david de berkeley's Profile
great carnitas
Carnitas Uruapan in Chicago is my favorite. In San Francisco, I like El Taco Loco #2, El Metate, and La Taqueria. La Palma is great for carnitas in bulk.
Is this Guadalajara related to the Guadalajara on 24th St.? I have not been to the place on Mission, but the one on 24th does have very good carnitas, they have a generous fat content and crisp them up a lot.
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La Taqueria
2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
El Metate Restaurant
2406 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA
Asian Near Hotel Monaco
You are close to Thai, Vietnamese, and Pakistani/Indian.
Thai: Lers Ros, Sai Jai Thai (especially the pork shoulder)
Vietnamese: Bodega Bistro, Turtle Tower (closes on the early side), Tu Lan (very divey)
Pakistani: Shalimar, Lahore Karahi
I like Ryoko's for late night sushi and Japanese snacks (like the fried baby octopus, love that stuff). I also think eating alone in a Japanese place with a sushi bar is easy.
I've been eating a lot of the cold ramen at Katana Ya lately.
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Bodega Bistro
607 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Turtle Tower Restaurant
631 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Tu Lan
8 6th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Lahore Karahi
612 Ofarrell St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Ryoko Restaurant & Bar
619 Taylor St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Sai Jai Thai Restaurant
771 Ofarrell St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Vietnamese Restaurant Recommendation
I've been here a few times and thought the food was unremarkable (especially the pho). What do you order here? Maybe time to check it out again.
I agree that the pho at Sunflower is also ho hum, but the rest of their food is surprisingly good.
I second PPQ for crab, Anh Hong for seven courses of beef, and Bodega Bistro for all purpose.
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Bodega Bistro
607 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Vegetarian option at non-vegetarian restaurants in Financial District or Union Square areas
I'm not sure whether you are looking for vegan or vegetarian dishes. I run into this situation quite a bit, we will have group lunches or dinners where one person is vegetarian or vegan. For vegetarian, my standard choice is Italian (being able to consume cheese is the big issue), with Indian coming in second. For vegan, I usually go Chinese, Thai, or Vietnamese.
Italian: I am a big, big fan of Perbacco, this is the first place that pops into my mind when we have a vegetarian in the group.
Indian: Dosa is very vegetarian friendly, and the meat eaters in your group will also be happy. This is a cab ride away, though.
Chinese: R & G is an easy choice in Chinatown.
Vietnamese: Slanted Door is a nice place to take out of town guests, it is one of the most well known San Francisco restaurants. It has its supporters and detractors.
Thai: I have a thing for Sai Jai Thai, though it is a short cab ride away (the walk is not long, just the scenery in Tenderloin can be a bit . . . interesting). Osha Thai, though a chain, is not bad and there are several branches close to the Financial District and Union Square.
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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111
Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Osha Thai
819 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Sai Jai Thai Restaurant
771 Ofarrell St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Dinner near Mission Bay?
Serpentine is very tasty, great burger and cocktails.
Hard Knox Cafe for soul food. It has its supporters and detractors, but give it a try and see what you think.
Chez Maman for easygoing French.
Chez Papa for a bit more upscale French (getting close to fancy).
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Chez Papa
1401 18th St., San Francisco, CA 94107
Hard Knox Cafe
2448 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94121
Chez Maman
1453 18th, San Francisco, CA 94102
Quick lunch near Westin Market St?
You could always combine sightseeing and lunch with a trip over to the Ferry Building -- fifteen minute walk, plenty of eating options (many of which are quick). But by your hotel:
Mixt Greens for salads.
The Sentinel for sandwiches.
Muracci for Japanese curry.
Katana Ya for ramen (the big caveat is that you have to go early or go late, the lunch line can be long).
Barbacco for Italian.
Another possibility is to go to a place en route to sightseeing. What is your first stop?
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Mixt Greens
114 Sansome St Ste 120, San Francisco, CA 94104
Barbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Mission Beach Cafe: Burger done right
That is good information. I have eaten brunch at Mission Beach Cafe a number of times and did not care for it, but I will try out the burger in the near future.
Have you had the burger at Serpentine? Very, very delicious. Great cocktails, too.
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Mission Beach Cafe
198 Guerrero St., San Francisco, CA 94103
Korean BBQ: Sura? Ohgane? Other?
Ohgane is my personal favorite to eat Korean BBQ in the Bay Area (though I don't know the places down by San Jose). I think it's pretty solid, and the banchan is decent.
Another place to consider is Koryo, but the service is iffy, especially if you are not Korean. Ohgane's service is always very good, regardless of whether you are Korean.
I haven't been to Sam Won in ages, but it used to be good as well. Not as good as Ohgane or Koryo, IMHO. I know Korean families who prefer this place, though.
I have not been to Sura, but I take it that they use gas grills. For me, this is a dealbreaker. Korean BBQ without charcoal loses a lot, and you only gain some extra banchan. Not a good trade off.
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Ohgane
3915 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611
Koryo Restaurant
2556 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
SF - Lunch at Orson - Pastrami Heaven
I have been meaning to try this sandwich for a while, and I gave it a go on Saturday. I have to agree with ernie and bob with respect to the texture of the pastrami -- it is on the drier, tougher side, nothing like good pastrami you can find in NY or LA (was just in NY the previous weekend, so the pastrami sandwiches there were fresh in my mind). I thought the flavor was good, well brined and seasoned (it had a bit more heat than the usual pastrami, which I liked). Maybe just needs more time in the steam box, not sure.
The bread was great, crusty, thick cut rye. The surprise was the pickle, which was the best full sour I have had in a long time. A friend of mine agreed on the pickle.
Duck fat fries, there are some where you taste the fat, and others where they just taste like regular fries. These taste like regular fries.
I ate here for brunch, and the table split an order of thick cut bacon, which was delicious. The other folks ordered brunch items, and everyone was happy. All in all, a very good meal, but the sandwich does not fill the void we have for great pastrami in the Bay Area. Interestingly, Orson also serves ramen for brunch, may have to try that next time.
New or recent restaurants in the Mission? Mystery to me..
Yep, probably one of these two places, more likely Schmidt's since Heirloom Cafe is more low key from the street.
I run on these streets a lot, don't think there is anything new on Bryant or Harrison in the 20s.
What's missing in SF?
Ah, sweet Chicago. Where even the middling hot dog and hamburger places turned out char burgers and handcut fries that would be top of the heap in San Francisco, at least from a dollar for dollar perspective.
Seriously, the average quality for fries in Chicago is very high. And then you have places like Al's and Hot Doug's, where the fries are unbelievable.
And speaking of Al's, I would love an Italian ice place in San Francisco like Mario's across the street. Guess it doesn't get that hot in San Francisco, but we support so so many frozen yogurt places. One of those could be Italian ice.
What's missing in SF?
Jewish deli. If we could trade NY a Jewish deli for a Mission taqueria, everyone would be happy.
Late night Korean. Like a BCD Soon Tofu in LA or Gam Mee Ok in NY. Korean soup after the bars is a good thing.
A superlative steakhouse. I like Harris well enough, but seems like a lot of other cities out there have it better than we do.
Mission District Restaurants
I think you are asking for Mexican food recommendations in the Mission, apologies if I am misreading your request.
Tortas -- I think the best are at Tortas Los Picudos. I've eaten pretty much every sandwich here, and everything has been solid to outstanding. I like milanesa de res or pescado. Tortas El Primo is also good.
Carne Asada -- My longtime favorite for carne asada is El Farolito, but the other day, three friends and I ate carne asada burritos from four different places, El Farolito, Papalote, El Metate, and La Taqueria. Three out of four preferred Papalote, a place I usually never go. I will say that I preferred El Farolito, but the carne asada from Papalote was actually pretty delicious, thicker cuts of steak, cooked medium, and then cut up. The unanimous loser of the bunch was La Taqueria, with a steak that was almost too tender (mushy) and flavorless. I eat at La Taqueria on a somewhat regular basis, and I think that our experience was not an anomaly, I'm not a fan of their carne asada (though people with good taste will disagree).
Carnitas -- I really, really like El Taco Loco #2. La Taqueria also does very good carnitas, a taco dorado with avocado is the way to do it. El Metate and Guadalajara are also good.
Al Pastor -- Again, I like El Taco Loco #2. San Jose is decent, as is La Altena (this is one of the few things I like at La Altena).
Chile Verde -- El Metate and La Palma. On many occasions I will buy a quart of chile verde from La Palma and make that a couple meals on the weekend.
Burritos -- So this has been mostly talk about different meats, but different places have different burrito styles. Again, I'm an El Farolito loyalist, and I like the way they add in a ton of cheese to make an almost quesadilla like burrito. La Taqueria does not add rice (I'm indifferent), and they also steam their tortillas (I do not like this, makes the burrito mushy and gummy). Most places grill tortillas, but I am always wary of those that steam. Personal issue.
Plates -- I separate out in my mind taquerias and places with plates of Mexican food. Besides the mentioned Poc Chuc and Pastores, I think El Delfin is great. I love the mole there, as well as the salsa verde that they use for enchilladas and chilaquilles. Chava's has some good soups and breakfast dishes.
One place I have never been and gets a lot of good press here and elsewhere is La Oaxaquena. I always walk by it, maybe I'll go today for dinner.
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La Taqueria
2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
El Delfin
3066 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Altena Restaurant
3346 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Pastores Restaurant
3486 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Poc Chuc
2886 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Tortas Los Picudos
2969 24th St, San Francisco, CA
El Metate Restaurant
2406 Bryant St, San Francisco, CA
La Oaxaquena
2128 Mission St, San Francisco, CA
Looking for bars/drinks close to Union Square area
Have not been, but Burritt Room opened last month and was written up in Food and Wine:
http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/mouthing-off/2010/6/14/San-Franciscos-New-Burritt-Room
I really like the cocktails at Cantina, and the place is usually never that crowded.
I agree with Rye and Bourbon and Branch, if you go to Bourbon and Branch on Saturday, best to get a reservation -- the Library can get crowded and have slow service. Rye can get very packed or is very empty, can't figure out the crowd system here.
I like the Pied Piper recommendation as well, in a similar vein, the Redwood Room at the Clift Hotel is a beautiful bar, but probably best enjoyed on the Sunday or Monday night -- Saturday can be a scene, in a bad way.
For the past couple of months, I've been going to Smuggler's Cove with a vengeance, not in Union Square but a close cab ride away. Really great tiki bar with a fantastic, rum centric drink list (100+ drinks). You might have to wait in line on Saturday, but for a reason -- they limit the number of people in the bar so that you have space to talk, imagine that. I cannot say enough good things about this place. Probably best for after dinner, since you won't want to leave!
Alembic is a bar that is a longer cab ride away, but for my money, some of the best cocktails in San Francisco. Great food as well, though I see you have dinner plans.
For wine, there are Press Club and the Hidden Vine in Union Square.
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Hidden Vine
620 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Pied Piper Bar
Market New Montgomery, San Francisco, CA 94102
Redwood Room
495 Geary St, San Francisco, CA
Smuggler's Cove
650 Gough St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Burritt Room
417 Stockton St, San Francisco, CA 94108
Best (tasting) meatless hotdogs?
I am referring to the restaurant -- they have the sausages in a cold display case, so I would bet that they would sell them to you in non-cooked form for your bbq (and I could swear I've been to bbq's where they served Rosamunde sausages). Not sure how much they would be, though.
Best (tasting) meatless hotdogs?
Not cheap, but Rosamunde carries three types of vegan sausages -- apple sage, kielbasa, Italian. Always a hit with my vegan / vegetarian friends.
Pate de Fruit?
Any idea on where to pick up good pate de fruit (fruit gelatin candies) in San Francisco (or the Bay Area in general)?
A friend brought me an assortment from Paris (from Calixte, 64 Rue St. Louis) and I am down to my last two. Sadness.
Looking for a recommendation for a hip dinner spot near the Four Seasons in San Francisco
Hip and close:
Gitane
Orson
Barbacco
COCO500
Salt House / Town Hall / Anchor & Hope
As mentioned by Jasmine, the Mission has many, many hip restaurants. In addition to the ones mentioned:
Mission Street Food (only on Thursday and Saturday)
Range
Lolo
Limon
Schmidt's
Bar Bambino
If you are wine drinkers, Bar Bambino or Delfina. If you drink cocktails, Range or Orson.
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Salt House
545 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105
Delfina Restaurant
3621 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Town Hall Restaurant
342 Howard St., San Francisco, CA 94105
Bar Bambino
2931 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
Limon Restaurant
524 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Anchor & Hope
83 Minna Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
Gitane Restaurant & Bar
6 Claude Lane, San Francisco, CA 94108
Mission Chinese Food
2234 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Barbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Bellhaven on Tap?
That is good info, but that was not the place. This is driving me crazy. I am going to call the distributor tomorrow.
Bar or lounge near Jackson Square Saturday night
Quiet bar on Saturday to me means either a hotel bar (like the one at the Omni or the Mandarin Oriental) or a bar at a restaurant (like Alfred's).
3 day food itinerary in San Fran - how does it look?
I agree with the suggestions to check out the Mission one of your nights. Similar vibe as Wicker Park. Many, many good places to eat, including Range, Delfina, Pizzeria Delfina, flour + water, Bar Bambino, Nombe . . . Also, if you like drinks, many, many places, from divey (500 Club, Doc's Clock, Dovre Club) to a bit more polished (Monk's Kettle, Beretta, Range). Range is my neighborhood favorite for cocktails, well edited wine list, and great food.
Re: pizza, I think it is worth your while to check out at least one pizza place in San Francisco. Pizza places have been springing up like weeds, with some very good places. I like flour + water, other people will have other favorites. When I lived in Chicago, I found it a bit difficult to find a non deep dish crust that I liked, though Pizza DOC was very nice.
Re: dim sum, I once went with a friend who was allergic to pork and shellfish, and he ended up eating only Chinese brocolli. It was sad. So I would say skip it. Even with the card ordering system, I think you'll find your selections pretty limited, and some of the the descriptions on the card may not clearly indicate what has pork or shellfish in it. For example, "Radish Cake" will have pork in it. I think the only place that would be safe would be Yank Sing, since communication will be easier. If you don't do dim sum, I can't really think of any "destination" Chinese restaurants in Chinatown, with the exception of Jai Yun. It's prix fixe, and I'm not sure how the would handle food restrictions, maybe some other hounds could elaborate. It is an excellent restaurant, and a decent deal for lunch.
Re: Zuni, I agree that you should try it since you are a fan of roast chicken. It is pretty darn famous, so I think you might want to satisfy your curiosity. I'm in the camp of "It's delcious, but it's just a roast chicken." Others feel very strongly about its merits.
Thinking of Leaving SF for Berkeley or Oakland. Crazy?
Not crazy. I used to live in Berkeley, I now live in San Francisco, but if I eventually get around to buying a place, it will probably be in Berkeley or Oakland.
It's been said multiple times in this thread, but Berkeley Bowl is the best. I never understood how the Whole Foods on Telegraph stayed in business (better parking, I guess). Grocery shopping in San Francisco is a little depressing at times, not because I can't find high quality stuff, but because I know it is cheaper at Berkeley Bowl (especially the produce).
Asian groceries are better in the East Bay than in SF. Pusan Market, Ranch 99, etc.
I agree with the notion that you will probably need a car in the East Bay.
It sounds like you are a fellow Mission-ite, and you are worried about finding a neighborhood in the East Bay that approximates the urban walking feel with all of the shops and restaurants. Check out North Berkeley, Rockridge, and Temescal. There are other great neighborhoods, of course, and I haven't lived in the East Bay in ten years, but these might be a good start.
Also, the BART is faster than you think. We are a bit spoiled in the Mission with the good public transportation, but from other SF neighborhoods, the transit time to the Ferry Building might be longer than coming from Berkeley or Oakland.
Bellhaven on Tap?
I was recently at a bar in San Francisco that had Bellhaven on tap. I was excited because a good friend of mine loves this beer. The trouble, though, is that I have now forgotten the place. Maybe from too many Bellhavens.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Best Kalbi in SF? SF-bay?
Korean BBQ in San Francisco proper is not particularly noteworthy. The two places I think of are Han Il Kwan and Brothers. I like Han Il Kwan a little better. I have been to Wooden Charcoal House a handful of times, don't remember too much about it.
Oakland has a few solid places: Ohgane, Koryo, and Sam Won, in about that order. If you are a non Korean and go to Koryo, you *might* get spotty service.
If you are ever back in Chicago, check out Chicago Kalbi and Woo Chon, both good places. Also, Hai Woon Dae is great. San Soo Gap San has its charms, mainly that it is open twenty four hours and they give you giant heaps of food.
Papalote Mexican Grill, SF - go or avoid?
I eat at Papalote once in a while, when I feel like eating a burrito and being healthy at the same time. I think the main draw is the fact that have several vegan options, while most other taquerias have only one, if that.
As people have mentioned, the best thing about this place is the salsa. I also like the fish tacos here. Everything else is average to me. Clean, but average. Sort of like La Corneta.
bar near frances?
Blush! is a newish wine bar in the neighborhood, on Castro in between 17th and 18th. Quiet spot, good for conversation, a lot of seats.
For a divier place, Lucky 13 on Market is always fun, many beers on tap and by the bottle.
Starbelly is going to be a tough place to grab a drink, most of the people at the bar are eating. If you give it a shot, they have a very nice Cabernet-Sangiovese blend from Baja California, of all places.
Dinner/Drinks for 2 single ladies? SF
The bar at Hotel Vitale, Americano, is very lively (maybe overly so). Especially if the weather is nice. And especially on Friday. Cocktails are of the standard variety, have not tried the food.
I could be wrong, but since you are interested in meeting people, it sounds like you want a bar that serves good food (instead of a restaurant). Or maybe a restaurant with a good bar scene (eat dinner, hang out at the bar after).
Orson in SOMA may fit the bill. A modern, dramatic space. The drinks are great, though I have not eaten there.
Beretta has good cocktails, decent pizza, a very decent risotto. And a big communal table to facilitate interaction with other people.
Bruno's has been getting a lot of love for the food that they have been serving lately. The bar scene is not to everyone's taste, but it is busy.
Maybe a wine bar? I have had some good bites and wine at Ottimista in the Marina, and people are out and about. Bar Bambino in the Mission is another choice, but I don't get the vibe that people are there to meet new people (unlike Ottimista).
For something on the divier side, Bender's in the Mission serves some pretty mean burgers and fish tacos in the bar. Zeitgeist has a great open area and bbq if the weather is nice (but it can get very crowded).
A Chez Panisse question
I also vote downstairs over cafe for Chez Panisse. The only place of the three you mention that serves lunch on the weekend is Zuni. So Zuni for lunch, Chez Panisse and Perbacco for dinner. Enjoy your trip to San Francisco!
Montreal Smoked Meat
More great info, thanks Melanie. I'm not sure how I'm going to make the trek from my office to 4th and Brannan, but this is on the "to do" list.
Montreal Smoked Meat
I had the regular sandwich with what I think was the mustard barbeque sauce already spread on the roll. There was a reuben hanging out on a warmer / griddle by the cash register. I think it was on rye. It was also on the small side =(
