Where to go in San Francisco

Not content to offer us cheap eats just once a year, the San Francisco Convention and Visitor’s Bureau’s popular program Dine About Town is having an early-summer redux.

Typically only on offer during January (when cold rain seems to render most San Franciscans completely immoble), from now until June 15th, a huge number of varied and tasty eateries are offering 2-course lunch for $17.95 or 3-course dinner for $34.95 — and in some cases both.  Now you know I love a restaurant deal more than my luggage, and this is a good one, people.

The complete list of participants is kind of impressive, and several are WTGISF favorites. Here then are my Top Ten picks from their list:

1. Absinthe (Hayes Valley)
2. Chouquet’s (Fillmore)
3. Dosa (Mission and Fillmore locations)
4. Foreign Cinema (Mission)
5. Garcon (Mission) I can’t believe I’ve never written here about this place. It’s awesome.
6. Hyde St. Bistro (Russian Hill)
7. Le Zinc (Noe Valley)
8. Maverick (Mission)
9. Plouf (Financial District)
10. Waterbar (Embarcadero)

On Friday, Eater SF (which I really really love) shared a list of Memorial Day weekend getaways — out of town venues for the Bay Area food lover who can’t get aaaaall the way out of town for whatever reason.  You know… a “stay-cation,”  if we’re still allowed to use that term.

I thought I’d do them one better and suggest places that fill the niches they describe, but without leaving San Francisco.  Get out your walking shoes and come hungry…

They recommend: Osteria Coppa in San Mateo

 I recommend:  Poesia in the Castro

This neighborhood charmer isn’t just for pasta loving Bears who are tired of woofing at each other from the neaby Starbucks. To a person, everyone I know who has been here has simply raved about it – the food, the warmth, the comfortable and secret-spot feeling of it all.  I’m a sucker for a good neighborhood gem, and this seems like just the thing. Start or end your evening with a screening at the Castro Theater. There’s always something good there — always.  And drinks at Harvey’s or the Twin Peaks for maximum quality people watching. America… fuck yeah.

They recommend: Bar Bocce in Sausalito

I recommend:  Epic Roasthouse on the Embarcadero

Well… more specifically: the PATIO at Epic Roasthouse. The only place I know of in San Francisco where you get both a view of the water AND Bocce Ball courts is at Aquatic Park… and there are precious few places I’d suggest for a great meal experience down there.   You could do the Golden Gate Park bocce courts, but alas: no water. And no eateries within view of the courts.  Since they seem to be offering Bar Bocce mainly for the view and food, that’s how I’ll fit Epic in.  BYO Winesicles, though. Also: ick.

Read More

Yesterday, my beloved Eater SF offered a list of places to go, out of SF but within a short drive, for foodie goodness this Memorial Day weekend. A “stay-cation” for those who can’t truly get out of town.

 Well… being A) very provincial, and 2) sans car since 1997, I say, why not stay within the city limits of San Francisco?  Our own 7-by-7 real estate can provide experiences to match nearly all of theirs – and if everyone else is so desperate to get “out of town” you can have it all to yourself! To wit:

They recommend:  Gorilla Barbeque in Pacifica.

 I recommend:  Ironwood BBQ at the Golden Gate Park Golf Course, Outer Richmond

A delicious secret: top flight barbeque in the municipal golf course’s club house. Hike through the loveliness of Golden Gate Park, eat it there for maximum freshness, then continue out to Ocean Beach for a freezing San Francisco sunset. Bring a flask of something bracing.

They recommend: Southern Pacific Smokehouse in Novato

I recommend:  Memphis Minnie’s in the Lower Haight

C’mon… you know a guy with a deck or a back yard or something. Invite yourself over. Say you’ll bring the food. Stop by Memphis Minnie’s and let the adulation roll over you as you show up with the bestest pork food evers.  Have someone else get a nice bottle (or two) of Rye, some lemons, oranges, and grenadine and drink some Ward Eights for that urban picnic edge.

Read More

Once upon a time, I signed up for a Yelp account specifically to say good things about a favorite lunch spot of mine, Momi Toby’s Revolution Cafe and Art Bar.  Since then I’ve realized a few things:

• Generally speaking (at least around here), a heavy portion of the people that write regularly for Yelp are pretty much crazy, have a grudge against some businesses, are trolling for discounts from said businesses,  or some combination of the above.
• A portion of that portion act like Yelp is some kind of cult or something. Yelp pretty much encourages this, since it’s good for them to foster “community.”
• Even though most folks reviewing their local dry-cleaner or lunch spot or dentist office do so with the best of intentions, review-wise, Yelp is a fairly useless tool in getting honest, curated (that is, EDITED) information about restaurant quality.
• Despite all these things, Yelp remains the single best useful tool for getting a general feel for some places, and is especially useful for finding places in proximity to one another.

So… I’m torn. When a place has a sticker on their door saying “People Love Us on Yelp!” I have to realize that this sticker is most likely there because the business paid to have it. Or paid to have positive reviews appear above negative ones. Yes… this has happened.

At the same time, I see Pi Bar with a parody sticker that says “People Hate Us on Yelp!” And I think better of that business for it, owing to my dim view of Yelp in general.

I guess I’m not being entirely fair. After all… in a competitive food market like ours, business owners can use any little bit of an edge they can get. And who am I to doubt the honest opinion of folks who visit there, cultish or not? 

Still, when I see signs like this at Sneaky’s BBQ at Rebel on Market Street… I sort of wince. Is people liking you on Yelp an entirely good thing?

Sometimes (or ALL the time) I just get really really really really excited about some new dish or place or drink or whatever. To paraphrase the singular Kelly of Let Me Borrow That Top fame, “Ohmygod Food.”

So… Locanda is open. Eater SF has had rather full coverage, including this loverly set of new pictures. This new Italian osteria by Annie and Craig Stoll of Delfina fame would be great news under any circumstances (especially since it took over the space of the past-its-prime Ramblas), but I basically have four words for you:

Guanciale

Lardo

Curing

Case.

That is all.