San Francisco - Alison Bing [127]
SPLIT PEA SEDUCTION Map Soups, Sandwiches $
415-551-2223; www.splitpeaseduction.com; 138 6th St; 7am-3:30pm Mon-Fri; 5, 6, 7, 21, 31, F, J, K, L, M, N; & Civic Center
Right off Skid Row are unexpectedly healthy, homey $8.50 gourmet soup-and-sandwich combinations, including seasonal soups like potato and housemade pesto with a signature crostata (open-faced sandwich), such as cambozola cheese and nectarine drizzled with honey.
PATISSERIE PHILIPPE Map Bakery $
415-558-8016; www.patisseriephilippe.com; 655 Townsend St; 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat; 19, 42, N, T
Pastries lighter than air that won’t leave a dent in your wallet. Come for the impeccable ham-and-cheese croissant or classic quiche Lorraine, but ignore that European glass counter or you’ll skip straight to dessert of tarte tatin loaded with caramelized sweet-tart apples. The secret is top-quality local ingredients, with Meyer lemon delivering tang to tarts and premium butter making that $1 bag of cookies a decadent investment.
TU LAN Map Vietnamese $
415-626-0927; 8 6th St; 11am-9:30pm Mon-Sat; 5, 6, 7, 21, 31, F, J, K, L, M, N; & Civic Center
Sidewalks don’t get skankier than the one you’ll be waiting on, but try complaining after your heap of velvety Vietnamese chicken curry or tangy tomato-onion prawns. One dish under $10 easily fills two starving artists.
RAINBOW GROCERY Map Groceries $
415-863-0620; www.rainbowgrocery.org; 1745 Folsom St; 9am-9pm; 12
The legendary cooperative attracts masses to buy eco/organic/fair-trade products in bulk, drool over the bounty of local cheeses, and flirt in the hemp-based skincare aisle. To have your questions about where to find what in the Byzantine bulk section answered, ask a fellow shopper – staff can be elusive.
Return to beginning of chapter
THE MISSION & POTRERO HILL
There’s more to the Mission than burrito wars and naked California culinary ambition. Between Mission and Dolores Sts, 16th St is bustling with affordable restaurants, from Pakistani to Vietnamese. Other eclectic dining awaits discovery around Valencia and Guerrero Sts at the corners of 21st and 22nd Sts, and along Mission St between 16th and 24th. For authentic Mexican taquerias and tamale parlors off the beaten path, head into el corazon del Mission (the heart of the Mission), east of Mission St along 24th St.
DELFINA Map Californian $$$
415-552-4055; www.delfinasf.com; 3621 18th St; dinner; 14, 26, 33, 49, J; 16th St Mission;
Simple yet sensational seasonal California cuisine: Sonoma duck with Barolo-roasted cherries, wild nettle tagliatelle pasta, profiteroles with coffee gelato and candied almonds. Since this is the one California-cuisine restaurant all of SF’s picky eaters agree on, it’s always packed; make reservations and arrive prepared to wait, or settle for next-best Delfina Pizza next door.
FOREIGN CINEMA Map Californian $$$
415-648-7600; www.foreigncinema.com; 2534 Mission St; dinner nightly, brunch Sat & Sun, bar to 2am; 14, 26, 48, 49; 24th St Mission;
Reliably tasty dishes like seared scallops with pancetta or pork tenderloin with tart cherries and olives are the main attractions, but Luis Buñuel and François Truffaut provide an entertaining backdrop with movies screened in the courtyard, and subtitles you can follow when the conversation lags.
RANGE Map Californian $$
415-282-8283; www.rangesf.com; 842 Valencia St; dinner; 14, 26, 33, 49, J; 16th St Mission;
Fine American dining is alive and well within Range. Lowly pork shoulder becomes an eye-opener rubbed with coffee and served with bafflingly smooth grits, and bread pudding becomes a main event baked to velvety perfection with local radish sprouts and gooey Gruyère. Although the beer fridge is a repurposed medical cabinet ominously emblazoned with the words ‘Blood Bank,’ no resuscitation will be necessary after you get the check – mains are priced