Jun-Blog » 18th Street

Best Mussels Provencale in the City

Jun Belen — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:44:36 +0000

Where can you find the tastiest Mussels Provencale in the city? Chez Papa Bistrot in Potrero Hill.

Sweet mussels steamed in white wine with garlic, shallots, cherry tomatoes, nicoise olives and pastis. Soak up the tasty broth with crusty bread and enjoy the sweet mussels with salty frites. Lunch in the sunniest side of the city has never been this good. Chez Papa’s simple but elegant Provence cooking is delightful. And those red chairs, black table tops and white plates are beautiful.

To learn how to make your own Mussels Provencale, follow this link.

Discovering the Dogpatch

Jun Belen — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:52:05 +0000

Two old cranes loom large over the Dogpatch. You simply can’t miss them.

I actually think these old cranes are very cool. Well, I think the Dogpatch is very cool. It is a bit rough but, definitely, in a good way. Old Victorians and old industrial and commercial buildings that survived the 1906 fire and earthquake mixed with new and modern loft apartments and cool cafes and restaurants give this tiny nine-block neighborhood a really interesting character and charm.

The Dogpatch is an enclave of industrial worker’s housing in the once-booming San Francisco Central Waterfront district. The city recognized it as a Historic District in 2003. It still feels industrial but it also feels neighborly. It was recently hailed as one of America’s best neighborhoods by Men’s Journal and recently featured in the New York Times.

I love its dog-friendly Esprit Park surrounded by quiet streets where dogs can run and play. I love its 260 sunny days in a year, on average. And I love its burgeoning dining scene. Fried eggs and cornbread with strawberry jam for breakfast at Just for You. House-smoked pastrami sandwich with bacon snickerdoodle for lunch at Kitchenette. A cup of Blue Bottle Coffee at Piccino Coffee Bar. A bottle of Malbec with cheese and olives at Yield Wine Bar. And a plateful of fried chicken with red beans and rice and yams for dinner at Hard Knox Cafe.

And if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, the equally cool 18th Street in Potrero Hill is just a quick brisk walk away. Hop on the T to get to downtown or on the 22 to get to the Mission. The choices are endless.

Here is a link to read more about the story behind the city’s working class historic district. It is a great resource about the history and architecture of the Dogpatch. And here are more information about the restaurants mentioned in this blog.

Just For You Cafe
732 22nd
415.647.3033

Kitchenette SF
958 Illinois
Twitter, @kitchenettesf

Piccino Coffee Bar
801 22nd
415.824.4224

Yield Wine Bar
2490 3rd
415.401.8984

Hard Knox Cafe
2526 3rd
415.648.3770

Farley’s at 18th Street: Can you spot the Red Corgi?

Jun Belen — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:59:02 +0000

One of the many great things about my new found freedom is being able to work from practically anywhere, anytime. I just need my MacBook, my Canon, a pen and my notebook, a good book to read, and since I work well while caffeinated and in a sugar high, a tasty cup of coffee and some sweet treats would be preferable.

And so, I have been spending a lot of time lately making the rounds of the coffee houses in the city to come up with my list of the coolest cafés.

Let me start with the one closest to home, Farley’s at 18th Street in Potrero Hill.

Farley’s is truly a cool neighborhood coffee shop with lots of community events and activities like the Annual Pet Fest they host every Halloween and their evenings of live jazz and standards played by local artists.

Another cool thing about Farley’s is their wall where they display the work of local artists and photographers. For November, they are showcasing the charming photographs of the pets and kids in costumes at the Pet Fest taken by “Photo Booth” photographer Christopher Irion. Stanford actually made it to the wall! Can you spot the red corgi?

Farley’s beans are hand roasted by a local coffee company in the East Bay. My favorite Farley’s sweet treat is their rich and yummy brownie.

Other notes: a cup of coffee is $1.75; wi-fi is free; there is outdoor seating; cookies and pastries are available and you can grab a sandwich next door at Hazel’s Kitchen and enjoy it at Farley’s.

Mission Fried Chicken Sandwich

Jun Belen — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:41:50 +0000

Today was my second trip to Mission Burger in ten days. I have been raving about their burger ever since I discovered their clandestine operations at Duc Loi in the Mission and I promised Dennis that I’d take him there as soon as we get the chance. Dennis is my trusted burger connoisseur, among other things, and so I was curious to know what he thinks of it.

After a hike from the Dogpatch to Dolores and back, we made a pit stop at Mission Burger for lunch today. I was thrilled. Dennis got their burger and fries and I, on the other hand, feasted on their new offering: the fried chicken sandwich.

Harrison free-range chicken with crispy chicken skin, pickled jalapeño, cucumber, shredded lettuce and secret sauce on an Acme roll. The sweet and hot pickled jalapeños complemented the crispy and salty fried chicken very well. And the crispy chicken skin was a wonderful bonus. It was a bit messy but all great fried chicken sandwiches are messy anyway!

Just a few notes about Mission Burger. Should you order fries? Absolutely. If you’re not a lemonade person, such as myself, grab a drink at Duc Loi since they only serve mint lemonade and nothing else, not even water. The dining area is a little snug and you may end up enjoying lunch on a milk crate but, seriously, who cares? And their sandwiches are only $8, it’s an amazing deal. They’re even donating $1 from every sandwich to the San Francisco Food Bank. And a final word, they’re open everyday except Thursday.

Kasa’s Kati Rolls

Jun Belen — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:59:41 +0000

I love Indian food. I love spicy curries and masalas with warm basmati rice and naan bread. Lately, I discovered a new Indian treat: flaky and buttery rotis at Kasa. They wrap rotis around tasty chicken tikka masala or lamb curry with marinated onions and chutney to make tasty kati rolls. Dip these rolls in a refreshing raita and they’re simply scrumptious.

Kasa is cool because they make simple and flavorful homestyle Indian food. They use natural and local ingredients. And for under $15 you can enjoy a wonderful meal.

Kasa is an Indian eatery at 18th and Noe in the Castro. Follow this link to know more about Kasa.

For those people like me who are a bit unfamiliar with the varieties of Indian flatbreads and who have always equated Indian food with naan, roti is unleavened while naan is leavened. Kati roll is a popular Indian street food that consists of a flatbread wrapped around seasoned meat or vegetables. Chicken tikka masala is a curry dish of roasted chicken, chicken tikka, in a rich red, creamy and tomato-based sauce. Raita is a yogurt-based sauce or dip seasoned with coriander, cumin, mint and other herbs and spices.