sugartoof's Profile
Flywheel coffee (upper haight)
I think I would pick up coffee next door at Whole Food too. Hopefully it improves.
As for the revamped Haight Street Market... it does have a coffee bar with the pour over Blue Bottle offerings. Good to know it's there at least.
Have you tried the Augies beans served at Stanza? I'm curious about that place.
Off the Grid is Off the HOOK!
Last years Smorgasburgs were really great, but it's much more contained than Off the Grid, since it's an outdoor food fair, and many of the vendors are the same ones you see at every food fair.
NY has smaller food truck events in Hell's Kitchen, and under the Highline you can look into. I find it easier to keep track of what trucks exist in NY, and find their schedules.
Speaking of which, does anyone know of a site that reviews, and tracks all the various food trucks in SF?
Flywheel coffee (upper haight)
Add Sightglass as another to the list of coffee spots with a woodsy decor they're copying. It's a nice looking space, but the look is bordering on cliche.
The coffee was both bitter and acidic, and tasted like bad Martha & Brothers, and rivaled a bad cup of Peets (when did they get so unreliable?) . Doesn't really encourage me to go back, or get excited about what their own roasting will turn out. Pastries and baked goods also looked to be a combination of amateur baked, and factory made stuff you see at the generic coffee shops in the area.
Off the Grid is Off the HOOK!
I second that. Off the Grid is a great time. I've found it interesting that food trucks in SF often try serving more unique versions of foods, and a more creative approach altogether compared to NY. The flipside is the lack of a Smorgasburg type event in SF.
Lers Ros worth a trip for a neyorker who lives next to SriPraPhai?
I'd second the suggestion to focus on Vietnamese. You'll find really great cheap options that are far superior to anything available in NY right now.
I would say the same of Burmese, but the quality at the places recommended the most seems to have declined with popularity.
The Swedish princess has departed-here are her views.
Absinthe is a good suggestion for the OP, with it's contemporary fare, while keeping an eye on the past.
The Swedish princess has departed-here are her views.
I think if you had requested the best old school places in SF, you would have got a different set of suggestions.... Tadich's would have still come up. House of Prime Rib for steaks, or ideally, Alfred's for steaks, and so on. Possibly even the new Original Joe's would have suited you better. Still sounds like the more contemporary choices in the city would have wowed you more. SF has lost a lot of it's old establishments and I'm not sure the places which are still caught in time stand up worldwide.
Authentic Bagel Company - only 90 perfect bagels made daily
San Francisco used to have deli items too, once upon a time, and LA still has delis that compete. I guess the deli tradition of California has been erased.
The Swedish princess has departed-here are her views.
Hmm. You picked a lot of old style places which are known for their simple no thrills approaches that didn't excite you. Didn't you even find the sourdough memorable, at Tadich's?
Mission Chinese Food
It's an interesting experiment to see the food rate bicoastal, but these aren't dishes or approaches that are not unique in NY (we have Sezchuan, lamb cheek dishes, and Red Farm using pastrami). Mapo Tofu is another dish New Yorkers seem to talk about more than San Franciscans. To pull this off they're going to have to make really great food - whereas I think part of the original appeal in SF was the pop up aspect, with an ever changing lineup of playful small, sometimes trendy, dishes.
Kutsher's "upscale jewish food" in Tribeca
Hen Cavier is brilliant. I could see that taking off.
It wouldn't be the first time Chowhound posts about the absence of a food craving were found on the Dean & Deluca shelves. Apple fritters, and Princess Cakes being two examples that warmed my heart.
Kutsher's "upscale jewish food" in Tribeca
Stone Barns has been at the New Amsterdam Market. It may be possible to special order them.
Best Dim Sum In SF
Would you say South Sea Seafood is a good option for dim sum for someone who considers Yank Sing to be pretty average to nothing special? The room is pretty great, and I've been torn between trying dinner or waiting until I can get there before 2:30 for dim sum. How are they for some of the standard Americanized type dishes if one isn't interested in the shark fin type specialties?
Fior d'Italia closing
They picked a silly location to relocate, so I'm surprised they lasted this long. I'd love to see them return to a better spot, and relax their prices, because there's not a lot of places left that do what they do well.
First time in San Fran
From Fisherman's Wharf you're not far from some options near Jackson Square, North Beach, maybe somewhere like Lark Creak steakhouse depending on where you're from, and lots of fun, cheap eats in the Tenderloin (which is our skid row, only filled with art students and great Vietnamese food).
Check out Farm:Table, and Sightglass Coffee.
Beyond that general advice, you'll need to give us more direction what you like, or check out some of the other threads for people staying downtown.
Please help us get excited about SF again! (a little long)
Pretty sure my favorite version was the Chris Kronner incarnation (though I wouldn't know if some of the Jason Fox holdovers were what I liked)..... but it doesn't sound like he did much at St. Vincent, did he?
I know they're using Tartine's bread.
I keep hoping the current Bar Tartine was just a bad dream.
Please help us get excited about SF again! (a little long)
I have to offer a word of dissent on Canteen, especially for breakfasts when it's probably one of the more overhyped places in SF. The open kitchen exposes just how low a quality the ingredients are, and the food itself doesn't rise above something you would get at Chloe's or one of those brunch places. Brenda's turns out about the same quality. Mama's and Dottie's are superior.
Please help us get excited about SF again! (a little long)
I definitely share your frustrations with many of the same hyped up places... but I can assure you there's enough turn over with new places popping up to inspire you again, often in six month waves too. i find a bigger problem to be consistency, or favorite items getting dropped from menus. I also miss the old Bar Tartine.
That said... have you tried?:
Outerlands brunch/lunch
Blue Plate
Spruce's bar
Saigon Sandwiches, or any of the Vietnamese in the Tenderloin
Gialina pizza
Golden Gate Bakery
Sunset Bakery
Schmendricks- Real bagels? Who in NY bakes on a cookie sheet?
Nobody held up Noah's as a good bagel, or a NY bagel.
Minetta Tavern - Photography Now Banned
Is part of your enjoyment of a place like Minetta built around documenting it?
As much as I find photographs useful (often more so than the text) when browsing reviews, it's sounding less and less like this is something you approach as a hobby, and just enjoy doing when able. I'm reminded of the approach some people take when dining at EMP, expecting extras. Your primary focus should be the food, and enjoying a meal, and perhaps your company as well.
Schmendricks- Real bagels? Who in NY bakes on a cookie sheet?
Schmendrick's isn't in the coffee business.
Was the package deal you mentioned even offered at The Window/Coffee Bar?
If you still buy a bagel, isn't that still a $3 bagel?
Schmendricks- Real bagels? Who in NY bakes on a cookie sheet?
They're still selling a bagel for $3.
Schmendricks- Real bagels? Who in NY bakes on a cookie sheet?
"Wise Sons' items cost a lot more than something in NY"
False. Katz's is $15.75 without the side salad.
Schmendricks- Real bagels? Who in NY bakes on a cookie sheet?
The point is, it's no different than opening up shop in the Bay Area and claiming you're going to make "real New York pizza".... it's a meaningless claim. Then people here pretend they're arguing an actual premise as if there's a single consensus on what makes a "NY pizza". Now imagine someone duplicates some NY establishment's pizza and sells it at an inflated price for $45, three times what the original New York establishment sells it for. All while claiming to be authentic, and taking jabs at gourmet versions of the same product. THAT is what Schmendrick's is doing with bagels.
Everyone agrees a good bagel shop would be a nice addition to SF....House of Bagels could use some company, but how is it Wise Sons could bake their own Rye, make their own Babka, cure their own meat, and duplicate a NY sandwich at the exact price? They too started as a pop up.
Schmendricks- Real bagels? Who in NY bakes on a cookie sheet?
Size wise, how do these compare to the H&H bagels you were fond of?
I'm guessing these are more well done than the H&H as well?
Schmendricks- Real bagels? Who in NY bakes on a cookie sheet?
It's a pop up. They're benefitting from a food trend where people are excited to experience something new, to support an interesting business...and of course, the idea of a good bagel in SF is exciting.
The truth is, what constitutes a real bagel is as polarizing a topic as pizza....the second someone mentions Bagel Hole instead of Coney Island Bagels and Bialeys, I'm suspect. I don't think the long line proves much of anything aside from good hype works in this city. We can talk when people are lining up based on glowing reviews by people like yourself, and not just the marketing.
Schmendricks- Real bagels? Who in NY bakes on a cookie sheet?
The going rate for a bagel is a buck, not a business class flight.
Anyway, a generic Bagel Hole bagel-lump is barely worth the subway fare, let alone Bart fare.
If they think they're preserving the bagel, or doing a service by bringing it to SF at $3 a bagel, it's a bit counter intuitive to their mission.
Schmendricks- Real bagels? Who in NY bakes on a cookie sheet?
Nothing says "authentic", "old world style" like upcharging 5 times the going rate.
More concerning, the photos on their website, posed against their own faces would imply their bagels are too big to be old world style. So are the current version sold at Bagel Hole, where they consulted.
Root Beer -- housemade or good bottle selection??
I've never seen it at Safeway, or Andronico's. Not sure about Molly Stone.
