The 370 GG location (closer to Larkin) was the scene of a significant fire at the end of February. I walked by the other day and it definitely did not look like it was open. SF Appeal quotes an employee from the Mission location as saying it was unsure whether it would open ever again: http://sfappeal.com/2013/02/el-castil...

Adding more confusion, there are 2 locations of Taqueria Castillo: one at McAllister & Leavenworth and one in Union Square on Mason near Turk & Market. No idea if these are a spinoff or parent of Castillito.

Nice report! I'm still a less-than-two-year Boston transplant to San Francisco, so I love seeing what Boston hounds choose when they are in town. I stumbled upon Bake & Banker on a walk during lunch and have vowed to make a visit.

Thanks for the follow up and further explanation. I've found, to my dismay, that some on the SF Chowhound Board in particular are very quick to discount, chastise, and belittle, and are incredibly pedantic. It unfortunately belies the spirit of Chowhound in general.

I've been deeply disappointed by my visits here. I want to love them for what they're doing, and the descriptions of their food sound delicious, but they've failed to deliver multiple times. And for the price of their products, I really want more, so I just walk right by now. The cinnamon roll was hefty, but didn't deliver much in terms of bacon, maple, or cinnamon flavor. Pretty much just a dough bomb. Cookies were fine, but too small to justify the price. Haven't tried any of the lunch items, but not likely to be back.

We make special trips from SF to Berkeley just to get the Riverdog chickens. They're spectacular.

This is unfair of you. The OP received a confirmation from restaurant staff that his/her request would be accommodated. Regardless of this, it doesn't excuse the bizarre service they encountered. It's lovely that your experience went smoothly, but that doesn't mean the restaurant didn't really screw this one up.

Seemingly EGREGIOUS markup on Iberico last I was in a few weeks ago. They very cutely mark the price at $8/oz., which, of course, amounts to $128/lb. I had to stifle a laugh when I saw that. Headed across town to Say Cheese in Cole Valley where they were offering Iberico for $80/lb, and for what it's worth, the color of the ham was much lighter and fresh looking than at Nosa Ria. Unless I'm really getting it wrong on what they were offering, I can't imagine spending my money here. I want to love this newish addition, but all of it screams "precious Hayes Valley" to me.

Pretty sure Andronico's on Irving has them. We usually grab one to chop up into mac & cheese.

Arizmendi in the Sunset has them. Didn't catch the price.

SF, and primarily from Civic Center area west and north of Market St. Inner Sunset and Richmond, Hayes/Western Addition.NoPA, Fillmore, etc.

Good I would say means meat that is more tender than rubber, fried chicken and shrimp that are crispy and not burnt, and as little grease as possible. I'd like to avoid candy-red spareribs if at all possible.

I am not very well versed in the tamale, and I have yet to try one from the Tamale Lady in the Mission. That said, I have to say I enjoy the vegetarian options by Primavera that I've bought at WF and Andronico's. At around $11/12 for 4, they make an easy, cheap meal (paired with some rice and beans) for dinner and for lunch the next day. I particularly like the flavor of the masa. Probably not the best by any means in the city, but I like them. .

http://www.primaveratamales.com

I didn't catch the actual helpful and earnest response to the fake thread posted earlier. And you might ask why in the world, with such good Chinese food in the Bay Area, would someone want to know about a greasy pu pu platter? Truth is, I've got a craving, and I haven't found this delight on many menus, even at the Americanized joints. Are there any decent pu pu platters of note in the city? It's a family tradition to scarf one down on Christmas Eve, and I'll be an orphan this year, so I'm seeking this little bit of comfort.

Glad you enjoyed your burgers. We stopped by at the end of September before noon on a Saturday. Had been eager to try some burgers. While the flavors were great, both the lamb burger and the beef burger were ordered medium and arrived well-done. Disappointingly dry. And the side of fries, while delicious, is disappointingly small for the price. I'll gladly purchase meat (and we did: chicken breasts and ground beef to grill on our brief escape to the Russian River) from them again, but will probably seek out other meal options.

Revisited after about a year and was very pleased. Met a friend for drinks and a bite before she went to the Fillmore for a show. They have a happy hour, presumably until 7 (couldn't find anything about this on their website), which includes a $1 discount on all draft beer and wine, and $2 off their flatbreads. Friend ordered the mac & cheese, which was one of the better renditions I've had in a while. Comes in a tiny skillet, but has a nice kick and an excellent crunchy topping. Empty before 6 but full by 8. Maybe not a destination, but a perfect neighborhood spot, and also a fantastic pre-show sip & nosh.

Good recommendations should also include correct information. Rosamunde is on Mission near 24th and there are 2 Arizmendis with delicious pizza: Inner Sunset on 9th near Irving and in the Mission on Valencia and 24th. Sunset is closed Monday; Valencia closed on Tuesday.

Boccalone isn't anything particularly special, in my mind. I'd maybe get a meat cone there and snack your way through the rest of the Ferry Building for lunch.

Incanto is fine. I had a perfectly decent meal there, but also did not find it to be particularly special, what with the celebrity chef status of Cosentino. Something like La Ciccia, a perennial Chowhound favorite Sardinian restaurant just down the street from Incanto, might impress you even more.

It actually opened a couple weeks later than usual due to prolonged negotiations on price between crabbers and seafood processors. Commercial season generally starts on 11/15.

Andronico's on Irving had them 2 for $4 (I think, could have been $5) last weekend. I haven't touched them yet, but I can't wait.

Not to be pedantic, but just want to make sure everyone knows that this place is called King of Noodles. I know it's not a huge difference, but sometimes subtle differences like that can wreak havoc on a google search. There's Kingdom of Dumpling on Noriega.

It would help to know some specific recommendations. Just saying "head over to the Richmond" isn't terribly helpful.

Thanks for the review. I've been very curious, particularly after returning from a week in Oslo just last Monday. We had some excellent food there, but WOW is it expensive, even by San Francisco standards. I'm looking forward to trying this!

And Bullitt has Maker's Mark on tap as well.

Wow. We've been twice over the last year and while we thought the food was good, it didn't seem like anything special. I have to say, though, they've done a lot of work on their website and it looks great. Additionally, it looks like they've really worked on their menu as well, and the current menu shows savory sopapillas as a meal choice available after 12pm: http://greenchilekitchen.com/greenchi...

There was a Blackboard Eats special not very long ago. I think we'll be making a trip back very soon!

Thanks, abstractpoet. You cut right to the chase, and I do appreciate the recs, should I find myself across the bay.

While it may not be the best practice (healthwise, in particular) to reuse plastic takeout containers, some of the ones we have saved from Boston are the perfect size for taking in to lunch the next day. Our collection is being depleted by disintegration and by compostable alternatives. That said, I'm wondering if there are good takeout options in San Francisco that offer decent, reusable containers. Though the ones from Kasa are impressive, the multiple divisions and overall size are not handy, despite the delicious, delicious food that comes in them. We live pretty centrally (near Twin Peaks), but work on the eastern side of the city, so anything in the Mission, Fillmore, Hayes Valley, etc. is fair game. Any recommendations?

Had a fabulous dinner at the Hayes location about 3 weeks ago. The wine list is clearly well-curated (and in exquisite English, as opposed to the regular menu) and reasonably priced. Had the Larb Phed Yang to start, and was equally as delighted as the OP with this lovely salad. Entrees were the Pork Pad Phed, which comes with green peppercorns and with a hefty dose of fire. DC had Kaeng Keaw Wan Talay, a mixed seafood green curry that also packed plenty of heat. I'm not well-versed in the best Thai food, but this was definitely the most refined I've had and certainly pleased my palate. I would most certainly go back to try more.

Bumping this due to St. Joseph's day next Monday. I've read so much about zeppole but never had any while back in Boston. Wondering if there have been any 2012 spottings in the run up to St. Joseph's, or if they are mostly offered ON the day. Caffe BaoNecci is definitely the most handy to me. What's the good zeppole word?

What about nojo at Franklin and Linden? I've been intrigued by their menu, but haven't heard much about them. Japanese-style skewers among other small plates.

Thanks all for the recs. I went with DeLessio given two recs and my need to order it quickly, not to mention it is walking distance from work. Had never been there before, but they were extremely nice and helpful. Just sampled the cake, which is beautifully "sculpted." It's awfully sweet, though, mainly because it's coated in sort of a bruléed marshmallow, which is a nice texture, but makes the entire cake so, so sweet.

I'm fairly new to SF, and I haven't been to Tartine yet, so that will be something to try. Other recs for Mission locations will be explored, too!

I'm really unimpressed with Chow's search options. I did my best to search (and hell, I'm a librarian, after all!) and did NOT come up with this thread. Thanks for pointing me to it!