AIDS Walk started out misty and cold on Sunday and bundled up in 2 sweatshirts (one courtesy of Team Williams-Sonoma) we weren’t exactly chipper about walking 6.5 miles in the lounge-around-the-house-in-sweats weather. But we knew that the walk wasn’t about us, it was about fighting AIDS, and so we got over it and pressed on.

Lucky for us AIDS Walk takes place in Golden Gate Park because from our place it was a quick stroll to registration and the opening ceremony. Also lucky for us, we had enough sense to stop at Arizmendi Bakery on our way and enjoyed a warm piece of white peach coffee cake and nursed a medium cup of coffee in between shivers.

Arizmendi Bakery is great for so many reasons—worker-owned bakery, everything is made from scratch, they serve thin crust sourdough pizza with daily toppings changes—but the reason we really like Arizmendi is because they plainly list every ingredient in all of their baked goods.

For those who suffer from food allergies this is huge. We didn’t have to worry that the yummy looking (and yummy tasting) coffee crumble on top of the generous slice of coffee cake might contain almond shavings and therefore kill us before we even got to collect our complimentary AIDS Walk 2008 pin. There are so few ingredients in freshly baked goods and we think that writing down the 4 or 5 items involved is a triple win situation:

It isn’t terribly taxing for Arizmendi to write down a few things, it’s good for our health because who needs more than the required ingredients when eating anything? and it’s really great for food allergists because it means enjoying a new treat doesn’t have to be a near death experience.

Thank you, Arizmendi. You make things so lovely. Oh, and coffee cake with warm peaches: Brilliant.

Arizmendi Bakery [MenuPages]
Arizmendi Bakery [Official Site]

[Photo via infomofo/Flickr]

Got off work kind of late one night last week, rode home like a zombie on the N thinking about what was in store for dinner and decided that it was definitely Chinese food or nothing. The weather had turned and it was all foggy, which for us meant it was time to eat comforting food like noodles. Noodles are always warm and comforting. We have a lot of noodle options in our neighborhood, Hotei being one of the more popular favorites, but we ultimately ended up going to Nan King Road Bistro on 9th between Irving and Judah because we like it and it always surpasses our expectations.

To be honest, Nan King is somewhat mystifying. You'll never really see a whole lot of people inside, but then again you never seem to meet anyone that doesn't like it. In fact, on our way up to the take out counter to place our order we noticed two of our friends seated at a corner table enjoying hot and sour soup and decided to join them instead of being super hermity back home on the couch in sweats eating from a little white container.

The pricing at Nan King is pretty damn reasonable, the food is fresh and we've had several items off the menu now and haven't once been disappointed. Our favorites: Double Happiness, the curry noodles (with chicken) dish and the Hot and Sour soup. That night we all shared the Mongolian Noodles and the Raspberry Chicken, which were both great. The best part is the portions are so large that the three of us were easily able split two dishes and still need a doggy bag (we also ordered a serving of potstickers, but still).

We typically get take-out here and we suspect it's because we don't find the ambiance persuasive enough to dine-in. It's kind of a Disney/Wolfgang Puck faux art deco deal and we're not sure it gives off the right vibe. It doesn't really say Nan King, but then it doesn't really make you want to run for the hills either. It's clean, quiet and dimly lit during dinner which makes for a mostly pleasant experience. In any case, we can vouch for the food, which is really all that matters, right?

Nan King Road Bistro [Menupages]
Nan King Road Bistro [Official Site]
Hotei [Menupages]
Hotei [Official Site]

[Photo via wEnDaLicious/Fickr]

Walking up Valencia heading back to the Inner Sunset after a night of merrymaking, our tired, hungry troop passed one of the sidewalk hot dog vendors grilling up hot dogs and onions like it was nobody’s business.

Us: Seriously, bacon-wrapped hot dogs are a brilliant gastronomic indulgence.
Friend: I haven’t had a hot dog in a really long time.
Us: Yeah. Where the heck do you get a good hot dog in this town when you’re not in the Mission on a Friday night?
Friend: What about the place over on Judah?
Us: [We stop walking. We do that thing where we look up at the sky trying to visualize what we’re thinking about] Right…that place. We need to check it out. A Sap.

And so we did.

Underdog, a couple of blocks before 19th avenue on Judah in the Sunset (yes, “way out” in the Sunset), is really a fabulous discovery for hot dog lovers. Even hot dog lovers that don’t eat hot dogs. This place has something for everyone. Veggie dogs, vegan dogs, chicken dogs, roasted garlic dogs, bratwurst…pigs may be filthy animals, but we’re convinced Underdog could make a believer out of any anti-pork consumer.

Admittedly, this American food fixation we’ve been entertaining for the last week or so is fairly unhealthy so we decided that as yummy as the roasted garlic and herb hot dog sounded, instead we would try out the Veggie-Dog with stone ground mustard, organic sauerkraut and a whole wheat bun. The hot dog was amazing. Really. There was only one moment of pause when we considered checking out the possibility of getting a side of barbecue sauce and avocado to go on top of the mustard and kraurt, but we resisted and thoroughly enjoyed the link anyway.

We’re pretty sure after our up-coming week of dieting Underdog is going to become our new favorite guilty pleasure. And yes, next time we’re there we’ll to see if they can possibly wrap our Veggie-Dog in bacon and serve it up with grilled onions.

Underdog [Menupages]
Underdog [Official Site]

Photo: By chotda [Flikr]

Our warmest wishes go out to Cooking With Amy's Amy Sherman, who has been keeping a vigil at UCSF Medical Center for a sick loved one.

Our warmest thanks go out to Sherman, too. A dedicated food blogger, she has not missed the chance to explore and document a section of the city. We hope things turn out well for you and yours, Amy, and in the meantime we urge readers to check out Cooking With Amy's Irving Street Eats.

Pictured below: Beef Rendang from Lime Tree, courtesy of Cooking With Amy

Irving Street Eats [Cooking With Amy]
Lime Tree [MenuPages]
Lime Tree [Official Site]

Case in point: this week's Bar Bites showcases one of the finest little wine bars around: Que Syrah:

Owners Stephanie and Keith McCardell decided to think small. They focus on small wineries around the world, and their 25 seats are arrayed in a vaulted sliver of space so narrow, you can almost touch both sides. Dark wood and a stripped-down mahogany bar - plus some plastic vines that seem to have wandered in from a Billy Joel song - offset white stucco walls in a living-room-hip aesthetic. It's a pleasantly comforting setting in which to wander into uncharted wine territory.

Bar Bites: Que Syrah [SFGate]

[Photo courtesy: Flickr/y4fgsta]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Restaurants in the Sunset.

• Bashful Bull, 1222 Noriega St (At 19th Ave), 415-564-1584

• Andy's, 1358 9th Ave (Btwn Irving and Judah St), 415-661-1803

• ChouChou , 400 Dewey Blvd (At Laguna Honda), 415-242-0960

• Ganges, 775 Frederick St (Btwn 2nd Ave & Stanyan St), 415-681-4355

Well, to be more specific, we're confused by the San Francisco entry on the list: Squat & Gobble Cafe:

This aptly named San Francisco chain of creperies offers quick, in-and-out meals that are easily devoured solo. For a savory snack, try the Mama Mia, a combination of cheddar, mozzarella and cottage cheese, plus onions, spinach, eggplant, tomatoes, mushrooms and walnuts, topped with marinara sauce and parmesan.

Now, to be clear, we really enjoy all locations of Squat & Gobble. They are homey, comfortable and reasonably-priced. However, S&G is nowhere near the caliber of the other restaurants around the world that also find themselves on the list.

To wit: The Bar Room at The Modern is one of the premier, upscale three/four-star dining destinations in Manhattan. The other New York entry, Gotham Bar & Grill, is a popular business lunch spot. DC's Seasons in the Four Seasons Hotel is the perfect place for a lonesome traveler to enjoy a nice meal. Chicago's Park Grill is similarly upscale and in the midst of a travel hub. Even the more casual places on the list, like Boston's Wagamama and London's Itsu, offer communal tables and/or bar seating.

Squat & Gobble, while delicious, is none of these things. We don't remember communal tables last time we went--more of a malleable layout really. And there is no table service per se. And it's not exactly impressive dining. And none of the locations--two in the Haight, one in the Castro and one in West Portal--are exactly convenient to the downtown traveler/businessman.

Can anyone explain this?

Perfect Places To Dine Solo [Forbes]
Squat & Gobble Cafe [MenuPages]
Squat & Gobble Cafe [Official Site]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: West Portal restaurants.

• Bursa Kebab, 60 West Portal Ave (Btwn Vicente & Ulloa St), 415-564-4006

• Fresca, 24 West Portal Ave (At Ulloa St), 415-759-8087

• Mozzarella Di Bufala Pizzeria, 69 West Portal Ave (Btwn Ulloa & Vicente St), 415-661-8900

• Squat & Gobble Cafe, 1 West Portal Ave (At Ulloa St), 415-665-9900

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Restaurants in the Sunset and the Richmond.

• Chapeau, 1408 Clement St (Btwn 15th & 16th Ave), 415-750-9787

• Gaspare's, 5546 Geary Blvd (Btwn 19th & 20th Ave), 415-387-5025

• Great India Restaurant, 6127 Geary Blvd (Btwn 25th & 26th Ave), 415-751-4433

• Park Gyros, 1201 9th Ave (At Lincoln Way), 415-731-0400

• Sunrise Deli, 2115 Irving St (At 22nd Ave), 415-664-8210

• Yum Yum Fish, 2181 Irving St (At 23rd Ave), 415-566-6433

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Restaurants in the Sunset.

• Dragonfly, 420 Judah St (At 9th Ave), 415-661-7755

• Ha's Restaurant, 2333 Irving St (Btwn 24th & 25th Ave), 415-665-6033

• Lakeside Cafe, 2529 Ocean Ave ( Btwn 19th Ave & Junipero Serra Blvd), 415-337-0359

• Noriega Teriyaki House, 1755 Noriega St (At 25th Ave), 415-664-7766

• Olive Garden, 3251 20th Ave (Near Stonestown Galleria), 415-661-6770

• Seniore's Pizza, 2415 19th Ave (At Taraval St), 415-661-2222

• Thai Cottage, 4041 Judah St (Btwn 45th & 46th Ave), 415-566-5311

San Francisco's annual AIDS Walk will take place this Sunday, July 15. It's clearly a fantastic cause, and there aren't many acceptable excuses for not contributing in some way.

If, for some reason (good or bad), you decide not to take a walk for AIDS on Sunday, there are plenty of other ways to make a difference. Among other things, you can make a donation, be a corporate sponsor or volunteer at the walk.

This year, you can even contribute by going out to dinner. On Thursday, July 10, Pasta Pomodoro (Irving location) and UCSF are teaming up to raise money (and awareness) for the AIDS Walk. Upon entering, present this flyer to your server and Pasta P will then send 10% of your bill to AIDS Walk San Francisco. Bring your friends and family.

If you know of any similar AIDS Walk promotions, please don't hesitate to share them here, either via email or in the comments field below.

AIDS Walk San Francisco [Official Site]
Eat at Pasta Pomodoro, Donate to AIDS Walk San Francisco [UCSF News]
Pasta Pomodoro [MenuPages]
Pasta Pomodoro [Official Site]

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Chinese restaurants in and around the Sunset.

• Andy's, 1358 9th Ave (Btwn Irving and Judah St), 415-661-1803

• Hong's Szechuan Restaurant, 3044 Taraval St (Btwn 40th & 41st Ave), 415-665-5648

• Irving Seafood Market, 2130 Irving St (At 22nd Ave), 415-681-3282

• New Tsing Tao Restaurant, 811 Ulloa St ( Btwn West Portal Ave & Claremont Blvd), 415-566-9559

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Restaurants in the Sunset

• ChouChou, 400 Dewey Blvd (At Laguna Honda), 415-242-0960

• Fresca, 24 West Portal Ave (At Ulloa St), 415-759-8087

• Lakeside Cafe, 2529 Ocean Ave (Btwn 19th Ave & Junipero Serra Blvd), 415-337-0359

• Villa D'Este, 2623 Ocean Ave (Btwn 19th Ave & Junipero Serra Blvd), 415-334-0580

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Restaurants in West Portal

• Mozzarella Di Bufala Pizzeria, 69 West Portal Ave (Btwn Ulloa & Vicente St), 415-661-8900

• New Tsing Tao Restaurant, 811 Ulloa St (Btwn West Portal Ave & Claremont Blvd), 415-566-9559

• Round Table Pizza, 243 West Portal Ave (Btwn Vicente St & 14th Ave), 415-566-3566

• Spiazzo Caffe, 33 West Portal Ave (Btwn Vicente & Ulloa St), 415-664-9511

• Squat & Gobble Cafe, 1 West Portal Ave (Btwn Vicente & Ulloa St), 415-665-9900

The thing is, Happy Bakery and Deli is neither a bakery nor a deli. In fact, it's not very happy either.

But my, is it addictive.

With Sunday's big-time write-up in the Chronicle, Ocean Avenue's best undiscovered secret is now teeming on the big time, and Happy Bakery and Deli's soy sauce chicken may be the next food du jour in the city. The Chinese dive, complete with Depression-era prices, thrives on off-the-menu items:

The formal menu, such as it is, consists of about a dozen items, most of them variations on the soy sauce roast duck, chicken and pork. The uninitiated will find the duck, with its glistening skin and tantalizing layer of moist fat, darn tempting, but the soy sauce chicken is a must. Made with chickens touted as being high in protein, low in fat and containing 48 percent less cholesterol than most chickens, they are perhaps the plumpest, juiciest white birds I've ever eaten. The crackling skin hovers over the soft meat, oozing a salty-syrupy soy baste that's so finger-lickin' good I wonder briefly (as Mike Myers did of KFC in the movie "So I Married an Axe Murderer") whether "they put an addictive chemical in it that makes you crave it fortnightly."

Anyway, send us a menu or fax one to (415) 358-5770.

Happy Bakery and Deli, 1548 Ocean Ave, (415) 337-8198

Today's Special: Happy Bakery Soy Sauce Chicken [SFGate]

[Photo courtesy: Kurt Rogers/SFGate]

Now that we're getting some nice weather [Ed: 54 degrees and cloudy?], I really enjoy spending a long day just hanging out in Golden Gate Park with my boyfriend. But last week, we didn't know where to go for lunch and ended up going to some not-so-great chain sandwich store. So, can you recommend some good places around the Stow Lake/Big Rec area to have lunch and maybe even a place to grab a nice little early dinner?

Christina in the Mission

Continue reading "Ask MenuPages: Eating Around Golden Gate Park" »

Fresh off nationwide press, Cafe Gratitude is now offering a fancy five-day cleanse for $550. The details are a little murky, but as far as we can tell, the purge combines physical and mental cleansing. Every morning from 8am-9am, you meet in a support group/class where you receive a bag of cleansing goodies like wheat grass, live green juices and internal cleanse teas, among others. Raw food classes are offered as well, though the cleanse must be pretty intense, as some "additional support services" including massage, yoga and colon hydrotherapy (bet you didn't see that one coming!).

Each of the four Cafe Gratitude locations will offer one cleanse a month. So, here in the City, the Irving location will offer one during the month of May, as will the Mission location. Check the website for the specific dates.

Cafe Gratitude [MenuPages]
Cafe Gratitude [official site]

First, San Francisco burritos are made with freshly steamed flour tortillas. The steaming is done with a tortilla steamer, which allows the tortilla to stretch without breaking; more elasticity means more ingredients can be (over) stuffed inside.

Second, San Francisco burritos are wrapped in foil. In NYC, burritos are put in a styrofoam clamshell and eaten with a fork and knife. Yuck. In LA, burritos are usually wrapped in wax paper. But not by the Bay. The foil provides support for the burrito, enabling the burritophile to eat it with his hands, tearing off rings of foil inch by inch.

Third, sheer size. Sure, San Francisco burritos might pale in comparison to this, but the normal size often reaches about 10-12 inches. And it's not just rice and beans filler.

Who's in our Fave Five? Find out after the jump.

Continue reading "Making A List: Burrito Picks" »

Here at MenuPages, we are constantly updating our vast menu database. Every morning, we'll highlight five or so menu updates to bring you the latest in San Francisco culinary upheaval.

Today's updates: Good, forgotten restaurants in exile the Sunset (and surrounding areas).

• ChouChou, 400 Dewey Blvd (At Laguna Honda), 415-242-0960

• Dragonfly, 420 Judah St (At 9th Ave), 415-661-7755

• Fresca, 24 West Portal Ave (At Ulloa St), 415-759-8087

• Pomelo, 92 Judah St (At 6th Ave), 415-731-6175

• Thanh Long, 4101 Judah St (At 46th Ave), 415-665-1146

Dear MenuPages,

A Nervous Tarantino Fan

Continue reading "Ask MenuPages: The Portal To Love" »