http://www.usatoday.com/story/experience/weekend/san-francisco/2014/03/10/san-francisco-first-timers/6173765/

Eating: In a 7x7 square-mile town crammed to the crab pots with 3,500+ restaurants (the most per capita in the country), the hardest thing about dining out in San Francisco is figuring out where to go. First-timers should start by sampling some the city's famed Dungeness crab from a street vendor at Fisherman's Wharf, served from steaming pots as a cocktail or in a sourdough bread bowl. For a more sit-down experience, try a bowl of cioppino, the zesty Dungeness-packed Italian seafood stew invented in San Francisco in the 1850s. Alioto's lays claim to one of the original recipes, first served by matriarch Nonna Rose Alioto in 1925. Still run by members of the Alioto family, the restaurant dishes up more than a hundred bowls of the garlicky tomato stew daily (bibs not optional).

Tadich Grill, the city's oldest restaurant, has what many consider the definitive cioppino, a bowl bursting with crab, mussels, scallops, prawns and fish served up with hunks of sourdough garlic toast. While there is invariably a line out the door (no reservations accepted), your patience will be rewarded with a seat at the horseshoe bar or in one of the wooden booths (complete with doorbells) and a dizzying choice of traditional San Francisco seafood classics – Hangtown Fry to Crab a la Newburg – served by waiters in white jackets.

More modern, but no less classic, Zuni Café is one of a handful of restaurants that helped define San Francisco's fresh, seasonal regional style back in the 1980s. Still regarded as one of the best in the city, its simple menu of French- and Italian-inspired cuisine includes signatures such as Caesar salad, whole roast chicken for two, polenta with mascarpone, and pot de crème.

No first-timer should leave without eating a Mission Burrito. While locals constantly argue over whose chihuahua-sized tortilla bombs are the best, most agree you can't go wrong with a carne asada-stuffed whopper from La Taqueria or a spicy sauce-drenched al pastor (spit-roasted marinated pork) from Taqueria Cancún.

Activities: San Francisco's postcard attractions seem designed to dazzle first-time visitors. Ride a cable car halfway to the stars from the foot of Powell Street. America's famous moving national historical landmarks offer a rolling tour of the city at 9.5 miles-per-hour that includes spectacular views of Nob Hill, Chinatown, the Bay, and Alcatraz Island. If you're lucky you can hang off the running boards Doris Day-style while the conductor performs a bell-ringing serenade.

Sourdough is as iconic to San Francisco as fog and Twitter. At the Boudin Bakery, sourdough bread is still made from a mother dough first cultivated here in 1849. You can watch the bread-making process from the railing overlooking the showcase kitchen, and buy a few loaves to bring home with you, too.

Be sure to spend a day in the city's collective backyard, Golden Gate Park. Stretching over three miles from the Panhandle to the Pacific Ocean, the park offers acres of gardens, lakes, paths and museums to explore. The de Young Museum, one of the city's two fine arts museums, lies at the park's center, and features extensive collections of early American art, as well as revolving exhibits ranging from Impressionists to Bulgari diamonds. Next door, at the Japanese Tea Garden, you can wander among manicured bonsais, cherry trees and pagodas, and enjoy traditional Japanese tea and cookies. Across the tree-lined music concourse, the California Academy of Sciences is the world's 'greenest' museum, with an indoor living rainforest, an aquarium, planetarium, and a living roof supporting some 1.7 million native plants.

Nightlife: Where else but in San Francisco will you find Snow White, Chris Christie, Kim Kardashian, Paula Deen and a chorus line of French poodles all sharing the same stage wearing hats the size of small zeppelins? At 35 years, Beach Blanket Babylon is the longest-running musical revue in American history, with no signs of slowing down. The hilarious send-up of world leaders, celebrities and pop icons offers shows nightly (evening performances for 21 and over).

Nearly a century old, Tosca Cafe is as close to Hollywood glam as San Francisco gets. Over the years, the North Beach bar has attracted an epic list of stars, musicians, politicians, and writers. A recent change in ownership has given it a much-needed makeover and the addition of a kitchen, where chef April Bloomfield (The Spotted Pig) turns out excellent Italian food. Happily, all the best old-school features are still in place: red-leather banquettes, mahogany bar, a Sinatra-dominated jukebox, and a drink list featuring "cappuccinos" made with Ghirardelli chocolate, steamed milk, and brandy.

Perched on the edge of the ocean overlooking the crashing waves and Seal Rock, the Cliff House is a beloved San Francisco landmark. Rebuilt four times since 1863, its current neoclassical incarnation offers sweeping Pacific views through the two-story windows of Sutro's Restaurant. Cocktails in the balcony lounge at sunset are a rite of passage no first-timer should miss, with live jazz offered every Friday evening.

Shopping:Union Square is San Francisco's retail Ground Zero, home to some of the biggest names in fashion (Barney's, Uniqlo, Jimmy Choo), as well as homegrown brands such as Gap, Apple, and Gump's. The Square gets its name from the pro-Union rallies held here during the Civil War. Over the years, it's been redesigned several times, but the latest incarnation has given it new life as a public space – a great place to sit and sip an espresso from Emporio Rulli as you watch shoppers making their way to Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Tiffany's, or heading down petite Maiden Lane to browse designer boutiques such as Marc Jacobs and Chanel.

The Big Draw: The most photographed bridge in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the World, and its 746-foot red-orange towers never fail to thrill – even when they're peeking out through a shroud of white fog. Walking across the bridge is a must-do for any first-time visitor. From the east-side walkway, you can take in the soaring spanner, the city skyline, Marin Headlands, and the Pacific Ocean stretching to the horizon. Be sure to wear layers – winds (even on sunny days) tend to be brisk and icy.