens, tomato, and onion. Not the pairing you would expect, but when a deli like this makes the call, you trust it.

We left Limoncello buzzing from a ten out of ten experience and made the short walk to Lafayette Park in Pacific Heights. I had been here before, years ago, and kept this memory of a bench with a perfect view of Alcatraz and the Bay. Finding that spot is part of the ritual, the hunt for a view that feels familiar yet new.

The climb up the park’s steep stairs felt like a Rocky training montage, but at the top, there it was. The bench, the view, the moment. Everything clicking into place as if the day had been waiting for us.

When we finally unwrapped our sandwiches, it was not just lunch anymore. It was a reminder of why I do this. A sandwich, a view, a story that lingers long after the crumbs are gone.

That is what Sights & SEANWICHES is about. That perfect trifecta of food, a view, and good company. A moment you carry with you. A moment you tell and retell. And in the end, a sandwich that becomes more than just a meal.

Buy the sandwich, take the walk

@Seanwiches_