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We arrived in LA yesterday afternoon, where we'll embark on the next phase of CHOW Tour: Innovation. But before we get too caught up in it all, what was the takeaway from San Francisco? After playing tourist in our home city for a week, visiting and in some cases revisiting the city's most groundbreaking food businesses, what were our overall impressions of what characterizes SF's version of innovation?
It's gone way beyond talking about what farm your food comes from. SF chefs are exhibiting hardcore signs of nature worship: cooking over an open fire, smoking with foraged hay, serving giant piles of flowers. Prediction: This time next year we'll be drinking wine out of communal ram's horns.
Guess what? It's still around, rebranded as emulsion.
Like a beautiful woman who only wears ratty sweatshirts, San Francisco never wants to look like it's trying too hard. Four Barrel Coffee with its salvaged interior; Mission Chinese Food, inside a divey Chinese restaurant; and Heart wine bar, where expensive wine is served in Mason jars. Prediction: Old newspapers will replace white tablecloths.
In the city that gave birth to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and Burning Man, is it any wonder that some of the most popular new food businesses serve stuff like bacon-flavored doughnuts, bourbon and cornflake ice cream, and kimchee-topped French fries?
The more expensive the restaurant, the more pillows and blankets they had for the diners.
Some innovations just don't work.
Are you an El Farolito person? Or La Taqueria? Rice or no rice? Super veggie or super meaty? Or maybe you're a Chinito? These questions are of more importance than they probably should be.
Finally, if something's west of Market Street or east of the Bay, it might as well not exist. San Franciscans are provincial. No matter how good something is, they're unlikely to make the trek to the Richmond District or, God forbid, Oakland, to try it, unless they are hardcore Chowhounds.
for many of us Market runs northeast........
Yeah, SF'ers will not leave the city limits even if their lives depended on it - even for good food! Oakland has some nice spots that are coming up and the food is very affordable. The Korean food in Oakland is a little better than SF too.
I think you mean west of Van Ness, that's kind of the dividing line between "city" and residential SF.
Don't forget that market bisects the Ferry building and it's attendant farmer's market.
so did you miss the whole bacon in desserts thing the past five years? and since when is anything from a restaurant with 2 Michelin stars proto-hippie?
"west of Market" isn't any more useful. what does that even mean? that's still half of the city.
what does not going to half the city or Oakland have to do with the word provincial? does that make Manhattanites provincial?
who doesn't go...+READ
so did you miss the whole bacon in desserts thing the past five years? and since when is anything from a restaurant with 2 Michelin stars proto-hippie?
"west of Market" isn't any more useful. what does that even mean? that's still half of the city.
what does not going to half the city or Oakland have to do with the word provincial? does that make Manhattanites provincial?
who doesn't go to Oakland? there's a lot going on there and has been for awhile, obviously someone's going to those restaurants & I don't think they all live in a 2 block radius.
and genuinely, seriously, what does this entire article have to do with innovation? i'm annoyed, and confused. mostly confused.-COLLAPSE
@kingslenger: we are from around here, which is what makes it more embarrassing. Just directionally challenged. I've changed it to west of Market, which is still somewhat confusing since Market runs southwest.
I love San Francisco!
Been there twice and each time had great experiences!
The food is awesome.
Love boudin Bakery - http://www.boudinbakery.com/index.cfm
Scoma's in Sausilito and Pier 39 Bubba Gump and Pier Market Seafood Restaurant, the list goes on.
I can't wait to go back!
Um...you might wish to rewrite this a little bit, as something like 70 percent of the restaurants you mention are west of Van Ness, including everything on Mission and Valencia, not to mention Frances, which is about 2 miles west of it.
But then, you were readily admitting to not being from around here...
Except for those of us who actually live in the Richmond or Sunset, which comprise roughly half of the people living in San Francisco...
Bah! Hardcore Chowhounds *live* in Oakland.