I know I’m constantly writing on here about what food I really love (like burgers, or tacos, or chocolate). And it might not seem so sincere because I write it about a lot of things. But you know what? I actually do love a lot of things, especially food-related! Another one? Cheesecake! Yum, yum!
In the summer of 2009 (wow, that’s ages ago!), I took a 4-week trip, all on my own, to the USA. I started out in Chicago, then went to visit friends in Milwaukee, who took me up to Madison and Lake Geneva, where we celebrated the 4th of July watching the fireworks from the middle of the lake. I also went to the West Coast to visit another friend in San Francisco, from where we took a one-day tour to Napa Valley (wine tasting in 35 degree weather is grand!), and I went down to Los Angeles for two days as well. In San Francisco, my friend took my to the Cheesecake Factory and we sat on the rooftop terrace, where I totally sunburned my face and shoulders and tried my very first slice of New York cheesecake. This is a photo of said rooftop cheesecake experience.
It’s impossible not to notice the uncanny resemblance to a certain diner-owning character on Spongebob, but on a second glance, you can see that this is the beginning of a love story between me and American cheesecake. I say American cheesecake, because we do cheesecake in Germany, too, but it’s very different. For one, it doesn’t have a crust. And we don’t use cream cheese - instead, the “dough”/ mix is prepared with quark, and then baked (for an idea of what it looks like, check here). I love German cheesecake, but I also love Amercian/ New York style cheesecake, and I’m absolutely thrilled to have found an amazing place in Copenhagen where you can get just the perfect slice.
Slice of San Francisco is located by Stormbroen (across from Christiansborg and the National Gallery) and is owned by San Francisco native Miriam, who is just the loveliest person you’ll ever meet. As I walked the three steps down into the typical Copenhagen basement café, Miriam was all smiles as she greeted me and introduced herself as “the cheesecake lady”. She was putting the finishing touches on four new cheesecakes, before she swirled around, served me a delicious cappuccino, and sat down for a chat.
It’s been Miriam’s dream to own her own café, and about two years ago, she finally made it come true by opening Slice of San Francisco, where she is not only serving her delicious signature cheesecakes, but also Bay Area-style Mexican food and sandwiches.
The basement-level locale is larger than you would expect, with high ceilings and an open kitchen, which allows Miriam to run the place on her own, as she can make the food and talk to her customers at the same time. The decor adds a personal touch, with a great love for detail. There’s even a fireplace!
As we were sitting and chatting over coffee, more customers walked in. It only took a few minutes before everyone was happily chatting away about Copenhagen, travelling, and tips for what to do in the city. Miriam told me that this atmosphere is exactly what she wants to achieve - to create a place where people can come to enjoy a delicious slice of cheesecake, but also to meet other people and start a conversation.
And then, we got to the day’s main event. The cheesecake! This is not any cheesecake, mind you. It’s actually the number 2 overall dessert in Copenhagen on TripAdvisor, and people are raving about it left, right, and center. And I am the first one to jump onto that bandwagon and sing the praise of this cheesecake!
Miriam only makes one type of cheesecake: a classic, “basic” version with no extra frills or special flavors added. And as is so often the case, simplicity wins. This cake is soft, creamy, not too heavy, and not to sweet. You can absolutely taste that this is all handmade, and baked with love. Miriam has been making this cheesecake for decades now, and especially the crust is top-secret (all she would disclose is that it’s not Graham’s crackers, and not Danish “kiks”/ “digestive”). You then add flavors by adding your choice of sauce on the side: classic raspberry, cherry with cinnamon, apple with cinnamon and chili, or blueberry and rose.
I was so lucky to get to try all four of them, and I have a hard time picking a winner! When I was done with my cheesecake, I just kept eating the sauces by the spoonful. They are all fantastic, but if I was to order only one, I think it would be either the classic raspberry, or the blueberry with rose, which is absolutely incredible!
Are you drooling yet?
No? How about these adorable, little, colorful bowls, filled with the different sauces? And they smell amazing, too! I wish I could share that in the post.
On the topic of delicious smells, at one point during the conversation, Miriam hopped off of her chair and went to take a batch of new cakes out of the oven. There they stood, all line up and pretty, and smelling so, so good! I was incredibly stuffed from eating that big slice of cheesecake before, but I could’ve grabbed a fork and dug right in again.
As I mentioned before, Slice of San Francisco also has burritos and sandwiches on the menu - I looove burritos, so not trying one was just not an option. But as I was really, really full I decided to take it home with me. I decided on the luxury burrito with chicken. The menu says “very large tortilla”, and that is so true! It was huge, filled with rice, beans, chicken, avocado, cheese, lettuce, and topped with sour cream and a homemade salsa. I’m not kidding, once it was rolled up, it was the length of my forearm, and about twice as wide!
I took it home to the boyfriend, and we cut it in half and shared it for dinner - it was definitely enough for the two of us (especially since I’d had the cheesecake before). A really good burrito, with a nice balance of all the ingredients. And so much better than what I’ve had other places in Copenhagen (I’ve never been to Mexico so can’t say anything about that). I’ll be back for another burrito for sure!
If you haven’t been to Slice of San Francisco yet, I strongly suggest that you go! Best cheesecake I’ve tasted in Copenhagen, and prices are very fair and in line with what you’d expect for a central Copenhagen café. A slice of the famed cheesecake will set you back DKK 55, coffee drinks are around DKK 30-40, and the luxury burrito costs DKK 95 (mind that in my case, it was a dinner for two!). You’ll find Slice of San Francisco on Frederiksholms Kanal 4 (basement level).
I was invited to try the cheesecake and food at Slice of San Francisco. As always, all opinions are my own. This cheesecake is just damn delicious!
Yum! Need to try one when in Copenhagen! ;-)
You should - I’ll take you there next time you’re here! :)
That cheesecake sounds divine. I’m having a hard time keeping up with all these awesome food places you share. But keep them coming…I’ll get to them one by one!
It is very good! We should have a slice together some time! :)