San Francisco - Alison Bing [133]
AXUM CAFE Map Ethiopian $
415-252-7912; www.axumcafe.com; 698 Haight St; dinner; 6, 7, 22, 71, N;
When you’ve got a hot date with a vegan, the hunger of an athlete, and/or the salary of an activist, Axum’s vegetarian platter for two with spongy injera bread is your saving grace. Dig in with your bare hands, and try not to hog the lip-tingling red lentils and mellow yellow chick peas.
LITTLE CHIHUAHUA Map Mexican $
415-255-8225; www.thelittlechihuahua.com; 292 Divisadero St; 11am-10pm Mon-Wed, 11am-11pm Thu & Fri, 10am-11pm Sat, 10am-10pm Sun; 6, 7, 24, 71
Who says sustainable, organic food has to be chi-chi and French? Charbroiled tomatillos, sustainable fish, Niman Ranch meats and organic veggies add up to sensational fresh flavor, packed into $4 tacos and $6 burritos.
ROSAMUNDE SAUSAGE GRILL Map Sausages $
415-437-6851; 545 Haight St; 11:30am-10pm; 6, 7, 22, 71, N
Impress a dinner date with $10: load up classic Brats or duck-fig links with complimentary roasted peppers, grilled onions, whole-grain mustard and mango chutney, and enjoy with your choice of 100 beers at Toronado next door.
COLE VALLEY CAFE Map Cafe $
415-668-5282; www.colevalleycafe.com; 701 Cole St; 6:30am-8pm Mon-Fri, 7am-8:30pm Sat & Sun; 6, 7, 33, 37, 43, 71, N;
Powerful coffee, free wi-fi, and hot gourmet sandwiches that are a bargain at any price – let alone $6 for lipsmacking thyme-marinated chicken with lemony avocado spread, or the smoky roasted eggplant with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes. Chef/owner Jawad knows the entire neighborhood by name and lunch order, and has a kind word for everyone.
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK PIZZA Map Pizza $
415-668-5577; www.escapefromnewyorkpizza.com; 1737 Haight St; 11:30am-midnight Sun-Thu, to 2am Fri & Sat; 6, 7, 33, 37, 43, 71, N;
The Haight’s obligatory mid-bender stop for a hot slice. Pesto with roasted garlic and potato will send you blissfully off to carbo-loaded sleep, but the sundried tomato with goat cheese, artichoke hearts and spinach will recharge you to go another round.
Return to beginning of chapter
HAYES VALLEY
Shoe-shoppers and Sunday brunchers throng Hayes Valley at weekends, but during the week you might have your choice of tables – at least until the opera or symphony let out. The blocks of Market St between Van Ness Ave and Octavia Blvd are included in this section as well.
ZUNI CAFE Map Californian $$$
415-552-2522; www.zunicafe.com; 1658 Market St; 11:30am-11pm Tue-Thu, 11:30am-midnight Fri & Sat, 11am-11pm Sun; 6, 7, 71, F
Gimmickry is for amateurs – Zuni has been turning basic menu items into gourmet staples since 1979. Reservations and fat wallets are necessary, but the see-and-be-seen seating is a kick and the food is beyond reproach: organic-beef burgers on focaccia, Caesar salad with house-cured anchovies, crispy roasted free-range chicken with horseradish mashed potatoes, and impeccable chocolate pudding.
DESTINO Map Nuevo Latino $$
415-552-4451; www.destinosf.com; 1815 Market St; dinner; 6, 7, 71, F;
Your tastebuds will think tectonic plates have shifted at this Peru-meets-California bistro, starring ahi ceviche with organic mango and achiote oil, duck breast with bacon-plantain cakes and passionfruit Pisco sour cocktails.
BAR JULES Map Californian $$
415-621-5482; www.barjules.com; 609 Hayes St; dinner Tue-Sat, lunch Wed-Sat, brunch Sun; 5, 21
Small, local and succulent is the credo at this corridor of a neighborhood bistro. The short daily menu thinks big with flavor-rich, sustainably minded pairings like local duck breast with farro, an abbreviated but apt local wine selection and the dark, sinister ‘chocolate nemesis.’ There are no reservations, and waits are a given – but so is simple, tasty food.
SUPPENKüCHE Map German $
415-252-9289; www.suppenkuche.com; 525 Laguna St; dinner daily, brunch Sun; 6, 7, 21, 71
Feast on housemade Bratwurst sausages and spaetzle oozing with cheese, and toast your new friends at the unvarnished communal table with a 2L glass boot of draft beer – then come back tomorrow to cure inevitable hangovers with