Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [101]
Little Star Pizza ★★, 846 Divisadero St. (at McAllister St.; 415/441-1118; www.littlestarpizza.com; bus no. 5 or 24), may be on a dreary strip of busy Divisadero Street and feel like a bohemian speakeasy with its dark colored walls, low ceilings, and jukebox, but this joint is cranking out some of the best pizza in town (pictured right). You’re likely to have to wait for a seat at one of the well-spaced tables and you may have to strain to chat over the music and dining din, but there’s little I wouldn’t endure for one of Little Star’s deep dish cornmeal-crust pizzas ($11–$22). Rather than inches of dough, these pies are thin and crisp with high sides that coddle fillings such as chicken, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, red bell peppers, sausage, and feta. These babies take about 25 minutes to bake, which is a great excuse to order chicken wings and a glass of wine for the wait. The place serves dinner Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday from 5 to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11pm, and is closed on Mondays. Note: There’s a second location in the Mission District at 400 Valencia St. at 15th Street ( 415/551-7827).
Zuni Café ★★ MEDITERRANEAN Zuni Café embodies the best of San Francisco dining: Its clientele spans young hipsters to hunky gay guys, the cuisine is consistently terrific, and the atmosphere is electric. Its expanse of windows overlooking Market Street gives the place a sense of space, despite the fact that it’s always packed. For the full effect, stand at the bustling, copper-topped bar and order a glass of wine and a few oysters from the oyster menu (a dozen or so varieties are on hand at all times). Then, because of course you made advance reservations, take your seat in the stylish exposed-brick two-level maze of little dining rooms or on the patio. Then do what we all do: Splurge on chef Judy Rodgers’s Mediterranean-influenced menu. Although the ever-changing menu always includes meat (such as hanger steak), fish (grilled or braised on the kitchen’s wood grill), and pasta (tagliatelle with nettles, applewood-smoked bacon, butter, and Parmesan), it’s almost sinful not to order her brick-oven-roasted chicken for two with Tuscan-style bread salad. I rarely pass up the polenta with mascarpone and a proper Caesar salad. But then again, if you’re there for lunch or after 10pm, the hamburger on grilled rosemary focaccia bread is a strong contender for the city’s best. Whatever you decide, be sure to order a stack of shoestring potatoes.
1658 Market St. (at Franklin St.). 415/552-2522. www.zunicafe.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $10–$19 lunch, $15–$29 dinner. AE, MC, V. Tues–Thurs 11:30am–11pm; Fri–Sat 11:30am–midnight; Sun 11am–11pm. Valet parking $10. Bus: 6, 7, or 71. Streetcar: All Market St. streetcars.
Inexpensive
Frjtz Fries ★ BELGIAN Although they serve great sandwiches and salads, Frjtz is best known for its addictively crisp french fries, piled high in a paper cone (how Euro) and served with a barrage of exotic dipping sauces such as chipotle rémoulade and balsamic mayo. I’m also a fan of their crepes—try the grilled rosemary chicken and Swiss cheese—their big, leafy salad, or the chunky focaccia sandwich packed with roasted peppers, red onions, pesto mayo, grilled eggplant, and melted Gorgonzola. Wash it down with creamy Chimay Belgian ale. Note: There’s a second Frjtz Fries at 590 Valencia St. (at 17th St.; 415/863-8272) in the Mission.
581 Hayes St. (at Laguna St.). 415/864-7654. www.frjtzfries.com. Reservations not accepted. Fries $3–$4.50; crepes $5–$8; sandwiches $7–$8.25. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon–Thurs 11am–10pm; Fri–Sat 11am–midnight; Sun 11am–9pm. Bus: 21.
Tommy’s Joynt AMERICAN With its colorful mural exterior, it’s hard to miss Tommy’s Joynt, an over-60 (years and clientele) haven for cholesterol-be-damned holdouts from America’s halcyon days and a late-night favorite for those in search of a cheap and hearty meal. The restaurant’s exterior is tame in comparison to the interior, which looks like a Buffalo Bill museum that imploded: a wild collage of stuffed