San Francisco’s reigning porn epicenter Kink.com has been really good about keeping its three or so daily porn shoots on the DL. So good in fact, that the building’s 38,000-square-foot “drill room” may play host to “community banquets, film festivals, farmers markets and youth sports events” before year’s end. The drill room is separate from the rooms where Kink’s porn activity goes down, so neighbors have recently become receptive to the idea. If the new community center function is approved by the Planning Department, veggie vendors could be rolling in record proximity to Kink’s vats of lube before year’s end. [Examiner]
forming roots in the green community as a member of the EcoTuesday Meetup group
Starting with my discovery of gardening and cooking a few years ago, hobbies which quickly have become my new passions, I began to learn more about farming and the importance of implementing sustainable practices in order to keep our environment clean and our food supply safe. As a natural consequence, my interest and curiosity expanded beyond my own back yard; now I’m passionate about learning more about environmentalism and sustainable practice as it impacts every aspect of our lives. I’m passionate about living green! And in that spirit, I’ve resolved this year to deepen my involvement in the green community and to meet others with similar passions.
That’s why I joined EcoTuesday as a member, and I look forward to becoming a regular participant in their events.
What is EcoTuesday? Put simply, it’s a monthly networking event for professionals of any field with an interest in sustainability and living green. You can find out more by following this link. I love that while everyone shares this abiding passion for the environment, the group encompasses people of all walks of life, approaching green issues from any and all angles. From chemists to venture capitalists, from marketers to construction workers (and graphic designers like me) you could meet anyone at these events, and the synergy that erupts from that is an exciting thing. When people create and build bridges, good things happen. And there are lots of good people at these events.
Tonight was no exception. It was the 5-Year anniversary party for EcoTuesday and the event was held at the Bently Reserve in the Financial District of San Francisco. And I met some cool people. Among them:
- An entrepreneur and foodie, in the process of getting investors for a business incubator. Her goal, a commercial kitchen that could be shared by any number of home cooks who want to make a business of their passion but don’t have a lot of start-up capital. It’s a dream of building an economy of scale and sharing resources so that talented people can make a start in a challenging economy with minimal risk.
- A chemist, ready to start researching ways to use chemistry to improve consumer products by finding replacements for toxins used in the manufacturing process, and finding ways to reuse waste and trash by transforming it chemically.
- The makers of Mamma Chia, an organic beverage made from the chia seed.
- Organizers of the Green Film Festival, the Bay Area’s only festival dedicated to films and new forms of media that explore green issues and sustainable living.
- My buddy T who represents Dharma, a green credit card processing company during the week and farms on the weekend, in Petaluma!
It was a great night, with a great speaker, Brian Back, of Sustainable Industries Magazine who provided great insight as to how the playing field is changing for corporations and small businesses, encouraging us to find new approaches to innovation through creative partnerships with one another. I look forward to going to more of these events, learning more about sustainability and environmentalism and above all, I look forward to making new, green friends.
this is the start of something, learning to farm in Petaluma
On my friend's farm in Petaluma. . .
Moving to San Francisco some 10 years ago changed my life. More to the point, it opened-up my life. I blossomed here.
My dad was a gardener by vocation, and avocation. Green was in my genes but I’d never tried gardening as a kid. . . I just didn’t know it yet. I loved to draw, though. . .
Moving to San Francisco, I discovered truly great food. Great ingredients. Now, I wanted to find out more about the source of my food. I wanted to make it myself. I became selective about the food I chose. I started going to farmers markets.
I also moved into an apartment with unused space in the lot behind. I took it over, with the blessing of the neighbors. I had the idea I’d start an ornamental garden. I taught myself to garden by digging in the dirt every day. I grew to understand the plants by watching them, season to season, year by year.
Understanding plants and developing an appreciation for food have become essential parts of my life. It’s only natural that I would want to explore the area in which they overlap and, that’s farming. Enter my dear friend T-.
We’re on a similar trajectory, T- and I. Having never had much experience either, he’s developed his passion for farming only within the past few years, and how quickly and easily he’s succumbed to it. A fellow San Francisco resident, he’s found a way to rent a plot in distant Petaluma, which he tends as often as he can get away, getting his plant-starts established in his kitchen growing station. He’s graciously invited me to help him in his grand endeavor, and now I have a new home away from home.
Stay tuned for more posts from the farm. This is the start of something. . .
Here’s a video I find inspiring. It neatly sums up the lure of the farm, and suggests why it is that so many people nowadays are going back to their roots, by learning how to grow their own food.
heirloom carrots!
..
egyptian beets!
..
egyptian beets!
..
pumpkin!
..
the Petaluma farm
18 reasons, and the coffee-tasting
Blind coffee tasting at 18 Reasons, San Francisco
18 Reasons is a non-profit organization located in the heart of the gourmet gulch in the Mission. It’s an organization that we here at MUS•e•YUM have grown to love. The group is dedicated to bringing the people of the community together, using food and food production as the thread that binds. In the tradition of family, friends & neighbors gathering around the table to share a meal and each other’s company, 18 Reasons hosts events that teach, enlighten, enliven and delight. I’ve met a lot of quality folk here, it’s just that kind of place. Here’s the Mission Statement:
18 Reasons brings people together to deepen our relationship to food and each other. Through an innovative community center and thought-provoking, fun programming, we inspire action and foster collaboration toward creating a just and sustainable food system.
18 Reasons has several events per month, of dizzying variety. Want to learn how to make cheese at home? How about a multi-course meal, each dish prepared with, and paired with, Chinese teas? Maybe you’ve had the desire to try urban farming (and you can) and didn’t know where to begin? 18 Reasons and their community of eaters and producers will help you. I love coffee but realized, I didn’t know that much about it. So when I saw a coffee tasting come up on the schedule, I jumped. (The cost is usually discounted for members, so much I decided to purchase a membership; I suggest you do, too!)
evaluating the aromas. . .
We blind-tasted 9 coffees. It was fun to conjure up adjectives to describe the nuances of the flavor profiles, which varied wildly from cup to cup. Of course, the event reminded me of a wine tasting but with a twist: interesting adjectives emerged that I’d never used when speaking about wine. Of a flavor profile, the best descriptive phrase of the evening was “hot, humid jungle”!
The tasting also differed from a typical wine tasting in another way. Because of the changes coffee undergoes during preparation, we wrote notes for each of 9 samples at four different stages of brewing. First, we described the fragrance of the grounds themselves and second, the aroma released after the pour (this was timed with precision). Third, we broke the surface of the coffee to release still more aroma, and described that. Last, we documented the taste. This involved a particular technique of aspirating the coffee, essentially a very quick suck from the spoon with a loud sssssssssssuppppppppp!
writing down our tasting notes
With 9 coffees side by side, it’s just so easy to appreciate the broad array of flavors that the varied beans deliver. There’s a surprising diversity out there. It’s amazing, too, to see how one’s experience of a particular coffee, one’s impression of it, changes from the moment you sniff the grounds, as compared to the first taste. And not only that, for each coffee the taste and aroma change over time, from bean to brew. Very cool stuff.
For fun events like this and so much more, check out the calendar of events at 18 Reasons and, go try one out!
the surface of the coffee is gorgeous, four minutes after the pour
18 Reasons
593 Guerrero at 18th Street
San Francisco, CA
info@18reasons.org
my pocket choice for thai, Suriya Thai Restaurant
Suriya Thai Restaurant on Howard, in SOMA, San Francisco, CA
Tonight, dinner was about not just food but celebrating my friend Ll’s great accomplishment, acing a critical exam needed for his profession. (He’s so good. ) We chose Suriya Thai Restaurant, a place we’ve known for years, back in the days when it anchored the south end of the Valencia foodie corridor. (In fact, before Valencia was the foodie street that it is today.) Still, the new location on Howard has all the familiar trappings of the old. Gorgeous antique carvings are placed throughout the dining room including a striking display of centuries-old carved coconut shellers.
coconut shellers at Suriya Thai
And the food is special. One can find a lot of thai in the City but somehow Suriya manages to set itself apart. Many of the dishes are drawn from family recipes so you’ll find some things here that you’ve not seen on menus before. The helpings are generous, the price reasonable. The casual-dining-feel in turn reflects the casual nature of the food. The descriptions on the menus are well worth reading, too…
Suriya menu
Our server was Ahn, always flawlessly kind. A special treat was meeting Suriya’s owner, who came by to check on us, and I met one of the lovely women behind the scenes responsible for the exciting flavors on the menu.
A meal in pictures:
scrumptuous, the chicken dumplings at Suriya.
perennial favorite, the sausage-stuffed eggplant with basil
bursting with flavour: pineapple, tomato and duck curry
special menu item tonight, and so good!, the bbq pork ribs with shredded new coconut
1532 Howard St
(between 11th St & Lafayette St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Neighborhood: SOMA
(between 11th St & Lafayette St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Neighborhood: SOMA
(415) 355-9999
Burger News: Mission Bowling to bring back Mission Burger!
the Mission Burger
We’ve been searching San Francisco in search of the best burger. It’s been hard to find one quite as good as the now defunct, Mission Burger. (MUS•e•YUM report, here.) Elated we are to hear that Anthony Myint is bringing the burger back. And, the concept sounds fun. More destination eating in the Mission, and how much do we love this neighborhood!
Would you like to see some pictures of Mission Bowling Club as it’s getting built out? Mission Mission shows us the six shiny new bowling lanes being laid down. The bar top will also be made of a reclaimed lane, and please remember that Anthony Myint will be bringing the historically famous Mission Burger back from the dead. Lots to look forward to. Previous Mission Bowling Club coverage, here.
Link by:
The Whole Pie. on Vimeo
Enjoy. Do a little work. Eat.
This is the latest video in an ongoing series produced by the Bay Area’s Pie Ranch.
Pie Ranch is an educational farm whose mission is
to inspire and connect people to know the source of their food, and to work together to bring greater health to the food system from seed to table.
We here at MUS•e•YUM simply love them. Check out the first in the video series, previously posted on MUS•e•YUM, here.
Wise Sons pop into Ferry Building farmers’ market
Last year, Evan Bloom and Leo Beckerman saw opportunity in the lack of stellar Jewish cuisine in San Francisco, so they started the search for a restaurant space to house their Jewish deli concept, appropriately named Wise Sons.
dessert landscapes series, sfogliatelle
sfogliatelle at Fiore Cafe, the Mission, San Francisco, CA
Sfogliatelle at Fiore Cafe, the Mission, San Francisco, CA
This pastry is quite a sight to behold, and it is equally delicious. Filled with a sweet ricotta filling redolent of citrus, the dough is a perfectly-formed crescent of beautifully scalloped, thin, buttery, flaky, magnificent layers. I’d love to see how these are made. . . incredible!
Fiore Cafe
3599 24th St
(between San Jose Ave & Guerrero St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
(between San Jose Ave & Guerrero St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 642-4822
Hours: Mon-Fri 7 am – 6 pm; Sat-Sun 8 am – 6 pm
Chile Pies Opens in the Castro, Chipotle Bonanza, More! – Friday Opening Report – Eater SF
Chile Pies Opens in the Castro, Chipotle Bonanza, More! – Friday Opening Report – Eater SF.
WE LOVE PIE! And, we love the NOPA location of Chile Pies and Ice Cream. Home of incredible crust and one of our favorite ice creams for a la mode, the local organic and wonderful Three Twins. Can’t wait to have both in the Castro.
Check out our homage to another pie establishment here. yes, we still think Pie is the new cupcake…
SF Street Food Festival Is This Saturday! Heres a Handy Guide – Street Food – Eater SF
SF Street Food Festival Is This Saturday! Heres a Handy Guide – Street Food – Eater SF.
MUS•e•YUM will be on the ground and reporting from the event. Check it out, not only will it bring together good people and amazing food, the proceeds go to charity, thanks to the San Francsico non-profit La Cocina.
dessert landscapes series, blueberry waffle
blueberry waffle at the Blue Fig, the Mission, San Francisco, CA
blueberry waffle at the Blue Fig
the Blue Fig
990 Valencia St
(between Liberty St & 21st St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 875-9622
Hours: Mon-Fri 7 am – 7 pm
Sat-Sun 7:30 am – 7 pm
Teach Pie.
It’s been nearly four years since my first trip to Mission Pie, a wonderful oasis for homespun dessert and savoury pies located in the Mission District of San Francisco. I was new to the food community then, and eager to learn more about it. I wanted to learn more about the provenance of the wonderful ingredients being used in the meals that I was enjoying. My eyes were being opened to the wealth that is the abundance of the Bay Area’s local produce.
I’d started taking photos, too, with my new digital camera and many of those pictures were of my food. I began to post photos of memorable meals on Flickr and Yelp, together with reviews of my experiences both good and bad. I wanted to document my excitement for what I was discovering and for what I was learning, all at the same time. And, I wanted to connect with others who shared my passion. And my passion was fed.
It’s funny now to think that something as quintessentially homespun as a warm-from-the-oven pie could be a novel new player on the bakery scene but then, it was. At a time when bakeries were vying for the top cupcake, a bakery devoted to the humble pie seemed novel and maybe even bold. No one was doing pie then. I sought out Mission Pie soon after it opened and on that visit, after tasting that perfectly cooked crust and the luminous brightness of the fruit inside, even then remarked to my friend that pie ‘just might be’ the new cupcake. Was I right? Maybe not quite on the grander scale but for me, it sure is! And I wanted to learn more. . .
What I also learned on this first visit made me love this business even more. Mission Pie is the retail outlet for a bigger picture and a bigger story. All the ingredients which comprise every one of those gorgeous pies comes from a ranch, the Pie Ranch, located outside the city on the San Mateo Coast. Bees make the honey, fruit falls from the trees, wheat is milled to flour, and the spirit, hard work and love of farmers and volunteers all come together there so that you and I may enjoy the fruits of their labor here, and I was- and am- blown away and moved by that concept.
Founded in 2002, The Pie Ranch is a working farm, not only producing food but producing change. Their mission (Mission Pie) is to feed and nourish the body, the mind, the consciousness and the broader community by educating people as to where their food comes from and how it gets to one’s table. The Ranch welcomes students from inner city schools and introduces them to the country, all the while teaching farming and an appreciation for where food comes from. They mentor adults who want to learn to farm sustainably.
So they’re doing far more than growing food or even making pies…they’re making a difference. You can see this passion in the eyes of every single person in this video and I invite you to check it out:
via Teach Pie. on Vimeo.
The Pie Ranch apprenticeship program gives apprentices the skills needed to become the next generation of successful farmers.
Pie Ranch is an education farm whose mission it is to inspire and connect people to know the source of their food, and to work together to bring greater health to the food system from seed to table.
pieranch.org/
Thanks to Nancy, Jered, Amy and all the apprentices and interns!
Mission Pie
2901 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 282-1500Hours:
Mon-Thu 7 am – 9 pm
Fri 7 am – 10 pm
Sat 8 am – 10 pm
Sun 9 am – 9 pm
dessert landscapes series, cinnamon roll
cinnamon roll a la Starstream Cafe
cinnamon roll a la Starstream Cafe
cinnamon roll by Starstream Cafe
Starstream
1830 Harrison at 14th St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 864-6370
The cinnamon roll by Starstream Cafe, Harrison Street, SOMA, San Francisco
a foodie news roundup for you!
Starting with our friends at Mission Mission, news of a new restaurant coming to the MUS•e•YUM backyard, on 24th Street! We already had Rosamunde for top quality sausages, Mission Pie for the ultimate dessert pie and Humphry Slocombe’s for the ice cream. . . this restaurant puts all three foods into one space! One stop shopping we say…
Homemade sausages and homemade pies coming to former Discolandia space « Mission Mission.
We miss Capri in the Castro. It was a great pocket restaurant for a family style dinner that didn’t break the bank. One could always count on the surly waiter for a funny if not scandalous quip… has he asked everyone to take their shirts off at one point or another? Since the demise of Capri we’ve wondered what would take her place. Tablehopper has the scoop. Spanish! The name, Canela. We love the concept, especially the idea that they’ll have space for casual dropping in to take an espresso… very european indeed!
Details on Canela, Opening Soon in the Castro
More of our favorite things, Chocolate, wine, cheese and charcuterie and in one very cool up and coming neighborhood, the Dogpatch. Very close to our favorite ice cream spot, Mr and Mrs Miscellaneous:
Recchiuti Confections will take over the former Piccino space, 801 22nd Street:
http://sf.eater.com/archives/2011/07/27/plywood_report_10.php
Details on Canela, Opening Soon in the Castro
The latest in Burger News:
We like Super Duper a lot. It’s definitely grown up since it opened a year ago in the Castro. While at first it seemed like a very good (and more expensive) version of an In and Out Burger (thin patties and thin-cut fries, made with very fresh, high-quality ingredients) they ‘ve added some interesting, larger burgers to the menu as well as some great ice cream desserts made with Strauss organics. Success has lead to expansion, not only to Market Street but now, the Marina:
Super Duper Takes Over Johnny Rockets in the Marina
and before the much anticipated Umami Burger opens in Cow Hollow, plans are already underway for an Umami location in the Mission, our backyard here at MUS•e•YUM.
our favorite coffee destination, Sightglass, set to open cafe space 11 July
Interior of the new Sightglass Coffee space, photo courtesy of Tablehopper.com
Straight from local food authority Tablehopper comes some news for which we’ve been eagerly waiting here at MUS•e•YUM, not in the least because their location is but blocks away from the Mission Street office! Yes, after one cup of Sightglass Coffee and we were hooked. In our estimation it’s the best cup of coffee in the city (click here for our first review). Up until now the coffee has been served up from a kiosk on 7th Street near Folsom, housed in a loading dock that is tucked into a nondescript part of a nondescript industrial block. Sightglass has been building-out the space next door, however, over the past several months. Curious we were and after taking several peeks through the curtain, we’ve followed the development in its progress, as the immense warehouse space morphs to coffee Mecca. The centerpiece is a towering roaster, gleaming under the skylights that bring ample light into the two-tiered, lofted room. Beautiful. What you need to know is this: not only will the space be as impressive a space as the coffee is rich (it’s roasted on the spot after all), they’ll also serve baked goods from two of the hottest sources in town, Tell Tale Preserve Co. and Hooker’s Sweet Treats. Everything comes together here: Industrial chic, fabulous coffee and great desserts… so get thee there! Here’s the full article by Tablehopper, with all the sumptuous details and photos:
http://www.tablehopper.com/chatterbox/sightglass-ready-to-open-its-spacious-cafe-and-roastery/
Sightglass Coffee
270 7th St. at Folsom
SOMA
Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-7pm, Sun 8am-6pm
415-861-1313.
Off The Grid’s 1st Theme Party: “Hot Food, Cold Nights” – Food Trucks – Eater SF
Off The Grid’s 1st Theme Party: “Hot Food, Cold Nights” – Food Trucks – Eater SF.
The folks at Off the Grid are mixing up the formula this week with Hot Food, Cold Nights, a new way of experiencing this food truck mash up we first told you about here. Rather than pay as you go, the price of one admission ticket will get you a food item at each truck once you’re in, and only 100 tickets will be sold. $35.
Saturday 2 July, McCoppin Hub,
Umami Burger Seals The Deal on Union Street – Northern Migrations – Eater SF
Umami Burger Seals The Deal on Union Street – Northern Migrations – Eater SF.
Reposted from the EaterSF, the latest on the LA Burger chain’s Bay Area debut. Of note to us here at MUS•e•YUM H.Q. talk of a Mission outpost.
super hot farmer’s market in development for the Mission
We San Franciscans do love our farmer’s markets so how could we not love having a new one . . . best of all not too far from MUS•e•YUM HQ! There is sort of a catch to this one, though, and we don’t know that there’s another market out there quite like it. So, straight from the “only in San Francisco” files . . . (but you have to love how integrated our little society is;-) comes this little story out of Eater SF. . . check out the size of those melons!!!
burger-truck face off. That’s right.
We’ve been wondering why this city full of food trucks didn’t have one devoted to the burger (hmm!) and now, lo and behold, we have two! Here’s the scoop, straight from SF EATER. Of note, the second truck they mention, Doc’s By the Bay, also has a vegetarian option that sounds kinda good, actually…
These guys can be found (among other locations) at some of the Off the Grid hotspots, check the OTG website for details (for more Off the Grid commentary, jump here)
Burger Truck Faceoff 2011: Doc’s of the Bay vs. Fivetenburger
Friday, May 13, 2011, by Carolyn Alburger
In the great tradition of January’s BBQ Truck faceoff, we now bring you Burger Truck Faceoff 2011. We’ve heard numerous complaints about the lack of burger-wielding food trucks in San Francisco of late. And soon, where there were none, there shall be two—both of them flipping burgers to-order from an on-truck griddle. As Zak Silverman’s Doc’s of the Bay deals with its public hearings for two future Mission locations, we learn of new player Fivetenburger, suiting up for action. Both burger vehicles will be rolling up to Off the Grid’s Civic Center edition for the next two Tuesdays. So consider it your fleeting chance to try the contenders side-by-side. Behold now, the vitals for each.
1) Fivetenburger
Mastermind: San Antonio-native and former Bar Johnny chef Roland Robles
Burger Style: Choice of grain-fed Golden Gate Meats or Eel River Ranch 100% grass-fed ground beef on a proprietary North Beach Bakery Co. bun Robles “spent months perfecting”
Special Sauce?: Yes. Housemade spicy mustard, garlic mayo and a “secret spice mix”
Location: Off the Grid, Civic Center
The Extras: A cage-free egg, applewood bacon or garlic fries can be added to each order.
Twitter, Facebook, website
2) Doc’s of the Bay
Mastermind: New Jersey-native Zak Silverman
Burger Style: Organic black Angus beef, Mid-Western smashburger technique
Special Sauce?: Yes. Housemade ketchup and a special ratio of minced onions worked into each patty
Location: Washington St. by the TransAmerica building, Off the Grid, Civic Center on Tuesdays, every other Sunday outside Homestead, possibly two locations in the Mission next month
The Extras: Doc’s has a black bean veggie burger that’s been driving vegetarians crazy
San Francisco’s Favorite Burger, 4505 Meats
As if hearing our call here at MUS•e•YUM for the Best Burger in San Francisco, the fine fellows over at SF Eater have mobilized the entire city (and their fancy-shmancy number crunching servers) to scientifically determine just that! The winner? -no surprise here: celebrity chef and food concept innovator Ryann Starr and his 4505 Meats. Starr is a busy guy, running 4505 Meats at the Ferry Building on Thursdays as well as other pop up venues (like his fabulous turkey lunch right before Thanksgiving in Hayes Valley, link here) and the scrumptious 3-SUM Food Truck which you can find at various Off the Grid venues around town.
http://sf.eater.com/archives/2011/04/29/4505_meats_new_school_burger_wins_big.php
4505 Meats “New School” Burger Wins Big!
Friday, April 29, 2011, by Laura Beck
4505 Meats won the Best Burger in the SF Bay Area Burger Brackets showdown! You go, girl. Congrats to 4505 Meats team and congrats to all of our restaurants and voters. You’re all the real winners here. I think.4505 Meats Burger [Photo: HamBlogger]
Smitten is OPEN…YAY!
We’ve been waiting a while for this one. Smitten, center of a lot of buzz in the local ice cream scene (check out our Smitten post, here), is finally open for business in the fledgling Hayes Valley Proxy project, soon to be THE hot summer foodie destination (coming, a beer garden by Suppenkuche and a pizza kiosk by Delfina, among others) Smitten dishes out the freshest ice cream you can buy anywhere: it’s made to order using a fantastic liquid nitrogen freezing system that whizzes and smokes and delivers decadent deliciousness right before your very eyes!
Check out this article in the Daily Candy and stay tuned for our on-the-ground coverage, coming soon;-) Homemade pizzelle cones…
Smitten Ice Cream Shop Opens in Hayes Valley
Made-to-Order Scoops in 60 Seconds
Time was, seeing Smitten’s Red Flyer wagon around town meant one thing: sprinting after it for a scoop of ice cream like you hadn’t eaten in days.
Hang up your running shoes and park it on a milk crate in the Hayes Valley Proxy Project instead. That’s where Smitten just opened a shop.
Owner Robyn Sue Goldman’s innovative liquid-nitrogen machine (the Kelvin) means each scoop is made one at a time, in just a minute. The freshest in-season ingredients and creative flavor combos (maple brown sugar butternut squash and candied pecans; banana chocolate chunk; strawberry and white balsamic) top even your childhood ice cream fantasies.
For now, order a cup of the speedy treat; homemade pizzelle cones and cookie sandos are on the way. No matter what flavor you choose, consider Smitten a justifiable detour in your diet.
Smitten Ice Cream, 432 Octavia Street, at Linden Street, suite 1a (415-863-1518 or smittenicecream.com).
april 1st, where food goes to die, the lucky penny diner, san francisco
Overheard: “if the United States had lost the war and become a Soviet Block country, this is the kind of food we’d be eating in the diners.”
And it’s true. This is horrible stuff. It’s where food goes to die. (Twice.)
As the door to the kitchen swings open, one can see the rows of plus-sized generic-label cans of vegetables that supply the diner. The lone waitress for the whole dining room comes and goes from the kitchen with her arms full of plates of bad food moving one way, and dirty dishes with half-eaten food the other. Your wait for her attention is time best spent deciding whether or not you’ll stay a minute longer.
For my main, I ordered a hot turkey sandwich because, well, I used to like those growing up. The one presented to me here was a nightmare. The slices of deli turkey were dried out. There was a greenish tinge to some of the edges. The slices of white bread were a little stale, too. The gravy was bland with a sort of film on the top, covering the sandwich and the mashed potatoes in a gelatinous goo. They were instant mashed, but by now that was expected. Ok, you can’t really mess those up; I added salt and butter margarine. And pepper. Yes, you certainly do have a choice of sides here, and all of them have shelf-lives in the dozens of years. Copper penny carrots, grey-ish kernels of corn, mushy green beans- you might remember any or all of these from the school lunch program with which you grew up. Yuck. There’s a memory I didn’t want.
The service was awful. Not that the waitress was mean. She wasn’t. The part of her psyche that could get angry, sad, or be pluckily ironic, or ironically plucky, was probably long dead. She was just. . . blank.
Some restaurants harken back to the past with sort of nod to nostalgia. Not this place. No whimsical memorobilia on the shelves here. There’s nothing joyous in this dusty place. It’s just that old, and hasn’t been renovated in that long. The furniture has aged. The vinyl booths have torn and discolored. Try not to touch that vinyl with any exposed skin. And, don’t buy the open-faced hot turkey sandwich.
dessert landscapes series, chile chocolate chip scone
chile pepper chocolate chip scone at Starstream, San Francisco
Starstream
1830 Harrison at 14th St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 864-6370
San Francisco Travel Guide: In the Magazine : bonappetit.com
Here’s a great list of San Francisco restaurants to experience. We can vouch for Commonwealth, and we’re eager to try more on the list! Click here :
San Francisco Travel Guide: In the Magazine : bonappetit.com.
