So yesterday 7x7 posted the results of its readers' poll for San Francisco's best everything in food and drink. Some highlights:

Gary Danko took best overall/best service
Boulevard took best classic
Bacar took best wine list
A 16 took best first date
Citizen Cake took best dessert
Nick's Crispy Tacos took best meal under $15

Most of these choices seem fine, if a bit subjective, but there's one on which we have to question the judgement of 7x7's readers. Best Mexican: La Taqueria. Really? They've got great tacos, but overall best Mexican? Highly questionable. We'll refer you to the experts at Burritoeater for a discussion.

One thing that jumps to mind, aside from one's own personal opinion of La Taqueria's popularity, is, if Nick's Crispy Tacos got best meal under $15 and meals at La Taqueria are under $15, and Nick's Crispy Tacos is also a Mexican Joint, well, which is it, 7x7 readers?

We'd be very interested to know what Menupages SF readers think of as best Mexican in SF.

Meanwhile, the 7x7 list is quite a bit of fun, and we're glad they put it together, especially because it comes opposite the weeklies' lists, both of which go up in the summer.

Eat and Drink Awards 2008 [7x7]

Wow, this storm is kicking San Francisco's ass. You may not want to take the advice in the last post, unless you're already home or if you live really close. Also, don't take the advice about taping the windows. MP South Florida editor Carolina Bolado says that doesn't work. And she should know, having survived an honest-to-God hurricane.

What you want to do, we think, is to stay put. Maybe you have a blanket and a couch in the office, maybe you get a hotel room, but it's probably best not to travel right now. With that in mind, we've reprinted, after the jump, a post from earlier this season.

The best place to watch the city fall apart under the weight of all this rain water and wind would likely be from the top of a solid building downtown. Preferably one that serves martinis. Click below to get a list of our favorites:

Continue reading "The Weather System That Ate San Francisco" »

Wow, San Francisco, is this weather the pits or what? The Chronicle reported at about 11:30 a.m. that SFO had 1.34" of rain in the last 24 hours. Ben Lomond had the high with 7.04." Winds are gusting like crazy, trees are falling everywhere, including one that apparently got onto the BART tracks. A person even got trapped under a Muni bus at West Portal somehow.

Today would be a good day to play sick, if you haven't already. Golden Gate Transit suspended bus and ferry service today. Traffic stopped on freeways area-wide while gusts of up to 80 mph in some places downed trees and messed up public transportation, especially ferries. From the Chron:

The nasty conditions forced officials to cancel service on the Alameda Bay Harbor Ferry this morning, which runs from Alameda to San Francisco, as well as the Alameda/Oakland Ferry to and from San Francisco. Officials also canceled several runs on the Vallejo Baylink Ferry, and are unsure whether they will be able to resume service for the later runs.

Over on The Snitch, the folks at the SF Weekly have re-published the scariest Caltrans freeway traffic map ever. Remember, the black means traffic is stopped.

You know what this means? That's right. Delivery. You go home right now (it'll take you long enough), you pick up those Netflix, you put the kettle on, tape (or board) up the windows and then click here. You know why? This is a list of delivery restaurants, organized by neighborhood in San Francisco. God bless Menupages, eh?

Winds, rain wreak havoc - ferries, Golden Gate Transit buses halted [SF Chronicle]
Human Trapped Under MUNI Bus, Winds Flip Tractor Trailer - News on the "New Year's Storm of 2008" [The Snitch]

If you live in the Bay Area, you've had to play tour guide at least once. With San Francisco tours, there are two givens. First, your chubby Midwest visitors will be wearing shorts in the dead of summer, despite your warnings that summers in San Francisco are rife with 50 degree weather, ceaseless fog belts and a refreshing freezing offshore breeze.

The second sure thing is that they'll want to see the (in)famous Fisherman's Wharf, also known as the biggest culinary wasteland in the best food city in the nation.

Enter Making A List. Assuming the $150 tasting menu at Michelin-starred Gary Danko is out of the question, here are our picks for the best places to eat in Fisherman's Wharf. So avoid the overpriced fish restaurants, ignore the temptation to try Lieutenant Dan's Drunken Shrimp at Bubba Gump and check out our picks.

Super-great recommendations, post-jump ...

Continue reading "Making A List: Surviving The Tourists Edition" »

The passing of Labor Day means the end of summer, which means the arrival of fall, which in turn means ... oysters! Before we check out the best raw bars to indulge in the wonders of Ostrea conchaphila, here are some fun facts with which to impress your friends, colleagues and fellow shellfish-lovers.

• Most oysters around the Bay are Pacific oysters that were introduced from Japan.

• Oysters have gills and breathe like fish.

• The maxim that says one must only eat oysters in months that end in "R" is a myth, thanks largely to the advancement in refrigeration technology.

• Oysters have feet.

Now that you have some conversation starters, here are some suggestions for finding the freshest raw oysters in town:

Continue reading "Scanning The Menu: Oysters" »

Nothing says summer quite like throwing the better part of your face into a big chunk of crisp, juicy, tasty watermelon. Along with iced tea, stone fruit and maybe basil, watermelon is the epitome of summer seasonal goodness. Of course, being in the gastronomical mecca that is the Bay Area, local restaurants--including two of the city's newest in Spruce and Bossa Nova--have no problem taking watermelon above and beyond the pedestrian by-the-slice picnic fare.

So, without any further ado, here are some places to find the best watermelon dishes in the city, from cold soups and micro-green-laden salads to frou-frou desserts and rum-laced cocktails:

Continue reading "Scanning The Menu: Watermelon" »

Dually inspired by yesterday's offal post and a recent thread on Chowhound, we are turning our scanners towards the wonders of beef stomach lining: tripe. Though pork and sheep tripe are produced, beef tripe is probably the most common variety in the kitchens of San Francisco. It's usually made from three chambers of the four-chambered cow stomach and is prepared in a plethora of ways, ranging from poached sausage (Andouille) in France to stewed in Africa to fried in Mexico.

Since the Chowhound post offers up plenty of tripe options, we'll try to stay original. So, here are some (non-Incanto, non-Chinese and non-Mexican) tripe picks for the offal-craving San Franciscan:

Continue reading "Scanning The Menu: Tripe" »

Our favorite list and map blog, the always fun Gridskipper, has released a short list of San Francisco's best hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The list of six includes Split Pea Seduction (representing the ritz and glamour that is Sixth Street), Specs 12 Adler Museum, Connecticut Yankee, Sam Woh, Ryoko and Emmy's Spaghetti Shack.

We can't argue with the picks, but since we also have a penchant for diving, we've got a couple additions:

• Saigon Sandwiches: There must be a bahn mi place on the list and SS is our choice for a spicy combo sandwich.

• Jai Yun: Yes, it's expensive. Yes, it's unlike the others on the list, but fits the moniker of "hole in the wall" restaurant (but not "dive"). It's one of those places you wouldn't know about unless you knew.

• Java House: Not so much a whole in the wall as a shack on the pier, Java House has been serving up burgers, dogs and beer to its faithful for as long we remember.

• Yamo: The Burmese gem on 18th and Mission has developed quite the following, particularly on Chowhound.

• Delicious Mission taqueria of your choice. It's not a dive list unless there's a Mexican joint somewhere.

What other hole in the wall places should be on the list? We welcome your comments. For more dives, check out Dive, the best food blog for local holes in the wall.

SF's Best Hole in the Wall Restaurants [Gridskipper SF]

[Photo courtesy: the conspicuously absent Dive]

In case you haven't noticed, it's summer, and from our several years of Los Angeles living, we can't think of many more quintessentially summer food items than fish tacos. They're light, refreshing and cheap, yet simultaneously satiate your cravings for greasy fried food and/or Mexican food. It's almost as if fish tacos are some sort of super food.

We digress.

For some reason, first-class fish tacos (despite their southern California copiousness and their easy preparation) are oddly scarce in the Bay Area. But there are delicious--though maybe not as good as our southern neighbors--fish tacos to be found in th city. So, with the help of our handy Find-A-Food apparatus, we're going fish taco-ing, after the jump. Join us, would you?

Continue reading "Scanning The Menu: Fish Tacos" »

You've encountered the great SF paradox. The place you are looking for does not exist. Water, view, and tastiness exist in inverse relations to each other.

Our additions to the list, after the jump.

Continue reading "Making A List: Food With A View" »

In the SFC, summer means frigid fog, Giants losses, street festivals, funnel cakes at IHOP and ... "Best of" lists!

We already hit on SF Weekly's list earlier this month; here's San Francisco Magazine's list of the best comfort foods that are only offered once a week in their respective restaurants, with SF Mag's descriptions.

• Monday: meatballs at A16: "beautifully executed Italian classics with deep, mellow flavor. Paired with a good glass of red, they make Monday blissful"

• Tuesday: bouillabaisse at Mirepoix: "And that’s the fish they ladle out, along with mussels, clams, and a saffron aioli"

• Wednesday: prix fixe at Dry Creek Kitchen: "a hump-day only Family BBQ Night features family-style platters—laden with tri tip, watercress salad, and peach pie"

• Thursday: fried chicken at Magnolia: "fried chicken from free-range, sustainably raised local birds—with local, organic mashed potatoes and greens on the side"

• Friday: cherry cookies at Tea Cake Bakery: "like good old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies that collided with Cherry Garcia"

• Saturday: cherry cola baby back ribs at Home : "rich, sweet, slightly hot"

• Sunday: green beans at Dino's Pizza: "Simmered slowly with white wine, garlic, olive oil, and stewed tomatoes and topped with tangy feta"

The Best of the Bay Area [San Francisco Magazine]

In one of the grander traditions of this fair city of ours, SF Weekly has released its annual "Best Of" list. You can check out the entire list on the official site--and we guess, in print--but we thought we'd share some of our favorite categories (and winners).

Best Burrito (S.F.-Style): El Tonayense taco trucks

Best Burrito (So-Cal Style):La Taqueria

Best Carpaccio: Joe DiMaggio's Italian Chophouse

Best Clam Pie: Pescheria

Best Ferry Building Bargain: $2 sausage on a stick

Best New Dish: Crab and grits at The Front Porch

Best Place to Get a 40 oz. During a Classy Date: Emmy's Spaghetti Shack

San Francisco - Best Of - Food & Drink (2007) [SF Weekly]

A couple days ago, we expressed our puzzlement over Gridskipper's list of restaurants that constitute the "San Francisco diet." Now, we get word of RealTravel's Top Ten Affordable Restaurants in San Francisco. The criteria--only described as "affordable"--is a bit murky. Are these restaurants that present a superior value for the quality of food received? Are they budget destinations?

Here's the list:

1. Park Chow
2. Taqueria Cancun
3. Magnolia
4. Shangri-La
5. Sparky's

The next five, along with our additions, coming up post-jump.

Continue reading "Another List We Don't Quite "Get"" »

But we have to admit, we were a bit perplexed when G'Skip came out with the "San Francisco Diet" list. To be sure, there are some fine institutions. Greens Restaurant is a San Francisco staple and vegeterian cuisine trailblazer. Arizmendi Bakery Cooperative and Tommy's Joynt are both excellent options as well for someone looking for a San Francisco experience. With that said, however, there are some gross absences regarding "where the natives graze."

Our list of additions, coming up:

Continue reading "Gridskipper Presents "The SF Diet" ... Kinda." »

Sometimes, you have cravings. We know this. Hence: Scanning the Menu, a new feature where the MenuPages Blog (and our trusty Find-A-Food search) will do all the leg work for you. Every week or so, we'll highlight a particular crave-worthy dish and illuminate restaurants around the city where you can indulge in it. Suggestions always welcome. This week: black and white cookies.

"The thing about eating the Black and White cookie, Elaine, is you want to get some black and some white in each bite. Nothing mixes better than vanilla and chocolate And yet somehow racial harmony eludes us. If people would only look to the cookie all our problems would be solved." --Seinfeld

As you are probably unaware, today just happens to be Loving Day. Just forty years ago today, the Supreme Court decision in the Loving v. Virginia case made interracial relationships legal. Putting aside the sheer ridiculousness that interracial relationships could possibly be illegal a mere four decades ago, nothing says civil utopia quite like a black and white cookie.

Unfortunately, the East Coast dessert deities are a bit hard to find here in San Francisco, which means that plenty of folks have never tasted the moist, cake-like pastry and the perfect marriage of rich chocolate and slightly-citrusy vanilla that coat it. But have no fear, there are places around the Bay to find adequate versions of the Manhattan classic. Check them out, post-jump.

Continue reading "Scanning The Menu: Black And White Cookies" »

A recent thread on Chowhound has been debating the most "chowish" neighborhoods in San Francisco. The original poster writes, "In an ideal world, I would eat chinese, japanese, mexican, lebanese and vietnamese in a steady rotation ... where to start my search?" The broad question has now spurred over 50 responses, so here's a quick breakdown of the suggested destinations, with some MenuPages input.

Possibility #1: Inner Richmond
• 'Hounds say: "Inner Clement Street pretty much has that mix. No lebanese that I know of, though. Just make sure you buy a monthly bus pass, SF is a good transit city and there are good eats all over town."
• MP says: The Inner Richmond has got most Asian cuisines covered (Burma Superstar, Spices, King of Thai Noodle House), but it's sorely lacking in the taqueria department, and that's quite the shortcoming in a city like San Francisco.
• Added bonus: Russian restaurants: Cinderella Restaurant and Katia's.

Possibility #2: The Mission
• 'Hounds say: "Mission District is Chowhound heaven. You can find Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Middle Eastern, and Vietnamese within a couple of blocks of the 16th St. BART station, along with restaurants of a dozen or more other ethnicities."
• MP says: The Mission is probably the cheap eats haven of the entire Bay. The selection of quality Chinese food may be a bit sparse, but just about everything else is there in spades, from the nation's best Mexican to "hidden" gems like Delfina and Range.
• Added bonus: The nightlife.

Possibility #3: Nob Hill
• 'Hounds say: "I live in Nob Hill, and there isn't much ethnic food here. However, I am very close to Chinatown (cheap veggies and spices!), and I have good nice restaurants within walking distance and pretty good markets (LeBeau, Leonard's). You'll find, too, that you'll revise your sense of what "walking distance" is. I have enjoyed being able to walk to the Whole Foods, Ferry Market, or the Trader Joe's in North Beach and take the cable car home (get a Muni Pass--$45/month for the bus, streetcar, muni rail, and cable car) .. So, I would add my voice to the others--live near transportation."
• MP says: Now this is thinking outside the box. If you can afford to live in Nob Hill, you have to take that opportunity. Yes, cheap eats are practically non-existent, but there is a flurry of fancy restaurants for the taking. With that said though, the above Chowhound has got it right--living in the middle of everything is the way to go. Nob Hill is sandwiched by the Tenderloin, Chinatown and the Western Addition, all of which have wonderful, chowish destinations. Furthermore, it's just a streetcar ride away from both the downtown hub and the Richmond strip.

Best CH 'hood in SF. Might be moving... [Chowhound]

For those who may not know, Ethiopian cuisine traditionally consists of wat (a thick stew) served on top of a spongey flatbread called injera. The injera is then used to scoop of the tender, spicy pieces of meat and vegetables.

Our five favorite Ethiopian restaurants, after the jump.

Continue reading "Making A List: Ethiopian, SF's Forgotten Cuisine" »

With a little help from our Windy City brethren, we couldn't help but notice that Food Technology--a print magazine that "provides news and analysis of the development, use, quality, safety, and regulation of food sources, products, and processes"--released a list of the Top 10 Food Trends of 2007. At the top of the list is "Dining In," which has resulted from "economic pressures" that make diners less likely to eat in restaurants. The entire Top 10 is as follows:

1. Dining In: Economic pressures are among the factors causing Americans to eat and cook more dishes at home.
2. Food Talk: Word-of-mouth has become a key factor in the success of new food products. Celebrity chefs are encouraging more adventuresome cooking.
3. Form & Function: Reducing the number of steps in food preparation is a surefire way to increase product sales.
4. Sense Appeal: There's a new trend toward texture, crispness, and crunch.
5. Kidding Around: The number of young children is growing; baby foods are even taking on gourmet cache.
6. Doing Without: Avoidance behavior is accelerating, and products without undesirable ingredients are viewed favorably.
7. Local Motions: Fresh is the most desired attribute, but foods marketed as local, seasonal, hand-made, natural, and similar, are increasing.
8. Seriously Healthy: Shoppers' desire to reduce the risk of developing health conditions has a lot of influence on food purchasing decisions.
9. Next-Generation Beverages: Drinks set the pace in U.S. sales and innovation.
10. Snacking & Sharing: Light meals, after-school socializing, and other influences make snacks and mini-meals a hot opportunity for restaurants.

Didn't Local Motions start to shine a couple years ago in most major areas? Or is the food industry just continuing to reach new heights in the slow food arena?

Is it just us, or could numbers five through eight have been combined into one trend called "Healthier, Better Ingredients"?

Top 10 Food Trends Mirror Americans' Variety [IFT]

In his most recent blog entry, Chronicle food guru/restaurant critic Michael Bauer highlights the conspicuous absence of yakitoris and izakayas in the San Francisco dining scene. He also lambasts the cookie-cutter nature of the city's Chinese, Thai and Indian restaurants while bemoaning the lack of non-taqueria Mexican restaurants. The commenters have overwhelmingly voted bagels as the missing culinary piece to the city, so excluding bagels, here's our list of what's missing from San Francisco.

5. BBQ: Yeah, there's Big Nate's Barbeque (Go Warriors) and Memphis Minnie's BBQ, but neither are anything close to being destination spots. Give us a place with smokey ribs, succulent pulled pork and homemade corn bread and we'll call it a day. As a whole, the Bay Area is really lacking good barbecue; what gives? Even LA has got us beat here ...

Continue reading "Making A List: Bay Area Shortcomings" »

A month ago, we celebrated the commencement of National Grilled Cheese Month. Today, we ring in National Hamburger Month.

1.) Who says Americans don't value their health?

2.) Who comes up with these national months?

Anyway, here are our picks for burger destinations around our fair city. Enjoy.

Continue reading "Scanning The Menu: Burgers" »

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" »

Continue reading "Making A List: Unearthing Japantown's Gems" »

• Sam's Grill: Since 1867, Sam's has been a powerlunch destination for financial types. All the standards are here: tuxedoed waiters, curtained booths, sourdough and red sauces, Salisbury steaks and even a surly host or two.

More after the jump.

Continue reading "Making A List: Old-School San Francisco" »