It's Our Life! Don't You Forget!

Cheap Eats | Dinner Favorites | Fine Dining

Cheap, dirt-cheap and just plain dirty

Burritos: Lunch in a pill. Burritos have replaced chowder-in-bread-bowl as SF's signature culinary icon. Everybody has an opinion as to which is the best (there's a considerable amount of online discussion devoted to the topic), but generally we stay close to home and eat at Cancun Taqueria (Mission and 19th) or El Farolito (Mission and 24th). A former favorite was El Castillito in the Castro (Church and Market, across the street from the Safeway parking lot), and the online cognoscenti consistently rate San Francisco Taqueria (24th and York) at the top. A few tips: if you want to skip the beans and rice, just order a quesadilla; ask for the burrito dorado, tortilla doradita, or "crispy", which just means "grill the outside" -- placing the order gets a little confusing because the trend isn't yet popular enough so that all taquerias call it the same thing; finally, order it "super", with guacamole, sour cream, cheese, etc. There are a wide variety of meats but carnitas (braised pork shoulder) and carne asada (grilled beef) are the flagship fillers. Jiyoun likes al pastor (marinated pork), and with minimal searching you can find eyes, brains, tongues and other unmentionables, but we avoid those for fear of mad cow prions and out of general squeemishness.
Tartine Bakery: Our favorite brunch spot and probably the most popular bakery in town, a few blocks down the street at Guerrero and 18th. Nothing on their menu has disappointed us. If we could exchange Friday night out for an extra Sunday afternoon with bread pudding, coffee and neighborhood friends, we'd make that swap every week. Other standards: the morning bun, grougere (peppery cheese puff) and croque monsieur (pickled carrots!).
Vietnamese food: PPQ (Irving and 19th) and Turtle Tower (Larkin and Eddy) both have great pho (a clear beef broth and rice noodle soup served with thin slices of rare steak) and bun (a rice noodle and crispy veggie medley). Turtle Tower serves the much less common north Vietnamese variation of pho with lighter seasoned broth (no anise, very clean flavors) and a spongy, tenderized rare steak cutlet. Sounds strange, but it's like biting into a cloud of beef. A slice of heaven with horns. Simon also likes their version of beef bourgogne with noodles or bread, and Jiyoun likes their grilled pork. Turtle Tower keeps limited hours, so it's best to go for lunch or breakfast (a good revitalizer after a night out) and to call ahead if you're wanting dinner. They've also recently opened in the Richmond, on Clement Street, but we've only been disappointed at that location; basically the same food but somehow always too salty.
PPQ is open late for supper (until 11 pm most nights) and is where we most often eat dinner out. Bring friends and try multiple dishes. Their imperial rolls, five spice chicken and fish sauce-infused beef carpaccio consistently delight. Jiyoun likes the spicy pho and Simon sticks with the regular pho or bun (pork and shrimp are both great).
In-n-Out: Addressing east coast visitors, here, since this family operated chain extends down the coast and inland into Nevada and Arizona. Fresh ingredients and cooked-to-order beef paddies make their Double-Doubles (two paddies, two slices of cheese) memorable. The paddy and cheese combinations are variable, so a Triple-Double, a Quadruple-Quadruple and so forth are available if you're feeling ambitious. The "in" crowd orders off-menu variations such as "Animal Style" (grilled onions, melted cheese, picles and special sauce) and "Protein Style" (lettuce wrap and no buns). The "out" crowd forgets that it's the freshness of the burger that makes it worthwhile and makes the mistake of ordering takeout. There are conflicting opinions about their fries, which are very natural and potato-ey tasting, and so maybe less flavorful than other burger joints, but Jiyoun and I are fans. Shakes are also good. And for those of you who think that all Californians are west coast heathen liberals, look for Biblical verse citations stamped on the bottom of beverages. That's right, salvation in a cup. Multiple locations: near both airports, Pinole and just north of Sausalito.

Moderately priced meals

Pakwan: For a curry fix. This Pakistani restaurant, at 16th and Valencia, is a brisk walk away from our home. Memorable lamb chops; other dishes are generally pretty good Another plus: BYOB.
Medjool: Neither of us have been here, but I remember either Anthony Myint saying that their veal cheek was "the most tender meat I've ever tasted." This from a man who ages his own beef. Features a roof-top bar. Located at Mission and 21st. Maybe call ahead for reservations.
Koi Palace: Great dim sum, awful service. We think they have they best dumplings (xiao leng bao) in the city. Jason Qin, resident Most Chinese Person We Know Out Here, thinks they're too sweet but agrees that the food in general is pretty great. Offering a greater selection and fresher food than served at the overrated Ton Kiang in the Richmond. The lobby area is a spectacle with a large, tiered aquariums housing spiny lobsters and geoducks. When ordering, be persistent and don't take it personally if you're ignored or misunderstood. If going for dinner (not advised), try placing a pre-order for their hashima dish, a stewed-in-the-shell young coconut desert that contains "essence" of frog. Really tasty if you can get around thinking about it. Located in Alemany and requires a short drive south on the 101, but it's close to the freeway exit. You can call ahead for a reservation, but it's unclear what advantage that gives you.
Jang Soo Kalbi: A favorite of Jiyoun's. Considerably better than Brothers, and only a few blocks farther away at Geary and 27th in the Richmond. They have the best neng myun (cold noodles) in the area, in Jiyoun's opinion.

Fine dining

Delfina: The bottom of the top. One of the best bargains for California cuisine, which emphasizes fresh, local ingredients and downplays heavy saucing. As is common with upper end restaurants, Delfina's entrees don't meet the high standards set by their appetizers and desserts, so stick with the small dishes. In the Mission, at 18th and Guerrero. Call ahead.
Bar Tartine: Called a bar but more like a bistro. Recently opened sister restaurant to our favorite bakery. Our friend Anthony works in the kitchen. On our one visit we went in a large group with Anthony and got the royal treatment, a series of really tasty appetizers chosen by the chef. The celery root soup, cheese plate, chevre-filled risotto croquette, and softly poached egg over truffle-oiled frisee and lentils stand out in my mind. The egg itself made the trip worthwhile. I'm working up a lather just thinking about it. The menu changes frequently, it seems, so these suggestions might not help. But maybe still stick with the small dishes. In the Mission on Valencia at 17th; it's a little hard to find because it has no sign. The small bistro across from Bombay Creamery. Call ahead for a reservation.
Chez Panisse: Alice Waters' flagship restaurant, a Berkeley institution, and the home of California cuisine. Also, the gold standard by which all other restaurants in the area are compared. Chez Panisse is divided into two sections -- the downstairs set menu area (60-75 per person, not including wine), and the upstairs cafe and bar, which is more moderately priced (comparable to Delfina, at about 25 per person w/o wine). Reservations for the upstairs cafe might be had on short notice if you're willing to eat during off-peak hours; reservations at the restaurant require early planning and a credit card.